Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (Science Squadron Dynaman) is the seventh Super Sentai, which aired from 1983 to 1984. It was the first to utilize spandex suits.It begins when Hokuto Dan, a kendo master and an inventor, received an invitation from the famous Dr. Yumeno. On the way, he witnesses a strange creature attacking innocent people. He attempts to help; along the way, he encounters other inventors that also received similar invitations: fencer Rei Tachibana, swimmer Yousuke Shima, cowboy Kousaku Nangou and later ninja Ryuu Hoshikawa. While they are able to fend off the strange creatures, the creatures overwhelm them and throw them out to sea. However, they survive and make it to the place where Dr. Yumeno resided... a Kindergarten.The Kindergarten soon turns out to be the Yumeno Invention Center in disguise. Yumeno called them because he had sensed the rise of the Jashinka Empire, the forces that attacked the five on the way to the invention center. The only force that can stop them is the Science Squadron Dynaman, and these five are the chosen warriors! Like their predecessors, they don't have second thoughts to the prospect of becoming allies of justice and immediately agree to Dr. Yumeno's offer. Thus, the Dynamen's battle against the Jashinka Empire begins!Before there wasMighty Morphin' Power Rangers, this show actually received a Gag Dub by the Americans on the USA Network. It was very silly, but fun in its own way.Toru Ohira, who has been narrating the series up until this time, would leave from narrating the series after this installment, until he came back narrating Zyuranger.
The Dynamen are:
Hokuto Dan (Dyna Red): The Hero and Master Swordsman. An engineer who seeks to invent a clean-engine.
Yōsuke Shima (Dyna Blue): The Kid Appeal Character; a water sportsman and ocean engineer who wishes to make artificial gills. Excels at water combat, but is a sore loser.
Kōsaku Nangō (Dyna Yellow): The Big Guy; a cowboy and botanist who wishes to discover new breeds of plants.
Cool Car: The Dyna Machine for the rest of the team.
Custom Uniform: Dyna Red, Blue, and Pink have yellow trim on their suits. Respectively, Dyna Black's suit has red trim instead while Dyna Yellow's suit has black trim. There are otherthreeYellow Rangers that have black trim, in place of yellow, on their suits, not counting Luka Millfy's version of Gao Yellow.
Home Base: This was the Yumeno Invention Center, which also doubled as a Kindergarten. This made Zenobia's debut a Kick the Dog moment for her.
Humongous Mecha: Three mecha components again, only this time Red was the only who got an individual mecha, while the rest were shared between two members each.
Combining Mecha: Dyna Mach (Red) + Dyna Mobile (Black and Blue) + Dyna Garry (Yellow and Pink) = Dyna Robo
The Movie: The Dynaman film was later shown during the course of the actual series as Episode 32, although chronologically it takes place before Chimera joins Jashinka in Episode 8.
Action Girl: While most Sentai heroines previous to Dynaman can hold her own, Rei is the first to be more focused in fighting and more capable on holding on her own.
All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Subverted, Zenobia debuts by discovering the Dynaman's headquarters and swiftly attacking it, but the attack didn't destroy the base. Unfortunately, the base's location still ends up leaked so the Dynaman had to abandon it.
Anti-Hero: The Dark Knight is heavily Type V, while he has no obligation with the Dynaman, he still occasionally attacks the Jashinka Empire on his own accord. Until Zenobia and Aton falls and he reveals that he is actually Megiddo in disguise. Then he drops the 'Hero' part and once again becomes a thorough villain.
Cat Fight: Unlike the previous show, Chimera doesn't just shareRei's abilities and such... they come to direct blows at times. Hell, during the final battle, they specifically fight one-on-one while the male Dynamen fought Megiddo.
Fanservice: At one point, Rei and Chimera had a fight which end up slowly stripping them to nothing but bikinis. (they transform to stop).
Fantastic Caste System: The Jashinka are ranked by the number of tails they have; for reference, the mooks have one, while Aton has nine and desires ten.
Gag Dub: Aired as Dynaman in the U.S. in 1988; this was the first exposure to Super Sentai in the U.S. (outside Hawaii and parts of California.)
The Juggernaut: Mammoth Shinka, so much of a Juggernaut that the Jashinka Empire sealed him, and when released, even Megiddo cannot control him.
Jumped at the Call: In a way. Like the previous team, Hokuto, Hoshikawa, Shima, Nangou and Rei has no qualms of becoming allies of justice after exposition, but since being a Dynaman doubles as resuming their duties as scientists... it's not exactly 'old-life abandoning'.
Karmic Death: Zenobia gets the Retro Gene to get a tenth tail, only to fall victim to its side-effects.
Lady of War: Rei is a pretty handy with a rapier and... well did we mention her flowery motif?
Last Name Basis: Same like the last season, although there were slips. The boys are usually called on their surnames, "Dan, Hoshikawa, Shima and Nango". The sole girl is sometimes referred as "Rei", or like the rest, her surname "Tachibana".
Magical Security Cam: Dr. Yumeno's computer can capture footage from unlikely places.
Also applies to Yōsuke, with only a very subtle difference in surnames between himself and Hurricane Red from Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger (Dyna Blue = Yōsuke Shima; Hurricane Red = Yōsuke Shīna).
Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: One episode had Ryuu accidentally steal Chimera's clothes. In retaliation, Chimera had a Monster of the Week put a voodoo curse on anyone wearing RED (same color as her clothes). And it expands to other colors too...
Well Done Son Guy: A villainous example: Aton, slain by Megiddo, names his son as successor with his dying breath.
What Could Have Been: Early production material indicates that this was supposed to have been a baseball-themed Sentai. There are still some remnants of this — note the baseball-uniform-esque designs of the suits, the sound of the crack of a bat in the theme song, and the use of "Grand Slam" as the Invocation for the Combining Mecha.
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