In case you're wondering, yes, we're putting a girl back into the core team.
Dai Sentai Goggle V (Great Squadron Goggle Five) is the sixth Super Sentai series, which aired from 1982 to 1983. MoJo sang the Title Theme Tune for the second time in this series.
The story begins when Professor Hideki Hongō goes to investigate Wolfborg castle in Germany...only to find the previous resident reduced to bones, and the Dark Science Empire Deathdark ready to execute their plan to, you guessed it, Take Over the World. The defenseless Hongō is attacked, but thankfully, a world class-explorer named Ken'ichi Akama comes to his rescue, thus learning the story of Hongō and his squadron, the only group capable of stopping Deathdark... the Goggle V!
Akama is then promoted into the leader of the Goggles, Goggle Red, while Hongō's Computer Boys and Girls bring out those chosen to become the members of the Goggle V including Kanpei Kuroda, Saburo Aoyama, Futoshi Kijima and Miki Momozono. While they're completely unrelated, they share a strong sense of justice, so after hearing Hongou's explanation, they immediately agree to become members of the Goggle Five. Together, they fight the Deathdark Empire to protect peace!
This season would be the last season of Sentai to use the usual Scarf of Asskicking. While the previous team were all men, this team resumed the tradition of having a female member, who at the time was the youngest ever member of a Sentai, being 16 years old. Aside from starting the trend of Title Scream, this also marks the first Sentai season of Hirohisa Soda’s tenure as the head writer, who was involved with Super Sentai since Gorenger and would stay the head writer until Fiveman. The most known "fact" about Goggle V is that they are rhythmic gymnasts, due to their use of gymnastics-themed weaponry. They are not actually gymnasts (except the aforementioned female), they're actually a science-based team with a small dash of 'lost civilization' element in it.
Recurring Super Sentai tropes:
- All Your Powers Combined: Both Goggle Victory Flash and Golden Spear requires combining the power of the Goggle Sabers.
- By the Power of Grayskull!: "Goggle Five," or their individual name.
- Calling Your Attacks
- Combination Attack: A lot of them, which happens when each Goggle V starts sharing the same weapon.
- Cool Airship: The Goggle Caesar, which Goggle Black and Pink were required to control in order to release the components of the Goggle Robo.
- Cool Bike: Goggle Red's Goggle Machine.
- Cool Car: Goggle Cougar, a jeep for the rest of the team.
- Cool Helmet: The Goggle V helmets are distinguished both by the shape of their visors and their forehead gems.
- Color Character: Another "[team prefix] [English color]" Sentai.
- Color-Coded Characters: Introduced the second black ranger in the franchise (following Battle Kenya) and the first one who actually has the word "black" in his codename. From this point on the franchise would alternate between black and green for the fifth ranger color. The two colors wouldn't be used together until Choujuu Sentai Liveman and its mid-season introduction of Green Sai and Black Bison, and even after that the presence of both colors on the same team does not happen very often.
- Defeat Equals Explosion: As ever, this is played straight for the Mozoos and the Kongs.
- Evil Will Fail: Deathdark's downfall is set in motion the moment Deathmark (with Deathgiller on board) plot to have Mazurka turned into a human bomb and willingly discard her, in which Mazurka ended up taking the role with glee as a form of spite. This put Deathgiller in care of the Goggle Five and wounds his Pride enough to interfere with the Bear Mozoo attack, and then hijack the latest giant robot battle instead of having the original Mozoo monster get revived and pilot it, costing him his life. With Deathdark severely undermanned, this enables Goggle Five to assault Deathtopia, and while Deathmark is a powerful foe, he's no One-Man Army and eventually falls in battle, followed by Fuhrer Taboo himself.
- Fake Defector: In episode 44, Kijima. After being inflicted with Condor Mozoo's sands, which turns anything he attempts to eat into sand, and then approached by Mazurka to join Deathdark in order to actually get something to eat (and survive), he confronts Akama and purposefully let out a hint that he's trying to figure out the enemy base to stop the whole thing, so Akama can 'play dead', the Goggle V can then find out the base while Kijima uses his own wits to wreck the enemy plans from the inside and cure his own affliction.
- Finishing Move: Goggle Victory Flash! Later on, there's Goggle Golden Spear.
- Home Base: The Future Science Lab.
- Humongous Mecha: The individual mecha are composed of three vehicles this time, each piloted by a single member. But since the team is composed of five members, Black and Pink are left out from having their individual mecha and instead remain on the mecha carrier.
- Combining Mecha: Goggle Jet (Red) + Goggle Tank (Blue) + Goggle Dump (Yellow) = Goggle Robo
- For the first time in the franchise, the villains use Humongous Mecha of their own (See Make My Monster Grow below). Later shows would follow suit.
- In the Name of the Moon
- Law of Chromatic Superiority: Goggle Red is the only one who uses the bike (although Black also uses a bike in one episode). He's also the one who wields and throws the Golden Spear.
- Mecha-Mooks: Spotmen
- Monsters of the Week: The Mozu Monsters.
- Make My Monster Grow: Averted; whenever a monster died, it is immediately revived at the same size and given a giant "Kong" robot to pilot. From the fifth episode and onward, the Kong robots become giant duplicates of their Mozu counterparts.
- The Movie: The Goggle Five learn from a defecting Prof. Zazoriya about Deathdark's latest plan to destroy Tokyo, and try to foil it. Turns out the defection is staged and then they can't summon the Goggle Caesar until later. Takes place between episodes 5 (Deathdark are already using giant mecha replicas of their monsters) and 14 (before Deathdark goes to Antartica to revive Deathmark).
- "On the Next Episode of..." Catch-Phrase
- Regular Caller
- Psycho Rangers: The Deathdark Five. Taken out in one episode (#45).
- The Smurfette Principle: Goggle Pink, who was once again a real heroine and part of the core team (unlike the girl in the previous series). Curiously, in the fourth episode, her teammates doubt if she should be on the team due to being wounded, but she'll have none of that.
- Supervillain Lair: Deathtopia Castle.
- Theme Music Power-Up
- Transformation Name Announcement: "Gattai Kanryou!"note
- Transformation Trinket: Goggle Brace
- Villains Act, Heroes React: As is the norm for Super Sentai, we generally have Deathdark sending out a MOTW with an Evil Plan Once an Episode, with our heroes then arriving on the scene to stop them.
Tropes specific to Dai Sentai Goggle V:
- Artistic License – Biology: In episode 21, Goggle V points out the Coelacanth in the aquarium doesn't make sense because it has been extinct for millions of years. They forgot that that fish was found to still be alive off the Comoros islands in 1938.
- Ash Face: Done twice. These happened to:
- Kuroda during the 'cowboy shootout' scene in episode 36. He tries to do the cool 'blow in front of gun' thing and his gun accidentally goes off, rendering his face mired with ash as he fell down.
- Aoyama and Kijima at the end of episode 38 because the jet pack exploded.
- Back from the Dead: In episode 28, ALL the monsters of the week that came before come back to assist that week's monster.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Saburou & Futoshi in episode 38. Even when Futoshi is being the Butt-Monkey like usual, it dosn't eclipse their badassery.
- Badass Boast: Episode 5 deals with the myth of Daidarabotchi, known for his herculean, earth-shaping strength. It shaped a giant rock that sealed a giant serpent that will definitely ruin the world. Deathdark only manages to budge the rock a little to unleash its poisonous gas... Goggle Yellow pushes the rock back to its place with ease, and tops it off with this line:The strength of Daidarabotchi got nothing on Goggle Yellow!
- Badass in Distress: Miki/Pink in episode 39.
- Battle Strip: See Bruce Lee Clone below.
- Bears Are Bad News: The final Mozoo is a bear, while the Bear Kong is the only robot piloted not by the Mozoo, but by Deathgiller.
- Big Brother Mentor / Cool Big Sis: The Goggle Five are basically this for the Computer Boys & Girls.
- Big Damn Heroes: Akama/Red sure loved doing this. Not only was this his debut action, if an ally was in need of rescue, he's the first to execute the trope by throwing his Goggle Saber. It always works.
- Boisterous Bruiser: Kijima/Yellow.
- Bruce Lee Clone: Kuroda/Black in episode 9, when the team is forced into a Calvinball situation. He used the nunchaku, and the Bruce Lee yell, and eventually goes shirtless with black long pants like one of Lee's trademark outfits.
- Butt-Monkey: Inbetween getting himself in humorous situations OR getting suckered by the Mooks for laughs in the middle of battle... The universe seems to love picking on Kijima.
- Comedic Underwear Exposure: Happens to Futoshi in the shootout in episode 36.
- Deathdark Did It: Deathdark are responsible for the collapse of major civilizations and and the creation of any weapons created and/or used to kill.
- Easy Amnesia: The Monster Of The Week in episode 26 sets off flash explosions that cause people to develop amnesia. Kuroda ends up as one of its victim... Only not really, he already prepared his countermeasure before getting hit with the attack, and just pretended to be affected to throw the monster off.
- Eek, a Mouse!!: Rat Mozoo can turn into a normal small-sized rat, which causes this reaction even from the mostly no-nonsense Mazurka.
- Even Evil Has Standards: What kicks off the movie is when Deathdark develops a weapon that could reduce islands to a molecular size and planned to aim it at Tokyo, which appalls Dr. Zazoriya, who decided to leave Deathdark. Except she isn't. It was all staged and she's totally on board with the evil plan.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: In the middle of the final arc, Akama decides to save Deathgiller and have him nursed back to health in order to show him the value of life. Deathgiller does end up interrupting Bear Mozoo's assault in the Goggle V's favor, but he only does so to pay them back for saving his life, not learning any lesson whatsoever, and goes right back to antagonizing the Goggle V afterward.
- Evil Counterpart: Mazurka started the trend of Super Sentai's 'evil counterpart of The Heart'. Although since this is the an early era, she never comes into a direct Cat Fight with Miki (merely possessing similar skills, just used for evil).
- Expy: Between the general shape and the fact that the mecha components are carried in large square containers, Goggle Caesar seems to be one for Thunderbird 2.
- Eye Scream: Fuhrer Taboo is dealt an eye-piercing fatal blow by the Goggle Robo.
- Go for the Eye: Indeed.
- Fastball Special: Episode 6 had Black do this helped with a one-shot supporting character.
- Fountain of Youth: What the Monster Of The Week does to people in episode 18.
- Hidden Elf Village: An early episode has Akama stumble upon one by crossing into a certain cave. No elves, but instead there's a village that hasn't developed since the Edo period. And of course, Deathdark is up to no good with this village and this episode contains the obligatory 'disguise as samurai' formula.
- Improbable Weapon User: In his civilian form, Kuroda tends to carry his shogi pieces and throw it at his enemies.
- Instant Expert: We do not know how each of the Goggles are suddenly adept in fighting and their special techniques. Well, this was an early Sentai series after all...
- Instrument of Murder: The Cactus monster's guitar also shoots like a rifle in episode 20.
- Jumped at the Call: Kuroda, Aoyama, Kijima and Miki were practically thrown into the base against their will, but once Hongo gives a rundown of the things, they immediately agree to abandon their former lives and become allies of justice. We assume that the same happened to Akama off-screen.
- Kid Sidekick: A whole team of them, the Computer Boys and Girls, and paired accordingly to fit the Goggle V as well: Tatsuya, the leader of the Comboys, is paired with Akama. Makoto, the smart second in command, is paired with Kuroda. Haruo, the youngest and more emotional one, is paired with Aoyama. Daisuke, the big one, is paired with Kijima. And Akane, the only Computer Girl, is paired with Miki.
- Last-Name Basis: Partially. The boys are referred by their last names, so you're more likely hear "Akama, Kuroda, Aoyama and Kijima". When it comes to the sole girl, she's called "Miki" rather than "Momozono".
- Let's Fight Like Gentlemen: Deathgiller challenges Goggle Red to an one-on-one duel. And like a typical villain, the resident Monster of the Week interrupts for his sake. Deathgiller's response? Shove the monster away and insist on continuing the duel with Goggle Red.
- Ma'am Shock: If Mazurka is disguising herself, kids who spot her usually refer to her as 'Ma'am', and it will startle her, though she manages to keep her disguise intact.
- Master of Disguise: Aside from Pink... Mazurka just loves putting on disguises. It usually works on unknowing civilians, though by the end of the series the Goggle V can see through her disguise from miles away.
- Monster Misogyny: A Lighter and Softer version, obviously. Any time a Monster of the Week (or Mooks) decides to get frisky against one Goggle in a mass battle (all Goggles participating), they will always target Pink.
- Motif: The series primarily has a science motif, including fighting a Dark Science Empire, while the team's weapons featured a rhythmic gymnastics motif. Anniversary shows and specials ignore the former in favor of the latter - the ending songs of both Gaoranger vs Super Sentai and Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger emphasize the gymnastics, despite it not being the main theme of the show. Gokaiger even has all of them using gymnastics ribbons to tie up the Monster of the Week in episode 8. The team does have an actual gymnast though (Miki).
- Mythology Gag
- Done by Goggle Pink after hypnotizing a bunch of Mooks into dancing around to their fall. "Do you want another?"
- Also, see that pose up at the top of the page? Himitsu Sentai Gorenger did it first.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: In the movie, Miki decides to save a defecting Prof. Zazoriya and insist the team go along with her information, thinking that she might have performed a genuine Heel–Face Turn. It ends badly... a bit.
- No-Sell: Flames made by Deathmark are just plain indestructible and cannot be put down. The Goggle Five learn this the hard way when they're trying to save s book that's trapped Miki while being burnt by said flame (She manages to get out before the flame completely consumes the book).
- Obviously Evil: You take a look at how the Deathdark Empire is NAMED or how they dress up. Now go back and tell me if they're one bit good.
- One, Two, Three, Four, Go!: This exact phrase is part of the ending song's lyrics.
- Orcus on His Throne: Fuhrer Taboo spends 49 and a half episodes staying inside his chamber in his base.
- Deathmark also never leaves Taboo's side until the final episode.
- Parental Abandonment: We don't know anything about the Goggles' parents other than Kijima's father. And even then, he abandons him because he knows the seriousness of being a Goggle Five member (and Kijima subtly agrees after figuring things out).
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: How the Goggles (starting with Red) finish their roll call. As seen on the page quote.
- Put on a Bus: Out of 50 episodes, Professor Hongō only appears in the first and last two because he was Crazy-Prepared enough to commission another base for the Goggle Five in Africa in case something happened to the main base. Which comes in handy towards the finale, when it's blown up. One of his two assistants, Midori, also leaves the series in Ep. 22 and doesn't come bacl, leaving only Sayuri.
- Rapid Aging: The skill of Bee Mozoo, the first monster unleashed right after Deathmark enters the scene. It hit one of the Computer Boys, Tatsuya, and it rapidly turns him into an old man.
- Rocket Punch: Hand Missile.
- Say My Name: Miki and her Computer Girl participate in this in early episode.
- Sexy Backless Outfit: A blink-or-miss one: In episode 20, when Miki puts on the Flamenco Dancer outfit, she occasionally turns around and you can see that it's a backless variant.
- Scarf of Asskicking: Part of the ranger costumes for a third straight year, but it was the last time we ever saw them on a Super Sentai.
- Science Is Bad: They're fighting a Dark Science Empire, which has been basically encouraging evil uses of science and discovery since the discovery of iron in Turkey (including encouraging 'murder by sword' the moment swords was discovered, for example), or stealing existing technologies and inventing an evil spin for it. But on the other hand, it's also averted, with the heroes promoting good uses of science and discovery, which forms a good chunk of the actual theme of the show: Science can be used for good, but if it falls to the hands of evil men, it becomes a bad thing. A good example of this contrast is in episode 38, when Deathdark steals Aoyama's Jet Pack, tinker with it in their style and turn it into a tool of destruction, when Aoyama originally just designed it for flight.
- Shirtless Scene: All the men on the team by the pool at the end of episode 17, cheering on the kid who had trouble swimming, as he's in the pool.
- Shout-Out: Akama being an explorer and able to use a whip proficiently even before he became Goggle Red (and still carries it around in his civilian form). If he just put on a hat, he'd be fully invoking Indiana Jones.
- Sixth Ranger: Well, for the villains: Deathmark, who makes his debut in the 15th episode, around the same time a good-aligned Sixth Ranger would usually appear in the later Sentai formula.
- Goggle Five themselves are assisted by two temporary sixth members though: heel wrestler Hellmask in Ep. 6 and Henshin Papa (actually a security officer who steals a prototype "Strong Suit" made by Deathdark) in Ep. 41. Only the latter could be counted as one of the prototypes of Sixth Ranger that is eventually used throughout the whole series.note
- Smelly Skunk: The skunk Monster Of The Week in episode 46.
- Spell My Name With An S: Deathmark's casket in ep. 15 has his name engraved as "Desmark".
- Spot the Imposter: A Mozoo impersonats Black and the Goggles found out by telling both of them to bungee-jump. Then he impersonates Pink. The Goggles expose him using the "Super Sentai" Stance.
- Stout Strength: Kijima is fatter than the other Goggles (if not the fattest Sentai), but has incredible strength and toughness (He pushed a huge rock alone, while it took lots of Mooks and the Monster of the Week to barely nudge it)
- Suck Out the Poison: Kuroda does this in Episode 42 when he is infected by Sasori Mozu's venom.
- Super Drowning Skills: Water may as well be Miki's worst enemy. She's vulnerable on water (something the Spotmen once took advantage of), and she even passed on swimming in a normal swimming pool (despite wearing a swimsuit).
- Super-Senses: Every Goggle has the Goggle Eye which gives them extra sight. Yellow also has super hearing. But mostly on sensing ground disturbance.
- Taking the Bullet: Happens to one doll brought to life by a Monster of the Week, who takes the bullet meant for her "handsome prince" (actually a crossdressing Miki). Cue both Tender Tears and This Is Unforgivable!.
- Taking You with Me: How Mazurka dies, trying to take Deathgiller and the Goggles at the same time. Doesn't work for her, but she does manage to destroy the first Goggles base... until Professor Hongou comes back from his bus and introduces a NEW base.
- Ten Paces and Turn: Anytime Kijima grabs a gun to play cowboy, he will do this with his opponent (either Tapir Mozoo or a Spotman dressed as a cowboy). This will always end up with both parties shooting their pants down.
- Tempting Fate: In the movie, Dr. Zazoriya states that Deathdark does not tolerate failures and after so many failures on her hands, she had to quit. She's lying about quitting. But later on, when Deathmark appears, she is executed because, just as she said, Deathdark does not tolerate failures.
- Theme Naming: As with Denjiman, the five have their colors in their surnames.
- Tokyo Is the Center of the Universe: Played straight for most the series, but there's one episode where Deathdark attacked a foreign country. The ending credits also shows all the members of Goggle Five protecting children in other countries besides Japan.
- Throwing Your Sword Always Works: "GOGGLE SABER!". Always handy to make a Big Damn Heroes moment.
- Also Goggle Golden Spear is usually used this way, until Deathmark counters it. So they instead rams it to him.
- Electron Galactic Missile, which is basically throwing the Electron Galactic-powered Earth Sword at Fuhrer Taboo's weak point, killing him in one blow.
- Villains Never Lie: One of the things Deathgiller prides on himself is that he never lies, and he actually delivers.
- Would Hurt a Child: One of the things that Deathmark tends to exploit when he's in charge. In particular for episode 39; he sends out picture books that would trap any readers when they opened a certain page. And then he distributed them to children for free. We see many parents in anguish when their children just vanish after they get a free book. Deathmark did plan to reveal their location... but only after issuing a demand that the adults better obey his words or else the children pay the price.
- Wrestler in All of Us: Uh, okay. Kijima might use grapple moves a lot, but he's a zoo worker, not a wrestler... Yet he still pulls off an Atomic Drop on a Mook...
- You Have Failed Me: Fuhrer Taboo puts an interesting spin on it. After seeing Dr. Iguana and Zazoriya fail for the umpteenth time and they beg for another chance, the Fuhrer decides to... just go to Antarctica, awaken Deathmark and also give the two another chance. In the middle of their mission, Fuhrer Taboo abruptly calls them back so Deathmark, now fit after waking up from his long slumber, can execute them for their failures. Yep, when Fuhrer Taboo said they're going to Antarctica, he still planned to kill them, he just needed to wake up the executioner first.
