My Top Ten Sentai Ending Themes
This time it’s sentai ending themes! This time let me explain my criteria. I like my opening songs to hype me up. I like my ending themes to make me feel good, relaxed. The song has to sort of make me feel the heroes are enjoying some good times after a job well done. Some themes are hard to find in TV form, so I just liked to the whole song.
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (1994)
It’s raining ghosts! And they’re dancing! And rapping! What’s not to like about this one?
Mahou Sentai Magiranger (2005)
This has the Sun Vulcan effect on me – that melody can’t get out of my head…
8) Kosoku Sentai Turboranger (1989)
This is one of those songs that I can’t really explain why I like them…
7) Denji Sentai Megaranger (1997)
Megaranger had a high school setting, and I love this song because it has this reminiscing high school days feel. I like it much better than the second ending theme “Bomb Dancing”.
6) Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (2004)
Isao Sasaki sings the Dekaranger ending theme. What’s not to like? It’s got a nice jazz pub feel to it. And the drums! I love those drums and percussions!
5) Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger (2002)
The ending sequence has the hurricangers on gliders soaring the heavens. And yes, that’s precisely the feeling invoked here. Now, I personally think that since Hironobu Kageyama sang it (just like Jetman at number 4), and that the themes of the songs are similar, it’s hard to choose. Since Hurricanger came second (a full eleven years after Jetman), I rank it below Jetman’s “Heart is Egg”.
4) Chojin Sentai Jetman (1991)
It’s so hard to list this as “merely” at number 4. It’s good enough to go to number 1 if my mood is right. It’s mellow, makes me want to kick my shoes off and just loaf around. The actual ending sequence is very creatively done and it enhances the song quite well. I encourage people to try to see it. Heck, see the whole show. Jetman is one of the best sentai ever.
3) Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (2009)
As if the opening weren’t good enough, now we have the Shinkenger ending which both pumps one up for battle and yet gives one that satisfactory feeling of a job well done.
2) Choudenshi Bioman (1984)
Bioman was my childhood favorite. The opening was nice but didn’t make it to my top ten, but this ending theme always lifts my spirits. It’s lively but not cheesy, and makes me want to dance. Not kakuranger style though.
1) Himitsu Sentai Goranger (1975)
This is THE classic sentai song. Not just ending song or opening song, mind you, it’s the song that defines sentai. For Kamen Rider the catchphrase is “kamen rider… kamen rider… rider… RIDER!!!” but for sentai it is “ban baraban ban ban!”
My Top Ten Sentai Opening Themes
Sentai literally translates to squadron. In Japanese sci-fi kiddie shows, it refers to teams composed of five (most of the time) members clad in different primary colored spandex, usually with armies of robots at their command. Yes, Power Rangers is based on these.
Note that these are My personal top ten sentai opening themes. Obviously not everyone will agree. To clarify, I based this on the songs – actual awesomeness of the opening sequence is second. They also don’t necessarily reflect my favorite sentai. Timeranger and Bioman are not present in this list.
10 NINPUU SENTAI HURRICANGER (2002)
Hurricanger’s theme has this lightheartedness that simply captures my imagination. I also enjoy the use of traditional Japanese percussions in the background. Between this and 1994’s Kakuranger, I prefer this one because I think the song is livelier and easier to choreograph a fight to. A similar song that I considered for this list is Gekiranger (2007).
9 CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN (1991)
Hironobu Kageyama sang a lot of sentai songs, and I know some fans will be offended that I left out Changeman (1985) from this post. I can’t say why, I just like this song… Perhaps as with Hurricanger it lifts my spirits every time I hear it.
8 BATTLE FEVER J (1979)
Oh the spanky seventies! This song is old school but not tacky. The percussions at the beginning hooked me. Mojo’s vocals are superb, and this song definitely captures the spirit of the show.
7 MAHOU SENTAI MAGIRANGER (2005)
I have to admit, Magiranger made this list not only because the song itself is great, but because I first heard it and saw this sequence during a special time in my life – my first few days in Nanjing, preparing to begin my studies in Chinese medicine. I guess it’s a bridge to one of the best epochs of my existence.
6 SAMURAI SENTAI SHINKENGER (2009)
This show is probably my favorite, or in my top three favorite shows in this list. The song, just like Hurricanger before it, does a good job of blending traditional sounds and modern songwriting to form an awesome theme.
5 KYUKYU SENTAI GO GO FIVE (1999)
Shinichi Ishihara. Nuff said.
4 KAGAKU SENTAI DYNAMAN (1983)
Explosions! MoJo! Explosions! One of the greatest old school sentai songs. Don’t you want to headbang to this? It’s just too bad that the song sounds to English speakers like “Die! Die! Die! Die! Dynaman”…
3 HIMITSU SENTAI GORANGER (1975)
The first, and almost the greatest. Isao Sasaki and Mitsuko Horie sing one of the greatest theme songs EVER. It’s got just the right mix of kiddie fun and adventurous feel. Too bad it’s always overshadowed by Goranger’s first ending theme…
2 HIKARI SENTAI MASKMAN (1987)
Epic, fast paced and sung by Hironobu Kageyama. Yes, he also sang Dragonball Z’s song.
1 TAIYOU SENTAI SUN VULCAN (1981)
This song is evil. It hooks you, it penetrates the recesses of your brain, and curses you to last song syndrome. Follow the Sun! Catch the Sun! Yup, my all time favorite sentai song…
The Yin Yang Theory 