#don robotaro

[toacody]

LEGO Don Robotaro

Don Robotaro! Hey yo! Sekai-ichi!

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Creator: demon14082000

[reversemoon255]

Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Series Review

Before going into the series proper, I want to quickly cover the Don Onitaijin Expansion Set. The new hips have a lot more posability, but only the hips; Don Robotaro has nothing else. I like the new hands, and I think the fan and chair are cool for display purposes, but the backdrop is just a cardboard screen; I really wish it had some small plastic clips for the edges to keep it at a good angle and weighed down. And the new hips don’t have the C-clips on the back, so you can’t put the shield there for Kiwamii, but you can form it otherwise. Overall, it’s neat, but probably not worth it, and if you really want to experience the hips, I’d suggest getting the Murasame version. Hard to go wrong with black and gold. Now, onto the show!

The Good: I think we could all tell from the first poster that this was going to be a very crazy series in many ways. Rather than having a plot, it runs a series of subplots, with almost every character having one that is slowly touched upon and wrapped up by the end of the show. They ranged in exposure and importance, but they did reward you for watching every episode.

There were so many characters... Tarou took to typical complaints you hear about Red Rangers and turned them on their head. He’s a total chosen one, perfect at everything, and higher than thou, but everyone hates him for it. He’s so perfect it’s annoying, and while everyone eventually warms up to him, his personality does rub people the wrong way through most of the show. It’s a great and hilarious interpretation of those tropes.

Before the series was fully announced, and knowing that the X1s and X6s are usually the oddballs, I was thinking this would be the perfect time for a female Red Ranger, and while of course that didn’t happen, we did end up getting a female lead O_O Haruka was pretty interesting, with her subplot revolving around being accused of plagiarism. And since she had the most internal monologues, a lot of screen time, and opened and closed the season, you could consider her the main character. While her subplot ended very abruptly, it also ended in a totally extreme and insane way befitting this series.

Saruhara didn’t have a subplot, but he was very involved in other characters’. He was a very unique character, but I really don’t have much to say about him apart from that?

I was totally expecting Inuzuka and Kijino to come to blows and kill each other over Natsumi early on and get replaced by people in normal costumes. Didn’t happen, happy it didn’t, and I do actually appreciate how weird their designs are and that they stuck with them for the entire show. Inuzuka and Kijino had parallel and intersecting subplots involving them being in love with a woman and her monster clone. I’m actually pretty happy with how this series of subplots ended. Yes, Inuzuka didn’t end up with Natsuki, but I feel like this was probably the happiest ending these characters could have gotten, with both of them ending up with someone who cares about them, even if it isn’t the person they started the series with.

Jiro’s an odd duck. He’s pretty important for the first 10 or so episodes after he shows up, then he just kinda shows up during fight scenes until the end of the show when he suddenly becomes relevant again. He is an interesting character, having two personalities with separate transformations, it’s mostly his later revelations feel unearned, like that may not have been his original direction.

Sonoi is one of my favorite types of comedic characters. The serious, stoic character that does silly things that don’t match his character. He might be my favorite character from the show. His subplot was growing to love humans and his weird semi-romance with Tarou (which I describe that way, but I ate it up).

Sononi had one of the best and most nuanced character evolutions across the show, slowly going from a somewhat vain character that doesn’t understand love, to totally love struck, but in a very believable way. Her subplot was tied into Inuzuka’s, and I’m happy they did end up together. Even if Inuzuka did love Natsuki, hearing her catchphrase again at the end of the show, “I bet you say that to all the girls,” really redefines their relationship we see through flashback. He was very faithful, but she never expected him to be, while Sononi saw and respected that commitment, eventually wanting it for herself, but not wanting it enough to ruin the relationship he already had. A+ character.

In comparison to the other two, Sonoza doesn’t have as much going on. A decent comedy character that paired well with Haruka. He was a complementary player in Haruka’s story and development, but didn’t have a lot going on by himself.

Don Murasame isn’t really a character. He’s like if Zubaan could talk. I like him, he’s cool, but they didn’t really do a lot with him apart from be rebellious on occasion. I do like that he stood with the team in the finale.

And last we have the returning Kaito. No idea why he returned, but he was a nice addition that added an air of (unanswered) mystery. I really hope we learn what his whole deal is in the V-Cinema crossover with Zenkaiger.

The Bad: The show isn’t without its issues. The series has an issue of hyper fixating on a specific subplot or a character to the detriment of other aspects of the show. As I mentioned, Jiro and Murasame were two characters who were hurt by this focus, having a decent amount of buildup when they first appeared, but fell off shortly after. There were also a few minor elements to were left to the wayside, like Tarou, Jiro, and Murasame’s ability to turn into tiny avatars, or the team’s ability to turn into other Sentai members.

The ending also comes out of nowhere. It feels like the sealing of the Bestial Forest was supposed to be the series’ climax, but they had so much they needed to wrap up afterward that it killed the momentum. This is coupled by the fact that, the longer the series went on, the more it feels like a slice-of-life comedy rather than a Sentai series. Like, the characters in this series are great, but without the typical dynamic ending Sentai is known for, it feels like the ending was a bit of a fizzle.

There was also a lot of unanswered world building. The Anoni lose a lot of importance and screen time as the series goes on, we don’t learn a lot about the Cerebrans, or the weird digital doors, or who Mother is, or what’s up with Kaito being there. There’re a lot of unanswered questions.

Overall, it’s a good season, with very strong characters, but fumbles some of the more Sentai elements of the show. As for my toy recommendations for this year, I would suggest Black Onitaijin Murasame since it’s a single purchase with the improved hips (and a great color scheme), and pick up either or both Toradragonjin and Palanquin Phoenix if they suit your fancy.

[t-u-i-t-c]

Don Robotaro Debut