History Series / AvataroSentaiDonbrothers

! Due to the nature of being an indirect sequel to ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'', spoilers pertaining to it may have been unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers'' (roughly translated as "Avatar-Man Squadron[[note]]using kanji that makes it a DoubleMeaningTitle of "Rampaging Taro('s) Squadron"[[/note]] Donbrothers[[note]]Based on the Japanese term "donburako", an {{onomatopoeia}} used to describe Momotaro's peach tumbling as it arrives in the original folklore, and "brothers"[[/note]]") is the 46th entry in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise and the third series to start in the Reiwa Era, airing alongside ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' -- and later, ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'' -- in the Series/SuperHeroTime block from March 6, 2022 to February 26, 2023. It is heavily based on the legend of ''{{Literature/Momotaro}}'', combining it with themes of digital worlds and TheMetaverse. The TitleThemeTune was performed by Win Morisaki.

''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers'' (roughly translated as "Avatar-Man Squadron[[note]]using kanji that makes it a DoubleMeaningTitle of "Rampaging Taro('s) Squadron"[[/note]] Donbrothers[[note]]Based on the Japanese term "donburako", an {{onomatopoeia}} used to describe Momotaro's peach tumbling as it arrives in the original folklore, and "brothers"[[/note]]") is the 46th entry in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise and the third series to start in the Reiwa Era, airing alongside ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' -- and later, ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'' -- in the Series/SuperHeroTime block from March 6, 2022 to February 26, 2023. It is heavily based on the legend of ''{{Literature/Momotaro}}'', combining it with themes of digital worlds and TheMetaverse.

''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers'' (roughly translated as "Avatar-Man Squadron[[note]]using kanji that makes it a DoubleMeaningTitle of "Rampaging Taro('s) Squadron"[[/note]] Donbrothers[[note]]Based on the Japanese term "donburako", an {{onomatopoeia}} used to describe Momotaro's peach tumbling as it arrives in the original folklore, and "brothers"[[/note]]") is the 46th entry in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' franchise and the fourth series in the Reiwa Era, airing alongside ''Series/KamenRiderRevice'' -- and later, ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'' -- in the Series/SuperHeroTime block from March 6, 2022 to February 26, 2023. It is heavily based on the legend of ''{{Literature/Momotaro}}'', combining it with themes of digital worlds and TheMetaverse.

* ''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers Meets Senpaiger'', a web special featuring Don Momotaro introducing and using the powers of the Senpaiger, as a tie-in to the DVD movie ''[[Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger Zenkaiger]] vs. [[Series/MashinSentaiKiramager Kiramager]] vs. Senpaiger''.

Unlike most ''Sentai'' series, ''Donbrothers'' is a semi-sequel to its predecessor ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger''; carrying over ''Zenkaiger''[='s=] collectible gear items, an alternate version of its lead character, and one of its mecha. It also inherits ''Zenkaiger''[='s=] celebration of previous ''Sentai'' series and PowerCopying their teams; though while the entire franchise is featured as the basis for ''Donbrothers''[='=] [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]], the heroes' PowerCopying limits its focus to a sub-group of the last eleven years (''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' onward) referred to as the "[[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics Senpai]]ger" ("Senior Rangers").

** After Tsubasa’s [[spoiler: investigation of the Forest Of Slumbers]], the show forgets the police investigation angle entirely.
** Jiro and Don Murasame have two sparse interactions, potentially setting up a FriendlyRivalry ala Taro and Sonoi. They stop interacting after their second encounter.

* LeftHanging: Enforced. Donbrothers is a DeconstructiveParody of Toshiki Inoue’s writing-style; already infamous for its use of PoorCommunicationKills. As an exaggeration of this style, the misunderstandings constantly shift and pile-on, inevitably leading to SkewedPriorities.

** The idea of there having been previous Donbrothers is the core premise of Don #21, but despite even the usually-tight-lipped Jin commenting on it, it never comes up again.

* LeftHanging: Enforced, as Donbrothers is a DeconstructiveParody of Toshiki Inoue’s writing-style; already infamous for its use of PoorCommunicationKills feeding into this trope.

* ''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers VS Donburies'', a TTFC-exclusive spinoff based off a one-off AccidentalMisnaming gag from the series' initial press conference.

As the Donbrothers work to save the humans who have become Hitotsu-Ki, they come up against two main adversaries: the Nōto, a SuperiorSpecies of higher-dimension beings who are tasked with purging the Hitotsu-Ki permanently to protect their integrity of their homeworld; and the Jūto, a faction of aggressive and immortal beings that pose a threat to the Human and Nōto realms alike.

** The main three Nōto generals have their own as well:

'''All:''' The Nōto Trio is here!

'''All:''' ...the Nōto Overseers!

* MonsterOfTheWeek: The Hitotsu-Ki, monstrous {{oni}} forms taken on by humans with extreme desires in their hearts. In an interesting twist, while the Nōto are able to forcefully create them to serve as a distraction for the Donbrothers, they are also the targets of the Nōto's own execution, due to still being considered by them as "[[FantasticRacism humans far too tainted with ugly desires]]" that disrupt the peace of their realm.

** "Avataro" is a pun between "avatar" and "Taro", a Japanese first name suffix meaning "eldest son" and usually translated as "boy". It is also [[SpellMyNameWithAnS written in kanji as]] "暴太郎/abataro", meaning "Rampaging Taro", referencing how often characters lampshade that Taro, as TheLeader, is also a huge BoisterousBruiser.

** The Nōto generals use their Nōto Braces to transform into their monster forms.

* AllThereInTheManual: Episode 11 has Jin vaguely telling the Nōto they should be wary of what type of origami the Jūto fold, without any details to elaborate why. [[https://www.toei.co.jp/tv/donbrothers/story/1229015_3246.html The behind-the-scenes notes]] detail this in full as the rank of their strengths -- Cats are Rank B, Cranes are Rank A, and Penguins are Rank S.

* BittersweetEnding: All's well that ends well... almost. [[spoiler:The good news? The Jūto have been annihilated, the Nōto Overseers have been executed for their failures, and the top strongest executioners Sonona and Sonoya were defeated by Taro before they could execute the Nōto Trio and the Donbrothers, and Haruka manages to resurrect her manga career. The bad news? Tsubasa is still on the run thanks to using his Kibi-points to resurrect Sononi and has to break up with Natsumi, though he does get together with Sononi as compensation, and Natsumi enters Tsuyoshi's life with her asking if they want to continue their dream together, and while Taro recovers his memories, he leaves for parts unknown, but he does eventually return under a new courier company.]]

** The series also notably breaks the VillainsActHeroesReact plot structure used in the franchise since the very beginning. The [[MonsterOfTheWeek Hitotsu-Ki]] aren't sent out as part of an EvilPlan to wreak havoc, but instead are created by happenstance when a person's desires grow too powerful for them to control. The main antagonist faction, the Nōto, doesn't aim to use them to conquer the world; instead they aim to eliminate these Hitotsu-Ki just like the Donbrothers, though they're willing to use more lethal means. It's only with the emergence of the Jūto, the other antagonist faction, that this kind of plot line returns, though they're a far more nuanced example than your typical Sentai villain group.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Despite the lively theme the poster is showing, Donbrothers is a bit darker than the previous installment. Compared to ''[[Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger Zenkaiger]]'', ''Donbrothers'' has a more grounded perspective on both the heroes and villains. The Nōto are portrayed as incredibly dangerous threats: its generals are more than willing to dispose of anybody that doesn't adhere to their views ([[spoiler:and they are ''successful at killing four already'']]), the Hitotsu-Ki can be born from anybody with an extreme desire, and the Anōni can disguise themselves as ''anybody'' within the world. As for our heroes, they all lost something of great value in order to fight since they know the secret behind the masquerade. Along with that, their personalities and lifestyles outside of their super-heroic exploits tend to prevent them from working as a cohesive unit, not helped by the CallToAdventure forcing them to fight. That being said, the series has a good amount of absurd humor and heartwarming moments to balance out.

** In the first several episodes Anōni soldiers would often aid the Hitotsuki in fighting the heroes. Once it was established that the Noto don't care for the Hitotsuki any more than the Donbrothers do and actively want the Hitotsuki destroyed, the Anōni stop doing so since that would make little sense. This is doubly so when [[spoiler:the Anoni outright ask the Donbrothers to help them take out the Juto]].

* TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil: The faction dynamic shapes up to be this way, with the Donbrothers generally helping people even in spite of their frailties (the Good), the Nōto being a group of [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned Extremists]] (the Bad) who then protect the world from the utterly malevolent Jūto (the Evil). Later developments in the series reveal the Jūto to be {{Tragic Monster}}s, with the Evil being occupied by [[spoiler: the Nōto Council and their top enforcers Sonoshi, Sonogo, and Sonoroku.]]

* {{Masquerade}}: There appears to be an active cover hiding the Nōto Layer metaverse, [[ConfidenceSabotage ruining the lives]] of those who discovered it and manage to escape capture, much like what happened to Haruka. Given the fact that society as a whole (and seemingly ''the Earth itself'') actually supports this without batting an eye over any oddity heavily implies the Nōto have already taken over most of the Earth in secret.
* TheMetaverse: The Earth is host to one known as the Nōto Layer, a hidden {{cyberspace}} that overlays onto Earth's own landscape with hidden constructs, HardLight dimension doors, InASingleBound manhole platforms, and the fact that ''some of the human populace are actually [[{{Mook}} Anōni]]''. Only the Donbrothers' sunglasses are able to see all this.

** In #35, Naoki Shiina is shown to be able to perfectly replicate Haruka's art style and beef stroganoff; with "Miho" explaining that Crane Jūto are able to imitate their hosts later on, it was implied that Shiina was a Crane Jūto imitating Haruka. [[spoiler:#43 reveals that it's actually Haruka from an alternate future.]]

** ''Abatā Ranbu: Momotarozan'' [[note]]"Avatar Combat Art: Momotaro Slash"[[/note]], specifically where only the sword flashes are seen, is inspired by ''Manga/DemonSlayerKimetsuNoYaiba''.

* TeamMercyVsTeamMurder: The titular hero Sentai can use their powers to deal with the [[MonsterOfTheWeek Hitotsu-Ki]] without killing their hosts, while their rivals the WellIntentionedExtremist team Nōto, deems it necessary to defeat the hosts as well. The show goes on the premise that BothSidesHaveAPoint, with some people being too overwhelmed by their desires that they become repeat hosts for a Hitotsu-Ki, while others are simply ordinary people in the wrong place at the wrong time. [[spoiler:At the end, both sides end up befriending and allying each other, with the final conflict of the show becoming about the trio's increasing humanity putting them at odds with their higher-ups instead.]]

* {{Teleportation}}: Both the Donbrothers and Nōto use different forms of teleportation.
** The Donbrothers use various [[PortalDoor dimension doors]] made of HardLight located throughout the city when they use their glasses and [=DonBlaster=]. When there's a Nōto attack, the [=DonBlaster=] forcibly transforms them before it teleports them via streams of light.
** The Nōto generals use manhole-shaped platforms that send them back to their base of operations.

** Later on in the series the "core" Donbrothers (Taro, Shinichi, Haruka and Tsuyoshi) typically share one plot thread involving either their interactions with the Nōto or the Hitotsu-Ki, while Tsubasa and/or Jiro get the other one, involving either the &Jūto or Don Murasame.

** #27. What starts off as a parody of DuelToTheDeath clichés interspersed with [[GoKartingWithBowser Sonoi and Taro playing delivery boy]] ends with [[spoiler: ''The Juto finally revealing themselves'' to all conceivable parties and invading the quarry battle, forcing Sonoi to reveal to Taro the nature of the Juto as failed Don Clan creations; hinted to be one of the reasons they were eliminated by the Noto in the first place]]. Several episodes afterwards sprinkle revelations here and there about how [[spoiler:Murasame was made to ''destroy'' the Juto or how Juto copy the humans they capture]]. All of this culminates in #32, which is a retelling of #27 but with Sononi and Sonoza taking Sonoi's place, before [[spoiler:Sonoi's return, powered up and ultimately killing Taro for a second time]].

** The core five use the and Avataro Gears to transform. Similarly to their predecessor's Sentai Gears, they also have their own series of Gears based on previous Super Sentai to access their powers.

** The core five use the [[CoolGun Donblaster]] and Avataro Gears to transform. Similarly to their predecessor's Sentai Gears, they also have their own series of Gears based on previous Super Sentai to access their powers.

! Due to the nature of being an indirect sequel to ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'', spoilers pertaining to it are unmarked. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.

* ''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers VS Donburees'', a TTFC-exclusive spinoff based off a one-off AccidentalMisnaming gag from the series' initial press conference.

* ''Avataro Sentai Donbrothers VS Donburees'', a TTFC-exclusive spinoff based off a one-off AccidentalMisnaming gag during the series' initial press conference.

Unlike most ''Sentai'' series, ''Donbrothers'' is a semi-sequel to its predecessor ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger''; carrying over ''Zenkaiger''[='s=] collectible gear items, an alternate version of its lead character, and one of its mecha. It also inherits ''Zenkaiger''[='s=] celebration of previous ''Sentai'' series and PowerCopying their teams; though while the entire franchise is featured as the basis for ''Donbrothers''[='=] [[MonsterOfTheWeek Monsters of the Week]], the heroes' PowerCopying limits its focus to a sub-group of the last eleven years (''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger'' onward) referred to as the "[[SenpaiKohai Senpai]]ger" ("Senior Rangers").

->''Once upon this year, in a land somewhere out there... lived four companions and one [[DoubleMeaning Rampaging Taro/Avataro]].''
-->--Haruka Kito, narration for the first trailer.

* SecretIdentity: [[ExaggeratedTrope Taken to maddening heights]] compared to ''Sentais'' past. The Donbrothers' identities aren't just hidden from the public, but oftentimes even each other! The first primary arc of the show centers around the various Donbrothers discovering each other; beginning with Taro and going from there. It isn't until #11 that much of the core team is aware of each other outside of the battlefield. That isn't even getting into Inu Brother, who has successfully kept who he is a secret from everyone else for almost half the show and counting!