Denji Sentai Megaranger
Denji Sentai Megaranger is Toei's twenty-first production of the Super Sentai metaseries, and the second Sentai, after Kousoku Sentai Turboranger in which all heroes are high school students. The footage was also used in the American series Power Rangers in Space. It aired from February 14, 1997, to February 15, 1998, replacing Gekisou Sentai Carranger, and was replaced by Seijuu Sentai Gingaman. Toei gave it the name Mega Rangers for international distribution.
Shout! Factory released "Denji Sentai Megaranger: The Complete Series" on DVD on October 31, 2017. This is the 6th Super Sentai series to be released in North America on Region 1 DVD. In January 2018, Shout! streamed the series on their website.
One of the series villain costumes and a prop were used for the 7th season of the American Power Rangers series .
Plot
Kenta Date, a senior high school student, is the ultimate champion of an arcade video game called Megaranger. He belongs to the Cybernetics club, a group of like minded friends from his school. Koichiro Endo, Shun Namiki, Chisato Jogaseki, and Miku Imamura are also members of Cybernetics. The International Network of Excel-Science and Technology, the games creators, invite Kenta and the Cybernetics club members to tour the INET laboratories. Following a short tour of the INET HQ buildings, the company is attacked by the Neijirejia, an evil force led by Dr. Hinelar on a mission to conquer the current reality. Dr. Kubota, INET's chief scientist, reveals that Megaranger was more than only a simple video game but actually a combat simulator to identify potential recruits for a super fighting team to combat the Neijirejia. While the INET headquarters is destroyed by the Neijirejia warrior Yugande, Dr. Kubota gives Kenta and his friends devices known as 'Degitaizers'. By entering the key-code "3-3-5" and shouting "Install, Megaranger!", the five students transform into the Megarangers to fight the Nejirejia.Characters
INET
The International Network of Excel-Science and Technology is the company responsible for the Megaranger video game used to identify five people to become the Megarangers.Megarangers
Five high school students chosen by INET become the titular Denji Sentai Megaranger, with one additional member who is an INET agent. Their base of operations is the Digital Research Club at Moroboshi High School.Kenta Date
Kenta Date/Mega Red: 18 years old, Kenta is a slacker and knucklehead who likes yakiniku, but is also friendly, playful, and has a good heart. He becomes an ideal candidate to become a Megaranger after beating a skilled opponent on INET's Megaranger arcade game, which was actually a tool used to recruit Megarangers.As Mega Red, Kenta's forehead symbol is a personal computer, which enables him to upload data and program skills into his mind, making him an adaptable warrior. Ironically, he is the only member who does not like computers.
Kouichirou Endo
Kouichirou Endo/Mega Black: 18 years old, Kouichirou is the functioning leader and overachiever of the team. Aside from being a keen soccer player, he is a member of the class committee and is concerned about his schoolwork. He balances his duties as a Megaranger and a student. He has a younger brother, Koujiro, who also plays soccer. A natural leader but extremely bossy, he once created an hour by hour schedule for all the Megarangers to follow but they ignored it. During his stay at the Epinard Nasu hotel in Tochigi, Kouichirou encounters a mysterious boy who is a spiritual representation of the forest that is not only in danger of Kinoko Nejire's attack on it but INET's Relay Base. He eventually gains the forest spirit's trust as he uses up all his power to help the Megarangers as Kouichirou promises to have INET relocate the relay base.As Mega Black. Kouichirou's forehead symbol is a digital satellite, which enables him to trace communication sources and transmissions. His special attacks are the Satellite Search, Satellite Scan, and Miracle Shoot.
Shun Namiki
Shun Namiki/Mega Blue: 18 years old, Shun is a loner who aspires to become a computer-graphics artist and initially refuses to become a Megaranger. After seeing Kenta attempt to keep the Kune Kune from interfering in his lifelong dreams, Shun reconsiders and becomes good friends with Kenta. He plays the flute, as his late mother was a world-renowned flautist. Shun is adept at creating battle strategies, such as confusing the Nejirangers by making the other Megaranger suits look like his. Shun is a Virgo, according to Miku.As Mega Blue, Shun's forehead symbol is a digital TV, which enable him to create CG images and trap enemies in a movie dimension where characters from that dimension attack the enemy. His special attacks are the Virtual Vision and Virtual Holograph.
Chisato Jougasaki
Chisato Jougasaki/Mega Yellow : 18 years old, Chisato dreams of becoming a professional photographer. Aside from photography, she is also into singing. She is attracted to Kouichirou. Compared to the rest of her teammates, she gets the least amount of focus.As Mega Yellow. Chisato's forehead symbol is a digital camera, which enables her to telescopically search for people and things – even allowing her to see through walls – as well as record and playback anything she sees. Her special attacks are the Digicam Search, Galaxy Search, and Blade Arm.
Miku Imamura
Miku Imamura/Mega Pink: 18 years old, Miku eats a lot, but is very self-conscious about her weight. She dislikes schoolwork just as much as Kenta, and because of this, the two of them are very good friends. She is attracted to Shun. During the Megarangers' encounter with Bibidevi on episode 17, Miku is accidentally hit by an evolution beam and becomes "Super Mega Pink", which makes the colored squares on her costume turn gold. As Super Mega Pink, Miku gains super strength and can wield the other Megarangers' weapons. Additionally, her intelligence increases to an IQ of 800, along with a change in her personality. However, after suffering painful side effects, Miku manages to return to her normal self. In Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai, she lectures Sae Taiga on the Super Sentai franchise's many female warriors and their shared skill at changing their clothes in the blink of an eye, something that Sae had never done before.As Mega Pink, Miku's forehead symbol is a cell phone, which enables her to track and analyze sound waves. Her special attack is the Telephone Search.
Yusaku Hayakawa
Yusaku Hayakawa/Mega Silver: The 25-year-old chief of INET's Special Development Division, Yusaku is one of the scientists under Kubota who created the Mega Suits, including Mega Silver which was the prototype Mega Suit. Though he is placed in charge of the Super Mega Project, Yusaku secretly took the Mega Silver powers for his own use in helping the Megarangers despite Kubota's insistence that he gets back to work. Initially, Yusaku's transformation into Mega Silver lasts for 2.5 minutes due to how powerful it was, but he was able to repair it by the time Nejirejia discovers this. When the primary Megarangers alter their costumes to look like Shun's to trick the Nejirangers, Yusaku confuses them even further by disguising himself as Neji Silver, wielding a twisted version of his Silver Blazer. Yusaku also pilots his own mecha, Mega Winger. He has also demonstrated his culinary skills by preparing a lavish meal to distract a Nezire Beast before Mega Pink defeats it. In the final battle, he is able to assist the Megarangers by using his damaged Mega Winger to free the Voyager Machines from the rubble of the INET Moonbase to give the Megarangers a chance of defeating Death Nejiro and attend their high school graduation ceremony.As Mega Silver, Yusaku's forehead symbol is a microchip.
Allies
INET members
The following are known members of INET:Prof. Eikichi Kubota
Prof. Eikichi Kubota: He is in charge of the Megaranger program – specifically the Megaranger video game. During a surprise attack on the NASADA base by the Nezirejia, he is forced to give the Degitaizers to five students – turning them into Megarangers. He was once friends with Dr. Samejima, who had left this dimension for Nezirejia – becoming Dr. Hinelar. Dr. Kubota is a former high school boxer and he plays the trumpet.Eikichi Kubota is portrayed by Satoru Saitō.
Shougo Kawasaki
Shougo Kawasaki : A young man who is the head engineer of the Mega Ship's maintenance department. His father, Professor Kawasaki, is a world authority on robot control programs and wants Shougo to attend college, using the program he developed for Delta Mega to get his son back on Earth. However, after Mega Red saves Shougo from Guirail, he is allowed to remain with INET.Shougo Kawasaki is portrayed by Yuki Tanaka.
Tachibana
Tachibana : A member of INET and a crew member aboard the Galaxy Mega.Tachibana is portrayed by Takao Miyashita.
Pop
Pop is a technician associated with I.N.E.T. who assists the Megarangers.Pop is portrayed by Samuel Pop Aning.
Moroboshi High School
Moroboshi High School: The high school attended by the five Megarangers until the series finale. Each of the team's classmates and teachers ended up being involved in a Nejirejian scheme and they become enraged when they learned the identities of the Megarangers to which almost everyone turns against them. It was only in the final battle with Dr. Hinelar that the school realized the error of their stand and started to support the Megarangers.Gen Ooiwa
Gen Ooiwa : The class' lazy Homeroom/Science teacher. Despite his laziness, he manages to find ways to motivate his students – especially the well-disciplined Kouichirou. In episode 12, while the Megarangers battle Mole Nezire Mr. Ooiwa stumbles upon a meteorite fragment and keeps it in his possession, making him a target of the Nejirejia. When he and Mega Black are captured by Mole Nezire, he tells the overachiever to never give up. As a result, Mr. Ooiwa inspires Mega Black to break free and foil the Nezirejian plans. During the finale, despite the Megarangers being expelled, he is the only staff member not to turn his back on the Megaranger and together with Jirou and Erina start the pep rally to cheer the Megarangers on.Gen Ooiwa is portrayed by Yoshihiro Nozoe.