Samurai Sentai Shinkenger



""''The Samurai Sentai authorized by the Providence! Shinkenger! Going forth!""

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger is the 33rd program in the Super Sentai series, airing from 2009 to 2010.

There are creatures that suddenly come out of crevices and attack humans, originating from the Sanzu River, called Gedoushu; the critters Shiba clan has been fighting against for 18 generations. When the general of the Gedoushu, Chimatsuri Dokoku, is seemingly near its revival in the present day, the 18th and current head of the clan, Shiba Takeru, has to, unwillingly at first, call for the other four persons from his retainer families as the Shinkengers. Together, they protect the world from Gedoushu with help of a special power called "Mojikara". The team is later joined by Umemori Genta, Takeru's childhood friend who had been secretly in self-training all this time.

As for the Super Sentai tradition of themes and motifs, Shinkenger picks up the Japanese Jidai Geki genre, drops it into a modern setting, and showed just how well awesome the concept can work, all the while keeping the theatricality intact. Also one to proudly take the stage is the Japanese culture: the Shinkengers live in the Shiba household, which is a feudal lord's mansion in present day, the monsters of the week are based on different Obake, and the Kanji used for  fighting evil spirits  just about anything, just for starters.

Note:

This work has Crowning Moment pages for Awesome, Funny and Heartwarming. We're also working on a Character Sheet, and migrating character tropes over there.

And remember: This series is filled with action. We're supposed to be awed!

Has been adapted into Power Rangers Samurai.

The Shinkengers

 * Takeru Shiba / Shinken Red: The 18th and current head of the Shiba clan. Looks stern, but actually pretty nice; he'll try to hide it though.
 * Ryunosuke Ikenami / Shinken Blue: A former kabuki actor. VERY dramatic and a very skilled swordsman. The Yes-Man to Takeru, and often played for comedy, despite being the second-in-command... sorta.
 * Mako Shiraishi / Shinken Pink: A kindergarten teacher. Mature and levelheaded. Always count on her to comfort whoever's feeling down.
 * Chiaki Tani / Shinken Green: The rebel to Takeru. Lax, and not a very good fighter, but a quick thinker who relies on unorthodox methods.
 * Kotoha Hanaori / Shinken Yellow: The Chick/Cute Bruiser dual pack; a shy, quiet and a bit clutzy country girl. Her loyalty to Takeru rivals Ryunosuke's.
 * Genta Umemori / Shinken Gold: Childhood friend of Takeru. The all-around sushi-themed Sixth Ranger who developed his own Origami and... also happens to be a Sushi chef. Self-taught Iai master and Lethal Joke Character.

Allies

 * Hikoma Kusakabe: The Shiba household's retainer. Everyone calls him "Jii". Beside helping make sure the Shiba's traditional style Japanese mansion runs smoothly, he trains the Samurai in use of their mojikara and often oversees sword training and the like. He can be very nice and respectable, despite his strictness. Just don't go against him...
 * The Kuroko: The Shiba household's servant crew, dressed as traditional Japanese stage hands - and as such, they expect to be ignored. Besides helping Jii maintain the Shiba's ancestral home, they serve as heralds for the Shinkengers, carrying the elaborate curtains and war drums that often accompany the Samurai's entrance. They can provide battle support, and often clear civilians from an area so the Samurai-tachi can focus on the battle at hand.
 * DaiGoyo: A lantern brought to life through Genta's Mojikara. Acts as the Team Pet and can grow to Mecha scale, goyo de!
 * Tsukasa Kadoya / Kamen Rider Decade: Just a passing-through Kamen Rider who indirectly brought a problem to the Shinkenger world and thus teams up with the Rangers in two episodes of his own series, though he has a cameo disguised as a Kuroko in the Shinkenger episode leading into the crossover.
 * Tsukasa Kadoya / Kamen Rider Decade: Just a passing-through Kamen Rider who indirectly brought a problem to the Shinkenger world and thus teams up with the Rangers in two episodes of his own series, though he has a cameo disguised as a Kuroko in the Shinkenger episode leading into the crossover.
 * Tsukasa Kadoya / Kamen Rider Decade: Just a passing-through Kamen Rider who indirectly brought a problem to the Shinkenger world and thus teams up with the Rangers in two episodes of his own series, though he has a cameo disguised as a Kuroko in the Shinkenger episode leading into the crossover.

Gedoushu

 * Chimatsuri Dokoku: The Big Bad Boss. Lives on a Ghost Ship in the Sanzu river. Very irritable, and spends much of his time doing nothing but drinking sake.
 * Usukawa Dayu: The Dragon. Can be seen playing a Shamisen Of Murder. Can be considered a Dark Chick also since she is the only regular female Gedoushu.
 * Hone no Shitari: Mad Scientist and The Strategist. Looks suspisciously like Cthulhu. Rarely leaves the ship, and instead constantly makes plans to increase Sanzu River's water.
 * Fuwa Juzo: An enigmatic Gedoushu swordsman whom the others consider a "stray". Loves fighting, and has a one-sided rivalry towards Takeru.
 * Sujigarano Akumaro: An unusually polite Enigmatic Minion who surfaces after Dokoku's power boost; an expert schemer with a perpetual grin.

"Takeru: "Shinken Red, Shiba Takeru." Ryunosuke: "Similarly, Blue. Ikenami Ryunosuke." Mako: "Similarly, Pink. Shiraishi Mako." Chiaki: "Similarly, Green. Tani Chiaki." Kotoha: "Similarly, Yellow. Hanaori Kotoha." Genta: "Similarly, Gold. Umemori Genta." DaiGoyo: "Last. DaiGoyo." Takeru: "The Samurai Sentai authorized by the Providence:..." All: "Shinkenger! ...Forward!""
 * All Your Powers Combined: The GoRinDan.
 * Also "Goju no tachi".
 * The Mojikara Dai Dan En, finishing move of the Samurai-Ha-Oh, utilizing the power of the eleven Origami used in the combination.
 * The Twelve Origami Dai Samurai Giri, which is the above focused through the Kyoryu Origami.
 * By the Power of Greyskull: "Ippitsu Soujou!"
 * Genta: "Ikkan Kenjou!"
 * Calling Your Attacks
 * Color-Coded for Your Convenience: Usually in the teamup specials, in the main battle, the rangers split up into groups corresponding with their color, ranking, or gender. In the Go-onger special, this is averted; aside from pairing Takeru with Sousuke and Genta with Hiroto, the groupings aren't done as such. Instead, they're separated through the groups that met as the movie went on. The full entourage hadn't been together before the big team transformation and roll call.
 * Combination Attack: Several; named or unnamed. Usually a string of slashes as they dash by the Ayakashi, with Takeru as the lead most of the time.
 * Crossover: Shinkenger vs. Go-onger, which features a cameo by the next Sentai team.
 * Eyecatch: The eyecatch involves the camera panning out to show the core Shinkengers in civilian form, spinning away from the audience, with Takeru spinning his Shinkenmaru. After the break, the Shinkengers are in their Ranger forms, and they spin towards the audience, and Takeru spins his Shinkenmaru, and the camera pans in to resume the episode.
 * Finishing Move: This is Super Sentai, and the whole theme is "Samurai"; can we expect anything less?
 * Five-Man Band: There are two Smart Guys on the team.
 * The Hero: Takeru
 * The Big Lancer: Ryunosuke
 * The Heart: Mako
 * Kid Appeal Character: Chiaki
 * The Chick: Kotoha
 * Sixth Ranger: Genta
 * Team Pet: DaiGoyo
 * Eleventh-Hour Ranger:
 * Five-Bad Band
 * Big Bad: Dokoku
 * The Dragon: Akumaro
 * Evil Genius: Shitari
 * The Brute: Juzo
 * Dark Chick: Dayuu
 * Home Base: The Shiba clan mansion, the only place Gedoushu can't creep in because of the "Shu" Mojikara.
 * Humongous Mecha
 * A Mech by Any Other Name: Origami.
 * Combining Mecha
 * Shishi Origami + Ryū Origami + Kame Origami + Kuma Origami + Saru Origami = Shinken-oh
 * Kabuto Origami + Kajiki Origami + Tora Origami = Daitenku
 * Transforming Mecha
 * The Ebi Origami, which transforms into Daikaioh
 * The Ushi Origami, which transforms into Mougyudaioh
 * Mecha Expansion Pack
 * Shinken-oh + Kabuto-origami = Kabuto Shinken-oh
 * Shinken-oh + Kajikiorigami = Kajiki Shinken-oh
 * Shinken-oh + Toraorigami = Tora Shinken-oh
 * Shinken-oh + Daitenku = Tenku Shinken-oh
 * Daikaioh + Ikaorigami = Ika Daikaioh
 * Shinken-oh + Daikaioh = Daikai Shinken-oh
 * Daitenku + Ikaorigami = Ika Tenku Buster
 * Shinken-oh + Kyoryuorigami = Kyoryu Shinken-oh
 * Shinken-oh + all the other Origamis = Samuraihaoh
 * In the Name of the Moon: An unusual departure from the recently previous Super Sentai titles: The roll call has no unique quote for each Shinkenger, they say their names instead, and the vassals follow their calls after their Lord.


 * A general variation is that whenever the usual order isn't followed, the first one to go uses the "Shinken-" prefix and the others follow with "Similarly,".
 * The twist stays when the series crosses over into episode 24 of Kamen Rider Decade, but the roll call in Decade loses the "Similarly", having everyone use the "Shinken-" title.
 * In Act 31, it is said normally (Mako pulls off the roll call, followed by everyone else in order), except no one knows Takeru is there, leaving him to threaten the monster of the week from behind and proclaim humbly "Similarly, Red".
 * Law of Chromatic Superiority: Takeru is the only one (for a while) to become a Hyper Shinkenger, which is basically the same as the Super Shinkenger, only the overcoat is red.
 * Let's not forget the.
 * Magical Foreign Words: Averted, for the most part. All the Shinkenger's attacks are in Japanese. The only real Gratuitous English are the names of the vassals' weapons, and (strangely enough) late-season Game Breaker items, like Super and Hyper longcoats and.
 * Make My Monster Grow: All Monsters Of The Week have two lives. Once their first life is down, they return to life again in giant form.
 * On the other hand, the heroes have handheld mecha that grow to giant size and mecha that starts out giant sized. Of special note is that Genta, despite being the self-taught outsider, has built two mecha able to grow huge (Ebi and DaiGoyou).
 * Mix and Match: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger = (Super Sentai + Jidai Geki + Samurai + Sword Fights) * Theatricality.
 * Monsters Of The Week: The Ayakashi; misguided souls wandering the sea in Japanese mythology, thus their "residence" at the bottom of Sanzu and appearance by climbing onto the ship.
 * Mooks: The "Nanashi Renju", and the giant versions "ONanashi Renju" and "Ozora Nanashi Renju".
 * There's an Armless Biped Mook (with More Teeth Than the Osmond Family) that functions as ranged support rather than Elite Mooks.
 * The Movie pits the Shinkengers against the "Kusare Gedoushu", where the mooks wear pink pants instead of yellow.
 * Motif: One word before anything else:  Japan .
 * Samurai, of course. Then again... considering the concept of Samurai here includes drawing magic from writing Kanji, battling hellspawns and giant Mecha familiars, it's not the average Jidai Geki Samurai concept, and most likely just a visual motif.
 * Kanji.
 * Oh dear... Kabuki theatrics. Let's start the long list with the Kuroko.
 * Refer to Act 35, which details what Ryunosuke had been doing before Jumping At The Call (with a bit of What Could Have Been thrown in for good measure).
 * Character interaction and development. In fact, one can argue that all the neo-archaic settings, plot developments and intense fights are all but a grand, elaborate "stage" to ultimately present the character developments upon.
 * Add to these Genta's very own sushi schtick, plus the fact that DaiGoyo is a robotic chouchin (paper lantern), and many other things in between (like the traditional-style New Year's Party thrown in the Shiba house at the start of Act 44)... In the end, all of this boils down to the one word above: Japan.
 * The Movie: Shinkenger the Movie: The Fateful War, with Jidai Geki elements played up even further.
 * Direct to Video: Come Back! Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: Special Act, which takes place some time after the finale.
 * Mythology Gag: As lampshaded in a later series, this isn't the first Super Sentai to have a hero with a kanji-shaped visor.
 * The Narrator: He's there this year, but not as prevalent. He may drop in a few lines at the beginning, always at the end of every Act, and mostly in the next-episode previews.
 * "On the Next Episode of..." Catchphrase: "Now, forward!"
 * Regular Caller: The Crevice Sensor, which locates Gedoushu activity through its Bamboo Technology.
 * Robot Buddy: DaiGoyo.
 * Super Mode: The Super Shinkenger. Only one of the core five can use it at a time, though.
 * Hyper Shinken Red from The Movie and Act 31, exclusive to Takeru, until he gives it to Genta in a DVD Special, Chiaki in Act 48, and Sosuke / Hyper Go-On Red in the crossover movie.
 * Supervillain Lair: The Rokumon Junk Dokoku anchors his butt on, but it's rather simple. You can count in the Sanzu River though, because that's where the Ayakashi come up from.
 * Strictly Formula: Taking it up from the main Super Sentai page:
 * Episode 10, new combination: DaiTenkuu Gattai. And that's just the beginning.
 * Episode 17, Sixth Ranger joins: EXACTLY when Genta makes his debut.
 * Episode 20, new Humongous Mecha: Genta introduces us to DaiKaiOh.
 * Around Episode 30, new stronger enemy: Not really Act 30, but Act 26 introduces Akumaro.
 * Monster disables every rangers except one, who finishes it off: Act 41;
 * Bride-attacking Episode: Act 8; Mako  posing as the bride.
 * Rangers forced into another body: Act 27; the Ayakashi with "Soul-switch" ability. In a minor variation, the events of the episode do have some consequence that serves as plot device for the next episode (and lead to the creation of a recurring character) rather than the usual shrug off.
 * Villains duplicating heroes: Act 15; an Ayakashi posing as Chiaki to alienate him.
 * Heroes Brought Down to Normal: Act 49;
 * Theme Music Power-Up: Either through the opening theme or the "standard" action theme.
 * Transformation Name Announcement: "ShinkenOh - United under Providence!"
 * "DaiKaiOh - Peerless under Providence!"
 * Transformation Trinket: Despite being a given in Super Sentai tradition, it needs mentioning here: We're talking about cellphones that turn into giant brushes to write Kanji in the air which gives you power to kick Obake ass.
 * Even the older Shinkengers use CELLPHONES that are MADE OF WOOD! Cellphones during the Feudal Era?! Jii also uses a wooden cellphone.
 * Genta's cellphone doesn't turn into a brush. When he uses it as his Transformation Trinket, however, it resembles nigirizushi, hence the name "Sushi Changer".
 * Inromaru, the key to Super Mode, can also count.
 * The Kyoryu Disk as well.
 * Two Girls to a Team: Two girls from the get-go once again (Pink and Yellow as usual, marking the tenth time this combination has been used for a female duo in Super Sentai). However,.
 * Weapon of Choice
 * Katanas Are Just Better: The Shinkenmarus. If a Shinkenger spins the black Hiden Disk, it transforms their Shinkenmaru into their personal weapon.
 * Takeru: Rekka Daizantou
 * Ryunosuke: Water Arrow
 * Mako: Heaven Fan
 * Chiaki: Wood Spear
 * Kotoha: Land Slicer
 * Genta: Sakanamaru and DaiGoyo
 * Hyper Shinkenger: Kyoryumaru
 * Super Shinkenger:

"Jii: "You Gedoushu! Listen well! Standing before you is the descendant of the Samurai who obliterated your kind 300 years ago, the 18th head of the Shiba clan: Shinken Red, Lord Shiba Takeru! Now, will you flee back into the crevice in terror, or become rust on my Lord's Katana? Or..." Takeru: "Jii." Jii: "Yes?" Takeru: "Too long.""
 * Abusive Precursors: The Gedoushu are the basis for the youkai of Japanese folklore.
 * Achilles in His Tent: DaiGoyo runs away in Act 29, after which he returns following an apology from Genta.
 * Actor Allusion: The voice actor from GaoGaiGar, as a monster with a golden lion head.
 * Romi Park's previous role in the equally Jidai Geki-inspired Samurai 7 has her character forming an attachment to someone called Kyuuzo. Here, it's someone called Juuzo. For added points, 'kyu' and 'juu' translate into 'nine' and 'ten'.
 * All There in the Manual: Somewhat parodied in episode 12, in which Ryunosuke had made designs on how to combine the Shinken-Oh and DaiTenkuu and handed his partners copies of them in the middle of the battle, while everyone was in the Shinken-Oh.
 * And I Must Scream: Act 27:
 * Applied Phlebotinum: Mojikara, which basically gives you whatever you write, be it mundane objects or some sort of power.
 * Ascended Fanboy: Richard Brown, a huge fan of the Shinkengers; not only did he boldly march into the battle as Shinken Brown, he even gets to pose with the team and helped them defeat the Monster of the Week.
 * Don't forget he also got to hold the team's BFG as it dealt the killing blow to the Monster Of The Week's first form.
 * Asskicking Pose: Genta has one pose indicating that he's gonna get serious; pulling one of his sleeves right up to his shoulder. Note, though, that he doesn't limit this to battles only, so it's more of a "physical" Catch Phrase.
 * Astonishingly Appropriate Appearance: Genta is a sushi chef and a sushi-themed Ranger shouts "Sushi" all the way.
 * Awesome but Impractical: Mojikara again. Sure, some Kanji can be drawn in the heat of battle, but what about Kanji that require 15 to 20 brush strokes? What's worse, the Kanji must be written with the correct stroke order.
 * Averted with Genta's Electronic Mojikara. He's no good with a brush, so he made it that he could give power to characters that he texts on the Sushi Changer.
 * And actually addressed in the final act where they produce a complicated Kanji by having each Ranger draw a different radical.
 * Awesome Moment of Crowning:
 * Back from the Dead: Every Monster of the Week, after the first life is down and the second one kicks in.
 * Badass Adorable: Kotoha. Write her off as mere Moe fuel at your peril.
 * Ironically, she's the character with minimum characterization compared to her teammates, perhaps on par with Genta. After revealing more or less of the others' backgrounds, it'd be interesting to see.
 * Badass Biker: Jii, unexpectedly. The times he's seen riding his bike is rare, but strangely, they're always a prelude to a really powerful moment so far.
 * Badass Grandpa: Jii again. Although he's been already shown to be awfully competent in his works for his age, Act 38 is what solidifies his qualification to this title. Nothing more needs to be said.
 * Oh yes, we do. In the Closing Act,.
 * Badass Longcoat: The Super Mode attire, a white longcoat with the Kanji "Shin" on the back. Hyper Shinken Red gets a red longcoat with the Shiba Clan crest on the back.
 * Bad Boss: Dokoku. At full steam 24/7, does absolutely nothing but drink sake all day, doesn't give a damn about his subordinates and can turn outright murderous on a whim. Pretty much the worst Super Sentai boss in recent years, which, in comparison, makes Rio look like a Benevolent Boss and the Gaiarc Ministers, just pure saints.
 * On the other hand, Dokoku doesn't play the trope straight. True, he has a well earned reputation for literally terminating his minions on a whim, but, if he thinks you're of even the slightest use to him, he'll let you get away with murder. Literally! If you can come up with the silliest, most nonsensical plan to raise the level of the Sanzu River by even a half-centimeter, he'll send the Nanashi Renju and a Gedoshu of the Week to help you. And even if you do screw up, Shitari and Akomaru have both shown that Dokoku is not immune to grovelling, flattery or even simple logic. And Dayu found out that when Dokoku forgives you, all is forgiven. *shakes fist*
 * Bamboo Technology: Case in point, the Crevice Sensor: Paper charms with "Spy" written on it which basically serve as Gedoushu radars and send signals to a larger version of themselves (written "Receive") which prints out the location the enemies are attacking on a wooden chopstick? That's just one of what Shiba clan has in store...
 * Barehanded Blade Block: Act 15 involves Chiaki trying to master this though a bit of MacGyvering - tying a training sword to a tree and then swinging it around once and trying to stop it.
 * DaiGoyou does this in his debut - justified as he actually has steel hands.
 * Repeated by Genta in Act 33, as all the Shinkengers are fighting untransformed. Notable as he was the only one unarmed, as the others still all had their swords.
 * Batman Gambit: The whole Act 8.
 * Chiaki's plan in Act 27,
 * Akumaro tries to pull off a seriously long term one revealed in Acts 42 and 43.
 * Beam Spam: The Kabuto Origami's headgear can fire a barrage of lasers.
 * Berserk Button: Go ahead. Should work out fine with the rest of the Samurai.
 * A comical example is Ryunosuke's attachment to his parents; call him "Faza-kon" or "Maza-kon" and he'll be fired up in seconds.
 * Go ahead. Ruin . But don't say I didn't warn you...
 * BFG: Rekka Daizantou - Ozutsu Mode
 * The IkaTenkuu Buster, a gun at mecha scale.
 * BFS: Rekka Daizantou. The prop is big enough that it can be used as a shield, and only the suit actor knows how to properly handle it.
 * Kyoryu Origami can grow from a handheld sword into a BFS - AT MECHA SCALE.
 * Big Damn Heroes: Everyone has pulled this off at least once, either alone or in group. Genta is fond of it, as noted above; however, two really stand out so far:
 * Act 20. The team.
 * Act 38. Jii and the Kuroko. To say more would be to spoil a true Crowning Episode.
 * Big No: Genta in Act 27, going a little overboard (13 seconds for the record)...
 * Non Sequitur Scene Episode]]: The DVD short.
 * Bling of War: Genta's Ranger Suit, all in its glittering fanciness, can be considered a Sentai variant. Then again, it's Super Sentai...
 * Blood Knight: Fuwa Juzo, although subverted by the fact that he has only one specific opponent in mind.
 * Played straight during his Start of Darkness.
 * Body Double:
 * Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Genta and Ryuunosuke's interaction borders on this. In episode 44 they actually do a manzai routine to amuse the others at New Year.
 * Brainwashed and Crazy: Ryuunosuke in Act 9, complete with pseudo-Open the Iris effect.
 * in the Goseiger vs. Shinkenger movie. The Uncanny Valley vibes and his vicious attacks make this example... unsettling to say the least.
 * Breaking the Fourth Wall: In Act 18, Genta unleashes a flurry of Iai slashes on the Nanashi, and after they fall, he turns towards the camera and says "Let's look at that one more time!". Cue Montage.
 * Bunny Ears Lawyer: Genta. Oh god, Genta... At first blush, you may think he's a Man Child; but he and Takeru take things with the same degree of gravitas under Genta's hammy exterior, and he's perfectly able to run his cart and maintain regulars. But the ears come in when you realize what Shinken Gold does with mojikara. Even Jii is impressed.
 * Butt Monkey: Ryunosuke. Again and again, and again, and... After Act 7, while he does have occasional Butt Monkey moments, he has since shown quite a lot of development and competence.
 * Driven home in the crossover movie, where
 * Cast from Hit Points: Shitari actually pulls this off by infusing a Gedoushu with half of his own life force to enable it to gain a third life (which manifests as a serpentine energy beast).
 * Catch Phrase: Takeru's got two: "That's as far as you go, Gedoushu." and "This brings the chapter to a conclusion." The others quickly started using them too after he started it.
 * "The th Act of Shinkenger shall conclude here."
 * Unless, of course, it's "The th Act of Shinkenger... shall continue in the th Act..."
 * None of these were used for the Acts 45 to 47, to a very effective dramatic effect.
 * And Genta started the tradition of "Yosh! A clap of victory!" in his very first Mecha battle together with the others.
 * Genta is also fond of pulling Big Damn Heroes moments on the Ayakashi when arriving with his "Wait, wait, wait, WAIT!". Often accompanied by a hail of his razor-sharp firework chopstick packets.
 * , the initial Phrase Catcher is replaced with either "Gedoushu, that's as far as you go." or "Gedoushu, do not make these civilians suffer anymore!"
 * Chained Heat: Ryuunosuke and Chiaki in Act 37. Subverted in that they already work really well together under normal circumstances, but the stress of being stuck together causes them to clash more than normal.
 * If this was done during the early Acts, then this would played straight as Ryunosuke did not approve of Chiaki's lax behavior and Chiaki hated how uptight Ryunosuke was with him. Character Development for both characters eased their tension until it was brought back during Act 37. Even then, it doesn't totally come out of left field.
 * Chef of Iron: Genta. A straight example in many instances.
 * Chekhov's Gun: Episode 6's Monster of the Week can hurt people by telling them their personal insecurities. He calls Takeru a liar, which knocks him back. Then, in Episode 44, we learn exactly why ... and everything goes downhill from there.
 * Chekhov's Gunman: Chekhov's Fisherman.
 * Chewing the Scenery:
 * "Tonooooooo!!"
 * Genta's "formal introduction" to Takeru - all in feudal Japanese attire, complete with an accent. Chiaki cracks up on the spot; Takeru has to hurry to the backyard to laugh.
 * Act 36: "Hey you... Let me make one thing clear. I am... a sushi seller!"
 * How can you not feed Aiba Hiroki (Ryunosuke) or Sohma Keisuke (Genta) on scenery?
 * Richard Brown. "Maaaaairuuuuuuuu!"
 * Cool Big Sis/Onee-Sama: Mako is stern enough towards the boys, but she seems to sympathize with Kotoha, who in turn idolizes her. Even Chiaki calls her 'Nee-san'. She is also very fond of giving Cooldown Hugs to anyone who's in need of comforting, but that doesn't mean she's attracted to that person; once you're fixed, she'll leave you alone, as Ryunosuke learned about it the hard way.
 * Crossdresser: Ryunosuke in Act 8, albeit on ground of mission demands. He disguised as a bride to be kidnapped, and sure enough, taken all the way to the captive place, without being noticed by any one of his captors. Apparently Dayu got confident after exposing the decoy bride as Mako, and didn't think to inspect the "real" bride after that.
 * He does mention that this is thanks to the part of playing as women in Kabuki Theatre. But he just had to say "I'm still very unskilled"...
 * ...
 * Curb Stomp Battle: There are a few where our heroes get utterly wrecked. One particular example is in Act 40, wherein
 * Dangerous Forbidden Technique:
 * Dark Reprise: Played straight in Episode 45.
 * Day of the Week Name: Instead of their names, four of the group interestingly have their elemental Kanji related to four days of the week: Takeru (Tuesday ), Ryunosuke (Wednesday ), Chiaki (Thursday ) and Kotoha (Saturday ). Since Friday uses the Kanji "Gold", Genta is arguably a distant connection despite "Light"/"Hikari" being his Kanji. If you don't mind a bit of stretching, you can also relate Mako's "Heaven/Sky" with Sunday and Monday.
 * Designated Girl Fight: Set up well between Dayu and Mako. While in their first fight, Ryunosuke was there at first and the others join in, after Act 25, Mako seems drawn to Dayu in a fight. This seems to echo Takeru and Juzo's relationship - the two are just similar enough for Dayu to draw Mako to her.
 * Debut Queue: Notice how Kyoryuu Origami gets shoehorned into the series right before the debut of the very last mecha,
 * Deliberate Injury Gambit: Takeru's duel with Juzo in Act 26.
 * Takeru pulls another one off in Act 44.
 * Finally, in Act 49,
 * Diagonal Cut: A lot. And we do mean a lot; the most memorable one being ShinkenOh's finisher: "Daishinken Samurai Giri".
 * Distaff Counterpart: gains one in the form of
 * Does This Remind You of Anything?: This...
 * He's going to destroy the world!
 * The Ayakashi in Act 37 has a special ability in which he shoots white sticky goo out of the rather phallic-looking cannon on his shoulder.
 * Dogged Nice Guy: Poor, poor Ryunosuke...
 * Do-It-Yourself Theme Tune: The six Shinkengers each sing their own theme songs (which in itself is a Sentai tradition), though they're never used in the show. Here's the list:
 * Ryunosuke's theme, "Aonami Yonashi".
 * Mako's theme, "Nadeshiko Shinken Hanafubuki".
 * Chiaki's theme, "Shinken Days Never Give Up Dochu".
 * Kotoha's theme, "Hannari Metcha Bushido Girl".
 * Genta's theme, "Gold Ninjo Ipponjime".
 * The only exception would be Takeru's theme, "Shinken Red Ippitsu Sojo". Tori Matsuzaka himself only says lines from the show, while a chorus of children sing for him.
 * Dojikko: Kotoha in spades.
 * Drowning My Rage: If Dokoku is really pissed, sake is the only thing that will keep his power in check and keep him from slaughtering his own minions. Even then, he's still pretty damn murderous after a drink.
 * Dual-Wielding: Takeru does this twice in Act 11, borrowing Kotoha's Shinkenmaru near the beginning to face down an onslaught of Mooks, and later on taking both hers and Ryunosuke's Shinkenmaru to fight two opponents at once.
 * Chiaki does this with wooden swords in Act 15 just to mess with Ryunosuke. Coincidentally, the MOTW this Act also did the same (not with wooden swords though).
 * Genta holds both his Sakanamaru and the scabbard backhanded. But only the blade is used for offense, so it only looks like Dual-Wielding.
 * Interestingly, Dayu herself does something like this with her shamisen and its hidden kodachi in Act 8, and later 25, which goes straight into Fridge Logic territory as that's the ep where we learn
 * One of DaiKaiOh's four battle modes does this, but not so much after IkaDaiKaiOh is introduced. Then we get DaikaiShinkenOh, who even reuses the same blades.
 * Takeru does this again in Act 38 with . Awesome? Hell, yes.
 * Finally, in Act 49, Takeru does it again
 * Duel to the Death: The sole reason Juzo has his eyes on Takeru.
 * Dystopia Justifies the Means:
 * Early-Bird Cameo: Appearance of the Goseigers in Shinkenger vs. Go-onger.
 * Ear Worm: In-universe example - the sootball sprites inhabting the Rokumon junk tend to default to humming Dayu's shamisen Leitmotif when not parroting the words of the Gedoushu.
 * Chan chan bara, chanbara...
 * Elemental Powers: Based on their Kanji.
 * Playing with Fire: Takeru.
 * Shock and Awe: In the early episodes, Takeru also used a Lightning Disk.
 * Making a Splash: Ryunosuke
 * Blow You Away: Mako
 * Green Thumb: Chiaki
 * Dishing Out Dirt: Kotoha
 * Light'Em Up: Genta
 * Enforced Method Acting: Takeru's actor, Tori Matsuzaka, has stated that he was the only one of the main cast told beforehand that in order to achieve realistic reactions from the others when The Reveal was filmed.
 * Enigmatic Minion: Apparently Juzo, but with subversions; the others consider him a stray, meaning he perhaps isn't 100% with them.
 * But right from his first appearance, Akumaro is overtaking Juzo in that regard.
 * Epic Fail: Genta did it twice in a row without realizing when he created DaiGoyo. First, he designed it after an Okappiki which, as Ryunosuke pointed out, isn't a Samurai. The other?
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Jii. We know his name, but for the most part the Samurai-tachi call him Jii - and Hikoma-san even refers to himself that way.
 * Everything's Even Worse with Sharks: Act 36's MotW, shredding through buildings like tissue paper, and delivers one of the toughest beatdowns yet. Also see Mythology Gag and Oh Crap.
 * Everything's Squishier with Cephalopods: in a rare aversion of a well-known Sentai trope, both the heroes and villains have identical animals - Shitari and IkaOrigami are both squids.
 * Evil Plan:
 * Face Doodling: Done in three different Acts all by Chiaki.
 * In Act 10, after being fed up with Jii constantly reprimanding him, Chiaki takes out his Shodo Phone and leaves a giant black X on Jii's face. After Jii smacks him with his Paper Fan of Doom, Chiaki tries to give him a second mark. When Ryunosuke, Mako, and Kotoha attempt to intervene, they end up with giant black streaks across their cheeks. Then at the end of the act, Jii wakes up to find his face filled with random doodles, all provided by Chiaki.
 * Act 27's infamous Neko Tono scene, where Chiaki draws whiskers on Takeru's face while Takeru's soul is trapped in a Lucky Cat statue. Takeru was obviously not pleased.
 * At the beginning of Act 31, Chiaki applies the Neko Tono whiskers again to Takeru as punishment for losing in their card game. Ryunosuke and Kotoha also have various marks on their faces either applied again by Chiaki or possibly Mako or Jii, whose faces remain clean.
 * Fake Nationality: While Richard Brown was implied to be American, his actor, John Kaminari, is actually Italian and can speak Japanese fairly well. His strange accent was meant to make him sound like a strange foreigner. As well, the fact he's humble, earnest, perfectly willing and eager to adapt to another country's customs and ideals, and obsessed with learning the path of the samurai means he can't easily be slotted as one of the two Eaglelander base types; he's 100% Ascended Fanboy who just happens to be from elsewhere.
 * Famous Ancestor: Not only does the Shiba House select the next generation as the next leader, but there are four retainer families which do the same thing.
 * Foreshadowing: As shocking as Act 44's revelation seems, the reveal was foreshadowed as early as Act 6, possibly as early as Act 1, and has been debated within the fandom for quite some time.
 * Freaky Friday Flip: The Ayakashi in Act 27 swaps the victims mind into the nearest household item. It also got four of the team:
 * Friend to All Children: Mako. And that extends to those who needs care like a scared little kid, which happens to be her "Daycare Mode" Button.
 * And her mecha just happens to be a turtle.
 * Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!:
 * Giant Mook: Probably the first Super Sentai to deploy the concept as a regular basis, Gedoushu has access to not only normal Giant Mooks but also flying Giant Mooks. With an army like that, you'd think Dokoku would have decimated the human world by now...
 * Probably because they're dependent on the moisture of the Sanzu river.
 * Grand Theft Me: In Chapter 27,
 * Green Lantern Ring: Mojikara, period.
 * But for the sake of elaboration; Mojikara is basically a genetic superpower which grants the user whatever they write, with Kanji being the case here. Definitions can be re ally vague from time to time, and there are no textbooks/indexes referring which Kanji gives which power. Writing "Horse" grants a horse to ride, yes, but how can the Kanji ?
 * Guns Are Useless:
 * Hair-Trigger Temper: Dokoku. His first reaction to seeing Shitari after being revived is threatening to cut open his head to use as a bowl.
 * Half-Human Hybrid:
 * Heroic BSOD: Genta in Act 28 gets scared of sushi of all things, direct reflex of being turned into sushi in the previous episode and almost eaten. The trauma is so big he can't even use the Sushi Changer, so he considers quitting the team. He only gets better because, but he comes back in time to introduce DaiGoyo to his teammates.
 * Heroic Self-Deprecation: How Kotoha sees herself.
 * Hero Secret Service: The first four vassals are, basically put, recruited as bodyguards to Takeru. Of course, not everyone is thrilled about this at first. They do, however, gradually form a strong companionship.
 * Hey, It's That Guy!: Juzo turned out to be Kaido Naoya/Snake Orphenoch from Kamen Rider Faiz.
 * Act 12 features Kyoko Shibata, GoPink of Rescue Sentai Go Go Five ten years prior.
 * Kanji Tsuda, who played ORE Journal boss Okubo, was Takeru's dad, and Masashi Gouda (OhBlue) was his ancestor Shiba Retsudou.
 * Kazue Ito (Masaki Miki) returns as.
 * Souta's tortoiseshell catgirl-turned-Joshikousei is all grown up and working as a TV reporter in Act 36.
 * Hey, Shinken Blue! Your serve! Which makes the Kamen Rider Decade crossover even more fun...
 * Masaya Matsukaze (MegaBlue) makes an appearance in episode 45 as
 * His Code Name Was Gary Stu: Lord Ikenami Ryunosuke during his illusion in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Returns.
 * If It Swims, It Flies: Kame, Kajiki and Ika Origami (sea turtle, swordfish and squid, respectively) are direct examples.
 * Implacable Man:.
 * Impractically Fancy Outfit: Genta's "business attire" says it all: An archaic outfit with the jacket's lapels gilded...
 * Improbable Weapon User: Not that Super Sentai isn't familiar with oddballed mecha designs, but fighting giant monsters with Origami takes the cake. When they combine, however, they look no less than a formal Super Sentai mecha.
 * Genta might fit here with his Jutte from and DaiGoyo (a sentient paper lantern, mind you) combo.
 * In a Single Bound: Ryu Origami can provide a "spring" jump when equipped as a leg-piece.
 * Infallible Babble: In Act 6, there was a reason :
 * Informed Ability: In Act 9, we are told that Ryunosuke performs better in training while Takeru does better in actual battle. Unfortunately, the opening act of the episode shows Takeru winning their first training match, and then fighting Ryunosuke to a draw.
 * Instant Expert: In contrast to some previous series, the trope is averted with the Shinkengers, having been trained all their lives to fight Gedoushu.
 * In Act 36, Genta treats Kotoha's uncharacteristic request for curry rice as a challenge to be accepted - and does it so well that he gains a thriving new clientele.
 * Intercontinuity Crossover: The most a Super Sentai series can cross over with is its predecessor and successor, but Shinkenger also crosses over with its sister show, Kamen Rider Decade. And it's canon for both.
 * Ironic Echo: normally Ryuunosuke going "TONOOO!!!" goes hand in hand with another Crowning Moment of Funny, but when, it turns into a cry of anguish.
 * Jerkass: definitely qualifies.
 * Jidai Geki: Shinkenger is to Jidai Geki what New Old West is to The Wild West; though it's set in modern times, it's built on Jidai Geki tropes. Not only that, Shinkenger is, in essence, a long theatrical piece.
 * "Chanbara", a prominent sound effect for Jidai Geki swashbuckling, is proudly proclaimed in chains in the theme song.
 * The phrase "Hakushu No Arashi Shinuchi Toujou" in the opening can be translated to "The applause is thunderous. Enter the star performers!"
 * It also borrows a famous Jidai Geki line from Toyama no Kin-san: The Catch Phrase "Kore nite, ikken rakuchaku" is taken directly from the protagonist who mutters it whenever the villain of the week is brought to justice.
 * Don't forget: The phrase is used to remind that this is the chapter's conclusion, like they're in a theatre.
 * The Inromaru reminds of the extremely popular and long running Jidai Geki Mito Komon, about the brother of Ieyasu Tokugawa who, using the alias of a retired merchant named Mito Komon, goes around fighting injustice in Japan.
 * Even some "classic" Jidai Geki or feudal Japanese vocabularies are borrowed or referenced in the series:
 * The GoRinDan is a reference to "The Book of Five Rings".
 * The word "Itto Ryodan".
 * "Niten Ichiryu", an archaic and traditional school of swordsmanship. See Dual-Wielding above.
 * The "Clap of Victory" isn't your everyday clap either; it has a traditional style which builds up with a "Yo~" before everyone clap together once.
 * And then Genta's business attire: No ordinary person sells sushi dressed like that these days! ...Unless, of course, it's a customer attraction. And, mind, no one's accusing Genta of being ordinary.
 * Speaking of Genta, himself and DaiGoyo seems to be an analogue to "our heroes' friends/allies from the low society class" in a real period piece. Super Sentai-style, of course.
 * Takeru often sports a T-shirt with the "Mitsudomoe", a traditional Samurai symbol very popular on flags and crests (Kamen Rider Hibiki was known for spamming this one).
 * Kansai Dialect: Being a country girl, Kotoha speaks in this dialect.
 * Keigo: Akumaro addresses both his allies and enemies in formal speech. Shitari also does so, but mostly to those he's familiar with.
 * Killed Off for Real:.
 * Kuudere: Mako. This is very prevalent during Act 13, whereas after telling Kotoha that she never had a childhood like any normal girl, Kotoha tells her that it's okay to cry, and cry she does, in Kotoha's hug. Also, as Ryu-san can tell you, she doesn't do the excessive pampering - in fact, she doesn't hesitate to call her lord on his tsuntsun act while sparing with him. She tries to find the fastest, most pratical way to fix things... usually.
 * Lamarck Was Right: The Mojikara is passed down from parent to child. Strangely, they never mention about the power at least fading over this many generations. Although Genta's powers show that it can be artificially created/controlled.
 * Lampshade Hanging: "Don't let your guard down. An Ayakashi can revive itself once more. That was just the first life. The second life is coming any second now."
 * Just... the Nanashi Renju; they're called the "Nameless Company" for a reason. Thank you for kindly saving us the trouble, Saburo Yatsude.
 * "This brings this chapter to a conclusion!"
 * If you know what roles Kurokos are given in actual Kabuki theatre, you have to wonder if they're thrown in as a Lampshade to all the stunts, fireworks, Wire Fu and props Super Sentai has been using all these decades...
 * And the in-universe explanation for the Shinkenger's Super Mode is that the Ayakashi get stronger during the summer months, an element inspired by a recurring myth/rule in Japanese folklore, and they need the firepower to counter this.
 * Even though it probably isn't his habit, Takeru ends up lampshading stuff much of the time, usually whenever the resident Large Hams over-introduce about him.
 * In Act 39, Chiaki is the first to point out that the Town with a Dark Secret sounds like "something out of a horror movie." At least the floating ashes didn't form into spirals...
 * Large Ham: Ryunosuke, being a Kabuki actor. He actually knows that himself, and even said in Act 12 that it's how he's raised and the only way he knows to behave.
 * Genta. And when he and Ryunosuke start playing off each other, you get this odd mix of comedy gold and earnest character work. Witness Act 19.
 * Even Jii isn't entirely innocent of this either. For one, his speech style isn't an everyday tone; he's going for a deep and theatric voice. But his biggest Large Ham moment is his talking scene in the very beginning of Act 1.
 * "This brings this chapter to a conclusion!"
 * If you know what roles Kurokos are given in actual Kabuki theatre, you have to wonder if they're thrown in as a Lampshade to all the stunts, fireworks, Wire Fu and props Super Sentai has been using all these decades...
 * And the in-universe explanation for the Shinkenger's Super Mode is that the Ayakashi get stronger during the summer months, an element inspired by a recurring myth/rule in Japanese folklore, and they need the firepower to counter this.
 * Even though it probably isn't his habit, Takeru ends up lampshading stuff much of the time, usually whenever the resident Large Hams over-introduce about him.
 * In Act 39, Chiaki is the first to point out that the Town with a Dark Secret sounds like "something out of a horror movie." At least the floating ashes didn't form into spirals...
 * Large Ham: Ryunosuke, being a Kabuki actor. He actually knows that himself, and even said in Act 12 that it's how he's raised and the only way he knows to behave.
 * Genta. And when he and Ryunosuke start playing off each other, you get this odd mix of comedy gold and earnest character work. Witness Act 19.
 * Even Jii isn't entirely innocent of this either. For one, his speech style isn't an everyday tone; he's going for a deep and theatric voice. But his biggest Large Ham moment is his talking scene in the very beginning of Act 1.

"Shinken Red: Troper. Too Long."
 * Similar lines would later be recited by the other two Large Hams with either Takeru or the rest of the vassals lampshading how useless it actually is.
 * Lethal Chef: DON'T! Touch. Mako's cooking... if you value your life. In fact, it's so bad that it's one of the few things that will evidently shock Takeru, thus deemed the greatest crisis by him. In his defense, though, her dishes really can knock out people. By Act 25, the Kuroko are everyone is already in red alert by the sight of her holding an apron. The only exception is Kotoha, who's somehow immune to all the negative reactions to her cooking, and too white to have other opinions about her besides idolizing.
 * Limited Wardrobe: Quite unusual for a Super Sentai series, the trope is averted to near-completion this year. Let alone the "Team Jackets" with the same design and different colors, the Shinkengers actually switch through lots of outfits over the course.
 * Juzo and Jii could be direct examples. But Juzo is a ; Jii doesn't have any excuses.
 * And even he has at least two outfits. Both very traditional, but at least he's choosing between the beige and the blue one...
 * Long Title: Lord's Log of Notable Events: Wild Grip Passionate High School the Jungle Song Disappears into Space... Special!
 * Too Long * SLASH!*
 * Loophole Abuse:
 * Lotus Eater Machine:
 * MacGyvering: Mako makes a muffler out of handwarmers in episode 4. It Makes Sense in Context. Also see Barehanded Blade Block above. And Paper-Thin Disguise below.
 * Meaningful Echo: "You guys can stand, right?" Takeru in the second and final Acts. The answer each time tells you just how far the Samurai-tachi has come.
 * Also, "Our lord is going into battle." The first time itself takes on different feeling and meaning as the series progressed. By the time Jii echoes it in the last arc, it help bring the show full circle.
 * Meaningful Name: The series title itself is interesting; "Shinkenger" is a portmanteau of "Shinken" and "Ranger". "Shinken" refers to both a Japanese sword used in real combat, as opposed to those used for various types of practice, as well as having a more modern meaning "Seriousness/Wholeheartedness"; it's use in the ending theme is often translated as "earnestness". Both meanings are reflected by the show.
 * Thanks to the wordplay possibility of Japanese, marginally passes here. Not only, one possible translation of its name turns up as   Now that is one mecha you don't wanna mess with...
 * For that matter, even the bad guys get into this.
 * Chimatsuri Doukoku: "Bloodbath Wailing"
 * Usukawa Dayu: "Thin-skinned Courtesan"
 * Hone no Shitari: "Triumphant Bones"
 * Fuwa Juzou: "Disembowling Ten Organs"
 * Sujigarano Akumaro: "Sinewy-Husked Evil One"
 * Aburame Manpuku: "Greasy Eye, Full Stomach"
 * Melee a Trois: Act 11 features Takeru, and the Monster of the Week all going at it.
 * Mismatched Eyes:
 * Mons: The Origami... when not serving as Mecha By Any Other Name. One of the show's favorite "idle moment" shots is to show a Shinkenger playing with or giving attention to their Origami. You see hints of Takeru's softer side when he's sitting with Shishi Origami, and Genta often chatters with Ika and Ebi, whom he has affectinatally named his Ika-chan and Ebizou respectively. Mako and Chiaki's Origami even "play" fight while they talk about Takeru in Act 12. Mako basically sends Kame after Kuma so Chiaki won't distract himself from the talk playing with his "pet bear". Further, there are times a single Origami or group of them is used to attack in their "mons" form, often as the opening salvo in a Shinkenger beatdown.
 * Montage: A couple of Genta's very first battles immediately play back his Iai sequence against an onslaught of Mooks in slow motion. Badass montage much?
 * Training Montage: A short flashback in Act 18 of Genta training and developing his own style by himself.
 * More Dakka: Apparently a core concept behind, along with Gatling Good.
 * Ms. Fanservice: Kotoha, the Moe incarnate whose legs the viewers get a glimpse of most because everyone else wears trousers. To think they'd go for an older character ...
 * Mundane Made Awesome: The brush strokes, always through the sounds of sword slashes!
 * Forget the brush strokes: Arriving at the scene is made epic with the Kurokos drawing curtains and, admit it, the war drums.
 * Genta's I Am What I Am line in Act 36; the scene owes to the BGM playing at that moment too.
 * Mundane Utility: Mojikara has been used outside of battle for non-combat purposes.
 * DaiGoyo: An independent demon-chopping Humongous Mecha who apparently can serve customers while his boss is out to slaughter hellspawns.
 * Act 37 opens with Chiaki playing a game in his Shodo Phone.
 * Not much of a surprise considering that most cellphone-based Transformation Trinkets have typical cellphone functions. In Act 27, Chiaki uses the camera on his Shodo Phone to take a picture of Neko Takeru. The Shodo Phone's brush mode, however, deserves mention as when it is not used for Mojikara, it acts as a normal calligraphy brush. Chiaki often uses it to vandalize someone's face.
 * Mythology Gag: The beginning of the Daikai Shinken-Oh gattai sequence is taken straight from the Great Ikaros gattai sequence in Choujin Sentai Jetman.
 * Act 27 has Shinken Pink Mako being turned into a table fan. MagiPink Houka could do this voluntarily.
 * DaiGoyou's Ten-Minute Retirement in Act 29 mirrors a similar incident with Smoky of Magiranger, who lives in a lamp.
 * The team's roll call Catch Phrase "Iza mairu!"? Carrigator from last year used it pretty often too.
 * It helps that Carrigator's VA was used for the announcer for this series.
 * Though Shinkenger is probably the first series to deploy Giant Mooks who are giant themselves, Gaiark had access to swarms of giant mook-controlled-mecha in the same concept.
 * Act 36 has two: Kotoha's sudden interest in curry rice stems all the way from the original Yellow; and the MotW is a shark-based creature who spins rapidly and says "Sha-kiin!". He even does the pose.
 * Too bad his VA wasn't Sharkie.
 * Due to its numerous "appendages", really reminds of Tauzant.
 * TenkuShinkenOh's finishing move is called Tenku Karatake Wari. Battle Fever Robo's is called Denkouken Karatake Wari. Both mechas are based on samurai.
 * The beginning of the DaiKaiShinkenOh formation, involving DaiKaiOh and ShinkenOh standing like Back-to-Back Badasses, resembles that of the BusterOhrangerRoboformation.
 * In the crossover movie, we get another look at Samurai World, and Saki and Hanto get hurled into Junk World a second time.
 * Shinken-Oh's finisher has the same exact motions as Invincible Shogun's: A twirl of the sword in a circle with the right hand, followed by a two-handed diagonal slash.
 * Nakama: Almost against their will, but that's somewhat implicit in the trope. Takeru, especially, did not want to risk the others in the beginning; threaten them later in the season and here comes the Fire.
 * And not just him. Act 20 cements it for the core six; and Act 38 removes any doubts about Jii and the Kuroko being merely servants. Hurt any one related to the Shiba clan, and you invite your own world of hurt. They didn't survive the last 4~5 centuries without any capabilities.
 * Name's The Same: Takeru shares his name with another character who's - Surprise! - also a Super Sentai Red Ranger, Red Mask.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: Dokoku, whose name "Chimatsuri" means "Bloodfeast/Bloodbath". ...Can we start running now?
 * "Fuwa" in Juzo's name means "Disemboweling"... Yes.
 * Nice Hat: The first three "Samurai Busou" are equipped mainly as headgears, and backpacks, on ShinkenOh.
 * No Export for You: The series will not be dubbed in Korea because of its heavily Japanese themes. A dub of Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger was broadcasted instead.
 * And yet Kamen Rider Decade was dubbed there... complete with Shinkenger crossover, where they're referred to as Power Rangers Samurai Force. Which makes it an example of Marth Debuted in Smash Bros.
 * Averted in America, where Power Rangers RPM, based on Shinkenger's predecessor Engine Sentai Go-onger, was supposed to be the last series - until Saban bought the PR franchise back from Disney and began work on adapting Shinkenger.
 * Noblewoman's Laugh: Akumaro and his "Oh-hoh-hoh-hoh-hoh...". It's not loud or shrilling, as it usually goes... which makes it all the more creepier.
 * Not Quite Dead:, but not exactly a big surprise, if you think about it.
 * No Indoor Voice:
 * No Ontological Inertia:
 * Lampshaded in act 27 - Kotoha assumes that killing the MotW will undo all the soul-swapping it's done, but Chiaki rules against it.
 * Ocular Gushers: If this series is Anime, Ryunosuke's teary moments will definitely end in these. The only inhibition is that it's impossible to emulate in live-action. An indication is his eyes whenever he's in "Emotional" mode; his irises widen nearly into a puppy-dog eye, and his voice "rolls up". His actor deserves credit here too.
 * Oh Crap: Any time Mako decides to cook, this strikes everyone who learns about it, except Kotoha.
 * In Act 36, a particularly tough MotW spins like a hurricane For Massive Damage, powerful enough to break Chiaki's guard and send him sliding across the ground. Then Chiaki gets up and realises his sword is broken.
 * On the other hand, the Shinkengers have a habit of of making the Ayakashi and Dokoku's lieutenants feel like saying this whenever the Samurai-tachi pull out all the stops.
 * There's one in the second last episode, where the Crevice Sensor goes off, but instead of releasing one reed with the location of the Gedoushu, it practically empties itself. The Gedoushu are literally EVERYWHERE.
 * Omake: Sadly averted; no Omake segments this year.
 * Just the usual annual DVD-only short: Just... go with it.
 * Omnicidal Maniac:
 * The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Juzo's a little too fixated on defeating Takeru....
 * Onmyodo: Mojikara may be based on the concept; not only are the printing-material-based applications like the Crevice Sensor very reminding of Onmyodo, Mojikara itself is applied through writings which connect to a certain power.
 * Orcus on His Throne: Dokoku spent most of the first 40 Acts doing pretty much nothing but drinking sake and threatening to kill whoever annoyed him or double-crossed him.
 * Otaku: He's a decent guy and all, but... yeah, Mr. Brown classifies.
 * Pac-Man Fever: Averted at first in #3 (see Product Placement below), then played literally straight when Chiaki's Eureka Moment comes from an actual game of Pac-Man.
 * Panthera Awesome: Shishi and Tora Origami. Interestingly, they're controlled by Takeru.
 * Paper Fan of Doom: Aside from Mako's Weapon of Choice, Kaoru uses several of them of various sizes to shut Tanba up when he gets out of hand.
 * Paper-Thin Disguise: The Movie pulled this off audaciously: The audacious part is, it worked without a hitch.
 * The "get the Nanashi blind stinking drunk" part may have helped there.
 * Parental Abandonment: Takeru and Jii, except for the servants, are pretty much the only ones in the mansion at the start of the series.
 * In Act 34, it was revealed that
 * Jii himself is guilty of this. His work with the Shiba household leaves him just one day a year for visiting his wife's grave and his son's family, and even then he's had to give it a miss several times.
 * Passing the Torch:
 * Percussive Maintenance: possibly as a Mythology Gag to Go-Roader, DaiGoyou runs into slight mecha trouble in his debut and needs a sharp blow to keep going.
 * The Pollyanna: Kotoha. Just Kotoha. She's been used to insults all her life, and this ultimately lets her take them with a smile. As a bonus, in Act 6, it proved useful against a Monster of the Week which insults people to inflict physical damage.
 * Portal Network: Every gap and crevice in the city leads to each other (as seen in Act 8) as well as the Sanzu river. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
 * It gets worse in the Kamen Rider Decade crossover:
 * Power Limiter: Unusual for Super Sentai, on Monsters Of The Week; they can stay in the human world only as long as they have the humidity of Sanzu River's water in their body. Luckily for the Shinkengers, they've been saved by this factor more than once.
 * Powered by a Forsaken Child:
 * Also,.
 * Princess Curls: Kotoha's naturally curly hair takes on this appearance at times.
 * Product Placement: Chiaki loves playing Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion.
 * Production Foreshadowing: The crest of ToraShinken-Oh kinda looks like a halo, and just to take it further, Tenkū Shinken-Oh resembles an angel
 * Punk Punk: The Shiba clan seems to run on Edo-punk. No, seriously.
 * "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Dayu gives one to
 * Red Eyes, Take Warning:
 * Red Shirt (Army): Averted with the Kuroko; while the show's target demographic might affect this decision somehow, the Kuroko themselves are pretty slick at escaping danger with minimal damage, if at all. The Nanashi Renju, on the other hand...
 * Retired Badass: Chiaki's dad is heavily implied to be a former Shinkenger and shows his skill at the end of the Act he appears in, by cutting down the remaining Gedoushuu with one of their own swords, while injured.
 * Retraux: Quite possibly a major motive behind the series; from the Shiba clan mansion's design to the Shinkengers' daily lives, like using brushes instead of pens or having dinner sitting on the floor with very low tables.
 * Reverse Grip: Genta again... as if he's not badass enough already.
 * Ridiculously Cute Critter: YMMV with the Rokumon Junk sootballs.
 * Rocket Punch: ShinkenOh can fire off the Kame Origami.
 * Rookie Red Ranger:
 * Ronin: Juzo could be based on this concept, the non-heroic variety. Think about it: He's a swordsman Walking the Earth in search of a Worthy Opponent for a deathmatch, without a master or alligeances.
 * Rousing Speech: Richard Brown of all people gives an effective one.
 * Running Gag: Any reason why Takeru keeps taking Kotoha's Shinkenmaru whenever he's in need of an extra one?
 * Ship Tease? It's pretty likely, actually.
 * Also, it's important that if you're going to introduce something, especially in prelude to a Crowning Moment of some kind, that you be brief and to the point; otherwise, you may find that--
 * Rousing Speech: Richard Brown of all people gives an effective one.
 * Running Gag: Any reason why Takeru keeps taking Kotoha's Shinkenmaru whenever he's in need of an extra one?
 * Ship Tease? It's pretty likely, actually.
 * Also, it's important that if you're going to introduce something, especially in prelude to a Crowning Moment of some kind, that you be brief and to the point; otherwise, you may find that--

"Genta: Looks like this is it for your proud Rifle Squa-"
 * Mako's cooking. While it's lead to a number of character moments, the cooking itself can lead to some damn funny ones.
 * Sanity Pet: Dayu is the only one who can keep Dokoku remotely calm with her shamisen playing.
 * Scooby Stack: done in episode 4 the first time Mako enters the kitchen. To their credit, Takeru, Chiaki and Kotoha are even arranged by height.
 * Happens again in act 14, the Richard Brown episode. Note the trend towards comedy eps.
 * Seiza Squirm: Richard Brown (More like Seiza Seizures)
 * Seppuku: In Act 9, the Monster of the Week threatens to make a Brainwashed and Crazy Ryuunosuke do this if Takeru will not fight.
 * Ship Tease: Is it just me, or Chiaki and Kotoha have been getting a lot of "moments" together these days?
 * Ryunosuke and Mako too, even as early as Act 4. Heck, they even sleep together under the same blanket.
 * As for Takeru, Kobayashi seems to have a habit of teasing shippers about whether or not he'll end up with Mako or Kotoha who, as mentioned above, is also spending a lot of time with Chiaki.
 * Genta X is getting quite popular after Act 47
 * Shoot the Dog: Dokoku
 * Shout-Out: In Act 28, when Akumaro attacks the Shinkengers, he takes ShinkenBlue down by repeatedly clawing him while screaming "ATATATATATATATATA!!!" He does it again to DaiGoyou in act 43.
 * The monster from the Shinkenger Comeback DVD has eyes in the palms of two hands.
 * Shrinking Violet: Kotoha, though the behaviour subsides when she's with people she's close to; especially Mako and Chiaki.
 * Signature Style: The lead writer for Shinkenger is the same one from Kamen Rider Den-O, Yasuko Kobayashi. It seems she brought the humor which made Den-O stand out in the Rider francise; particularly the "Nakama" feel of the group.
 * But do note that Kobayashi did several Darker and Edgier scripts as a lead writer, including but not limited to: Ryuki, Timeranger, Witchblade, Casshern Sins and Blassreiter. It shows in the Wham Episodes (see further down the page).
 * Another facet of Kobayashi's style is her use of unconventional antagonists; Kai, Shiro , and here, Juzo who just wants to fight and fight, and Dayu, . Would Dokoku, the Big Bad who rarely does anything, count as unconventional too?
 * Sliding Scale of Idealism Versus Cynicism: Yasuko Kobayashi seems to be tapping every mood her Signature Style has lead her to. This is actually ideal for this year's themes, and gives Shinkenger an interesting position among sentai: not the most cheery and light sentai, but not, by a long shot, the darkest entry, either. It truly takes its cues from the Jidai Geki tradition. The bitter moments, the moments the characters say "Oh Crap", are there so that their victory plays perfectly to the the optimistic, virtuous side of the tradition. The definite epic struggle against the Gedoushu and the Tear Jerkers it brings must be there, or the show's humor and up-beat character work wouldn't work as well.
 * Small Girl, Big Gun: Kaoru. The Rekka Daizantou seems especially bigger when she holds it. And of course, she also plays the trope straight in Act 45 with the . But overall, most of her weapons can qualify her to this trope, because if this was an Anime, she'd likely be presented as a much younger character.
 * In the same idea, Kotoha as well; particularly in Act 41 where she gets to wield the.
 * So Okay It's Average: In-Universe. This is everyone's opinion of Genta's sushi, which is pretty much a slap in the face to someone who wants to become a world famous sushi chef.
 * On the other hand, he can make one heck of a curry. Too bad he isn't interested on being a curry chef, despite the prospects.
 * Yank The Dog's Chain:
 * Sour Supporter: Chiaki, initially.
 * Spam Attack: Genta's "Hyaku-mai Oroshi", and its upgrade, "Sen -mai Oroshi".
 * Spin Attack: Kotoha's "Sarumawashi" and the Super Shinken Yellow upgrade, "Shin Sarumawashi".
 * The Starscream:  Surely, we didn't foresee that! Honest!
 * Start of Darkness: Both Juzo and Dayu's pasts in Acts 24 and 25.
 * In Act 24,
 * Expanded further in Acts 42 and 43.
 * Then in Act 25,.
 * Stealth Pun: A possible cross-language one: The Hiden Disks sounds really close to "Hidden Disks", which in turn can relate to the name "Secret/Mystery Disks".
 * DaiKaiOh's entrance quotes are puns on different Kanji readings of its current "direction".
 * DaiKaiOh East: "To! To! Higashi!!"
 * DaiKaiOh West: "Ossha! Nishi!!"
 * DaiKaiOh South: "Nanto! Minami!!"
 * DaiKaiOh North: "Kitakitakitakita!!"
 * Remember the Freaky Friday Flip? Now, think a little about it. The lion-riding lord got swapped with a Lucky Cat statue, the vassal with wind Mojikara became a fan, the sushi chef met his Ironic Hell, and the vassal with water Mojikara... well...
 * Sticky Situation: Happens when Chiaki and Ryuunosuke become glued together by the Ayakashi of the week.
 * Tall, Dark and Bishoujo: Mako certainly looks that way.
 * Team Mom: Mako, to pretty much everyone in need of cheering up.
 * Teen Genius: Hiro, particularly with things related to.
 * Tempting Fate: Don't try to guess the numbers when up against the Nanashi Rifle Squads; you never know how many they have in reserves. Genta learned it the hard way in their debut.
 * Tempting Fate: Don't try to guess the numbers when up against the Nanashi Rifle Squads; you never know how many they have in reserves. Genta learned it the hard way in their debut.


 * Ten-Minute Retirement: Takeru pulled one off in between Act 11 and 12.
 * Genta also tried to pull one in Act 28, but his with "breakdown" fixed in mere seconds, it turned outright narmy and parodic.
 * DaiGoyou gets a more earnest one in Act 29.
 * Theme Naming: Looking at the translations of major Gedoushu characters' names, it's safe to say they have a Theme going on: Body organs. Charming...
 * Also the Ayakashi's names all have five syllables.
 * Tomboy and Girly Girl: Mako is the tomboy to Kotoha's girly girl.
 * When Kaoru joined the team, she takes a tomboyish role, making Mako a second girly girl.
 * Took a Level in Badass: Everyone seems to get one of these a few times, the most obvious ones being Chiaki and Kotoha, the "juniors" of the group. As a big theme of the show is depiction of being a samurai as a journey, many of the Crowning Moments Of Awesome involve this.
 * Genta. His event happened off-screen, but comparing his flashbacks, he's one hell of a fighter now, unlike the little kid he was back then.
 * In the same vein, Takeru. Once a scared little pants-wetter; now the Badass Lord of the Shinkengers.
 * And yet he still can't face that Haunted House without fainting...
 * Too Long; Didn't Dub: The fansubs by TV Nihon are notorious for this kind of thing. They seem to have asked themselves "Ok, now how little of this can we actually translate while still making it vaguely watchable to an English-speaking audience?" In their defense, a lot of the terms used really don't translate well and all the Gratuitous Japanese does fit the Jidai Geki theme of the show.
 * Transformation Is a Free Action: By proxy, we have ShinkenYellow stopping an attack by the Monster of the Week in #41: she creates a brick wall to do this by writing the kanji for wall, while he spits sand at her, at a speed that would most certainly be fast enough to hit her before finishing a 16-stroke kanji (壁).
 * Trash the Set: The mecha cockpit in the finale. They started with Samurai Ha-Oh, and kept taking hits which took the gattai to a weaker stage - damaging the cockpit in the process. They ended up with only Shinken-Oh - so why was Genta's pedestal still there, when both of his Origami were gone?
 * Bellisario's Maxim and Rule of Cool for Genta staying. The producers probably just didn't want to exclude him from the battle against the Final Boss.
 * Ungrateful Bastard:
 * Unstoppable Rage: In Act 40,.
 * Verbal Tic: DaiGoyo's "Goyo-de, goyo-de!".
 * Villain On A Bus: Wow, the Nanashi Rifle Squads are awesome! Guess they'll give the Shinkengers the near-endgame challenge. Wait... why aren't they in the next Act?
 * It's probably because Akumaro was the one leading the Nanashi after that Act and Akumaro was not very fond of the Rifle Squad.
 * To specify, the Rifle Corps was Shitari's idea, Akumaro and Shitari hate each other's guts. So Akumaro stops using them after their failure simply to spite Shitari. Makes sense.
 * And then two Acts later,
 * Bit of an exagerration since
 * Villainous Breakdown:
 * Vitriolic Best Buds: As Takeru notes in Act 15: Chiaki and Ryunosuke get along so well, they feel comfortable fighting.
 * And Genta and Ryunosuke are pretty much the same.
 * The Voiceless: ...
 * Wave Motion Gun: 's finisher, Mojikara Dai Dan En. Trust us - it's big;.
 * Wedding Smashers: the premise of Act 8, see Batman Gambit above.
 * Wham! Episode: Act 40.
 * And again with Act 42.
 * And again with Act 43. Heck, apart from Act 41 serving as a breather, that part was pretty much a Wham Arc!
 * What Do You Mean, It's Not Symbolic?: 's grandiose appearance, the finisher and the throne carries some connotations relating to a deity - to follow the series' Japanese theme, a Shinto god and such. Of course, the bizarre appendages also add to the possiblilty.
 * What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Juzo; after revelation of his human form and spending most of the time in it, he's shown in a more sympathetic light than other villains.
 * Same goes for, but on a smaller scale because.
 * At times, it makes some of the down right obsessive and horrible things they do even worse. And then you start to sympathise again... Yasuko Kobayashi is really good at reminding you of, and subverting or averting expectations caused by the Sorting Algorithm of Tropes index.
 * Where Are They Now? Epilogue:
 * Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In Act 28, much of the group have shown to have a phobia to something; for Mako,  for Kotoha and  for Ryunosuke.
 * What do you think freaks out Takeru, the guy who battled a horde of hellspawn without batting an eyelid, most? He outright faints afterwards. Chiaki seems to be an exception from the "demonstrations" for some reason.
 * They're all trying to help Genta overcome . Of course, who would have thought that ?!
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: Though not in a great deal, Kotoha shows those signs from time to time.
 * As of Act 4, this is officially the dream of Mako; but with cooking skills like that, she still has a long way to go.
 * Yes-Man: Ryunosuke to Takeru, although he's a sincere version.
 * You Are Not Alone: In Act 47,
 * Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In Act 28, much of the group have shown to have a phobia to something; for Mako,  for Kotoha and  for Ryunosuke.
 * What do you think freaks out Takeru, the guy who battled a horde of hellspawn without batting an eyelid, most? He outright faints afterwards. Chiaki seems to be an exception from the "demonstrations" for some reason.
 * They're all trying to help Genta overcome . Of course, who would have thought that ?!
 * Yamato Nadeshiko: Though not in a great deal, Kotoha shows those signs from time to time.
 * As of Act 4, this is officially the dream of Mako; but with cooking skills like that, she still has a long way to go.
 * Yes-Man: Ryunosuke to Takeru, although he's a sincere version.
 * You Are Not Alone: In Act 47,
 * You Are Not Alone: In Act 47,

''Yosh. A Clap of Victory. This brings this trope page to a close.''