YMMV / Ninja Sentai Kakuranger

• Anti-Climax Boss: Daimao is ultimately defeated by... being pushed behind a door. Granted, there was a pretty good reason why the Kakuranger couldn't just take him out like all the other Yokai, but it's still a little on the underwhelming side, especially when compared to previous and future Sentai Big Bad defeats.
• Awesome Music: The opening. It should be noted that it was one of the only Super Sentai theme songs to play in the respective tribute episode for Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. The ending theme as well.
  ''Dance, dance! Dorodoro dororon!
• Base-Breaking Character: Sandayuu Momochi, with some fans appreciating and others despising his mentorship skills.
• Fan Nickname: The Hana no Kunoichi Gumi is often referred to by fans as the "Hanaranger" team.
• Growing the Beard: The series was already enjoyable, if not rather silly due to the sheer amount of Camp it had in the beginning. Then the scroll arc comes in and the series truly starts to evolve, focusing more on deeper storylines with a greater character focus, genuinely threatening villains, and a gradually Darker and Edgier plot that amps up the action ten-fold. Keep in mind, the series still had many cartoonish moments abound, but there is a marked change between the beginning episodes and later episodes, especially with the final arc.
• Heartwarming Moments: The conclusion of Episode 36, Ninjaman's debut episode; Two kids, Junichi and Mitsuko, risked their lives to help the Kakurangers break Ninjaman out of his prison, and as thanks, he takes them in his hand and takes them for a ride as he flies through the sky on his cloud.
• Hilarious in Hindsight
  • The opening theme's line "Nin-Ninja, ninja, ninja!" has "Nin-Ninja" sounding an awful lot like "Ninninger".
  • Kakuranger ends up being sandwiched between two official Super Sentai anniversaries. The 15th anniversary was commemorated during the run of its predecessor Gosei Sentai Dairanger which, due to Battle Fever J still being recognised as the first series, stood as the fifteenth series at the time. It was when Kakuranger was succeeded by Ohranger that Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai were finally acknowledged as the first two series, with Ohranger marking 20 years since the premiere of Goranger.
  • Amikiri, the main antagonist of "The Demon Sword and Underwear!!", is portrayed by Ami Kawai, who portrayed Lamie back in Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. When Amikiri was adapted for Witchblade in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, she was portrayed by Wendee Lee, who previously voiced Lamie's counterpart, Scorpina.
• Jerkass Woobie: The Monster of the Week in episode 3, Oboroguruma genuinely liked Jiraiya and was sad when his new friend betrayed him. It gets even worse when we see him being treated like crap by everyone in the cab beforehand.
• Memetic Mutation: "Today is Friday in California." ^ExplanationDuring episode 45, the Kakurangers are trapped in an illusion made by the Monster of the Week, Mujina. One of the scenes involve Saizou being sent to a hospital room with a police officer rising up from the operating table to utter this phrase in Engrish, much to Saizou's confusion, before opening fire at him. This scene is popular among viewers and is frequently posted on Fridays due to how bizarre it is even with context. Though it seems to be a subbing error from a fansub and the correct lines are "Today is (a) fine day in California." Oddly enough, an advertisement for the SMP Ninjaman model uses the “Friday” translation, suggesting the official line is wrong or that the fansub version is just that popular.
• Nausea Fuel: At the end of episode 8, the narrator reveals that Bakeneko's food was actually mice and small insects. To make matters worse, he says that he likes to eat them.
• Paranoia Fuel: A lot of plots involve the rangers minding their own business, when they get tricked into traps set up by the Yokai. Not to mention a lot of Yokai hide themselves as normal humans, then reveal themselves after the team is stuck in a bad situation. You can't even trust normal looking humans...
• Retroactive Recognition: Kane Kosugi has moved on to Hollywood after this, starting from the US-made Ultraman Powered (aka Ultraman: The Ultimate Hero) and appearing in movies like DOA: Dead or Alive (being Ryu Hayabusa no less) and battling Jet Li in War (2007).
  • He was also a regular in the earlier runs of Ninja Warrior, which in Japan is named...Sasuke.
  • The head Santa of the Santa village is played by Ulf Otsuki. That's right, Professor Harley Hendrickson was an actual Santa, and the only one with a real beard!
  • Saizo/Ninja Blue is played by Hiroshi Tsuchida, who is more known for his voice-acting career, and the characters he voices tend to be deep-voiced, usually serious badasses; a far cry from the still badass, but much more goofier Saizo.
  • Likewise, Teruaki Ogawa, who's Sasuke/Ninja Red, is also known for his voice and motion capture acting career.
• Tear Jerker: Kakuranger may generally be a Denser and Wackier Sentai, but as these examples attest, it can get pretty emotional:
  • Episode 18, featuring Zashiki-Warashi, a friendly Youkai who takes the form of a child, befriended by Jiraiya and a group of kids, only to be targeted by Young Noble Junior and forced into evil. Turned into a twisted version of himself and set loose upon the city, it takes Jiraiya and the children calling out to him for Zashiki-Warashi to eventually overcome his corruption and revert to normal. He attempts to attack Junior in revenge, but is easily destroyed by the villain. Jiraiya finds the body of his human form, and Zashiki-Warashi dies in his arms, but not before thanking him and the children for the fun he had. Upon dying, he turns into a mushroom, and Sasuke and Tsuruhime assure the children that the Youkai isn't really dead, and if they keep playing and dreaming, Zashiki-Warashi could come back.
  • Episode 25, where Sasuke encounters a girl named Reika who ends up dying in the end because of her short lifetime. To make it even worse, Reika was actually a butterfly turned into a human because of his scroll.
  • Episode 26, where Tsuruhime gradually loses her Kakuranger comrades as she completes her trial. They may have been dolls, but damn did it still hurt, especially when Tsuruhime cries over them.
  • Everything about Jiraya's storyline with Gali, especially as he fights over his former teacher because of his father's death.
  • And to finish with the scroll arc, we have Saizou and Seikai turning into kappas and being forced to defeat each other, lest they remain like this forever. They get mocked by the passerby, and Seikai even asks Saizou to kill him.
  • Tsuruhime and Hakumenrou, especially after the revelation that he is actually her father. Seeing her breakdown in Sasuke's arms because of her decision is absolutely heartwrenching.
  • Episode 38, when Ninjaman inadvertently injures the (Oni-possessed) mother of two children while pursuing Ushioni. In the hospital, they declare that they hate Ninjaman, and seeing the normally jovial, well-meaning yet Hot-Blooded Friend to All Children silently and sullenly walk out of the room while hanging his head is just sad to see. The whole affair leaves Ninjaman in a temporary Heroic BSoD that Jiraiya tries to snap him out of. Fortunately, he redeems himself when he helps the Kakurangers defeat Ushioni, and he manages to get himself back into the children's good graces.

---