When the world faced total destruction by the Abyssal Calamity Cladis, the Super Sentai robots rose to do battle in a conflict known as the Universe War. At the brink of defeat, the godlike being Tega Sword appeared - with the giants offering him their powers. The Calamity was pushed back, and the powers were scatted across the cosmos as Sentai Rings.
In the present day, five outcasts are given the chance to change their lives when Tega Sword chooses them to become the Gozyugers and compete in the battle for the rings. They are Hoeru Tono (Gozyu Wolf), Rikuo Byakuya (Gozyu Leon), Ryugi Bakugami (Gozyu Tyranno), Kinjiro "Joji" Takehara (Gozyu Eagle) and Sumino Ichikawa (Gozyu Unicorn). For the ultimate prize of their wish granted, they must collect the Sentai Rings - defeating other rivals who use their powers to become Universe Warriors. However also vying for the rings are the No One World Bridan, artificial beings ruled by Queen Tega June. As the battle heats up, previous champion Mashiro Kumade also rejoins the battle as the sixth Gozyuger, Gozyu Polar. But there can only be one winner, and the threat of the Calamity still looms over them.
Even before getting into the added weight of being the last Super Sentai series for an undisclosed amount of time (a fact the production staff weren't even aware of initially, as interviews have revealed), being a 50th anniversary series comes with some level of expectation. The gold standard for Super Sentai has arguably always been Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, the 35th anniversary series which not only opened with all of the previous teams taking part in one giant battle, but also featured numerous cameos from past heroes. It was a huge anniversary the likes of which had never been seen before, but it's also important to recognise how significant the timing of Gokaiger was. Less that one month after it begun airing Japan was struck by the most powerful earthquake it had ever faced, which in turn triggered equally devastating tsunami waves. The tragedy altered the course of the series, with former actors requesting to reprise their roles to bring hope to children across Japan. In hindsight, it acting as a symbol of hope and resilience during this time is perhaps more significant than its status as the 35th anniversary series. However given how grand its scale was, it may have also created an unrealistic expectation of how future anniversaries would be celebrated in the minds of fans. 40th anniversary Zyuden Sentai Zyuohger was far more restrained in comparison, with its crossover elements largely reserved for movies and specials. 45th anniversary series Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger went bigger, with the story directly tied into the Super Sentai multi-verse as well as past powers returning as a series gimmick. Neither series tried to go bigger than Gokaiger, instead celebrating their respective anniversaries in their own unique way. And the same can be said for No. 1 Sentai Gozyuger. Though a much bigger celebration in terms of milestone, Gozyuger again celebrates the spirit of Super Sentai in its own way - using its legacy and iconography to tell its own unique story without relying on past heroes. And while it might not be perfect, in the grand scheme of the franchise it's much richer for it.
That all said, Gozyuger isn't exactly shy about drawing its own comparisons right from the very beginning. The series opens up with the aftermath of the "Universe War", a giant battle in which the main robots from the previous 48 Super Sentai series fought a colossal threat the likes of which they'd never seen before. In order to defeat the evil, their powers were scattered across the world as trinkets for the newest team to collect. In essence it's just a giant robot version of Gokaiger's own Legendary War, and the sight of Tega Sword standing victorious atop a pile of defeated robots certainly sets the tone for a series that feels like it has the fate of all Super Sentai at stake. But whereas the sacrifice of the Legendary War guided the whole story of Gokaiger, the Universe War is largely just a scene setter for Gozyuger. Though the event explains both the creation of Tega Sword and the Sentai Rings, overall its consequences are much less felt. Super Sentai continuity can be messy at the best of times, with it constantly fluctuating between a shared universe and a multi-verse depending on what the story demands - and sometimes it might not even demand it at all. Gozyuger is another example of it asking fans not to focus too much on the finer details, with the series set entirely within an alternate universe and the previous powers effectively alternate versions of the real ones. Whether the "real" Sentai robots were involved isn't really clear (however the forthcoming Gozyuger vs. Boonboomger movie may clarify things), and this whole aspect to the series is further muddied by talk of universe resets and previous Battles for the Rings. It works in a broad sense, but doesn't hold up much to scrutiny if you try to apply previous series logic to it. So it's best just to go along with it, because if there's one thing Gozyuger does most is play by its own rules.
As far as alternatives to featuring past Sentai heroes in the flesh, the Battle for the Rings is actually a pretty cool concept. Alternate universe versions allow the series to both experiment and play with the viewers’ expectations, which Gozyuger does right off the bat by having Haruchi Iuchi (Taiya Hando/Bun Red in Boonboomger) transform in the Universe Warrior version of Kuwagata Ohger. From there the show treats viewers to some rather unorthodox reinterpretations of these heroes, such as Don Momotaro as the Prime Minister of Japan, Gao Red as an animal protection officer, Red Racer as a maid and even a gyaru Shinken Red. In turn cameos are much more varied and not wholly based on Sentai alumni, with the likes of Yuchi Nakamura (Yuto Sakurai/Kamen Rider Zeronos in Kamen Rider Den-O), Ryusei Konishi (Kouga Saejima in GARO), Tomokazu Seki (Domon Kassu in G-Gundam, Gokaiger’s Mobirates and occasional voice of Akarenger) and even veteran suit actor Seiji Takaiwa joining the likes of Iuchi and Ryoma Baba (Ryuji Iwasaki/Blue Buster in Go-Busters) as new characters. Not every Universe Warrior is necessarily a cameo though, with the series (and movie Resurrection of Tega Sword to an even greater extent) playing into the idea that anyone can be a ranger – which is a lovely sentiment for the 50th anniversary/“final” series. Of course, all of this also makes it all the more impactful when an actual Sentai alumni appears as the final ring bearer, with Kakuranger’s Sasuke returning as the Universe Warrior Ninja Red. Despite perhaps not being the most obvious choice, Teruaki Ogawa’s love for the character really shines through and it’s great to see him again off the back of the show’s 30th anniversary special. The Universe Warrior versions are also a fun variant to the real costumes, changing them up slightly with Gozyuger belt buckles and alternate versions of the team’s own changer/weapon. The Gozyugers can also use the rings to change into the past rangers themselves too, which while a nice feature for an anniversary series does feel a bit overdone by this point - particularly with Donbrothers still in recent memory. Most significantly of all though the Battle for the Rings brings with it Gozyuger’s biggest shake-up to the traditional Super Sentai dynamic – there can only be one winner. Though their shared experience and eventual friendship allows the Gozyugers to develop into a team, as far as this aspect of the series is concerned they’re also opponents – eventually battling one another in pursuit of their wishes.
There's enough to it that a Sentai vs Sentai battle royale could have easily just been the entire premise of Gozyuger, but the series dispels any notion of it being comprised of conventional fights almost immediately. Instead they happen through "No.1 Battles" - head-to-head competitions each focusing on something different. These range from straightforward ideas like treasure hunting or mystery solving, to more obscure ideas like a "Tokimeki" love simulation or who can cook the most delicious Chinese style fried rice. Whereas initially the No.1 Battles are introduced as a method for the Bridan to prove their superiority over humans and collect the rings, the more extensive Universe Warrior battles (i.e. the ones that don't happen offscreen or via quick flashbacks) are done in this manner as well. While of course the episodes usually result in traditional Super Sentai style action, the sheer variety of them means you never know quite what you're going to get next from the show. One early example sees Gozyugers challenged to who can live in a lifestyle most suited to the Showa era, complete with a surprise cameo from Kaiketsu Zubat. It continues the trend of more recent Sentai series more experimental, albeit in a far more light-hearted and irreverent way. The trouble is, Gozyuger isn't all just for laughs - in fact it has a lot of moving parts that are constantly battling each other for the spotlight. Even though No.1 monsters are created by latching onto human desires and possessing them from within, this victim-of-the-week rarely has any room to breathe on top No.1 Battles with both the monsters and Universe Warriors. Finally there's a third aspect to the overall story as well, with the remnants of the Calamity resurfacing every so often to remind the audience there's also a bigger threat at hand as well. Between all of this and the individual story arcs of the characters themselves, it's a No.1 Battle at all times to determine where the focus should be. The Calamity aspects are undoubtedly the biggest victim in all of this, largely serving to remind you of a bigger off-screen conflict than bring higher stakes to a show that didn't really need them anyway. There's a lot of stop and start storytelling, with something big happening only to be quickly usurped by the next big plot point. This is something Gozyuger feels guilty of even before getting into its production issues, which only further fuelled things not really going anywhere or being hastily resolved off-screen.
But as previously suggested, Gozyuger has a lot going on with its characters. With each of the team coming to the Ring Battle with their own wish and circumstances, they all have their own story arcs of varying impact. Hoeru aimlessly wanders through life as a "lone wolf", working his way through various part-time jobs as he tries to find a place that he belongs. While his is very much a "friends we made along the way" story, he's a strong presence and his desire to change from a brash loner into a more polite person who values his friends is felt across the course of the series. There's also a strong element of tragedy to him, forgotten by his parents after being trapped in No One World throughout his childhood. This plays a lot into his backstory early on in the story, particularly when his brother returns on the side of the Bridan. But perhaps even more well developed over the course of the series is Rikuo, the former super idol who joins the battle to reclaim the number one spot. He's likeable, charismatic and sees it as part of his duty to help others. His story arc directly ties into numerous other facets of the series, giving him a broad scope for character growth as well as interesting dynamics with those intertwined with it. While he might not feature quite as much focus as Hoeru in terms of overall screentime, he often stands out as being the most involved character in the story.
Comparatively the other two male members of the core team aren't quite as rich in terms of story, but quickly make a good impression by establishing themselves as the fun members of the team. Ryugi is a self-professed disciple of Tega Sword, rejecting his heritage as the heir to the Bakugami family in order to spread his word. His devotion to Tega Sword both provides plenty of laughs and a constant for the team, with his crisis of confidence midway through the series adding some interesting drama as well as a surprising team shake-up for a handful of episodes. His wish itself is vague though, and doesn't add quite the same level of motivation as it does some of the other members of the team. The same can also be said of Kinjiro, who's wish of becoming the "number one party person" is so vague that even he struggles to define it. The idea behind the character, an elderly man (Joji) who has rejuvenated into a highschooler (Kinjiro) following his wife's death, is a really interesting one but unfortunately the show doesn't capitalise on quite as much as it should. While the end point to his story is very poignant and proves there's more to him than just being the team's funny man, it's a shame this isn't sprinkled more throughout the series instead of coming right at its conclusion.
However then we come onto Sumino, the character at the centre of most conversations about Gozyuger. The only woman on the team, Sumino's story is arguably the one with the greatest stakes - her younger sister went missing eight years prior, with the police's inability to find the culprit taking a toll on her mental state. Fired from her own job as a police officer after taking matters into her own hands, she now works as a freelance "high-class detective" and joins the Battle for the Rings in an attempt to find her. Throughout the first two thirds of the show hers is the most engaging of the individual story arcs, not only eventually reuniting her with her sister but also complicating her relationship with Rikuo when the culprit is revealed to be his estranged best friend Rei. However everything changed in November 2025 when actress Maya Imamori had her contract terminated by her agency Seju after being caught drinking underage. Two months prior Imamori was the subject of rumour by tabloid news magazine Bunshun, who alleged that she was having an affair with Gozyu Wolf suit actor Kosuke Asai - though whether this had anything to do with the latter incident is unknown (the rumour itself was unsubstantiated), as it was officially only the underage drinking that led to her dismissal. Imamori was removed from the show effective immediately, to the extent that her likeness and show credit were removed from all official sources. While there has been and will continue to be much debate around the severity of the punishment and the strict nature of Japan's entertainment industry, these are simply the facts that have been made public. Imamori apologised for her actions via an Instagram post, but her time on the show was over - and the course of Gozyuger was drastically altered.
Just how much sway Toei as a company had in the events is another point of discussion (though given the way the industry works in Japan it was likely very little), but there's no denying that the series' production staff at least tried to carry on as best they could. But production of the series itself wasn't postponed, so the only option left was to hastily edit any appearance of Sumino out of the remaining episodes. This first occurs in episode 37, with any out of suit shots of her removed entirely and the little in-suit footage remaining dubbed over by another actress. The following episode, which would have been Sumino-focused, was cut from the show entirely - with any usable footage repurposed into the follow two. Episode 40 saw the return of Sumino with a new actress - Kohaku Shida, who previously portrayed Haruka/Oni Sister in Donbrothers. To her credit Shida does the best she can with what she had to work with, but by this point the damage was done and any further development for the character was effectively jettisoned. Gozyuger's production was largely complete by the time of Imamori's dismissal, meaning that Shida's version of Sumino was predominantly added to the show via hastily added scenes. This is particularly evident in the finale, where she's not only green-screened in but also excluded from the big helmetless group shot. Whether it's the best of a bad situation or an insult to Imamori depends on the viewer, but the controversy and the events surrounding it may prove to be just as much the show's lasting legacy as it's status as the 50th anniversary and "last" Super Sentai series.
Rounding off the team is its sixth member Mashiro, who enters the show talking a big game but is perhaps the most forgettable of them. The premise of him being the former Gozyu Red and champion of the previous Battle for the Rings is certainly interesting, as are the events following his victory and how he returns. But outside of the premise itself there isn't really much to the character outside a smug sense of superiority and a desire to become a true god. It doesn't help that so much of his character is either tied to events that preceded Gozyuger, or other characters that have a more interesting place in the story. That said, Mashiro is set to be the main focus of No.1 Sentai Gozyuger: Polar Beginning in April 2026 - a web special that looks back on his involvement and previous relationship with Tega Sword during the Universe War. While it may not fix any issues he had within the story itself, some extra focus on him during this time will definitely benefit the character overall.
But as if there wasn't enough going on with the heroes in this series, Gozyuger also tries to do a lot with its villains as well. Each of the Bridan also have their own spotlight over the course of the series, though much like the Gozyugers themselves some are more developed than others. Rather surprisingly attack force leader Fire Candle comes out as perhaps the most well-developed character in the entire series, with his aimless quest for strength proving a good foil to Hoeru's journey and the pair developing a strong rivalry. That said Hoeru's attention also faces competition from his brother Hisamitsu, who discards that name to become Kuon/Ring Hunter Garyudo. As well as the show's evil-pseudo ranger, Kuon is also the closest thing it has to a genuinely irredeemable villain - his ruthless, manipulative and narcissistic personality making him enjoyable to watch but his eventual resolution much harder to swallow. Bouquet's is another story that extends the duration of the series, remaining blissfully unaware that the idol she's devoted herself to also happens to be Gozyu Leon. Sadly whilst two-in-one being Mr Shining Knife and Mrs Sweet Cake had the potential to be the most interesting of the Bridan, both their backstory and the surprise twist surrounding them is over and with in just a few episodes. The same can also be said of their leader Tega June, an artificially created Tega Sword who wishes to recreate the world in her own image. Despite being apathetic towards humanity, she shows consideration towards her subordinates and develops emotions over the course of the series. Her origin is tinged with tragedy, but again these revelations feel thrown in right at the last second and thus don't have as strong an impact. Gozyuger is very much in the business of painting its villains as flawed characters rather than outright evil, and while it doesn't always work it does make them that much more interesting. The Calamity, who are more traditional villains at least in that sense, don't even compare.
Visually the show remains relatively consistent throughout, with a calibre of suit designs and action sequences you'd expect of an anniversary productions. There's plenty to highlight the Gozyugers both as a team and as individual members, and combined with all the various motifs and powers from 50 years of Super Sentai means there's plenty of scope for flashy effects and fight choreography. The same can be said of the monsters, but sadly the Imamori scandal wasn't the only controversy Gozyuger faced. Early on into the series monster designer Tamotsu Shinohara (who has worked on designs for the franchise as early as 1989's Turboranger) revealed that he had generative AI to come up with the concepts for the No.1 monsters, using concepts it came up to base the designs on rather than outright copying them. In one respect this makes sense for a show where the monsters are actually created by an artificial intelligence, however the backlash to his tweet was presumably enough for him to remove it, apologise and subsequently step down from the show. Whilst nowhere near as severe as the case of Imamori, it is another notable example of Gozyuger's various troubles.
Gozyuger features a similar level of format experimentation as seen in a lot of Super Sentai's more recent entries, most notably through the way it treats its team as five individuals brought together through circumstance rather than an initially unified force. However a lot of that experimenting can also been seen in the way it treats the mecha - not just in how the series treats them all as actual characters but also the way they're used for the action scenes. Straight away it stands out from a commercial standpoint by making the main robot (Tega Sword) also the changer for the series, combining what would usually be two popular sellers into one toy. The play pattern for the series is very different too, with much less focus on big combining robots and instead giving each Gozyuger their own unique Tega Sword form. This means the robot fights play out quite differently within the show, featuring only one or two characters at a time rather than making them a team effort. Another unique aspect is that the Gozyugers pilot Tega Sword (or in Gozyu Polar's case, GoodeBurn) untransformed, which while only a small change feels like a huge departure from the show's usual iconography. However being the 50th anniversary series there are also plenty of cameo appearances from past robots as part of the Universe Warrior aspect, and its wonderful to see Tega Sword working alongside the likes of Daizyujin, Gao King and Muteki Shogun. Daizyujin especially gets a lot of respect placed upon him, with not only a black and gold version (something that's been seen across several Zyuranger and Power Rangers toys) legitimised onscreen after all these years but also a new combination with components of other Super Sentai robos - undoubtedly a last ditch effort to advertise the DX Robo Universe toy line launched during Boonboomger.
Finally even after all of this, Gozyuger still has one last surprise up it's sleeve, and it's up there one of the most heart-warming things the franchise has ever done. Over the course of the series Toei ran the "We're Looking For Your Ideas for the Super Sentai Reds!" competition, inviting children to design their own characters and the winner being featured in a later episode. The winner was Origa Red of Original Sentai Origaranger - an origami-themed hero designed by a 10-year-old boy named Luca. As promised the character appears in episode 44 of the series with a suit almost identical to Luca's drawing, challenging Gozyu Red in a bid to become the "true Red Ranger". The episode is a highlight of the series even in its darkest period, with Origa Red a brilliantly conceived character that you not only want to see more of but genuinely believe could lead his own show if given the chance. The competition was a wonderful opportunity for the franchise to give something back to the fans that have supported it over the years, and instils the hope that when Super Sentai eventually returns one day there will be a whole new generation of creatives out there ready to revive it.
In a perfect world No.1 Sentai Gozyuger would be a fun but flawed series, where its biggest issue is that it simply had too many ideas and was crushed under the weight of trying to do them all justice. But instead it's a show that will no doubt be remembered just as much for its controversies, making it a less than ideal 50th anniversary celebration and a rather unfortunate note for the franchise to end on. Between its variety of ideas and ability to give nearly all its characters some sort of story arc there is plenty to like about Gozyuger, but even if you are able to shake off its demons its missed opportunities are hard to ignore. While not the series that many had hoped for, when it's at its best it still embodies that Super Sentai spirit that'll be sorely missed whilst the franchise is on hiatus.
Until next time, heroes...
2 comments:
Damn, were The Calamity THAT forgettable for you that you haven't gone into detail on their members?
Honestly, I think they were all glorified MOTWs. Rei's story could have worked without Bellum, Vidal was overshadowed by Origa Red and Ninja Red being the more interesting part of those episodes and Lex was barely in it.
If anything Pestis was the only one worth remembering and he wasn't even in the main show!
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