Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (侍戦隊シンケンジャー) is the 33rd Super Sentai series,which began airing on February 15, 2009. Using a feudal Japan motif, Shinkenger is a portmanteau of Shinken (true sword) and Ranger. In 2011, Shinkenger's footage and storyline was adapted in Power Rangers Samurai and its second season, Super Samurai, the 18th and 19th seasons of the Power Rangers franchise.

Plot
For centuries, there has been a war between humanity and the Gedoshu, creatures who emerge from the depths of the underworld and cause fear and terror to those around them. To fight against these creatures, the Emperor of Japan ordained five clans of samurai to fight against the Gedoshu threat three-hundred years in the past, forming the Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. These samurai possess the abilities of "Mojikara", which allow for them to manipulate the kanji (Chinese characters) of the Japanese language to draw upon abilities and ordain themselves with the elements to fight the threats. They likewise utilize "origami" (folding gods) to fight against these creatures "second life", which turns them into giants which rampage through the nation.

For 17 generations, the war between the Shinkenger and Ayakashi continued, with slight reprieve given due to a massive sacrifice of the former leader to temporarily stop the Gedoshu leader, Dokoku Chimatsuri. However many years later, with the Gedoshu beginning their attacks again and Dokoku rerising to flood the world with the water of the Sanzu River of the underworld, Takeru Shiba, the 18th Shiba Clan leader, must gather his retainers again to fight back against the threat and protect the world. However, as this generation faces the toughest threat from the Gedoshu yet, a dark secret may cloud over the Shinkenger as the war rages onwards.

Shiba Clan

 * Hikoma Kusakabe (日下部 彦馬)
 * Kuroko (黒子)
 * Sakutaro Komatsu (小松 朔太郎)
 * Toshizo Tanba (丹波 歳三)
 * Heads of the Shiba House- The previous heads of the Shiba House (Kaoru and Takeru's predecessors) are as follows:
 * Retsudo Shiba (志葉 烈堂)
 * Resshin Shiba (烈心)
 * Iori Shiba (伊織)
 * Sakuya Shiba (朔哉)
 * Yukiyasu Shiba (行康)
 * Koshinari Shiba (越成)
 * Atsuhide Shiba (篤秀)
 * Katsunoshin Shiba (勝之進)
 * Akitsugu Shiba (明継)
 * Aritsugu Shiba (有継)
 * Arishige Shiba (有重)
 * Morinobu Shiba (守信)
 * Seisuke Shiba (誠輔)
 * Akira Shiba (晶)
 * Kōichirō Shiba (幸一郎)
 * Yōjirō Shiba (陽次郎)
 * Masataka Shiba (志葉 雅貴)

Other Allies

 * Takeru's father (志葉 烈堂)
 * Ryuzaburo Ikenami (池波 流三郎)
 * Ryota (4)
 * Mitsuba Hanaori (花織 みつば)
 * Richard Brown (リチャード・ブラウン)
 * Kurando Tani (谷 蔵人)
 * Jokan (浄寛)
 * Hiro Sakakibara (榊原 ヒロ)
 * Toji Sakakibara (榊原 藤次)
 * Mamoru Shiraishi (白石 衛)
 * Kyoko Shiraishi (白石 響子)
 * Kaori Sawada (沢田 香)
 * Koichi Sawada (沢田 晃一)
 * Haruna (沢田 陽菜)
 * All Super Sentai
 * Engine Sentai Go-Onger
 * Tensou Sentai Goseiger
 * Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger

Gedoshu

 * Dokoku Chimatsuri
 * Shitari Honeno (1-Goseiger vs Shinkenger/Gokaiger 40)
 * Dayuu Usukawa
 * Juzo Fuwa (7-47)
 * Kusare Gedoshu
 * Manpuku Aburame (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger the Movie: The Fateful War)
 * Azemidoro (31)
 * Akumaro Sujigarano (27-43)
 * Buredoran of the Chimatsuri (Goseiger vs Shinkenger)
 * The Nanashi Company
 * Susukodama
 * Sakamata
 * Kirigami
 * Ayakashi
 * Kagekamuro (1)
 * Ootsumuji (2)
 * Rokuroneri (3)
 * Namiayashi (4)
 * Yanasudare (5)
 * Zuboshimeshi (6)
 * Yamiororo (7)
 * Hitomidama (9)
 * Okakurage (10)
 * Ushirobushi (11-12)
 * Nakinakite (13)
 * Hachouchin (14)
 * Narisumashi (15)
 * Marigomori (16)
 * Isagitsune (17)
 * Hyakuyappa (18)
 * Oinogare (19)
 * Utakasane (20)
 * Sasamatage (21)
 * Urawadachi (22)
 * Gozunagumo (23-24)
 * Yumebakura (25-26)
 * Abekonbe (27)
 * Dokurobou (29)
 * Kugutsukai (30)
 * Happouzu (32-33)
 * Futagawara (34)
 * Homurakogi (35)
 * Sogizarai (36)
 * Mochibetori (37)
 * Ikusazure (38)
 * Sunasusuri (41)
 * Tsubotoguro (42)
 * Yomotsugari (44-45)
 * Oborojime (46)
 * Demebakuto (The Return of Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: Special Act)
 * Guromaguro (manga adaptation)
 * Madakodama (Tensou Sentai Goseiger vs. Shinkenger: Epic on Ginmaku)

Arsenal
Main article: Arsenal (Shinkenger)

Songs

 * Opening theme
 * "Samurai Sentai Shinkenger" (侍戦隊シンケンジャー)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: YOFFY
 * Arrangement: Project.R (Kenichiro Ōishi & Psychic Lover)
 * Artist: Psychic Lover (Project.R)
 * Ending theme
 * "Shirokujimuchū Shinkenger" (四六時夢中　シンケンジャー)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Hideaki Takatori
 * Arrangement: Project.R (Hiroaki Kagoshima)
 * Artist: Hideaki Takatori (Project.R)
 * Instruments: Zetki (Z旗)
 * Episodes: 1-20, 29-48
 * "Shirokujimuchū Shinkenger ~Ginmakuban~" (四六時夢中 シンケンジャー～銀幕版～)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Hideaki Takatori
 * Arrangement: Project.R (Hiroaki Kagoshima)
 * Artist: Shinkengers (Tori Matsuzaka, Hiroki Aiba, Rin Takanashi, Shogo Suzuki, Suzuka Morita, Keisuke Sohma) & Hideaki Takatori
 * Episodes: 21-28
 * Insert theme
 * "Example! Shinkenger" (斗え! シンケンジャー)
 * Lyrics: Hideaki Takatori
 * Composition: IMAJO
 * Arrangement: Project.R
 * Artist: Hideaki Takatori
 * Episodes: 06, 27, 37
 * "Samurai Union Shinken-Oh" (侍合体! シンケンオー)
 * Lyrics: Kuwahara Nagae
 * Composition: Hiroshi Takagi
 * Arrangement: Project.R
 * Artist Akira Kushida
 * Episodes: 04-06, 14, 19, 42
 * "Consistently Dedicate! Shinken Gold" (一貫献上! シンケンゴールド)
 * Lyrics: Yoffy
 * Composition: Hiroshi Takagi
 * Arrangement: Project.R
 * Artist: Yoffy
 * Episode: 19
 * "Samurai Deformation! Daikai-Oh" (侍変形! ダイカイオー)
 * Lyrics: Kuwahara Nagae
 * Composition & Arrangement: Chuumei Watanabe
 * Artist: Takayuki Miyauchi
 * Episodes: 20, 22
 * "The Six Samurai" (六人の侍)
 * Lyrics: Fujibayashi Seiko
 * Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
 * Arrangement: Project.R
 * Artist: Takashi Matsubara (Project.R
 * Episode: 29
 * "Ultimate Samuraihaoh Advent!" (究極 サムライハオー 降臨!)
 * Lyrics: Sato Hoshi
 * Composition & Arrangement: Tatsumi Yano
 * Artist: MoJo
 * Episodes: 35-37

The opening and ending themes of Shinkenger are performed by Psychic Lover and Hideaki Takatori as part of Project.R, respectively. The opening is also featured as a playable song in Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Do Don to 2 Daime. Its opening theme song single ranked highly on the Oricon charts, reaching #4 on the Daily Ranking Charts on its day of release. and peaked at #6 on the weekly charts selling 20,130 copies within its first week of release and stayed in the top 30 ranks for 4 weeks straight.

Cast

 * Takeru Shiba: Tori Matsuzaka (松坂 桃李)
 * Ryunosuke Ikenami: Hiroki Aiba (相葉 弘樹)
 * Mako Shiraishi: Rin Takanashi (高梨 臨)
 * Chiaki Tani: Shogo Suzuki (鈴木 勝吾)
 * Kotoha Hanaori: Suzuka Morita (森田 涼花)
 * Genta Umemori: Keisuke Sohma (相馬 圭祐)
 * Hikoma Kusakabe: Gorou Ibuki (伊吹 吾郎)
 * Kaoru Shiba: Runa Natsui (夏居 瑠奈)
 * Toshizo Tanba: Kazuyuki Matsuzawa (松澤 一之)
 * Juzo Fuwa: Mitsuru Karahashi (唐橋 充)
 * Doukoku Chimatsuri: Rintarō Nishi (西 凛太朗)
 * Dayu Usukawa: Romi Park (朴 璐美)
 * In episodes 25 and 40, Romi Park appeared on screen as Usuyuki, Dayu's original human form.
 * Shitari of the Bones: Chō (チョー)
 * Akumaro Sujigarano: Ryō Horikawa (堀川 りょう)
 * DaiGoyou: Kōichi Tōchika (遠近 孝一)
 * Sushi Changer(voice), Inromaru(voice), Narrator: Hironori Miyata (宮田 浩徳)

Suit actors

 * Shinken Red: Hirofumi Fukuzawa (福沢 博文)
 * Shinken Blue, Mougyudaioh: Yoshifumi Oshikawa (押川 善文)
 * Shinken Pink, Shinken Yellow (sub), Princess Shinken Red (sub), Dayu Usukawa (sub): Sanae Hitomi (人見 早苗)
 * Shinken Pink (sub): Naoko Kamio (神尾 直子)
 * Shinken Green: Yasuhiro Takeuchi (竹内 康博)
 * Shinken Yellow: Miwa Hashiguchi (橋口 未和)
 * Shinken Gold, Daikaioh (sub): Jiro Okamoto (岡元次郎)
 * Doukoku Chimatsuri, Shinkenoh, Daikaioh, Samuraihaoh: Hideaki Kusaka (日下 秀昭)
 * Dayu Usukawa, Princess Shinken Red: Yūichi Hachisuka (蜂須賀 祐一)
 * Shitari of the Bones, Shinken Green (sub): Masaru Ōbayashi (大林 勝)
 * Juzo Fuwa, Akumaro Sujigarano, Shinken Red (sub), Shinken Blue (sub): Riichi Seike (清家 利一)
 * DaiGoyou: Hiroyuki Tanaka (田中 宏幸)

Stage Shows

 * Shinkenger Stage Show at Double Hero Nagoya Dome

Official websites

 * Shinkenger at Toei.co.jp
 * Shinkenger at Tv-asahi.co.jp (Archived)
 * Shinkenger at Super-sentai.net