Series / Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

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"The Samurai Sentai authorized by Providence!"

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger^note "Shinken" translates in English as "True Sword" and refers to a sword used in battle rather than training is the 33rd program in the Super Sentai series, airing from 2009 to 2010. The Title Theme Tune was once again performed by Psychic Lover.

Since ancient times, the Shiba Clan have been fighting against the monstrous hordes of the Gedoushu^note "Heretic Party": the demons that emerge from crevices to attack humans. When the 18th head of the Shiba Clan, Takeru Shiba, learns that the leader of the Gedoushu is close to regaining his full power, he is reluctantly forced to summon four others from his retainer families as back-up and form the Shinkenger.

Together, they protect the world from the Gedoushu using the power of "Mojikara"^note "Character Power"; as in "letters" or in this case, "Kanji", an ancient magic based upon the drawing of certain characters. They are later joined by Genta Umemori, mediocre sushi chef, Mojikara prodigy and childhood friend of Takeru who had been secretly training himself as the sixth Shinkenger.

As for the Super Sentai tradition of themes and motifs, Shinkenger picks up the Japanese Jidaigeki^note Period dramas 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 Please understand that all translations are by no means the ONLY way to translate the words in question, and if your sources of choice (Fansub or dictionaries) varies, it is likely not wrong - it us just chosen another wording. Please offer any alternate translations on the discussion page

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.

It was adapted in America as Power Rangers Samurai.

Aired alongside the Kamen Rider series Kamen Rider Decade, which it shared a crossover with, and then Kamen Rider Double in the Super Hero Time block.

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Recurring Super Sentai tropes:

• All Your Powers Combined: The GoRinDan^note "Five-Ring Bullet".
  • Also "Goju no tachi"^note Five Swords.
  • 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 Grayskull!: "Shodo Phone! ^note "Calligraphy Phone!" Ippitsu Soujou!"^note "Imperial Report!"
  • Genta: "Ikkan Kenjou!"^note "Consistent Presentation!"
• Calling Your Attacks
• Color Character: Another "[team prefix] [English color]" Sentai.
• Colour-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. There was also its crossover with Kamen Rider Decade, spanning two weeks and both their shows (though Decade didn't factor in too much in Shinkenger save for cameos at the end.)
• 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?
• Home Base: The Shiba clan mansion, the only place Gedoushu can't creep in because of the "Shu"^note "Protect" Mojikara.
• Humongous Mecha
  • A Mech by Any Other Name: Origami^note 折神, a portmanteau of origami (折り紙) and kami (神), a pun on how powerful spirits and paper are both called kami but with different kanji..
  • Combining Mecha
    • Shishi^note Lion Origami + Ryū^note Dragon Origami + Kame^note Turtle Origami + Kuma^note Bear Origami + Saru^note Ape Origami = Shinken-oh
    • Kabuto^note Beetle Origami + Kajiki^note Marlin Origami + Tora^note Tiger Origami = Daitenku
  • Transforming Mecha
  • The Ebi^note Prawn Origami, which transforms into Daikaioh
  • The Ushi^note Bull 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^note With "Onajiku"/"Similarly", though some subs use "The Same".
  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!"
  • 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^note Also, unlike in Shinkenger, Takeru is the last to state his roll call.
  • 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 all-red MogyuDaiOh, the supposedly "Alpha" Origami which he controls alone.
• 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 items, like Super and Hyper longcoats and Mogyu Bazooka, though that at least was created in the modern day as opposed to feudal Japan.
• 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).
• Mini Dress Of Power: Part of the Shinkenger girls' suits. Of course, this also holds true for the female Shinken Red.
• 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"^note Nameless Company, and the giant versions "ONanashi Renju" and "Ozora Nanashi Renju"^note "Great Sky Nanashi Renju".
  • There are Armless Biped Mooks (with More Teeth than the Osmond Family) called Nosakamata that functions as ranged support rather than Elite Mooks.
  • The Movie pits the Shinkengers against the "Kusare Gedoushu"^note "Corrupted 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 Jidaigeki 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.
  • This even extends to the villains. The main baddies are each based on one of the Shichi Fukujin (Seven Lucky Gods), the Monsters of the Week are based on youkai, and their home is the Sanzu River, which the dead must cross to reach the Underworld in Japanese belief.
• The Movie: Shinkenger the Movie: The Fateful War, with Jidaigeki elements played up even further.
  • Direct to Video: Come Back! Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: Special Act, which takes place some time between Act 43 and Act 44.
• Mythology Gag: As lampshaded in a later series, this isn't the first Super Sentai to have a hero with a kanji-shaped visor.
• Narrator: Hironori Miyata narrates the series, but he's not as prevalent as he was in Dairanger and Hurricaneger. Miyata 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..." Catch-Phrase: "Now, forward!"^note "Iza mairu!"/"Now, go (forth)!"
• 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 examples of recurring elements from the main Super Sentai page:
  • Bride-attacking Episode: Act 8; Mako and Ryuunosuke posing as the bride. This episode also serves as Foreshadowing for Dayuu's motivations and Backstory. And we're just getting started.
  • Episode 9 gives a Ranger Brainwashing episode, with, of course, Shinken Blue being the victim. It also serves to give us a reason why Takeru is the leader aside from the Law of Chromatic Superiority through Juzo's comments on Takeru's stance and fighting style, Takeru's victory over Ryunosuke and the risk he took in freeing him from the spell.
  • Episode 10, new combination: DaiTenkuu Gattai, which can fly. The episode also serves to provide both Chiaki and Jii with character development.
  • Villains duplicating heroes: Act 15; an Ayakashi posing as Chiaki to alienate him and strike at the heroes when their guard is down.
  • Episode 17, Sixth Ranger joins: EXACTLY when Genta makes his debut. Kaoru's much later appearance as an 11th-Hour Ranger is certainly a lot less common, and thus doesn't count.
  • Episode 20, new Humongous Mecha: Genta introduces us to DaiKaiOh. The episode also serves as an indicator of how far the heroes have come as true companions, as well as cementing Genta's place in the team even further.
  • 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. The next episode also serves as a partial deconstruction due to Genta's trauma, though it's mostly Played for Laughs.
  • Around Episode 30, new stronger enemy: Not really Act 30, but Act 26 introduces Akumaro, perhaps the second most powerful of the Gedoushu. He also brings with him his own, stronger Ayakashi, thus raising the stakes even further. He serves as a Foil for Dokoku in a Red Oni,Blue Oni relationship. His ultimate goal also differs greatly from his supposed master, which is also a recurring element in Sentai.
  • Monster disables every rangers except one, who finishes it off: Act 41; Kotoha defeating a monster which drove all other Shinkengers into a crazed state of hunger and thirst, while Takeru was out of commission after being smacked down by Dokoku in the previous episode.This serves as Character Development for Kotoha, since she now has to take matters into her own hands after being saved by her comrades occasionally, such as when she had her soul stolen. There's also her getting over her Heroic Self-Deprecation and moving Takeru out of his Ineffectual Loner stage.
  • Heroes Brought Down to Normal: Act 49; While they don't lose the ability to transform, Dokoku's sheer power has them revert back to normal when they kill him the first time. They spend a good portion of the finale without transforming including part of the final battle against Mooks, the role call, and even the final mecha battle. This is Justified by the Shinkengers wanting to conserve as much Mojikara as possible. This is perhaps the greatest evidence there is to their Determinator status.
  • For the most part, Shinkenger seems to play with these recurring plot points, giving them a purpose beyond just filler, tradition and Merchandise-Driven demands, usually in the form of Character Development. Appropriate, given this season's heavy emphasis on such development.
• Theme Music Power-Up: Either through the opening theme or the "standard" action theme^note Each season has its own "action theme", aside from the opening theme which is often used in the same manner.
• 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, Takeru ends up being replaced by Kaoru as Shinken Red for a while, resulting in half of the team being female during that period.
• Villains Act, Heroes React: As is the norm for Super Sentai, we generally have the Gedoushu sending out a MOTW with an Evil Plan Once an Episode, with our heroes then arriving on the scene to stop them.
• Weapon-Based Characterization
  • 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^note Blazing Great Slicing Sword. Normally a giant sword, but it can switch into its Ozutsu Mode when using all 5 of the main Shinkenger's Hiden Disks for its Finishing Move.
    • Ryunosuke: Water Arrow
    • Mako: Heaven Fan
    • Chiaki: Wood Spear
    • Kotoha: Land Slicer
  • Genta: Sakanamaru & DaiGoyo.^note His weapons aren't strange, but unorthodox enough. Also, while DaiGoyo comes with a Jutte, DaiGoyo himself is used as a shield.
  • Hyper Shinkenger: Kyoryumaru
  • Super Shinkenger: Mogyu Bazooka

Tropes specific to Samurai Sentai Shinkenger:

• 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 on his chest.
  • Romi Park's previous role in the equally Jidaigeki-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'.
  • Ryuunosuke's worst fear is, oddly, cacti. Ironically, one of Aiba's previous roles cast him as Fuji Shuusuke in The Prince of Tennis musicals, a character who loves cacti and owns quite a number of them.
• Adoptive Peer Parent: Shiba Kaoru, the actual 18th head of the Shiba clan adopts Takeru to make him the 19th, when she's 17 and he's about 6-8 years older.
• All for Nothing: The plan of the 17th Shiba head, Kaoru's father. He had sacrificed himself to temporarily seal Dokoku and established a decoy for his family to give his daughter enough time to perfect the sealing character, only for it all to be for naught when Dokoku gained an immunity to the seal by absorbing a dying Dayuu. In addition to all of Kaoru's training going to waste, Dokoku learns about her existence, negating all of Takeru's actions as her decoy, including lying to his friends. Tanba, Kaoru's retainer, outright said that the plan was a complete failure. On top of that, because the plan required both the real and fake heads to learn the same element for secrecy, when Kaoru's sealing attempt went bust, she couldn't even join as a seventh Shinkenger after reinstating Takeru as Shinken Red due to having only one Fire disk available, effectively benching Kaoru for the rest of the series.
• Alliterative Title: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.
• 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: The Monster of the Week switches the consciousness of people into inanimate objects, trapping them there without the ability to move or communicate. What's worse, they'll die if the object is destroyed.
  • Implied to be the fates of the man who rejected Dayuu and the family members of Juzo, as their souls are locked inside the shamisen and Uramassa, respectively. Until those souls are released, that is.
• Applied Phlebotinum: Mojikara^note "Character Power", 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^note Just a pep talk, but it helped.
  • 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.
• Ass Kicking 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" Catchphrase.
• 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: After telling everyone that she adopted Takeru and made him the 19th head of the Shiba Clan, Kaoru commands everyone to bow to her newly adopted son. Even Tanba has no choice but to bow to him.
• 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^note Though his character has been compensated with so many achievements and antics since his appearance. After revealing more or less of the others' backgrounds, it'd be interesting to see her interaction with her sister. It seems she finally got it in Act 41.
• 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 Longcoat: The Super Mode attire, a white longcoat with the Kanji "Shin"^note "True" 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 (except for Yogoshimacritein), just pure saints^note They are antagonists, but at least they take good care of their monsters.
  • 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...
  • Also of note is the Ushi Origami: supposedly older than the entire Shinkenger line, it has dual-gattling cannons installed on it.
  • The first generation of Shinkengers used wooden cellphones 500 years ago.
• 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. To elaborate, Takeru planned for Mako to get caught as a bride, then get revealed, prompting the Ayakashi to kidnap the bride again... only to have Ryunosuke POSE as the bride, then expected Mako to get threatened and reveal a false location of the brides, then just merely sends out shadows of his team to approach the false location while he uses Ryunosuke's information to get into the real location.
  • Chiaki's plan in Act 27, which is to purposely get hit by the Ayakashi's tendrils so that Kotoha forces the Ayakashi and Chiaki to switch bodies and then force the Ayakashi to tell them how to quickly return everyone's souls to their proper bodies.
  • Akumaro tries to pull off a seriously long term one revealed in Acts 42 and 43. His plan for Hell on Earth requires someone who is neither human nor Gedoshuu. So he finds Juzo and gives him Uramasa, only to reveal two centuries later that it contains the souls of his dead family, and that going through with his plan will release their souls. It qualifies as a Batman Gambit because it relied on Juzo caring about the souls of his loved ones. Unfortunately for Akumaro, it turns out he doesn't.
• Beam Spam: The Kabuto Origami's headgear can fire a barrage of lasers.
• Berserk Button: Go ahead. Put Kotoha in mortal danger. Should work out fine with the rest of the Samurai.
  • A comical example is Ryunosuke's attachment to his parents; call him "Faza-kon"^note "Father complex" or "Maza-kon"^note "Mother complex" and he'll be fired up in seconds.
  • Go ahead. Ruin Akumaro's 200-year plan for Hell on Earth. But don't say I didn't warn you...
• BFG: Rekka Daizantou - Ozutsu^note "Bazooka", but literally "Big gun" Mode
  • The IkaTenkuu Buster, a gun at mecha scale.
  • Last, but not least, the Mogyu Bazooka, which can also be enlarged to mecha-scale!
• BFS: Rekka Daizantou. The prop is big enough^note judging by a scale comparison using a pic of the suit actor holding the sword next to him, it's approximately eight feet tall 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 yanks the Akayashi that's stolen Kotoha's soul out of the Sanzu to properly address their grievances with him.
  • 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)... Well, he almost died, so who can blame him?
• Bittersweet Ending: The series ends with Dokoku gone for good and the Sanzu River receding back into the Underworld. However, the Vassals all go their separate ways afterwards, leaving Takeru by himself as Kaoru tasks him with keeping up the fight against the Gedoshuu. The series caps off with Takeru wondering what in the world to do now, dismissing Jii's suggestions of hobbies and thinking of his friends. Though on a more hopeful note, the narrator teases that the Shinkengers will meet again...
• Bizarre Taste in Food: Juzo actually likes Genta's sushi. Everyone else who tastes it considers it So Okay, It's Average.
• 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: In Acts 44 and 45, it's revealed that Takeru is a kagemusha for the true 18th head, Shiba Kaoru. He is later adopted by Kaoru and made her official successor in Act 48.
  • Used by the samurai when Dayuu captures Mako and forces her to lead them into a trap. The others creates doubles of themselves, who go running into a building wired with explosives.
• 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.
  • Takeru Shiba in the Goseiger vs. Shinkenger movie. The creepy vibes and his vicious attacks make this example... unsettling to say the least.
• Break His Heart to Save Him: In Act 22, a rich heir named Yoshibou falls in love with Kotoha for her polite and selfless nature. When a Ayakashi bonds itself to Yoshibou to feed on his feelings, Kotoha shatters his image or her by hitting Takeru (disguised as her butler) and shouting that she "is losing her chance to marry a rich man." Yoshibou's heartbreak forces the Ayakashi out of hiding.
• 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 Manchild; 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 not only is he the only Shinkenger to get tossed into another world by himself, but a world that is essentially a wasteland COVERED IN GARBAGE at that.
  • Poor Tanba. He is one in a physical manner by the hands of Kaoru when he annoys her. He often takes a beating from her fan and at one point she has the Kuroko gag him to shut him up.
• Call-Back: In episode 30, the Yellow and Green zords combine with DaiGoyo to make a Megazord. Takeru complains "You left me out again!", in reference to the first time the team tried to make a Megazord in episode 2 and Takeru's zord wasn't able to get in the right spot.
• 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).
  • Mojikara, in a less life-threatening way. Using too much of it in too short a time can lead to physical exhaustion.
  • Chinomanako loses one of his two lives when he transforms into Chinomanako Diend.
• Catchphrase:
  • Takeru's got two: "That's as far as you go, Gedoushu." and "That brings this act to a close." The others quickly started using them too after he started it. And the latter is used by The Narrator to wrap up the series.
  • "The [No.]th Act of Shinkenger shall conclude here."
  • Unless, of course, it's "The [No.]th Act of Shinkenger... shall continue in the [Next No.]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^note Ika-ShinkenOh 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.
  • When Kaoru takes over as the true lord, 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: More like Chekhov's Fisherman, who was introduced in Act 7 to assist Ryūnosuke in catching the Swordfish Origami. 40 acts later, he resurfaces to provide crucial wisdom to Ryūnosuke about loyalty being a choice rather than an obligation. This allows Ryūnosuke to go and find Takeru, despite already serving under Kaoru.
• Chekhov's Skill: During a scuffle, Doukoku attempts to bind Juzo with a seal, but Juzo changes back into a human to break it. This establishes that half-human beings can override seals, which resurfaces in Act 48. Doukoku's absorption of Dayu makes him half-human and thus, immune to Kaoru's sealing character.
• 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!"
  • Dayu: "Even in your final moments you choose her over me?"
  • Little known fact: the contract for Matsuzawa Kazuyuki (Tanba) stipulated that he was to be fed at least one set every day.

• 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"...
  • ...◊
  • The Special Act takes it even further with all six Rangers in drag. Takeru and Chiaki are surprisingly effective as women.
• Crouching Moron, Hidden Badass: Chiaki's father shows up in one episode and spends a good amount of it acting much like Chiaki did in the beginning of the series, but proceeds to spot and rescue a baby that the Shinkengers had missed in the heat of battle and kills 4 Nanashi in as many seconds with an injured arm at the end of the fight.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: There are a few where our heroes get utterly wrecked. One particular example is in Act 40, wherein Dokoku finally comes out and gives the Shinkengers one hell of a beating, particularly pummeling Super Shinken Red within an inch of his life.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: Kotoha in spades.
• Dangerous Forbidden Technique: The secret character passed down only to, and usable only by, the heads of the Shiba clan, which is the only thing that can seal away Dokoku for good. Demands an insane amount of Mojikara, and if it's used without sufficient mastery, the sealing is imperfect and Dokoku can slowly revive.
• Darker and Edgier: Shinkenger has a much more serious tone compared to its comedic predecessor, Go-Onger. Not surprising when you consider the last series the head writer was in charge of.
• Dark Lord on Life Support: At the end of Episode 40, after emerging from the Sanzu River and utterly curbstomping the Shinkenger, Chimatsuri Dokoku ends up dried out to the point that he has to immerse himself in the Sanzu River, with it taking him taking several episodes to recover, and even then, he needed a huge surge of misery from Dayu's shamisen.
• Dark Reprise: Played straight in Episode 45. The rollcall music is traded for a more depressing tune after Kaoru replaces Takeru.
• "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^note Kayoubi, "Ka" meaning "Fire"), Ryunosuke (Wednesday^note Suiyoubi, "Sui" meaning "Water"), Chiaki (Thursday^note Mokuyoubi, "Moku" meaning "Wood" and using the same kanji as "tree") and Kotoha (Saturday^note Doyoubi, "Do" meaning "Land"). Since Friday^note Kinyoubi uses the Kanji "Gold"^note "Kin", 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^note Nichiyoubi, "Nichi/Hi" meaning "Sun" or "Day" and Monday^note Getsuyoubi, "Getsu" meaning "Moon".
• 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 and sharing Dayu's dream of her fall, 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, Ushi Origami/MogyuDaioh.
• Deliberate Injury Gambit: Takeru's duel with Juzo in Act 26.
  • Takeru pulls another one off in Act 44.
  • Finally, in Act 49, the Shinkengers pull one off on Dokoku with ShinkenOh.
• Diagonal Cut: A lot. And we do mean a lot; the most memorable one being ShinkenOh's finisher: "Daishinken Samurai Giri".
• Distaff Counterpart: Takeru gains one in the form of Kaoru, a female ShinkenRed, a Super Sentai first.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: This...◊ The Movie Big Bad's One-Winged Angel form here...
  • He's going to destroy the world!
  • They turned Toro from Persona into a kaiju!
  • 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"^note It should be no suprise that Ryunosuke got to sing his own theme. Hiroki Aiba was in The Prince of Tennis The Musical, after all....
  • 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.
• Don't Think, Feel: Said to be the main difference between Takeru and Ryunosuke's fighting styles: Ryunosuke is more technically proficient while Takeru is more able to adapt to situations as they come, which is why Takeru is able to beat Ryunosuke when they duel.
• Dream Emergency Exit: Demebakuto traps the Shinkengers in his movie dimension, but Shinken Red recognizes a recurring element across the movies (spin-related items) and they manage to destroy a nearby wind turbine as they return to normal.
• 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 what, or rather who the instrument is made from.
  • 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 Super Shinkenmaru^note A semi-BFS and the Mogyu Bazooka. Awesome? Hell, yes.
  • Finally, in Act 49, Takeru does it again with two Rekka Daizanto! It's just as awesome as it sounds.
• Duel to the Death: The sole reason Juzo has his eyes on Takeru. They finally got down to it in Acts 46 and 47, and most intensely in the whole series. Even Takeru's fighting was frantic and not as collected as in previous battles.
• Dystopia Justifies the Means: Akumaro's goal is to open the gateway to Hell so that he can experience ultimate suffering: a goal that threatens the existence of both the human world and the Sanzu River.
• Early-Bird Cameo: Appearance of the Goseigers in Shinkenger vs. Go-onger.
• Elemental Powers: Based on their Kanji.
  • Playing with Fire: Takeru and Kaoru.
    • Shock and Awe: In the early episodes, Takeru also used a Lightning Disk.
  • Making a Splash: Ryunosuke
  • Blow You Away: Mako^note Using "Heaven" to refer to the sky and thus the wind; averting what at first translation might lead one to wonder what kind of power it is Besides, the Kanji for "Sky"/"Sora" is complex and "Wind"/"Kaze" too asymmetric to fit on the helmet properly. .
  • Green Thumb: Chiaki
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Kotoha
  • Light 'em Up: Genta
• 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. The fact that we actually get to know a tad about Juzo might be at work here, and thus downplaying his mysterious aura.
• Epic Fail: Genta did it twice in a row without realizing when he created DaiGoyo. First, he designed it after an Okappiki^note Edo policeman which, as Ryunosuke pointed out, isn't a Samurai. The other? Depending on the Kanji, DaiGoyo translates as "Big Mistake".
• 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.
• Evil Plan: The various plots across the fifteen Acts since his appearance? Having Juzo and Dayu work for him in exchange for Uramasa and Dayu's Shamisen? They were all instrumental in his true goal: To create Hell on Earth.
  • Dokoku pulls off an impressive one at the end. He saves Dayu and repairs her shamisen in Act 40, throwing her int emotional turmoil. This ultimately culminates with her releasing the soul of the man who spurned her from it, filling the Sanzu to overflowing in one fell swoop. This also leaves Dayu with nothing left to live for, and thus she allows Dokoku to absorb her into him. The point of that exercise? Well, as a "stray", Dayu was a human who fell to Gedou. Absorbing her made Dokoku a "stray". And it's been shown that Gedou-specific seals don't fully work on strays. Thus, Dokoku becomes partially immune to the sealing character - which leaves the Shinkengers at a serious disadvantage.
• Extremely Short Timespan: The sheer amount of things that happen between Act 44 and the end of the series may lead one to forget that that entire stretch takes place over the course of two and a half days (during which the heroes get no sleep, so it's essentially one long day for them).^note Events that happen during this time: The New Years' Day party; Shitari's attempt on Takeru's life; Kaoru's appearance and Takeru revealing himself as her decoy; Takeru leaving the house; The attack from the three-life Ayakashi; Takeru's two-episode duel with Juzo, with the others coming to help him, and their heartfelt conversation afterward; Dayu's attack, duel with Mako, and death; Dokoku's appearance and Kaoru's attempt to seal him; Kaoru adopting Takeru, naming him head of the Shiba Clan, and the two subsequent battles against Dokoku up to his death.
• 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^note "Lord Cat" 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.
• 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 in early episodes.
    • Act 1 has an example in Ryūnosuke's and Mako's first encounter. He mistakes her for the Shiba head, exclaiming "I had no idea you were a lady, my lord!" The real Shiba lord is actually a woman, going by the name of Kaoru.
    • In Act 6, the Ayakashi's weaponized insult towards Takeru is calling him a "liar" and the latter panics briefly when he hears the Ayakashi say he only tells the truth. He wasn't wrong, because Takeru was pretending to be the Shiba head, covering for the real one.
    • A further hint is given when you pay close attention to the stories of what happened the night of Dokoku's raid on the Shiba manor. Act 1's flashback shows Takeru's father dying right after giving him the Origami inside a burning building, riddled with arrows in his back. However, it is clearly shown in Act 11's flashback that the Shiba head fell in battle outside after casting the sealing character on Dokoku. In other words, Takeru's father and the previous Shiba head are not the same person.
  • There are several examples in Come Back! Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: Special Act.
    • Throughout all the movie-themed illusion worlds, the camera briefly focuses on a spinning object. It turns out to be the hidden exit, inspired by Demebakuto's illusion lantern.
    • After the Shinkengers escape the space illusion world, they all wake up on rocky terrain, despite the fact that the illusion started when they fought Demebakuto in a city. On top of that, the long title Running Gag still appears despite their escape, alluding to the reveal that this world was another Dream Within a Dream.
• "Freaky Friday" Flip: The Ayakashi in Act 27 swaps the victims mind into the nearest household item. It also got four of the team: Takeru in a Lucky Cat statue; Mako in an electric fan; Genta in a Sushi piece; Ryunosuke in a rather embarrassing statue. Chiaki used its ability to his advantage, and cornered it into reverting everyone back to normal.
• 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: Chiaki to Takeru in Act 47. In a bit of twist of its usual application, Takeru dodges the first punch, causing Chiaki to hold Takeru in place before delivering a second one.
• 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, actually pulled off by the heroes on an enemy as part of a Batman Gambit.
• Guile Hero: Throughout the series, the Shinkengers prove to be more than capable of thinking things through in almost any situation - doing alot of planning and deductive reasoning when facing enemies.
• Guns Are Useless: Averted completely. Once armed with rifles in Act 38, the mooks go from Cannon Fodder to an unstoppable army capable of bringing down the Shinkengers. The only thing kept that them from being wiped out was the new Mogyu Bazooka.
• 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: Juzo is revealed to be one in Act 11, though he didn't get his through heritage; as the flashback in Act 24 revealed further, he became one after willingly falling to Gedou.
  • Dayuu is the same, with a slightly more sympathetic backstory.
• Hell Seeker: Akumaro.
• 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 Jii force-feeds him, but he comes back in time to introduce DaiGoyo to his teammates.
• Heroic Self-Deprecation: How Kotoha sees herself. She finally got over it in Act 41.
• 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.
• 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 we didn't get to hear which word the Monster of the Week used to push Dayu's Berserk Button: It would have given away at least a hint about Dayu's past, which is actually revealed later.
• 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.^note Specifically, they say that Ryunosuke is more technically proficient, while Takeru is better at improvising during battle.
• 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 Funny Moment, but when he's torn between his duties to the Shiba lord and his friendship with Takeru towards the end, it turns into a cry of anguish.
• Jerkass: Tanba, Kaoru's retainer, definitely qualifies. He's loud, obnoxious, and isn't afraid to shout down any hint of an objection from Takeru/Kaoru's vassals nor does he care about anyone's feelings besides possibly Kaoru, leading Kaoru to tell him to be quiet or hit him when he starts to get out of hand. Calling Takeru a fake lord who lived a lie and Genta a mere sushi chef who can't be a samurai despite all they have done does not help his case at all.
• Jidaigeki: Shinkenger is to Jidaigeki what New Old West is to The Wild West; though it's set in modern times, it's built on Jidaigeki tropes. Not only that, Shinkenger is, in essence, a long theatrical piece.
  • "Chanbara", a prominent sound effect for Jidaigeki 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 Jidaigeki line from Toyama no Kin-san: The Catchphrase "Kore nite, ikken rakuchaku"^note "With this, the case is concluded." is taken directly from the protagonist who mutters it whenever the villain of the week is brought to justice^note It should be noted that this is an oft-borrowed line in Japanese pop culture, and Shinkenger isn't the first Super Sentai to use it; Dekaranger used "Kore nite, ikken COMPLETE!" at the end of every case.
    • 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 Jidaigeki 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^note At the climax of each episode, after the villains have been uncovered and his two servants have fought them, Komon reveals his inrou with the seal of the emperor on it, causing the villains to fall to their knees and beg him for forgiveness.
  • Even some "classic" Jidaigeki 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"^note "(With) One blade, (cut into) two pieces".
    • "Niten Ichiryu", an archaic and traditional school of swordsmanship. See Dual Wielding above.
  • The "Clap of Victory"^note Shori no Ipponjime 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" (not that one), a traditional^note The symbol originated from the Shinto religion though Samurai symbol very popular on flags and crests (Kamen Rider Hibiki was known for spamming this one).
• Kabuki Theatre: Shinken Blue was a Kabuki actor before he was tapped to be a Shinkenger. The team as a whole was served by ninja-like stagehands as well.
• Killed Off for Real: Juzo in the most spectacular way in Act 47.
• 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^note A collective "pen name" for Toei's Toku production staff.
  • "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^note Jii, Genta and Ryunosuke 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^note By virtue of his actor, Ibuki Goro, being a Jidaigeki veteran. But his biggest Large Ham moment is his talking scene in the very beginning of Act 1.
    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.
  • 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.
• Legacy of Service: Four of the Rangers come from families that serve the clan of the fifth, Shinkenred.
• 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 200+ years old half-demonic swordsman without a cent; 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...
• Loophole Abuse: How Takeru becomes the 19th head of the Shiba Clan. The previous lord relinquishes their title to their child. Said child does not necessarily have to blood related as Kaoru mentions that adoption is an option when there is no heir. There is also no rule that says Kaoru's child can't be older than her...
  • Played for Laughs in episode 3. Chiaki was told to write 500 sheets in kanji characters before afternoon. He did it by writing characters that read "500 sheets" on a piece of paper.
  • How Dokoku withstands the sealing character. By taking a half-human into himself, he has made himself part human, thus weakening the character's ability to restrain him.^note During a fight with Juzo, it was shown that Ayakashi that are part human have a resistence to seals
• Losing the Team Spirit: During the final five episodes, Kaoru Shiba arrives and takes her place as the true head of the Shiba Clan, outing Takeru as her kagemusha; effectively removing him from command. While the team bow to her to maintain formalities (except for Genta; expelled from the residence due to class issues), it doesn't take her long to notice what a crushing presence her spontaneous takeover has on them; their loyalty and teamwork suffering without Takeru. When the Sealing Mojikara fails, she concedes that unity is their strongest weapon and adopts Takeru into the Clan - making him the 19th head and The Leader once again.
• Lotus-Eater Machine: The Shinkenger V-Cinema Special may resemble a string of Big Lipped Alligator Moments, but is actually this.
• 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.
• Manly Tears: Takeru breaks down after the others all tell him that they forgive him for lying to them and still view him as their tono-sama no matter what.
• 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"^note "True sword" 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^note If a lone Katakana or Hiragana syllable is to be related to a Kanji, pretty much any Kanji in its range of sensibility counts, generally, SamuraiHaOh marginally passes here. Not only the strongest weapon in the Shinkengers' possession, one possible translation of its name^note Officially written in all-Hiragana turns up as "Samurai Destroyer^note "Hakai"/"Destruction" King". 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"
• Mêlée à Trois: Act 11 features Takeru, Juzo and the Monster of the Week all going at it.
• 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.
• Mood Whiplash: Act 44 starts out as a lighthearted New Year's episode, with many Funny and Heartwarming moments. Then everything goes straight to hell with the appearance of the Ayakashi Yomotsugari and the reveal that Takeru was a Body Double for Kaoru all this time.
  • In a downplayed example, Act 43 is a fairly somber episode running on Nightmare Fuel. It ends fairly cheerfully, with the team decorating the mansion for Christmas with Jii and the Kuroko.
• More Dakka: Apparently a core concept behind MogyuDaiOh, along with Gatling Good.
• Ms. Fanservice: Kotoha, the Moe incarnate whose legs the viewers get a glimpse of most because everyone else wears trousers.
• Mundane Made Awesome:
  • The brush strokes, always through the sounds of sword slashes!
  • Arriving at the scene is made epic with the Kurokos drawing curtains and 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, although this isn't 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 10-Minute Retirement in Act 29 mirrors a similar incident with Smoky of Magiranger, who lives in a lamp. The place where he and Mako have their little chat is even the same place where Smoky and Urara had theirs.
  • The team's roll call Catchphrase "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.
  • Due to its numerous "appendages", SamuraiHaOh 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.
  • And then there's the Teamup Convertible, which bears a striking reseblance to a vehicle from Gekisou Sentai Carranger. Western viewers will know it as the Lightning Cruiser from Power Rangers Turbo.
  • 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.
• 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.
• 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: Juzo, but not exactly a big surprise, if you think about it.
  • He does it again in Act 47...only to finally be Killed Off for Real.
• No Indoor Voice: Tanba. He would be playing the trope completely straight if Kaoru wasn't there to shut him up every once in awhile.
• No Ontological Inertia: When Dokoku finally died, the Sanzu River which flooded the human world Japan reverted to its original stage.
  • 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^note Check Act 2 for the biggest examples, 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, with enough power to 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.
• Ojou Ringlets: Kotoha's naturally curly hair takes on this appearance at times.
• Omake: Sadly averted; no Omake segments this year.
  • Just the usual annual DVD-only short: Involves Genta using the Kyoryumaru to become Hyper Shinken Gold, to combat the Super Nanashi transformed through the stolen Inromaru. Just... go with it.
• Omnicidal Maniac: Akumaro will do anything to see Hell on Earth, even if it means destroying both the human world and the Sanzu River.
• The Only One Allowed to Defeat You: Juzo's a little too fixated on defeating Takeru... even interrupting an Ayakashi from dealing the final blow without any hint of fear for Dokoku's anger that'll fall on him afterwards.
  • Chiaki has a friendly version of this with Takeru, as his initial goal upon joining the Shinkengers was to become better than Takeru.
• 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. Justified in that if he leaves the Sanzu River, he'll instantly run out of water and start drying out.
• 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, 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: To infiltrate a shrine located within enemy ranks, the team walked into the Nanashi troops in makeshift Nanashi costumes — to be specific, just "headpiece" and "armor" (all made of plastic, paper, and fabric with their faces plainly visible), by Ryunosuke and Kotoha's idea — while occasionally shouting "Na!". The audacious part is, it worked without a hitch.
  • The "get the Nanashi blind stinking drunk" part may have helped there.
  • Ryunosuke goes to his old theater when he gets word of a performance there, but goes dressed in his usual clothes with the addition of a baseball cap and a pair of glasses. The very first person he sees realizes it's him instantly.
• Parental Abandonment: Takeru and Jii, except for the servants, are pretty much the only ones in the mansion at the start of the series, as Takeru's father was killed during a Gedoushuu raid on the estate.
  • In Act 34, it was revealed that Mako's parents moved to Hawaii when she was around five as her mother, who was the former Shinken Pink, was crippled during Dokoku's raid on the Shiba Clan estate. Mako's grandmother wanted Mako to become the next ShinkenPink, forcing her father to leave her behind.
  • 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 daughter's family, and even then he's had to give it a miss several times.
  • Kaoru's father, the true head of the Shiba Clan, died trying to seal away Dokoku. Kaoru's mother was supposedly still pregnant with Kaoru at the time of the raid, but it has not been confirmed whether or not she's still alive.
• Passing the Torch: Kaoru steps down as lord and makes Takeru the 19th head of the Shiba Clan by adopting him.
  • Shown in flashback when Takeru's father hands him the Origami and tells him point-blank, "You are now ShinkenRed!"
• 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.
• Plan B Resolution: Throughout the series, it looked like the only way to defeat Dokoku for good was through the sealing character of the Shiba Head, with it being the reason for the 17th head's plan. Unfortunately, when Kaoru uses the sealing character on Dokoku in the penultimate episode, he was able to shrug it off due to gaining immunity from absorbing Dayu. As such, it looked like nothing could stop him now, but the Shinkenger refused to give up and ended up taking him down in Defeat Equals Explosion fashion.
• 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. Then in the Kamen Rider Decade crossover: the barcode motif of Diend's armor allows the transformed Chinomanako to summon the Nanashi Company right from his own body.
• Powered by a Forsaken Child: Uramasa, Juzo's sword, was forged from the souls of his family, whose cries for him to cease his Blood Knight tendencies were misinterpreted by Juzo as a bloodlust.
  • Also, Dayu's shamisen, which is the one thing keeping her "alive," has the soul of her unrequited crush trapped within.
  • One of the wedges that Akumaro creates is formed from the tears of kidnapped children.
  • One of Shitari's plans for bringing the Sanzu into our world involved ritualistically murdering 9 young girls.
• 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.
• Product Placement: Chiaki loves playing Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion^note Bandai has the license to produce Super Sentai merchandise. Namco develops the Tekken series. The two companies merged to form Namco Bandai in 2005.
• 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.
• Raijū: Like all the ayakashi, Raiju is the In-Universe basis for a youkai, and despite being a walking mass of barnacles, he's the raiju. Might have something to do with the orbs of fire and lightning he can shoot from his body.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: While they all have some degree of samurai training, they all have very different personalities and backgrounds that get relatively fleshed out during the series. To boot, we have a badass stoic lord who's revealed to be a kagemusha for the real Shinken Red, a Large Ham kabuki actor who's Yes-Man tendencies initially ran very deep, a elementary school teacher with major Parental Abandonment issues, a rebellious slacker whose cleverness makes up for his lack of training, an adorable Country Mouse who's Heroic Self-Deprecation runs a mile wide, and a sushi chef who's a Bunny-Ears Lawyer to a tee. While dysfunctional at first, they learn how to work together to kick ass and protect the world, while also becoming True Companions in the process.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Dayu gives one to Akumaro in Act 43 after Juzo betrays him, telling him that his reliance on human emotion became his downfall. She even gives him a nice kick while she's at it.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Juzo◊ in Act 43.
• 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...
• Refusal of the Call: A recurring theme amongst the cast is that none of them want to be Shinkenger: Takeru is bound by obligation and hates putting others at risk; Ryunosuke and Mako have to put their own dreams on hold; Kotoha is a replacement for her sister and doesn't view herself as worthy of the position; and Chiaki is fiercely independent. This is fairly consistent with the idea of bushido that Samurai were said to follow, which stressed honor and duty above all else.
• Retcon: Since Shinkenger never aired in South Korea, the korean dub of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, named Power Rangers Captain Force, renames Shinkenger from Power Rangers Samurai Force, as they were referred to In the Korean dub of Kamen Rider Decade, to Power Rangers Blade Force.
• 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.
  • The same with Mako's mother and Ryunosuke's father. Mako's mother was left paralyzed after the previous battle with Dokoku, and if Ryunosuke's father was the previous Shinken Blue, then he took 3 flaming arrows to the chest in the final battle.
• Retraux: Quite possibly a major motive behind the series; from the Shiba clan mansion's design^note Which did belong to a real Japanese clan to the Shinkengers' daily lives, like using brushes instead of pens^note Brushes do look more dramatic and theatric than modern pens though 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: Zigzagged with Kaoru, who fights as well as Takeru does despite joining up towards the end of the series. Justified in that she possibly spent much of her time training and mastering the sealing character while Takeru was acting as the lord. On the other hand, she serves as a slight deconstruction of this trope. Kaoru quickly learns that her stepping in and taking over just like that crippled the existing team's already established and well-built dynamics and morale. Real lord or no, she was not suited to be the leader of this team that have formed around Takeru's leadership, not hers. Her Jerkass retainer being even more of a stickler for tradition than her rubbing it in Takeru's face, as well as kicking Genta off the team did not help at all. Thus, she eventually pulls strings to have Takeru reinstated as leader AND as a true heir of the Shiba clan via adoption, as well as getting Genta's forgiveness and respect, and putting him back on the team.
• Rōnin: 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^note Akumaro doesn't count because it's part of a deal between them.
• 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? Possibly.
  • 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—
    Shinken Red: Troper. Too long.
  • Mako's cooking. While it's lead to a number of character moments, the cooking itself can lead to some damn funny ones.
  • Whenever Tanba starts acting like a Jerkass, Kaoru is always the one shutting him up, often times with a fan though she has displayed other methods...
• Sanity Pet: Dayu is the only one who can keep Dokoku remotely calm with her shamisen playing. Becomes an important plot point in Act 40 when he begins to miss her shamisen playing, though it really was his fault that she left in the first place when he destroyed it.
• 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)
• Self-Punishment Over Failure: Whenever Ryunosuke would feel that he had failed his lord, he would do something over the top to punish himself as he begged for forgiveness (banging his head on the ground in apology, jumping into a waterfall-styled fountain, etc.)
• Semantic Superpower: Mojikara, a genetic superpower which grants the user whatever they write, using Kanji characters.
• Seppuku: In Act 9, the Monster of the Week threatens to make a Brainwashed and Crazy Ryuunosuke do this if Takeru will not fight.
  • Averted in Act 2; after vanquishing the Monster of the Week, Ryunosuke is overly repentant for doubting Takeru's leadership and vows to punish himself accordingly. He then begins to strip. Kotoha begs him to stop, and Chiaki asks Mako, "He's not going to...?" and makes slashing motions across his stomach. Ryunosuke's self-imposed punishment turns out to be making himself stand shirtless under the freezing waters of a waterfall, screaming apologies to his lord.
• 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. At the end of the Act, however, Mako personally sank that ship, and the incident was never mentioned again.
  • As for Takeru, Kobayashi seems to have a habit of teasing shippers about whether or not he'll end up with Mako^note Act 19 & 39-40 or Kotoha^note Act 22 & 40-41 who, as mentioned above, is also spending a lot of time with Chiaki. In the end, Takeru ended up with neither; Kotoha went back home to Kyoto and Mako left to join her parents in Hawaii.
  • Genta and Kaoru is getting quite popular after Act 47 when Genta, after hearing Kaoru say that she felt sorry about her sudden appearance causing trouble to Takeru and the rest, says that she's a nice princess. She and Genta also spend the rest of the Act together piloting DaiKaiShinkenOh.
• Shoot the Dog: Dokoku does this to Dayu in the beginning of Act 48, mostly because he doesn't like her music anymore, but also because she's been mortally wounded by Mako.
• 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 "true companions" 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 who wants to bring back his timeline, Shiro whose plan all along is to bring back his sister, and here, Juzo who just wants to fight and fight, and Dayu, a Yandere dead-set on preserving her one-sided love.
• 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 Jidaigeki 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 Mogyu Bazooka. 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 Mogyu Bazooka.
• 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. Juzo is the only exception, and now he's dead. Just his luck...
  • 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: In Act 40, Genta finds out that he's been featured in a food critic's magazine and passes several copies out to everyone. Ryunosuke and Chiaki take a look at the article while Genta is out and find out that Genta's Gold Sushi cart was given five stars due to the rarity of sushi carts, but only two stars for taste. Poor poor Genta...
• Sour Supporter: Chiaki, initially.
• Spam Attack: Genta's "Hyaku-mai Oroshi"^note Either "Hundred-Piece Drop" or "Hundred-Leaf Mountain Wind", and its upgrade, "Sen^note Thousand-mai Oroshi".
• Spin Attack: Kotoha's "Sarumawashi"^note "Spinning Monkeys" and the Super Shinken Yellow upgrade, "Shin Sarumawashi".
• The Starscream: *Gasp* Akumaro's been plotting something behind Dokoku's back all along, and now he's taking over the command in his absence? Surely, we didn't foresee that! Honest!
• Start of Darkness: Both Juzo and Dayu's pasts in Acts 24 and 25.
  • In Act 24, Juzo explains that he gave up the honorable life of bushido simply because it was much more fun killing people and testing his blade against strong opponents. When he came into contact with a deadly disease and realized that the pleasure he got from killing people would be gone, he became a Gedoushu so he could be immortal. This is expanded further in Acts 42 and 43. His lover tried to stop him from becoming a Blood Knight, but he refused and left. Akumaro then appeared and killed his lover and crafted her soul in the Uramasa. Akumaro then gave Uramasa to Juzo, who then continued to kill, not knowing that he had become Akumaro's pawn.
  • Then in Act 25, it was revealed that Dayu was once a woman named Usuyuki who was obsessed with a man who could never love her back, so she decided to crash into the man's wedding and set the place on fire. When she realized that he wouldn't love her back even in death, Usuyuki's soul was corrupted, turning her into Dayu. The man she loved was transformed into her Instrument of Murder.
• 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...
  • "Shinken" is the Japanese term for a sword used in battle rather than for training. Takeru leads the Shinkenger in battle while Kaoru spends her time in training for most of the series.
• Sticky Situation: Happens when Chiaki and Ryuunosuke become glued together by the Ayakashi of the week.
• Sugar-and-Ice Personality: 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.
• Team Mom: Mako, to pretty much everyone in need of cheering up.
• Team Power Walk: The Shinkengers (minus Genta) do this in the opening.
• Teen Genius: Hiro, particularly with things related to Ushi Origami.
• 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^note Act 39.
  Genta: Looks like this is it for your proud Rifle Squa-
• 10-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.
• Threatening Shark: Act 36's MotW, shredding through buildings like tissue paper, and delivers one of the toughest beatdowns yet.
• Tie-In Novel: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: Three Chances of Winning was published in 2013 and written by Akatsuki Yamatoya.
• 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.
• 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 Jidaigeki 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 Ruleof Cool for Genta staying. The producers probably just didn't want to exclude him from the battle against the Final Boss.
• True Companions: 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.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Kyoryu Origami, Ushi Origami, and the Inroumaru, powerful weapons that the previous Shinkengers could not obtain would not have existed were it not for Takeru and Genta. So what does Tanba do in return? He calls Takeru a fake lord living a lie and Genta a mere sushi chef who cannot be a samurai. In contrast, Kaoru, Tanba's master and the true lord of the Shiba Clan, is actually quite grateful for all their hard work and keeps telling Tanba that she would not be here if it weren't for them. Thankfully, he grows out of it by the finale.
• Unstoppable Rage: In Act 40, Dokoku takes down all of the Shinkengers even while drying up from the effects of the seal.
• 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.
  • And then two Acts later, Dokoku is put on a bloody bus trip to the bottom of the Sanzu River, after spending 40 Acts of doing nothing.
• Villainous Breakdown: Akumaro, of all people, completely lost it in Act 43 when Juzo backstabbed him and ruined his 200-year-old plan. He did at least get to suffer the pain he always wanted though, when he was finally defeated by Shinkengers.
• 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: ... The Kuroko.
• Wave-Motion Gun: SamuraiHaOh's finisher, Mojikara Dai Dan En^note Great Mojikara Bullet Ring. Trust us - it's big; big enough to engulf a giant Ayakashi whole and decimate it immediately.
• Wedding Smashers: the premise of Act 8, see Batman Gambit above.
• Wham Episode:
  • Act 40: Doukoku finally gets out of the Sanzu River and delivers a blistering Curb-Stomp Battle to the Shinkengers, leading to the real reason why he couldn't do this sooner. He dries up faster than any Gedoshu while in the human world, meaning that he becomes half dried-up to the point where he must submerge himself in the Sanzu River, temporarily putting him out of commission.
  • And again with Act 42 and Act 43. Akumaro finally returns the repaired Uramasa to Juzo, divulging that the sword was created from the souls of the latter's family. The Shinkengers learn that Akumaro wants to have the half-human and half-Gedoshu Juzo split open the world and unleash chaos on Earth, with the added bonus of releasing Uramasa's souls. Akumaro partially accomplishes this, destroying many buildings, but Juzo backstabs him at the last minute. While this helps the Shinkengers defeat Akumaro once and for all, this act alone proves that Juzo is irredeemable. He still murdered countless people while knowing about Uramasa's trapped souls.
  • But Act 45 overtakes the previous examples by a long shot. Takeru is revealed to be a shadow lord for the real leader, Kaoru. As a kid, she had gone into hiding for the sole purpose of mastering the sealing character. With this revelation, Kaoru takes over as the leader, while Takeru departs the team. This leaves the retainers conflicted over who to follow. And just to make things even better, Juzo encounters Takeru for their long-awaited duel.
• Wham Shot:
  • Act 44: Kaoru reveals herself to the group, making it known that Takeru was actually a Body Double all this time.
  • Act 48: Doukoku absorbed Dayu's human essence to protect himself, making the sealing character practically useless.
• 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. Although the revelation later shows that he doesn't really deserve it.
  • Same goes for Dayu, but on a smaller scale because she's seen as a human only in a flashback, and even at that, a really dark silhouette.
  • 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.
• Whatever Mancy: In one of the fansubs, Mojikara is translated as "Scriptomancy."
• "Where Are They Now?" Epilogue: After defeating Dokoku...
  • Kaoru returns to wherever she was residing before Act 44. Tanba suggests that she find a husband, but she shoots him down.
  • Ryunosuke returns to being a kabuki actor and will be performing in Kyoto.
  • Mako decides to stay with her family in Hawaii for some time.
  • Chiaki decides to take his college entrance exams.
  • Kotoha returns to her sister.
  • Genta moves to France, planning to open up his sushi restaurant there.
  • Takeru remains alone with Jii and the Kuroko in the Shiba Clan manor once again. Jii tries to get him to learn other skills beyond that of a warrior such as cooking or learning to play an electric guitar, but like Kaoru, he shoots him down.
  • Then the team got back together for Goseiger vs Shinkenger
• Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: In Act 28, much of the group have shown to have a phobia to something; boiled and dried potato for Mako, Natto for Kotoha and cacti for Ryunosuke.
  • What do you think freaks out Takeru, the guy who battled a horde of hellspawn without batting an eyelid, most? The same "Ghost House" attraction that screwed up his childhood. He outright faints afterwards. Chiaki seems to be an exception from the "demonstrations" for some reason.
  • They're all trying to help Genta overcome the Sushi phobia he got in the previous episode, rendering him unable to transform. Of course, who would have thought that all he needed to do was to eat the friggin' thing?!
• 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, the other Shinkengers show up just in time to help pull Takeru out of the spiral into Gedou that Juzo is trying to send him to. With Juzo defeated, they reaffirm how dedicated to him they are, both as friends and vassals, causing him to break down in tears.
• Youkai: The Ayakashi are all based on different kinds of youkai (and are the In-Universe basis for them), though with an additional sea creature motif.

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