Anniversary Recap 1 - Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Episode 1

Three years ago today, and I decided that we should start recapping Power Rangers. We honestly didn't think we would finish the first season. But now, we have recapped 311 episodes, and we're midway through season SEVEN. Only 400 episodes and counting to go!

So today, we bring you something different.

The first episode of the 35th super sentai, Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. (Which will hopefully be adapted in 2013? PLEASE????)

Since it hasn't aired in the U.S. yet, we'll place this behind a cut. You get two recaps with this - first, an actual recap, and then our chat log.

So, we open up on a GIANT INVASION OF EARTH. Epic fight is epic, okay? And 34 freaking teams are there. There are really not enough words to do this thing justice, so I'm just going to link you to the clip. Each team gets to show off, and I just... my love of this fight can't even be explained. And if you've been reading for a while, you know I usually don't care about fight scenes. BUT THIS. Anyway, we watch the 34 teams use their powers to defeat the invading Zangyack, but of course, evil never entirely goes away, and they eventually come back, except this time it doesn't look like there are any sentai to stop them.

Introducing, our crew of pirates!
Captain Marvelous: He who lives up to his name and has a great coat
Joe: the secretly sad inside first mate
Luka: Thief and badass
Doc: Needs hugs, fixes things, secretly awesome
Ahim: Is Batman. Also, a princess.

We find out that they're searching for the greatest treasure in the universe, which is apparently on Earth. On their way, they get attacked by the Zangyack advance fleet, and we get a great battle, which includes them cutting a ship in half. Also, the CGI is pretty damn impressive.

Oh, and the villains are all amazing. They don't do a ton in this episode, but they will. And we find out that the invasion fleet is being run by the emperor's son, and I'm just busy flailing about things that will happen later, because I have SO MANY FEELINGS about this season. Look, I have as many feelings about Gokaiger as I do about Always a Chance. FEELINGS.

The Pirates all land on Earth, and they and their awesome bullhorn start interrogating the people, who claim to know nothing about the treasure, which makes all the pirates sad inside. Marv forces Luka to sell one of her rings, and she is not happy about it, but it gives them a ton of money. Poor Doc is sad, because he wants to go out for a nice meal, but instead Marv decides that they should go eat some cheap curry rice in a place that has something to do with Sun Vulcan, but I still haven't watched that season, so I'm not really sure! I hope in the adaptation its at the youth center. Just when Marv is about to get his curry, the shop gets all blown up, and he has a sad.

They go outside to discover that Earth is being invaded, and the pirates all continue to have a sad about it, because they clearly have seen this happen before. But they don't do anything about it until the monster of the week is threatening some tiny children, and that is just not acceptable. They get to do a dramatic entrance with their awesome slow-mo walk and badass coats, and then they morph and we get some AMAZING weapons work (weapons switching, showing off their individual fighting styles) and then we get to see them use the powers of other teams.

BECAUSE THIS IS GREAT.

The first thing they use is Goranger, which was the first sentai, and I swear people have explained the football and trash compactor thing to me repeatedly, so let me see if I have this right. The thing is a pun? The football attack is supposed to be what they fear most, and the Gormin is a pun on trash, so it turns into a garbage truck and takes out the trash? Or something? Whatever. I am sure it will be an MMPR thing when it is adapted. And the Gorangers have great capes.

Then we get Shinkenger (Samurai!) and Magiranger (Mystic Force!) and with that we get our first genderswap, and it is all pretty great. The Gokaigers use the FINAL WAAAAAAAAAAAAAVE to destroy the monster, and everything is amazing.

Tiny children are all "thank you for saving us!" but Marv claims that he only did it because he didn't get to eat his curry rice and he was in a bad mood. The Gokaigers are all SO GREAT and I have ALL THE FEELINGS.

BEST EVER.

QR: I love how dramatic it is right off the bat.
OMG LOTS OF EXPLOSIONS

TSB: Seriously, this is how you start a season. Shit blowing up, invasion, and ALL THE FUCKING RANGERS
also, the design for the Gormin is great
SERIOUSLY, LEGENDARY WAR FOR A REASON. LIKE

QR: totally

TSB: I have watched this fight probably a dozen times or so?
it never gets old

QR: that's because it's epicly awesome

TSB: I remember the first time I watched it I was going "REV, TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS TEAM. AND NOW THIS TEAM. AND HI THERE PEOPLE I RECOGNIZE"

QR: I love the bug eyes the best

TSB: :D

QR: SERIOUSLY, LEADER OF ALLLLLLLL THE RANGERS

TSB: Akaranger is great
I still haven't figured out the timeline for this
HI NAVI

QR: AND NOW SPACE PIRATES

TSB: SPAAAAAAAAAAAACE PIRATES

QR: timeline? SHHHHHH. Timelines don't exist for this show

TSB: And Navi's "hey listen! Hey!" So great
Luuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuka

QR: JOE'S HAIR

TSB: I have so many feelings about all of them
SO MANY FEELINGS

QR: DOC'S RIDICULOUS WARDROBE

TSB: THE COATS

QR: LUKA BEING ALL "SO SHINY"

TSB: I want Navi to hook up with Circuit

QR: HA

TSB: Also, that is an impressive fleet. :D

QR: Marv and his SUPER AMAZING FLUFFY HAIR

TSB: That's what it means to be a pirate <333333333333333
And I love the themesong

QR: ME TOO
I should stop all capsing, yeah?

TSB: Why would you do that?

QR: I just love this show so freaking much

TSB: I have yet to just yell FEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELINGS for ten lines or so

QR: that is true
I totally expect that

TSB: Let's go let's gokaiger!

QR: Can they just take that theme song and make it the theme song for the US version when they adapt it? I love it so.

TSB: I wish

QR: SPACE CANNONS

TSB: STOP BLOWING HOLES IN MY SHIP
and then they fucking CUT THE SHIP IN HALF. It would be better if they did it with a sword hat
but

QR: Also, spaceships that look like sea-faring ships? TOTALLY PLAUSIBLE. It's not like you need to worry about aerodynamics in space.

TSB: I WILL TAKE IT

QR: SWORD HAT

TSB: I am still really impressed by the CGI

QR: mee to
me too even
and it all just folds up! Like a pocket.

TSB: I am going to go so broke buying all the toys
Marv's boots <3 they are almost as great as his coat

QR: haha, anchors away right in the middle of a building and THEY SO DON'T GIVE A FLYING FUCK.

TSB: I JUST LOVE THAT HIS NAME IS CAPTAIN MARVELOUS
LIKE
THAT IS JUST PERFECT

QR: His coat is almost as great as Joe's hair, so it all works.

TSB: and the bullhorn is great too
Ahim, you and your super polite self, keep on accidentally insulting people <3

QR: Ahim is so sweet! She's all "Lowly person, I will speak to you so sweetly you'll like me anyway. Now I can have allllll your treasure, right?"

TSB: She is great

QR: She is AMAZING

TSB: LUKA <3
She just needs to top Doc forever

QR: DOC'S SUSPENDERS ARE HANGING DOWN. How did I never notice this before?
Honey, EVERYONE needs to top Doc forever.

TSB: Luka is so upset about her ring <3
EXCEPT GAI. DOC TOPS GAI

QR: Okay, I will accept that.
Except sometimes when Doc lets Gai top. Because it makes him happy.

TSB: I love all the villains
Oh, Walz Gil, please continue throwing hissy fits forever

QR: I like that there is no easy fix for them either

TSB: Luuuuuuuuuka <3

QR: Marv is all "piddly amount, but whatever". Way to show disinterest over A FUCKTON OF MONEY
Doc is all about the food.

TSB: Doc just wants people to treat him right

QR: who can blame him?

TSB: Now I want curry

QR: HE'S ADORABLE AND THE BEST HOUSEWIFE EVER AND HE DESERVES RESPECT
mmmmcurry
dude, you don't interrupt Marv's lunch.

TSB: Luka is so upset about her money. Poor Luka
And Marv! I just. I love how clearly you see all of their personalities in this first episode

QR: yet they're not really pushed to the extreme either
this is how a show is made!
PM also, MAGNETS!
they just drop down to Earth. On magnets.
people dying!
sad but at least somewhat realistic
Do not threaten Tiny Children!

TSB: They all have so many feelings

QR: FEEEEEEELLLLIIIINNNGGGGSSSSSSSSSSSSS

TSB: CREEPY MONSTER IS STILL CREEPY

QR: YES
Marv won't stand for this!

TSB: MARV, YOU ARE THE BEST
That is how you do a dramatic entrance. With the badass coats

QR: THEY ARE SO BADASS
and the fluffy hair

TSB: and the slow determined walk
Just
yes

QR: Ahim is so adorably polite

TSB: WHEN WE DON'T LIKE SOMETHING, WE WRECK IT
Because that's what it means to be a pirate
YESSSSSS
And I love the morphs. And the costumes. And the ridiculous poses

QR: YES

TSB: Especially Doc
Because

QR: AND THE SWORDS

TSB: Ahahahaha

QR: he totally feels himself up
yeah
I like Joe's because he's all "My feelings are too much to bear, so I must rest my forehead in my hand while I silently suffer."
he's EmoTastic

TSB: Switching weapons! \o/

QR: SO GREAT

TSB: GOOOOOOOOOOOORANGER

QR: and the change!!!!!!!!!

TSB: Oh man, this hurricane thing
Japan loves its puns

QR: it's ridiculous

TSB: it makes more sense after I had it explained to me

QR: is it still ridiculous?

TSB: yes

QR: haha, okay, good

TSB: SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINKENGER
NEEDS SWORD HATS
MAAAAAAAAGIRANGER

QR: Everything needs a sword hat

TSB: and our first gender swap! I really want to know what Chip and Maddy would think :D

QR: they would probably love it
Chip would be totally excited! He's all for girl power.

TSB: FIIIIIIIIIIIIIINAL WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAVE
TINY CHILDREN THANKING THEM

QR: SO CUTE TINY CHILD

TSB: Marv is like "pfft"

QR: Marv is all "yeah, whatever"

TSB: YOU WILL GET YOUR CURRY RICE ONE DAY, MARVELOUS
<3 <3 <3

QR: HAH

TSB: BEST EXCUSE

QR: LOVE THIS SHOW SO MUCH

TSB: Ahim and Doc are so proud of them

QR: They are so adorable

TSB: AND NOW WE GET A SENTAIRAP :D

QR: IT IS AMAZING

TSB: I am so proud of myself for knowing all the team names in order now
LET'S GO PIRATES

QR: you should be! That's quite a feat.