The alternate title to this post was going to be "A Non-Perv's Guide to a Perv's Photo Book".
Welcome to another book overview on the site. I am also taking a look at a very different book on Tokusatsu concept art in my other post...so check that out. Since you're here, you are looking at a post on this Heroine photo book from the 90s. How dare you...
I kinda had some reservations getting into this book, but was taken in by it's lowww price from a very reputable seller. I knew I was getting a book that was scrutinized for condition, etc.
Then the damn thing gets damaged in shipping...but that's another story. Oh well.
Here are some examples of what the book has to offer over nearly two-hundred pages.
No text, but some incredible photography. Since this book was made in 1994, obviously the shows from that early 90s era are the focus...but the photography does go back to the 1970s. Considering the quality of film that the shows were shot on was not great, this book is the clearest look we can get for these shows.
Here are some of my favorite images from the book.
Kakuranger Ball! The action shots in this book are great, but this is one of my favorites. It doesn't have a minor mistake to drag it down...it's a great wind-up shot.
Obligatory. This is one of my favorite episodes of Kakuranger. *checks notes* It's
my sixth favorite episode. This episode not only explored a great idea that Kakuranger didn't do enough of (Yokai Amikiri is after Saizo because his ancestor chopped her right hand off) but it had some great action all the way through. Saizo lost a lot of steam after this episode as a character, but this was a great episode. Ami Kawai is also a welcome sight when she shows up. Speaking of...
Did Lammy ever lose a fight? Sure, this photo was staged, but she really could take on those chumps. I say this as a member of both Goushi and Geki fan clubs.
Speaking of undefeatable...this pack beating Sasuke within an inch of his life is one of those rare moments where you're fine with a good guy taking extreme abuse.
This spread really appeals to me color-wise. Shushutorian is one of those series that I've always threatened to pick up more than the handful of episode I've seen, but probably won't if Toei International's Youtube Channel won't give it to us. There is a Shutshutorian photo book...but I think I can skip it. It's expensive and I'm not attached to the series.
This photo of Mei is super-cinematic. Compare this to how it looked in Episode 26 of Zyuranger...
Yeah...night and day.
Since there is zero text in this book I can't really say too much more about it. It's loaded with gorgeous photos from an era where it didn't show up on the screen. There are some pages of bikini shots, but not nearly as many as I was expecting. I also didn't expect it to go back as far as it did since there are similar books to this from the 80s. It's pretty comprehensive...it even has Otohime...
Future Site Topic??
Yeah--I can recommend this book. I didn't scan any of it for that reason. This book is a great experience as a book. I've seen some of these photos over the years on the internet and it isn't the same. Check it out...it was a great value for the $20ish I got it for.
You can avoid the follow-up book from 1995...that one sucks.
Anyway. See ya next time!
-CC
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Great post! I've recently watched the Blue Swat episode where actress Yuka Shiratori fights in that black suit, it's great to see those scenes in such high quality.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yeah, that was a cool episode.
ReplyDeleteA very interesting "book".
ReplyDeleteAn interesting pairing with other book review.
Nice that Ninja White is one backcover; it makes sense why you picked it up.
There is quite a lot of Kakuranger in the book...but it's all gorgeous photos going way back. Maybe I just got something different out of it. Haha.
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