Himitsu Sentai Gorenger

is a Japanese ''tokusatsu'' superhero television series. ''Gorenger'', created by Shotaro Ishinomori, was the first in the long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries of ''tokusatsu'' programming. The series aired on NET (now TV Asahi) from April 5, 1975, to March 26, 1977, and was itself replaced by ''J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai'' after 84 episodes. Toei distributes the series internationally under the title ''Five Rangers''. The series was released in the Philippines under the title ''Star Rangers''.

Plot

When world peace is threatened by the emergence of a terrorist group called the Black Cross Army, EAGLE (The Earth Guard League) is formed to combat the threat. The Black Cross Army sends five operatives to destroy each EAGLE branch in Japan, killing all but five members. These surviving members are summoned to a secret base located underneath the snack shop "Gon", where they are recruited by EAGLE Japan's commander, Gonpachi Edogawa. They become the Himitsu Sentai Gorengers and are given electronic battlesuits that endow them with superhuman strength and speed. The five dedicate themselves to stopping the Black Cross Army and its leader, the Black Cross Führer.

Characters

Gorengers

* : The 24-year-old younger brother of the Kantō EAGLE base captain, Tsuyoshi and his teammates were playing soccer when the Black Cross Army launched the attack that killed his brother. Tsuyoshi is trained in combat planning and strategy. As the red-colored , he is the team leader and coordinates group attacks such as the or . He wields the , a multipurpose whip that can transform into other weapons such as the or the . He also carries the tranquilizer gun. Tsuyoshi appeared in the final episode of ''Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger'', receiving his powers back in the form of the Akarenger Key as the Gokaigers left Earth.
* : 25-years-old and the oldest member of the Gorenger team. Akira was training in the snowy region of Tōhoku when the Black Cross Army attacked. He is a marksmanship instructor, skilled in archery and piloting. He wants to become a racing driver. As the blue-colored , he is the second-in-command. He pilots the Variblune, and later the Varidorin. He wields the , and later the , a bow that can fire specially designed arrows known as Blue Arrows and Blue Arrow Rockets.
* : The yellow-colored member of the Gorengers who wields the , a polearm whose head can be outfitted with various attachments such as a punching fist, and the , a radio that can jam electronic circuitry. The moniker of Kirenger was used by its original user and his temporary successor.
** (1–54 & 67–84): 23-years-old. Called Dai-chan by Akira, Peggy, and Yoko, Daita is a jovial engineering recruit at EAGLE's Kyushu branch who was training with his comrades when the Black Cross Army attacked. Adept in mechanics and mathematics, he has difficulty solving simple word puzzles and riddles. As a judo champion, Daita is physically strong. Daita was later promoted to Chief of EAGLE's Kyushu branch but soon returned to active duty with the Gorengers after his replacement is killed by the Black Cross Army.
** (55–67): After Daita became the commander of the Kyushu branch for a time, Daigoro replaced him. Daigoro was killed by a flying blade from Can Opener Mask.
* : 18-years-old. Peggy worked at EAGLE's Hokkaido branch as a chemical analyst and weapons engineer specializing in explosives. Fashion-conscious, Peggy often wears go-go boots and short hip-hugging hot pants. As the pink-colored , she wields the , a jamming device that can confuse and confound her opponents. She also carries the throwing shuriken and the high impact .
* : 17-years-old, Kenji is the youngest member of the team. Kenji was tending to pigeons on a rooftop at EAGLE's Kansai branch when the Black Cross Army attacked, thus saving him from the poison gas used in the attack. He has a happy-go-lucky temperament. As the green-colored , he wields the , a razor-sharp boomerang that can be either flung at his opponents or used as a handheld weapon for cutting and slashing. He also carries the , an updated slingshot that can be used to fire pachinko pellets and sometimes explosives.

Other EAGLE characters

* : Commander of EAGLE's Japan branch. When operating in public, Gonpachi disguises himself as the cook at the snack shop , which is the secret entrance to the Gorengers' headquarters. The shop later becomes the fruit parlor Gon.
* : A trio of secretaries and secret agents who assists Commander Edogawa: (a.k.a. Agent 007), (a.k.a. Agent 008), and (a.k.a. Agent 009). They act behind the scenes but occasionally help the Gorengers in the field.

Black Cross Army

The is a terrorist group led by the Black Cross Führer whose goal is the eradication of the human race and the absolute domination of the world. They use advanced technology and magic to create an army of superhuman operatives to attack EAGLE and the Gorengers. Most of the Black Cross operatives are humans who have been enhanced through surgery. They had various secret bases across the globe. The main headquarters was the flying , which orbited high above the ground.

* : The leader of the Black Cross Army, often referred to as the "Machine Monster", and a highly intelligent being with supernatural powers who hides his identity even from his generals, occasionally disguising himself as a human. He is eventually revealed as the Black Cross Castle itself, controlled by a sentient alien AI, and defeated by the Gorengers' Five-Star Cassiopea Attack.
* : The so-called who wears a sun mask. A ruthless tyrant renowned for his successive victories in Africa, he is called to Japan to eliminate the Gorengers, but his plans are frequently hampered by his own cowardice.
* : The so-called . A cold and sadistic, yet overly prideful recruit from the Black Cross Army's Gobi Desert operations, he is a master tactician who leads his own army in the .
* : Hailing from the Eldgjá region in Iceland, he is the volcano-masked leader of the ruthless and commander of his own mobile battle station, the . He is able to fire napalm missiles from the top of his mask, and is impervious to the Gorengers' weapons.
* : Black Cross Army's top general, a supernatural Great Sphinx of Giza-masked entity awoken through black magic and the Black Cross Führer's powers. A well-versed sorcerer with an interest in astrology, Golden Mask takes command of Black Cross Army's elite . He can repel most of the Gorengers' attacks.
* : A rogue dragon-themed Black Cross Army operative who was imprisoned for reckless and rebellious behavior, but later freed by Black Cross Führer in exchange for his help in destroying the Gorengers. He is a strong and highly-resistant fighter wielding a dao that can break almost any object.
* : The Black Cross Army's faceless leather-suited foot soldiers, altered with enhanced strength and speed and brainwashed to be absolutely loyal. They carry a variety of weapons including machine guns, bazookas, and iron swords. Specialized divisions include the and a squad of mystics who served Black Cross Führer. The Zolders pilot air fighters called (small) and (large). They shout "Hoi" when attacking their victims.

Episodes

Films

*: Released on July 26, 1975. The movie version of episode 6.
*: Released on December 20, 1975. The movie version of episode 15.
*: Released on March 20, 1976. The movie version of episode 36.
*: Released on December 19, 1976. The movie version of episode 54.
*: Released on July 18, 1976.
*: Released on March 18, 1978.

''Hitmitsu Sentai Gorenger: The Bomb Hurricane'', Directed by Minoru Yamada, Written by Shōzō Uehara.

''J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai vs. Gorenger'', Directed by Katsuhiko Taguchi, Written by Shōzō Uehara.

Manga

The series was adapted into a manga written and drawn by Ishinomori and published in ''Weekly Shōnen Sunday'' magazine from May 4, 1975, to August 17, 1975. Seven Seas Entertainment licensed the manga outside Japan for North American territories.

Cast

*Tsuyoshi Kaijo:
*Akira Shinmei:
*Daita Oiwa:
*Daigoro Kumano:
*Peggy Matsuyama:
*Kenji Asuka:
*Yoko Kato:
*Tomoko Hayashi:
*Haruko Nakamura:
*:
*Black Cross Führer: , (Voicing the role in episodes 54 & 55)
*Gonpachi Edogawa:

Voice actors

*:
*:
*:
*: , Shōzō Iizuka (45–54)
*: Shōzō Iizuka
*Narrator: :

Songs

; Opening theme
*
**Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
**Composition & arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
**Artists: Isao Sasaki, Mitsuko Horie, & Columbia Yurikago Kai

; Ending themes
*
**Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
**Composition & Arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
**Artist: Isao Sasaki & Koorogi '73
**Episodes: 1–63
*
**Lyrics: Shotaro Ishinomori
**Composition & Arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
**Artists: Isao Sasaki, Koorogi '73, & Wilbees
**Episodes: 64–84

References

External links

*

{{Super Sentai

1970s Japanese television series
1975 Japanese television series debuts
1975 manga
1977 Japanese television series endings
Japanese action television series
Japanese science fiction television series
Seven Seas Entertainment titles
Shogakukan manga
Shōnen manga
Shotaro Ishinomori
Super Sentai
TV Asahi original programming