Final Impressions: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

6:00 PM on 02.21.2012   |   Salvador G-Rodiles

When you decide to commit to a show for over a year, one must deal with many circumstances. First, can the show maintain its quality throughout the whole series? Second, can the show be forgiven when it has its weak moments? Last but not least, can the show leave the viewer with a satisfying impression?

Taking these three things into consideration, I have decided to embark on the journey that is Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. Now that we have reached the end of our voyage, will this adventure continue to live within my heart for all eternity?

Find out after the jump, as I reveal to you the last pages of my final voyage.

Starting off as the series to commemorate the 35 anniversary of Super Sentai, Gokaiger came into the scene with lots of promise. The idea of having pirates that can pirate the abilities of previous rangers was very clever in my book, and the whole premise behind the Great Legend War was a fun concept to bring together every team that has ever existed.

What made the show worth watching were the characters themselves, thanks to the way they were handled in the series. Unlike the other teams, the Gokaiger were in it for themselves, since their goal was to search for the greatest treasure in the universe. 

Every episode lead to a new clue, which eventually required them to master the powers of the previous rangers. Through this task, they had to learn the essentials on becoming a true Super Sentai hero. Marvelous and his crew fought hard throughout this ordeal, as they also had to fight the Zangyack empire along this treacherous path. Along the way, they recruited a new ranger in their team, and they got to obtain various abilities that helped them improve their arsenal of attacks. 

As we reach the end of our voyage, the team is pitted against the main forces of the Zangyack empire. Having found their resolution in regard to the truth behind the greatest treasure, the team is ready to go all out. Surprisingly enough, the entire final battles plays out in a manner that takes advantage of what it is to be a true pirate. Many risky maneuvers were performed, and each one was executed at its finest.

When you thought that the series has already went all out on the cameos, think again. Many new surprises appear in the finale, which make the entire wait worth your wild. Besides the unexpected appearances, we were also exposed to some new methods of attacks that were never pulled off in the show before (As much as I want to drool over this part, I would prefer that the viewers see it for themselves.). Which was a bit of a huge relief, since I was worried that they might resort to reusing the final attack from the 199 Hero movie.

While there were a few episodes that felt a bit unnecessary (Most of the episodes that did not focus on any of the characters or Grand Powers.), the majority of them were pretty entertaining. For every time the series would disappoint their fans, the show would go above and beyond to reclaim their loyalty. As much as I would have loved them to have shown off every Grand Power, the show was running on a budget, so they had to do the best that they could with what was offered at the table. Think of it as a huge banquet that has all your favorite meals, except that some of them were a bit off in the preparation. However, the taste was not terrible, and the rest of the delicacies manage to fulfill your expectations. In a way, that is how Gokaiger sums up.

If you think that I only watch this show for the fight scenes and giant robot battles, think again. The characters and premise are the real reason why I stayed with this series until the end. Each of the crew members had their own backstories that would eventually set up towards getting recruited by Marvelous. Even the captain himself has his own demons to overcome throughout the series, which was related to his experience prior to becoming the captain of the Gokai Galleon. Based on the way the story was written, Marvelous represents the hope that each character has towards achieving their resolution. Their dedication to their captain shows the trust and faith that they have in fulfilling their own dreams. 

In reality, you can't have a good Super Sentai series without having a good cast of characters to hold up the story. You also can't have a good series without having a good set of villains (Cough, Goseiger.) to fight the heroes. In which the series did a fine job in setting things up. Love them or hate them, each villain lived up to their role (Even that one guy that was a spoiled brat.). There were also some major relationships (By relationships, I mean rivalries and deep backstories.) going on between certain characters and villains, which also added to the story. If there was a series that I would compare it to in regards to the way each character was handled, it would be One Piece. I mean, this is Toei, so it's not too surprising that one of their shows shares a similarity to another one. Even so, Gokaiger still does enough to where each character stands out on their own.

Gokaiger had its ups and downs during its broadcast, but the overall feast was very fulfilling. It may not be one of the best Super Sentai shows, but the experience was not forgettable. In the end, it fulfilled everything that was required to become an anniversary series that is worthy of its predecessors. As Marvelous and his crew set off to new adventures, their accomplishments will not be forgotten by their fans.

Now that Gokaiger has finished its run, it's time for the new series to make its debut. Even if Gokaiger went all out (To an extent.) as an anniversary series, there is hope that their successor will shine throughout the rest of the year. I will wait for your return, Captain Marvelous, Joe Gibken, Luka Millfy, Don Dogoier, Ahim de Famille, Gai Ikari, and Navi. And until then, make sure that you do them proud, Go-Busters.