Hello and welcome back to CCLemon99.com. How are you? Everything good? Awww shoot, I'm so sorry to hear that. What did the doctor say? I know it's a drag to apply ointment three times a day, but you'll be as good as new in five weeks. It'll clear up! If I may interrupt... It's time for another CCLemon99 Unpopular Opinion™.
I started my channel nearly eleven years ago with the goal of making reviews of Super Sentai Henshin Items. It was uncharted waters in 2007 and now you can find dozens of Youtubers tripping over themselves to be FIRST!!11! and try to make that e-peen just a little more impressive. Considering my one year anniversary on Youtube was also the time that I caught up to the current series, I have definitely moved on in the decade since. 2008 may have been peak Youtube, and coincidentally the internet just slingshotted forward through burgeoning innovations and the world becoming a smaller place as a result.
Every aspect of life has moved forward at an impressive pace since then, but some things have kinda fallen to the wayside. There is less room for smaller competition. Niche brands and items are falling behind to make way for tech. Toy makers have always tried their damnedest to add a sliver of new technologies to entice kids to keep on playing while also juggling things like price point and safety.
This brings me to today's topic. 2008 was the start of a new era in Super Sentai toys. The dreaded gimmick was born. I plan on talking about the entire decade of toys in the second part of this post, but for now I really want to focus on the one that got it absolutely right. This toy managed to do it all, to be it all, and to impress my icy heart. It ticked all of the boxes in a way that really had never been done before. This is the Sentai Henshin Item of the Decade. I know I'm going to get some hate for it, but I present to you..............
The DX Zyuoh Changer
I honestly have almost nothing nice to say about the series that it belongs to (the suit designs are decent I guess...) but this Changer won me over when it was released two years ago and has only made me fonder of it in the time since.
In my original review, I praised just about every aspect of it...including the packaging! Let's go through the wins.
-No additional gimmicks or add-ons. Right out of the box, it has the Henshin functionality of Eagle, Shark, Lion, Elephant, Tiger, and even Gorilla. There is even a great LED feature for each color of Zyuohger. The electronics are a wonderful balance of complete and simple, though the sound is a little bit too quiet.
-The cube-theme is well incorporated and incredibly less intrusive than the series mecha and weapons. Turning the block unlocks the different modes of the Changer. It's basic, and yet it turns into a discreet flip phone. Yeah, 2016...I know. Still, the design is a lot of fun and was carefully crafted to do the most with what is essentially a cube of plastic. Well done...
-The packaging is compact and colorful. My number one gripe with Henshin Items doubling as weapons is the annoying amount of space they take up. The worst offender by far has to be the Ninja Ichibanto from Ninninger. Ugh. It barely has a flat edge on it and is enormous despite the toy being woefully tiny compared to version used in the show. The Zyuoh Changer? I can get like four of them and they would take up just as much room on a shelf.
-The addition of the Zyuohger mini figures. While this kinda screams of insecurity on Bandai's part, they're a neat little addition. I genuinely think that they're so programmed into thinking toys need a gimmick that they went full ham and put these pointless figures in for good measure. Whatever, it does make the whole presentation a little more colorful if you display everything together.
I had some glowing words for it in 2016 and in 2018 I wish I gave it a better score. The two years since have been a complete drag. I don't know how well the Zyuoh Changer did, but the absolute double-down they've done on gimmicks in the time since doesn't inspire any confidence. There is collectability, and there is bullshit. Next time...I will be looking at the decade-long roller coaster ride of Super Sentai Henshin Items and the crippling effects of gimmicks...
For now... Do yourself a favor and pick up a Zyuoh Changer if you haven't already. I challenge Bandai to do something better in 2019...
See ya soon!
-CC
You know why the Zyuoh Changer is so quiet? because it's a cellphone two years earlier they designed the Applichanger to not scream unless you press a button because kids would put it close to their ears
ReplyDeleteThat could be, but it seems a little unusual that something like the Mobirates and Gokai Cellular are both cell phones, yet the Mobirates screams at you while the Cellular is too damn quiet.
DeleteThey realized what had to be done in the same year
DeleteI think it has more to do with the type of battery used. Mobirates had AAA and the Gokai Cellular used LR44.
DeleteFirst comment I’ve posted on this blog in YEAR!
ReplyDeleteTime sure flies fast. I haven’t read most of the topic; especially in April, where you had very busy month.
Hard to believe that it’s been 11 years since your channel started.
Not everyone makes it to decade on YouTube these days.
Regarding the topic, I did not see this one coming (especially since I don’t follow tweets so often until now).
I thought you were going to wait until next year (2019), which marks end of 2010s.
The winner you chose was pretty unexpected and interesting choice.
I don’t have too much to say, since I commented years ago, but with the slew of changers that requires collector’s gimmick to activate it full potential, this one stood out in a good way and it was such a breath taking.
I haven’t been too impressed with changer in this decade, but Zyuoh Changer is definitely the better tier compared to other.
For my personal favorite of the decade, it would be Morphin Brace (Go-busters).
I’m not a fan of phone changer in recent year, but like Zyuoh Changer, it doesn’t require collectible gimmick to activate its full potential, which IMO is very important for every henshin item.
I really like the design, which is both retro and futuristic, and even Custom Visor is unique add-on.
Looking forward to see your next topic.
I will post comments on past entry... eventually; especially for Carranger and Megaranger which I have few things to say.
Hahaa. Welcome back. Akina Nakamori month turned out to be a pretty good experiment. It kinda spawned from wanting to do more with CD reviews and noticing that they grow in readership over time. Posts like this one here ^ are kinda disposable in the long run. Bigger views up front, but who cares a year from now?
DeleteJust wait for my 11 year video. I haven't told a soul or even hinted what it will be. I might throw a trailer on the channel the Sunday before it drops. I anticipate greatness if my ideas come to fruition...
There is kind of a reason why I posted this now instead of next year. The next post will get into the bigger reason, but I also just wanted to issue a challenge to Bandai. Prove me wrong. I want to be wrong. My favorite changer of the 00s was the ShodoPhone and that came out at the ass-end of that decade. That was in better times for the collectors, though...
I like the Morphin Brace a lot...but it just isn't all-things like the Zyuoh Changer is. It does have the advantage of being a Henshin Brace, but it just needs some more oomph.
I get alerts when comments are left on historic posts, so go nuts. Looking forward to hearing from you. ;]