Ronin Warriors - Rescue Operations (1995)

Legendary Armour Samurai Troopers (1989) became Ronin Warriors when it aired in syndication in the U.S. (1995). The five teenage Warriors, who are Earth's only bastion against the evil Lord Talpa, have been scattered and reunited with their associated elements. Ryo (fire), who was revived by the magma within Mt. Fuji, reawakens Cy (water), Halo (light), and Kento (stone) with some help from Mia, but they've yet to find Rowen. As each Warrior revives, they all gain strength and their bond deepens, enabling them to escape the poisons and illusions of Talpa's demonic henchmen. The banners and cherry-blossom petals that appear when the Warriors transform through the power of their magical samurai armor give the show the feeling of a male Sailor Moon. The program includes two versions of each episode: the dubbed Ronin Warriors and Legendary Armour in Japanese. Rated 13 Up: Considerable violence, grotesque imagery. --Charles Solomon Amazon.com

Now we're getting somewhere....

Vol. 2 deals with Ryo's search for the remaining Ronins, 3 of whom are found in this volume (Sage, Cye, and Kento). The Ronins are learning to use their armor powers and to work together as a team, neither of which is an easy task. We get to learn a little more about the guys as individuals, which sometimes makes you wonder how this bunch is EVER going to work together. Watch also for real-life Japanese landmarks making appearances! Here's an interesting bit of trivia: in "Friend or Foe", Dais tells Ryo and Cye to meet him in Sendai to rescue Rowen. However, in the Japanese version, the guys head for Amanohashidate, which is nowhere near Sendai (Sendai is also not a waterfront city). Also, I have to wonder if the subtitles are the original ones or were done after the English dub: in both versions of "Friend or Foe", Yuli refers to Sage as Cye. Oops! Still, RW is well worth it. This is one series I plan to keep in my DVD collection. June 27, 2002

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