Line #41 Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kakuren_v1.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:"''Kakuranger! Ninja! Ninja!''"]]
3
4	->''"Hiding from people and slashing evil! Ninja Sentai! Kakuranger, revealed!"''
5
6	''Ninja Sentai Kakuranger'' (Ninja Squadron Kakuranger[[note]]Kakuranger is a portmanteau of ''Kakure'', which means "hidden", and Ranger[[/note]]) is the eighteenth installment in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise, airing from 1994 to 1995. Takashi Tsushimi composed and performed the TitleThemeTune.
7
8	400 years ago, a band of Yōkai battled a group of ninjas, led by the legendary Sarutobi Sasuke. He and four other ninjas sealed the Yōkai away behind a magical door. In the present day, the Yōkai are set free when two of those ninjas' descendants, Sasuke and Saizō, are tricked into opening the door. Now, they and the three descendants of the other ninjas must put the Yōkai away as the Kakurangers.
9
10	This is the first Super Sentai with a Ninja motif; its characters are also compared to the leads of ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest''. It was also the first Sentai to feature a female as its leader and the first to have a non-human ally as a SixthRanger. Part of its charm is the distinct PostModernism feel it has - the {{Narrator}}, and later the Youkai themselves, make a point of introducing their past selves directly to the audience, whilst being characters in the show, for example.
11
12	It was adapted into America as the third season of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''. Notably, the suits were used for the Aquitian Rangers, who protected the Earth during the "Alien Rangers" story arc when the Mighty Morphin team was de-aged.
13
14	The series itself was the third Super Sentai to see a US release in May of 2016. It can be streamed for free at [[https://www.shoutfactorytv.com/series/ninja-sentai-kakuranger Shout! Factory TV]].
15
16	----
17
18	!!'''Recurring''' Super Sentai tropes:
19
20	* AllYourPowersCombined: One Yōkai, [=DaraDara=], stole the powers of Ninjaman and most of the Rangers for great power.
21	* BakenekoAndNekomata: A cat youkai simply called "Bakeneko" appears as the Monster of the Week in the show's eighth episode, while a Kasha appears in episode 47.
22	* ByThePowerOfGreyskull: Super Henge[[note]]''change''[[/note]]! Doron Changer!"
23	* ColorCharacter: Another "[team prefix] [English color]" Sentai.
24	* CoolBike: The Shark Machines, much like the [[Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger Goranger Machines]] and the [[Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger Zaurer Machines]], consisted of one solo bike for Red (the Shark Bridder) and two [[CoolSidecar sidecar-equipped]] bikes for the rest of the team (Blue's Shark Slider shared with White, and Yellow's Shark Launcher shared with Black). They could be combined to form a FinishingMove called the Shark Driver.
25	* CoolCar: The Nekomaru van, a sentient van with the face of a cat.
26	* {{Crossover}}: ''Super Sentai World'', a short [=3D=] film where the Kakuranger team fought alongside the four previous Sentai teams ([[Series/ChikyuuSentaiFiveman Fiveman]], [[Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman Jetman]], [[Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger Zyuranger]] and [[Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger Dairanger]]). The main giant robot of each team was also present. This short film served as a predecessor to the annual Versus movies that began the following year.
27	* DefeatEqualsExplosion: Played straight even though the Yokai, by nature, cannot be truly destroyed, with their spirits returning to the underworld.
28	* {{Eyecatch}}: The eye-catch before the break features a Kakuranger by a black background slashing the screen. All 5 Kakurangers are then seen in the open turning to the camera. After the break, the eyecatch features the Kyodai Jūshō (the Three God Generals and Ninjaman from eps. 36 onwards).
29	* FinishingMove: The Raiko Nami[[note]]Lightning Wave[[/note]], an energy blast with the Kakuremaru.
30	* FlamingSword: Muteki Shogun allows Sasuke to use the Blazing Shogun Sword in ep. 20, when he was outnumbered and at a significant disadvantage besides.
31	* HomeBase: The Nekomaru, a cat-shaped van.
32	* HumongousMecha: The first Sentai series to feature two sets of combining mechas for the main team rather than just one. The team's SixthRanger also functioned as a third humanoid robot.
33	** AMechByAnyOtherName: The Sanshinshō[[note]]Three Divine Generals[[/note]] and their components, the ''Kyodai Jūshō''[[note]]Giant Beast Generals[[/note]] and the ''Chōninjū''[[note]]Super Stealth Beasts[[/note]]. Tsubasamaru gets the unique classification of ''Seininjū''[[note]]Holy Stealth Beast[[/note]].
34	** AnimalMecha: The Kyodai Jūshō (and by proxy, the Jūshō Fighters) have humanoid forms with anthropomorphic characteristics, while the Chōninjū and Tsubasamaru are all animal-shaped. The name of each Kakuranger's mecha is a pun on the animal it's based on.
35	*** "Saruder" = ''saru'' (ape)
36	*** "Kark" = ''kaku'' (crane)
37	*** "Rogan" = ''garō'' (wolf)
38	*** "Kumard" = ''kuma'' (bear)
39	*** "Gammer" = ''gamagaeru'' (Japanese toad)
40	** CombiningMecha: The ''Jūshō'' are the components of the Muteki Shōgun, while the ''Chōninjū'' are the ones for the Kakure Daishōgun.
41	*** Red Saruder + White Kark + Blue Rogan + Yellow Kumard + Black Gammer = Muteki Shōgun
42	*** God Saruder + God Kark + God Rogan + God Kumard + God Gammer = Kakure Daishōgun
43	*** Averted with the Jūshō Fighters, which are lightweight versions of the standard Jūshō that make up for their inability to combine with greater speed and flexibility[[note]]Their names are just like the others, only they all begin with "Battle" (i.e. Battle Saruder, Battle Kark, etc.)[[/note]].
44	** MotionCaptureMecha: The Kakurangers could transform into their individualized Jūshō.
45	** MechaExpansionPack: Tsubasamaru, a falcon-shaped mecha, served this function to either of the two Shōgun.
46	*** Muteki Shōgun + Tsubasamaru = Super Muteki Shōgun
47	*** Kakure Daishōgun + Tsubasamaru = Super Kakure Daishōgun
48	** MechanicalLifeform: The Sanshinshō are ancient deities, while Ninjaman is their disciple.
49	** TransformingMecha: Ninjaman, who can enlarge himself and transform into Samuraiman, counts as one.
50	*** Also, the Muteki Shogun could transform into a castle, but unfortunately, the toy version is unable to replicate this feature due to the limited articulation endemic to all Deluxe Sentai robots.
51	* ImprobableWeaponUser: The Kakurangers later gain the Kakuranger Ball, a mighty football to finish off Yōkai with. [[ShoutOut Now where have we]] [[Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger heard that one before?]]
52	* InTheNameOfTheMoon:
53	-->'''Sasuke:''' "[=NinjaRed=], Sasuke!"
54	-->'''Jiraiya:''' "[=NinjaBlack=], Jiraiya!"
55	-->'''Saizou:''' "[=NinjaBlue=], Saizou!"
56	-->'''Seikai:''' "[=NinjaYellow=], Seikai!"
57	-->'''Tsuruhime:''' "[=NinjaWhite=], Tsuruhime!"
58	-->'''All:''' "Hiding from the people and slashing evil! Ninja Sentai Kakuranger, revealed!"
59	* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: Sasuke is given the [[CoolSword Hikarimaru]] sword by Sandayū that can be used to summon Tsubasamaru. He is also the first to get his Jūshō and Chōninjū. And his ''Literature/JourneyToTheWest'' counterpart just happens to be the invincible badass one.
60	* MakeMyMonsterGrow: The Yōkai absorb lightning made from depression and sadness to grow.
61	* MiniDressOfPower: Part of Ninja White's costume.
62	* MonstersOfTheWeek: The Yōkai were all based on actual Japanese mythology and folklore.
63	* {{Mook}}s: Dorodoros.
64	* TheMovie: Filmed alongside Episodes 7 and 8, but didn't premiere until after Episode 9 aired.
65	* {{Narrator}}: He appears on the screen until he got "fired" at Episode 24. In Episode 39, he was presumably injured by Dorodoros.
66	* PowerFist: The Shinobi Knuckles, the Rangers' weapons are attachments to them. As the [=JuuShou=], they get better versions of these weapons.
67	* PsychoRangers: The Flower Kunoichi Gang, introduced in Episode 15, is an all-female variant. Notably, they were also the first team of PsychoRangers who weren't simply [[EvilKnockoff Evil Knockoff]]s of the heroic rangers.
68	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Ninja White, who unlike previous girls, is the leader of the team (although Ninja Red is still the lead character).
69	* SupervillainLair: The Skull Castle, a flying ship used by Daimaō.
70	* TransformationTrinket: The Doron Changers, the first-ever handheld trinkets.
71	* VillainsActHeroesReact: As is the norm for ''Super Sentai'', we generally have a new Yokai showing up with an EvilPlan OnceAnEpisode, with our heroes then arriving on the scene to stop them.
72	%%** KatanasAreJustBetter: The Kakuremarus, the first use of katanas as sidearms.
73	%%* SwissArmyWeapon: The Kakulasers, the other sidearm.[[note]]Gun and Dagger Modes.[[/note]]
74	%%** Sasuke: [[LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe Red]] [[PrecisionGuidedBoomerang Sli]][[FuumaShuriken cer]]. Later, he gains the [[CoolSword Hikarimaru]].
75	%%** Tsuruhime: [[DeviousDaggers White Beak]]
76	%%** Saizō: [[KillItWithWater Blue Shot]]. As Blue Rogan, he gets the Rogan Shaft.
77	%%** Seikai: [[GrapplingHookPistol Yellow]] [[WolverineClaws Claw]]
78	%%** Jiraiya: [[TheStraightAndArrowPath Black Bow]]
79	%%** Ninjaman: [[KatanasAreJustBetter Ninja Sword]]
80	%%*** Samuraiman: Samurai Javelin
81
82	!!Tropes specific to Ninja Sentai Kakuranger:
83
84	* ActorAllusion: The sexy red outfit worn by Amikiri in #17 is not so different from the one actress Ami Kawai previously wore as Karsha in [[Series/KidouKeijiJiban ''Jiban'' #12]].
85	** Ittan Momen from #25 is voiced by Creator/NobuyukiHiyama, which explains why [[Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger he's riding a motorcycle and always saying 'baby'!]]
86	** #46 has a MonsterOfTheWeek that summons manga characters to battle out heroes. The most fearsome of them is played by Yoshinori Okamoto, veteran suit actor usually in the role of TheDragon (eg. [[Series/ChoudenshiBioman Biohunter Silva]]), now in a Dragon-esque role to the monster. (This is itself a CallBack to the first couple of episodes, as he also played the Original Kirigakure Saizou. Then joke then becomes Saizou getting his ass kicked by his still-unimpressed ancestor.)
87	** In #35, Tsuruhime reunites with her childhood friends Yukiyo and Tsukiyo Yamasaki to become the Punishment Sailor Sisters against the MonsterOfTheWeek. The Yamasaki sisters' actresses, Noriko Tanaka and Kei Ishibashi, had previously starred with Satomi Hirose as the main trio of ''Series/YuugenJikkouSistersShushutorian ''.
88	* AdaptationalVillainy: Some of the evil Yokai the Kakurangers battle were simply mischievous in the original myths.
89	* AlasPoorVillain: You can't help but feel a little sad that the Kakurangers had to destroy Oboroguruma.
90	* AllUpToYou: Sasuke escaped getting his powers siphoned by Daradara; so he saved the day.
91	* AmericansAreCowboys: Jiraiya, especially in episodes 3 and 38.
92	* AnimalMotifs:
93	** The ape for Sasuke
94	** The crane for Tsuruhime.
95	** The wolf for Saizō.
96	** The bear for Saikai.
97	** The toad for Jiraiya.
98	* AnimalVehicleHybrid: Nekomaru
99	* TheAtoner: Gali, Jiraiya's master, [[spoiler: murdered his father after being forced to do so by a Yōkai. He then spent the following years training Jiraiya to kill him one day.]]
100	* BabyCarriage: The Monster Of The Week in episode 10 puts Sasuke in a baby carriage, and sends it down a flight of stairs to crash into Exploding Barrels. [[spoiler: he gets out in time with rope escape ninpo]]
101	* BadLuckCharm: Kanedama distributes these in his episode in the form of coins, attaching them to houses and causing misfortune to fall upon the residents. He then poses as a "Youkai Exorcist" to try to con people into paying him to "remove" the curse (and, because he is a money-obsessed Youkai, he demands more and more from each person he "helps," to the point of ransacking houses).
102	* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Episode 32 ("Don't Lick Me, Face Thief") features a supporting character named Haruka, who wants to have her face stolen by the MonsterOfTheWeek so that she can draw a new face and be a manga princess. Sure enough, Nuppefuhofu steals Haruka's face, she draws a new one, and she's as happy as can be.... [[spoiler: Until it rains later on and her new "face" begins to "melt" as the paint gets washed off....]]
103	* BerserkButton: Don't call Ninjaman "Blue Squirt"[[note]]It's a pun: "Blue Squirt" is the direct word-by-word translation of "''Aonisai''", which can has varying meanings between "Novice", "Greenhorn" and "Sucker"[[/note]], or else you'll meet [[SuperMode Samuraiman]]!
104	--> '''BLUE SQUIRT!? NOW I'M PISSED OFF! RAGING EXPLOSION!!'''
105	* BicepPolishingGesture: Saizō and Seikai both do this in episode 13, one after the other, in the space of a couple of seconds - thing is, Saizō does it to the fleeing Kanedama ('up yours!'), and Seikai does it to everyone else ('alright!').
106	* BigDamnHeroes: In mecha fights, sometimes Tsubasamaru, and later Muteki Shogun would show up out of nowhere.
107	* BigEater: Seikai. One MonsterOfTheWeek, Gakitsuki in Episode 7, actually exploits this by entering Seikai's stomach and forcing him to eat nonstop, before causing him to bloat until he reaches kaiju size. The rest of the episode is devoted to finding a way to get the Youkai out and return Seikai to normal.
108	* BigWhat: In episode 34, Sunakake Babaa tells the rangers that if she wins, she plans on marrying the Infernal King. This gets a huge "What?" from the rangers, as well as the surprised King himself.
109	* BilingualBonus: Jiraiya's English dialogue often contains hidden jokes and snarkery.
110	* BornUnlucky: Poor Saizou. Whether it's getting duped (along with Sasuke) into opening the Seal Door, getting his car and clothes sliced apart (with a kid photographing the whole incident), he and Seikai getting turned into kappas, or getting a "Great Curse" out of a fortune cookie, it seems misfortune has it out for him, especially whenever he's the focus character.
111	* BoundAndGagged: Happens ''oh so many times'' to the heroes, sometimes with the gag too. Daimaou's Youkai Gang is a rather kinky group. Tsuruhime winds up in this predicament more than anyone as, you know, she's the girl. Sasuke ''always'' avoids this, because he's based on the guy who's never caught: [[Literature/JourneyToTheWest Sun Wukong]], and [[LawOfChromaticSuperiority he's the red one.]]
112	* BullSeeingRed: Ushioni is enraged by seeing Sasuke's red suit. He not only gets a rage-fueled SuperMode, so do all the people he turned into bull-humans throughout the episode!
113	* {{Camp}}: Well for this Sentai, you've got a... [[LargeHam super hammy]] {{Narrator}}, lots of [[HitFlash "WHAM!!" comic effect]] and a FunnyForeigner to the boot. Is it good? [[Series/Batman1966 Holy Ninja, Batman!]] [[NarmCharm IT IS!]]
114	** CerebusSyndrome: Midway of the series, however, the {{Narrator}} is gone, and the series started getting edgy and dramatic, particularly the episodes to get their final scrolls.
115	* ChristmasEpisode: Episode 45.
116	* ComedicUnderwearExposure: Happens to Saizou in Episode 17.
117	* CreditsGag: If the Youkai has a human form, the actor is credited under that role instead. For example, the (voice) actors for Kappa and Rokurokubi are in the credits as "Glasses Man" and "Sunglasses Woman".
118	* CreepyDoll: Konakijiji, the Youkai for Episode 10, gives off this vibe with his general design. He also assembles a "family" of ''literal'' creepy dolls [[spoiler: imbued with the souls he's stolen from humans.]]
119	* CrouchingMoronHiddenBadass: See Saizō's entry in the FiveManBand entry? Well, don't think he'll just end up an annoying moron. When push comes to shove, he's still a very competent ninja.
120	* CuteMonsterGirl: Karakasa, who looks like a human with face paint, even in her "monster" form.
121	* DancingMookCredits: The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZATbJR6pxk ending theme]]. Notable in that the sequence was filmed ''first'', and the song written to match it afterwards.
122	* DarkestHour: Episodes 42-44, where Daimao creates Daradara and comes closer than ever to defeating the Kakurangers.
123	* DenserAndWackier: Very much so. Compared to its [[Series/GoseiSentaiDairanger predecessor]], the series practically ran on {{Camp}}, complete with a LargeHam of a {{Narrator}}, lots of [[HitFlash "WHAM!!" comic effect]], a FunnyForeigner, and tons of cartoonish humor on BOTH ends. That is, until the [[CerebusSyndrome scroll arc kicks in]] and things got a lot more serious from there. (Hell, you could probably trace back to when Junior and the Flowery Kunochi Team made their first appearance.) Keep in mind though, the series still managed to have a lot of cartoonish moments, but there's a marked change from the beginning episodes to the later episodes, especially during the final arc.
124	* DistressedDude: Seikai tends to get into trouble and captured first amongst the team[[note]]In case you didn't notice, that's what also happened to his Journey To The West counterpart[[/note]]. Sometimes, [[BadassInDistress he COULD turn the table around, to be fair]].
125	* DocumentaryEpisode: Led by The Narrator in Episode 39, and taking the form of him and a camera crew appearing on camera. (Surprisingly, he and the camera crew actually ''get into the Youkai Mansion'' during filming.)
126	* EscapeBattleTechnique: Using their ninpo, the Kakurangers can disappear in a puff of smoke. Both the [[Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger Gokaigers]] and [[Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger Zenkaigers]] have used this technique when accessing the Kakurangers' power.
127	* ElementalPowers: These are best exemplified by the graphics of their Beast General transformations.
128	** PlayingWithFire: Sasuke
129	** BlowYouAway: Tsuruhime
130	** MakingASplash: Saizō
131	** GreenThumb: Seikai
132	** DishingOutDirt: Jiraiya
133	* [[FourTemperamentEnsemble Five Temperament Ensemble]]:
134	** Sasuke: Phlegmatic (middle of the road variety)
135	** Tsuruhime: Choleric
136	** Saizō: Melancholic
137	** Seikai: Sanguine
138	** Jiraiya: Supine
139	* ExplodingBarrels: See the Baby Carriage trope above.
140	* FamousAncestor: Every Kakuranger. Three of them are members of the Ten Braves, one of them is a famous female commander, and the other is a folk hero.
141	* {{Foreshadowing}}: At one point Sandayuu notes that Tsuruhime might one day be forced to order her teammates into death. [[spoiler:Later on, Hakumenrou ends up doing just that, for Sandayuu]].
142	* FunnyForeigner: Jiraiya combines being this and a badass. {{Justified}} as how his actor didn't really know Japanese in the beginning and had to learn throughout the filming of the show.
143	* FunWithSubtitles: The subtitles that name the Youkai will ''always'' be accompanied by an arrow pointing toward the Youkai. "This guy" -->, because ''clearly there is a possibility that they will be mistaken for someone else''.
144	* {{Gashadokuro}}: Gashadokuro is TheDragon to his father [[BigBad Daimaou]]. Fans of ''Franchise/PowerRangers'', however, will probably recognize him better as Rita Repulsa's [[{{pun}} boneheaded]] brother Rito Revolto.
145	* GratuitousEnglish: Averted by Jiraiya, played so straight that it hurts by Kappa and Rokurokubi.
146	-->'''Kappa''': Oru-kay! Hai yew! Rook oba he-yah!
147	* HellBentForLeather: Young Noble Junior's human form wears enough leather and studs to make [[Music/JudasPriest Rob Halford]] proud.
148	* HeroicLineage: The modern Kakurangers are descendants of the originals, some 24 generations down the line (in Tsuruhime's case). The modern ones all get to meet their ancestors when they get their Doron Changers - and we find out that the ancestors aren't exactly thrilled with how their descendants turned out.
149	* HighlyVisibleNinja: The team goes out and fights monsters in BROAD DAYLIGHT, and summons giants to fight giant monsters. At one point, a ''TV Crew'' documents one of their battles. They have to be the most visible ninjas ever.
150	** Their Kakuranger gear is intended for use during battles with Youkai, which are almost always highly public. Their actual ''ninja'' gear is much more subdued and what you'd expect - black gear, shin guard, bracers - except for Tsuruhime, who wears ''white''... but even that's not so visible inside a dark office building.
151	** And then there's Ninjaman... who subverts this with VoluntaryShapeshifting. Kinda hard to see a 8-centimeter-tall ninja, even if he's Ninjaman.
152	* TheHitFlash: Of the Batman "POW!" "WHAM!" type. ([[GratuitousEnglish In English, of course.]]) This is the likely reason why not much Kakuranger footage was used for Power Rangers. Frequently appears over the picture, rather than as a separate card, and is most often used when they throw their shuriken.
153	** HilariousInHindsight: Guess what got ''added in'' to the 2010 reversion of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers''?
154	* HopeSpot: [[spoiler:The Kakurangers complete their quest for the Hidden Scrolls, finally defeat Young Noble Junior using Kakure Daishogun, and destroy the Seal Door, seemingly preventing the arrival of Daimao. Sadly, they're too late, and Daimao arrives anyway to conquer Earth, taking over as the BigBad for the rest of the series.]]
155	* HumanityEnsues: The Flower Kunoichi Gang were once cats. They change back later.
156	* IneffectualSympatheticVillain: One Yōkai, Zashiki-warashi, wished to make friends with humans, including Jiraiya, rather than kill them. [[spoiler: [[TearJerker This costs him his life.]]]]
157	** When we first see Oboro-guruma (Eps. 3), he's working as a cabbie and having a spectacularly bad day. He's had his ear pulled on by a kid, his cab soiled by a nauseous drunk, and his fare meter ''ripped out'' by an ungrateful customer - at which point he snaps and changes into his Youkai form, chasing down that last guy.
158	* IWantYouToMeetAnOldFriendOfMine: #35. Tsuruhime is reunited with her two "sisters", [[Series/YuugenJikkouSistersShushutorian who have had some adventures of their own together.]]
159	* {{Karakasa}}: The MonsterOfTheWeek of the episode "Karakasa Dance Queen" is a humanoid paper umbrella resembling a beautiful young woman that tricks two pranksters into getting Saizo, Sekai, and Jiraiya to put on shoes that [[InvoluntaryDance forces them to dance]] at her command.
160	* KnightOfCerebus: Young Noble Junior. While the show still maintains plenty of comedy, and Junior has his quirks and silliness (just watch him jam out on his "guitar" and gently play on his grand piano), it's with his appearance that things begin to take a more serious turn. Junior's Youkai proves to be more formidable than those previously encountered, he displays a serious streak of ruthlessness, and his schemes see the Kakurangers come close to defeat on a few occasions. And when the Kakurangers try to directly confront him, he's absolutely no slouch in battle (as Jiraiya and Sasuke both learn the hard way). While the show would still maintain plenty of comedy, even after Junior's arrival [[spoiler: and eventual defeat]], his time on the show certainly represented a slant in a more serious direction.
161	* LadyInRed: In episode 17, Amikiri wears a sexy red dress whilst in her human form.
162	* LimitedWardrobe: Justified by the fact that the Kakurangers are traveling in a bus... But they all appear to have at least one change of clothes (Seikai tried to sell their laundry at a flea market once) and they switch to summer outfits once it's warm enough.
163	** ClothesMakeTheLegend: Their ninja gear is ''very'' limited (largely to facilitate the henshin sequence, it seems), but has apparently been passed down through the ages and is utterly distinctive.
164	** Amusingly, ''Sasuke'' seems to subvert this - his outfit changes every so often, much more than the others, but because it's always the same kind of clothes it's hard to see.
165	* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler: The mysterious masked man Hakamenrou turns out to be Tsuruhime's missing father]].
166	* MadScientist: Dr. Yugami, who first appears aiding Tengu in Episode 11, and then gets a few appearances throughout the early half of the show inventing weapons for Young Noble Junior's Youkai before [[spoiler: he is ultimately killed in Episode 31.]]
167	* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: "Super Sentai World," which stars the Kakurangers and all four of the previous Super Sentai.
168	* McNinja: Jiraiya.
169	* MoreDakka: Super Muteki Shogun
170	* MorphicResonance: The youkai in human form usually retain some aspect of their personality or appearance, such as Kappa’s goggles or Binbogami’s clown makeup. This is exploited by Saizou at one point to disguise himself as Daimaou in human form with his black cloak and glasses to trick an obsessed female youkai.
171	* MythologyGag: The close-quote of the roll call in Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger is ''very'' reminding of this series'.
172	--> '''Yousuke''': "Unknown to the people."
173	--> '''Nanami''': "Unknown to the world."
174	--> '''Kouta''': "Striking at evil from the midst of shadows!"
175	---> '''Yousuke''': "''Ninpuu Sentai...''"
176	---> '''All''': "''Hurricanger!''"
177	---> '''Yousuke'''[[note]]The line is not limited for him alone though[[/note]]: "... has arrived!"
178	** At one point Junior performs a ritual to Zashiki-Warashi evil, with the incantation "Daichi no akuryou tachi yo. Ikeru momo no subete no ikari to nikushimi wo atsume, kono zashiki-warashi ni aku no chikara wo atae yo"[[note]]Evil spirits that dwell within the earth, gather the anger and hatred of all living things, and grant evil power unto Zashiki Warashi[[/note]] This is very close to Bandora's MakeMyMonsterGrow incantation in Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger, "Daichi ni nemuru akuryou-tachi yo. (monster's name) ni chikara wo atae yo."[[note]]"Evil spirits that dwell within the earth, grant power unto (monster's name.)"[[/note]]
179	** Also when the Flower Kunoichi Gang posed as a teacher, they taught the children songs that was taught in the first episode of Series/ChikyuuSentaiFiveman by Five Yellow/Remi Hoshikawa. The 'gag' part? One of the Flower Kunoichi Gang members is played by the actress of Remi (Keiko Hayase)
180	** The line [[MemeticMutation Today is]] [[BeamMeUpScotty Fine Day]] [[MemeticMutation in California]] is probably a reference to ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'', which takes place in [[NoCommunitiesWereHarmed Angel Grove]], a town in California.
181	* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Second only to Magiranger in this, especially in the early episodes. Any hopeless situation will be quickly resolved with an all-new ninjutsu technique.
182	* NeverSayDie: You can probably count on one hand the number of times the Youkai directly say they're going to kill someone. They're usually content just to send someone to hell, or defeat them, etc. (Justified on a meta-level by how they themselves don't necessarily 'die'.)
183	* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The whole story started because Sasuke and Saizō were such decent citizens...
184	* {{Ninja}}: [[Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger They wouldn't]] [[Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger be the last.]]
185	* NoFourthWall: Beginning with Episode 25 (following the departure of the narrator), the monsters begin to explain to the audience themselves the mythology behind them.
186	** Incidentally, the narrator is an in-universe character to begin with. He at one point has to move his narration stage to avoid getting caught up in the Kakuranger's training, and on one occasion got caught up in Enra-enra's laughing gas (who then proceeds to do his own explanation).
187	* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Sasuke and Saizou, two young slackers, saw an old man getting mugged and rushed to his rescue. After driving away the muggers, they ran back to the victim only for him to use his last breaths to tell them to take his bag to a certain shrine, allowing them to keep the stacks of money insideas a reward. After following mysterious people, they find the place, only for the whole thing to have been a trick on the part of Kappa to get two descendants of the ninjas who had [[SealedEvilInACan sealed away]] the power of the Yokai (and several Yokai as well) centuries ago to unwittingly open the cage once more. Oh, and the money? Disguised cucumbers.
188	* {{Nue}}: Nue is the personal herald of [[BigBad Daimaou]] and a major KnightOfCerebus for the series, lacking the comic traits found in most of the series' previous monsters. He appeared in ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' as Hate Master.
189	* OneWingedAngel: This season is the first time we see the heroes of the series receive one each. In particular, Samuraiman is the true form of Ninjaman.
190	* OnlyOneName: The Kakurangers are never given family names on the show.
191	* PerpetualPoverty: Averted. They're hardly middle-class, but working a crepe stand through Nekomaru apparently provides enough money for five adults to survive day-to-day. The key word there is 'survive', as Saizo buying a Kei-car or Seikai selling off a change of their clothes at a flea market is a clear source of concern for them.
192	** Outright is discussed and justified by The Narrator at one point, who notes that as a traveling band of Youkai hunters, they can't just stop and work normal jobs for money.
193	** It appears that, prior to becoming scouted (read: shanghaied) by Tsuruhime, this was how Sasuke and Saizou were living.
194	* {{Portmantitle}}: ''Kakuranger'' is a combination of ''kakure'' (the Japanese word for "hiding") and ''renja'' ("ranger"). For an extra layer, throw in that ''kaku'' is what you call the angles in a polygon in Japanese, which explains the symbols each of the heroes has on their headbands.
195	* PostModernism: For whatever reason, they decided to take the show in this direction. Granted, some of the odder Yōkai abilities wouldn't easily work without it (the manga episode especially).
196	* PostModernMagik: The Youkai have evolved with the times, and take on forms more relevant to the era the show takes place in or are jokes on the legend surrounding the Youkai. Kappa wears ''swimming goggles'', Rokurokubi is a punk rocker, Oboroguruma is a cab driver in human ''and'' Youkai forms...
197	** The design theme for them was, apparently, "Bronx Yōkai".
198	* ThePowerOfRock: A villainous example, as Young Noble Junior rocks out as part of the ritual to [[spoiler: open the Seal Door and summon Daimao.]]
199	* PreAssKickingOneLiner: "Seibai!"[[note]]"Judgement!"[[/note]] Accompanied with a thumbs down.
200	** Another bit of HilariousInHindsight here: "Seibai!" is also pronounced by the [[Series/SamuraiSentaiShinkenger Shinkengers]] when using most any human-size finisher. ''Both'' probably picked it up from ''Abarenbo Shogun.''
201	* RagtagBunchOfMisfits: The Kakurangers are this ''in spades''. To boot, we have a highly-trained ninja who just so happens to be a [[spoiler: [[BlueBlood wealthy heiress]]]], a HotBlooded, childish [[TheSlacker slacker]], a bumbling fool who's [[FriendToAllChildren great with kids]], a ButtMonkey who's a notorious BigEater, and a FunnyForeigner whose badassery is tempered by his bad Japanese (but don't worry though, his English is amazing). Then they get joined by a VoluntaryShapeshifting robot ninja/samurai who was stuck in a blue vase for around 1000 years. They somehow still manage to work together to defeat and seal away the Youkai Army Corps and run a crepe shop, though it wasn't without its difficulties in the beginning.
202	* RedOniBlueOni: The Shuten Douji Brothers (who are orange and blue, but are actual Oni).
203	* SealedGoodInACan: Ninjaman, who had been sealed in a blue vase for 1,000 years after being duped into attacking humans by Daimao.
204	* SealedEvilInACan: Or, more precisely, Sealed Evil Behind the Door. This was where most of the Yōkai were when the show started, [[spoiler: and where Daimaou ended up. Justified, as ''killing'' Daimaou would result in all the Yokai being revived and him turning into a HatePlague, effectively making him more dangerous dead than he is alive.]]
205	* SeriesContinuityError
206	** Early in the series, Jiraiya claimed that he couldn't speak Japanese. Later on, we get flashbacks of Jiraiya from before he became a Kakuranger speaking perfect Japanese (unless it was just TranslationConvention).
207	** Episode 20 has Muteki Shogun speak to Sasuke and loan him his sword. A few episodes later, the Rangers (including Sasuke) are surprised to find out that Muteki Shogun is a MechanicalLifeform.
208	** There is a slight temporal discrepancy regarding when the war between the Three God Generals and the Yokai which led to Daimaou's sealing took place; #24 claims that it took place 2000 years prior, then #36 claims that it took place only 1000 years prior. The very next episode adds to this by having Daimaou celebrate his 1200th birthday.
209	* ShirtlessScene: Jiraiya in episode 9.
210	* ShooOutTheClowns: As the series got more serious, particularly when Junior and Daimao started becoming more prominent, the comedic Announcer who spoke to the audience stopped appearing.
211	* ShoutOut:
212	** Nekomaru is a cat spirit that double as a vehicle, like the [[Anime/MyNeighborTotoro CatBus]].
213	** When the Kappa is brought back to life as a cyborg he has [[Anime/MobileSuitGundam the legs of a Zaku and the right arm of a Zakrello]].
214	** Reika's participation in battle alongside Sasuke gives tribute to ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' battles. Reika herself is an homage to Mei (who was played by her actress), her twin daggers are a nod to Boi (that team's Yellow), and unlike the Kakurangers' attacks, her blows strike SwordSparks off the Dorodoros. What may be another Zyuranger nod are the non-urban shots of the Super Stealth Beasts running together.
215	** Episode 35, the whole Punishment Sailor Sisters gimmick is a parody of ''Series/YuugenJikkouSistersShushutorian'' as it serves as a reunion for Satomi Hirose (Hanako Yamabuki / Tsuruhime) with her TV sisters Noriko Tanaka (Yukiko/Yukiyo Yamabuki) and Kei Ishibashi (Tsukiko/Tsukiyo Yamabuki).
216	*** On top of that, it's chock full of ''Manga/SailorMoon'' references as well. The villains' plot is Sailor Moon-esque compared to the other episodes, the girls' Sailor costumes (Tsuruhime also gets to wear one) are a blatant visual reference, Tsuruhime and the Sisters confront the episode's Yōkai with an InTheNameOfTheMoon speech worded quite similarly to the TropeNamer's, and it's Tsuruhime (the female leader of the team and who is a colour match for Usagi more or less) who finishes off the Yōkai single-handedly.
217	** Episode 7, the Monster of the Week has the iconic outfit of [[VideoGame/FatalFury Terry Bogard]]. Also, the monster's cap has the word "Hungry" on it as a reference to Terry's moniker, "The Legendary Hungry Wolf".
218	* SomethingPerson: Ninjaman / Samuraiman is a rare example of a Sentai hero following this trope.
219	* StockNinjaWeaponry: Shuriken shows up, wielded by all of the rangers. Most are of them are small. Each ranger has unique shuriken which resembles their ranger symbol. [=NinjaRed=] also has a FuumaShuriken, with his first HumongousMecha wielding a bigger version (it can double as a shield) that it rolls at enemies to kill them. The rangers also use {{Caltrops}} on a few occasions. Each of them has a wakizashi in Ranger form, and finally [=NinjaRed=]'s third Humongous Mecha wields a pair of ninja-to.
220	* TheStoic: Jiraiya doesn't talk much since "He can't speak Japanese!" (He gets better later on).
221	* {{Synchronization}}: If Daradara is injured, Ninjaman is injured instead. He can only be injured instead if [=Daimaou=] is injured.
222	* TakenForGranite: [[spoiler: Daimao subjects Hakumenro to this once he discovers that Hakumenro has been PlayingBothSides, having only pretended to betray humanity in order to investigate the Youkai from within.]]
223	* TeamPet: Nekomaru, their... bus. He even has its own theme song.
224	* ThemeNaming: Each Kakuranger is named after a ninja from actual Japanese folklore. Justified - they're all descended from said ninjas, and their names are taken from their ancestors.
225	** Sasuke: Named after Sarutobi Sasuke.
226	** Jiraiya: Named after the hero of the folktale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari.
227	** Saizō: Named after Kirigakure Saizō.
228	** Seikai: Named after Miyoshi Seikai.
229	** Tsuruhime: Named after Ōhōri Tsuruhime. (referred to as Shodai Tsuruhime)
230	*** Also applies to the Flower Kunoichi Gang, where every one of them has a flower name (Ayame = iris, Sakura = cherry flower, Suiren = water lily, Yuri = lily - the regular kind - , Ran = orchid)
231	* ThisIsUnforgivable: Practically a OnceAnEpisode utterance, most commonly said when the Kakurangers confront the MonsterOfTheWeek and call them out for their crimes.
232	* TokenGoodTeammate: EXTREMELY downplayed in the case of Karakasa, a late-season youkai who had a personality more befitting that of those early in the season, evil but more comic relief than most of the late-season youkai. Played straight with Oboroguruma who just wanted to be a cab driver. If people would have treated him fairly, he wouldn't have snapped and the Kakurangers wouldn't have had to intervene.
233	* {{Tuckerization}}: The one-shot character Reika is played by Reiko Chiba ([[Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger who played a Sentai warrior two years ago]]).
234	* VanityLicensePlate: Nekomaru's license plate is "Shinagawa-56 Go 5656" - '56' can be read as 'goro', and 'goro-goro' is the Japanese onomatopoeia for 'purring'.
235	** Similarly, Oboro-guruma has 459HEL (which wouldn't be legal in Japan...). '459' = 'shigoku' = 'Jigoku' = Hell. Kind of a blink-and-you-miss-it, since it's only really visible when he's giant-sized.
236	* WanderingTheEarth: Unlike most ''Super Sentai'' where the battles take place in a CityOfAdventure, the Kakuranger actually travels across ''all of Japan'', finding and stopping Youkai.
237	* WeaksauceWeakness: Noppe'rabou is a FleshGolem in the modern age, and can revive himself by rejoining his individual parts. Then Samuraiman steps on his abdominal flap, resulting in his reviving normally... and he explodes and dies, apparently feeling the chill through his belly.
238	* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: Averted with Karakasa, the umbrella queen monster whose monster form still looked extremely human. Some speculate that her incredibly human appearance is why she was never used in Power Rangers.
239	* WorstNewsJudgmentEver: Mokumokuren and Nurikabe's purchasing expensive jewelry with ''potatoes'' temporarily turned into cash, makes the paper. However, the show takes it a few steps further, by making it Jiraiya's ''English-language'' newspaper and putting the article in the world news section.
240	* WouldHurtAChild: The Youkai are perfectly willing to target children, but one who really stands out for this is Bakeneko in Episode 8 who kidnaps children in order to [[spoiler: ''chop them up and serve them for other Youkai to eat!'']] And the Youkai only get ''worse'' from there.
241	* {{Youkai}}: The villains are all these. Every major one of them, sans Yugami and the Flower Kunoichi Gang refers to a creature of Japanese myth.

Context Series / NinjaSentaiKakuranger