PreCure! Super Sentai! Kamen Rider! Together, Kyrie and Six are determined to explore the three biggest transforming hero shows of Japan, a few episodes at a time.
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Episodes Covered: Mahou Sentai Magiranger Episodes 25-30 Timestamps: 0:02:06 - Toku News 0:07:50 - General Discussion 0:17:17 - Actor Highlights 0:48:35 - Episode Analysis 2:10:16 - Outro In our Dekaranger season, we had some problems with the midseason upgrade, but generally it was a rallying point for the show where it brought us back on side. Early goings still, but the Magiranger midseason upgrade doesn't seem like it's gonna do the same thing. Can we spend more time with Wolzard? Make this the Nai and Mea and Wolzard show. With Meemy! Wait I just like Infershia better than our Rangers. Uh
Episodes Covered: Futari Wa Pretty Cure Max Heart Episodes 25-30 Timestamps: 0:02:32 - Toku News 0:11:46 - General Discussion 0:20:10 - Actor Highlights 0:41:18 - Episode Analysis 2:46:25 - Outro On this week's batch of Pretty Cure, we experience a rare stumbling by our girls. While the show can still provide great vibes and often incredible animation, we find ourselves in a series of character motives that either go nowhere or stories that have subtly toxic messaging. But with another Heartiel out of the picture and a new fae companion in the group, the show still has plenty of room to grow.
Episodes Covered: Kamen Rider Hibiki Episodes 19-24 Timestamps 0:04:08 - General Discussion 0:18:35 - Actor Highlights 0:26:00 - Episode Analysis 2:15:52 - Outro Ok, boomer. This week, we see the dark side of having numerous cishet men in theirs 30s and 40s as the protagonists: it's time to get mad presumptive and patronizing. Zanki gets way passive aggressive, or rather, maybe has been that way the whole time? Hibiki decides he should be in charge of someone else's life and doesn't even need to explain his actions. And poor Todoroki is just along for the Bad Mentor ride. Sorry, man. Even an e
Episodes Covered: Mahou Sentai Magiranger Episodes 19-24 Timestamps 0:04:32 - Toku News 0:08:10 - General Discussion 0:21:58 - Actor Highlights 0:57:21 - Episode Analysis 2:19:07 - Outro Magi Magi Magiro! Like a magic spell, as our faith in Magiranger is slipping, it shows up with spectacular new characters and delightful episodes. Wolzard casts the heroes' heroism in a delightfully derisive light, Nai and Mea earn all our sympathy after dealing with some truly awful coworkers, and we discover the power of MagiMuscle. Not a bad week.... Next Episode: Kamen Rider Hibiki Episodes 19-24 The incre
Episodes Covered: Futari Wa Pretty Cure Max Heart Episodes 19-24 Timestamps 0:03:11 - Toku News 0:13:27 - General Discussion 0:21:27 - Actor Highlights 0:28:35 - Episode Analysis 1:58:02 - Outro The Dark Kid He escaped his mansion Yes YES The Dark Kid is out After weeks of teasing, the reincarnation of the Dark King has broken containment. The Pretty Cures get a new power to combat the rising darkness, with new accessories to match. The plot is here, but then it's kinda gone again? And that's fine, honestly. We don't need it to be Big Story Hours as long as we stop treating Nagisa like a child
Episodes Covered: Kamen Rider Hibiki Episodes 13-18 Timestamps 0:02:15 - Toku News 0:11:40 - General Discussion 0:23:09 - Actor Highlights 0:51:26 - Episode Analysis 2:33:37 - Outro It is finally time for this show to shine. On these episodes, the beating heart of Kamen Rider Hibiki is revealed as the show truthfully and earnestly discusses the difficulties of single-parenthood, the pains of aging, and meeting the expectations we place on ourselves. We are firmly in the middle of this forest and enjoying the passing breezes of deft character work, and hey! Those sick fight scenes don't hurt ei
Episodes Covered: Mahou Sentai Magiranger Episodes 13-18 Timestamps 0:01:50 - Toku News 0:12:20 - General Discussion 0:22:21 - Actor Highlights 0:38:31 - Scoring 2:00:51 - Outro It's a real shame to have a character duck out RIGHT after we finally get a compelling vision of how they could be really fun. The rest of our cast will have to pick up the slack, and judging by these episodes, that's not an impossible task, but... well, Magiranger continues to stumble forward with uneven steps, not quite finding a week-to-week formula that really sings. Maybe next time. Next Episode: Kamen Rider Hibik
Episodes Covered: Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart! Episodes 13-18 Timestamps 0:03:03 - Toku News 0:08:25 - General Discussion 0:34:57 - Actor Highlights 1:02:18 - Scoring 2:51:42 - Outro Look, this show wasn't trying to do this. The writers of this show could not have known we would do this podcast. But I think the writers of Max Heart saw that Pretty Cure nearly lost first to Kamen Rider Blade last podcast season and took it personally, because this show is bringing some real heat. In this batch, Hikari has a lot of growing to do, Honoka and Nagisa get roasted by some zoomers, and the girls e
EPISODES COVERED: Kamen Rider Hibiki Episodes 7-12 Timestamps 0:01:51 - Toku News 0:10:57 - General Discussion 0:58:14 - Actor Highlights 1:23:20 - Scoring 2:39:10 - Outro It's impossible to watch this show and not feel for the production team and the studio politics sabotaging them in real time, but also, it's hard to know what this show would do with much of its runtime otherwise? Yes, the worst parts of this show are when it's being a Kamen Rider show. But without them, what do you have? Just a show about a kid who's a bit immature for his age, but connects with a really cool dude in his la
EPISODES COVERED: Mahou Sentai Magiranger Episodes 7-12 Timestamps 0:01:59 - Toku News 0:06:22 - General Discussion 0:34:07 - Actor Highlights 1:12:41 - Scoring 2:22:17 - Outro The stocks are soaring for some of our characters on this batch of episodes, despite some real rough goings with the writing. There is an eventual rise but the show doesn't do itself any favors with many of the narrative and world-building choices. The scoring of this set is one of the most contentious we've had on this pod yet, but the Rangers pull off some real magic as they lock in their first S-Rank episode. Let's h
EPISODES COVERED: Futari wa Pretty Cure Max Heart! Episodes 7-12 Timestamps 0:07:40 - Toku News 0:24:06 - General Discussion 0:52:29 - Actor Highlights 1:14:54 - Scoring 2:32:02 - Outro Perhaps Pretty Cure is gonna run away with it again. This set of episodes is maybe the best we've ever had on this show, with some genuinely all time stuff, and we're left floored. Porun is a great character, Hikari is coming into her own, Honoka is good as ever. If only we didn't have some serious character assassination of Nagisa in these episodes, I'd have almost nothing bad to say. Next Episode: Mahou Senta
EPISODES COVERED: Kamen Rider Hibiki Episodes 1-6 Time Stamps 0:02:54 - General Discussion 0:52:43 - Actor Highlights 1:13:55 - Scoring 2:03:56 - Outro The reputation of Kamen Rider Hibiki precedes it, and it is not entirely positive. Aesthetically, narratively, and production wise, this show is considered the weird one. So much of this show stands out like a sore thumb, and these first couple of episodes reflect that rocky start. Our heroes are a bit out of sorts and spending a lot of time in the woods as we critics need to map this territory out. It's a bit troubled, but we are already able
EPISODES COVERED: Mahou Sentai Magiranger Episodes 1-6 Time Stamps 0:02:45 - Toku News 0:11:57 - General Discussion 1:08:17 - Actor Highlights 1:37:27 - Scoring 2:23:53 - Outro It's a good thing that the Dekarangers never claimed to be family, because when a company says you're family, it's a red flag they're trying to engender loyalty in employees so it can mercilessly f- mm, sorry, kid's show, mistreat them. But this season on Super Sentai, our rangers literally are a family. With no parents around to monitor their behavior, just how toxic will these siblings start treating each other? I don
EPISODES COVERED: Futari Wa Pretty Cure MAX HEART Episodes 1-6 Time Stamps 0:03:26 - Toku News 0:21:05 - General Discussion 0:50:15 - Actor Highlights 1:18:53 - Stray Notes 1:31:36 - Scoring 1:56:30 - Outro The adventures continue, and not that much has changed! But in the premiere of this new season of Sunday Henshin Time, we are making some format changes in which we are only covering one show at a time. But the show is more of the Defending Champions in Futari wa Pretty Cure MAX HEART! We rejoin Nagisa and Honoka as they end up accidentally adopting a mysterious kouhai named Hikari, who may
EPISODES COVERED: Episode 49 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, and Kamen Rider Blade and episodes 49-50 of Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger Timestamps: 0:02:42 - Futari wa Pretty Cure 0:21:00 - Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 1:04:30 - Kamen Rider Blade And so it comes to this. The finale of our first season, of our first three shows. Will Doggie Kruger come in clutch? Does Porun have the stuff? Where is Chief Karasuma? Believe it or not, ALL of these questions will be answered today! Or, rather, they were answered many years ago, when these shows originally aired. But suspend your disbelief with us, and come on i
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 47-48 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Timestamps: 0:04:45 - Futari wa Pretty Cure 0:33:00 - Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 1:31:04 - Kamen Rider Blade The time is now. One last pod before the big finisher, where we start to see the shape the finales will take. But for our show? The rankings have been decided. Season 1 of this podcast will have a winner. Also there is a lion man here, and he's pretty swag. But also, VICTORY. The incredible artwork for Sunday Henshin Time was provided by Cas! Our intro music is Scene47 蒼空 ～aoi～ by
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 45-46 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Timestamps: 0:07:09 - Futari wa Pretty Cure 0:43:34 - Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 1:34:05 - Kamen Rider Blade It's Dekaranger's turn to take the Suck-Ass Crown! Not that Kamen Rider Blade is exactly on fire, it's just that by comparison it looks good. ...Well, not in comparison to Futari wa Pretty Cure, a show that is just once again good. We're heading into the last sprint, and I won't lie: it's not looking good for ol' Banban Akaza. The incredible artwork for Sunday Henshin Time was prov
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 43-44 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Timestamps: 0:02:50 - Toku News 0:32:42 - Futari wa Pretty Cure 1:04:48 - Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 1:44:15 - Kamen Rider Blade Christmas comes early for our show and our heroes! Nagisa ends up in a loop of her own desires, the Dekarangers need to stop a rogue swordsman from besmirching SPD's honor, and... oh I swear to god INOUE GET OUT OF HERE, MAN, DON'T STINK UP THE PLACE. Shit. Too late. Kamen Rider Blade is rough this week. The incredible artwork for Sunday Henshin Time was provide
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 41-42 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Timestamps: 0:02:34 - Toku News 0:12:36 - Futari wa Pretty Cure 1:02:18 - Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 2:01:41 - Kamen Rider Blade Well, it couldn't last forever. Kamen Rider Blade has finally dropped the ball, and Dekaranger continues to tumble downhill. In Pretty Cure we trust as they're the only show holding it down this week. Hopefully we're just getting the weak stuff out of the way before our finale arcs, right? Just tying up loose ends? Here's hoping. The incredible artwork for Sunda
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 39-40 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Timestamps: 0:02:17 - Toku News 0:08:45 - Futari wa Pretty Cure 0:55:41 - Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger 1:41:41 - Kamen Rider Blade Who says endings can't also beginnings? As all three of our shows are starting to pull into the final stops, we have moments of genuine affection and reflection in Futari wa PreCure as our heroes contemplate where they are now. And also Marble Screw is back. Listen turns out also these shows can't shake some established habits, as discarded women and super secre
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 37-38 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Timestamps: Toku News 00:01:39 Futari wa Pretty Cure 00:13:12 Tokuso Sentai Dekaranger 00:52:32 Kamen Rider Blade 01:28:06 Mutsuki. Buddy. These show notes, the heck with these show notes. Almost no one reads them anyway. I'm here to talk to you. Because the thing is, man, you're not doing ok. I don't know if you've noticed, but you lose every fight, usually in embarrassing fashion. You're doing level 1 card tricks to an audience of nobody. Your outfit makes it look like it was a really
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 35-36 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade Look if you wanna get out of stuff, you gotta say it with your whole chest. Or the very least just say it. Lots of unsaid things on these sets of episodes, as Nagisa gets absconded to a chestnut date, Jasmine does what she thinks is right which is morally wrong, and the Tiger Undead proves she barely has to say a thing. We are closing in on the close this week! The incredible artwork for Sunday Henshin Time was provided by Cas! Our intro music is Scene47 蒼空 ～aoi～ by Kaneko Kazuki, with g
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 33-34 of Futari wa Pretty Cure, Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade I know vastly more about lacrosse now, thanks to these episodes of Pretty Cure. No, not because of what's IN the episodes, but because I paused mid-episode to read a bunch, and then that knowledge proved to be irrelevant to the episode. This was a predictable outcome. The Dekarangers debut SWAT Mode, and we're sadly a bit underwhelmed. And Kamen Rider Blade continues to turn up the heat, with the plot getting almost as intense as Tachibana is stupid. The incredible artwork for Sunday Hen
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 31-32 of Futari wa PreCure, Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger, and Kamen Rider Blade The frequency of all three of our shows turning in good work is going up, as PreCure starts working in the new paradigm of the littlest Prince of Light and their new foes, while the Dekas have double trouble with princesses and mob bosses as they work for their next upgrades. And Blade? Not to bury the lede but holy SMOKES it's getting good. The incredible artwork for Sunday Henshin Time was provided by Cas! Our intro music is Scene47 蒼空 ～aoi～ by Kaneko Kazuki, with gratitude. The Scanline M
EPISODES COVERED: Episodes 27-28 of Futari wa PreCure, Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger, andKamen Rider Blade Oh boy. Well, Futari wa Pretty Cure is back in full voice. Tokuso Sentai Dekaranger squanders a good villain then does an episode about how terrified Japanese office workers are of girls reclaiming their sexuality. And Kamen Rider Blade... look, it has to be seen, or heard, to be believed. And not in a positive way. The incredible artwork for Sunday Henshin Time was provided by Cas! Our intro music is Scene47 蒼空 ～aoi～ by Kaneko Kazuki, with gratitude. The Scanline Media Discord can be found h
