I finally finished Blue SWAT. I was waiting for some time to watch this. It's official now that I've seen most Metal Hero series but not Kabutack and Robotack. Metal Hero was canceled but not forgotten. Metal Hero influence could still be observed even long after it was discontinued. It has the same fate as the Super Robot Anime series -- canceled but not forgotten. Watching Blue SWAT gave me a deeper appreciation for the overrated masterpiece Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger. However, this show can still be more depressing than Dekaranger. Dekaranger would later repeat themes here while giving tribute to the Rescue Police Trilogy.
What I enjoyed about the 1990s shows was the more mature theme. For example, Tokosou Robo Janperson is actually more violent than the Robocop cartoon. This was the era when occasional gunshot wounds ON HUMANS happen. Blue SWAT presents a darker, more intense atmosphere than what Dekaranger was allowed to do. Sure, Dekaranger's overarching antagonist Abrella caused war and destruction across the Universe. However, Abrella tends to be watered-down compared to Tokyu Solbrain's final antagonist Takaoka -- a human being! I'd say that Metal Hero shows display more scare factor. Tokosou Exceedraft's finale involving Iwao Daimon's plan to force the world to end -- may be scarier than what Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive could offer. Super Sentai couldn't reach this level of maturity!
Blue SWAT played genocide to a whole new level. The organization Blue SWAT was organized as a government organization. However, the Space Mafia destroyed the large organization. That left only the survivors to pit against the Space Mafia. The Space Mafia might be a tribute to the Hollywood film Invasion of the Body Snatchers. The heroes Show Narumi, Sarah Misugi (who's revealed to have been a Japanese American, but may have lost that status along the way), and Sig (who possesses the body of a DEAD MAN). Seiji Usami and Sumire Asou are involved. Sumire isn't aware but she discovers it early on.
There's also some realistic cop drama -- something that probably never sat well with children. In fact, someone at TV Tropes wrote this:
While not without comedic moments, Blue SWAT is much more grounded and darker than your typical Toku, and it can be easy to forget you're watching a children's Toku series at times. It didn't help that the (pre-retool) episodes felt more like a Police Procedural cast comprised of late-teenagers and adults and with heavier police aesthetic. Apparently, not even some kids realized it was intended for them, which led to it getting a Lighter and Softer retool midway through.
Perhaps the most interesting character IMHO in the show is Sarah Misugi. Sure, Show Narumi deviates from the standard "goody-good" hero. Sarah's status as an American Japanese and she's the most capable member. It could've been interesting IF Sarah were the main protagonist over Show. Sarah's the leader BUT Show is The Hero. Sadly, not much was done with her and she's more than just a beauty. She proves beauty is but a cover and Character Development matters the most. A shame because she was actually pretty much the Leader of the team. I guess female mentors are still more welcome than female main protagonists huh?
The Space Mafia was a good mix of procedural drama and Bond Villain Stupidity
Sure, the Space Mafia suffers from Bond Villain Stupidity from time to time. However, it wasn't without genuinely scary moments. Jisp even possessed a CHILD'S BODY all before he possessed another body -- to cosplay as Colonel Dasmader from Kamen Rider BLACK RX. Jisp possessing Zaji and Sig possessing the body of Zaji's father. This creates some strange relationships. In fact, minor spoilers, Sig was slowly becoming human when he took over a DEAD BODY. How strange is that?
My favorite members Colonel Dasmader ahem Jisp. Jisp becomes The Starscream and could be potentially more evil than Mademoiselle Q aka Queen. Queen is still frightening but it's Jisp who could potentially spell the end of Blue SWAT. However, Toei went with toning things down turning Jisp into an Idiot Ball -- presumably because he was just too evil for regular Toku use. The MOTWs are more like criminals of the week -- something that Mirai Sentai Timeranger and Dekaranger would repeat. However, most of them work for the Space Mafia -- in contrast to how most Alienizers in Dekaranger just operate on their own. I wonder if the Space Mafia also took influence from other popular American movies in the past -- not just some sci-fi movies that I never heard of.
The show would later get gimmicky -- probably due to a mandatory retool. Gold Platinum becomes nothing more than a Satellite Character despite the interesting concept. I was wondering was Gold Platinum just for a toy sale? Show's Super Mode is rather practical -- unlike what Juuku B-Fighter introduced for Blue Beet. Blue Beet's super mode was just overly bulky -- something that Power Rangers would later use for their Battlizers.
Overall, Blue SWAT was a nice interesting experiment. I'd still recommend it for those who've seen Dekaranger or just want someinteresting experiments to view.
Comments
Post a Comment