Juken Sentai Gekiranger

Story

4000 years ago in ancient China, a form of Chinese styled kenpō martial art called Jūken (獣拳; Beast-Fist) was created by a man named Bruce Ee, who came to Japan and built the hidden village Jūgenkyō (獣源郷; Beast Origin Village). Jūken is a martial art in which one mimics the abilities of animals as well as trying to attain spiritual peace. However, dissent grew among the creator's ten students; three of them believed that they should use the suffering and hatred harnessed within humans to increase their power, using their power to assume the monstrous Three Kenma. After Bruce Ee was murdered, the Kenma gathered followers to practice an evil form of the Jūken style known as Rin Jūken Akugata. The other seven students believed that true strength should come from within and engaged their former friends in a great war, ending the fight with a forbidden technique to seal the Kenma powers at the cost of losing their human forms in the process, becoming the Seven Kensei. Followers of the Kensei created the Geki Jūken Beast Arts school: the Jūken of justice whose sport discipline enhances the human body with the self-produced positive Qi called "Geki." It is taught by Grand Master Sha Fu, one of the Seven Kensei, using a sports goods company named SCRTC (スクラッチ, Sukuratchi) as a front. Presently, a fallen student from the Geki Jūken school named Rio turned to the Rin Jūken style. He rebuilds the Rinjū Hall and brings the long-dead Rin Jūken users back to life as kyonshi to collect Rinki, Geki's polar opposite Qi, to resurrect the Three Kenma so that through them, he can become stronger. To fight the new Rinjū Hall, Sha Fu trained two youths: Ran Uzaki and Retsu Fukami. Along with Jan Kandou, a feral boy raised by tigers in the woods near Jūgenkyō, the Gekiranger team is formed and later joined by two other Geki Jūken users, Gou Fukami, Retsu's brother and master of the Geki Jū Wolf-Ken style, and Ken Hisatsu, a genius master of the Geki Jū Rhinoceros-Ken style, to save the world from the Akugata's ambitions. However, an even greater evil uses the two sides for its plan.

Characters

Main

Gekirangers: The eponymous students and associates of the Geki Jūken Beast Arts martial arts school. Each primary member utilizes a pair of Geki Changer (ゲキチェンジャー, Geki Chenjā) bracers, which harness and amplify their Geki, to transform and store their weapons. After acquiring their Super Geki Claws (スーパーゲキクロー, Sūpā Geki Kurō), the primary members can become Super Gekirangers (スーパーゲキレンジャー, Sūpā Gekirenjā) where they gain eight jet engine-like vents on their suits, allowing them to channel their Kageki and perform various feats of speed and aerial maneuverability. Furthermore, with the exception of Ken, the entire team can use their Geki to manifest the auras of their fighting styles' totem animals into physical Geki Beasts (ゲキビースト, Geki Bīsuto) and combine them to form Kenpō Giants (拳法巨人, Kenpō Kyojin).

Jan Kandou (漢堂 ジャン, Kandō Jan): A feral child raised by tigers in the forest outside the Beast Origin Village (獣源郷, Jūgenkyō) who narrowly survived an attack by Long, who intended to kill him due to his lineage, and repressed the memories of the incident. As a result of his upbringing, Jan's speech is impeded. In the present, Master Xia Fu begins training Jan as the latter embodies the "Unbreakable Body" (アンブレイカブル・ボディ, Anbureikaburu Bodi) aspect of Geki Jūken, which allows him to withstand most forms of pain, but requires assistance in mastering the heart aspect. Soon after, Jan joins the Gekirangers as Geki Red (ゲキレッド, Geki Reddo) and becomes a practitioner of the Geki Jū Tiger-Ken (激獣タイガー拳, Geki Jū Taigāken) style. Jan Kandou is portrayed by Hiroki Suzuki (鈴木 裕樹, Suzuki Hiroki) as a young adult and Arashi Fukasawa (深澤 嵐, Fukasawa Arashi) as a child.

Ran Uzaki (宇崎 ラン, Uzaki Ran): An employee of SCRTC who comes from a high-class family and initially focuses heavily on her willpower and keeping her heart in the highest place, to the point where she embodies the "Honest Heart" (オネスト・ハート, Onesuto Hāto) aspect of Geki Jūken as Geki Yellow (ゲキイエロー, Geki Ierō), and is a practitioner of the Geki Jū Cheetah-Ken (激獣チーター拳, Geki Jū Chītāken) style. However, a combination of these and her inability to attend to small details leaves her technique lacking. In time, she becomes happier and more relaxed, and is appointed leader of the Gekirangers. Ran Uzaki is portrayed by Mina Fukui (福井 未菜, Fukui Mina).

Retsu Fukami (深見 レツ, Fukami Retsu): An intelligent yet solitary, selfish, and seemingly cold SCRTC employee who holds a grudge against Rio, who he believes killed his brother Gou when he was a child. In pursuit of seeking revenge, he set aside painting to study his brother's fighting style, but believes winning should be like a painting; complete and inspirational. Due to prioritizing his techniques in his training, to the point where he embodies the "Fantastic Technique" (ファンタスティック・テクニック, Fantasutikku Tekunikku) aspect of Geki Jūken as Geki Blue (ゲキブルー, Geki Burū), and being a practitioner of the Geki Jū Jaguar-Ken (激獣ジャガー拳, Geki Jū Jagāken) style, Retsu's attention to beauty costs him stamina, leaving his body at a disadvantage. Retsu Fukami is portrayed by Manpei Takagi (高木 万平, Takagi Manpei) as a young adult, Nao Fujisaki (藤崎 直, Fujisaki Nao) as a child, and Sora Kitajima (北島 空, Kitajima Sora) as a baby.

Recurring

Geki Jūken Beast Arts (激獣拳ビーストアーツ, Geki Jūken Bīsuto Ātsu; Fierce Beast-Fist Beast Arts): A fictional martial arts school that uses a form of Qi called Geki (激気（げき; Fierce Qi) as a source of power that manifests from the user's passion for justice and emphasizes the concepts of heart, technique, and body. The ultimate form of Geki is Kageki (過激気（かげき）; Extreme Qi), which can manifest if the user has mastered the heart-technique-body triangle and possesses a selfless desire to protect others. The sporting goods company SCRTC (スクラッチ, Sukuratchi; pronounced like the English word scratch) serves as a front for the martial arts school, specifically its Gekirangers.

Miki Masaki (真咲 美希, Masaki Miki): An assistant to Master Xia Fu, a student of the Geki Jūken Beast Arts, practitioner of the Geki Jū Leopard-Ken (激獣レオパード拳, Geki Jū Reopādoken) style, and the head of SCRTC's special development department who is responsible for designing most of the Gekirangers' weapons. Before training in Geki Jūken, Miki was an infamous sukeban in her youth and former leader of the Kanto Sukeban Alliance. Miki Masaki is portrayed by Kazue Itoh (伊藤 かずえ, Itō Kazue).

Seven Kensei (七拳聖, Shichi Kensei; Seven Fist Sages): Legendary creators of the Geki Jūken style and students of Brusa Ee. After three of their fellow students broke off to found the Rin Jūken Akugata as the Three Kenma and killed Ee, the Kensei battled them in what would later be called the Geki-Rin Rebellion. The Kensei used a forbidden Geki Waza to seal the Kenmas' bodies, but forcibly turned them into anthropomorphic versions of their fighting styles' totem animals. Following the battle, the Kensei swore a Jūken Oath of nonviolence, only using their skills in defense, established the Geki Jūken in the Beast Origin Village, and created the Sevenfold Barrier of Seven Sages (七重七聖の関, Nanae Nanasei no Seki) to prevent Akugata members from entering its sacred grounds. Following this, three of their members have become the Master Triangle (マスタートライアングル, Masutā Toraianguru) after fully mastering one of the three major aspects of the Geki Jūken Beast Arts while one, Master Xia Fu, has mastered all three.

Dan (ダン, Dan): Jan Kandou's father, a practitioner of the Geki Jū Tiger-Ken capable of accessing white tiger-based Geki, star pupil of Master Xia Fu's, and senior master of Rio, Gou Fukami, and Miki Masaki who is also known as Byakko (ビャッコ, Byakko). When Rio left to join the Akugata, Dan attempted to save him, but was fatally wounded by Long, who used his Geki Soul to create Suugu. While Suugu initially serves Long loyally, Dan's soul would eventually awaken inside the Genshou and rescue his son, who kills him to release his soul. Dan is portrayed by Kenji Ohba (大葉 健二, Ōba Kenji), who also voices Suugu.

Production

The trademark for the series was filed by Toei Company on September 19, 2006.

In a final message to the fans, producer Hideaki Tsukada (塚田 英明, Tsukada Hideaki) cites various items he thanks for inspiring the series, including the past Sentai series and the essayist Tatsuru Uchida (内田 樹, Uchida Tatsuru) for teaching them about manga that they reference in the series. The manga mentioned are Fist of the North Star (北斗の拳, Hokuto no Ken), Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール, Doragon Bōru; 45), Slam Dunk (スラムダンク, Suramu Danku; 31), Judo-bu Monogatari (柔道部物語, Jūdō-bu Monogatari), Ranma ½ (らんま１／２, Ranma nibun-no-ichi), Shigurui (シグルイ), and others. They also thank Sammo Hung, Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh, and Yuen Biao for allowing them to use their names.

Episodes

At the end of each Lesson (修行, Shugyō), from the first 38 episodes and resuming at the 46-48th episodes, there is a short Beast Arts Academy segment that explains the many pieces of the Gekiranger arsenal, such as the capabilities of the Geki Changers or the performing of Geki Waza.

Specials

Nei-Nei! Hou-Hou! Hong Kong Decisive Battle

Juken Sentai Gekiranger: Nei-Nei! Hou-Hou! Hong Kong Decisive Battle (電影版 獣拳戦隊ゲキレンジャー　ネイネイ！ホウホウ！香港大決戦, Den'eiban Jūken Sentai Gekirenjā Nei-Nei! Hō-Hō! Honkon Daikessen) aired alongside Kamen Rider Den-O: I'm Born! starting August 4, 2007. The plot revolves on the Gekirangers, Rio, and Mele fighting the school of Mechung Fu (銘功夫（メカンフー）, Mekanfū) to prevent them from destroying Hong Kong. The events of the movie take place between Lessons 9 and 10.

Gekiranger vs. Boukenger

In Juken Sentai Gekiranger vs. Boukenger (獣拳戦隊ゲキレンジャーＶＳボウケンジャー, Jūken Sentai Gekirenjā tai Bōkenjā), the Gekiranger team meets up with the team from GoGo Sentai Boukenger. The DVD was released on March 14, 2008, for rental and March 21, 2008, for purchase. This is the first team-up to be in wide-screen, appropriate as Boukenger and Gekiranger were the first Sentai series to be themselves shown in wide-screen. The events of the movie take place between Lessons 35 and 36. The film is dedicated to Machiko Soga who died in 2006

Go-onger vs. Gekiranger

Initially scheduled for DVD release on March 21, 2009, Engine Sentai Go-onger vs. Gekiranger (炎神戦隊ゴーオンジャーVSゲキレンジャー, Enjin Sentai Gōonjā tai Gekirenjā) features the return of Hiroki Suzuki, Mina Fukui, Manpei Takagi, Riki Miura, Sotaro, Hirofumi Araki, Yuka Hirata, Naoki Kawano, and Kazue Itoh reprising their roles as Jan Kandou, Ran Uzaki, Retu Fukami, Gou Fukami, Ken Hisatsu, Rio, Mele, Long, and Miki Masaki from Juken Sentai Gekiranger. The story features the Three Gaiark Ministers and their Nunchaku Banki (ヌンチャクバンキ) teaming up with the last remaining member of the Rin Jū Hall (臨獣殿, Rin Jūden), Meka (メカ), practicer of the Rin Jū Tortoise-Ken (臨獣トータス拳, Rin Jū Tōtasuken) who is after the golden orb that Long was sealed in. To defeat their common foes, the Go-ongers, the Go-on Wings, and the Gekirangers team up with the revived Rio and Mele to fight the new evil team and stop them from releasing Long.

On December 6, 2008, several of the cast members of Go-onger announced on their blogs that there is going to be a second Go-onger movie. The next day, Toei announced on its Go-onger website that the film was going to be Go-onger vs. Gekiranger, and that it was to commemorate the 15th of the Super Sentai V-Cinema VS Series, having started initially with J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai vs. Gorenger in 1978 and revived annually with Chouriki Sentai Ohranger vs. Kakuranger in 1996. The film was released to theaters on January 24, 2009.

Kyuranger vs. Space Squad

Uchu Sentai Kyuranger vs. Space Squad (宇宙戦隊キュウレンジャーVSスペース・スクワッド, Uchū Sentai Kyūrenjā Bāsasu Supēsu Sukuwaddo) is a V-Cinema special released on August 8, 2018 that features a crossover between Uchu Sentai Kyuranger and Space Squad. Aside from the main cast of Kyuranger, Yuma Ishigaki and Hiroaki Iwanaga (Geki Jumonji and Shu Karasuma in Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie), Yuka Hirata (Mele), Mitsuru Karahashi (Fuwa Juzo in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger), Kei Hosogai (Basco ta Jolokia in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger) and Ayame Misaki (Escape in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters) return to reprise their respective roles.

Cast

Jan Kandou (漢堂 ジャン, Kandō Jan): Hiroki Suzuki (鈴木 裕樹, Suzuki Hiroki), Arashi Fukasawa (深澤 嵐, Fukasawa Arashi; Young; 15, 46–47)

Ran Uzaki (宇崎 ラン, Uzaki Ran): Mina Fukui (福井 未菜, Fukui Mina)

Retsu Fukami (深見 レツ, Fukami Retsu): Manpei Takagi (高木 万平, Takagi Manpei)

Gou Fukami (深見 ゴウ, Fukami Gō): Riki Miura (三浦 力, Miura Riki)

Ken Hisatsu (久津 ケン, Hisatsu Ken): Sotaro (聡太郎, Sōtarō; Sotaro Yasuda)

Rio (理央): Hirofumi Araki (荒木 宏文, Araki Hirofumi)

Rio (Young; 1, 12, 46–47), Jan's Hong Kong Student (49): Shogo Ehara (江原 省吾, Ehara Shōgo)

Mele (メレ, Mere): Yuka Hirata (平田 裕香, Hirata Yuka)

Infinite Dragon Long (無間龍ロン, Mugen Ryū Ron): Naoki Kawano (川野 直輝, Kawano Naoki)

Miki Masaki (真咲 美希, Masaki Miki): Kazue Itoh (伊藤 かずえ, Itō Kazue)

Natsume Masaki (真咲 なつめ, Masaki Natsume): Sakina Kuwae (桑江 咲菜, Kuwae Sakina)

Kentaro Hisatsu (久津 権太郎, Hisatsu Kentarō): Taro Ishida (石田 太郎, Ishida Tarō)

Sachiko Hisatsu (久津 幸子, Hisatsu Sachiko): Juri Ihata (井端 珠里, Ihata Juri)

Dan (ダン, Dan): Kenji Ohba (大葉 健二, Ōba Kenji)

Voice actors

Master Xia Fu (マスター・シャーフー, Masutā Shā Fū): Ichirō Nagai (永井 一郎, Nagai Ichirō)

Elehung Kam Po (エレハン・キンポー, Erehan Kinpō): Yū Mizushima (水島 裕, Mizushima Yū)

Bat Li (バット・リー, Batto Rī): Shūichi Ikeda (池田 秀一, Ikeda Shūichi)

Sharkie Chan (シャッキー・チェン, Shakkī Chen): Hiroya Ishimaru (石丸 博也, Ishimaru Hiroya)

Gorie Yen (ゴリー・イェン, Gorī Yen): Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (大友 龍三郎, Ōtomo Ryūzaburō)

Michelle Peng (ミシェル・ペング, Misheru Pengu): Atsuko Tanaka (田中 敦子, Tanaka Atsuko)

Bion Biao (ピョン・ピョウ, Pyon Pyō): Takeshi Kusao (草尾 毅, Kusao Takeshi)

Bae (バエ): Akira Ishida (石田 彰, Ishida Akira)

Sky Kenma Kata (空の拳魔カタ, Sora no Kenma Kata): Rokurō Naya (納谷 六朗, Naya Rokurō)

Sea Kenma Rageku (海の拳魔ラゲク, Umi no Kenma Rageku): Naoko Kouda (幸田 直子, Kōda Naoko)

Land Kenma Maku (大地の拳魔マク, Daichi no Kenma Maku): Hidekatsu Shibata (柴田 秀勝, Shibata Hidekatsu)

Sanyo (サンヨ, San'yo): Hideyuki Umezu (梅津 秀行, Umezu Hideyuki)

Narration: Kei Grant (ケイ・グラント, Kei Guranto)

Guest cast

Fake Retsu (38): Shinpei Takagi (高木 心平, Takagi Shinpei)

Songs

Opening theme

"Juken Sentai Gekiranger" (獣拳戦隊ゲキレンジャー, Jūken Sentai Gekirenjā)

Lyrics: Neko Oikawa

Composition: Takafumi Iwasaki

Arrangement: Seiichi Kyōda

Artist: Takayoshi Tanimoto with Young Fresh on chorus

Ending theme

"Tao" (道（タオ）, Tao)

Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi

Composition: Katsuki Maeda (前田 克樹, Maeda Katsuki)

Arrangement: Kazunori Miyake (三宅 一徳, Miyake Kazunori)

Artist: Ichirou Mizuki with Young Fresh (Chorus)

Character songs

Beginning with Lesson 39 and ending with Lesson 45, the Character Songs replaced the Jūken Academy segments and "Tao" as the ending theme. The Juken Sentai Gekiranger Character Song Album was released on December 19, 2007, and includes the following songs and karaoke versions of each song.

"Susume no Susume" (進めのススメ; "Pursuing Future") performed by Jan Kandou (Geki Red)/Hiroki Suzuki (漢堂 ジャン（ゲキレッド）／鈴木 裕樹, Kandō Jan (Geki Reddo)/Suzuki Hiroki)

"Run" performed by Ran Uzaki (Geki Yellow)/Mina Fukui (宇崎 ラン（ゲキイエロー）／福井 未菜, Uzaki Ran (Geki Ierō)/Fukui Mina)

"Just make it out!" performed by Retu Fukami (Geki Blue)/Manpei Takagi (深見 レツ（ゲキブルー）／高木 万平, Fukami Retu (Geki Burū)/Takagi Manpei)

"Wandering Wolf" performed by Gou Fukami (Geki Violet)/Riki Miura (深見 ゴウ（ゲキバイオレット）／三浦 力, Fukami Gō (Geki Baioretto)/Miura Riki)

"Sōiu Koto mo, Aru Daro yo" (そういうコトも　あるだろよ; "That's it for Me") performed by Ken Hisatsu (Geki Chopper)/Sotaro (久津 ケン（ゲキチョッパー）／聡太郎, Hisatsu Ken (Geki Choppā)/Sōtarō)

"Chigireta Hane" (ちぎれた羽根; "The Torn Feather") performed by Mele/Yuka Hirata (メレ／平田 裕香, Mere/Hirata Yuka)

"Kuroki Kodō ~Yuruginai Omoi~" (黒き鼓動～揺るぎない想い～; "Dark Pulse ~Unwavering Desire~") performed by Rio/Hirofumi Araki (理央／荒木 宏文, Rio/Araki Hirofumi)