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The original five that started it all.
"Gonin sorottenote ... Gorenger!"

The one that started it all.

Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (Secret Squadron Gorengernote ) was the first entry in the Super Sentai franchisenote , airing from 1975 to 1977, lasting 84 episodes and a movie (longer than any of its successors). The Title Theme Tune was performed by Isao Sasaki and Mitsuko Horie.

The evil terrorist group known as the Black Cross Army is threatening the world, so the Earth Guard League (EAGLE) is set up to defend it. The Black Cross Army destroys EAGLE's bases in Japan, but five secret agents survive, using superpowered battle suits to become Gorenger, and take revenge against the forces of evil.

On November 2, 2020, Seven Seas Entertainment announced that it will be releasing the Gorenger manga drawn by Shotaro Ishinomori. The manga was released on April 20, 2021.

An original tie-in film, Himitsu Sentai Gorenger: The Bomb Hurricane!, premiered July 18, 1976.


Recurring Super Sentai tropes:

  • By the Power of Grayskull!: The Gorengers use "Go!" as their transformation call.
  • Calling Your Attacks: The Gorangers usually call out their weapons' name and attacks when attacking such as "Red Bute".
  • Cool Bike: The Gorenger Machines, which consist of one solo bike for Tsuyoshi (the Red Machine) and two sidecar-equipped bikes for the rest of the team (Akira's Blue Machine and Kenji's Green Machine, which are shared with Daita and Peggy respectively). The Gorenger Machines are later destroyed and replaced with the Star Machines, which also consisted of one solo bike (the Red Star) and two sidecar bikes (the Blue Star and the Green Star).
  • Color Character: The codenames used each member's respective color as the head word and the word "Ranger"/"Renger" as the tail. Unlike the majority of Sentai shows from Denziman and onward, except Ninninger, the codenames used the Japanese names for the colors instead of English ones (i.e. "Aka" instead of "Red").
  • Defeat Equals Explosion: Justified in that the monsters are taken out by the Goranger Storm/Hurricane, which is essentially an elaborate bomb.
  • In the Name of the Moon
    Tsuyoshi: "Akaranger!"
    Akira: "Aoranger!"
    Daita: "Kiranger!"
    Peggy: "Momoranger!"
    Kenji: "Midoranger!"
    Kaijo: "Gonin sorottenote ..."
    All: "Goranger!"
  • Law of Chromatic Superiority: Suit design-wise, there are several things which make Tsuyoshi stand out as leader among the Gorengers.
    • He is numbered "1", shown twice on his suit,
      • He has a yellow "V" shape across his chest, while those of his teammates (the amount depending on their number) are colored red (although red stripes wouldn't show up on his suit).
      • A gold "1" is placed atop his visor with eagle wings coming off from it. These wings are lacked by the other Gorenger's, with the color of the number being silver for the other men and red for Momo Ranger.
    • His collar is much taller than the other four.
    • While Akira, Daita, and Kenji have black visors, Tsuyoshi has a blue visor, while Peggy's is red.
    • He wears white boots and gloves, this is shared by Peggy, while the other men have black boots and gloves.
  • The Smurfette Principle: Peggy, who not only wears pink, but has a red valentine heart-shaped visor on her helmet and uses the earrings on her helmet as small grenades. However, the Gorengers are assisted by a secret agent named Yōko Katō, who serves as the show's second heroine. Yōko even wears the Momo Ranger suit in two different episodes.
  • What Measure Is a Non-Human?: Every battle seems to end with "shoot the monster in the back while he's trying to escape."
  • Villains Act, Heroes React: Establishing this as norm for the franchise, we generally have the Black Cross sending out a MOTW with an Evil Plan Once an Episode, with our heroes then arriving on the scene to stop them.


Tropes Specific to Gorenger:

  • The Chew Toy: Daita seems to be the team member who most often has the bad luck in the team.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: At the start of the series, Commander Edogawa is assisted by three female secret agents who help out the Rangers. Their names are Yōko Katō (007), Tomoko Hayashi (008) and Haruko Nakamura (009). After several episodes, Tomoko and Haruko stop showing up completely and only Yōko remains as a regular character. In episode 32 the Gorangers suddenly have a Team Pet, a talking mynah bird named Gon, who disappears as inexplicably as they first appeared after episode 62.
  • Cool Airship: The Variblune, which is destroyed in #42 and replaced by the Varidorin during the same episode.
  • Cool Helmet: The Gorengers' helmets are distinguished by their numbers and distinctive visors from which their weapons are summoned.
  • Clipped-Wing Angel: In the final episode, Black Cross Fuhrer transforms into Black Cross Castle. Despite being a gigantic warship, being filled with explosives makes him vulnerable of exploding just by being rammed and crashed by the New Gorenger Machines.
  • Death by Irony: In the second half, some of the Goranger Hurricane finishers have the monsters die in funny ways.
  • Deus ex machina: Episode 29 has Tsuyoshi stuck in a trap that will kill him if he doesn't get out in time. This is resolved by having him use the Drill Bute to dig out. However, this is the first and only appearance of the drill, and there is absolutely no build-up or scene showing that his weapon could do that, and we never see the Drill Bute again.
  • Doomsday Device: Many episodes have the Gorangers foiling the Black Cross Army's latest weapon of mass destruction.
  • Dying as Yourself: Episode 73 has the monster Kendo Mask, who follows the bushido code of honor, begin to express disgust on the Black Cross Army's ways, resulting in him being gravely wounded and brainwashed by cybernetic implants. By the end he recovers his own self and accepts his defeat at the hands Gorengers, committing seppuku.
  • Early-Installment Weirdness: No giant robot, no Transformation Trinket (they'd just yell "Go!" while jumping or turning around.)
    • Temujin's Early-Bird Cameo in #20 shows him with a simple all-black suit rather than the military uniform he would later wear.
  • Elite Mooks: The Black Cross Army Stealth Corps (featured in Episode 64 and onward).
  • Eye Catch: Gorenger's eyecatch features illustrations of the Gorenger team.
  • Homage: To The Benny Hill Show of all things in Episode 70, which has a scene where Kenji, Peggy and Daita replace a car's flat tire in fast-motion.
  • Fake Crossover: In a stage show at Korakuen Yuenchi, the Gorengers received a helping hand fighting the Black Cross Army from Kamen Rider Stronger.
  • Genius Bruiser: Daita Ooiwa, a master of judo and skilled engineer.
  • Home Base: The Gorenger Room hidden underneath Snack Gon.
  • Humanoid Abomination: Black Cross Fuhrer can take human form, either gender, if he wishes to.
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: Each title has the name of a color in it.
  • Improbable Weapon User:
    • The Gorengers fight with standard weapons, but when it comes time to finish of the monster, they summon a mighty... soccer ball. Which somehow causes the enemy to explode by beaning him in the head.
    • Later on, they use the Gorenger Hurricane: an American football with fins on it, which rather than exploding turns into whatever the villains fear or are weak against. More recent fans will probably remember it as the move that turned into a garbage truck in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger's first episode. As homage, Ressha Sentai Toqger's team cannon does the same thing.
  • Jet Pack: The Birdies. Small rockets that can be extended from the Goranger's belts to allow them to fly.
  • Kiai: The Zolders shout out a distinctive "hoi" whenever they attack their victims.
  • Literal Surveillance Bug: Used in several episode. Tsuyoshi and Peggy use one in episode 11 to listen in on Boat Ear Mask's plot. In episode 41, Iron Man Mask uses a spider-shaped one to spy on an EAGLE scientist the Gorangers are meeting with, but Tsuyoshi notices it. Later, he realizes that it had left a spiderweb in the room that was also a bug. In the second half of the show, Peggy gains a remote-controlled surveillance drone that looks like a pink butterfly which she uses in several episodes. She also uses a tracking device that looks like a rhinoceros beetle in episode 58.
  • Market-Based Title: Was called Star Rangers when it was broadcast in the Philippines.
  • Mid-Season Upgrade: The Gorangers upgrade their gear several times during the show but the biggest examples is Episode 43, which is the first episode of the second half of the show, has the rangers get brand new suits when the blueprints for their old suits are stolen and they face a monster that can actually cut through their suits. With the new suits they get improved or entirely new weapons. Peggy also upgrades the ball they use for their finishing move, changing it to a football and calling the finishing move the Goranger Hurricane. Before they use the new suits for the first time, Edogawa also gives them new matching helmets to wear in their unpowered forms. It also is the first time the rangers use their new team vehicles, the varidreen and the varitank, which showed up in the previous episode, but weren't used. Even the Big Bad gets an upgrade, transforming from his cloaked form to his headdress form, though he doesn't actually fight in that form.
  • Praetorian Guard: Golden Mask has two imperial guards who are always on his side.
  • Real Life Writes the Plot: Ōiwa Daita's temporary replacement.
  • Redshirt Army: If you are a member of EAGLE but are not a Gorenger, YOU WILL DIE. This kicks off on day one, with each Gorenger-to-be being the sole survivor of his or her respective base, which is indeed what leads to them being made the Gorengers.
  • Shot at Dawn: Sun Halo Mask orders his minions to fake an attempted execution by shooting in order to pull a Wounded Gazelle Gambit on the Gorangers. Iron Man Mask Temujin orders his own execution in one episode due to too many of his plans failing but the Furher interrupts. Several times the Black Cross Army attempts to execute captured characters by shooting but they are always interrupted.
  • Snarky Non-Human Sidekick: Team Pet Gon the mynah bird enjoys teasing Daita when he has trouble solving riddles.
  • Spell My Name With An S: The team's name is spelled "Gorenger" on their various arsenal and even on Commander Edogawa's patch. However, some translations has the name spelled as "Goranger".
  • Spy Fiction: The theme of the Gorangers. Both EAGLE and the Black Cross Army make heavy usage of spies to steal information and weapons from each other. Many spies in the show use typical spy gadgets like disguised communicators and LiteralSurveillanceBugs. And the monsters of the week often have villainous plans that wouldn't be out of place a typical spy movies.
  • Strapped to a Rocket: In one episode Akaranger has to be rescued after he is captured by the enemy and trapped inside of an H-Bomb.
  • "Super Sentai" Stance: Surprisingly the stance in the lead image isn't used until very late in the series.
  • Supervillain Lair: The Black Cross Castle. It's later learned the Fuhrer is actually a part of the castle itself.
  • Tag Along Kid: Yoko’s brother Taro, who would ask Oiwa riddles Once an Episode.
  • Tank Goodness: The Varitank. It gets a song!
  • Team Pet: An annoying mynah bird named Gon who likes to tease Daita appears at the Snack Gon restaurant in several episodes.
  • Theme Music Power-Up: The Gorangers' theme usually pops up whenever they're fighting the enemy at their best.
  • Theme Naming: The first syllable of each of the original rangers' family namenote  form the name "Kashiopea", as in "Cassiopeia".
  • Tonight, Someone Dies: Daigorō Kumano's final episode was titled "Crimson Special Attack!! Yellow Ranger Dies at Sunset".
  • Too Dumb to Live: One victim of the week. If you're being chased by a pink telephone monster, and as soon as you think you've ditched it you notice a giant pink telephone... you probably shouldn't use it to make a call.
  • Trademark Favorite Food:
    • Daita and his love of curry, to the extent that Homages in other shows would reference the rollcall first and this second.
    • For Daigorō, it's Neapolitan spaghetti.
  • Villain Song: "Demonic Black Cross Army"
  • Would Hurt a Child: At one point, the Gorengers' commander is surprised to find out that the Black Cross Army actually would stoop to harming children.
  • You Can't Fight Fate: In the last episode, Golden Mask (and even Tusyoshi) warn the Black Fuhrer not to attack because astrology predictions says with the way everything is aligned, he will lose. The Fuhrer decides to go out anyway just to prove the logic wrong, and naturally, the rangers kill him off.

 
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Interrupted training

Tohoku-based EAGLE soldiers were attacked by Black Cross Army forces led by Warrior Mask at Uyu Mountain. Zolders conducted the attack with frag grenades that suspiciously look like Stielhandgranates.<br><br><br><br>EAGLE soldier Akira Shinmei was the only soldier who survived the ambush, although being beaten by WM.

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