"Ressha sentai Toqger" or "The Shadow Line saga, featuring the Toqger"?

 

 

Hello

It's been  a while since I've posted here, notably since I stopped watching toku during a long time. However, I've been watching some again, notably Toqger. A few years ago, I have written a review in which I was VERY critical about that show http://tokuwarriors.blogspot.com/2014/12/toqger-review-and-why-that-show-sucks.html. However, even then, therewere elements I enjoyed about Toqger, and, rewatching it, I realized I have grown fond of that show. Now, I'm gonna explain why I enjoy it now. It doesn't mean that the issues I've mentioned in my previous review don't exist any more. But I think that Toqger is the kind of show that needs a rewatch to really understand it.

And the most fascinating element of that show is how much the story seems to be about Shadow Line rather than the Toqger themselves. Of course, the Toqger are the heroic characters, but sometimes, they feel more like hero antagonists who stop the Shadow Line's evil; but they mostly have the focus in fillers episodes, when the core plot episodes are much more about the Shadow Line, and when the heroes are pretty much sidelined 

The Toqger plot

Why does it happen? Because the Toqger's plot is pretty straightforward, even if it's revealed throughout the season ; they are children ended up in the Rainbow Line when their town was covered in darkness by the Shadow Line; they ended up in adult bodies and with a partial amnesia. Right/Toq1go having the additional complication of having ended up in a Shadow Line train (Kuliner) before joigning the others. Thanks to the power of Imagination, they can become Toqger and fight the Shadow Line to protect the world. Their story is also their quest to discover who they are, and to find their town and families. It's a very compelling arc. We see those children who, suddenly, have undergone a awful ordeal, and who are forced to grow up to face it; the fact they have adult bodies to fight the Shadow Line is a great metaphor. But their biggest strength is their friendship, which they still remember from their lives as kids, and which is, in my opinion, the most interesting element about them. However, they aren't the most memorable heroes in sentai. Right/ Ichigo is the hot blooded leader, Tokachii/Nigo the awkward one, Mio/Sango the nice girl, Hikari/Yongo the grumpy one, and Kagura/Gogo the cute one. Another element that harm the Toqger's story is the fact that Wagon, Ticket and the Conductor who make their support team areVERY annoying. And did they really need to give the boss of the RainbowLine this stupid bunny head?

The Shadow Line

However, the Shadow Line are undoubtedly the characters with the more interesting plots, the more diverse characterizations, and the more complex dynamics between them. The fact that the sixth Toqger Akira/Rokugo was himself a former member of the Shadow Line add an additional layer of complexity. 

Nero and Morc

Nero and Morc are the most typical "sentai villains" with their classical plot to take over the world with darkness. Moreover, Morc is also somewhat of a mother figure for Emperor Z, and the one who tried to fill the void of leadership due to Z's obsession with shining and light which distracts him from the goal of covering the world in darkness. Nero is the lieutenant who wants to serve the general who will lead the war he desires so much to fight. Besides, he's the smart one who see through the traitorous members of the Shadow Line. They're typical villlains, but they work well and their presence highlights even more the more complex members of the Shadow Line. 

 Madame Noir

Unlike Nero and Morc, who are loyal towards their emperor, even sacrificing themselves to make him stronger during the final fight against the Toqger, Madame Noir's main goal is to take over the Shadow Line. To achieve that goal, she groomed her daughter Gritta to marry Z, knowing that once she became his wife, she would eat the Emperor, absorb his power and become the Emperess of darkness; as such, Noir would be the leader of the Shadow Line through her daughter. Even if Nero was suspicious about her, going as far as trying to kill Gritta to twart Noir's plans, he wasn't able to stop the wedding. The fact that Z was fascinated by Gritta's shiny eyes only made it easier for the treacherous noblewoman. While Noir's plan seemed to work at first, it ended up completely backfiring when, after a big fight against the Toqger, Z ended up taking over Gritta's body, keeping her spirit trapped in the Emperor's body. Disgraced, Noir was now reduced to a status of servant, bossed around by Morc to collect darkness.She had only one hope : after realizing that her daughter was still alive within Z's body, she decided to do everything she could to rescue her, so she could take back her position of leadership. As usual, Nero keeped an eye on her. However, she still managed to free Gritta from Z's body, with the help of Schwartz and Zaram/Akira, at the cost of her own life. But while she died, she was happy to see her daughter free at last, displaying that while she used her daughter for her own goals, she still loved her sincerely.

Schwartz

General Schwartz is also very interesting, because of the character development he shows during the show. At first, he's a typical evil military leader who wants to conquer the world as a warrior. He's somewhat an outcast amongst the Shadow Line because he's more interested in fighting with trains than in collecting darkness, and, unlike Nero, he believes that the fact the Emperor is more interested in shiny stuff than in conquests served his ambitions. In his plans against the Rainbow Line, the Shadow Line general revealed himself as a good fighter and a very cunning and competent strategist : he caused a lot of trouble to the Toqger. Schwartz was aware of Gritta's feelings towards him, and while he genuinely appreciated them, he was still ready to betray her if it could serve his ambitions. Schwartz had formerly Zaram as a fellow warrior, and he was furious when the rain Shadow monster decided to quit the Shadow Line to work for the Rainbow Line. Besides, he didn't understand the motivations of his former comrade.When Gritta became the Emperess of Darkness, Schwartz could at last fulfill his ambitions, attacking the Rainbow Line with Kurainers and even taking over some of the heroes's trains. He almost managed to defeat the heroes. However, the Toqger managed to defeat him, and he only managed to avoid death thanks to Gritta's sacrifice, who protected him from Cho Cho Toqdai Oh final attack. Schwartz was deeply moved by the young girl's actions, especially since he knew he had deceived her. The General was further shocked when he saw Z seemingly kill Gitta by taking over her body. The Emperor who already knew of Schwartz's traitorous actions, got rid of him pretty quickly, seemingly killing him.

Schwartz survived, but was changed forever. He couldn't forgive himself for his role in Gritta's doom, and he had only one goal : avenging her by killing Z. Branded as a traitor in the Shadow Line, he couldn't come back any more. When he discovered that Gritta was still alive in Z's body, he realized he wanted to save her. For the first time, Schwartz was caring about someone else than himself, putting the well-being of Gritta over his own. He still used treachery to achieve this goal, stealing the Toqger the Drill Ressha, only giving it back after blackmailing Akira/Zaram into joining him again. However, even the Shadow Line warrior turned ToqRokugo knew that Schwartz had changed. When he joined him again, they both shared hearfelt conversations showing that they both could understand each other much better than before. Zaram and the General managed to become a great team against Z, and his Shadow Line lieutenants. Sadly, while Schwartz cared a lot about Gritta, he didn't understand her, and didn't listen when Mio told him that the former Emperess didn't wish to be freed from Z's body. At the end, with Noir's help, he managed to free Gritta, even managing to put her in his Kurainer before being killed by Z. His feelings for Gritta have shown that underneath the ruthless general, there was an honorable heart that shone inside his body, something Z could notice. At the end, even the Toqger realized that they had a opponent who deserved their respect, even lighting a candle in his honor, and Akira giving his former general the grave a true warrior deserved. 

Zaram/ Akira Nijino/Toq6go

The changes Schwartz experienced had happened much earlier in Zaram's heart. But unlike the Shadow General, it was the beauty of the rainbow that moved the Shadow Monster's heart. Ironically, he's in a way responsible of the creation of rainbows, since it's created by the shining of the sun going through the drop of rain. Anyway, that event awakened in Zaram a desire to protect beauty instead of conquering it. So, he left the Shadow Line and joined the Rainbow Line. He was still tormented by his past and the sadness he caused because of his powers, even if one must admit that he's overreacting, because most people see rain as a natural event. That's also the reason he was pretty a loner at the beginning, having trouble befriending the Toqger, keeping a suicidal spirit, always thinking his next battle might be his last. However,  the five heroes could count on him to help them against the Shadow Line. Besides, the heroes managed to reach his heart, as shown when they managed to find him a new name : Nijino Akira. As a former member, he knew about their evil, and it motivated him to fight them and give the Toqger any info he could about his former clan. However, he's also a man of honor, and when Schwartz blackmailed him to join him in exchange for getting back the Drill Ressha. Fortunately, since the general was mostly targeting Z, he was mostly able to avoid confronting his comrades. And after Schwartz's death, he at last allowed himself to be closer to the other Toqger. And in the finale, he managed to overcome his suicidal feelings. In a lot of ways, Akira/Zaram's arc is about letting go of the past, and embrace who you really are. And the fact he witnessed his former general, Schwartz, live a similar experience helped him, in a way, because he had someone who could at last really understand him.

Z

Emperor Z is probably the most atypical "Big Bad" seen in sentai, because of how reluctant he is to embrace that role. The first time he appears, he looks like an awkward young man with a childish personality, who seems to discover the marvels of an amusement park, especially everything that shines, and tries to make friends with Right. Who could imagine that this strange person who absolutely loves light would actually be the Emperor of Darkness himself? And very quickly, we see the tragedy of that emperor, who lives light, but can't stand being exposed to it too long, because he's a creature of darkness. Z's story arc is his desire to catch that light that fascinates him, and make it a part of himself. However, to his frustration, he seems unable to succeed. He wants the light, but can't get it. 

His fascination to the light is also what makes him attracted to Gritta, who seems to have that shine within herself. That's the reason he plays into Madame Noir's plot. But while Z is obsessed about light, he's far from an idiot. He's perfectly aware of his subordonates's plots, and even if he let them do what they want, he makes sure he stays one step ahead of them. Besides, he knows how powerful he is and that he can thwart any plot against him. Even when he ended up sucked into Miss Gritta's body after marrying her, he manages to use it for his benefit, since he manages to absorb his bride into his own body after a while, in order to get her "shine". But Gritta manages to survive inside him, and because he's so fascinated by her "shine", he doesn't find the will to destroy her, even if he could. Besides, Gritta is probably the only being he's pretty fond of, because she's the only one who tries to understand him. A striking element of Z is that he's brutal with everyone, his enemies and especially his fellow Shadow Line. He has no problem hurting them, and treating them disrespectfully. However, there is one exception : Gritta. He behaves very calmly with her, he often talks to her with an affectionate tone. Even when she frustrates him, he stays respectful towards her. It's telling that, outside Gritta, the person he seems to feel the closest is ... Right/ Toq1go, his worst enemy. Gritta becomes pretty much Z's voice of reason, almost his conscience, who manages to make him keep in check his darkest impulses. It's telling that Z constantly spared her, even if he ends up destroying all the other Shadow Line generals : Schwartz, Noir, Nero and Morc. Even when he seemingly killed her, it ended up he let her live. And this atypical kindness ends up saving his life at the end.

Z's relationship with Right is also a fascinating arc of Toqger : when they first met, Right didn't know he was the Emperor of Darkness, but as soon as he learnt, he saw him as an enemy. However, because of his power, Z didn't see Right as a threat, but more as someone who fascinated him because of his "shine"; Z's antagonism against Right was mostly motivated by his desire to possess inside him his light. But he didn't hate him far from it; actually, Right was, with Gritta, the only person Z took a real interest. It's very telling that the emperor seemed disappointed when he saw the young Toqger embrace darkness during the final arc. At the end of the series, a link between Z and Right is revealed : the young Toqger became an adult thanks to the power of Z's darkness, and at the same time, Z came in contact with Right's "Shine" : the symbol of that link is the "Twinkle Twinkle little star" song that the Emperor heard from the five future Toqger when he invaded their town.

During most of the show, Z doesn't bother leading the other members of the Shadow Line, to the great frustration of Nero or Morc. He cared too much about the light to bother covering the world with darkness, even if he let his generals do the job. Even when he ended up involved, he was more tagging along than anything else. It's telling that when he managed to sneak into the Rainbow Line during the Christmas arc, he didn't attack anyone there, only getting there not to be bothered by his fellow Shadow Line. Only at the end, when he realized he couldn't get the "Shine" he craved so much that he finally embraced his role as emperor of darkness and become a classic "invader of the world". But even then, it was more despair than a desire of conquest. When he defeats a darkness filled "Right", he seemed annoyed. When the Shadow Line seemed victorious, Z was just sulking on his throne, bored. But when the Toqger managed to pull themselves together, and when light came through  the darkness, suddenly, Z seemed alive again, moved by the "shine" he wanted so much. And unlike Morc and Nero, who were furious that the Toqger managed to destroy the Castle Terminal and bring back light, Z felt almost happy to see at last Right shining more brilliantly than ever. After a last showdown, during which Z took the darkness of Nero and Morc, he's finally defeated. But at that time, he's not furious against his enemies because he lost : instead, he looks at a rainbow and is amazed by its beauty, like Zaram did before him. And, unlike most sentai Big Bads, he survives his final confrontation with the heroes, because Gritta comes to save him and bring him back to the darkness. At the end, there is a real hope that Z will find at last peace with Gritta.

Gritta : perhaps the real heroine of Toqger

Gritta is one of my favorite characters in the sentai franchise, despite her ugly design. Why? Because she shows an amazing character development, and because, despite being a member of the villain group, she ends up being the most sympathetic character of the show. At the beginning, she's shown as a spoilt brat, but very quickly, her feelings for General Schwartz are revealed, and she does everything she can to help him in his confrontations against the Rainbow Line. Besides, it's very soon revealed that her mother wants her to marry the Emperor of Darkness, even if it goes against her daughter's wishes. When she encounters Z for the first time, she's so scared of him that she tries to flee her home, and she even made a weak attempt to kill him, but her soft heart made it impossible for her to succeed. Because of the shine in her eyes, Z ended up attracted by her, and was ready to marry her. While Gritta could see that Z's obsession with light made him suffer, she was still horrified to become his wife, even (or likely especially) after her mother told her the truth about the marriage, and she tried to escape again, but this time, with Schwartz, the man she loved. She even stole Mio's body to succeed. Unfortunately, the General cared mostly about his career, so he told Z about her attempt and the Emperor brought back his future bride. During the wedding, Gritta ended up absorbing Z and his power, and her personality changed. Z's darkness gave her red eyes, a cold and ruthless personality, and she fought directly the Toqger as the new Empress of Darkness. However, a handkerchief which previously belonged to Schwartz reminded her of her feelings towards him, and she was at times able to overcome her new darkness. At the end, when Schwartz was about to be defeated by the Toqger, she sacrificed herself to save him, having her Kuliner taking the heroes's attack. As she was lying, close to death, she revealed that even if she knew Schwartz had betrayed her, she still loved him. She knew that her mother was using her as a pawn to get power, and her feelings for the general was the only thing she could claim as her own decision. At that moment, her body burst, and soon afterwards, the Emperor came back in a new, more powerful form, having absorbed Gritta in his own body.

However, she was still alive inside Z, even if she was trapped in his body. However, she was able to somehow keep Z's darkness in check, even revealing herself at time to stop Schwartz's attack on the Emperor or even saving Light from being absorbed by Z. Even if the Emperor knew that Gritta was interfering with his powers, he never had the heart to erase her, because he still saw her shine as something too precious to destroy. At that time, Gritta had become a completely selfless character, doing everything to protect others, and even being ready to stay in Z's body if by doing so, she was able to protect those she cared about, especially Schwartz. Even the Emperor was impressed by her selflessness. During Christmas time, the Emperor's power had weakened enough for her to take over again, and at that time, she decided to ask the Toqger's help to stop Schwartz from freeing her. Unfortunately, the General wasn't able to listen, and, with Madame Noir's help, she ended freed from the Emperor's body. Unfortunately, at that moment, Z's darkness wasn't held back anymore, and he became even more powerful, easily killing Noir and Schwartz, who had just the time to put Gritta in safety in his own Kuliner. But at that stage, Gritta was wise enough not to feel any hate or desire of revenge after losing the two people who mattered the most to her. All she wanted was to stop the violence, and she decided too ally herself with the Toqger to bring back the Castle Terminal into the darkness. At first, she succeeded, but she was soon discovered by the other members of the Shadow Line. Z confronted her, and she explained him that she didn't do it against him. On the contrary, she wanted to help him, explaining the Emperor why he wasn't able to shine, because shining had to come from within. Unfortunately, it only made Z so disillusioned that he decided to have the whole world overcome with darkness. But despite that, he still couldn't bring himself to kill her, and, at the end, after he was defeated by the Toqger, she was here to save him.

What an amazing character arc! And how fascinating that in such a dark background, surrounded by people who either want to use her, or kill her, she managed to keep her innocence. She undergoes the worst ordeals, but they make her even more selfless and caring of others than before. She sees her mother and the man she loves brutally killed, but she didn't hate the man who was responsible for that violence ; instead, she despised violence itself. It's incredible to see how this young girl ended up with such a mature and kind spirit. During the whole show, she displays an incredible bravery, in order to protect those she cared about. She ends up as least as much, if not more, heroic as the Toqger. 

Additional feelings about Toqger

Another reason I ended up fond of Toqger is its train theme, and the way it uses it. As a fan of trains, I was thrilled to see a story where the characters lived their daily lives in trains, and were travelling through Japan to search for their town. And of course, I loved the design of the trains, especially the Kuliner. But mostly, this huge railroad trip brought an atmosphere I enjoyed a lot. It's telling that the train theme of Toqger gave me inspiration to write a story involving a very special train.  

Conclusion 

It's telling by the length of the chapters I wrote about the Shadow Line members that I feels that they're the best part of Toqger. They have all an amazing design : the mooks, the MOTW, the Kuliner, and of course, the main members. Even Gritta, with her seemingly grotesque looks, ends up feeling pretty cute (her voice actress helped, to be fair). But, more importantly, they're incredibly fascinating characters, with very different personalities and evolution. Their storylines, more than the Toqger's, is the driving force of the show. Despite being "darkness", they make "Ressha sentai Toqger" shine, despite its flaws. And they're the reason why I enjoy much more that show now than when I've watched it for the first time.