Ninja master Momochi, Sandayu - supposed to be the Kakurangers mentor but after appearing in the first few episodes he's abscent for most of the rest of the first half of the series. When he finally shows up again its to send the Kakaurangers on indivdual quests to find five hidden scrolls (episode 25). He claims not to know where they are yet he hands them a map to guide them. Sandayu is killed by Young Nobel Junior (episode 31) and this upsets the Kakurangers more than it should given that, except for Tsuruhime, they barely knew him, having probably spoken to him a total of 5 maybe 6 minutes since they met him. And most of what he told Tsuruhime were lies (that her father was dead, that he didn't know where the Shinobi Scrolls were, that Bun was his apprentice, that two dogs were his guard dogs when he knew who they really were, and finally when her father was revealed to be alive, that he was a traitor to humanity, he'd have said it was for her own good but lies never do any one any good.)
The Announcer is Ninja Task Force Kakuranger's onscreen narrator (episodes 1-24, 39). Unlike most series narrators who are heard but never seen this series narrator actually appears on camera. He's a comic relief character as well as narrator. And unlike other narrators who are only heard by the audience he can be seen and heard by other characters. In episode 7 he find himself in the middle of a fight because he's broadcasting from the Kakuranger's training ground. In episode 22 he falls victim to the yokai's laughing gas and the yokai describe itself to the audience. About half way through his time in the series he starts asking trivia questions before commercial breaks the answer to be revealed after the commercial. He's not involved in the series after episode 24, because the Kakurangers and Yokai act as their own narrators, except for one special appearance in episode 39, during which he gives a tour of the Kakurangerts camp and Yokai Army Corpi base, until he is caught by Dorodoros.and thrown off a bridge. He survives but does not appear again in the series.
When Tsuruhime meets a young boy, Momochi, Sandayu claims he's his apprentice (episode 26), Bun,and that two dogs are has guard dogs but they are always with Bun so seems they are actually Bun's guards. After Momochi, Sandayu's death (episode 31) Bun is not seen again until Hakumenrou's sends him to warn Ninjaman that he is in danger (episode 42) (Bun speaks more in episode 42 than he did in his first 3 episodes combined or will in his following episodes). When Sasuke is about to be killed by the Flowery Kunoichi Team, Bun and his two dogs come to his rescue, the dogs proving they are not what they seem, as the transfer into two male ninja (episode 44) .Bun iit turns out is a Yokai who despises the other Yokai and has taken human form. (Bun is in episodes 26, 30, 31, 42-44, 52 & 53.). He never reveals his true form, he's so opposed to the Yokai he stays human at all times. Unlike the evil Yokai he is not trapped behind the Seal Door at the end.
A white armed warrior who calls himself Daimaou's Strategist Hakumenrou but is actually Lord Yoshiteru, Tsuruhime's supposedly dead father and Momochi, Sandayu's missing master appears to twart the Kakurangers attempt to stop Daimaou from returning to the Earth (episode 30) but is he really on the side of the Yokai Army Corps or is he as Daimaou's son Young Noble Junior aka Gashadokuro believes a spy, secretly working to undermind them? Gashadokur is killed by the Kakurangers before he can inform his father of his supicions (episode 31). As for the Kakurangers, they don't know what to think. When a meteor carrying Ninjaman's prison arrives on Earth, Daimaou orders Hakumenrou to get the pot so that Ninjaman will serve the Yokai. Only Hakumenrou or his daughter can break the magic seal to release Ninjaman (episode 36) but when a Yokai is about to retreive the pot to bring to Hakumenrou, Hakumenrou actualy shoots the Yokai with a glowing arrow causing it to drop the pot (only the viewer sees him do this as he's a long way away and the Yokai is looking at the Kakurangers who are looking at the Yokai). When the Kakurangers are captured, he turns out the lights to cover their escape (episode 37).
Losing a battle with a Daimaou's clone Daradara, the Kakurangers find themselves tranported into the Wind Illusion Castle where the voice of Muteki Shogun them to seek out Hakumenrou, because he has been spying on Daimaou for them all along however when they go to meet him Daimaou appears revealing he knew Hakumenrou a 'traitor" all along and appears to kill him (episode 43), Hakumenrou isnt dead but may wish he was as Daimaou turns him into stone furies at losening another battle to Kakurangers because of his betryal (episode 44). Controlled by Daimaou, Hakumenrou becomes a mindless killer forcing Tsuruhime into considering killing her father (episodes 52 & 53). In the end he's saved by the sacrifice of his adopted sons Taro and Jiro and Bun becomes his new adopted son, Tsuruhime new younger brother.
Taro and Jiro identical twin brothers, Lord Yoshiteru's adopted sons (after their biological parents were killed by Yokai), Tsuruhime's "brothers", they disappeared along with their foster father when they tried to enter the spirit world to battle Daimaou ten years ago, only to be captured. To save their lives Lord Yoshiteru became Daimaou's Strategist Hakumenrou but Daimaou transformed Taro and Jiro into dogs. They esecaped back to Earth as dogs with Bun. (episodes 26, 30, 31, 42, 43). They become human to save Sasuke (episode 44) but cannot remain human for long. The next time they become human they will die, they do so to save their foster father (episode 52) [They are played by real life indentical twin brothers rather than one person being filmed twice and dubded in beside himself.]
In the final episode the Kakurangers have to use their Doron Changers to place the Yokai behind the Seal Door again, which means they can no longer transform which means they should not be in any of the movies they appear in later. Unless they freed the Yokai. (Of course RIderman should not be in any series or movie after Kamen Rider V3 or any of the first eight Kamen Riders after Skyrider either.). Once the Yokai are defeated and the giant warriors have left the Earth as they are no longer needed, Lord Yoshiteru tells Tsuruhime to spend more times with her friends now that the battle is over and he and Bun will be waiting for her at home. Sasuke, Tsuruhime, Saizou, Seikai and Jiraiya set off on a road trip in Nekomaru. Bun waves goodbye.. Behind the Seal Door, all the defeated Yokai are threatening to return one day because as long as humans exist they will exist too. The last words of the series "Let us out!". Cue the opening theme song (not the usual ending theme song) as the credits role for the last time. THE END,
Episode Titles
Yokai Army Corps
Ending Theme (episodes 1-52) Ending Theme (episodes 53)
Ninja Sentai Kakurenjâ was proceeded by Gosei Sentai Dairenjâ and followed by Chouriki Sentai Ohrenjâ
On May 17, 2016 Ninja Sentai Kakuranger was released on DVD by Shout Factory TV, in Japanese with English subtites.
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Last modified Sunday, September 25, 2022
Ninja Sentai Kakurenjâ © 1994 Toei Co., Ltd.
