Akira Suzumura is a frivolous, womanising private detective that lives a happy-go-lucky lifestyle. One day whilst investigating a missing persons case he unwittingly stumbles across Darkzeid - a race of creatures who have fled to Earth to escape their dying world in the Dark Dimension. Following that, a crash with a truck carrying a mysterious crystal sees Akira bathed in strange particles. These were part of a secret project by SAIDOC - a government organisation tasked with fighting back against Darkzeid.
As the carrier of the crystal energy, SAIDOC have no choice but to rely on Akira to become the super light warrior Changerion! Together with SAIDOC members Katsuhiko Hayami, Eri Minami and their chief Takeshi Munakata, as well as his assistant Akemi Tachibana (later replaced by Rui Kiribara), Akira must stop Darkzeid from stealing Larms - human-life energy the creatures need to continue their existence.
How does one even begin to describe Choukou Senshi Changéríon? Probably with that if you come to this series expecting a conventional superhero show, you're going to be sorely disappointed. While the premiere episode opens with plenty of mystery and intrigue regarding the setup, it quickly becomes abundantly clear that this is not what Changerion is about. Those familiar with Toshiki Inoue's work will know that he is a writer with a very distinct style - almost uncompromisingly so, that focuses on both character and melodrama. However he also has a penchant for bizarre comedy - and its these three elements that make up the surreal tapestry that is Changerion. In fact many of the aspects that make up Inoue's later works - particularly Avataro Sentai Donbrothers but to a lesser extent also Kamen Rider 555 and Kamen Rider Kiva arguably originate here, albeit in a much more heightened state. Changerion is a show that plays very loosely with story and plot developments, but puts emphasis on the characters themselves and the strange situations they get caught up in. More often than not its more sitcom than it is superhero, making it a series that's quite unlike anything that came before it and hasn't really been equalled since.
It's a shame really though, because the setup to Changerion and how it characterises Darkzeid is actually pretty interesting. With their own world dying they're left to flee to Earth, and in a show that took itself more seriously there might have been the opportunity to explore the ethical dilemma of whether they are truly evil or simply doing this out of survival. Instead of just being monsters there are clear levels to Darkzeid society, with them not only having their own judicial system but also counselling to help them integrate into human society. While most are portrayed fairly maliciously in their pursuit of Larms (each one favouring a different "flavour" of sorts, such as children or women that have fallen in love), there are the odd ones that come across as fairly sympathetic. Of course, having the series cut short by a whole cour has massive ramifications on the story, with one of Changerion's most glaring issues being that it simply does not have an ending. While the last few episodes do try to wrap certain aspects up in their own weird and experimental way, ultimately the fight against Darkzeid is left open-ended.
Changerion primarily adopts an episodic format in which Akira solves a different case each week, which of course is usually caused by or somehow related to a Darkzeid monster. It's in these cases that Changerion flexes its comedy muscles, and isn't afraid to get downright weird at times. The tenth episode for example centres around the kidnapping of the Princess from the Bakkasa Kingdom - a place where the language is so complicated it has to be translated three times in order to be understood in Japanese. Cue an episode with multiple people speaking nonsensical gibberish, and hilarity ensuing. While most of these setups are entirely situational, others lean into the superhero genre to hilarious effect. When a superhero-obsessive Darkzeid is distraught to find out Changerion is far from what he expected, he goes about trying to transform Akira into the perfect hero - complete with Showa era visual throwbacks and Akira quoting the Space Sheriff Gavan theme song lyrics. Towards to end of the series secondary hero "The Blader" is also introduced - playing up the tropes of a more traditional tokusatsu hero to hilarious effect. Inoue and his collaborators may be intent on making the weirdest superhero show they possibly can, but that certainly doesn't mean that they don't have real love for the genre. But as strange things may seem for the bulk of the show, that's nothing compared to how Changerion does choose to end. In what almost feels like an act of defiance towards its cancellation, Changerion's final few episodes are a whirlwind of sudden resolutions, alternate universe side stories and the blurring of the show as actual events and a work of fiction. It's truly surreal, and undoubtedly the height of the show's mad genius.
There's no denying however that at the very least the Changerion suit looks absolutely incredible. Using a variety of reflective and translucent materials, Changerion immediately stands out among the myriad of tokusatsu heroes whilst also fully conveying the "crystal power" from which his abilities are derived. If there was one thing that Toei set out to do that they successfully achieved with Changerion, it's this. However while the visuals of the suit may have worked exactly as they wanted, the sculpting and materials used also come with some pretty significant drawbacks. The Changerion suit is renowned for being one of the heaviest Toei have ever produced, clocking in at around 220lbs (99.8kg) for non-action scenes and then 132lbs (59.8kg) for action scenes. The suit was so heavy it supposedly could only be worn by stuntman Jiro Okamoto (a veteran suit actor who has worked across Kamen Rider, Super Sentai and Metal Heroes), and even he clearly had trouble with it. Calling Changerion's fight scenes unimpressive would be putting it mildly, as they largely consist of the hero just flailing about rather that any sort of specific choreography. Even his signature "Shining Attack" finisher seems to have been made with the limitations of the suit in mind, with Changerion just standing still as a CGI construct bursts from his chest and rips a hole through the enemy. It's fascinating how creating a strong visual identity for the hero seemed to be one of the key aspects going into the production of Changerion, but less thought was put into how that identity would translate into him being an actual superhero.
Toshiki Inoue is a writer that likes flawed characters and you can't get much more flawed that Akira Suzumura, who is just about the last person you'd want as Earth's best line of defence. Shallow, carefree and more interested in chasing the ladies than he is fighting Darkzeid, Akira rarely takes his duties seriously and this is something that doesn't change over the course of Changerion. Though he may be prone to moments of selflessness and ultimately is always there to help out those in need, Akira doesn't go through any sort of maturity or growth towards becoming a better person. And even when he is doing the right thing, that doesn't necessarily mean he's doing it for the right reasons. Such a character would usually be very difficult cheer on for a whole series, but there's just something inexplicably likeable about Akira and a lot of that comes down to Takashi Hagino's brilliant portrayal of the character. He does it with such charm that you can't help but find him endearing (much like the rest of the show's cast), and although his negative qualities (of which there are many) are hard to overlook - it gives Akira a realism that makes him a much more relatable character overall.
When we're first introduced to the show's supporting cast it may seem that they're exactly the kind of people to whip Akira into shape, but it's quickly apparent that just because they're a little more serious than Akira doesn't mean they're any smarter. In fact, Changerion is very much a series where the cast are usually sharing one braincell between them. Constantly butting heads with Akira is Hayami (portrayed by Kazunari Aizawa) - a strait-laced man who was initially chosen to be Changerion before Akira stole his thunder. But while Hayami likes to act like he has moral superiority over Akira, he's often just as dim-witted - leading the two to form quite the double act when it comes to solving cases. Their rivalry turned friendship is at the heart of the series, with their antics remaining at the forefront even when many of the other characters have fallen to the sidelines. Emi for example has one of the few side stories that actually has proper development, but often can't quite compete with Akira and Hayami's shenanigans. Similarly SAIDOC chief Munakata is fun with how he constantly seems to be forking out his own money to fund the group, but at a point seems to largely disappear from the series save for a few reappearances at toward the end. Outside of SAIDOC Akira is also assisted in his detective business by Akemi, who attempts to keep him in check whilst also developing a bit of a rivalry with Emi. Akemi is a really likeable character and ideal partner to Akira, so it's a bit of a shock when she suddenly departs as a series regular midway through. Her replacement Rui is likeable, but not quite as endearing. On top of that, she swiftly departs before the end of the series without a proper goodbye as well. Behind the scenes, much of the cast appearing and disappearing was due to scheduling adjustments and other commitments from the actors. But much like Akira, what the cast lack in development they more than make up for in personality and character dynamics. Forget Changerion himself, its the misadventures of these loveable idiots that keeps the show running.
The characters within Darkzeid, or at the very least the recurring members of Darkzeid, however is a lot less remarkable. At the beginning of the series we are introduced to their three leaders - Dark General Zander, Doctor Vinsu and Priest Modes. Of the three its only Zander that gets any sort of spotlight as a recurring character as well as a regular human form, taking the guise of a man named Kazuki Katayama. Zander is the driving force behind Darkzeid's plan to turn Earth into their new home world, and as a fairly competent and imposing character really sticks out amongst the show's loveable casts of idiots. Later another "big bad" Darkzeid is introduced in the form of Zapphire, who soon carries a vendetta against Akira after he spurns her stalker-like advances. But the true saving grace among Darkzeid, as well as perhaps Changerion's most compelling character, is Dark Knight Gauzer - also known by his human guise Shogo Kuroiwa. As well as being the aforementioned counsellor that helps Darkzeid citizens integrate into the human world, Shogo also rejects his leaders' ambitions and forges his own path - eventually finding his way into politics in a bid to rule himself. Though he sustains himself on the Larms of women that have fallen in love with him, he himself eventually falls in love with Eri - leading to a difficult relationship between the two that moves back and forth over a number of episodes. As nuanced as this make him seem though, he's still a Changerion character and thus just as prone to bouts of stupidity as the rest of them - constantly dropping un-verified facts about "first" in the world and conspiring with Akira's landlords to take him to Darkzeid court over his unpaid rent. Shogo/Gauzer is the perfect rival to Akira and villain for Changerion - a character dipped in the right levels of Inoue-brand intrigue and melodrama but also a strangely loveable weirdo that you surprisingly find yourself rooting for. As tends to be the case with episodic series the quality of the other Darkzeid can vary episode by episode, but if there's one thing they all have in common it's that the suit designs are absolutely incredible. As with Changerion himself, Toei went all out on the designs for this series - and with no distinct theme tying them all together it makes use of showing off a wild variety of creatures.
Changerion is also a particularly unique series in that merchandising and toy development for the series was also handled by Sega, not that you'd necessarily know Changerion had any toys to sell in the first place. Inoue's opinion on having toy advertisements get in the way of his storytelling is still visible in his later works, but at times Changerion feels so anti-sponsor that you almost have to admire it. The most the show ever feels prepared to focus on are Changerion's CD-powered weapons, and even that doesn't come with the same kind of pomp and grandeur one would expect from a show of this kind. However where the show really makes its stance clear is with the Super Light Knights - three robots built by SAIDOC to assist Changerion against Darkzeid. While the robots themselves all sport great designs and abilities (each able to transform into unique vehicles as well as combine together into one super-vehicle), the level of focus they actually have within the show itself is laughable. Despite being sentient there's no real attempt at ever making them characters in their own right or any sort of focus episodes, not only making their use within the series feel like an act of necessity rather than choice but also it incredibly easy to forget that they're even part of the show at times. This notion is further punctuated by the incredible stock miniature sequences used for their appearances, including both a launch sequence from the impressive Crystal Station base and the aforementioned vehicle combination. Spectacular as they both may be, they feel like such a juxtaposition to everything else Changerion has on offer that it almost seems like parody at times. Although there's no obvious evidence to support this claim, one can't help but feel that following Changerion Bandai were keen to keep Inoue (and his collaborators) under a much tighter leash than Sega ever did when working on Kamen Rider and Super Sentai.
For better or for worse, Choukou Senshi Changéríon is a series quite unlike any other - and it's exactly this reason that makes it almost essential viewing to any tokusatsu fan. While as a conventional Henshin Hero series it fails on nearly all the aspects one would consider a series needs to hit in order to be a success, it's a spectacular example of a creator flying in the face of expectation in order to make the show they want. An off the wall sitcom where super heroics almost play second fiddle to whatever weird situation the characters have gotten themselves into this week, its almost vehement anti-sponsor stance makes it feel like a breath of fresh air when compared to the shows of today. Though it has very little to offer in the way of story or character development, both the show and its characters are just so damn charming (not to mention weird) that you can't help but have a good time with it. Changerion is Toshiki Inoue at his most unhinged, and only you can really decide whether this is a good or bad thing.
I am not gonna lie - you sound like this show made you go through a drug trip.
ReplyDeleteBTW: will you be reviewing The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World anytime soon?
Drug trip is a pretty good way of describing it to be honest!
DeleteAnd yes I will - likely over the next couple of days. Needed to get out of my Changerion headspace before tackling something more traditional.
Loved that Changerion was referenced in Wing-Man
ReplyDelete