CCLemon99

Shin Kamen Rider 2023: The One Sentence Review SPOILER

2023-05-31T23:40:00.000-04:00

Since I know that news feeds are cruel and unforgiving with their article summaries...I guess I need to post a little bit of filler before my one sentence review. I wouldn't want to spoil the movie. You should see it regardless of what I think or at least have to say about it. It was a film. Considering the films that are currently playing, it's the filmiest of all films probably. I mean...I've seen Spider-man before. Little Mermaid was all the rage when I was a youngster. Fast and Furious? I tapped out after watching the second one *checks notes* 20 years ago!?!?

So a Kamen Rider film graced the screens in America. Many thanks for Fathom for granting us that. It was a packed house, which was cool. I met up with my brother to catch it.

OK...is that enough filler to avoid spoiling this in feeds?

My one sentence review:

It was great, phenomenal even, but much like all of the characters...it dissolves rapidly by the third act.

-----

I want to write more about this, and I likely will, but right now I'm almost baffled by what unfolded.

Anyway.

I've been away for a long time and I want to explain my absence from the site. Soon. Very soon. I promise. I have a lot to say and maybe I would feel something if I got it off of my chest.

-CC

P.S. Toei will fuck it up with a sequel. They always do.

The White Blaster Beetleborg and the Kabuto Figure That We Never Got

2022-09-30T00:30:00.005-04:00

The last thing I need is more stuff to collect, but there are always some oddities out there that I kinda wish would've happened. I have enough stuff to open a medium-sized hobby shop, but I can't help wonder about what could've been...

While there have been some neat prototypes either leaked or teased over the years, I think it's fun to examine the Beetleborgs toyline. Some Bandai Japan prototypes that didn't seem to make the cut ended up getting a second life stateside. You may remember the DX Boron from the Beetleborgs Metallix toyline. We never did get a toy of Kuwaga Titan from the B-Fighter Kabuto line...just Chogokin Kabuterios. There is also the Ladyborg figure that the US did get, but Japan did not. Don't even get started on all of the villain figures that never seem to release in Japan.

Honestly none of those really concern me all that much. There is one figure that emerged as a prototype years ago that looks great, but never made it to production anywhere...sorta...

This is a prototype of Kabuto from the initial B-Fighter series. This particular prototype did end up in a collector's hands (I should note that the image above is NOT mine, but I am posting it because it's educational for sure). The baggie has some good information on it. This was created for B-Fighter and not Beetleborgs. This likely would have ended up as number 5 or 6 (I'll get to that in a bit) in the B-Fighter Metallic Hero Series of figures.

The problem? Kabuto...

See, I do think this design is fantastic. The smooth hero juxtaposed to the armored hero wasn't done as well in Blue SWAT since Gold Platinum was...not pretty. At all. I hate that design. Kabuto on the other hand has that organic smoothness that stems from the character being just that...a character, not a suit. Kabuto was the son of series mentor Guru. The character was a bit of a boob, but he did give Blue Beet the Beet Ingram before pissing off until the finale (and then again in BF Kabuto...which is just weird when you think about it. Kabuto in BF Kabuto, but not the Kabuto the series is named after since there is also a BF Kabuto...Kabuto!).

So the character was a bit of a nothing burger in B-Fighter, hence we never got the figure. Bah.

Big Bad Beetleborgs, however, did use the suit a little more favorably despite it being Beetleborgs. The White Blaster Beetleborg did get to be a genuine hero suit very briefly. Would you look at that? We even got that figure that Plex prototyped.

Except we didn't.

This is the White Blaster Beetleborg figure that was released and the closest we came to that Kabuto prototype. The figure was part of the second-wave Beetleborg figures that included a dial-powered action feature. The others made sense considering the weapons had an action to them. This figure...ehhhh...

It's the Beet Ingram and it just folds open. No Pulsaber for Blue Beet to add to it. It just opens. Lame.

As if the permanent weapon isn't bad enough, there is more bad news. The antenna on the helmet DOES detach and very much will if you take your eye off it for a second. So we have a detachable weapon that doesn't detach and a detachable headpiece that shouldn't. Ouch.

I own four of these figures. Two are carded, the one you see pictured in this post, and a parts guy. The parts guy is basically what you can expect to find on ebay on any given day. Missing all accessories, antennae, and a ton of paint, but still pricey.

That being said, it's still a good looking figure if you can get one complete and without paint damage. It is even kinda appropriate that he is holding the Beet Ingram if you want to add him to your B-Fighter collection.

Speaking of,,,

Hey, you can even have a little family reunion if you have Metallic Hero Series 5: Super Blue Beet.

That's where I think the prototype would have fallen in if it were released. Kabuto probably would have been 5 and the series could have concluded with Super Blue Beet as 6. Guru was going to have to be included with Super Blue Beet as the Blue Beet in the the Super Blue Beet set is barely different from the Blue Beet at the beginning of the series. Bandai needed to sweeten the pot somehow.

The prototype lives on as a curiosity, The sculpt is different enough from the White Blaster Borg to keep it wholly unique (look closely...the differences are numerous). It's still fun to wonder what could have been...

See ya soon!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Power Rangers 2017 Japanese Theater Program

It's August 2022 and The Kakuranger Cast Got Back Together...

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Power Rangers 2017 Japanese Theater Program

2022-09-30T00:00:00.010-04:00

There are many different versions of CCLemon99. Today you're getting CCLemon99: Book Collector. I've talked about books on occasion. It usually stems from me trying to clean, but really thumbing through books for a few hours. This time around came across a book for a movie I've never seen, nor have any real desire to see. I decided to give the book a whirl anyway.

This is the Japanese theater program for the 2017 Lion's Gate Power Rangers film. Power Rangers has been an underground companion to Super Sentai basically since Power Rangers' inception. It's really cool that they even got Machiko Soga back to dub her Rita Repulsa lines in a weird turn of events.

Anyway...the 2017 movie did get a theatrical release a few years back in Japan, I collect theater pamphlets, so I ended up bringing this into the collection awhile back and never really cracking it open.

It's a more comprehensive guide than I was expecting. There are cast bios, Power Ranger History to (then) present, a color insert, a page on Kyoryuger Brave, Super Sentai history, and even a merch guide. Oh yeah...and interviews with the seiyuu cast.

It's definitely more than I was expecting. The photo spreads look great as well.

...and now the merch guide. I am always amused at what ends up in Japan from the former Bandai America and now Hasbro. This guide is pretty useful...it even includes the prices. Kinda painful to see them since, well, we all know these toys ended up in the clearance bin.

By all accounts the movie was a dud in Japan, so I think this may be the closest thing to a full guide that we'll ever get. It's a great effort and I totally recommend it if you're like me and a fan of curiosities, or are just a fan of the series.

Right...back to the library!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

The White Blaster Beetleborg and the Kabuto Figure That We Never Got

It's August 2022 and The Kakuranger Cast Got Back Together...

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

It's August 2022 and The Kakuranger Cast Got Back Together...

2022-08-31T22:31:00.001-04:00

Normally I wouldn't write about something this trivial, but seeing these photos the other day had me pretty hype...and I am FAR from alone.

みんないくぜっ！#カクレンジャー pic.twitter.com/5dRrnvSJf5
— 小川輝晃 Teruaki Ogawa (@pinsclub) August 30, 2022

WOW! Seemingly out of nowhere the main cast of my all-time favorite Super Sentai series, Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, got back together for...(merch) reasons (probably?)! Even if the only thing we're getting out of this are a handful of photos, I'll take it! Who knows? It could be more!

みんな久しぶり！立ち位置あってる？#カクレンジャー pic.twitter.com/h9YbqjG0kz
— 土田大 Hiroshi Tsuchida (@dodendai) August 30, 2022

I gotta say...everyone is looking really sharp as well! The main photo has a vibe of legitimacy that is missing from a lot of reunion photos. The pose is only part of it...you can really tell these guys are still into it!

たのしいなぁ。懐かしいなぁ。
嬉しいなぁ。
みんな大好き！！！！#カクレンジャー #みんないくわよ！#おいまてひとりポーズどうした？#小川輝晃 #土田大 #ケイン・コスギ #河合秀 pic.twitter.com/SII2tseoKd
— 広瀬仁美 (@0927Satoku) August 30, 2022

Seriously...so cool.

ニンジャ5人 #カクレンジャー pic.twitter.com/5N9uYsMPC4
— Kane Kosugi ケインコスギ (@KaneKosugi74) August 30, 2022

Even if this was just a little get together was timed conveniently close to the new wave of merch on Bandai's site (available until September 19th for preorder), I still dig the love that this got.

Toei...please...make a 30 years after special. Look at those Likes...Just look at them...

I will buy a dozen copies of the BluRay...promise. I was going to buy all of those keychains anyway! This gang has to be down for a reunion movie!

Anyways...I know you've probably heard about this in your own Twitter feed, so I'll end it here.

Bye!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Can you still find a deal in 2022?

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Can you still find a deal in 2022?

2022-08-31T22:31:00.000-04:00

Nope.

Ughhh...I guess I'd better explain.

A little over a year ago I wrote a post detailing some of the little nuggets of gold that I managed to scoop up from the rapidly drying stream. Don't even bother reading it. Those deals are gone forever and not even an Artisan Doron Changer sells for a good price anymore. In the past year I've monitored the outlets and, well, there really isn't much left to buy, let alone find a decent deal on anything interesting.

I'm not here to moan about the good old days when I picked up things like the ancillary Power Animals from Gaoranger for $10 a pop, I understand that time is money and we're heading to a future of possible reissues sprinkled with Super Minipla to kinda satiate the need to new old stuff.

Availability is becoming a big problem. I have two toys left on my collection list--and I don't expect to find them any time soon, nor do I expect to get them for a song. There are a handful of other toys that I'm "interested" in--they aren't at all rare, exciting, or sought after. They've been 100% unavailable for two years. I check all the time and they haven't popped up on any of the usual sites in years. The hell?

In my usual searches I came across something that I made me pause. I am going to show you the image that broke my brain:

It's obvious what site I took this from, so I feel like this was posted as bait to accept a price cut and move on. Crackhead sellers are nothing new and the site that this was posted to is known for haggling. That said--DX Tetra Boy, in all of his azure mediocrity, has always been rare. The seller mentions this about both items in the description along with sentimental feelings. Even is there is an extra zero in that price, it's still a headache-inducing amount.

I bought two DX Tetra Boys to make one good set back in the day, and even at the $150 or so I paid total for both, I paid that price begrudgingly since it was one of the last 90s Sentai Mecha I needed for my full set. Imagine my dismay when I did a look around and total junkers were pegged at $60+. At least both of the ones I got came with boxes and accessories!

It got me looking into prices for other 90s mecha. The news is not good. Junk is pulling unwarranted money and sellers are definitely having the market since we're at a point where collectors aren't holding out for the perfect examples anymore. The cold, dead grip of Fear Of Missing Out has finally come for 90s and 2000s toys... The people that can now "afford" the toy they missed out on are here...

I'm just writing this post as a stark contrast to my previously sunny demeaner. I'm aware that I bought the important stuff in my collection at a time when prices were completely bottomed. Prices crept up, but available was always good. If I had an idea for a video, I made it happen in short order with quick turnaround. Prices continued to creep, and people began to settle for lesser condition. The decent stuff got expensive...then the OK stuff got expensive...and now the junk is starting to fetch premiums.

I used to say that you didn't have to look too hard for deals with a casual search. Now you have to look harder, pay more, and be willing to accept less...much less.

Good luck on your collecting! If you're thinking about something from the late 00s........now's the time!!!

See ya!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

It's August 2022 and The Kakuranger Cast Got Back Together...

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

2022-07-31T23:47:00.005-04:00

The plot twist of the year is the massive reversal of fortunes when it comes to Tokusatsu physical media releases. Think about where we were just a few short months ago. Ultraman was the only thing keeping us afloat. Great stuff--but I couldn't help but feel we were in the midst of our malaise era of Tokusatsu.

Then...we got more. Lots more.

It was only a month ago the obscured legends from Shout Factory emerged in their three-piece mecha to halt the invasion of Hasbronauts. References to the first episode of Fiveman aside--that happens to be the shock of the month. In just 1-2-3-4-5 weeks from this writing we will be getting the *woefully* delayed DVD set of Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman! The very set that was teased like four years ago is being released with the exact artwork seen in the teaser post? Why the delay? What gives? Who cares! What we can only hope is that this is not the end of Shout's Super Sentai DVD releases.

Fiveman is not an incredible series, but I still found great enjoyment out of it. I miss that era where Sentai series has their own sound effect catalog. Jetman had it fart sounds...Fiveman had its bizarre sound design. It was great. Yeah, I'm excited to give this show another shot legitimately. I know I've been teasing a Timeranger post since it's release, but there is a lot to talk about and I need to get it right. Fiveman...is gonna be a challenge, but crucially it's episodes are only like seventeen and a half minutes without credits, which helps since time is in short supply.

Anyway...Fiveman DVD set. Great stuff. Ordered immediately and I cannot wait to get it. If Abaranger is next, I'll be there too.

That same day we also got another lump of awesome news. Kamen Rider Kuuga is coming to Blu Ray! I haven't seen this series in so long and I was just getting the itch to watch again after catching an episode on Shout Factory's Tokushoutsu Twitch channel one night when I couldn't sleep. The series has been available to stream for some time, but I can't engage with streaming as much as I can with a DVD or BD. I put the Blues Brothers on the other night and watched the entire damn movie without distraction. I also streamed all of Seinfeld last month and constantly left to do other stuff.

This release isn't a total shock as, like I mentioned, the series has been available in North America to stream for quite some time along with Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider Agito.

This announcement...it definitely opens up the possibility for more. Keep this in mind when the crop of new Kamen Rider films are released in the future. They'll have life on Amazon Prime...but the possibilities are endless.

My procrastination has paid off in writing this post as just yesterday it was announced that Discotek is going to continue releasing Metal Hero BDs with Uchuu Keiji Gavan! Yes! As you might remember, Discotek has also released Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion on BD in North America. This was completely out of left field and certainly a move that fully enough. I will definitely be preordering that one as well whenever and wherever it is available.

In addition to this, we have Media Blasters lurking in the background.

They teased what is truly going to be one of my favorite releases of all-time at the very end of 2021. They proposed a set of basically every 1990s Kamen Rider feature sometime in 2022. Even if it happens in 2023, I'm still pumped. They've been the lords of the Hakaider license in America since like 2000 and recently put out a great BD and have also released new BDs of Zebraman and Zebraman 2.

-----------

We're currently at a watershed moment of releases and I am just taking it all in.

I have been working on my own little side project for something later on. I can say that upon re-re-re-release some Toei BDs have gotten more reasonably priced when it comes to Super Sentai vs/V Cinema releases, but holy hell are full series still freakin' expensive.

The next time I hear some dork whine that $60 is too much for a full series DVD release, I will gladly remind them that you will be hard-pressed to find that same series for less than $300 in Japan. The releases aren't perfect, but the rock bottom price of $35-$60 that these sets have been have made up for it in spades. Not wishing to have a "get off my lawn" moment, but $20 used to buy you a VHS copy with four episodes in 1994. Twenty 1994 Dollars. (I am working on a certain post about some old tapes...)

Anyway, whiners will always whine. Winners will always support physical Tokusatsu releases.

See ya~!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Sooo ahh...Hey Toei?

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

2022-07-31T23:47:00.004-04:00

When the news of Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman's impending DVD release broke there was one thing I knew that I absolutely must do.

Pre-order the set.....

.....oh, and I should probably circle back and talk about it's Song Collection I guess.

I'm kinda running out of Sentai Song Collections to talk about from the Complete Song Collection series (1975-1994), so if I skipped over a series for so long it must mean that I'm avoiding it...right??

For this post I'll be listening to my copy of the Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman Complete Song Collection from 1997. I briefly talked about that disc here in the past.

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01. Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman / Kenji Suzuki

This ear-worm of a theme song is what brought Super Sentai into the 1990s.

It may not be as face-paced and in your face as the Turboranger theme song, but I like the Fiveman theme song. It's extremely of it's time and gets the job done. Given the school teacher nature of the main cast we should be grateful that we didn't get the brats instead of the regular background singers.

I like Kenji Suzuki and it's kinda of a bummer that his career doesn't stray far outside of this series. The only other work of his I'm familiar with is the Grandzort theme that he sang the year prior. It's alright. He basically moved on from singing in 1992 and returned for some live performances in the 2000s.

02. Atsui Beat de Fiveman / Kenji Suzuki

An upbeat fight song that never appeared in the series. The music is basically a wall of artificiality outside of Suzuki's singing and the guitar. It's alright...maybe a bit too on the cheery side.

03. Oretachi wa Ura Hero / Y.F ZOMBIE COMPANY

This song, to me, is trying way too hard to be like Dragonball Z's ending song Detekoi tobikiri ZENKAI Power. It's not bad, in fact I think the groove is pretty smooth. It's a bit too quirky though this early into the CD. Not a fault of the song itself.

04. JanKenJump! Fiveman / Kenji Suzuki, SHINES

Another upbeat fight song that, like Atsui Beat never made it into the series. Very catchy, but it suffers the same shortcomings of the previous Image Songs.

05. Itsutsu no kokoro de Fiverobo / Hironobu Kageyama

From: The CD Collection-- Gattai Tamashii ~Super Sentai Robot Song Perfect Collection~:

The third Sentai mecha theme song from Hironobu Kageyama. They finally got it right this time. It's an energetic song for one. Kageyama is definitely on-point this time. Even if this isn't my favorite mecha theme song, it's certainly one of the best that Kageyama had to offer. Really, there aren't many flaws when you listen to it. The only thing that sucks is the mecha that it's based on. Heh.

06. Kung Fu Dance / CHIEMY

Love this song. Not to get ahead of myself, but this is by far the most put together song on the Song Collection outside of the Fiverobo theme song. Whenever I've talked to anyone about Fiveman, the episode that this is associated with comes up for obvious reasons...but the song also gets a mention.

07. Super Arthur / Rika Matsumoto

Robotic plod. This is the worst thing Hirohisa Soda has ever written.

Now that that's out of the way, can I talk about Rika Matsumoto? Matsumoto has worked in just about every genre of Tokusatsu as a Seiyuu and sang theme songs in two genres (Alive a Life for Kamen Rider Ryuki...which is a great song and In Your Heart from Ultraman Neos...which is also great).

I just wanted to mention this since if you've ever seen a movie, any movie, there is a chance she dubbed a voice for the Japanese version and she voiced the main little bastard with the hat from everyone's favorite digital dogfighting series Pokemon.

What a damn career.

08. Brother Blood / Kenji Suzuki, SHINES

This song is a lot of fun. It's a good old fashioned fight song, but one that was good enough to make it into the series. One episode, but still.

The weapon calls are pretty cool, and I just like this one on a technical level. Take one listen and listen to the focus on the guitar. I love when songs are detailed like this without becoming a mess.

09. Hand in Hand / CHIEMY, SHINES

Eh, I've never been into this one at all. This and Super Arthur both get the skip from me usually. This is the only song here that makes use of 1-2-3-4-Fiveman. I should say that it's wasted on this song.

10. Fiveman, Ai no theme / Kenji Suzuki

The series ending song. It's cheesy, but I like it enough. The energy is up, which gives me vibes of Ai no Soldier from Maskman. I also get strong vibes of Tom Sawyer no Bouken's theme song...which is one of my all-time anime theme faves. Some people probably outright dislike this song, but I guess I like it...because it reminds me of two better songs...

11. Chikyuu wa hogara kajima / Tomota Suzuki, Morinoki jidogashoudan

Meh. Episode 23. Lame song.

12. Kyodai robo da ze! Star Five / Kei Takahara

From: The CD Collection-- Gattai Tamashii ~Super Sentai Robot Song Perfect Collection~:

The bland secondary mecha theme song from the series. I like the tempo and horns, but not much else. It's an otherwise bland song for a bland mecha. A match made in heaven!

13. Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman [Original Karaoke]

14. Atsui Beat de Fiveman [Original Karaoke]

15. JanKenJump! Fiveman [Original Karaoke]

16. Itsutsu no kokoro de Fiverobo [Original Karaoke]

17. Kung Fu Dance [Original Karaoke]

18. Super Arthur [Original Karaoke]

19. Brother Blood [Original Karaoke]

20. Fiveman, Ai no theme [Original Karaoke]

21. Kyodai robo da ze! Star Five [Original Karaoke]

-BONUS TRACK-

22. New Town Shogakou kouka [Piano Bansou]

This is an instrumental version of the school theme song. This would be a little more at home on the Music Collection in my opinion, but it's nice to have it somewhere.

------------------------

This is by no stretch a great song collection--by I can't help but be fond of it. For some reason this and Kamen Rider Amazon's Song Collection were really hard to find in like 2002/2003. I spent a good chunk of change to get this one and when I did it smelled like it had lived it's life in a fish market up until that point (it no longer stinks, but I do have an image of a fish monger blasting the Fiverobo theme in their stall).

I'm nostalgic for this one. It's songs aren't bad, and I do listen to most of them fairly regularly. If you told me you hate it, I'd understand. I like the Fiveman Song Collection though. It fits the series well.

------------------------

Check out my CD Collection page for more! I am looking forward to my damn Fiveman DVDs.

Bye for now!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Sooo ahh...Hey Toei?

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

2022-06-30T22:17:00.001-04:00

I felt it necessary to write a short passage on the recent passing of legendary Tokusatsu composer Chumei Watanabe. I know I haven't said the most positive things about Watanabe over the years, but I do very much enjoy a lot of his work. It's a miracle that he was active as recently as last year with his contributions to the Zenkaiger soundtrack while also giving us the wonderfully memorable music from Jinzoningen Kikaider fifty years ago.

You can look up his long, long career on your own time if you'd like. Today I am going to talk about what I really liked and a recommendation or two if you're interested.

Battle Fever J / Denjiman

Much the same way Shunsuke Kikuchi was the lone name in charge of Kamen Rider's music from it's inception until Kamen Rider ZX's special, Watanabe was in charge of the BGM for every Sentai series from Goranger to Goggle Five. Given the long run, he really shaped the tone of the genre. There are more moving parts in a Sentai series when you consider bigger casts, more situations and giant robots that need majestic music.

I think Watanabe's sweet spot is right in the middle.

Battle Fever's music is a lot of fun. The opening theme song isn't wonderful, but the ending theme song and BGM are great. I love the funk. Denjiman is *really* where it's at, though. I know I haven't gotten to him yet, but the soundtrack to Denjiman is like a proto-Uchuu Keiji Gavan soundtrack.

Not to mention the themes... The Denjiman themes are perfect. Both of them. The opening theme song in particular is one of my favorites for obvious reasons. There are very, VERY few opening theme songs that pass as badass, but Denjiman's opening theme song truly deserves it. The also-Watanabe opening theme song to Sunvulcan may be a better Tokusatsu theme song, but Denjiman's theme song is just perfect as a song.

I definitely recommend checking out the soundtracks to both of these Sentai series. Make sure you find the Complete Music Collections. The Denjitiger track on the Denjiman Music Collection is one of the most flawless jazz synth hybrid tracks of the era.

Uchuu Keiji Gavan

The music and songs from Uchuu Keiji Gavan are peak Watanabe. Much like his turn being "the guy" for Sentai, he was *also* the guy for Metal Hero. His resume includes the first five Metal Hero series.

While I think there was a bit of an incline in his style taking hold with Sentai, he was hot right out of the gate with Gavan. Some people will say that he did a better job on the...eccentric...Shaider soundtrack or that Juspion has the best soundtrack, but I truly think that Gavan's music is just the coolest. The songs are so loud and obnoxious, the music just shines the most. It's no wonder that the Laser Blade theme became his signature from then on out.

The DNA for the music is kinda there if you listen closely to the Denjiman soundtrack. Bits and pieces here and there. When the Laser Blade theme hit during Gavan, it was easy to see how this could be adapted with slight difference going forward with sequel series Sharivan and Shaider. You can also see why it was too good not to use beyond even those series...

I've joked that I could live on without ever hearing the Gavan theme ever again, but it's another purely great theme song. You can tell that Akira Kushida is proud of his singing part on it. The whole song collection is pretty damn great.

Definitely check out the both the BGM and songs from the series.

Ultra Anime Eurobeat Series Gaiden
Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

I've written about this album in the past and I just want to reiterate that it is one of the best kept secrets out there.

The gist of it is that it's one long Eurobeat Medley that brings back Akira Kushida and Takayuki Miyauchi along with MIO and Yoko Ishida to sing new vocals. I generally hate Eurobeat, but this whole CD is pretty magical. We even get a jazzy new version of the Gavan theme song sung by Kushida.

I bought this CD back when it was brand new out of curiosity and it's still one of my favorite CDs out there. Even if Watanabe didn't do much more than pose with a cigar for the artwork, this is still his music and clearly something that he endorsed.

Also...MIO and Takayuki Miyauchi in a friggin duet is beyond amazing.

I highly recommend you give this a whirl if you can find it.

-----

It's pretty sad when you think that one of the last remaining legends is gone. He was there to help bring Tokusatsu to life. TWO whole genres of Tokusatsu launched to the sound of his music.

We'll always have the music. Farewell~

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Sooo ahh...Hey Toei?

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Song Collection: Gosei Sentai Dairanger

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Sooo ahh...Hey Toei?

2022-06-30T22:17:00.000-04:00

I hate writing about time-sensitive stuff, but this has been rattling around in my brain for a little bit.

What's going on with Toei Tokusatsu World's Youtube Channel?

As the 3rd subscriber I demand answers!

I genuinely loved the idea of Toei providing legally available Tokusatsu series on their centralized Youtube channel. I definitely watched a lot of series I otherwise never would've bothered to check out. I don't think I ever caught more than a few episodes of Exceedraft before this. Utau! Dairyugojo was also weirdly captivating...

Maybe I didn't watch everything that was uploaded, but I caught up on a lot on Saturday mornings. The uploads were pretty regular until a few months ago.

When Toei released their list of shows at the onset of this project I spotted that the final Fushigi Comedy series, Shushutorian, was absent from the list. This isn't a huge shock considering it's ending song is Akiko Yano's Anata ni wa ienai (Can't Tell You), which is not part of the soundtrack and is probably not available to license for use.

That's my theory at least...I can't imagine Ultraman's episode is that salacious.

No, the weirdness is beyond that. Just as Blue SWAT was rounding third base, the uploads ceased. Episode 38 was uploaded in late December and they didn't resume again until mid-April.

At least Blue SWAT eventually completed. There are several series that seem to have been outright abandoned like Bycrosser, B Robo Kabutack and Robotack. Are those series *THAT* forgotten?

The only uploads that we've gotten in the past two months are trailers for Shin Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider Black Sun. The banner has also changed to something a bit more Kamen Rider-focused.

I kinda wonder what the future holds for the channel. I hope that it can at least remain as-is going forward. It would royally suck if they pulled the plug and deleted everything!

Just a quick ramble. See ya.

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Song Collection: Gosei Sentai Dairanger

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

2022-05-27T22:46:00.001-04:00

It's finally here!

Years without travel and being limited to home meals mean that I...ummm, kinda ended up with some cash to burn. I could've invested--but wooo boy am I glad I didn't considering everything has gone kinda bust lately. So I began the laborious task of purchasing the car that I want in 2021.

The car that I was after was the brand new 2022 Toyota GR86. It is the evolution of my beloved 2017 Subaru BRZ. This car is the performance bargain of our time. The people that hate them, probably haven't driven them and the people that love them...LOVE them. I'm living proof! I wasn't shopping to replace my BRZ...I wanted another one.

Maybe I should explain.

The Toyota GT 86, 86 GT, 86, GR 86, GR86, FT86, Scion FR-S, and Subaru BRZ are the same car. They come out of the same Subaru factory in Japan. Here's a cool video from the assembly line. It shares an assembly line with the Subaru XV/Crosstrek and Subaru Levorg. The new GR86 and BRZ are completely redesigned for 2022 and feature a great bump in torque and power.

I decided against the BRZ this time around since...well, I don't dig the styling of the front bumper. The GR86 has a coherent look from the front and back of the car. I set about trying to get one.

I started contacting my local Toyota dealer in October and was told to try back in a month. I tried in November--nada. After being completely ghosted in December I decided to try some other dealerships. Another local dealer brought me in for a meeting which went nowhere. I *finally* got a hit at a dealership that promised me the get me what I wanted. Now we're talking.

I went to the dealer and we went through everything I wanted and talked pricing. All good--let's fill out a credit app. All good--let's get this baby signed and ready to go. They presented me with a bill with a $3,000 markup and an additional $4,000 in *required* dealership snake oil. I basically told them to get fucked and left. The echo of "You won't find it cheaper anywhere else" followed me as I walked away...

Two days later it was New Years Eve and I found myself at another dealership, ordering my car for MSRP. Fuck that other dealership--seriously. Their parent company rhymes with "Dentsky". I wouldn't even rent a truck from them...

Then...the wait...

I get an update in early April that my car was out of production. Sweet.

I get another update at the beginning of May that my car is in the Country. Yes.

...and then "It's here!".

The day that I scheduled to pick up my new car...my Tomica calendar had a very fitting car featured...

I had never seen a GR86 in person until I took delivery. First impression? It was beautiful. Very red and familiar, but oh so different. There was a grand total of NINE miles on the odometer.

I did the deal and left with my new ride!

-----

Now that I've spent some time with the car...how about some Pros and Cons?

PRO:

It's *noticeably* quicker. Subaru and Toyota have rated the car at 228HP. That has to be underestimated. Some owners have taken theirs to the Dyno and have gotten some pretty great readings in stock form that are closer to 250HP at the crank. I believe it!

Everything is just a little bit better than the predecessor.

It's still the performance bargain of our generation. Nothing comes close all around. Everything it's been compared with is far different either in price or on paper. The closest thing is an MX-5/Miata and even that is more expensive and not a coupe.

I enjoy the brand new tech inside the car and the newly legal adaptive headlights. Turn the steering wheel and the headlights turn with them! It's a trick that's been around forever, but one that is newly(ish) legalized in the US.

CON:

The inconsistent badging. The prototype looks like this...

...and the final version looks like this...

So strange. The prototype badging is also etched into the keyfob leather, floormats, etc. We just get the generic 86 numbering on the back. Oh well.

The lack of a spare tire is...disappointing. I can easily add one in as other markets still get spares, so there is a mount point under the truck's liner.

My biggest gripe by FAR has to be the wheels. I sprung for the top trim level which comes with 18" black wheels. Sounds good on paper, but the designer of the wheels has to be losing their damn mind after Toyota decided to paint them black (they're gunmetal grey for the top trim BRZ).

The spokes of the wheel are designed to resemble the tip of a katana. I've heard this in several reviews and really took notice when I took delivery of the car. Look for yourself...

You see it?

What if I share this helpful photo from a forum (sorry, didn't catch the name of the creator) where the wheels were painted silver in Gran Turismo 7...

That is INFINITELY better. This something I must must must correct on my car. All of those clever details are lost on stupid trendy black wheels.

That's really it...three little complaints about the car itself. We can go on about scarcity and awful dealers and how Toyota sells their cars (no such thing as an order--the dealer has to find the car you want). Nobody cares about that.

This is an awesome car. I have both my 2017 Subaru BRZ and 2022 Toyota GR86 to cruise around. Some would think they're two sides of the same coin, but I like to think they're just my way of supporting the cars I wish more carmakers would attempt. Small, lightweight, quick, rear-wheel drive cars with manual transmissions available. I put my money where my mouth is and bought two of them brand new.

The future isn't so bleak for fun cars. Here's to five more years of BRZ and many more in the GR86...

Happy Motoring!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Life is a BReeZe... PART 1

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Song Collection: Gosei Sentai Dairanger

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Reebok X Power Rangers -- HUH?

A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

2022-05-27T22:46:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to another underwhelming CCLemon99 audio project! I've previously done these audio posts on my Tokusatsu remix album along with a recent post on the demo versions of songs from Dengeki Sentai Changeman and the theme songs of Gosei Sentai Dairanger.

This time around I am sharing a medley that I assembled of five songs that you know so well.

I have a habit of waking up at about 2 or 3AM. Terrible, I know. The only thing that can get me back to sleep is searching for something new...something nobody cares about except for me. Sometimes I'm looking for rare car parts, sometimes I look for random toys, but a lot of the time I am looking for music. I need music all the time. My CD Collection is never done. Are you kidding me? I need it all!

My searching one night lead to a jackpot of sorts. I found a series of CDs that Columbia has released since at least the early 90s until, well, today pretty much. There appears to be shifts in title and topic, but these are self-cover versions of songs from the radio and anime that are made specifically for dance routines.

Before you turn away at the notion of Karaoke-machine style covers of songs...these are way better, I promise. None of these have lyrics, but they are performed by Columbia Orchestra when the songs were fresh and new. These are slightly peppier alternate takes on the classics!

I bought...a number of these CDs, but for brevity I am only going to cover the first two that I got--1993 and 1994. I'm also not going to cover every song. You can pick that up on your own time if you're interested. Here is a medley of five killer tracks from the 1993 and 1994 Anime Hit March:

CCLemon99 · 92 - 93

Anime Hit March '93
COCG-10707
01.04.1993

Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger

The Zyuranger theme song as it was meant to be...for dance!

Of the three Sentai songs in this medley, this one is probably my least favorite. It's more of a tarted up BGM than anything. It's still a delight!

I should note that the reason I did this project as a Medley was to save space and, well, the songs are really repetitive. If you've heard half, you've basically heard the whole thing.

Moonlight Densetsu [Bishojo Senshi Sailormoon]

This is a weird, somewhat slower version of the earwormy Sailor Moon opening theme song. Jazzier...I suppose. Had to include it because who doesn't love this song?

It's a decent version, I just wish it was maybe a smidge more dramatic.

Gosei Sentai Dairanger

I really dig this interpretation of the Dairanger opening theme song. I've mentioned numerous...NUMEROUS times that this is one of my favorite theme songs and that I'm super protective of it. OK, maybe not so much that last part.

This is pretty damn sweet. It's pretty damn dark as a track to dance to. The flutes add a modicum of levity, but there is no getting around that image of Ryuseioh shooting flames from it's mouth.

Love it!

Anime Hit March '94
COCG-11583
01.04.1994

WE GOTTA POWER [Dragonball Z]

OK, this is a REALLY fucking great version of this song. The original is a banger even if it was the era of Dragon Ball Z that I really didn't give a damn about. *~~shouldaendedwithCell~~*

The original song is powerful enough on it's own, but this is just incredible. I never thought I'd say it, but Hironobu Kageyama's vocals aren't entirely necessary this time. The energy here is great and they just knocked it out of the park.

Oretachi Muteki sa!! Dairanger [Gosei Sentai Dairanger]

Instead of including any Kakuranger song in this CD, they made the baffling decision to go back to 1993 and use Dairanger's ending theme song. I'm glad they did! This is a fantastic version of it. I would say that this is a smidge more chill than the original version, but the elements are all there. The guitar work is great as well.

I let this one play out a little more since it isn't as repetitive as the other tracks.

----------

I have to say--these were far, far cooler than I expected. I don't know if I want to pursue a full set, but I enjoy the notion of more music being out there for me to add to the collection.

Do you wanna hear more about these CDs? I can tease that '91's disc does not have Jetman, but does have the Ultraman theme, Blade Runner ending credit theme as well as a killer rendition of Bobby Brown's On Our Own and even Back In The U.S.S.R. in case you needed to dance out your feelings three months after it was dissolved. Oh, and '96 has not only the Carranger theme (the first one....and correct one), but it also has TWO-MIX's Rhythm Emotion. Sweet.

Let me know what you think!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Katana~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Song Collection: Gosei Sentai Dairanger

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Reebok X Power Rangers -- HUH?

A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

Song Collection: Gosei Sentai Dairanger

2022-04-30T22:13:00.000-04:00

I would count myself among Dairanger's biggest fans. It made "S" tier when I did one of those trendy Tier lists. I have nothing but fond memories of the series from my youth that I will take with me for the rest of my life. Great show, great designs, great action, great music. 10/10.

...I just wish I could say the same for it's tragic Song Collection...

For this post I'll be listening to my copy of the Gosei Sentai Dairanger Complete Song Collection from 1997. I briefly talked about that disc here in the past.

------------------------

01. Gosei Sentai Dairanger / NEW JACK Takuro (Hirokazu Umeda)

The Dairanger opening theme song is on a level of amazingness that I think may be unattainable for any other TV show. Think of how incredible the accompanying video sequence was as well. I have to give Toei credit...they pulled off concise editing when they put it together--those images of Ryuseioh roaring out and breathing fire to this soundtrack are perfection.

There is no way to not be hype when this song is playing. NEW JACK Takuro's labored singing was kinda revolutionary if you think about it. We've had some powerhouses sing Sentai theme songs in the past like Akira Kushida, Takayuki Miyauchi, and Hironobu Kageyama, but none of them were able to open the floodgates this much. I think the closest we got was that little *boom* in the Liveman opening theme song. Or maybe Mojo's yell in the Battle Fever J ending. This is appropriate hype for the series it's attached to.

Check out the demo version of the song here. You can catch the madness in it's infancy...

02. Ai no Solider / Gouji Tsuno

Here is where it all goes wrong.

You know what, I've never hated this song as much as some of the ones we're going to explore going forward. It's a bad singer with the most generic rock song attached to it. It's just there...not the worst, but NOWHERE near good.

The best part of this song, obviously, is "I LOVE YOU! ON THE FIRE!".

Huh??? Alright, my man.

03. Utsukushi hana no youni / Gouji Tsuno

When I was early in my Youtube channel I genuinely worried about what songs I would use for Dairanger toys. Some songs are painfully limited (Won Tiger, Gorma, Ryuseioh/Dairenoh, Daibuster, Rin's song) and the rest...were this slop.

The badass imagery in the Dairanger opening video? It's related to this deep, dark, forgotten song hell.

If I could aptly describe this song, I guess I could say this is a peaceful meadow of lameness that somehow wandered into a fierce battle for the planet.

As limited as this song collection is, I really hate this for wasting precious space on the disc.

04. Ikki ni shuuchuu! / FUNKY Y.K. (Yasuo Kosugi)

This is the lone decent, unaffiliated song in the song collection. I don't think FUNKY Y.K. is all that great, and kinda verges on sucking on this song with his hamminess. I appreciate the energy and classic rollcall! It's a little retro in that sense, even if Zyuranger also has a song with a rollcall. It's something that kinda went out of fashion at some point.

Yeah, I like this one.

05. Gorma Gorma Gorma / Gouji Tsuno, Pythagoras

I have a hard time getting into villain songs. Sometimes they're great, but mostly they're just obnoxious. This song can definitely be filed under the latter even though it has a pretty slick beat.

Credit where it's due at least, it's incredibly modern. Songs would sound like this for pretty much the remainder of the 90s. The mopey singing from Gouji Tsuno is a big holdback. We also have the return of Pythagoras, who you probably don't remember from the Zyuranger ending song. He provides the rap portions here...it's pretty fun.

06. Kaze no senshi / Yoko Ishida

Overrated.

For a song that had an episode's plot wrapped around it, this is a bland 'ole time. It's just boring. It isn't terrible, but it's farty beat never really did anything for me.

Yoko Ishida did a fine job in one of her early songs. She's one of those singers where I've seen the name plenty over the years, but then realize that I only know her from this song and a song from B-Robo Kabutack that I'll probably cover some day. Still active...but just not into Tokusatsu much.

07. Hi no fuke Daibuster / Nobuhiko Kashiwara

A great action song--one that finally fits the series perfectly. It's almost as if it shares DNA with the theme songs. This one is rad. Definitely best of the series.

08. Ryuseioh ~Dairenoh no theme~ / FUNKY Y.K. (Yasuo Kosugi)

From: The CD Collection-- Gattai Tamashii ~Super Sentai Robot Song Perfect Collection~:

While Funky Y.K. was a fun guy to listen to in Zyuranger's Dragon Caesar no uta, this song is just...dreck. The singing is just...bad. Or at least he was the wrong singer for the job. Not only that, but the music is pretty weak outside of the guitar work. How lazy is it that Ryuseioh and Dairenoh had to share a theme song?

There is so much wrong with this half-assed theme song that I really just never consider this to be a mecha theme song. Ryuseioh and Dairenoh deserve way better than this...

09. Chikai / FUNKY Y.K. (Yasuo Kosugi)

The very beginning 20 seconds of this song are painful. I've edited it out of all versions that I use for portable music. After that...it's a decent enough song. Again, I don't think the Funkster was the right choice for singing, but here we are. If you can stomach the beginning, you'll be rewarded with a modestly alright song.

The only thing that can make this song worse is the cast singing it...which totally happened on that Promotional Drama CD...let's not talk about that.

10. Oretachi muteki sa!! Dairanger / NEW JACK Takuro (Hirokazu Umeda)

The amazing ending theme song to the series. Like it's Opening counterpart, this one gets it right from beginning to end. It's just so slick and perfect. There are few better songs out there to bring Super Sentai episodes in for a landing. Catchy, exciting, but also pretty damn chill. Especially the instrumental bits.

11. Won Tiger no uta / Nobuhiko Kashiwara

From: The CD Collection-- Gattai Tamashii ~Super Sentai Robot Song Perfect Collection~:

This is the Dairanger mecha theme worth listening to.

We have a better singer this time around...and even an up-beat song with some Won Tiger sound effects thrown in. It might not be the best mecha theme song, but it's certainly a nice return to form that had been lacking in some of the years prior to this.

12. Gosei Sentai Dairanger [Original Karaoke]

13. Ikki ni shuuchuu! [Original Karaoke]

14. Kaze no senshi [Original Karaoke]

15. Hi no fuke Daibuster [Original Karaoke]

16. Ryuseioh ~Dairenoh no theme~ [Original Karaoke]

17. Oretachi muteki sa!! Dairanger [Original Karaoke]

------------------------

This is a rough listen as a Song Collection. The great songs are the ones you know and the bad songs are BAAAD. Everything in the middle is pretty forgettable.

I know I haven't reviewed every Super Sentai Song Collection of the 90s, but I need to make this perfectly clear here and now. This is the worst...by far. Zyuranger is down there in lameness, but this is a whole new level of weak. I want to say this mostly stems from sheer disappointment since I didn't hear all of these songs until years after the series was over. Toei wisely left a lot of these songs to rot, but not smart enough to just not bother releasing them. I guess they needed to put *something* out for a song collection.

Skip it. Amazing theme songs with completely uninspired junk around it.

------------------------

If you enjoy the Dairanger theme songs, make sure you check out the post I did where I uncover the demo versions of both theme songs...along with Changeman for good measure.

I'll be back soon with a brand new post about a newly released thing. It's some stuff that kinda snuck in under the radar, so we'll see how it really is.

See ya next time.

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Reebok X Power Rangers -- HUH?

B-Fighter's B-Commander BS [Jukou B-Fighter B-Commander Complete Edition]

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

2022-04-06T22:32:00.000-04:00

I guess it's that time of year! I received my copy of the Avataro Sentai Donbrothers theme song CD Single in the mail today. As usual...I am completely unprepared. I haven't watched the show or heard the songs yet. I probably won't watch the show. I didn't watch last year's show. I don't remember the songs from last year because I haven't heard them since I wrote that review. You know...the usual!

This is something of a rare thing I think. I want good Sentai music. I'm not walking into this as a fan of this series so I won't be blinded by fandom into loving a song that could very well be subpar. This is a genuine reaction. If you're into that sort of thing, then continue reading my annual Super Sentai CD Single review. If not...enjoy the pretty pictures?

Here goes...

---------------------

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition
COCC-17966
06.04.2022

01. Ore koso Only One / MORISAKI WIN

I think this is one of the more well-produced opening theme songs in recent years. It has a more late-90s chill vibe, which is refreshing. I may be a bit jaded since I can't think of a decent song since like...Gekiranger? This is decent. I can see it becoming a bit tiresome on repeat listens, but I'll have to remember to put this on every once in awhile.

The singing isn't incredible, but I guess the funk factor is enough to cover it. The Columbia brats being kept at a minimum keep them effective. Yeah--I like it.

02. Don't Boo! Donbrothers / MORISAKI WIN

This one is a nice complement to the opening theme song. It shares a singer, so the continuity is there (mercifully.....because there is nothing worse than a bad opening theme song followed by a worse ending theme song sung by someone like Sister Mayo).

Again, I dig the production--the 90s feel combined with something more than a threadbare idea of a song is what I feel that Super Sentai has been lacking. I vaguely remember liking last year's ending theme song, but I can't remember the last time I liked both theme songs.

03. Ore koso Only One [Original Karaoke]

04. Don't Boo! Donbrothers [Original Karaoke]

---------------------

BONUS ITEM #1

I suppose the first bonus item to talk about is the one that is packaged in with the disc. The Avataro Gear is a Limited Edition version that is only included in this set. It does come with an instruction sheet to show how it can be used with the DX Donblaster, which is...helpful?

This is pretty standard fair going as far back as the Engine Soul included in the Engine Sentai Go-Onger Shudaika in 2008. Sure, the gimmicks have gotten much less elaborate, but they've always been small enough to pack in with a CD.

---------------------

BONUS ITEM #2

The second bonus item is a clear card that is a preorder exclusive item. It's neat I guess...if you have a photo the right size to line yourself up with Don Momotaro.

It's definitely not the weakest bonus, but it's pretty weak. At least it wasn't a poster to make the shipping cost outrageous!

---------------------

Set Overall: I can't say that I'll have time to watch the show, but my annual foray into the Super Sentai Theme Song thing was actually a pleasant experience this year. Burmese singer MORISAKI WIN did a fine enough job providing vocals against a solid duo of well-produced songs.

The bonuses were adequate. What else is there to say? It's pretty cookie cutter at this point. CD+Toy+Pre Order Bonus. Last year we got a bonus disc and the year before we got the soundtrack to that Sentai Battle thing (I think? Or was that the year before...?).

It's definitely worth picking up this set. Whatever issues that Columbia is having with Amazon has kinda forced me into ordering more CDs from CDJapan...who has been pretty generous with the coupons and discounts lately. Just saying...

---------------------

That's it for another year of Super Sentai theme songs. Be sure to check out my music collection - CD page. If you're really feeling frisky, I have a recent post about the demo versions of theme songs from Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger. Check it out!

Have a good one!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY.....

CCLemon99 - Live Action Sounds [Full Tokusatsu Medley Album]
The CD Collection--The CD Collection--Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger Shudaika ["Zenryoku Zenkai!" Ban Limited Edition]
The CD Collection--Mashin Sentai Kiramager Shudaika Limited Edition [Amazon Japan]
The CD Collection--Kishiryu Sentai Ryusoulger Shudaika Limited Edition
The CD Collection--Kaito Sentai Lupinranger vs Keisatsu Sentai Patranger Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

2022-03-31T22:41:00.001-04:00

My CD Collection is vast and truly all encompassing...but once in a blue moon I score a new CD for the collection that is so monumental that I need to dedicate a post to it.

I am not going to write a full review this time...I am just going to share (pieces) of what I've discovered. The CD in question is Katsuo Ohno's Maboroshi no Melody Vol.5 ~Ohno Katsuo maboroshi no Demo Tape ongen~ from 2008. It is the last in a series of demo tapes released by Ohno between 2003 and 2008. This is the only one that is relevant to my little mission--and also the most difficult to find.

I have been looking for this CD for years. It was released quietly in 2008 and after missing the initial run I was left to watch and wait. I had a couple of misses over the years before FINALLY scoring a reasonably priced used copy in March of 2022.

The disc features several tracks that I am completely unfamiliar with...but five that I am *very* familiar with...

Dengeki Sentai Changeman Demo Track Medley

CCLemon99 · Changeman Demo Medley

The liner notes give some very basic information on the series, the singer of the final version (KAGE/Hironobu Kageyama) and mentions that Ohno was also responsible for Mermaid & Phoenix as well as Soldier Dragon ~ Yuusha no michi despite not being present in this collection.

I dig the subtle difference in NEVER STOP Changeman...including the more subtle intro. I shared these with Changeman superfan Shogo B'Stard who immediately noticed the different lyrics, which inspired me to just post them up...so here you go:

NEVER STOP Changeman

GREAT PASSION~Jounetsu no arashi~

LOVE FOREVER

I should probably note that the demos for both of these songs are full versions. Pretty neat, huh? I only used snippets for each track because the whole situation seems somewhat nebulous. This CD is *rare* and I don't know if Toei/Ohno really want the whole things out there.

The demo for GREAT PASSION is probably the biggest difference of the lot and it's pretty obvious that Naomi Miyanaga's effortlessly perfect vocals in LOVE FOREVER are what make that song as great as it is.

Gosei Sentai Dairanger Demo Track Medley

CCLemon99 · Dairanger Demo Medley

These are a ton of fun.

The liner notes on this one are kinda funny. It talks about how Sentai started with either Goranger or Battle Fever J depending on how you look at it. It then goes on to say that these are unusual for Ohno in that they are only short, structural demos for how the lyrics should be sung...which tracks since the end songs match this pretty well. Kenji Yamamoto (infamous plagiarizer) was in charge of the arrangement and brought in more traditional sounding instruments like a shakuhachi for the final version.

That makes a lot of sense since these songs are pretty revolutionary--especially the ending song Oretachi Muteki sa!! Dairanger. Speaking of...the only major lyrical change is in this song where "Oretachi muteki sa!!" becomes "Oretachi muteki da!!". This isn't in the snippet, but you get the gist.

Gosei Sentai Dairanger & Oretachi Muteki sa!! Dairanger

I thought this would be fun to share these virtually unheard demos. Enjoy...and please don't bug me for the full versions. Haha.

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Reebok X Power Rangers -- HUH?

B-Fighter's B-Commander BS [Jukou B-Fighter B-Commander Complete Edition]

HASn'tBRO

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs
Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

Reebok X Power Rangers -- HUH?

2022-03-31T22:41:00.000-04:00

If it weren't for a random ad on a website, I wouldn't even know this was a thing...

Today I'm going to take a look at possibly the most bizarre major merchandise collaborate I've ever come across--the Reebok x Power Rangers line. As a dude who really digs sneakers, I was intrigued by the concept. I bought a pair of Tron adidas back in 2006 and the year before I bought several pairs of the adidas Superstar Anniversary sneakers...which included my all-time favorite sneaker (the blue suede Superstar).

Feet are gross, so I can appreciate un-gross things to cover them up is what I'm getting at. Let's take a look at these Power Rangers Reeboks and see how they turned out.

------

Power Rangers Question Mid Basketball

I'll start with what I believe was the original shoe (?). This is the Megazord themed sneaker that draws in some vaguely memorable styling and color cues without being too overbearing.

This one...is alright I guess? I give them points for being asymmetric in a world where your two shoes should match. They're fine. I respect the game, but I wouldn't wear them.

The trick box is kinda neat I suppose.

------

Power Rangers Classic Leather

This is the blandest fucking shoe I've ever seen. How is this even part of the line?

------

Power Rangers Answer IV Men's Basketball

I kiiiiinda dig this Lord Zedd themed sneaker with the tubing looped around to the heel. Outside of it being woefully impractical and possibly being a tripping hazard, it's neat.

I think the only thing about it that I actively dislike is the location of the zipper...and possibly the silver. I get it--it fits with the theme. Silver shoes like that just don't work in the real world, though.

Yeah, like I said...this one is kinda sorta OKish. It certainly looks better from a distance.

Good from afar, but far from good lookin'.

------

Power Rangers Instapump Fury 94

This one really saddens me. As a dude who had a pair of Reebok Pumps in the 90s, I was hoping they would do something cool with the design in this line. Nope! Instead we are given the fugliest shoe that I've ever ever ever seen.

On the other hand...this shoe leaves zero-doubt to what it is or who it is trying to pay tribute to. The details are there, and I'm sure that this designed meticulously up close without ever taking a step back to check their work.

Truly headache inducing...

------

Power Rangers Zig Dynamica

You know what...? This might be my pick of the bunch. It's discreet, but it gets the job done perfectly. The pentagram on the tongue of the left shoe is a really cool touch. Not to mention, the shoe itself looks pretty cushy. Its everything the other shoes in this line aren't!

It may not be my style, but I can get behind this!

------

Power Rangers Hurrikaze II Low

Saving the best for last!

Kidding! This is by far and away the biggest disappointment of the bunch.

First off...as you may know I am a major fan of Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. I will jump at any chance to add to my collection. The problems here are numerous...

-Why did they pick the Grandpa shoes as a base?

-If they were going to go with such a bland design, why not go big and make the left shoe camouflage and the right shoe white??

-The 90s Bandai "EVIL SPACE ALIENS" is so out of place on the tongue.

-"I got a life and I'm lovin' it". Is that a thing??

This is the one that I got the ad for on a random site that introduced me to this line. I was drawn in by it's badness and kept a consistent stream of disappointment as I saw what else was up for grabs.

------

Ummm...so that's that for that. You can check out the shoes on the Reebok site here, or you can wait until the next Power Morphicon to see them in action against bad convention hall carpeting.

Anyway...Bye!

-CC

Hang on a minute...

Boots with the fur?

Reeboks with the strap??

Hurrikaze II LOW???

I can't be the only one who noticed!

PREVIOUSLY...

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

B-Fighter's B-Commander BS [Jukou B-Fighter B-Commander Complete Edition]

HASn'tBRO

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

B-Fighter's B-Commander BS [Jukou B-Fighter B-Commander Complete Edition]

2022-02-28T23:25:00.001-05:00

This is completely random, isn't it?

I've been a fan of Bandai's retro releases and have been keen to pick up, well, most of them. We got some cool Sentai releases under the Super Sentai Artisan line, but that has kinda faded out over time. This time around, one of the better toy lines from the 90s is getting some love.

We're getting a reissued B-Commander set!

Now...I know that B-Fighter isn't the most exciting series, but it is an awesome toyline. I've owned every toy from the series and have always held the B-Commander in high regard. It's pretty awesome, no?

This isn't something that I would normally dedicate a post to, but I just have to get this off my chest...

Bandai has done some extra-top level nonsense by not only limiting sales to Premium Bandai, which is...fine, but they completely geolocked the damn product listing. That's right. Unless you're using the right VPN, you can't even view the damn site.

It's amazing how far Bandai will go to limit sales of their own stuff to the point where you can only see the crumbs of availability from their twitter account. Then they get all shocked Pikachu when nobody buys their expensive, only available for a two month window, and now GEOLOCKED web shop toys. It's a problem when their stuff immediately goes on to be scalped and never comes back down to Earth.

You know what? I still haven't seen the site. I sent the link to my friend and asked them to buy me two. Good job, Bandai. I still bought it. I have no idea how much money I spent, but I put an order in for two.

-----

The toy itself is worth talking about.

It comes with a stand, two sets of figures, and interchangeable antennae...?

Hang on...I am fortunate enough to own a couple of the 1995 B Commanders and I can say without a doubt that one of the coolest things about it is the slick storage feature for the different modes. This goes beyond clever things like Doron Changer's Medal slot. The G Stag antennae fold down on both sides while the Blue Beet and Reddle antennae fold over the backside. It's very smart, and due to that I think some lightly abused toys that otherwise would've had missing antennae still had them. Granted, the mini figures were always missing, but it's still passable without them.

The new slot-in antennae are pretty weak. I'm sure it was done to make way for the new personalized sound clips by Daisuke Tsuchiya, Shigeru Kanai, and Takashi Sasano (really?? They had two Reddles and they couldn't get either??). Personally I more excited for the Henshin sounds since B-Fighter had a top tier sequence.

I like the addition of the transparent mini figures as well...and the new details painted into an old classic. I haven't even gotten my hands on this yet and I seriously love this toy. June is going to be awesome...

Seriously, this being locked out of the West is some supreme lunacy. The places you can buy this are charging a huge Bandai tax on this one. Good luck if you're in the market...

Let's see if we'll get the Command Voicer while they're at it. That toy has *the* most satisfying feel of any toy I can think of...you know, when you slide that card in. It's such a great feeling. Why stop there? Maybe we can get a *real* version of the Insect Commander? Instead of that three card nonsense we got first time around...

Looking forward to June!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

HASn'tBRO

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

HASn'tBRO

2022-02-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

The topic of Hasbro taking over the Power Rangers properties has been one of intrigue, optimism, frustration, and annoyance. In that order.

2018: We are given the news that Saban was ditching Bandai and awarding Hasbro the rights to manufacture Power Rangers toys (with the option to gain full control of the franchise in the fine print).

2019: It's here...we get an overdue Go-Busters adaptation and the birth of a promising, yet shoddy figure line called the Lightning Collection.

2020: A year in and it's all but confirmed at this point that Hasbro killed Super Sentai DVDs in North America and...quality control is still lousy.

We're now four years removed from the announcement of Hasbro taking over the franchise and...I'm done. It's more fair to say I was never in. I bought the Lightning Collection White Ranger, grimaced at the lousy quality, and went on with my life. That is 100% of my Hasbro Power Ranger toys.

Maybe I'll get that Ecliptor and...Empress...Skank (???--legit know nothing about anything post like season two of MMPR) set, but it's such a battle to make sure you get a figure with decent quality control that I probably won't bother.

Zord Ascension Project

...or...

Hasbro has some horrible NFT scam happening where you knock three times, pray you're in the right time zone, find the right glory hole, and maybe you'll get a special paint job on your Megazord (that's how those things work, right?).

That wasn't my biggest "problem", though. I posted an image of the familiar logo in jest and got some idiotic reactions. This is why I don't tweet much anymore.

I know there are people out there who inherently cannot detect sarcasm and/or take what they read literally. When I tweeted this out last week, I wasn't upset. I wasn't mad. I was more baffled at the course of pure ignorance than Hasbro has been on during their stewardship of the Power Rangers franchise.

The only thing I've genuinely tweeted in anger is that time I called Mark Wahlberg a piece of shit...he...is just human feces.

So yeah, those responses ranged from...

"Nuh uh...that's not the Zyuranger logo" to "Maybe, but they have the right to use the logo as they please" to people that follow me liking *only* the tweets from people giving me shit. (Bruh)

I will say this...people mostly agreed with my tweet. Like...yeah, that *is* the Zyuranger "Z' being used for some NFT garbage. I normally post something and close twitter to let the responses come in. This time...I paid attention.

It is kinda sad when people are just so invested in their "brand' that they will swoop in to defend their faceless company "friend". Nothing new there, but man is it pathetic. Can't we settle on the fact that Hasbro doesn't know it's ass from it's elbow when it comes to Power Rangers or it's Super Sentai source?

This tweet is...pretty much what's up...right down to how he says "Power Rangers". He's referring to this dumb shit:

You mean...this "funny envelope symbol"?

Spoiler: They fucked the finished toy up anyway. Of course they did...but Mouthpiece Magoo felt confident enough to say it'd been corrected for release for some reason. I guess I would just make things up as well if the fans shit a fireball and my bosses were none the wiser to the property in question.

I guess the moral of the story is that companies are not your friend. You can be an uber-collector like me and hold deep and infinite contempt for someone like Bandai Japan who at least puts out the goods to keep you coming back. When it comes to the lazy shits at Hasbro, you have to ask if they're really worth defending every single time.

-CC

P.S. Good luck not thinking of Jon Waters saying "ZZZAP" whenever you see that stupid NFT logo now...

PREVIOUSLY...

B-Fighter's B-Commander BS [Jukou B-Fighter B-Commander Complete Edition]

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

2022-01-30T23:58:00.003-05:00

Hello and welcome to 2022! I'm kicking things off this year with not one, but two book overviews. The other book that I'm writing about is a Heroine photo book that I was afraid was going to be pervy, but turned out to be a wonderful look into Tokusatsu past in quality that never made it to the screen.

While the book I talk about in that post is great, it isn't a required purchase. The book in this post...it's the opposite. This book is mandatory.

I have several books on Tokusatsu concepts, but I think this is the one that peels back the layers of secrecy the most. When it comes to Toei (especially) they seem to have a hard stance on not considering the "couldabeen". The final product is all there is, all there was, and all there ever will be.

This book of designs from Bandai Man Katsushi Murakami really sheds some light on what we almost ended up with throughout the years. I want to review some of the choice designs and weirdness throughout. Keep in mind, this is a huge book with designs from the 1970s-2000s. Definitely check out the rest on your own time.

Picture that Drake meme with "Biomusashi" and then "Biodragon".

I really like Machineman's doofy design...but here is a reminder that it could've been doofier.

I feel like a lot of detail was somehow lost between the design and the final look of the Goggle Five helmets.

I also have a great Nonaka design book that covers the Rescue Hero years in great detail. Look how terrible the Fire suit was. I do dig the concept of the slotted visor...twelve years before Kamen Rider Ryuki did it.

Trimesistan from the completely forgotten 1992 film Daiyogen~Fukatsu no Kyoshin. I talked about this briefly, but if you wondered why Eiji Kawamura didn't score Shin Kamen Rider Prologue, it's because he did the music for this instead. This was rumored to be an abandoned Uchuu Keiji Gavan 10th Anniversary movie. What's interesting is that this film has zero merch...

Some late/approved Changeman sketches. The only thing missing is the "CM" logo on the belt and gloves.

Now.....for the truly shocking concepts...

OK, so this one bugs me. I feel like Abaranger really picked up some of the flair because Sentai had to by the time we got to the 2000s. Zyuranger as a series with these suits would've been...not great. One of the things I love about Zyuranger is how basic the designs to complement serious plot. Imagine these goofy suits during those arcs when things were desperate. Hell...imagine Dragonranger...

Kakuranger seems to have gone through some pretty big changes as well.

I don't hate it, but the simplicity of the final suits just work so much better. Also, the Kakuremaru facing the wrong way is giving me serious pains to see.

Final looks for everyone except Big Man Seikai. Get rid of the silver! This seems to have been a pretty big hurdle to clear since his band was black in the previous photo. The final version is gold like everyone else...with a black belt. Overall...it would've been cool if they stuck with the mesh.

Its hard to say where this sketch falls chronologically. These are the Jusho Fighter suits, but clearly this is somwhat early sketch since Battle Gamma seems to be with Ninja Yellow and Battle Kumaad is with Ninja Black (look at the symbols on their torsos). Hmmm... I can't see Jiraiya with a bear. He's too agile.

I'm glad the evolution continued...

It's pretty cool that the B-Fighter suits were pretty solid from the onset. I imagine this sketch was handed in with a post-it saying "You get the idea..."

The near-final design for Red Racer. I feel like the belt buckle for these designs are placeholders for someone else to complete. If true, whoever did the Gingaman belt was lazy. The only other change here is limiting the arm patch to the right arm.

I'm glad they removed a lot of the weird lines from the helmet. It's kinda over-styled here.

This is nuts. Blue is Yellow, Green is Blue, and Yellow is Green. I have a feeling why this was done. RV Robo would've looked really weird with yellow or green pants.

I posted this photo to Twitter and it kinda blew up. I just want you to know that I legit did not add the Windows 95 logo...there it is...in the concept art. Haha. So I guess the Megaranger suits are powered by Bill Gates' Nanobots or whatever.

Not as funny, but check out Megablue's sweet 30" TV.

Oh yeah, and who can forget Megagreen? I feel like this has more to do with that Windows logo +Pink. Heh.

I could go on...but I really recommend that you pick up the book. It's definitely worth the coin and is still readily available on Amazon Japan.

I do have similar books to this that I hope to cover in the future. Let me know if this is something that you'd like to see more of!

Bye!

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2022-01-30T23:58:00.001-05:00

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

PREVIOUSLY...

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

2021

2021-12-31T11:25:00.000-05:00

2021 was a year no better than it's dogshit predecessor on a whole...but I made out alright I guess!

Here is a breakdown of what I accomplished on the internet in the last 12 months...

Videos Released: 0
Audio Projects Released: 1
CCLemon99.com Posts: 24

Alright...it's been a pretty quiet year for me, but I think I had some solid posts on the site--including that audio project that is miraculously still live. Shall we recap?

January

What is an Anniversary Year? [Ultraman & Kamen Rider Edition]

What is an Anniversary Year? [Super Sentai Edition]

February

Kamen Rider is More Human Than Human

CCLemon99 - Live Action Sound <<My Tokusatsu Remix Album...check it out!

March

From Ultraman to Adman

I modified my car and really went too far this time...

April

The CD Collection--Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger Shudaika ["Zenryoku Zenkai!" Ban Limited Edition]

The CD Collection--Super Sentai Series 45th Anniversary Non-Stop Best Mix Vol.1

May

The Toei Situation

Can you still find a deal in 2021?

June

CCLemon99 Magazine Issue Nine

A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

July

Song Collection: Kyodai Ken Bycrosser

Song Collection: Kyojuu Tokusou Juspion

August

Song Collection: Dengeki Sentai Changeman

The Mystery of Kamen Rider J's Helmet

September

Kamen Rider Shin -- Designed to Fail (Also Shin Kamen Rider 2023)

Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set

October

Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider

Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage

November

A New Challenger Appears!?

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs

December

I DID IT! The Complete 8CM Kamen Rider CD Collection!

--You Are Here--

-----

As always--thank you for sticking with me for another year. 2022 is going to be a mess for me in ways that I can't quite explain. I'll be able explain when it's all over, but I am facing a huge, huge project that is like 30 years overdue.

You can expect some fun projects on the site in 2022 including some more Tokusatsu book discussion that you all seemed to love as well as a weird situation I found myself in earlier in 2021. I got mixed up in a scheme involving a rare book (106 on the planet), a mysterious car, a bookbinder, and the Royal Family of a Southeast Asian country. Yeah...strange things tend to happen to me.......but I have receipts!

See ya in 2022!

-CC

Previously...

2020

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

2021-12-31T11:24:00.002-05:00

Hello!

As time sprints forward I find myself slowly sunsetting my collection. I've talked about this in the past, and it's true...I'm running out of cool stuff to fill in holes. There has been one hole in particular that has been driving me up the wall.

If you look carefully you'll see that there is one major omission from my 8CM CD Collection--I am missing a Kamen Rider CD Single.

The fun thing is that I don't mention *which* CD I am missing on the page. As it turns out...I've been missing the very first one.

Yeah--this is a four-track EP from Kamen Rider Black. There is nothing special about the songs themselves--its four songs from the song collection. In addition to this, the single was released at the end of July in 1988...almost three months to the day ahead of Kamen Rider Black RX's debut.

This is where I kinda draw up theories as to why this single exists. The full Kamen Rider Black Song Collection was released on April 1st of 1988 while this EP was released on July 21st. Considering which songs were included, I feel like this was a last cash grab at the theme song and two of the more popular songs from the series before the new series. The 8CM format debuted in March of 1988, so Columbia may have also been trying to bulk up their catalog to help support D88 Discman sales for Sony.

It could've been a trend thing...it could've been a last minute buck. Either way, I've reviewed the songs included in the past--so you can check them out here.

I don't think this was a popular release as I've only ever seen three for sale in all of my years collecting...and the very first time I discovered this CD existed was back in like 2011. What I can say is that I actually snagged this for a pretty reasonable price all things considered. It's a relief to finally close this chapter of my collection!

-----

Thanks for dropping in today! Check out my music collection page for more info on historic Tokusatsu CDs and music reviews! Also...I have a 2021 wrap-up.

-CC

PREVIOUSLY...

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs
I modified my car and really went too far this time [Tokusatsu License Plate]
Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage
Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
Kamen Rider Shin -- Designed to Fail (Also Shin Kamen Rider 2023)
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs

2021-11-30T00:53:00.001-05:00

I never quite understood the low-stakes, no-budget nature of the Toei Fushigi Comedy Series. I never bothered to pursue them further extreme mild curiosities outside of maybe a few series.

Meaning...they were never easily accessible and I couldn't be bothered.

Now that Toei Tokusatsu World Official's Youtube Channel has been uploading the bulk of these series, I've been having fun digging in at random. Like Utau! Dai Ryugujo is one of the current series and.....I still have no flippin' idea what it's about. It's a half-assed musical series with Dr. Kubota from Megaranger as the family's driver. OK? And Zubat randomly shows up one episode... It's so weird...

There is one thing that I'm *very* familiar with when it comes to Toei Fushigi Comedy Series--the songs. Shocker, I know.

I have several compilations from over the years to make up the entire set of songs (and Karaoke) from these series (and then some...there are knockoffs out there!). For brevity's sake I will only be listening to the opening theme songs today. I don't know if there will ever be a need for me to swing back and review every song from something like Dochinko! Nemurin...but never say never!

Just a fair warning...I'm about to gush over some theme songs to some incredibly unremarkable shows. Please don't take these as endorsements to go check out the series. Or do? You never know...you may like them!

-----

01. Robot 8-chan - Robot 8-chan Hiroko Inomata, Young Fresh, Koorogi '73

I'd be lying if I said this was my favorite theme song of 1981, but with a straight face I can tell you today that I think this song is incredibly fun and catchy. I can't think of any other song that pairs a siren with a disco beat so seamlessly. If you're into some bass you'll definitely dig this one too.

02. Robot Battenmaru - Robot Battenmaru - Machiko Soga, Young Fresh, Koorogi '73

One thing makes this song a ton of fun. I'll give you a guess. Just one guess.

There was a brief little blip where Machiko Soga did a sharp 180 and instead of playing a terrifying villain played a Robot one year and Baseball the next?

I can't say this song is all that incredible, but it's worth a listen for Machiko Soga.

03. Pettonton - Pettonton - Ai Takano

This one makes my head spin a little.

First off, I really like this one. It's a catchy song in it's own right without being too frivolous. The thing that makes it bizarre is, once again, it's singer. If Ai Takano sounds a little familiar, he really should. Does this help? He is a little more mellow for the Pettonton theme, but it's definitely him.

04. Dochinko! Nemurin - Pink, Pink, PINK! - Satoko Yamano

I know I've said that two of the previous three songs are catchy...but this is the one that will seep into your brain and live there forever. The synth intro...the bass...the weird sound effects...all very catchy.

Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink
Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink, Pink

This simultaneously the most fun AND irritating song on the planet. Not bad for a show with Ako from Jetman and a pink doll.

05. Katteni! Kamitaman - Katteni! Kamitaman - Mayumi Tanaka

This is another song that is saved by the fact that it's done by a familiar voice. It's fun on it's own, but I cannot help but picture the singer being this deceptively strong little bald dude without a nose.

Mayumi Tanaka is the voice of Klilyn from the Dragonball franchise if you haven't been able to put together. Considering this series predates the Dragonball anime by a year, it's kinda fun to hear. Her singing voice is 100% Klilyn.

This one is fun, but I can't say that it makes my usual rotation.

06. Morimori Bokkun - Bokkun! Kimi ga inakya - Kazue Ito

I like the energy of this one, but it verges on being just a smidge too generic. The voice change in the background is irritating enough to bring down an otherwise capable song. It's really not bad.

07. Omoikkiri Tantei-dan Hardgumi - Matenro no Hero - Masae Ohno

Snore.

08. German Tantei-dan Maringumi - Question no bouken - Waffle

Big improvement over it's predecessor. Not only is the song much more lively thanks to that groovy bass, but the singer is a familiar name. If you're into Dragonball Z song collections you definitely know Waffle (Later KUKO). She has a wonderful voice and definitely crushes this song.

09. Mahoshojo Chuka na Paipai! - Anoko ga machi ni yattekita - Hiroko Asakawa

This theme song is almost Nemurin levels of catchy.

I dig this one a lot for a lot of reasons. It's very memorable for starters, but like many of these theme songs it has a great singer that went on to do some great work. Hiroko Asakawa later went on to sing one of my favorite Sentai songs ever--Seishun Circuit from Gekisou Sentai Carranger. She's also responsisble for the second Megaranger ending song as well as Carranger Ondo.

10. Mahoshojo Chuka na Ipanema! - Tamago yori manazashi - KUKO

I know I said that KUKO's previous theme song was good...this one is GREAT. It's incredibly 1989 for what it's worth. Lots of energy, lots of bass. It's really a lot of fun.

Having watched chunks of both of these series I have to say I liked Paipai episodes better, but this one definitely got the more fun theme song.

11. Bishojo Kamen Poitrine - 17 no koro - Sayuri Saito

This is probably the most recognized theme of the bunch...which is kind of a bummer since it's a bit weak. It's just a little too cheap sounding for it's own good. It isn't bad...it's just kinda there. A little *too* sitcomy. I get it...these are sitcoms.

The singer Sayuri Saito would also provide heroine songs for Jetman and Zyuranger. Skip the Jetman one and check out the Pteraranger theme. It's fun.

12. Fushigi shojo Nile no Thutmose - Genki ageru ne - Hitomi Ishikawa

This one kinda suffers the same fate that it's predecessor does. It's just a bit on the bland side. It has that cool intro and then it just kinda fades out into the boring abyss.

13. Utau! Dai Ryugujou - Ryu Miyagi de Shoobedoo wa - Time Five, Eri Ito

Until 2021 I hated this song so, so, so much. I don't know...I've kinda come around to it. It's fun in a weird and irritating way.

I guess context is important. The song collection is a whopping nineteen songs long. Without seeing any of the series the songs make NO sense. They're just these random bits of weirdness.

That explains the copious amount of IN songs, but the OP deserves some context as well. Like I said in the intro, I've caught a bunch of episodes of this show...so I guess it kinda clicked with me finally with what they're trying to do here.

14. Yugenjiko Sisters Shushutorian - Omoitatta ga kichijitsu - Sanshimai

The final and BEST Fushigi Comedy theme song. By far. No contest.

For as great as this song is, it kinda got robbed when it came to placement. The opening video to this series is weak as hell. I feel like a lot of Shushutorian was done to prepare for Kakuranger. The similar theme songs...Satomi Hirose... It's all there. The Kakuranger tribute episode with a legally similar enough version of the Shushutorian theme song is even proof of that.

The thing that this song has over every other Fushigi Comedy theme song is the depth. It's such a technical song...so much so that you forgot about the trio of girls singing it. If you're fortunate enough to own the CD single, you'll know just how good this song is through the Karaoke version. Same goes for the other song included on the single--Sweet Dreams.

I may have to visit this song collection some time...

Sadly I don't think this series will be reaching Toei International's Youtube channel. The ending song is something of a rights issue and the appearance of Ultraman as the series was winding up may not be favorable to Tsuburaya.

-----

Those are the opening theme songs to the official Toei Fushigi Comedy Series. Do I need to say more?

Check out my music collection page for more.

Later!

-CC

Previously...

A New Challenger Appears!?
Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage
Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
Kamen Rider Shin -- Designed to Fail (Also Shin Kamen Rider 2023)
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

A New Challenger Appears!?

2021-11-30T00:53:00.000-05:00

.....should I?

Hmmmm.....

-CC

Previously...

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs
I modified my car and really went too far this time [Tokusatsu License Plate]
Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage
Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
Kamen Rider Shin -- Designed to Fail (Also Shin Kamen Rider 2023)
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

*Both images are property of Toyota...

Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage

2021-10-31T23:01:00.014-04:00

Hello there. I've been under quite a lot of stress these days. Free time has become more and more scarce and I find myself needing a little outlet for my creativity. I used to stay centered by making weekly videos and chucking them into the Youtube abyss. It was something I did for me, which is why I couldn't bring myself to give a fuck about anyone who didn't think I was operating on some kind of professional level. It's a hobby...it's no longer a hobby when a Patreon link is introduced.

Anyway...

The stuff I've been dealing with in the real world has kinda necessitated some kind of release. Amazon Japan kinda hit me right in the soul when I went to order the Reiwa Robocon (or Robottie if...Toei is really sure about how they'd like to proceed) CD set. Tomica released a high quality 1:64 scale model of my beloved Lexus IS?

For the record...this car drives awful in the snow. RWD isn't always the best...

Yes! Tomy has a line called Tomytec Neo Vintage. This line has insanely detailed models of largely humdrum everyday cars from the 1950s-1990s. You can get taxis, Dad sedans, sports cars, sport"y" cars, radio vehicles, etc. Short of train set scale model (1:87) this is the smallest way to relive some of the great cars of Japan's (and Europe to a lesser degree) past. This is where my Toyota Altezza/Lexus IS300 comes in.

I immediately made the purchase. The price tags for these cars are steep, but you can see where the money goes. Like I said, the detail on the cars in this line are perfection. The sculpts are as close to the real thing as they get AND they are very careful to maintain a scale throughout the series. These cars are 1:64 and they mean it. Hot Wheels fluctuate between scales because they have to fit on the same card.

If I can take a step back--I have another trick up my sleeve.

A few months back I found something on Amazon that blew me away--an exact replica of my Subaru BRZ. You know...the famous Ohranger one.

This is the only appropriate song for this photo...

This may sound like a big "so what" but this model is e-x-a-c-t. It is of the facelifted BRZ (2017-2020). It's white. It even has the same wheels. So naturally I bought a couple. The difference here is that the model is made by Kyosho rather than Tomica. Check it out...

Of course I needed a garage to house them. Getting back to that Tomitec Neo Vintage line, I found a slick garage that fits the bill. It has a roll-up door and a window in the back to let some light in.

It's fabulous.

While I have both of the real cars in my driveway, I can have my little 1:64 scene to remind me of the joys of the open road when it's not available to me. Even though my Lexus is undergoing some major work at the moment...and the BRZ just fought me for an afternoon to change into it's winter wheels and new brake pads, everything is perfect in my little JDM garage.

Sure, I may be getting into a new car in the near future...but I get to live in the moment just a little bit during the craziness.

Thanks for reading this little...whatever this is. I didn't intend this as a post to show off some automotive goods (both 1:64 and 1:1 scale) but this is just a reminder to make sure you take the time to find your own thing in this crazy world. Things aren't so bad when you ignore your social media and carve out a little slice of joy for yourself everyday.

See ya!

-CC

Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
Kamen Rider Shin -- Designed to Fail (Also Shin Kamen Rider 2023)
The Mystery of Kamen Rider J's Helmet
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider

2021-10-31T23:01:00.011-04:00

I've talked about both of these songs in the past many times. I've used Super Sentai Banparaban as an example of Super Sentai's inconsistent continuity. I've voiced nothing but disdain for both of the songs for being the un-fun kind of disco.

So why did I buy the single?

In one of my random shopping trips I found this vinyl for a few dollars. I've heard the songs for years and have seen images of the kinda lame covers, but I had never really sought out the single itself for my collection. It's one of the things where the price is right and it kinda has a space in my music collection.

"What are these songs?" You ask.

Well, I should probably take a step back and explain what I'm talking about today. This is a 45rpm 7" vinyl single from 1982 that features a Super Sentai disco medley on Side A and a Kamen Rider disco medley on Side B. The release history is pretty spotty for both of these songs with Super Sentai Banparaban first seeing a CD printing in 1995 on a Super Sentai Theme Song Collection and Stars On Kamen Rider finding it's first CD printing in 1992's Kamen Rider Super 1/Kamen Rider ZX Complete Song Collection. Both songs are performed by the venerable Koorogi '73 with additional uncredited singers.

----------

Super Sentai Banparaban / Stars On Kamen Rider
Koorogi '73
1982.10.21

01. Super Sentai Banparaban

Songs Featured:

01. Tatakae!! Jinzoningen Kikaider
02. Himitsu Sentai Goranger
03. Oh!! Daitetsujin 17
04. JAKQ Dengekitai
05. Battle Fever J
06. Ah Ah Denshi Sentai Denjiman
07. Denjiman ni makasero
08. Taiyo Sentai Sunvulcan
09. Tatakau nakama Sunvulcan
10. Dai Sentai Goggle Five
11. Stop The Battle
12. Jochaku seyo! Gavan
13. Uchuu Keiji Gavan

Ah yes, the Super Sentai disco tribute song that both starts and ends with songs from...NOT Super Sentai series.

On one hand, this *IS* one of the oldest pieces of media that recognize both Goranger and JAKQ as Super Sentai series. On the other, it also recognizes Kikaider, Daitetsujin 17 and Gavan (with two damn songs no less). This song is a mess. It isn't fun at all.

The only redeeming thing about it is probably the Denjiman themes. They're pretty fun... They aren't sung particularly well, but it's really the only joy I've ever gotten out of this abomination.

02. Stars On Kamen Rider

Songs Featured:

01. Let's Go!! Rider Kick
02. Tatakae! Kamen Rider V3
03. Setup! Kamen Rider X
04. Amazon Rider koko ni ari
05. Kamen Rider Stronger no uta (and a little bit of Kyo mo Tatakau Stronger before it)
06. Moero! Kamen Rider (and a little bit of Kagayaki! 8nin Rider before it)
07. Kamen Rider Super 1
08. Hi o fuke Rider ken
09. Dragon Road

You may be thinking...hang on...why are there only nine songs featured when this is one of the few songs released in conjunction with the tenth Rider special (albeit a year and change before the special actually aired)? I guess they didn't feel the need to drop in Riderman's song. Ack...poor guy. Not to mention...Kamen Rider 2 didn't even make the cover. What the hell!

Outside of the supreme need to include the Super 1 ending song (why??) this features the memorable theme songs from Kamen Rider's decade+1 history.

Honestly...I think this one is a bit better than Super Sentai Banparaban. It gets points right off the bat for sticking with just Kamen Rider. Sure, there was a little bit more Rider history in 1982, but there was nothing stopping them from suddenly dropping in a "Denden gangan hoy dengan. Ganbare Robocon!".

The only song that really fits in naturally is Kamen Rider ZX's Dragon Road, of course.

----------

Overview: Do I dislike disco? Not in the slightest! If you want to hear an incredible disco tribute to a classic Tokusatsu theme song, look no further than Disco Ultraseven. It's so batshit weird that it's irresistibly catchy. What other Tokusatsu song has the lyric "Shake your booty now"? None.

I can continue to sing the praises of Disco Ultraseven, but I suppose I have to summarize these two loaves that slid out of Toei's studio and into record stores. They just lack the charisma and charm that they deserve. They aren't well produced and suffer from probably the greatest sin of them all...

They're bland.

Both songs seem to find their way into the ears of people who love references. "I know that song...therefore this is good!". It doesn't work that way... Recognition isn't quality. Ugh.

That said, I'd take either one of these turds over those crappy Sentai Hero Getter songs.

----------

Well, that's it for that topic. Disco Ultraseven or GTFO. Be sure to check out my music collection page for more.

Bye!

-CC

Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage
Toy Story: Pladera Kamen Rider J Set
Kamen Rider Shin -- Designed to Fail (Also Shin Kamen Rider 2023)
The Mystery of Kamen Rider J's Helmet
A Huge Discovery in Time for 25 Years of Gekisou Sentai Carranger!

CCLemon99

Shin Kamen Rider 2023: The One Sentence Review *SPOILER*

The White Blaster Beetleborg and the Kabuto Figure That We Never Got

Power Rangers 2017 Japanese Theater Program

It's August 2022 and The Kakuranger Cast Got Back Together...

Can you still find a deal in 2022?

Let's Get Physical! New Tokusatsu Physical Releases!

Song Collection: Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman

Tokusatsu Oh ~Forever Chumei Watanabe~

Sooo ahh...Hey Toei?

Katana ~ 2022 Toyota GR86

Anime Hit March '93 & '94 -- Zyuranger, Dairanger, Sailor Moon & Dragon Ball Z!

Song Collection: Gosei Sentai Dairanger

The CD Collection--Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Shudaika Limited Edition

Demo Version! Dengeki Sentai Changeman and Gosei Sentai Dairanger!

Reebok X Power Rangers -- HUH?

B-Fighter's B-Commander BS [Jukou B-Fighter B-Commander Complete Edition]

HASn'tBRO

All About Katsushi Murakami--Superhero Industrial Design Art Collection

BURN -- Tokusatsu Heroine Photograph Collection

2021

I DID IT! The Complete 8cm Kamen Rider CD Collection!

Toei Fushigi Comedy Series Opening Theme Songs

A New Challenger Appears!?

Relieving Stress with my 1:64 Dream Garage

Stupid: Super Sentai Banparaban & Stars On Kamen Rider

Shin Kamen Rider 2023: The One Sentence Review SPOILER