Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (侍戦隊シンケンジャー) is the title of Toei Company's thirty-third entry in its long-running Super Sentai metaseries of Japanese tokusatsu television series. It aired from February 15, 2009, to February 7, 2010, replacing Engine Sentai Go-onger and was replaced by Tensou Sentai Goseiger. It joined Kamen Rider Decade as a program featured in TV Asahi's Super Hero Time programming block, and following Decade's finale, it aired alongside Kamen Rider W. It incorporates elements from the Jidaigeki drama genre and Japanese themes and aesthetics. The catchphrase for the series is "Authorized by divine providence!!" (天下御免!!). This is the first Super Sentai series to be filmed in HD with an HD camera with its resolution done at 720p.

Its footage and storyline was used for the American series Power Rangers Samurai and its follow up season, Super Samurai.

Story
For eighteen generations, samurai of the Shiba House (志葉家) have suppressed the evil intentions of the Gedoushu, malevolent spirits that enter the world of the living from gaps between buildings and other structures. Now, Takeru Shiba, the youngest head of the Shiba Clan must gather his four vassals (家臣) in order to battle the Gedoushu under the revived Doukoku Chimatsuri as the Shinkengers. However, as they are joined by his childhood friend Genta Umemori, the vassals slowly learn that there's a reason for Takeru's behavior that sets him apart from his predecessors.

Episodes
The episodes are numbered as Acts (第～幕) and completely written in kanji. Episodes of Kamen Rider Decade on July 12 and July 19, 2009, as well as Shinkenger Act 21, featured a crossover between the two series.

Production
The trademark for the series was filed by Toei Company on August 12, 2008.

The Fateful War
The film Samurai Sentai Shinkenger the Movie: The Fateful War (侍戦隊シンケンジャー銀幕版　天下分け目の戦) opened in Japanese theaters on August 8, 2009, double-billed with Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs. Dai-Shocker. Unlike previous films, it was filmed in 3-D, and is the first film in Japan to be filmed digitally in 3-D. A normal 2-D version is being shown in most theaters in Japan. The events of the movie take place between Acts 24 and 25.

Shinkenger vs. Go-onger
The film Samurai Sentai Shinkenger vs. Go-onger: Ginmaku Bang!! (侍戦隊シンケンジャーVSゴーオンジャー銀幕BANG!!) was released in theaters on January 30, 2010, featuring a crossover between the Shinkenger and Go-onger casts and characters. The heroes of Tensou Sentai Goseiger make a cameo appearance in the film. The events of the movie take place between Acts 35 and 36.

Goseiger vs. Shinkenger
The film Tensou Sentai Goseiger vs. Shinkenger: Epic on Ginmaku (天装戦隊ゴセイジャーVSシンケンジャー エピック on 銀幕) was released in theaters on January 22, 2011, featuring a crossover between the Goseiger and Shinkenger casts and characters. The heroes of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger make a cameo appearance in the film.

Kyuranger vs. Space Squad
is a V-Cinema release that features a crossover between Uchu Sentai Kyuranger and Space Squad. Aside from the main cast of Kyuranger, Yuma Ishigaki and Hiroaki Iwanaga (Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie), Yuka Hirata (Juken Sentai Gekiranger), Mitsuru Karahashi (Samurai Sentai Shinkenger), Kei Hosogai (Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger) and Ayame Misaki (Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters) return to reprise their respective roles. The V-Cinema was released on DVD and Blu-ray on August 8, 2018.

Special DVD
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger: The Light Samurai's Surprise Transformation (侍戦隊シンケンジャー光侍驚変身) is a special DVD that is used to show some of the items in the series. The events of the specials take place between Acts 35 and 36.

Genta finds a starved member of the Nanashi Company who tells Genta that he has run away from the Rokumon Junk after being sick of his company being abused by the stronger Gedoushu. Feeling sorry for him, Genta takes him back to the Shiba House and tries to get him a job. After Takeru refuses to help due to the fact that he is a member of the Gedoushu, Genta attempts to prove Takeru wrong about the Nanashi with the help of the kuroko. However, after nearly burning to death, the Nanashi feels that he is a lost cause, believing he is doomed to fail. Genta encourages him not to give up. The next day, Takeru discovers that the Inromaru and the Super Disk are gone along with the Nanashi. Remembering the Nanashi's love for chirashizushi, Genta lures him out with it and is shocked that the Nanashi has stolen the Inromaru.

While telling Genta another sob story, the Nanashi sucker punches him before using the Inromaru to turn into Super Nanashi. Super Nanashi reveals that he has used Genta to steal the Inromaru, and he adds on that he never liked Genta's sushi. Enraged, Genta transforms into Shinken Gold and with Shinken Red fights the Super Nanashi. The two are no match for Super Nanashi until Shinken Gold uses the Kyoryu Disk to become Hyper Shinken Gold. With his newfound power, he and Shinken Red are able to slay Super Nanashi and retrieve the Inromaru. After the fight, Genta is still disappointed that he believed Super Nanashi along with the company member insulting sushi. Takeru cheers him up by requesting a piece of sushi and enjoying it, raising Genta's spirits.

V-Cinema
In June 2010, the V-Cinema release Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Returns: Special Act (帰ってきた侍戦隊シンケンジャー 特別幕) was released. The Shinkengers are attacked by a remnant Gedoushu Ayakashi who traps them in various film genres. The events of the movie take place between Acts 43 and 44.

Cast

 * Takeru Shiba (志葉 丈瑠): Tori Matsuzaka (松坂 桃李)
 * Ryunosuke Ikenami (池波 流ノ介): Hiroki Aiba (相葉 弘樹)
 * Mako Shiraishi (白石 茉子): Rin Takanashi (高梨 臨)
 * Chiaki Tani (谷 千明): Shogo Suzuki (鈴木 勝吾)
 * Kotoha Hanaori (花織 ことは): Suzuka Morita (森田 涼花)
 * Genta Umemori (梅盛 源太): Keisuke Sohma (相馬 圭祐)
 * Hikoma Kusakabe (日下部 彦馬): Goro Ibuki (伊吹 吾郎)
 * Kaoru Shiba (志葉 薫): Runa Natsui (夏居 瑠奈)
 * Toshizo Tanba (丹波 歳三): Kazuyuki Matsuzawa (松澤 一之)
 * Juzo Fuwa (腑破 十臓): Mitsuru Karahashi (唐橋 充)
 * Doukoku Chimatsuri (血祭 ドウコク): Rintarō Nishi (西 凛太朗)
 * Dayu Usukawa (薄皮 太夫): Romi Park (朴 璐美)
 * In episodes 25 and 40, Romi Park appeared on screen as Usuyuki, Dayu's original human form.
 * Shitari of the Bones (骨のシタリ): Chō (チョー)
 * Akumaro Sujigarano (筋殻 アクマロ): Ryō Horikawa (堀川 りょう)
 * DaiGoyou (ダイゴヨウ): Kōichi Tōchika (遠近 孝一)
 * Narration, Sushi Changer Voice, Inromaru Voice: Hironori Miyata (宮田 浩徳)

Guest cast

 * Takeru's father (1, 12, 33, 46): Kanji Tsuda (津田 寛治)
 * Yanasudare (ヤナスダレ): Hiroshi Tsuchida (土田 大)
 * Kana (香奈): Kayoko Shibata (柴田 かよこ)
 * Daiki Kaito (海東 大樹): Kimito Totani (戸谷 公人)
 * Tsukasa Kadoya (門矢 士): Masahiro Inoue (井上 正大)
 * Natsumi Hikari (光 夏海): Kanna Mori (森 カンナ)
 * Narutaki (鳴滝): Tatsuhito Okuda (奥田 達士)
 * Eijiro Hikari (光 栄次郎): Renji Ishibashi (石橋 蓮司)
 * Toji Sakakibara (榊原 藤次): Tetsuo Morishita (森下 哲夫)
 * Kyoko Shiraishi (白石 響子): Kazue Itoh (伊藤 かずえ)
 * Masataka Shiba (志葉 雅貴): Masaya Matsukaze (松風 雅也)

International broadcast and home media

 * In its home country of Japan, Toei Video released the series on DVD throughout 12 volumes while it was still airing from July 21, 2009, to June 21, 2010. Each volume holds four episodes, with Volume 11 holding five episodes. The final volume also came with a storage box for all volumes as a limited edition product. In addition, a special edition that added unreleased scenes from the first two episodes and re-edited them together was released on August 6, 2010. This DVD includes interviews with suit actors for the first time in the Super Sentai series. Starting on February 7, 2014, the series got a Blu-Ray boxset release with all episodes included, with the first box on that date, the second box on April 11, 2014, and the third box on June 13, 2014. Each contains three discs. With bonus features, BOX 1 contains the special edition of the first two episodes, BOX 2 includes Episodes 24 and 25 of Kamen Rider Decade, and BOX 3 contains TV magazine applicants.
 * The series was limited to only airing in Asian regions outside of Japan, as most international regions have aired the Power Rangers adaptation, Power Rangers Samurai instead. With the exception of its home country of Japan, which has also broadcast a Japanese dub of the Power Rangers adaptation starting on December 3, 2013, and concluding on April 15, 2014, with 40 episodes dubbed, not including the specials.
 * In Thailand, Rose Entertainment Corporation released the series in VCD and DVD home video formats and also aired it on Channel 5 with a Thai dub, as part of the Cartoon Gang program block airing on Sunday mornings at 7:10AM on September 18, 2011. Then on January 8, 2012, they changed its timeslot to air on 6:15AM until its conclusion on August 26 of that year, previously airing on the Gang Gang Channel. Later in 2022, Cartoon Club Media bought the rights from Rose and got a new dub produced in-house and it was published through the YouTube Cartoon Club Channel with episodes published every Thursday to Sunday at 4:00PM and also re-aired them on Channel 5 every Monday to Sunday and Friday at 5:30PM from September 6, 2023, to November 15, 2023. Both versions cover all episodes dubbed.
 * In the Philippines, it was aired on ABS-CBN as Power Rangers Samurai from 2012 to 2013 with a Tagalog dub.
 * In the Chinese-speaking world, Both Mandarin (Taiwan dialect) and Cantonese dubs were produced and aired in Taiwan and Hong Kong respectively.
 * In Taiwan, the series aired with a Taiwanese Mandarin dub on October 9, 2011, until September 9, 2012, with all episodes dubbed, airing on EBC Yoyo.
 * In Hong Kong, the series aired with a Cantonese Chinese dub on March 4, 2012 (a few months after Taiwan aired the Taiwanese Mandarin dub) on TVB Jade until March 3, 2013, with all episodes dubbed.
 * The series was released in Vietnam with a Vietnamese dub by Phuong Nam Film Studio as  	Shinkenger - Siêu nhân Thần kiếm on VCD and DVD in March 2012.

Songs

 * Opening theme
 * "Samurai Sentai Shinkenger" (侍戦隊シンケンジャー)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: YOFFY
 * Arrangement: Project.R (Kenichiro Ōishi & Psychic Lover)
 * Artist: Psychic Lover (Project.R)
 * Ending theme
 * "Shirokujimuchū Shinkenger" (四六時夢中　シンケンジャー)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Hideaki Takatori
 * Arrangement: Project.R (Hiroaki Kagoshima)
 * Artist: Hideaki Takatori (Project.R)
 * Instruments: Zetki (Z旗)
 * Episodes: 1-20, 29–48
 * "Shirokujimuchū Shinkenger ~Ginmakuban~" (四六時夢中 シンケンジャー～銀幕版～)
 * Lyrics: Shoko Fujibayashi
 * Composition: Hideaki Takatori
 * Arrangement: Project.R (Hiroaki Kagoshima)
 * Artist: Shinkengers (Tori Matsuzaka, Hiroki Aiba, Rin Takanashi, Shogo Suzuki, Suzuka Morita, Keisuke Sohma) & Hideaki Takatori
 * Episodes: 21–28

The opening and ending themes of Shinkenger are performed by Psychic Lover and Hideaki Takatori as part of Project.R, respectively. The opening is also featured as a playable song in Taiko no Tatsujin Wii: Do Don to 2 Daime.

Its opening theme song single ranked highly on the Oricon charts, reaching #4 on the Daily Ranking Charts on its day of release. and peaked at #6 on the weekly charts selling 20,130 copies within its first week of release and stayed in the top 30 ranks for 4 weeks straight.