Tokosou Sentai Janperson was in 1993 - the same year when Gosei Sentai Dairanger hit Japan (and it was unusually THAT VIOLENT but never suffered the same fate as Kamen Rider Amazon or Chojinki Metalder) and when Toei Ltd. hit gold with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Yeah, you know the GREEED that made Toei Ltd. accept Haim Saban's request for the Zyu2 footage - something I wish they NEVER did but you know... THE GREEED! Janperson was practically more crime drama than Toku IMHO. Heck, I even find it more violent than the Canadian Robocop TV series that came a year later. Well, the Robocop TV series was aimed for a younger audience unlike the movies. References from the movies are made such as Kaoru Saegusa may be a reference to Marie Lazarus. Robocop 3 premiered sometime while Janperson was airing. So, pretty much the androids Janperson fought were copied from some oter source.
Yasuko Kobayashi had her first debut in Toku with Janperson's 40th episode. This is where Robin Padilla ahem Kazuoki Takahashi played a guest character. Note that Padilla ahem Takahashi is also George Makebe. It's funny how Makebe discovers his doppelganger, Gun Gibson's recklessness is there, and the episode ends with a dark note. We know Makebe doesn't tolerate Neo-Guild deserters as shown in many episodes. Some episodes had Makebe CRUCIFY deserters, commanded a scientist to kill his own created daughter, and this episode ended with a Neo-Guild deserter getting shot. The Makebe-lookalike decided to devote himself to recruiting Neo-Guild deserters but was never mentioned again.
The episode itself had some comical humor but ended on a dark note. We know how Kobayashi tends to have her hit-or-miss humor. My first exposure to her hit-and-miss humor was in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. Though, one can see how serious she gets during Mirai Sentai Timeranger (and Seijuu Sentai Gingaman also starts off with the Ginga Forest destroyed making the ending feel like it was a result of executive meddling) and in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. Kamen Rider Ryuki could've been her darkest work if it wasn't for executive meddling. I mean, it's too obvious that Kobayashi wanted to kill everyone. I bet Toshiki Inoue may have taken part in writing the finale arc. However, we know that Ryuki having quite a bad ending would be a very terrible move. I guess that's why that infamous Reset Button was pressed.
The humor of this show is in relation to Gun Gibson and Makebe's lookalike Tazaki. I really almost got reminded of moments of Padilla starring in comedic films with the guest character. It got funny when Tazaki ambushes his doppelganger AND does a good job emotionally manipulating Gun Gibson. Makebe sought to blow up the base HIMSELF. Oh yeah, I actually like this episode for making Makebe try something new aside from just direct confrontations with the heroes. Kaoru does get hysterical because their base is a secret. Tazaki does manage to play with the emotions of a Neo Guild member and manages to escape.
This episode had some humor but the darkness overshadows it. It ends on a sour note when the defecting member DIES. Yeah, talk about how Kobayashi seems to like to add layers of tragedy in many of her episodes. I guess Shinkenger was the exemption of the rule as none of the heroes die, things get Lighter and Softer most of the time, and the same can be said when Ressha Sentai ToQGer was released. Sure, ToQGer got an award on Railroad Day (which I think Kamen Rider Den-O also needed it) BUT I'm going to still call it a low point in Kobayashi's career. Still, ToQGer deserved to have its following nonetheless. Meanwhile, nobody can deny that Kobayashi got involved in the dark, gritty spin-off called Kamen Rider Amazons - a series I wish Inoue also took part in.
For a start, it looks like Toei Ltd. saw Kobayashi's potential. Kobayashi had minor roles in Blue SWAT, B-Fighter, and B-Fighter Kabuto. Eventually, she became a major contributor to Super Sentai either as a head writer or as a secondary writer. The episode showed some suspense, seriousness, and hit-or-miss comedy. Pretty much, it gave us a preview of what she would do with her future series. Some series she dealt with later were more on the Lighter and Softer Side. Eventually, Ressha Sentai ToQGer ended up like Chikyu Sentai Fiveman - a series that had low ratings but got Vindicated by History. Hmmm... right now I wish Kobayashi were a secondary writer in Avatar Sentai Donbrothers ever since Inoue made a longtime return to Super Sentai.
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