Madan Senki Ryukendo
"Born in the light, the dragon fang! Slashing the demons in the darkness! Ryukendo, Raijin!"
A Toku show that aired in 2006. Kenji Narukami comes to the small town of Akebono, where the city's Power Spot is of great interest to the demonic Jamanga. Dr. Worm and an assortment of others send down monsters that defy description in an attempt to gather "Minus Energy" - the negative feelings from people- to revive the Big Bad.
Enter the Madan Warriors. Their Empathic Weapons of Choice, Gekiryuken and Gouryugun, along with a collection of magical keys, are the only things that can set things right. Along the way, newcomer Koichi Shiranami joins in, the villains start to turn on each other, and the series' 52-episode run comes to a fulfilling conclusion.
Available via bittorrent and KRDL.info, since it's not likely to ever come to the US.
Despite constant rumours of a sequel (though it had extremely low television ratings compared to Super Sentai and Kamen Rider, it amazingly sold far more toys) it never came to be. It later got a Spiritual Successor in Tomica Hero Rescue Force.
- A Day in the Limelight - Many minor characters get focus near the end.
- Adjective Noun Fred - The series itself, and the heroes' full titles - Madan Swordsman Ryukendo, Madan Gunman Ryuguno, and Madan Fighter Ryujino.
- Antagonist in Mourning - The Madan Warriors do follow Dr. Worm's wishes to come to Rock Crimson's funeral. The funeral gets interrupted partway through for a battle, and that's when Dr. Worm snaps.
- Arson, Murder, and Jaywalking - One episode has the Mooks swarming the city and committing acts of villainy, from general vandalism to reading Kaori's diary out loud. It's funny 'cos they're usually The Unintelligible.
- Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever - Including one square-off between Ryukendo and a giant version of himself.
- By the Power of Greyskull
- Ryukendo: Gekiryu Henshin!
- Ryuguno: Gouryu Henshin!
- Ryujino: Zanryu Henshin!
- Camp - the show doesn't take itself the least bit seriously. In fact, it embraces the silliness.
- City of Adventure
- Cult - The whole town, temporarily.
- Dance Party Ending - The series finishes with every member of the cast doing a rather awesome dance to the first Opening Theme.
- Elaborate Underground Base - SHOT HQ
- Eldritch Abomination - DaiMaOh
- Elemental Powers - Fire, Aqua and Thunder Ryukendo. Later, his Super Mode upgrades them to Burning, Blizzard and Lightning Ryukendo respectively.
- Everything's Better with Monkeys - Fire Kong and its upgraded form, Burning Kong.
- Everything's Even Worse with Sharks - Averted. Aqua Shark, and later its upgraded form, Blizzard Shark, are one of Ryukendo's Juuoh.
- Exclusive Enemy Equipment - Sort of. Dr. Worm creates new Monsters of the Week from Madan Keys, which are in turn taken and purified by SHOT, leading to Kenji getting more powerful, leading to Worm sending down more monsters.
- Fire, Ice, Lightning - Fire, Aqua, and Thunder Ryukendo. I'm not sure it can be played any straighter.
- Five-Bad Band - The Jamanga follow this trope exactly:
- The Big Bad - DaiMaOh
- The Dragon - Dr. Worm/Jack Moon
- The Evil Genius - Baron Bloody
- The Brute - Rock Crimson
- The Dark Chick - Lady Gold
- Freudian Trio - Once Koichi finally joins.
- Fun with Acronyms - Shoot Hell Obduracy Trooper, aka SHOT
- Go-Karting with Bowser - The heroes and villains play a game of soccer during the first ending theme. During the second ending theme, they play Red Light, Green Light.
- Grand Finale - Actually not the final episode. A two-episode epilogue follows.
- Great Big Book of Everything - The Canon of Light, which even Setoyama admits he doesn't fully understand.
- Haunted Headquarters - SHOT has its own ghost in Komachi.
- Hermetic Magic
- Heroic Sacrifice - In the final episode, the three Empathic Weapons sacrifice themselves to seal the Power Spot that was the cause of the town's problems in the first place.
- Hey, It's That Guy! - Does flower girl Kaori Nose look familar? Hiroko Sato went on to play both Ai Yashiro (Episodes 2-3) and Toko Yashiro (Episodes 12-13) in Kamen Rider Decade.
- I Am Spartacus - done to delay Dr. Worm while Kenji finds a way to break a giant magical dome covering the city.
- Idiot Hero - Kenji
- Instant Runes
- In the Name of the Moon - "Raijin!"
- JAM Project - Hiroshi Kitadani sung the first opening song.
- Lovely Angels - Ichiko and Ritsuko
- Merchandise-Driven - With a new form, power, upgrade or vehicle introduced almost every single episode? Hell yes.
- Monster of the Week - some of the weirdest ones in any show.
- Mooks - the Tsukaima
- The Nicknamer - Kenji starts out by calling Fudou 'ossan' the entire season. He also cooks up the names Jamami, Jamako and Jamayo for Lady Gold's lady mooks later on.
- Nigh Invulnerability - The three Ultimate Madan Keys give Lady Gold, Bloody and Rock Crimson the ability to revive every time. Until they're taken out by force.
- Noble Demon - Jack Moon
- Non-Human Sidekick - The Madan Ryu, also Empathic Weapons.
- Odd Couple - Kenji and Fudou
- Opening Shout-Out - Fudou's brief imagining of the show as "Madan Senki Ryuguno" in episode 13.
- Panthera Awesome - Brave Leon and its upgraded form, God Leon.
- People in Rubber Suits - Most of the villains.
- Place of Power - The Power Spot located beneath Akebono.
- Power Glows - Ultimate Ryukendo is very shiny and sparkly.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad - Lady Gold gets one in her own personalised Mook trio.
- Recap Episode - Two. One done as a game show, the other as an adventure with the Timey-Wimey Ball.
- Reluctant Monster - Komachi
- Satchel Switcheroo - episode 31, also featuring Kichi Setoyama, SHOT's Magical Engineer, in a Robe and Wizard Hat.
- Sealed Evil in a Can - the Jamanga, of course.
- Serial Escalation- Kenji's power increases as the series goes along. Just over halfway through the series he gains a Super Mode that is actually called "God Ryukendo"... and that's not even his most powerful form!
- Sixth Ranger - Koichi
- Stock Footage
- Super Mode - God Ryukendo, Ultimate Ryukendo and Magna Ryuguno. (Then in the finale, Ultimate Ryuguno and Ultimate Ryujino.)
- Super Speed - Ryujino and Lady Gold's specialty.
- Talking Weapon - GekiRyuKen (sword), GoRyuGun (gun), and ZanRyuJin (staff/bow)
- Technology Porn
- Training from Hell - Fudou doing the strength training required to handle the recoil of his Finishing Move (one month's worth) in half a day.
- Transformation Sequence
- Transforming Mecha - Brave/God/Ultimate Leon, Fire/Burning/Ultimate Kong, Aqua/Blizzard/Ultimate Shark, Thunder/Lightning/Ultimate Eagle, Buster/Magna/Ultimate Wolf, Delta/Ultimate Shadow and Raijin Ryu, who can go from an animal form to a battle vehicle.
- Tokyo Tower - er...Akebono Tower
- Tsundere - Rin
- Villain-Beating Artifact: The Kanon of Light states that in order to defeat DaiMaOh, the team needs the three Ultimate Keys.
- Wave Motion Gun - Gouryugun's Dragon Cannon (and its upgrade, Magna Dragon Cannon.)
- Weapon of Choice
- Ryukendo: Cool Sword, Infinity+1 Sword.
- Ryuguno: The Gunslinger.
- Ryujino: Swiss Army Weapon.
- Weaponized Landmark - Akebono Tower
- We Can Rebuild Him - Jack Moon, the Noble Demon of the Jamanga, is brought back by Bloody as Mechanimoon.