Special REVIEW: Dogengers: A Day of Ohgaman

When it first started all the way back in 2020 Dogengers could have easily been a "one and done" novelty. But this hilarious look at the lives of Fukuoka's local heroes (and villains) has since endured over multiple series and specials, which just goes to show how beloved these characters are. And arguably one of the most beloved of them all is Ohgaman - the hero of Ohga Pharmacy created to tackle the "leftover medicine issue" caused by people not taking their medicine. Sandwiched between the release of 2023's Dogengers Metropolis and fifth series Shin Dogengers the following year was one-off special A Day of Ohgaman - taking a special look into the daily life of this very special hero.

Of all the weird and wonderful heroes that protect Fukuoka, Ohgaman is particularly respected. Join the local hero of Ohga Pharmacy as he goes about his daily life, balancing his superhero duties alongside his every day job as a pharmaceutical representative and responsibilities as a father and family man.

Of course even at his day job the Secret Society of Darkness isn't too far away, as a sick Yabai Kamen enlists the help of two Karamie to ruin his day. But it's just all in a day's work for Ohgaman, with this special look into his life highlighting just why he's considered the strongest hero.

There have been many heroes that have joined the cast of Dogengers over the years, but even as the cast gets bigger and bigger Ohgaman has been the one member that continues to stand out. Partly because of the way he's revered in the series by both hero and villain alike as the strongest hero, but outside of that there's just the fact that he's exceptionally cool. Despite having only been around since 2019, him being audibly older than the rest of the heroes gives him that veteran hero vibe, something that's also felt whenever he's on the battlefield. And of course, "Take your medicine, and sleep" is a catchphrase that goes exceedingly hard for a pharmaceutical mascot. So going into A Day of Ohgaman there's already a certain aura surrounding the character, and with Dogengers giving very little about their personal lives away within the series itself (so much so that it's sometimes easy to forget that they have secret identities beyond their superhero personas), with the special offering a chance to connect with the character in a more intimate setting whilst also retaining that distinct brand of Dogengers humour.

Dogengers has already done a great job at educating superhero fans outside of Japan about the role of local heroes, as well as how these mascot characters can go beyond just being cynical advertisements for brands/places/etc. A Day of Ohgaman may take an overtly humorous look at Ohgaman's pharmaceutical duties as he inspects stock, negotiates business deals and sits at his desk fully-transformed, but it also has moments like him teaching preschoolers about the importance of proper hygiene and taking the right dose of medicine. In amongst all the comedy it's quite easy to forget that things like this are often the real purpose of local heroes, so even seeing it done in an exaggerated way helps give you a further appreciation for them. Ohgaman takes his job very seriously, to the point when even in battle he's not above teaching his enemies how to live healthy lives.

The special also offers a slightly more in-depth look at Ohgaman beyond the mask, though is still very careful to maintain a sense of mystery about him. While in reality we may know what Ohgaman is in fact Ohga Pharmacy CEO Takahiro Ohga, onscreen his true identity is wisely kept in shadow - seeing his transformation sequence alone feeling like far more than we usually see of him. But despite being such an enigmatic figure, deep down he's just a big softie who loves spending time with his family. The photos of him and his family (complete with Ohgaman head pasted over his real one) are hilarious as it is, but seeing him looking forward to spending time with them and then doing so in the final scenes are genuinely adorable as well.

With most of the half-hour special centred around Ohgaman the cast here is kept quite small, which feels like quite a departure for an ensemble series where the cast is getting bigger and bigger with each iteration. But even while Ohgaman is fully entrenched in the world of the pharmaceutical business the battle between good and evil never stops, with Yabai Kamen on hand as always to bring the chaos. After a great opening battle which also serves to show off Ohgaman's fighting skills, Yabai Kamen takes a bit of a backseat as he falls in and leaves the grunt work to his minions. It's a fun little parallel to see Yabai Kamen do the very thing Ohgaman is here to fight against, which is people not taking their full dose of medicine which in turn leads the "pharmaceutical waste problem". Ohgaman's interactions with the Karmie over the course of the special are a lot of fun too, with them jumping him at the most inappropriate times whilst he also ensures that they are keeping well at all times. Even in the middle of a fist fight, Ohgaman always makes time to be educational as well.

The climax of the special sees the rest of the Dogengers cast join in on the action, with Ohgaman coming their rescue as Yabai Kamen quite literally appears to ruin their picnic. As great as it is to have a special that focus on one particular member of the cast it's always wonderful to see the gang together in all their wonderfully dysfunctional glory. And for a show that might not necessarily be about superheroes in the conventional sense, Dogengers repeatedly shows off that it knows how to pull off an action sequence. Combining flashy effects with fun fight choreography and those all those wonderfully designed suits, Dogengers consistently has the same visual appeal as any other tokusatsu superhero show even if the content and humour relies more on the dialogue itself.

Everyone with even a passing interest in Japanese superheroes owe it themselves to watch something Dogengers-related. Local heroes are a unique facet to the phenomenon that it's wonderful that there's something like this where fans both inside and outside of Japan can learn about these characters without necessarily being up close and personal with the things they represent. Dogengers: A Day of Ohgaman is a short but sweet special that expands upon this, balancing an exaggerated look at the day to day life of a local hero with some genuinely sweet moments. If you didn't love Ohgaman already, then this will definitely do the trick.