Review: Chōjin Sentai Jetman (1991)

In the year 199X, the international defense agency Sky Force have developed new technology known as “Birdonic Waves.” Sky Force’s scientists seek to empower an elite group of officials with this incredible power in order to defend the Earth. On the day of the procedure, the villainous Dimensional War Party Vyram attack Sky Force’s facility. During the chaos, the experiment goes awry and the Birdonic Waves are accidentally released into the atmosphere.

With Earth in peril at the hands of the forces of Vyram, Sky Force Commander Aya Odagiri must seek out the civilians on Earth who have been empowered by the escaped Birdonic Waves and lead them into becoming the superheroic Birdman Squadron Jetman.

Chōjin Sentai Jetman is the 15^th entry into the Super Sentai franchise and stars Kotaro Tanaka, Toshihide Wakamatsu, Tomihisa Naruse, Rika Kishida, Sayuri Uchida and Mikko Miki.

Having grown up watching the various incarnations of Power Rangers and having an affection for Japanese pop culture, it took me quite some time before I got around to watching a full series within the Super Sentai franchise. Having heard great things about Chōjin Sentai Jetman, I figured that was as good a place to start as any. Heralded for its darker tone and usage of romantic subplots, Jetman made an excellent first impression on me as a smartly written and well-paced series with a colourful cast. Though it’s prone to melodrama and overacting, as well as some insipid monsters-of-the-week, Jetman has heart and a cast of characters we can root for – both villainous and heroic.

The narrative of Jetman is quite fascinating. The series is set in a vaguely futuristic world where the militaristic Sky Force is Earth’s primary line of defense against the invading forces of the outer-dimensional organization Vyram. The Jetman team, comprised of an official from Sky Force and four civilians, are an elite strike force who works under Sky Force in order to combat Vyram. At 51 episodes, the series has its share of filler. The main storyline is often interrupted by irrelevant, and often inane, episodes that do little to develop the characters or move the plot forward. Thankfully, the writers keep things interesting with their reliance on character-driven subplots. For instance, the love triangle between Gai, Kaori and Ryu, as well as the villains’ constant backstabbing, does wonders to keep viewers engaged. It also helps that the conflicts and monsters within the series are surprisingly quite creepy, which heightens the tension and adds a dimension of horror to the narrative. This further plays into Jetman’s mature tone and darker aesthetic.

Beyond the soapy drama, what is most impressive about Jetman is how distinctive its cast of characters is. Even when slogging through the series filler content, the characters are ultimately what keep the audience watching. Each member of the Jetman squadron is unique and fulfills a specific role within the team dynamic.

Ryu Tendoh is the fearless leader Red Hawk. Since he’s the only official from Sky Force to have been properly imbued with the powers of the Birdonic Waves, he has more training than his teammates and remains a consummate professional. This is contrasted against the team’s second-in-command, Black Condor Gai Yuki. Gai is a motorcycle-riding, cigarette-smoking bad boy who thinks with his fists. Coincidentally, both men become involved in a love triangle with the team’s White Swan – Kaori Rokumeikan. Though initially a vapid spoiled rich girl, Kaori blossoms into an incredible sharpshooter and invaluable member of the Jetman squadron. She pursues Ryu early on, but finds him unreceptive due to his continued grieving over the apparent death of his lover Rie. She thus gives into the affections of Gai, who had been flirting with her for quite some time. Rounding out the team are Raita Oishi, the Yellow Owl, and Ako Hayasaka, the Blue Swallow. The former is a simple farmer from the countryside and the latter is a bubbly (and money-loving) schoolgirl. These five are fleshed out remarkably well over the course of the series, though the most attention is obviously placed on Ryu, Gai and Kaori. Despite this, they’re actually not the most likable bunch. Ryu is bland in his squeaky clean demeanour, while Gai is the embodiment of a douchebag. Kaori fares a little better, but she has her moments of being shrill and annoying.

Oddly enough, the best character in Jetman isn’t even one of the titular heroes – it is Commander Aya Odagiri. She is the real nucleus of the series and is a total badass. She’s the one who pioneered the project that gave the Jetman team their powers, she engineers their technology and gear, and is responsible for reining the team in when they’re being consumed by the drama in their personal lives. Not only that, but she even joins them in the field when necessary. One notable instance sees her piloting one of their mecha in order to combat a monster that had targeted her.

The protagonists of Jetman are not the only noteworthy characters from the series. In fact, much of the success of this entry has to do with how compelling its villains are. The Vyram organization is full of self-serving villains who are constantly trying to one-up each other. Radiguet, Grey and Tranza are in constant conflict with one another, backstabbing and doing whatever it takes to be the true victors in their fight against the Jetman squadron. Stuck in the middle of all of this is Maria – the only female member of Vyram. Maria ends up being a pivotal character in the series and her existence provides a lot of drama within Jetman. Much of this has to do with the fact that she is actually Ryu’s lover Rie, who was believed to have been killed by Vyram. Instead, she was captured by their organization and was brainwashed into becoming a villain. When Ryu learns about this, it sends him into a tailspin. However, the drama doesn’t stop there. Later in the series, the writers develop a twisted love triangle between Radiguet, Maria and Grey. This serves as a plot device that mirrors, in a very weird and dark way, the Gai, Kaori and Ryu romantic subplot.

Overall, Chōjin Sentai Jetman proved to be an enjoyable and entertaining series that combined elements of melodrama with zany comedy. It’s understandably quite cheesy and the acting isn’t particularly great, but the characters are lovable for the most part and the action is well done. Since the series was produced in 1991, its budget and the effects of that time could only go so far. As such, it’s quite dated and is often laughable at some points. For anyone who is a fan of the Power Rangers franchise, I highly recommend giving Jetman a watch. Since it was my first Super Sentai series, Jetman has only left me wanting to view more.

RATING: B+