The first time I discovered about that series was the ending credits' dance that unexpectedly showed up on YouTube. Titled "Kiraful Miracle Kiramager", five young individuals dressed in Magiranger-inspired uniforms were dancing onstage. The vocals provided by Takashi Deguchi and the music itself are so lively and dynamic. But that didn't stop there. I researched the show thoroughly and paid close attention to the characters and the plot. My curiosity pushed me to watch all the 45 episodes and some movies, as well as to listen to their songs and background music.
Well, to be honest with you, I felt sick and tired of doing the same old stuff in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis. I want to explore and do new things to keep myself sane. Besides new forms of arts and crafts (most especially diamond painting and painting by numbers), I also immersed myself in watching tokusatsu (special effects) shows.
I remembered the days when I need to stay up late to watch the first 25 episodes - not to mention watching them while doing other things. I made sure that I've watched these just to catch up with some new episodes and to understand the flow of the story. I also downloaded all the episodes with English subtitles to watch them on TV and added the songs on Spotify.
Although Kiramager originally planned to have 49 episodes (but was cut down to 45 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), each episode is special in its own way and there are a lot of lessons to learn from this series. Unexpected plot twists, new characters, and the consistency of the plot are huge plus factors for me. Even purchasing the photobooks are worth waiting and paying for - I spent thousands of pesos for these mementos.
Why I love Kiramager so much? It's because of the story, the characters, and the lessons learned from each episode. The unexpected change of emotions, the plot twists, and the unusual introduction of the new characters. Every time I watch each episode, I felt a mix of emotions - the happiness after the heroes defeated the enemies, the sadness when one of the characters suffers or having a heavy burden or problem, and the surprise when the episode ended up with an unexpected twist.
Now, I want to share my observations about my favorite Super Sentai series:
1. The main cast and the voice actors are all amazing, as well as they managed to give justice to their respective characters. Their personalities are impressive yet cool, and they were so dynamic. A few of them are new and they were able to captivate the hearts of both Japanese and non-Japanese audiences.
2. The songs are worth listening for, and I'm not tired of playing them all day long! Plus, the artists were awesome - from legendary music icons Akira Kushida and Takayuki Miyauchi to pop idols Yohei Onishi and Takashi Deguchi. Even the main cast sang their character theme songs, too!
3. All of the episodes have a balance of emotions, as well as the way the characters solve the conflict. Also, these pay homage to some popular Japanese movies. The plot twists are just around the corner and can happen surprisingly, most especially in the last few episodes.
4. Both the ranger and the villain costumes are fantastic! These astonishingly creative pieces give life and color to each scene.
5. The way the show was presented to the public for the first time was worth the wait, most especially the very first photo that was published on Christmas Day. The weapons are kind of basic, let's say, swords and guns - added a sparkling factor. Shiny Breaker, Kiramai Silver's weapon, was based on a jackhammer. The machines have a wide diversity - from construction vehicles to public transport. The merchandise is also diverse, ranging from plush toys to photobooks.
Although Kiramager is one of the Super Sentai Series with a short number of episodes, I managed to dive into the adventures and experience all the feels, one episode at a time. As Tomokazu Sugita (King Oradin) once said, "When people shine, a miracle is born. That shine is the symbol of the warriors who can change the future!"
KIRAMAI GO!!!
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