Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger (爆竜戦隊アバレンジャー) is a Japanese Tokusatsu television show and Toei's twenty-seventh production of the Super Sentai metaseries, and the first series to use TV Asahi's current logo. It aired from 16 February 2003, to 8 February 2004, replacing Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger, and was replaced by Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger. The program was part of TV Asahi's 2003 Super Hero Time block with Kamen Rider 555. The series is based on dinosaurs and explosions. The cast members from the series reprised their roles for the 2014 film Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters: The Great Dinosaur Battle! Farewell Our Eternal Friends. Shout! Factory released the series on Region 1 DVD on 8 November 2022.

Plot

Scientists believe that 65,000,000 years ago, a meteorite's crash on Earth killed off the dinosaurs. In truth, it split Earth into two parallel universes. Dino Earth is an Earth where dinosaurs were still the superior species. Our Earth is referred to as Another Earth by the residents of Dino Earth. Over time, the Saurian and Bakuryū races came into being on Dino Earth. They were at war with the Evoliens, entities that emerged from the meteor. The two Earths are separate until Asuka, one of the Saurians from Dino Earth, arrives on Earth via a trans-dimensional portal. However, he is followed by the Evoliens in their Anomalocaris spaceship and the three Bakuryū under their control. As the Bakuryū Tyrannosaurus, Ptreranodon, and Triceratops attack Tokyo, a call is sent out to three destined ones who possess Dino Guts to gain the power to tame the three beasts. Together with their Bakuryū partners, the three become Abarangers to protect their dimension from the Evoliens. In time, another Abaranger appears, takes the name Abare Killer, and fights the others while the Evoliens carry out their ultimate goal: the resurrection of their god.

Characters

Abarangers

The eponymous Abarangers are a group of initially three humans from Another Earth (アナザーアース) who fight with the Bakuryū (爆竜), evolved dinosaurs from Dino Earth (ダイノアース), to battle the Evoliens. The primary members transform using the Dino Braces (ダイノブレス) with the command "Bakuryū Change!" (爆竜チェンジ!) to equip Attack Bandit Resistance Suits (アタック・バンテッド・レジスタンス・スーツ) that make them impervious to bullets, radiation and heat, and absorb ninety percent of the damage if hit by a missile. It also enables the Abarangers to utilize Dino Guts (ダイノガッツ), a form of natural energy tied to evolution and courage, to assume a feral Abare Mode (アバレモード). Their shared arsenal includes the AbaLaser (アバレイザー) sidearms, which can switch between Gun Mode (ガンモード) and Sword Mode (ソードモード), and the Ride Raptor (ライドラプター) steeds. The primary Abarangers can combine their personal weapons to form the Dino Bomber (ダイノボンバー) cannon in order to perform either the Hissatsu: Dino Dynamite (必殺ダイノダイナマイト) finisher or a variation with the Ride Raptors called the Hissatsu: Riding Dynamite (必殺ライディングダイナマイト). It can also combine with Abare Black's Dino Thruster to form the Super Dino Bomber (スーパーダイノボンバー) in order to perform the Hissatsu: Super Dino Dynamite (必殺スーパーダイノダイナマイト) finisher, as well as combine with Abare Killer's Wing Pentact to form the Superior Dino Bomber (スーペリアダイノボンバー) in order to perform the Hissatsu: Superior Dino Dynamite (必殺スーペリアダイノダイナマイト) finisher. During the events of Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger vs. Hurricaneger, the Super Dino Bomber combines with the Victory Gadget used by the Hurricanegers and Gouraigers to form the Super Dino Victory (スーパーダイノビクトリー) in order to perform the Hissatsu: Victory Dino Dynamite (必殺ビクトリーダイノダイナマイト) finisher. The primary Abarangers' Bakuryū partners can combine to form AbarenOh (アバレンオー), whose limbs can be swapped with other Bakuryū: Bakuryū Bachycelonagurus (爆竜バキケロナグルス), nicknamed Bachycelo (バキケロ), Bakuryū Dimenokodon (爆竜ディメノコドン), nicknamed Dimenoko (ディメノコ), Bakuryū Parasarokkiru (爆竜パラサロッキル), nicknamed Parasa (パラサ), and Bakuryū Ankyloveilus (爆竜アンキロベイルス), nicknamed Ankylo (アンキロ). They also had Bakuryū Stegoslidon (爆竜ステゴスライドン), nicknamed Stego (ステゴ), as a support Bakuryū despite him being forced to aid Abare Killer.

Allies

Evolien

The Wicked Lifeforms Evolien (邪命体エヴォリアン) are the main antagonists who originate from Dino Earth, residing in the Invasion Garden (侵略の園) fortress with the Tree of Life (生命の樹) as its core. Its leadership are the Dark Sect and they utilize amoeba-based Barmia Soldiers (バーミア兵) as their army, using Fortress Lifeform Anomalogaris (要塞生命体アノマロガリス) battleships to turn Dino Earth into a desert wasteland in an event known as the 200 Days of Darkness (闇の二百日).

Others

Episodes

All episode titles contain the phrase "Abare" (アバレ). On 5 October 2003 (the day that episode 32 aired) the show used TV Asahi's current logo and was integrated in the SUPER Hero Time program block.

Film

Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger Deluxe: Abare Summer Is Freezing Cold! (爆竜戦隊アバレンジャー DELUXE アバレサマーはキンキン中!) is a 2003 film, which takes place between episodes 21 and 22 and was written by Naruhisa Arakawa and directed by Satoshi Morota.

V-Cinema

Specials

Production

The trademark for the series was filed by Toei Company on 17 October 2002.

Cast

Voice actors

Movie and V-Cinema guest cast

Songs

International broadcast and home video