Mashin Sentai Kiramager (2020)

Few Seasons can compare to Kiramager

This season was AMAZING! Very few seasons can compare with the quality and entertainment that Kiramager had.

First, let's start with the story. This season was able to have an episode zero, which made the first episode the second part of a two-parter. This should be done with all season. It gives the introduction of the story room to breathe and settle better with views. Then, after 10 episodes of knowing the core team, we had to have the hiatus due to COVID. I was ready for the huge downhill slope, but, somehow, the quality of the show did not suffer. Then we had the 6th ranger join us, and with him, came a new story plot that ended after 4 episodes. SIKE! Of course not! These writers keep this storyline going and not just completely forgotten, but active. I feel like it's so hard to find this in toku but Kiramager had it.

The character and the actors in this show were on par with the story. Komiya Rio as Atsuta Juru / Kirama Red was such a welcome surprised. When we all thought he would just be another eccentric red, he brought a sense of thoughtfulness and care. I think we should have more characters that are like him down the line if they can get it right again. Kihara Rui as Imizu Tametomo / Kirama Yellow was a great leader to follow. Always looking for the best plan, he leads the team in the aspects that Juru was least capable of. Yet he is also willing to follow Juru and let him be the official leader. Shinjo Yume as Hayami Sena / Kirama Green, Mizuishi Atomu as Oshikiri Shiguru / Kirama Blue, and Kudo Mio as Oharu Sayo / Kirama Pink were great actors and their character were great team members. Sena was always herself from the start and was ready to act first and think later. However, with the right plan from Tametomo, she would be able to focus that entry and charge into battle at top speed. Shiguru was the cool man at first but once he was more comfortable with the team, we were able to see his eccentric side that others would not be able to see. And Sayo was like the mother of the group, always keep everyone in check and making sure everything was on track. Kohei Shoji was a wonderful actor as Crystalia Takamichi / Kirama Silver, who started off wanting to do his mission solo, but with a bit of friendship from the other, he was able to get the help of the team to complete his mission. Momotsuki Nashiko as Yodonna was a good actress. At first, I was not expecting to like this character as much but quickly I just wanted to see more of her and even felt tempted to want to see a victory for her. Every actor and actress was really good, and I hope they get bigger and better roles in the future ahead.

Music-wise I loved it. The opening and the ending were top-notch. Never skipped them in this year.

Since all but maybe 2 episodes were 4 stars and up, I would be willing to rewatch any episode in the series. The filler was always so good. Never had I said that about a season till now.

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Everything the show did well:
-Extremely likeable team and sidecast.
-Besides the main antagonist and kinda Yodonna, the villains in this show are consistently really great.
-The monsters of the week are really entertaining.
-Cool stylish fights on ground and decent mecha fights.
-The team tends to find pretty creative solutions to most problems.
-It feels like the show got the most use out of the team's powers.
-The rivalry between Juuru and Garza is well done.
-Great soundtrack that sounds pretty different from other tokus.
-The dynamic of the team having to balance being heroes and their professional life is really well done.
-Show gets the core of what Sentai is right, where the biggest obstacles should be resolved by learning how to be proper team.
-The progression of the team relationship feels natural.
-The focus of the team feels pretty balanced. The red ranger Juuru definitely has a bit more focus than the rest and blue a bit less than the rest, but for the most part every member, including the extra sixth ranger, gets proper development and no member feels like it was super shafted.
-The show manages to be pretty funny while having proper stakes.
-Slightly better acting than usual sentai.

Everything the show did bad:
-The show is a 'safe' Sentai show if that make sense. It doesn't do anything THAT unique, but it does enough as to not feel generic.
-Main antagonist, while it has an interesting backstory, feels properly powerful/menacing and has a cool final fight, ends up feeling kind of boring overall and gets heavily overshadowed by Garza.
-Yodonna while overall likeable feels very one-note.
-The vehicle partners of the team besides Fire are just kind of all right and not all that interesting.
-The Gekiranger crossover two-parter special is just kind of allright.
-Red Ranger Juuru's catchphrase can be kind of annoying at first but it gets dialed down pretty quickly luckily.

Reasons for the show strenghts:
Due to Sentai having continuous lacking sales since Ninninger, old promoted producers that aren't actually supposed to be producing these shows decided to step in to help. This resulted in Tsukuda producing Kiramager and Shirakura producing Zenkaiger and Donbrothers. Tsukuda wanted to make a 'safe' Sentai show, however unlike the producer duo in Ryusoulger, Tsukuda has a proper understanding on how to make a show like this. Main writer Naruhisa Arakawa is excellent at writing likeable characters and progressing the characters' powers while also making a concise world-building.

Reasons for the show flaws:
Due to being safe it doesn't come up as a super unique show and keeps it from being a top-tier show. That said it's easily the best 'safe' Sentai show I've seen so far.

Overall:
Would highly recommend this show as someone's first Sentai, as it kinda gives a general idea of the vibes this shows tend to have while also just being a really solid show. It being safe definitely drags it down a bit, but just 'a bit', it's otherwise a really great time. Reminder that if you're going to watch this show to watch the episode 0 before starting. It isn't strictly necessary for the plot but it helps set up the show's setting.

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