(SPOILER WARNING!!)
I'm writing this almost a full week after the first episode aired, so I think enough time has passed for me to give some thoughts about the first episode of the newest Super Sentai series; Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger.
For some background, or to remind people if they had forgotten, I've never been the biggest Sentai fan. That's to say that I don#t actively dislike it, but I normally find myself staying out of the loop of whatever the newest series is due to a lack of interest or not finding the time on my hand to check it out. That, and both Zenkaiger and Donbrothers ended up on the black list because of both being produced by Shinichiro Shirakura, whose work I have forever sworn off from ever watching or revisiting due to almost every single series or film he has had a hand in being nigh unwatchable thanks to his lack of pedigree or quality control; with the likes of Kamen Rider Hibiki's latter half being produced by him and having some of the worst Toku I have ever experienced, which juxtaposed poorly compared to the otherwise strong first half.
Thus, both factors were a big reason why I wasn't exactly hyped for King-Ohger, despite knowing that Shirakura was not involved (thank Shin Dan Kuroto for that) and the head writer having experience in Kamen Rider Zero-One; a series I overall enjoyed in spite of the messy post-hiatus content. However, as Kamen Rider Geats is ultimately doing nothing to interest me beyond the first eight episodes, I figured I'd give King-Ohger a go instead and see if I could dedicate my time to watching it when I have the chance.
And if the first episode is any indication of the overall quality of the show to come, I can definitely say that I'm intrigued and excited, something I haven't been with Sentai since Kiramager.
Plot:
2000 years prior to events, the Earth Empire Bugnarok was defeated by the intervention by a group of kings empowered by their God, King-Ohger, although a prophecy was foretold that Bugnarok would rise again to seek world domination. Cut to the present day, where the current ruler of the kingdom Shugoddam, Racules Hastie, seeks to bring the kings of the other four nations together as a single force via the Quintet Alliance to fight against Bugnarok's return, with only Yanma Gust of N'Kosopa refusing after seeing the obvious bid for power and control over the other nations (N'Kosopa, Ishabana, Gokkan, and Toufu). Meanwhile, the impoverished commoner Gira is in the middle of events as the Bugnarok attack, believing that Racules will fight alongside the other King-Ohgers. Of course, he learns from the man himself that the people are just sacrificial lambs to him, planning to leave them to die at the hands of Bugnarok so that he can rule over what's left of the other kingdoms once the war is over. Gira, seeing this as the monstrous act that it is, defies him and takes his OhgerCalibur for himself, promising to usher in a new age where he rules the world and ensures that the people are treated as they should be and not as cannon fodder for the villains.
In his own words; if what Racules is doing is justice, then Gira will be the "evil" king who takes the throne from him.
Pros:
From the initial introduction to the cast, I'm really interested in seeing just where these characters go in the story, especially as each of them are ruling their nation in very different ways. The aforementioned Yanma (Tombo Ohger) rules over the most technologically advanced kingdom and thus believes his nation to be the best by default; Himeno Ran (Kamikiri Ohger) is incredibly egotistical to the point where she finds it annoying that they had to walk a few feet to the castle instead of landing in it; Rita Kanisuka (Papillon Ohger) cares mainly for performing their duties as ruler regardless of whether the prophecy with Bugnarok is true or not; Kaguragi Dibousuki (Hachi Ohger) seems to focus mainly on ensuring that his country remains prosperous without the need of the other nations. And yet, despite how differently they operate their kingdoms along with the obvious personality clashes that would result, it doesn't stop them from taking up arms in the fight against Bugnarok and protecting the people as a priority; this in turn makes it such as strong contrast when Racules remains in his throne room with no regard for the people or his allies, showcasing just how corrupt he his as a leader and how far he's willing to sink for the sake of power.
Which, of course, is where Gira (Kuwagata Ohger) comes in as his polar opposite; compassionate, kind-hearted, and doesn't sit back while people are in danger. He may be a commoner, but he understands that the people are the most important things to a kingdom. Mistreat them, and your homestead will fall apart from hubris. Treat them as people, however, and you strengthen your standing with them which in turn makes your kingdom stronger as a whole. Gira's whole "take over the world" speech isn't him unilaterally declaring that he will subjugate everyone to his will; it's him taking a stand against a corrupt system and taking the stance to create a better world. This feels really unique for a Red Ranger in a series like this, especially as this could put him at odds with the other kings due to both their methods of leadership and how they are all rightful kings of their nations, which in turn will makes things harder for Gira once he's branded as a traitor.
As for aesthetics, it did take a while for the suits to work for me. Personally, I think that the colour schemes are very monotonous due to the primary colours not having much actual break-up aside from the black on their visors (or silver and orange, in the case of Hachi Ohger). However, the actual suit designs look awesome when we see them in motion. I especially love the different visors on the helmets being based on their respective bugs, and the capes help to give an appropriately regal motif to the outfits without feeling too excessive. I personally would've added some gold trim on the torso to help with the royalty theme, but that's just me.
I also think that Bugnarok, along with their leader Desnarak VIII, make for pretty cool looking villains. They seem to have more of a feral insect motif for the designs, which makes for a good contrast to the King-Ohger and their mechs having more of a streamlined and, for lack of a better term, domesticated appearance to their designs. And on a side note, I just love that villain name; a portmanteau of bug and Ragnarok (the end of the world in Norse mythology, hence why I don't call it Bugnarak as opposed to Bugnarok) tells us everything we need to know about them, and it just sounds cool to say out loud.
The giant mech brawls remain a highlight in this season, thanks to the directing and cinematography making both King-Ohger and the Bugnarok's giant monsters feel truly massive. It's even cool that the cockpit section has a complex series of arms and wires connected to Gira in order to control the combined mecha. I must also give a nod to the excellent set design in making Shugoddam resemble a medieval town compared to the other kingdoms which take different aesthetics for the appearance of their nations. Granted, we don't see much of them, but the small glimpses we do get fit really well into this world and help to make them stand out from each other. I especially love how Himeno's kingdom, Ishabana, appears more gradiose and opulent compared to the others with its use of gold and constant shimmering light everywhere.
Also, I think the little robotic bugs flying around everywhere in Shugoddam are just adorable!
Cons:
I'm honestly not a fan of the combined King-Ohger design itself. It's commendable that Toei was able to create a 10-piece combiner mecha where all of the individual pieces are bugs instead of being a bizarre mish-mash of random creatures, especially as it is the first fully insect-themed Sentai in the entire franchise. But the actual combined form of King-Ohger feels a bit busy because of all of those bugs attached, and the giant stag beetle horns from God Kuwagata forming the torso unit stick up too far for my liking. I don't hate the design by any stretch, but it comes off as slapdash and cluttered due to how many individual pieces are coming together.
I also felt like they kind of rushed through certain parts of the story to get to the action as soon as possible, which in turn makes the pacing come off as somewhat haphazard. Pretty much as soon as Bugnarok attack, we quickly speed pass the introduction of Desnarak VIII and the King-Ohgers fighting off his forces in order to get Gira to meet with Racules and learn the truth of his actions. The same thing happens after Gira takes the OhgerCalibur from Racules, and almost immediately jumps into the now-awakened God Kuwagata to form the combined King-Ohger. A lot of it goes by so quickly that I almost didn't notice the opening theme playing over the combination sequence.
I think that there could've been a bit more of an interplay between the different kings, if only because we only really see the animosity between Racules and Yanma. We don't really get a sense of how Himeno, Rita and Kagarugi feel about this whole situation beyond just drawing their swords and readying to fight before Yanma ups and leaves to try and control God Kuwagata himself. The most we get is Rita's personal adviser asking if they believe that the prophecy is true, to which Rita only responds that it's their duty to perform as their kingdoms ruler regardless of if it's true or not. Beyond that, Himeno and Kagarugi just seem to go along with it if only because that's what they've been trained to believe all their lives.
Conclusion:
Personal gripes aside, I think that the opening episode to King-Ohger was pretty strong. It has a very clear idea of what it's trying to accomplish, while also very clearly setting the stakes for our heroes and letting the world feel alive in the process. Do I wish there was an expansion of the character dynamics between the kings? Certainly. Do I think the pacing could've been improved? Absolutely. But the elements of the episode that work are still in spite of those shortcomings, and I'm happy to continue watching to see where the series as a whole goes.
And at the very least, it still feels like a much better "normal guy becomes king" story than the entirety of Kamen Rider Zi-O.
Overall rating: 7/10.
Thanks for reading the review guys; be sure to share this on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or whichever social media site that you use. I also have a Twitter account to follow (@MediaHood23), along with an Instagram account (@mediahood23) and a YouTube account (Media Hood Reviews). Any and all support from you guys will be greatly appreciated, especially if you leave your own comments below letting me know what you thought of the episode.
But until next time, because there always will be one; this is Callum Lewis, the Media Hood, signing off!
