Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger

when literally translated means "Strong Dragon", but is actually a portmanteau of the Japanese words and . In English, this roughly translates into "Strongosaur". is Toei Company's 37th entry in its long-running ''Super Sentai'' metaseries of Japanese ''tokusatsu'' television series aired on TV Asahi from 17 February 2013 to 9 February 2014, replacing '' Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'' and was replaced by '' Ressha Sentai ToQger''. The program joining '' Kamen Rider Wizard'' and later '' Kamen Rider Gaim'' in TV Asahi's Super Hero Time programming block. Its footage would later be used for the American ''Power Rangers'' season, '' Power Rangers Dino Charge'' and its follow up season, ''Dino Super Charge'', and gained a South Korean-exclusive sequel, '' Power Rangers Dino Force Brave''. This is the first Super Sentai series to be shot in Full HD at 1080p, as Shinkenger up to Go-Busters was only shot in 720p.

Story

Long ago in the time of dinosaurs, the Deboth Army invades Earth to the point of the extinction of the dinosaurs but they were defeated by Wise God Torin and the Zyudenryu during the first invasion. In the present day, the Deboth Army resurface as they resume their invasion. To counter the revived threat, Torin selects five brave individuals who must defeat their respective Zyudenryu first to acquire their powers to become the "People of the Great and Mighty Lizards", the Kyoryugers.

Episodes

Individual episodes are known as , and the titles are written solely in kana.

Production

''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger'' is the third Sentai series with a dinosaur motif (after '' Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger'' and '' Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger''); this time mixed with electricity and up-tempo musical genres such as Samba. Ryo Ryusei, who portrays Daigo Kiryu, said he will find it difficult to live up to the role as the hero in the series. Yamato Kinjo, who portrays Nobuharu Udo, turns 30 within the year and spoke of how he felt it might be difficult to portray a hero to children so much younger than he is.

Critics have noted a drastic shift in the casting of Kyoryuger. Toei producer Takahito Ōmori commented on the lack of a yellow warrior in the series, something that has not happened since '' Dengeki Sentai Changeman'', by noting that the color yellow has become associated with females for the modern generation of viewers and thus would not be able to properly portray the brutish strength a male character is capable of portraying to match with the concept that the characters beat their dinosaur partners in battle. Ōmori also stated that they chose to make the blue warrior aged 32 to insert some oyaji gags, while also noting the use of Papaya Suzuki as the ending theme's choreographer to insert some levity, hot-blooded actor Shinji Yamashita as the red warrior's father, and the inclusion of Shigeru Chiba as the series' narrator who gives a high tension style to the show.

Films and Specials

The Kyoryugers make their debut appearance in '' Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters vs. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger: The Movie'', and are the protagonists of the following films:

Theatrical

''Super Hero Taisen Z''

is a film that was released in Japan on 27 April 2013 which featured the first crossover between characters of Toei's three main Tokusatsu franchises, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the Space Sheriff Series, including other heroes from the Metal Heroes series as well. The protagonists of '' Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie'', '' Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'', and ''Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger'' are featured, but the casts of '' Kamen Rider Wizard'', ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger'', and '' Kamen Rider Fourze'' also participate in the film. The event of the movie takes place between Brave 10 and 11.

''Gaburincho of Music''

As with every year, ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger'' appears in their own film titled , which is a musical, that was released in theaters on 3 August 2013, double-billed with '' Kamen Rider Wizard in Magic Land''. The event of the movie takes place between Brave 20 and 21.

''Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters''

was released in theaters on 18 January 2014. As with previous VS movies, this film features a crossover between the casts of ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger'' and '' Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'' while also bringing in cameos from the casts of '' Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger'' and '' Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger''. The event of the movie takes place between Brave 36 and 37.

''Kamen Rider Taisen''

The main casts from '' Ressha Sentai ToQger'' and '' Kamen Rider Gaim'', along with Ryo Ryusei who returns as Daigo Kiryu from ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger'' participate in which debuted in theaters on 29 March 2014. It also features the return of characters from previous Kamen Rider Series, most notably Hiroshi Fujioka of the original ''Kamen Rider''.

''ToQger vs. Kyoryuger''

is the VS team-up movie between '' Ressha Sentai ToQger'' and ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger''. The film was released in Japanese theaters on 17 January 2015.

''Ultra Super Hero Taisen''

A crossover film, titled featuring the casts of '' Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'', '' Amazon Riders'', '' Uchu Sentai Kyuranger'', and '' Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger'', was released in Japan on 25 March 2017. This movie also celebrates the 10th anniversary of '' Kamen Rider Den-O'' and features the spaceship Andor Genesis from the '' Xevious'' game, which is used by the movie's main antagonists, as well as introduces the movie-exclusive Kamen Rider True Brave, played by Kamen Rider Brave's actor Toshiki Seto from ''Kamen Rider Ex-Aid'', and the villain Shocker Great Leader III, played by the singer Diamond Yukai. In addition, individual actors from older Kamen Rider and Super Sentai TV series, Ryohei Odai ('' Kamen Rider Ryuki''), Gaku Matsumoto ('' Shuriken Sentai Ninninger''), Atsushi Maruyama (''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger''), and Hiroya Matsumoto ('' Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters'') reprise their respective roles.

Special episodes

* is a special DVD by Kodansha that details Daigo and Utsusemimaru dealing with Nobuharu when he is possessed by the ghosts of Debo Tangosekku and Debo Tanabanta. With the assistance of Ramirez and Tessai however, the two Kyoryugers gain Spirit Ranger versions of the Pteragordon and Plezuon Zyudenchi to send the spirits back to Deboth Hell. The special concludes with a promo for the ''Kyoryuger'' movie and takes place between Brave 23 and 24.
* is a web-exclusive episode released on the official ''Brave Frontier'' YouTube channel as a collaboration between the Toei Company and video game producer Alim to promote the release of '' Brave Frontier 2'' in Japan. This special also serves as a reunion between the series's original cast and is denoted as Brave 33.5, taking place between Brave 33 and 34.

V-Cinema

''Hundred Years After''

is a V-Cinema release released on 20 June 2014, taking places between Brave 42 and 43. The main cast of Ryo Ryusei, Syuusuke Saito, Yamato Kinjo, Akihisa Shiono, Ayuri Konno, and Atsushi Maruyama reprise their roles from the series while also portraying a future generation of Kyoryugers introduced in the movie.

''King-Ohger vs. Kyoryuger''

is a V-Cinema release that features a crossover between ''Kyoryuger'' and '' Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger'' and also celebrates the 10th anniversary of the series. The V-Cinema had a limited theatrical release on 26 April 2024, double-billed with ''Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger vs. Donbrothers'', and followed by its DVD and Blu-ray release on 9 October 2024. The main cast of Ryo Ryusei, Syuusuke Saito, Yamato Kinjo, Akihisa Shiono, Ayuri Konno, and Atsushi Maruyama, and Marie Iitoyo reprise their roles from the series.

Video game

The Kyoryugers appear in their very own video game developed by Namco Bandai Games for the Nintendo 3DS called , released on 8 August 2013.

Cast

*: ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger'' Tokyo Dome City Prism Hall event promotional pamphlet
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*Narration, Kyoryuger Equipment Voice, :

Recurring cast

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Guest stars

*: Jouji Shibue previously portrayed Mamoru Chiba in '' Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon'' and Ibuki in '' Kamen Rider Hibiki''.
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Songs

;Opening theme
*"''Vamola''" is Brazilian Portuguese for "leggo (let's go)".
**Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
**Composition: Yusuke Mochida
**Arrangement: Kousuke Yamashita, Yusuke Mochida
**Artist:
: Remixes of the song were used in the series: in episode 31 and sung by Syuusuke Saito, Yamato Kinjo, Akihisa Shiono, Ayuri Konno, and Marie Iitoyo during the climax of the final episode. The film '' Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters: The Great Dinosaur Battle! Farewell Our Eternal Friends'' uses a slow melody remix called . In the V-Cinema ''100 Years After'', it is called sung by Haruka Tomatsu as Canderrilla.
;Ending theme
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**Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude, Hideaki Takatori
**Composition: Hideaki Takatori
**Arrangement: Hiroaki Kagoshima
**Artist: Hideaki Takatori

Notes

References

External links

* at TV Asahi
* at Toei Company
* at Super-Sentai.net
* for ''Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger Returns: Hundred Years After''
* for ''Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger vs. Kyoryuger''

{{Super Sentai

Super Sentai
2013 Japanese television series debuts
2014 Japanese television series endings
Television series about dinosaurs
Prehistoric people in popular culture
Japanese comedy television series