Mahou Sentai Magiranger (2005-2006)
Production: Toei Corporation?
Episodes: 49
By Gerald Conde

Introduction
Whatever opinion you might have about Dekaranger, it was still a hard act to follow, either if you enjoyed the single episode detective style or had a fan-boy enjoyment of having multiple rangers. At the height of popularity of magical franchises, many fans were turned off by the theme of the 29th installment to the Super Sentai legacy. There were many other factors to anger fans, one being our heroes now wore capes which hadn't been used for nearly three decades since the beginning of the franchise, the leader was the youngest ever and the series was about siblings which had only been used twice: GoGoV (1999) and Fiveman (1995).

The Story
On an Ozu family outing to return the mischievous youngest sibling Kai home, a monster attacks single mother Miyuki and her five children. Their mother shocks them by transforming into a magical warrior. She told them their father died in an Antarctica expedition but he was really from the high-in-the-heavens land known as Magitopia. She reveals to them that she is a good witch and gives them powers except for the youngest whom she believes is reckless and lacks courage to be a wizard. After rescuing his siblings from a dark wizard, he is bestowed the powers but unfortunately they loose their mother in a battle with said wizard Wolzard.
They must fight against the Infreshia, led by a mysterious master just seen by an eye in a hole (N.Ma), trying to open the gate of Hell, which was closed up by the Ozu father. Each Infreshia general is based on Hollywood monsters as Frankenstein, the Mummy, female Vampire, etc. They Magiranger has elemental powers and transform into giant metal warriors based on their mythical creature. The four older siblings can become the MagiDragon, a giant elongated dragon and all five into the MagiKing, the one with the big hat. Wolzard also can combine with his war horse Valkarion and become the centaur WolCentaurus or the upright WolKaizer. They soon befriend a Sky Saint Lunagel who is the key to opening Hell's gate and makes many guests throughout the series. Later they gain a mentor in the studied pupil of their father, Sungel who was turned into a frog fifteen years ago by a traitor Raijel who is turned by the Infreshia as Memmi, an effeminate mummy.
When one of the Beastman Kings freezes up the world and since their mother's elemental power was snow and each element is represented by a Sky Saint, they went to looking for Snowjiel for help. For reason, the infant-like saint was trapped in a trout. She gave them the Legend powers, an upgrade and loss of their capes and entrance to their new robo, which they also became. Without revealing much, N.Ma. is seemingly defeated and the new high general-format which has been used in many Sentai series and successfully in Hurricanger was experimentally dumped for the rotating group of monsters based on Norse and Greek myth unto the show's finale.
How Good is it?
This series balances upbeat and cute with dark and disturbing with shadows of Star Wars, Sailor Moon and every fairy tale that comes to mind, it feels uneven and forced. With an impressive array of mecha battles (puppet and wire work) and much better CGI (especially in the movie), there are many firsts in this show. The first Sentai series to have two married couples fighting side by side and the second to showcase a wedding between two rangers, which hasn't be done in fifteen years. It is also the first and sadly the last series in which Machiko Soga played a good guy in a Super Sentai series. She portrayed the all-powerful Magiel in the movie and the two last episodes. An example of the disturbing factor is the creepy way an Incubus takes the soul of a friend of Tsubasa (Yellow) or when all his siblings are gunned down by Infreshia god Cyclops one by one. For the sake of not sugar-coating things, it is no secret in the fandom about the identity of the children's father and how much it is has been done before. The father-as-the-villain shtick has indeed has been done in Sentai, Dairanger namely, but not as much in detail as displayed here and it is not like their father goes off to chop off Kai's hand.
Another thing is how magic is handled, in popular Japanese culture magic is unexplained and understood especially in Hayao Miyazaki films but especially in the Super Sentai world, magic is very common. Even if the series is about technology or vehicles, either their adversaries are magical or they use illusions through ninja technique or involve some form of alchemy. Magic is treated in a very Sentai-way in Magiranger, nothing out of the ordinary in the Sentai world. What is common throughout the series is heavy Western influences such as the architecture featured in their neighborhood, house and secret headquarters. The most obvious Japanese influence is how androgen the cast looks.   

Conclusion
If you can put up with singing plants and cats and liked the recent Tokusatu-installment of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, you will enjoy this one. I personally did. Unlike the goofy Carranger, the comedy/drama balancing acts of Hurricanger through Dekaranger, Magiranger is an even mix of genres. Even though it is a sappy tearjerker at times, it is worth a look. Death is a common thread in fairy tales and not absent at all here. Much like Hurricanger, the series is about growing up and accepting responsibilities but also about treason, redemption and hope. Don't give up on that hope, especially when your wedding is interrupted by a bloody girl. Even if as cheesey the comic relief Mandora-Boy (aforementioned singing plant) and cat genie Smoky look, they are actually endearing characters, not annoying as most Western sidekicks are.