Himitsu Sentai Gorenger
Himitsu Sentai Goranger is a Japanese tokusatsu superhero television series. Goranger, created by Shotaro Ishinomori, was the first in the long-running Super Sentai metaseries of tokusatsu programming. The series aired on NET from April 5, 1975 to March 26, 1977 for 84 episodes. Toei distributes the series internationally under the title Five Rangers. The series was released in the Philippines under the title Star Rangers.
Plot
When world peace is threatened by the emergence of a terrorist group called the Black Cross Army, EAGLE, the Earth Guard League, is formed to combat the threat. The Black Cross Army sends five operatives to destroy each EAGLE branch in Japan, killing everyone except for five agents. These surviving agents are summoned to a secret base located underneath the snack shop "Gon", where they are recruited by EAGLE Japan's commander, Gonpachi Edogawa. They become the Himitsu Sentai Gorangers and are given electronic battlesuits that endow them with superhuman strength and speed. The five dedicate themselves to stopping the Black Cross Army and its leader, the Black Cross Führer.EAGLE
The International Secret Defense Organization EAGLE was created to protect the world from the terrorist group known as the Black Cross Army. EAGLE developed the battlesuits and advanced technology used by the Gorangers to counteract the Black Cross Army's cyborg technology. The Gorangers transform into their costumes by shouting the word "Go!". Prior to battle, the team shouts "Five together, we are Goranger!".Characters
Gorangers
- Tsuyoshi Kaijo/Aka Ranger: 24-years-old. The younger brother of the Kantō EAGLE base captain, Tsuyoshi and his teammates were playing soccer when the Black Cross Army launched the attack that killed his brother. Tsuyoshi is trained in combat planning and strategy. He is the team leader and coordinates group attacks such as the "Goranger Storm" or "Goranger Hurricane". He carries a number of special weapons such as a tranquilizer gun and a multi-purpose whip, the end of which transforms into weapons such as a drill or claw. Tsuyoshi appeared in the final episode of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, receiving his powers back in the form of the Aka Ranger Key as the Gokaigers left Earth.
- Akira Shinmei/Ao Ranger: 25-years-old and the oldest member of the Goranger team. Akira was training in the snowy region of Touhoku when the Black Cross Army attacked. He is a marksmanship instructor, skilled in archery and piloting. He wants to become a racing driver. As Blue Ranger, he is the second-in-command. He pilots the Goranger aircraft "Variblune" and "Varidreen". He is armed with the "Bluechery" and "Ultra Bluechery" bows, which can fire specially designed arrows known as Blue Arrows and Blue Arrow Rockets.
- Daita Oiwa/Ki Ranger I : 23-years-old. Called Dai-chan by Shinmei, Peggy, and Yoko, Oiwa is a jovial engineering recruit at EAGLE's Kyūshū branch who was training with his comrades when the Black Cross Army attacked. Adept in mechanics and mathematics, he has difficulty solving simple word puzzles and riddles. As a judo champion, Oiwa is physically strong. He is armed with the "Ki Sticker", a polearm whose head can be outfitted with various attachments such as a punching fist. He also utilized the YTC radio which can jam electronic circuitry. Oiwa was later promoted to Chief of EAGLE's Kyūshū branch, but soon returned to active duty with the Gorangers after his replacement is killed by the Black Cross Army.
- Daigoro Kumano/Ki Ranger II : After Oiwa became the commander of the Kyūshū branch for a time, Kumano replaced him. Kumano was killed by a flying blade from Can Opener Mask.
- Peggy Matsuyama/Momo Ranger: 18-years-old. Peggy worked at EAGLE's Hokkaidō branch as a chemical analyst and weapons engineer specializing in explosives. Fashion conscious, Peggy often wears go-go boots and short hip-hugging hot pants. She is armed with heart-shaped earrings that double as high impact bombs. She also carries heart-shaped "Momo Card" throwing shurikens and a "Momo Mirror" jamming device that confuses and confounds her opponents.
- Kenji Asuka/Mido Ranger: 17-years-old, Kenji is the youngest member of the team. Kenji was tending to pigeons on a rooftop at EAGLE's Kansai branch when the Black Cross Army attacked, thus saving him from the poison gas used in the attack. He has a happy-go-lucky temperament. Kenji is armed with the razor-sharp "Midomerang" which was either flung at his opponents or used as a hand weapon for cutting and slashing. His weapon was later upgraded to the "New Midomerang", which was a bit bigger. He also carried the "Mido Puncher" which was an updated slingshot weapon that can be used to fire pachinko pellets and sometimes explosives.
Other EAGLE characters
- Gonpachi Edogawa: Commander of EAGLE's Japan branch. When operating in public, Gonpachi disguises himself as the cook at the snack shop Gon, which is the secret entrance to the Gorangers' headquarters. The shop later becomes the fruit parlor Gon.
- Commander Edogawa is assisted by a trio of secretaries and secret agents: Yoko Kato, Tomoko Hayashi, and Haruko Nakamura. They act behind the scenes but occasionally help the Gorangers in the field.
Black Cross Army
- Black Cross Führer: As the leader of the Black Cross Army, he was often referred to as the "Machine Monster". He could not be easily killed by a conventional weapon. He had supernatural powers and was supremely intelligent. He kept his identity a secret even among his generals but revealed himself as a sentient alien machine construct that was part of the Black Cross Castle. He could also disguise himself as either a male or female human. He was destroyed when the Gorangers launched their Five-Star Cassiopea Attack.
- Sun Mask: The so-called "Star of Africa". He was a ruthless tyrant who was renowned for his successive victories in Africa. He was called to Japan to eliminate the Gorangers by any means necessary, though his cowardice interferes in his operations.
- Iron Man Mask General Temujin: The so-called "Mongol Demon", he was recruited from Black Cross Army's Gobi Desert operations. A cold and sadistic operative, he is a brilliant tactician and also formed his own army called the Steel Brigade. Vain and prideful, he often lets his ego disrupt his operations.
- Volcano Mask General Magman: He was recruited from the volcanic Eldgja region in Iceland. He is the leader of the ruthless Eruption Battalion. He commanded his own mobile battle fortress dubbed Moving Fortress and Black Cross Führer's powers. Golden Mask took command of Black Cross Army's elite Africa Troopers. He is versed in sorcery and keenly interested in astrology. He can repel most of the Gorangers' attacks.
- Steel Sword Dragon: A renegade Black Cross Army operative who was imprisoned by Black Cross Führer for his recklessness and rebelliousness. He was later freed by Black Cross Führer in exchange for his help in destroying the Gorangers. He was an incredibly strong fighter and was impervious to harm. Wielded a mighty dao that could destroy almost any object.
- Masked Monsters are the Black Cross Army's field agents who cause many types of chaos and disorder wherever they go. They are mainly humanoid machines with strange masks that represent their ability and skills in the field, with the ability to continuously upgrade themselves through the continued research and developments of the Black Cross Army. These humanoids can have abilities to change into other objects in order to help with infiltration or investigations or to assist in their chaos-causing objectives.
- Zolders''': The faceless leather-suited foot soldiers of the Black Cross, altered with enhanced strength and speed and brainwashed to be absolutely loyal. They carry a variety of weapons including machine guns, bazookas and iron swords. Specialized divisions include the Black Cross Camouflaged Ninja and a squad of mystics who served Black Cross Führer. The Zolders pilot air fighters called Condolers and Battlers. They can be heard shouting "Hoi" when attacking their victims.
Weapons
- Birdies: Removable rockets that are clipped to the side of the Gorangers' belts that they use for flying.
- Weapons: the team possess individual weapons which they pull out of their visors.
- *Aka Ranger: Red Vute, New Red Vute, Spear, Drill Vute, Red Hunter, and Silver Shot.
- *Ao Ranger: Bluechery, Ultra Bluechery.
- *Ki Ranger: YTC, Ki Sticker.
- *Momo Ranger: Earring, Momo Mirror, Momo Card.
- *Mido Ranger: Midomerang, New Midomerang, Mido Puncher.
Vehicles
- Goranger Machines: Gorangers' motorcycles. Armed with explosives that self-destruct to destroy the Navarone, which exploded, taking the Navarone with it.
- *Red Machine: The Goranger Machine driven by Aka Ranger. The Red Machine has no sidecar.
- *Blue Machine: The Goranger Machine driven by Ao Ranger. Ki Ranger rides in the sidecar.
- *Green Machine: The Goranger Machine driven by Mido Ranger. Momo Ranger rides in the sidecar.
- Star Machines: The replacement for the Goranger Machines. Like their predecessors, these motorcycles self-destruct to destroy the Black Cross Castle.
- *Red Star
- *Blue Star
- *Green Star
- Varitank: A six-wheeled tank with claw arms that rolls out of the beak of the Varidorin. It is usually piloted by Ao Ranger and Yoko Kato.
- Varikikyun: A passenger-carrying balloon for the Gorangers, usually piloted by Momo Ranger.
Mechas
- Variblune: A bulldog-like VTOL aircraft, propelled by helicopter blades under the craft. Its "mandibles" can open up and deploy various tools depending on the situation, and can store the Goranger Machines. It blew up with Iron Man Mask Temujin aboard.
- Varidreen: A peacock-like replacement for the Variblune, usually piloted by Ao Ranger and Ki Ranger. It was lost in the Gorangers' destruction of the Black Cross Castle, but a new Varidorin is seen later in JAKQ vs. Goranger.
Finishing attacks
- Goranger Storm: At Aka Ranger's command, Momo Ranger would produce a silver ball called the "Rengerball". It was passed among the various Gorangers like a soccer ball until Aka Ranger would kick it at the episode's monster, at which point it would cause the monster to explode.
- Goranger Hurricane: In this variant, Momo Ranger would produce a finned, multicolored grenade the size and shape of an American-style football. It was passed among each Goranger until Ao Ranger set it up for punting by Aka Ranger. Once launched towards the monster, it would transform into an object that was usually either anathema to the monster's personality or a gift. Either way, the object explodes with the monster caught in the explosion. In episode 44, it is called Goranger Storm Hurricane. In episode 73, the ball transforms into the Gorangers' weapons. In J.A.K.Q. vs. Goranger, the Gorangers combine the Goranger Hurricane with J.A.K.Q.'s Big Bomber to create the Goranger Hurricane Big Bomber to destroy the Big Four Robo.
Episodes
No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate | Rating |
Films
- Himitsu Sentai Goranger: The Movie
- Himitsu Sentai Goranger: The Blue Fortress
- Himitsu Sentai Goranger: The Red Death Match
- Himitsu Sentai Goranger: Fire Mountain's Final Explosion
- Himitsu Sentai Goranger: The Bomb Hurricane
- J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai vs. Goranger
Manga
Cast
- Tsuyoshi Kaijo: Naoya Makoto
- Akira Shinmei: Hiroshi Miyauchi
- Daita Oiwa: Baku Hatakeyama
- Daigoro Kumano: Jirō Daruma
- Peggy Matsuyama: Lisa Komaki
- Kenji Asuka: Yukio Itō
- Commander Gonpachi Edogawa: Toshio Takahara
- Yoko Kato/Zero Zero Seven: Eri Kanuma
- Tomoko Hayashi/Zero Zero Eight: Megumi Shiragawa
- Haruko Nakamura/Zero Zero Nine: Miki Honda
- Taro Kato: Hiroyuki Konuma
- Black Cross Führer: Mitsuo Andō (Episodes 1-55nihongo\|Gon|ゴン||voicenihongo\|Sun Mask|日輪仮面|Nichirin Kamen|voicenihongo\|Hiroshi Masuoka|増岡 弘|Masuoka Hiroshinihongo\|General Iron Mask Temujin|鉄人仮面テムジン将軍|Tetsujin Kamen Temujin Shōgun|voicenihongo\|Shōzō Iizuka|飯塚 昭三|Iizuka Shōzōnihongo\|General Fire Mountain Mask Magman|火の山仮面マグマン将軍|Hinoyama Kamen Maguman Shōgun|voicenihongo\|Eisuke Yoda|依田英助|Yoda Eisuke|42–45nihongo\|Shōzō Iizuka|飯塚 昭三|Iizuka Shōzō|46–54nihongo\|Great General Golden Mask|ゴールデン仮面大将軍|Gōruden Kamen Daishōgun|voicenihongo\|Shōzō Iizuka|飯塚 昭三|Iizuka Shōzōnihongo\|Nobuo Tanaka|田中 信|Tanaka Nobuo|1–14nihongo\|Tōru Ōhira|大平 透|Ōhira Tōru|15–84
Guest stars
- Captain Kaijo : Ryuji Hayami
- Kindergarten Teacher : Kyoko Matsuya
- Dr. Kudo : Ren Yamamoto, Hiroshi Unayama
- Black Cross' Scientist : Yoshikazu Sugi
- EAGLE's Secret Agent 003 : Dai Nagasawa
- Dr. Muto : Yoshiro Kitahara
- Jade Mask's Subordinate : Yasuhiko Uchida
- EAGLE Members : Hisashi Kato, Toshiyasu Hitoshi
- Rumi : Yukari Kawashima
- Rumi's Parents : Reiko Kasahara, Hiroshi Katayama
- Shiraishi : Shingo Hiramatsu
- Cop /Butler : Takeshi Ueno
- Scott : Tony Cetera
- Emi : Amy Okada
- Doctor : Takao Nakamura
- Yuki : Yukiko Ebina
- Dr. Eguchi : Eiji Karasawa
- Dr. Shirataki : Keizo Saskawa
- Midori : Tomoko Iketani
- Miss Sapphire : Yukie Kagawa
- Miss Sapphire's Minions : Takeo Shunkai, Haruo Kinoshita
- Dr. Shimizu /Ken Ito : Kenji Todoroki
- Isamu : Takeshi Shono
Songs
- "Susume! Goranger"
- * Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
- * Composition and arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
- * Artists: Isao Sasaki and Mitsuko Horie with Columbia Yurikago-kai
- "Himitsu Sentai Goranger"
- * Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
- * Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
- * Artist: Isao Sasaki with Koorogi '73
- * Episodes: 1–63
- "Mi yo!! Goranger"
- * Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
- * Composition and arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
- * Artists: Isao Sasaki and Koorogi '73 with Wilbees
- * Episodes: 64–84
International release