Special REVIEW: Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Formation Lap: Settlers of the Galaxy

Once upon a time a big multi-series Super Sentai crossover could be considered a special occasion, but with the arrival of Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club it seems more like an everyday occurrence. Nevertheless it's always fun to see which franchise alumni come back for these streaming service specials, and Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Formation Lap: Settlers of the Galaxy offers quite the cast list. As well as serving as a prequel to Bun Violet and Byun Diesel's arrival in Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger, the one-off special also features returning cast members from Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger, Avataro Sentai Donbrothers, Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger, Uchu Sentai Kyuranger AND Engine Sentai Go-Onger. Just another day in this wild and wonderful multiverse we call Super Sentai.

Shortly before Sakito Homura and Byun Diesel arrived on Earth and crossed paths with the Boonboomgers, the settler duo are searching for the planet Reflector whilst on a job for the Hashiriyans. After learning of its location from Shou Ronpo and Tsurugi Otori, the pair travel there and meet Ajiro - a man who also appears to be from Earth.

Sakito explains they have come to the planet in search of the legendary sword, and pairs off with Ajiro to find it. Meanwhile Byun D encounters Zox and Flint Goldtsuiker, who are on the hunt for a thief disguised as an Earthling. As Sakito approaches the legendary sword, Ajiro's true identity is revealed - stealing the sword and fleeing to Earth. Sakito gives chase, teaming up with past Super Sentai legends as he returns home for the very first time.

Before even getting into the plot itself, Settlers of the Galaxy takes the interesting approach of being narrated like a storybook - told by none other than the great storyteller himself, Jeramie Brasieri. On a surface level its simply a clever way to bring a popular King-Ohger character into a special where they otherwise wouldn't fit, but as it turns out it's also a really clever framing device that could easily work in future Super Sentai specials as well. With Jeramie there to pause the action and briefly explain the returning characters, it makes the special more accessible to fans who might not have been watching at the time of their respective series, and the idea of him becoming the grand storyteller of the franchise (even if its just in an unofficial capacity) fits the character perfectly. Of course it all depends on how often Masashi Ikeda is prepared to keep coming back for the role, but while he appears to be having so much fun with it why not use him as much as Toei possibly can?

The fact that Jeramie appears onscreen before even the title characters gives a good indication that cameos are a big priority in this special, and for the most part Settlers of the Galaxy does a good job of choosing its characters wisely and have them make sense for the story (even if they are loosely connected by the tenuous link of mostly purple, gold or silver rangers). Another connection that a lot of the characters share is that their respective series each take place in (or at least feature) parallel universes and/or the means to travel between them - the walls between which seem to have completely broken down for these TTFC specials. Kyuranger's Tsurugi for example seems to have become a go-to character for anything space-related, thanks to his post-series position as president of the Space Federation. But while characters like Tsurugi, Shou, Zox and Flint may be obvious choices for a space-hopping adventure like this, others like Donbrothers' Jiro Momotani and Go-Onger's Hiroto and Mia Suto are more surprising. Although their roles are more of the "show up and fight" kind than being more ingrained in the actual story, it's still great to see them all back and the dynamic between them all works really well.

The downside to this is that the Boonboomger elements aren't quite front and centre as they perhaps should be. It's commendable that it makes the effort around fit around Sakito and Byun D's first appearance (going so far to even include highway space preview), but it does feel odd that a story so centred around the Hashiriyans doesn't actually feature any Hashiriyans. That said, even the slightest fleshing out of their conquest of Bureki is appreciated - the series itself only really using it to drive Genba's character and not much else in the way of depth or even resolution. Finally it makes Sakito and Byun D's arrival on Earth more coincidental than anything else (as all they're really doing here is completing their job), which isn't bad per se but does feel a little underwhelming considering everything that takes place following this. Everything here technically works, it just (in typical TTFC special style really) doesn't feel as crucial to the overall of Boonboomger as it could have been.

It is however nice to see more of how Sakito and Byun D were prior to their arrival on Earth, particularly with Sakito having a more carefree and arguably colder demeanour. This is a Sakito that's a lot less caring than he comes to be over the course of Boonboomger, or at the very least one that's far more impulsive and doesn't care about the consequences of his actions. Something that makes his partnership with Byun Diesel all the more important, who repeatedly acts as his moral compass of sorts. Settlers of the Galaxy is a story that sees Sakito doing the right thing for the wrong reasons, which is a interesting counterpoint to new character Ajiro - a Burekian refugee doing the wrong thing for the right reasons. Although there isn't really the running time to fully flesh out Ajiro as a character, the juxtaposition between the two characters and their viewpoints makes for a good dynamic - as well as foreshadowing the evolution Sakito would go through in the series itself.

But above all else, the best thing about Settlers of the Galaxy is simply that it's a lot of fun to watch. Super Sentai has really gotten into the groove of using select character cameos now, and moments like watching all the veteran rangers explain to Byun Violet that he has to come up with a flashy roll call are worth the admission alone. Jiro's inclusion in the story is a good excuse to throw even more suit cameos into the mix as well, with appearances from the likes of Magi Shine, Gao Silver and Geki Violet thanks to the use of the Avatar Change gimmicks. Beyond the more obvious cameos too you have Dai Goto (Kamen Rider Geats' Daichi Isuzu/Nadge-Sparrow) appearing as Ajiro, as well as more blink-and-you'll-miss-it moments like Byun Diesel doing Zenkaiser's little running pose to Zox because the pair share the same suit actor (Masashi Takada). While TTFC specials like this may have the potential to fix or flesh out some of the weaker aspects of their respective series, ultimately the main thing they're meant to offer is entertainment - and Settlers of the Galaxy certainly does that.

Even if it does sometimes feel like a triumph of fan service over functionality, Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Formation Lap: Settlers of the Galaxy still remains one of the better offerings in the ever-growing collection of Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club specials. Despite not delving into some of the Boonboomger elements quite as much as it should it's a fun take on Sakito and Byun D's early days, with some clever cameos that continue to make the web of Super Sentai that little bit tighter. Together with a clever framing device that should definitely be carried over into future specials, it nicely continues the Boonboomger legacy of having more crossovers than you'd have ever expected from it.