Mirai Sentai Timeranger

Mirai Sentai Timeranger (未来戦隊タイムレンジャー, Mirai Sentai Taimurenjā, Future Squadron Timeranger) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series and the 24th series in Toei's Super Sentai metaseries. Footage from this series was used in the American production Power Rangers Time Force. It aired from February 13, 2000, to February 11, 2001, replacing Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive, and was replaced by Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger. The opening narration of the series announces, "People from the future in the year 3000 AD and one man have met by chance, for the sake of marking a new passage of time…!" (西暦3000年の未来人たちと一人の男が出会った。新しい時を刻む為に‥！, Seireki sanzennen no miraijin-tachi to hitori no otoko ga deatta. Atarashii toki wo kizamu tameni). Timeranger was released on DVD by Shout! Factory in North America on July 31, 2018. This is the 9th Super Sentai Series to be released on Region 1 DVD in North America. The series debuted on February 13, 2000, when it replaced Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive in TV Asahi's 7:30 JST time-slot, joining the recently-debuted Kamen Rider Kuuga in what would 3 years later become the Super Hero Time programming block.
In the 30th century, time travel becomes illegal after a time paradox crisis. The Time Protection Bureau (TPB) is established to watch for and stop time crimes. Four new enlistee cadets of the TPB are tricked by mafia leader Don Dolnero and his gang into letting them time-travel to the year 2000 to commit various crimes and, to protect history, the four cadets pursue them. They encounter a severe problem: the Timeranger program requires five members for the first operation. They coerce a present-day martial artist, Tatsuya Asami, to join them, and they become the Timerangers. Tatsuya rents a building for them to live in, and they start a small odd-jobs business called Tomorrow Research to financially support themselves.
Over time, the four cadets begin to realize that their presence would inevitably change the future in the form of the City Guardians, a security force under the employment of the Asami Corporation to protect the city from the Londerz. The City Guardians form a tenuous relationship with the Timerangers, especially when Tatsuya's college acquaintance Naoto becomes Time Fire and later also becomes the City Guardian's captain.
Tatsuya Asami/Time Red (浅見 竜也/タイムレッド, Asami Tatsuya/Taimu Reddo): The main protagonist of the series, Tatsuya is a 22-year-old martial artist who is "drafted" into the team. He refuses to accept fate and his heritage as future CEO of his father's company. He believes that people can control their own destiny, but only if they fight for a desirable future. After joining the Timerangers, Tatsuya decides to move out of his father's house and uses his savings to rent the building that would be the Timeranger's home. He works as a karate teacher at Tomorrow Research. Although Yuuri is the team leader, Tatsuya is the driving force of the Timerangers, essentially acting as field commander during the battles. When operating the Time Robo formations, Tatsuya is usually in charge of accessing the finishers to recapture the Londerz Prisoners by wielding a miniature version of the Space-Time Sword/Chrono Divider to mimic the movement pattern. In the finale, one year after the final battle, Tatsuya continues to live freely by choosing his lifestyle until he feels that he is ready to join his father's company. At the end of the series, Tatsuya runs into four individuals who resemble Yuuri, Ayase, Domon and Sion, who may be their ancestors, and even an individual who resembles Naoto.
Tatsuya is portrayed by Masaru Nagai (永井 大, Nagai Masaru) (Played as "永井 マサル").
Yuri/Time Pink (ユウリ/タイムピンク, Yūri/Taimu Pinku): The female protagonist of the series and the leader of the Timerangers, she is a 21-year-old police officer from the 30th century. Since the Inter-City Police are aware of Don Dolnero's plan, she goes undercover as a TDB cadet to stop him. She holds a personal grudge against Don Dolnero for sending an assassin to kill her family in 2988. Yuri is initially cold towards Tatsuya but eventually warms up to him. She works as a detective at Tomorrow Research but is open to other jobs such as cleaning services. In the series finale, she confesses to Tatsuya that she loves him, but they cannot be together due to the large gap between their timelines. Therefore, she returns to her own time and finds that, due to the time change in the 30th century, Dolnero's hit on her family ten years earlier had failed. In the 20th century, Tatsuya came across an individual resembling Yuri, who may be her ancestor.
Yuri is portrayed by Mika Katsumura (勝村 美香, Katsumura Mika).
Ayase/Time Blue (アヤセ/タイムブルー, Ayase/Taimu Burū): A former racer, this calm-headed 22-year-old is the second-in-command with a knack for high-speed battles and a deadpan sense of humor. Often, his humor puts him at odds with Domon, which forces the other Timerangers to prevent a possible fistfight between the two. He is close friends with Tatsuya. As the only Timeranger with a driver's license, he works as a chauffeur at Tomorrow Research. Ayase, however, has the incurable terminal illness Osiris Syndrome. When Tatsuya finds out about the disease, he is determined to help his friend. The other Timerangers are shocked when Tatsuya is forced to reveal Ayase's illness to them. After time is altered at the end of the series, a cure for Osiris Syndrome was found a year earlier and Ayase can be cured. In the 20th century, Tatsuya came across an individual resembling Ayase, who may be his ancestor.
Ayase is portrayed by Yūji Kido (城戸 裕次, Kido Yūji).
Domon/Time Yellow (ドモン/タイムイエロー, Domon/Taimu Ierō): A 22-year-old womanizer, formerly a professional grappler, who tends to overdo it sometimes. Domon was banned from professional fighting for never being on time for a match because he would chase after girls. Despite this, Domon has great respect for the rules and, after learning that Sion is an orphan, he sticks up for him and refuses to let anyone call him an alien. However, Domon, who comes from a large family, is the only one who truly misses the 30th century, and he has some resentment towards Ryuuya for trapping them in the 20th century. This results in him taking his frustrations out on Tatsuya when the four cadets first meet him due to his resemblance to Ryuuya. Although Domon works as the self-defense teacher at Tomorrow Research, he has no students. Domon argues with Ayase frequently due to the latter's humor towards his attitude on women. However, he does care about him deep down. An emotional Domon wanted Ayase to quit after learning about Ayase's illness, though he reluctantly accepts Ayase's choice of not wanting to quit the team. Later on, Domon falls in love with camerawoman Honami Moriyama. After his secret identity is revealed to her, the two start dating, and Domon eventually tells her that he comes from the 30th century. After the future is changed in the finale, Domon learns that his ban is reduced to a one-year suspension from the ring, which was up by the time he returns to the year 3001. In the 20th century, Tatsuya came across an individual resembling Domon, who may be his ancestor. Domon reappears in Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, learning on the occasion that his love affair with Honami also produced a son, referred to as Domon Jr.
Domon is portrayed by Shūhei Izumi (和泉 宗兵, Izumi Shūhei) (Played as Tomohide Koizumi (小泉 朋英, Koizumi Tomohide)).
Sion/Time Green (シオン/タイムグリーン, Shion/Taimu Gurīn): A 17-year-old alien from the planet Hubbard (ハバード, Habādo), which was destroyed as the result of war, he was raised on Earth in a laboratory. He is agile and curious about everything around him. Sion is also fond of dyeing his hair, which he has done every so often since age 3. In episodes 1–10, as well as during the opening and ending sequences of the series, his hair was dyed blue/light blue/cyan (aqua)/sky blue, and in episodes 11–51, his hair was dyed brown/light brown/tan color to look like one of the normal people of the 20th century. Due to his alien physiology, Sion only needs to sleep once per year, but he must then spend a week in hibernation. He is the Timerangers' technical expert, capable of operating any machine, and in charge of Tomorrow Research computer repairs. He is the youngest Ranger, born around 2983. In the finale, Sion learns that his history has not changed because he's not from Earth. However, as he leaves, he says he's happy that he met Tatsuya and, thanks to him, he will never feel alone anymore. In the 20th century, Tatsuya came across an individual resembling Sion.
Sion is portrayed by Masahiro Kuranuki (倉貫 匡弘, Kuranuki Masahiro).
Wataru Asami forms a security force under his Asami Corporation to protect the city from the Londerz. The City Guardians (シティガーディアンズ, Shiti Gādianzu) gain a tenuous relationship with the Timerangers, especially when Tatsuya's college acquaintance Naoto becomes Time Fire and later the City Guardian's captain. The captain is required to wear a red beret. According to Ryuuya, the City Guardians would later become the Inter-City Police (インターシティー警察, Intā Shitī Keisatsu).
Naoto Takizawa/Time Fire (滝沢 直人/タイムファイヤー, Takizawa Naoto/Taimu Faiyā, 28–49 & Timeranger VS. GoGo V): Tatsuya's 28- year-old rival and leader of the City Guardians established by the Asami Group. Unlike Tatsuya, Naoto came from the other side of the tracks, getting by on a scholarship as the two of them attended college. Naoto envied Tatsuya and wanted to be the better of the two. After Naoto becomes Red-Colored Time Fire, the Asami Group attempts to analyze the technology for mass production, but cannot fully understand the 30th century technology. He finds out through Sion that the Londerz are just prisoners and only need to be recaptured. Eventually, he learns that the Timerangers came from the 30th century and, because of his desire for power, he chooses to find a way to use his new knowledge of the Timerangers to his advantage. After Wataru is hospitalized, Naoto is able to use that knowledge to gain full control of the City Guardians. Naoto also owns two pet birds, Tora and Sakura, which he later gives to a little girl. After Naoto is injured during the battle against NeoCrisis, he finds out that Wataru has forced Ibuki to resign and the City Guardians were able to remove the voice lock function on the V-Commander, which means they no longer need him. However, Naoto flees with the V-Commander. The girl who Naoto gave his birds to is seen trying to rescue the birds. A Zenitt would have killed her, but Naoto protects her and is shot in her stead. At an emergency shelter he is treated for his injuries. When the little girl comes to thank him, they see one of the bird outside. Unaware of how badly he is already injured, Naoto goes out to catch the bird. He succeeds, but is shot down by a Zenitt, which mortally wounds him and causes him to lose his balance and fall over a high stairwell railing. Naoto relinquishes the V-Commander to Tatsuya, telling him to change the way he lives as he dies. In the 20th century, Tatsuya comes across an individual resembling Naoto.
Naoto is portrayed by Shinji Kasahara (笠原 紳司, Kasahara Shinji).
Ranger Captain: Ryuya (レンジャー隊長リュウヤ, Renjā Taichō Ryūya): TDB commanding officer in 3000, the first Time Red, the original Time Fire, and a descendant of Tatsuya. Later in the series, he travels to 2000 to take over the role of Time Red once more, but returns the changer to Tatsuya soon after. Uninterested in the past, Ryuya insists that the others Timerangers return to the future, as the Lambda 2000 intends to cause the Earth in the past to cease to exist. However, once they return, he attempts to erase their memories of their time in 2000–2001, telling the Timerangers how their actions in the past have changed their futures for the better. However, the other Timerangers flee just as Ayase confronts and mortally wounds Ryuya. Ryuya reveals that, not only is he the one who lets Don Dolnero escape into the past, but everything leading to the Timerangers being formed and Gien's insanity reaching its peak are also planned to ensure that the "better" of the two futures he saw would come to pass. He also reveals that the Timerangers are supposed to die in the first giant battle, and the aid he sends save their lives many times over. The original pilot of the V-Rex, Ryuya discovers two futures six years earlier when the G-Zord gets lost in space-time, along with him: one with Gien's battle with the V-Rex destroying a third of the 21st century, and another in which Gien's death by the G-Zord leads to the complete destruction of the 31st century. In both futures, however, Ryuya, as Time Fire, dies. To prevent his demise, Ryuya sets up the V-Rex's disappearance to ensure that someone from the past will become Time Fire and die in his place. However, his actions merely change the manner in which he dies, and when he dies. Before his death, he asks how he could possibly be blamed for doing what he did, saying that he wanted to do what the Timerangers were doing for themselves: to make a better future.
Masaru Nagai portrays Ryuya as well as Tatsuya in a dual role.
Navigator Robo Tac (ナビゲーターロボタック, Nabigētā Robo Takku): A robotic owl who transmits the launch of the Time Jets. He has a database on all Londerz criminals. Tac was given information on many of the events that were intended to happen in the year 2000, though when data on the Great Extinction is erased from his memory, Tac begins to question his usefulness. It is not until Sion convinces him that he is not worthless, that Tac feels confident in himself again. He can detect Space-Time Pulses and helps the team in making plans.
Tac is voiced by Yūsuke Numata (沼田 祐介, Numata Yūsuke).
Wataru Asami (浅見 渡, Asami Wataru): Tatsuya's billionaire father who is the leader of the Asami Group, one of the largest business corporations in Japan. Wataru is a ruthless individual who is only concerned with business matters and tries to control Tatsuya's life, thinking that his son is only meant to succeed him. Wataru also organizes the City Guardians as a means of protecting the city from the Londerz Family and finds out that his son is Time Red when his helmet is broken. Wataru eventually agrees to allow Naoto to become the City Guardians' leader after he gains control of the V-Rex and attempts to recruit the other Timerangers into the City Guardians, but is turned down. Eventually, Wataru is hospitalized during Gien's attack on the City Guardian headquarters. After Yuuri and the Timerangers depart for 3000, Wataru decides to allow Tatsuya to live his own life until he feels that he is ready to join the Asami Group.
Wataru Asami is portrayed by Fujita Okamoto (岡本 富士太, Okamoto Fujita) who previously played Dr. Dazai in Kousoku Sentai Turboranger.
Honami Moriyama (森山 ホナミ, Moriyama Honami, 9–50): Honami Moriyama is a reporter and photographer, the only one daring enough to take photographs of the Londerz Family. She first interferes in the Timerangers' battle against Gougan and is scolded by Time Pink for her foolishness, but Time Yellow is able to cheer her up. Unbeknownst to the Timerangers, Honami has taken their pictures while they are in their civilian forms, but she chooses to keep these pictures to herself, and quits taking pictures of them and the Londerz. Honami develops a crush on Time Yellow, yet she believes that Ayase is Time Yellow, going so far as keeping a picture of Ayase and Time Yellow side-by-side in her wallet. Sion finds out that Honami is in love with Domon and gives her his own e-mail address. Eventually, Domon finds out about the confusion when he notices Honami's wallet on the ground after he arrives late for a date and sees Ayase's picture in it. Domon tries to set up Honami with Ayase and, in the end, Honami's misunderstanding is cleared up when Domon is willing to protect her from Banjan's bomb. The two start dating, and at the end of the series, Honami has a child that she names Mirai, referred to as Domon Jr. in the finale, but Domon only discovers his existence a decade later, during the events of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger.
Honami Moriyama is portrayed by Tamao Yoshimura (吉村 玉緒, Yoshimura Tamao).
Time Robota (タイムロボター, Taimu Robotā): Created by Sion to serve as Tac's robotic assistant, a cheerful and talkative little robot which often announces everything as "It's [blank] time!". Robota functions to protect their headquarters when the Timerangers are away. It relays messages, sounds off its opinions and, when Tac requires it, acts as an alarm clock.
Time Robota is voiced by Fumiko Orikasa (折笠 富美子, Orikasa Fumiko).
Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive: Team up with the Timerangers during Timeranger VS GoGoFive. They face off against Pierre, the surviving footman of the Psyma family (despite GoGoFive's assumptions that they had killed him), who teamed with the Londerz in a plan to take out both teams. During the Super Sentai Compilation's segment on GoGoFive, the team instantly recognizes them due to their team-up.
Mecha used by the Time Defense Bureau. While most mecha are launched from the Provider Base in the year 3000 when Tac calls "Emergency System, requesting activation!", the V-Rex remains in the present time. After a Londerz prisoner is defeated, a Timeranger says "Time up" (タイムアップ, Taimu Appu), or in Time Fire's case "The end" (ジ エンド, Ji Endo).
The Londerz Family (ロンダーズファミリー, Rondāzu Famirī) are the main antagonists of Timeranger. Their base of operations is the Londer Penitentiary (ロンダー刑務所, Rondā Keimusho), which their group is named after.
Don Dolnero (ドン・ドルネロ, Don Dorunero, 1–47) is a blue whale-like mafioso godfather who is only in it for the money, though he also has a firm love for the family. Originally leader of the Dolnero family (ドルネロズファミリ, Dorunero Famirī), he is to be detained for 1,000 years, as Prisoner #35273, until his gang takes over the prison and goes back in time to pull off numerous crimes. With Borg's help, he takes over a company to make even more money, setting up a "protection business". He cares for his associates, especially Gien, whose mental stability often concerns him. When Gien releases Emboss, Dolnero provides his blood to the Timerangers so the City Guardians can make the vaccine before he controls Gien with a shut down key to stop him from going too far in his psychotic delights. Once the shut down key is removed and destroyed, Dolnero evacuates the Londer Penitentiary before going out to kill Gien. Dolnero is unable to carry out the deed, only to be killed himself. Before his death, he gives the Timerangers the location of the remaining Londerz prisoners he had in the Londer Penitentiary. His name is a pun on the word, dinheiro.
Don Dolnero is voiced by Ryūzaburō Ōtomo (大友 龍三郎, Ōtomo Ryūzaburō).
Gien (ギエン, Gien) is an evil and insane robotic scientist. He is responsible for constructing the Zenitts that are sent against the Timerangers. Gien is actually a cyborg, formerly a mentally challenged human boy who can only count up to three before Don Dolnero teaches him to count to four, who befriends the criminal in 2990 when he is hiding from the Kronz family. The Kronz nearly kill Gien for not revealing Dolnero's location. Dolnero saves his life by having a friend of his transfer the boy's brain into a robotic body and connecting up a large electronic brain. There are horrible side-effects that have and are still driving Gien into madness. He has access to the Hell's Gate prisoners and cares for nothing except for his own sadistic pleasures, occasionally going against Dolnero's orders, as well. He has constructed several massive robots, powered by the Lambda-2000 crystal that he steals twice from the Kawasaki Laboratories. He attempts to take control of the V-Rex, as well. After seeing the G-Zord in action, Gien creates a device to drain the power from the G-Zord and then from the Timerangers robots. Eventually, Tatsuya arrives to help his friends, defeating Gien before destroying his device. Though the G-Zord is destroyed, Gien uses the Lambda-2000 he stole to assume his role as the "God of Destruction". Dolnero eventually tries everything in his power to stop Gien, only to die in his vain attempt. Gien later pilots the NeoCrisis robot, wired into his creation as he destroys everything in his path. After Tatsuya saves the future by destroying NeoCrisis, Gien's original personality resurfaces as he breaks part and dissolves away into sand. Despite his psychotic evil tendencies, Gien is one of the most tragic characters in the series.
Gien is voiced by Kōji Tobe (戸部 公爾, Tobe Kōji). His human form was portrayed by Nobuhiro Tenma (天間信紘, Tenma Nobuhiro).
Lila (リラ, Rira, 1–47): Don Dolnero's right hand girl with pink hair. Rather obnoxious, she is a mistress of disguise and good with a pistol. A material girl, she frequently steals clothing and jewelry that suit her fancy. She mostly sticks around Don Dolnero as he has two aspects she adores: money and power. She admits she likes him a bit, even if he lacks them. After Dolnero's death, Lila escapes the year 2001 to avoid the Great Extinction. Her name is a pun on the word, lira.
Lila is portrayed by Asami Kuru (久瑠 あさ美, Kuru Asami).
Junk Droid Zenitts (ジャンクドロイド・ゼニット, Janku Doroido Zenitto): Cheap one-eyed droids created by Gien from scrap, the Zenitts are activated when a Londerz criminal tosses a bunch of nuts and bolts that transform into one-eyed robots. The Zenitts are armed with sword-like rifles and can assume human form. When Gien leaves Dolnero, he takes most of the Zenitts with him to assist him in his plans, and upgraded their armor prior to the raid on the City Guardian headquarters, so the City Guardians' weapons would no longer have any effect on them.
In the 30th century, criminals are taken to Londer Penitentiary to be frozen and compressed for room. As a side effect, when a Depression Seal comes off, a prisoner grows to incredible size, called Rebound, as a side effect of the freeze-compression.
These are Londerz prisoners confined for the most evil and inhuman acts of the 30th century. Only Gien has the key to the vault that holds them, and he thaws them out so they can terrorize everyone for his own amusement and kill the Timerangers for himself.
Each episode ends or begin with a date (usually the date the episode aired), in keeping with the case file theme.
The trademark for the series was filed by Toei Company on October 8, 1999.
This is a direct-to-video release made specifically for Mirai Sentai Timeranger. It talks about the Timerangers' story so far and showcases the Timerangers' weapons and mecha.
Direct-to-video movie released on March 9, 2001. Taking place on October 25, 2000, between cases 35 and 36, the Timerangers confront the Londerz prisoner Boribaru, who somehow resists the Voltech Bazooka and runs off. This infuriates Matoi Tatsumi who, with his siblings, are dealing with the fire Boribaru caused to call the Timerangers out, and he criticizes the Timerangers for lacking any spirit. Later, unaware of their civilian identities, the Tatsumi siblings arrive at Tomorrow Research to get help in finding their father, who mysteriously disappeared, along with their GoGo Braces. When Tac alerts them to a Londerz attack, the Timerangers confront relatives of the Londerz prisoners they defeated with the Tatsumi siblings watching them transform from afar. By then, it is revealed that the Londerz prisoners' new-found invincibility is the work of Spell Master Pierre, the surviving servant of the Psyma family. However, just as Pierre is about to get his revenge, Mondo comes to his children's aid and gives them their GoGo Braces to help the Timerangers. The two Sentai teams fight the prisoners until Pierre makes Boribaru powerful enough to create a space-time distortion that sucks all combatants into pocket dimensions. While others fight for their lives against the prisoners with their transformation devices disabled, Pierre tries to stop Mondo from getting the Sentai teams back until Time Fire intervenes. Having Naoto call in V Rex, who scares Pierre away, Tac links himself to its Chrono Unit while having Naoto order his robot to create a time hole for the teams to assume their Sentai forms and defeat the prisoners, while returning to their time. With Time Fire joining in, the Timerangers and GoGoFive manage to freeze the Londerz relatives. However, left behind by Don Dolnero and his group, Pierre is forced to use a Psyma Fusion spell with Boribaru to become Pierre Bori, who overpowers Time Shadow Alpha, reverting it to Time Robo Alpha and Time Shadow. But in a gambit that could tear apart the fabric of time, Mondo takes advantage to Time Robo's hammer time space to call MaxLiner and GoLiner from 1999 so the GoGoFive can form Victory Robo. With Victory Robo transferring the energies of its Victory Prominence to Time Robo, it assumes Riding Time Robo Formation to V Rex to perform the Pressure Prominence to both destroy Pierre and arrest Boribaru. Soon after, as the GoGoFive mecha return to 1999, the two sentai teams part on good terms.