Engine Sentai Go-onger

(Counterclockwise) Miu, Hant, Renn, Sôsuke, Saki, Gunpei and Hiroto.

"Pressing forward on the road of Justice!"

Engine Sentai Go-onger is the 32nd program in the Super Sentai series, which aired from 2008 to 2009.

Including the earth humans live in, the Human World, there are 11 Alternate Dimensions altogether.[1] Three Engines from the Machine World crossed dimensions in pursuit of the three Ministers of the Gaiark, a machine clan which thrives on pollution. They're found in the Human World, which the Ministers plan to conquer through pollution. Finding out that they can only stay in their giant forms for a small period, the Engines' navigator robot, Bomper, recruited three people at a racing circuit to become the Go-ongers to fight together with the Engines. They're soon joined by two more people who see them in action. Some time later, a pair of ESPer siblings connected to Engines also appeared: Though they had frictions initially, they joined the crew as well.

Vehicles and racing are chosen as the themes for the Rangers, and the motif is about Ecology; the three Gaiark Ministers represent land, water and air pollutions respectively.

Originally unintended to be contractually bound to its US version, Go-onger was... weird. The series took a sharp turn to comedy, sacrificing a significant plotline for Running Gags, Character Exaggerations, and overall tried to be much Lighter and Softer than an average Super Sentai title. For many, this came off as a polarizing shift in the wake of the dark and story-heavy previous series. It didn't help that people weren't informed beforehand about the series being a deliberate attempt at comedy. The incorporated Green Aesop was also seen by some as a bit preachy (though it was for the most part Played for Laughs). That's not to say it's all bad; there are many moments where it's genuinely fun, funny, or both, especially when looked past the seemingly childish premise. It also plays a lot of Japanese Media Tropes, in particular Super Sentai tropes, very often, even to the brink of parody.

And remember: This series is comedy. We're supposed to laugh!

"Adapted" for American audiences as Power Rangers RPM.

The Rangers

Go-ongers

Go-On Wings

  • 7 - Hiroto Sutō / Go-On Gold - "Philosopher": The older brother. A no-nonsense Genius Bruiser. The Rival to Go-ongers, but particularly to Sōsuke.
  • 8 - Miu Sutō / Go-On Silver - "Lovely Sensation": The younger sister. Warms up to the others sooner than her brother. Has BST with Sōsuke.

The Engines

  • 1 - Speedor:[2] A race car. Sōsuke's partner.
  • 2 - Bus-on:[3] A bus and Renn's partner.
  • 3 - BearRV:[4] A BearRV. Saki's partner.
  • 4 - Birca:[5] A motorbike.[6] Hant's partner.
  • 5 - Gunpherd:[7] A police car. Gunpei's partner.
  • 6 - Carrigator:[8] A trailer. In joint partnership with Hant and Gunpei. Talks like a samurai.
  • 7 - Toripter:[9] A helicopter. Hiroto's partner.
  • 8 - Jetras:[10] A fighter jet. Miu's partner.
  • 9 - Jum-bowhale:[11] A jumbo jet. Hiroto and Miu's mentor.
  • 10 - Kishamoth:[12] A steam locomotive. The head car of the Prehistoric Engines.
  • 11 - T-Line:[13] A bullet train car. The middle car of the Prehistoric Engines.
  • 12 - K-Line:[14] A bullet train car. The final car of the Prehistoric Engines.
    • The K-Line and the T-Line may also refer to the K/T boundry

Gaiark

  • Land Pollution Minister, Yogostein: Leader of the Ministers.
    • Hiramechimedes: Yogostein's vice-minister. Fiercely loyal, and in return, Yogostein values him more than anything.
  • Water Pollution Minister, Kegalesia: The sexy Dark Chick.
  • Air Pollution Minister, Kitaneidas
  • Prime Minister Yogoshimacritein: Yogostein's father and the true Big Bad of the series.
Tropes used in Engine Sentai Go-onger include:

Recurring Super Sentai tropes

"This one is ours! Last Corner! Steering Open! Change: Handle Baster! Blaster Soul: Set! Handle Blaster: Target Lock! G6 Grand Prix! Go-On!"

  • Combination Attack
  • Crossover: Go-onger vs. Gekiranger, the first theatrical installment in the Vs. Series. From this point on, all the Vs. movies premiered as part of the Super Sentai Festival held every January.
  • Custom Uniform
  • Eyecatch: The eyecatch is the five primary Engines shown in a race and BOMPER as the referee, with the viewers told to make a guess who wins. After the break, the winner is shown and that mecha says a short catchphrase. In GP Final, everyone wins and everyone makes a catchphrase altogether.
  • Finishing Move: "This one is ours! Last Corner! EngineOh - Go-on Grand Prix!"
    • "Gonna run you through! Final Lap! EngineOh - GunBirOh Grand Prix!"
  • Five-Man Band
  • Home Base: The Ginjiro:[16] Also Bigger on the Inside, given the number of people, mecha, and pieces of merchandise they're able to fit in there.
  • Humongous Mecha: Go-onger currently holds the highest record in Super Sentai for multiple mecha combination in-series:[17] GunBir G12 composed of 12 pieces.
    • A Mech by Any Other Name: The Engines.
    • Combining Mecha
      • Speedor + Bus-On + Bear RV = Engine Oh
      • Birca + Gunpherd + Carrigator = Gunbir Oh
      • Toripter + Jeptras + Jum-bowhale = Seiku Oh
      • Kishamoth + K-Line + T-Line = Kyoretsu Oh
    • Transforming Mecha: Go-Roader GT; the only one and the only non-mainline one.
    • Mecha Expansion Pack: The "Engine Busō" system, in which Engine Oh uses other Engines for new weapons or upgrades.
      • Engine Oh + Birca = Engine Oh Birca
      • Engine Oh + Gunpherd = Engine Oh Gunpherd
      • Engine On + Toripter + Jeptras = Engine Oh Jetoripter
      • Engine Oh + Gunbir Oh = Engine Oh EngineOh
      • Engine Oh G6 + Seiku Oh = Engine Oh G6
      • Engine Oh G9 + Kyoretsu Oh = Engine Oh G9
  • Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: "GP"[18] for episodes. The first two characters in the titles are Kanji, and the rest is in Katakana.
  • In the Name of the Moon: Pushed way Up to Eleven: The Rangers,[19] the Engines,[20] the villains and - wait for it - all the Humongous Mecha including Go-Roader GT all have their lines. Short version? EVERYONE.
    • First, the Rangers:[21]

Sōsuke: "Mach Full Force! Go-On Red!"[22]
Renn: "Just Correct! Go-On Blue!"[23]
Saki: "Smile Blooming! Go-On Yellow!"[24]
Hant: "Doki Doki[25] Delight! Go-On Green!"[26]
Gunpei: "Dash Dynamic! Go-on Black!"[27]
All: "Pressing forward on the Road of Justice! Engine Sentai Go-Onger!"
Hiroto: "Break the Limit! Go-On Gold!"[28]

Miu: "Sparkling World! Go-On Silver!"[29]
—Both: "Take Off! Go-On Wings!"
    • Then the Engines:[30]

Speedor: "The highway star with a full tank of courage! Engine Speedor!"
G12: "The safe ride gallant and pure! I be Engine Bus-On!"
Bus-On: "The tough girl of charm and guts! Engine BearRV-ya!"
Birca: "The easygoing dreamer! Engine Birca here!"
Gunpherd: "The hard emergency dispatch! This is Engine Gunpherd!"
Carrigator: "The giant chieftain![31] Engine Carrigator-de gozaru!"
Toripter: "Flying free and tricky! Me Engine Toripter!"
Jetras: "The silver air master! Engine Jetras!"
Jum-bowhale: "With me, everything is first class! I am Engine Jum-bowhale!"
Kishamoth: "Full speed ahead from the ancient times! Engine Kishamoth arriving!"
T-Line: "Ascend![32] The Engine of wishes,[33] T-Line!"
K-Line: "Descend![34] The Engine of light,[35] K-Line!"

    • And the Ministers:[36]

Yogostein: "The ground dried and fissured! I'm[37] the Land Pollution Minister, Yogostein!"
Kegalesia: "The water murky and defiled! I'm[38] the Water Pollution Minister, Kegalesia!"
Kitaneidas: "The atmosphere tainted and black! I'm[39] the Air Pollution Minister, Kitaneidas!"

    • As if the concept hasn't been lampooned enough already, Yogostein, Hiramechimedes and Happa[40] Banki struck the final blow in GP 17.

Yogostein: "The one who hatefully pollutes the land! Earth Pollution Minister Yogostein -nari!"
Hiramechimedes: "I gain a flash of brilliance through pok-pok-ping![41] Earth Pollution Vice-Minister Hiramechimedes!"

Happa Banki: "No. 1 ruffian of Earth Pollution! Happa Banki!"
—All: "In the name of Earth Pollution, we'll eliminate you!".

Tropes specific to Engine Sentai Go-onger

  • Achilles in His Tent: or rather, Yogostein In The Banki Chamber mourning the death of Hiramechimedes.
  • Actor Allusion: or in this case, Voict Actor Allusion, as the voice of Carrigator also voiced the comic relief crocodilian monster Yatsudenwani from Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger.
  • Affectionate Parody: Of Super Sentai tropes while being a Super Sentai itself—just like one from 13 years ago—See Fleeting Demographic Rule below.
  • Aloof Ally: Hiroto and Miu.
  • And the Adventure Continues...
  • Anime Hair: Sōsuke
  • Ascended Fanboy: Hiroto is a Gattai[43] maniac.
  • A Worldwide Punomenon: The series is very, very rich when it comes to puns.
    • Scoop Banki in GP 3 mistook the place he's supposed to strike for a hill.[44]
  • Backronym: At first glance, Bomper's name sounds like a twist of "Bumper", especially because the vehicle theme. But then we find out that it actually stands for "Born-to Outerdimension and Mechanic × Pitcrew-type ENGINE-support Robot".
  • Bad Boss: Yogoshimacritein, who fires through two of his Quirky Miniboss Squad to hit the Go-ongers. He even denounced his (dead) son as a useless failure.
  • Base on Wheels: The Ginjiro.
  • Batman Gambit: GP 22 is basically about Hiramechimedes and Hiroto trying to out-gambit each other. Pretending to be exiled by Yogostein, fatally injured and all, Hiramechimedes tells the Go-ongers that he wanted to race Hiroto to Hellgaille Palace as his last wish. Hiroto accepted, and knowing him awfully well, had everything prepared. Hiramechimedes finally outwitted them, but there's one thing he didn't calculate about: Go-ongers.[45]
  • Benevolent Boss: Despite being the villains, the Gaiark Ministers are surprisingly nice. Their monsters may lose to the Go-ongers' tactics and have to retreat, but if they did well, they praise them. Now that's a boss.[46]
  • Beware the Nice Ones: The Go-ongers may be simple, gullible and headstrong Idiot Heroes who can't do not plan ahead, but it's not an advisable course of action to take advantage of them. Hiramechimedes learned it the hard way.
    • Played straight in GP 13: the Yakuza boss' daughter is a Kawaiiko who's a closet Delinquent.
  • Boring Invincible Hero: Averted painfully for Sōsuke as an Aesop. In GP 8, while helping Speedor recover from a bad rust, Sōsuke kept believing that a miracle will happen, since they're the heroes; nothing happened. In the end, he decided to make miracles happen, rather than waiting for them.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: Done blatantly in GP 45, where the Go-Ongers thank the viewers at home and wish them a happy new year.
  • Butt Monkey: Hant.
  • Catch Phrase: "Go-on!" for everyone; perhaps even too often.
    • "KanKan - Checker Flag!"
    • "Go-onger - Touchdown!"
    • Sōsuke, Renn and Saki in particular; Their catchphrases "Mach", "Zubari" and "Smile, Smile." make their way into their daily conversations more than any prior Super Sentai character's possibly could.
    • Hant and his "Doki doki". Not as often as the other three, but that's not saying much.
    • Hiramechimedes' "Pok-pok-PING! I just had a flash of brilliance!"
  • Chekhov's Gun: The giant gear in the Gaiark base with their symbol on it: Humorously named "Deus Haguruma Gear".[47]
  • Chekhov's Gunman: Averted with Nigoru. He's introduced as if he might be to Kegalesia as Hiramekimedes was to Yogostein, only to die shortly afterward and never be mentioned again.
  • The Chosen Many: There are countless other Engines in the Engine World which, from how they look, seem perfectly capable of anything the hero Engines can do.
  • Clip Show: GP 45 partly.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Hant. Oh god, Hant.
  • Comically Missing the Point: This one conversation excerpt from GP 26.

(Voice): Young lady. Please receive my love.
Saki: Could this be... a sudden confession?! Oh my.
Miu: This is too sudden... I have to consult with Ani.
Nigoru: My beautiful... Bearrv.
{{[[[Beat]] Silence}}]
Saki: So Go-onWings is the one you're confessing to?
Miu: Hey! That's not what you should be surprised about. Look, it's Nigoru!
Saki: Oh, right.

Jum-bowhale: "Attenshun puriisu!"[49]

  • Heroes Prefer Swords: Sōsuke, of course.
  • Hey, It's That Guy!: Wait a minute! Isn't Kegalesia... Nao Oikawa? .........Yeah, we know her, okay?
  • Hey, It's That Voice!: Daisuke Gouri, voice of Mr. Satan, Robin Mask and Bass Armstrong as the "Kettei (definitive) Banki."
    • ARE YOU READY, GUYS?! Hiramechimedes is about to be listed here! GET YA SWORDS ON!
    • And somehow, the foul spirit of N Ma from Magiranger was purified and turned to an engine soul, also Yukimura brings his fight against Hiramechimedes over here.
  • Hot-Blooded: Sōsuke. Gunpei also has some traits.
  • Idea Bulb: Hiramechimedes has real bulbs on his head. Three, in fact!
  • Identical Stranger: Not-Kegalesia in The Movie, and another in the last episode.
  • Idiot Hair: Saki's hair pops up from time to time at unexpected moments. It's not permanent though.
  • Idiot Hero: The first 5 rangers all have their moments.
  • Infinite Supplies: The only explanation for everything the Go-ongers, excluding Hiroto and Miu, run on;[51] the obvious cost for daily meals, gas for the Ginjiro and electricity for all those supercomputers in the Bigger on the Inside base, and we haven't even gotten to all those equipments and repairs...
  • Insufferable Genius: Both Hiroto and Hiramechimedes. Guess there's a reason they're arch-nemeses...
  • Insult Backfire: Intentionally inverted with the Gaiark: Being the ones to thrive on pollution, they love anything dirty; literally or metaphorically.
  • I Work Alone: How Hiroto and Miu started out.
  • Jerkass: Hiroto, and Miu to a lesser extent, when they first appeared.
  • Jidai Geki: The Movie setting; justified as being an Parallel Dimension.
  • Ki Attacks: When the Go-ongers lose their partner's Engine Souls in Go-onger vs. Gekiranger, the Gekirangers teach them a new fightning move called "Engine Fist", where the Go-ongers project Geki versions of their Engine partners.
    • Sōsuke: "Doru Doru Dan"
    • Renn: "On On Dan"
    • Saki: "V V Dan"
    • Hant: "Baru Baru Dan"
    • Gunpei: "Ganga Ganga Dan"
  • Knight of Cerebus: Prime Minister Yogoshimacritein. When he shows up, everything goes to hell quick.
  • Lethal Chef: Saki averts and plays this trope straight. The aversion is her sweets; they look suspicious at first sight, but actually taste good. The straight example is pretty much anything else; she uses too much sugar.
  • Lightning Can Do Anything: Played straight in GP 12: Hatsuden[52] Banki's lightning switched its mind with Sōsuke's.
  • Loads and Loads of Characters: 7 Rangers, 12 Engines and 4 major villains[53] all get enough screentime. Quite a record for Super Sentai, no?
  • Lotus Eater Machine: Kama Banki from GP 14; the spell is first broken by Fujio-sensei, who could possibly go by the Weird Superhero name "Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!".
  • Magic From Technology: A student in GP 42 modified his laptop to function as a spellbook. It actually works.
  • Meadow Run: Spoofed in GP 26 with Saki and Miu; they did run towards each other but since they're actually meeting up for a plan to save Bearrv, there was no hugging or kissing. Not that it stopped the shippers...
  • Meaningful Name: The Ministers have parts of the words related to pollution in their names; Yogostein,[54] Kegareshia[55] and Kitaneidas.[56][57]
    • And Hiramechimedes: His name comes from "Hirameki"[58] and "Achimedes", tying him to his mathematics and strategy themes.
  • Mundane Utility: Invoked in GP 34 when Heater Banki goes into hiding, standing in for a barbecue, then a salon hairdryer...
  • My Name Is Not Durwood: Hiramechimedes, whose names Go-ongers initially mistake. Only Renn remembers his name right, much to his delight.
  • Mythology Gag: The second line of opening lyrics say "Ichi, Ni, San, Shi, Go-onger!"; One of the s of GP45 was "Ichi, Ni, Sun[59]Vulcan!".
    • SunVulcan is pretty much GunBirOh; an alligator for the body, a canine and an aquatic animal for arms.
    • GP 9 features a camera-theme Monster Of The Week which makes people disappear by taking pictures.
    • In his debut GP, Toripter pulled of a sideway flight exactly like Tenkujin.
    • In GP 18, Sōsuke channels Yellow Owl Raita's signature move.
    • One short scene in GP 19 has Go-ongers rescuing civilians from a collapsing building. Although they're not strangers to civilian rescue, it's the rubbled insides of the building that sparks the nostalgia.
    • Also, Go-Roader GT's "Giant Tire" gimmick is an analogue to GaoHunter.
    • Kyouretsu-Oh is very reminding of Daizyujin/Megazord, particularly the horns and how they fold out in the Transformation Sequence, and also having a Triceratops head for a foot. It is also a dinosaur-themed Expy of God Sigma, because of its similar formation and being three-pieced.
    • "Time to go on" is a line in the full version of the Dekaranger theme song.
    • In GP 39, Matsuri Banki is decorated with a bunch of masks, including an AkaRed.
    • The main team ends their transformation with a spin and a revving sound almost identical to (if not the same as) the one used for Carranger.
    • The team starts with Red, Blue, and Yellow, and are then joined by Green and Black, same as Choujuu Sentai Liveman.
    • The whole idea of an environment-conscious, car-themed Sentai has already been done before.
    • Sousuke and Speedor, the Red ranger and his mecha, share the symbol of a winged number 1, which was last seen (though in a simpler form) on the helmet of Akaranger.
  • Name's the Same: From Kamen Rider Ryuki, we have a previous Renn who also wore blue (well, really dark blue).
  • Neat Freak: Prince Nigoru[60] just loves everything a Gaiark can possibly hate; hygiene, beauty and love, among other things. This trait of his is what prompted the patriotic Kegalesia to leave him to die when he lost against Saki and Miu.
  • Nice Hat: Look carefully at chibi Gunpherd - his sirens resemble Hayami Seiji's hat.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: in GP 11, the Banki misleads Sōsuke, Renn, Saki and Hant into leaving the team via TV broadcasts, singling out Gunpei - then decides to broadcast Gunpei's plight. Which is precisely what snaps our heroes out of it.
  • Noblewoman's Laugh: Miu used it a few times.
  • Non-Indicative Name: Try taking Hiramechimedes' attacks seriously after hearing him say the names.[61]

"Circumference Ratio: Pi Beam!"
"Isosceles Right-Triangle Slash!"

  • Official Couple: Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger reveals that Speedor and Bear RV got together and had a son, Engine 13 Machalcon.
  • Oh Crap: "What?! G12?!"
  • Omake: "Go-on Seminar!"
  • One, Two, Three, Four, Go: The lyrics in particular take the direct approach; "Ichi, Ni, San, Shi, Go-onger".
  • One-Winged Angel: Hiramechimedes in GP 23 and Yogostein in GP 35-36. Maki from The Movie even says something about not having used this form for a while - except it's the more humanoid form.
  • Only Mostly Dead: Hiramechimedes' grudge on Go-ongers made him linger on as a "Yurei".[62]
  • Overly Long Name: Hiramechimedes and all its variations. Sōsuke is usually the first to mispronounce them.
    • And Yogoshimacritein, though his isn't played for laughs in any way.
      • Also, Bomper's unabbreviated name as revealed at the end of GP 16. Gunpei even lampshades it: "It's too long!"
  • Palette Swap: Maki's Quirky Miniboss Squad from The Movie get recolored for the series proper.
  • Panthera Awesome: Renn's partner, Bus-on, and Miu's partner, Jetras.
  • Paper-Thin Disguise: Kegalesia appears in different human clothings now and then... for whatever reasons there currently is. But whatever she's dress as, the tap on her head is a dead giveaway. Not that anyone ever noticed...
  • Planet of Hats: The various Brane Worlds, Christmas World takes the cake for being so specific.
  • Pokémon-Speak: Somewhat overlaps with Say My Name, and arguably, Verbal Tic; the Engines and the Bankiju say their names quite often, but aren't limited to them.
  • Poke the Poodle: Despite being a comedy series, this is usually averted.
    • Brainwashed Sōsuke and Renn's "misdemeanors" in GP 30 gradually devolve into this.
    • GP 42 opens with the Jum-bowhale mixing up sorted garbage.
  • Power Limiter: The Engines can stay in their true giant forms for only ten minutes, after which they immediately split back into the Engine Souls and Engine Casts.
    • Their massive pile-on combinations (at least G-12) use up energy even faster.
  • Power Source: The large spinning gear in the background of Gaiark base turned out to be an unlimited power source.
  • Production Foreshadowing: The Movie has the Go-ongers go to the Samurai World and meet the Samurai Engines.
  • Punch Clock Villain: For villains, the Gaiark Ministers are more antagonistic than actually evil for the most part; the reason they're the bad guys is because pollution is vital for their race and they just happened to choose the Human World for it, which puts them on the different side of the coin from the Go-ongers. The Enemy Mine episode is one instance. So, when it's their turn to die, it was quite sad, especially after what Kegalesia and Kitaneidas said with their last breath.[63]
    • In the same vein, even Hiramechimedes can count. Originally a second-rate member of Gaiark, he initially planned to assassinate Yogostein to take his position. But then, to his surprise, Yogostein offered him the position of second-in-command... which prompted him to completely devote his entire self to his Minister without question. After beaten again and again by Go-ongers, he finally threw away his precious mind by overloading himself with Psycho Serum to match them with raw power, despite Yogostein's plea. All for his master right until his last moment... * sniff* Pardon me...
  • Punny Name: MotW-Oh.[64]
  • Rearrange the Song: Ladies and gentlemen; welcome to the Den-O of Super Sentai.[65]
    • The main one has twelve different verses, one per Engine, split across four "Laps".[66]
      • "Engine First Lap -Type Normal-"[67]
      • "Engine Second Lap -Turbo Custom-"[68]
      • "Engine Third Lap -Aero Dynamic Custom-"[69]
      • "Engine Final Lap -Type Evolution-"[70]
      • "Engine Winning Run -Type Formula-"; Used only in the finale and it mentions everyone.
    • "Engine Eco Rap -Recycle Custom-"; Green Aesop.
    • "Engine Formation Rap -GunBir Custom!-"; The Movie mix.
    • "G3 Princess Rap PRETTY LOVE☆Limited"; just... don't ask.
    • "G5 Prince Rap GekijoBANG!★Limited"; same as above, except with the boys.
    • "Samurai First Rap BONpaie"; A Samurai Sentai Shinkenger-themed mix for their team-up movie with Go-onger.
  • Red Oni, Blue Oni: Sosuke and Hiroto.
    • During the events of Shinkenger vs. Go-onger, Sosuke also acted as the Red Oni to his successor's, Takeru Shiba, Blue Oni.
  • Retraux: it may not look it, but Go-Onger has been lightly touched by this. On the one hand, there's the return to chunkier mecha designs; then there's Sōsuke's display of patriarchial chauvinism in ep 6, Renn (see Yamato Nadeshiko below), that judo master's forest retreat, even the concept behind G3 Princesses is meant to be old-school... not to mention that the token Jidai Geki episode is a movie instead.
  • Ridiculously Cute Critter: Every Engine in cartoon form counts.
  • Robot Girl: Kegalesia actually has machinery under her skin.
  • She's Got Legs: Miu.
  • Secret Identity: Essentially discarded this time: Go-ongers have no qualms about revealing their identities or having them discovered. In fact, some of them even outright said it to people at some point. People even seem to know that the Go-ongers exist. They even have an online fansite. With Ratings for all 7.
  • Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Hant and Gunpei.
  • Fleeting Demographic Rule: It's been 12 years since the last car-based Affectionate Parody Super Sentai, Gekisou Sentai Carranger.
  • Shout-Out: During the brief moment we get to see the Engine World in GP 1, there's a race going on and lots of Engines are watching from the side.
    • Sōsuke uses a sideway kick pretty often.
    • Kagami Banki; Terminator. Coincidence?[71]
      • That's not the only thing Kagami Banki is reminding of; according to the Ministers, it's the result of their "Power, Courage and Wisdom".
    • In GP 15, it is remarked that Hiramechimedes is three times faster despite being green, not red.
    • Not only does Hiroto use punches for his fighting style, he used a Rider Sting-ish punch in his debut battle, all in its golden-yellow glory.[72]
      • In GP 22, summoning his Wing Dagger actually causes it to zip around and attack the Uguts before landing in his hand, much like the Zecters were known to do.
    • Nothing about the Earth Pollution roll call?

Yogostein, Hiramechimedes and Happa Banki: "In the name of Earth Pollution, we'll eliminate you!"

  • Single-Stroke Battle: Yogostein's last standoff against Sōsuke.
  • The Smurfette Principle: While averted within the team once the Go-on Wings joined, it is played straight among the Engines, with Bear-RV being the only female (despite Toripter being voiced by a woman, he is male). As well as Kegalesia among the Gaiarc, of course.
  • Soap Opera: One Go-On Seminar has Saki mentioning that she follows Korean Drama. A more blatant reference appears in the episode where Miu infiltrates a high school, which has a Drama Club attempting a Korean drama performance, complete with Bae Yong-Jun impersonator.
  • Spell My Name with an "S": The Go-ongers and Go-on Wings' "civilian" jackets are loaded with Gratuitous English, leading to some normal looking names (Sôsuke,[73] Saki, Gunpei, Hiroto, Miu), some "OK, I'll give it to you" names (Renn), and then Hant. Despite the fact that his name was plastered in front of viewers faces for 49 episodes, some English language fansubbers still decided to go with the direct romanization of his name "Hanto".
    • The official spelling was probably chosen so that the names would divide symmetrically on either side of the zipper: SOS/UKE, RE/NN, SA/KI, GUN/PEI and HA/NT
  • Stealth Hi Bye: NES can make his own Engine Soul appear in other Rangers' changers at will.
  • Stealth Pun: The word "Engine" is actually written with two Kanji in the official title: "Flame" and "God/Deity".
    • Don't forget Hiroto's constant boxing exercises - he's clearly a bantamweight.
      • Possibly a stretch, but Kegalesia with her everpresent tap might count...
    • Also, Carrygator forms the shoes[74] of every Engine-Oh combination he participates in.
  • Straw Vulcan: Hiramechimedes is a the straight example, being the smartest person among Gaiark.
    • Hiroto's strategy of reading his opponents stopped working when Hiramechimedes becomes crazy, and thus unpredictable. Naturally, it took Sōsuke's equally unpredictable antics to match him.
  • Super Sentai Stance: Spoofed in GP 14 by Hant; he physically set their bodies to the usual pose.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute: In the Where Are They Now? Epilogue, which reveals that Saki now works in a bakery, she encounters a customer who looks eerily like Kegalesia (and is also played by Nao Oikawa) ...
  • Sweet Tooth: The reason Saki's non-dessert recipes bomb: Too much sugar.
  • Team Chef: Renn; though his cooking is limited to egg-based meals due to budgetary constraints.
  • Tomboy and Girly Girl: Saki and Miu.
  • Too Soon: Shortly after the Go-on Wings' debut, some guy committed a murder using a dagger. As a result, the toy version of the Rocket Dagger was called Rocked Booster, and the show avoided using the word dagger for a while (as a result, the Wings would avoid calling some of their attacks).
  • Training from Hell: GP 14 has Sōsuke and Hant going through this.
  • Tsundere: Miu and Hiroto.
  • Unobtainium: Bikkurium,[75] the substance which enlarges the Bankiju when they're KO'd.
  • Verbal Tic: All the Engines have one each, and they use theirs pretty often all the time. But it's a bit arguable with the Prehistoric Engines, because they don't speak.
    • Bomper's "Bom Bom!".
    • Renn adds "-su" to every sentence he speaks. But he drops that when in his household.
    • Birca has a handful of gratuitous foreign phrases, mainly italian, in addition to his usual one.
    • Even the Ministers: "-nari" for Yogostein, "-(de) ojaru" for Kegalesia, "-zoyo" for Kitaneidas.
      • They mixed up each other's Verbal Tics in GP 7 while instructing the Literal-Minded Bombe[76] Banki what to say via phone.
      • During the Dino Engines' debut arc, Speedor actually takes offence at the Drill Banki's Verbal Tic 'Dori', for being one letter away from 'Doru'. A few eps later, the same thing happens with Jetras and the Engine Banki (see Hilarious in Hindsight above).
  • Villainous Crossdresser: Hiramechimedes's Camp Gay older brother Kokorootomedes takes this trope to its wackiest, complete with pink wig and heart-based attacks.
  • Where Are They Now? Epilogue
  • Widget Series: Oh god, where do we start...?
  • Wholesome Crossdresser: Granddaughter Hant.
    • In one episode, Gunpei wants Hant to wear a dress and pose as his girlfriend in order to stop Gunpei's mother trying to arrange a marriage for him. Apparently, Hant makes a better girl than the actual girls on the team ...
    • It's also revealed (at the end of the Granddaughter Hant episode) that one of Hant's side-jobs is being a transvestite maid. He even says it's his favorite!
  • Yakuza: One of the Character Of The Day in GP 13 is played straight as a yakuza boss. And his ferocity is just... out of this world; he can scare not only the Gaiark Ministers, who are by and large main villains, off like little kids, but even objects!. Could be justified by him being an alien, though.
    • In GP 30, brainwashed Sōsuke and Renn dress as a Yakuza and a Delinquent respectively, even though both types are NOT known to associate.
  • Yamato Nadeshiko: Renn is a textbook example despite being male: tall, modest, polite, gentle and overall the most mature and responsible of the Go-ongers. He is the Team Chef and likes to fuss over others to the point where his teammates call him "mother".
  1. ↑ Human, Machine, Samurai, Christmas, Junk, Sound, Stormy, Gunman, Magic, Prism, and Grass World, though only a few play any real role in the story
  2. ↑ "Speedster" + "Condor"
  3. ↑ "Bus" + "Lion"
  4. ↑ "Bear" + "RV"
  5. ↑ "Bike" + "Orca"
  6. ↑ But he has two rear wheels.
  7. ↑ "Gun" + "Shepherd"
  8. ↑ "Carrier" + "Alligator"
  9. ↑ "Tori"/"Chicken" + "Helicopter"
  10. ↑ "Jet" + "Tora"/"Tiger"
  11. ↑ "Jumbo Jet" + "Whale"
  12. ↑ "Kisha"/"Train" + "Mammoth"
  13. ↑ "Tirano"/"Tyranno" + "Liner"
  14. ↑ "Kera"/"Triceratops" + "Liner"
  15. ↑ Mirror
  16. ↑ Ginjiro-go; the "go" here being a common suffix added to vehicles.
  17. ↑ Not counting outside the TV series.
  18. ↑ Read as "Grand Prix".
  19. ↑ Separately for Go-Ongers and Go-On Wings.
  20. ↑ Including the Prehistoric Engines who can't speak a word; they get subtitles.
  21. ↑ When said in Japanese, all their lines end with "-kai", thus making rhymes.
  22. ↑ "Mahha Zenkai! Go-on Red!"
  23. ↑ "Zubari Seikai! Go-on Blue!"
  24. ↑ "Smile Mankai! Go-on Yellow!"
  25. ↑ Heart-thumping/Exciting
  26. ↑ "Doki Doki Yukai! Go-on Green!"
  27. ↑ "Dash Gokai! Go-On Black!"
  28. ↑ "Break Genkai! Go-on Gold!"
  29. ↑ "Kirakira Sekai! Go-on Silver!"
  30. ↑ The Prehistoric Engines can't speak human language; theirs are subtitles.
  31. ↑ More accurately, "star" or "leading figure".
  32. ↑ Go uphill
  33. ↑ "Nozomi"; also the fastest Japanese long-distance railway line.
  34. ↑ Go downhill
  35. ↑ "Hikari"; also a famous Japanese bullet train.
  36. ↑ Notably, each of them uses a slightly different variation of "I".
  37. ↑ "Ware"
  38. ↑ "Warawa"
  39. ↑ "Watashi"
  40. ↑ Dynamite
  41. ↑ The sounds of his Idea Bulbs lighting up.
  42. ↑ Gun and Rod modes.
  43. ↑ "Combination"
  44. ↑ His actual target was "Neo Tokyo Hills".
  45. ↑ Well, they didn't follow him because they suspect him; on the contrary, they came to cheer for both of them.
  46. ↑ Suck it, Dokoku!
  47. ↑ "God Gear Gear"
  48. ↑ A really long BFG in and of itself.
  49. ↑ "Attention please!"
  50. ↑ Yaguruma Sou/Kamen Rider Kick Hopper
  51. ↑ Despite not working because of full-time hero activity.
  52. ↑ Generator
  53. ↑ Including Hiramechimedes.
  54. ↑ "Yogosu"/"Pollute"
  55. ↑ "Kegare"/"Impurity"
  56. ↑ "Kitanai"/"Foul"
  57. ↑ Interestingly, all three words derive from the same Kanji.
  58. ↑ "Flash", i.e: an idea.
  59. ↑ Sounds exactly the same as "San"/"Three".
  60. ↑ Who, in the BIGGEST of ironies, a member of the Water Pollution branch and part of a Gaiark Royal Family.
  61. ↑ Do note that they're freakishly strong.
  62. ↑ Vengeful spirit
  63. ↑ Of course, this is one viewpoint of Alternate Character Interpretation.
  64. ↑ "GunBir" = "ganbaru" = "hang in there"/"fight"/"do your best".
  65. ↑ In terms of soundtrack redundancy.
  66. ↑ Possibly also a pun considering "Rap" and "Lap" are pronounced identically in Japanese
  67. ↑ Speedor, Bus-on and Bearrv
  68. ↑ Birca, Gunpherd and Carrigator
  69. ↑ Toripter, Jetras, Jum-bowhale
  70. ↑ Kishamoth, T-Line, K-Line
  71. ↑ It even has those red glowing eyes!
  72. ↑ Kamen Rider GinmakuBANG!'s primary color scheme.
  73. ↑ The name is parsed as "Sōsuke" but TV Tropes won't let you put the ō in a link
  74. ↑ It's a pun on Gator, when pronounced in Japanese, is a homophone for Geta, those traditional wooden sandals you see people wearing in Jidai Geki
  75. ↑ "Bikkuri"/"Surprise".
  76. ↑ Gas cylinder
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