Song Collection: Choriki Sentai Ohranger

Welcome to the other half of my 1995 double-feature. In addition to looking at the song collection from Jukou B-Fighter, I am here to talk about the song collection from Choriki Sentai Ohranger.

I've kinda talked *around* this song collection quite a bit in the past, but this is my first time talking about it proper. There is the first time that I took a look at the abandoned ending theme song. Then the other time I talked about it. There is a ton of weird history behind Ohranger songs...and yet I've never talked about the CD known as Choriki Sentai Ohranger Hit Songs.

So here it is. I'll be using my copy of Ohranger Hit Songs for this review...which I had to dig up for photos since I didn't have any in the archive.

Choriki Sentai Ohranger Hit Songs
COCC-12884
1995.09.21

Ohpink being layered in front of Ohred has ALWAYS bugged me...

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01. Ohre! Ohranger / Kentaro Hayami

The series theme song...and a fantastic theme song it is. While it's always been speculated that Niji iro Crystal Sky was the intended theme song of the series, there is no denying that this is great way to start every episode of Ohranger. Those early episode with the narration that lead into the theme song were really the best.

Over on my B-Fighter review I mentioned that that series had a textbook Tokusatsu theme song. So does Ohranger...

It may not be as sterile as the B-Fighter OP, but it certainly makes up for it in sheer force. When these series theme songs are created, these are the songs that everyone at Toei and Bandai have to put up with for an entire year. They can't suck... This is the type of song they need to make.

I might not think this is the best, but it's damn fine.

02. Niji iro Crystal Sky / Kentaro Hayami

Legendary song.

Not only was it used as the ending song in the final episode, but it was also used as the episode preview music fairly often. It (allegedly) was meant to be the opening theme song, and it shows. It also had KYOKO (again, check out the previous post about this song) all over it. The structure of the lyrics is 100% her style.

While it never made it as a regular theme song, it certainly left a lasting impression on fans.

03. Choriki Gattai! Ohrangerrobo / Kentaro Hayami, Mori no kijido gassho-dan

As mecha-heavy as Ohranger is, it only managed to have two mecha theme songs. This is one of the two themes...and something of a dud.

The thing is, I actually like Ohrangerrobo when they weren't doing those fever-dream training montages with Red Puncher. This song is the epitome of generic filler songs. It's peppy, but never really goes anywhere. Wasted potential, for sure.

04. Kagayaki no mai / Mari Sasaki

I've previously talked about my love of this song in the past. This is the theme song for Juri and Momo.

The slick music track complements the great vocal track by Mari Sasaki. Sasaki previously performed Tsuruhime's theme song on the Kakuranger Song Collection. I definitely prefer this track as it is a much more solid production all the way around. The vocal effects are used sparingly and with expert timing. Plus there is that great music track.

05. Action! Ohranger / Kentaro Hayami

As the name would suggest, this is an action song for the series. I dig it, but can't get over uber-generic lyrics like "Action Action! Go Go Go!" sometimes. Haha.

The rest of the lyrics contain roll calls of all of the toys you can buy the Ohranger weapon arsenal, etc. Generic, but perfectly serviceable and decent.

06. Acha Kocha ChaChaCha / Kaneta Kimotsuki, Shinobu Adachi

I really don't like this type of song, but it certainly has it's fans. This is the character song for Acha & Kocha. Much like the Bandora song from Zyuranger, this track managed to make it into the series.

I will give it credit where it's due...these two aren't bad singers. This song is tolerable as a result, but I generally skip over it.

One of the strangest single pages I've ever come across in any Columbia CD booklet.

07. Makka na toukon! Red Puncher!! / Hironobu Kageyama

One of my all-time favorite mecha theme songs. This is the version to get, by the way. The Super Hero Chronicle version cuts out the "In the Red corner..." intro that makes this song so magical.

Not only is this one of my favorite mecha songs, I think it may be my favorite Kageyama tokusatsu song. Yeah, even better than any of his series theme songs. This is when he was at his finest.

Kageyama isn't the sole thing great about this song, either. The music is wonderfully upbeat with it's horns and frantic energy. Nevermind the fact that this is the theme song for a robot that killed it's test pilot and later played hopscotch with Ohrangerrobo.

CHAMPION DA ZEEEeeee!

08. Ohranger Spirit / Kentaro Hayami

I think this song is an understated gem. It really isn't a full-on action song or anything, but it is a nice little motivational track. OK, it may be a little bit cheesy, but I like it. Especially the little change-up for the outro.

It's just a sweet little 90s song.

09. VICTORY FIGHT ~Shori wo tsukame! Ohranger~

The second of two Kageyema tracks on this song collection. While it's not as sharp as the Red Puncher theme, and let's face it...nothing is..., I still dig the action song-ness of this one. It's pretty catchy.

10. Kinkyuu Hasshin!! Ohranger / Kentaro Hayami

While the series ending song we got is much different from the one we didn't, the one we did get was excellent. Do you follow??

I've always had a soft spot for this ending song. This decade gave us a lot of variety when it came to closing out Sentai series, but there wasn't a single stinker. Yeah, even the Fiveman ending song isn't bad.

The measure of a great ending song is the imagery that comes along with it. I can't not think of the montage-y ending of the series when I hear this.

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While I don't think this song collection is for everyone, I've always been a big fan of it. It's fairly consistent, which is something that seems to be elusive when it comes to these song collections. It also has juuust the right amount of variety. There are only a handful of singers, a single character song, and the super-popular song with Niji iro Crystal Sky.

I definitely recommend this song collection. The behind-the-scenes weirdness somehow lead to one of the most decently normal song collection. It's very good though, even if it's a bit scant at only ten tracks.

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Don't forget to check out the B-Fighter Song Collection while you're here.

See ya!

-CC

Previously...

The Toys That Made Us: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Blue SWAT Song Collection
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger Song Collection
The CD Collection

Song Collection: Jukou B-Fighter

Welcome to my review of the song collection from the 1995 Toei Metal Hero Series Jukou B-Fighter! What better time than the 25th anniversary to review the song collection from this series and Choriki Sentai Ohranger?

The B-Fighter song collection is something of an odd duck. Not only was it released under two different labels, but the entire song collection has just one singer--Shinichi Ishihara.

For what essentially Shinichi Ishihara's fourth and final (to date) album...just how is it?

For this review I'll be listening via my trusty Super Hero Chronicle Metal Hero Shudaika Sonyuuka Daizenshuu III. I previously took a look at the entire CD series in this woefully incomplete post.

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01. Jukou B-Fighter / Shinichi Ishihara

Textbook definition of a great Tokusatsu theme song. It's action-packed, incredibly catchy, and really is a song that works as a fight song as well. It may not be my all-time favorite Metal Hero theme song, but there is no denying that this is really a perfect example of getting it right.

The only critique I think I have about this song is that it's just a little too sterile. Shinichi Ishihara is wonderful and as lively as you would expect him to be, but something is missing in the overall emotion of the song.

That said...awesome theme song. It's definitely the last of the Metal Hero greats.

02. Shutsugeki! Beet Machine / Shinichi Ishihara

The series mecha theme song...and it's a great little song. If Shinichi Ishihara is great at two things, it's theme songs and mecha theme songs. So far we're two for two!

I genuinely prefer this song over the Ohrangerrobo song of the same year. The only thing that sucks is probably the Beet Machines themselves. Don't get me wrong, they're cool...but I feel like they almost exclusively lived in stock footage.

Great song. It's the song that was chosen to represent the series in Toei Metal Hero Karaoke Collection Vol.2.

03. Kono hoshi no tame naraba / Shinichi Ishihara

Technically this is an ending song as it was used to close out the B-Fighter movie.

Of all of the songs here, I probably enjoy this one the most. While this isn't an action song, it certainly is lively. Shinichi Ishihara himself is closer to the sound that he would later have in his GoGo Five songs and less of the soulful schtick that he put on for his solo albums. I'll have to cover those albums of his someday...

The fact that this was used as the movie ending song and not the series ending song definitely plays to it's strengths.

04. Imakoso shouri o / Shinichi Ishihara

Here's where we hit a big slowdown.

This song is so weird. Ishihara's singing is incredibly out of place here. The music itself sounds like a slower, bizarro version of the previous track. I could never get into this one, but I never really skip it when I listen to this song collection. Possibly because it sounds like it could be a scratch take from his album Positive Groover.

05. Susume! Konchu senshi / Shinichi Ishihara

This song is an alright fight song. I think the thing that I don't like about it is that it sounds a little bit like something out of the largely awful BF Kabuto song collection. Yeah...I dread the day that I get to that one...

Again, this song is alright. I hate the spazzy percussion.

06. Shiawase wa itsumo okurete kurukara / Shinichi Ishihara

A ballad! A not-great ballad.

Ishihara has proven that he can handle this type of song with ease, but something is just off with his voice here. Everything is just a little bit off, to be honest. Let's listen to this Ishihara song instead...

07. Senshi tachi yo / Shinichi Ishihara

I really, really don't understand this song.

This is like a weird samba fever dream with upbeat singing. I almost want to say that this song is inappropriate for Ishihara, but I don't think this song is appropriate -fullstop-. What is this?

Yeah, I usually skip this one. It's just so weird...and bland...and it goes on for far too long.

08. Chikyuu Koukou / Shinichi Ishihara

The series ending song. While this is probably the slowest of slow ending songs out there, I actually enjoy it greatly. It's a great contrast to the fast-faced opening theme song.

Ishihara really nails this one. He is singing against the wispiest melody and really does a perfect job.

From experience I have heard some complaints that this song is a real snoozer, but I don't hear it. When you have a great singer coupled with a wonderful composition, it really can bring even the slowest tune to life.

09. Kurokishi BLACK BEET / Shinichi Ishihara

Ehhh. This song is alright.

Again, this song sounds like a proto-BF Kabuto song. It's about a bad guy, so let's make it a little spooky sounding. Feh. It doesn't even do sinister all that well.

Since Black Beet was the antithesis of the B-Fighters, why not do like they did in Carranger and play off the series theme song in some way? This is just bland.

10. Tatakae!! Mega Hercules / Shinichi Ishihara

I like 92% of this song.

It may not be as good as the Beet Machine theme, but it's definitely a solid, upbeat mecha theme. The only thing that absolutely sucks about this song is when it randomly breaks into carnival music toward the end. It's INCREDIBLY jarring and really screws up an otherwise competent mecha theme song.

So close...and yet so far...

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Before I get into my final judgement on this song collection, I want to talk about the original release of these songs. The song collection proper was released by Forte Music Entertainment and only contained the first eight tracks listed above. The final two tracks were released as a CD single by Columbia once the Forte name folded and the rights reverted back to Columbia. I hope this clears up why there are two tracks after the series ending song. I was more interested in listing them in chronological order.

Do I recommend this song collection? Meh. It's high points are definitely great, but a lot of it is just Forte being awful. Though the two Columbia songs aren't great either. The opening, ending, Beet Machine and movie ending themes are all spectacular, but the rest is just a waste of a great singer.

For the Ishihara completionist, this is a must. Otherwise just stick to the well-known tracks and you can't go wrong.

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Be sure to check out my look at the Ohranger Song Collection as well!

Bye now!

-CC

Previously...

The Toys That Made Us: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Blue SWAT Song Collection
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger Song Collection
The CD Collection