The MantanGun is the standard sidearm of the first five Go-Onger. In order to power a MantanGun, an Engine Soul must be inserted into it; without the living cartridge, it remains inert.

Includes video review!

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Several Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose five young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

. . .

The Self-Henkeijuu MantanGun is the standard sidearm of the five Go-On Red, Blue, Yellow, Green, and Black. In order to power a MantanGun, an Engine Soul must be inserted into it; without the living cartridge, it remains inert. “Mantan” is a slang term equivalent in Japan for “Fill ‘er up”. It has two modes of operation- Gun Mode and Rod Mode.

Gun Mode (opposite side) is how the MantanGun is stored on the clip-on holster on the Go-Ongers’ belts. In this form, it strongly resembles a gas pump dispenser, which fits in with the vehicle theme that the heroes have in the series. The nozzle is the gun barrel, and has features like fake bendable ribbed sections and a spill-prevention guard; these all, of course, being ABS & PVC plastic as opposed to metal & rubber. The grip is completely solid with no moving parts, and features a fake silver-painted squeeze handle resembling a dispenser’s activation lever, and a PVC fitting on the bottom where a fuel feed tube would attach. However, a smaller functional black trigger is placed on the immobile silver lever. Directly above the grip but part of the overall handle design is a shiny molded Go-Onger logo in a notched protrusion on the left side only; this is the mounting point for the belt-mounted holster. The large main section of the toy is molded in black ABS, but is then painted red, white, and silver. On the left side is a transparent-blue dome which exposes the interior of the toy; on the right side, the dome is opaque with rounded slots, and is then painted light blue.

. . .

Typically in this form, the Engine Souls used to power a MantanGun are inserted. Just behind and below the dispenser nozzle is a small black lever. When pressed backwards, a black ABS cartridge holding frame springs out & around 135° from the top. (Be careful when you flip that thing around that you don’t have any fingers in there between the holder and the grip- it can hurt ya!) While any Engine Soul from the “Go-Onger” line can be inserted, Engine Buson’s (see below) is provided with the set. The Engine Soul will only fit in one direction- with the label facing left, and its own three activation buttons facing forward. Then the holding frame can be pressed back in by you until it locks in place. This is why that dome on the left side is transparent- it allows you to see the Engine Soul within, and which one it is.

Pulling the black trigger will activate the independent sound effects within whatever Engine Soul has been inserted into the toy, and you will be able to see its red LED shine through the left side.

The two steps for transforming the MantanGun from Gun Mode into Rod Mode are very simple, and they can be changed in any order you wish (i.e. they’re not linked together internally):

• There is a small spring-resistant silver lever on the left side of the main section that needs to be pushed forward. As you do this, the entire grip free-rotates around diagonally 180°. To lock it in place, simply release the silver lever as the grip comes around.
• Grabbing the end of the nozzle, pull forward away from the main section, and two cylindrical sections will telescope out 3 ½” (9cm) for a total length [up to the spill guard] of 6” (15.2cm). Both cylinders are independent of each other, and snap in place on their own when both extended and retracted.

Switching between Gun Mode and Rod Mode also switches the set of special effects that will be emitted from the Engine Soul within when the trigger is squeezed (see below). The character-specific effects will sound in Gun Mode, while the generic effects will sound in Rod Mode. However, unlike some of the DX-sized Engines (sold separately), both activation buttons on the Engine Soul itself cannot be pressed at the same time by using this toy.

Rod Mode (opposite side) is not a sword-like weapon, but rather a long inflexible baton or nightstick. The main section is now positioned upside down diagonally to the grip. The transparent-blue dome which reveals the Engine Soul within is now on the right side, with the slotted dome switched to the left. While the Engine Soul is still fully accessible, if the holding frame is opened up, it will flip downwards. However, because it does flip down, the frame was built with a small spring catch which prevents the Engine Soul from being ejected.

The common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Self Henkeiju MantanGun set comes with Buson’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its blue ABS casing, the stylized “2”, and the phrases “ES” & “02” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Buson’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size.

Buson’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Hisao Egawa. (He returns for a third time to Super Sentai here- previous voices being a one-time role in 2001’s “Hyakujuu Sentai GaoRanger” and a lead villain in 2005’s “Mahou Sentai MagiRanger”- but he is better known for more-numerous anime, OVA, and video game performances. He also serves as a dubbing voice for several American & British TV series.) He says, in Japanese:

• Bus-on!
• On-On!
• [???]
• [???]

Like all being from Machine World, Buson tends to repeat part of his name after almost every sentence. So when he says “On-On!”, that is actually is the last syllable from his name, and Mr. Egawa says it in a way so it sounds like the revving of a motorcycle or other gas-fueled motor.

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a laser blast. Now, if you place Buson’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

When you switch the MantanGun to Rod Mode, you can then access Buson’s alternate/generic effects:

• Go-On!
• On-On!

This time, however, instead of a laser blast, you hear the sound of a sword clashing. But it is still Buson speaking.

Buson also has another single hidden effect:

• [???]

Unfortunately, this can only be accessed by activating both of the Engine Soul’s buttons at the same time- something that cannot be accomplished with either the MantanGun, or Engine Buson himself. Ordinarily, you could use a paper clip or some-such small pointed object to depress both outside buttons along the bottom of the Engine Soul. However, there are several Engine Gattai Series sets that you can use- Engine Birca, Engine Gunpherd, and Engine Carrigator at least- where you can press both activation buttons at the same time.

. . .

Buson’s Engine Soul, because it is sold with the MantanGun, must serve two masters- this set, and Engine Buson himself from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh set. While most of the other Engine Soul cartridges are customized with sound effects preceding their spoken lines that fit their character, Buson’s has the laser blast and sword clash sounds preceding his lines that are customized for the MantanGun since it does not have any electronic feature of its own. This is why, when you put Buson’s Engine Soul into the toy from the DX Engine-Oh, the sound effects seem to be misplaced or incorrect for the character.

On the other side of that coin, because the MantanGun can accept any Engine Soul put into it, any other Engine Soul inserted would have preceding-sound effects that don’t match it. In the series, since the MantanGun is used by the first five Go-Onger only, this means that it fits in continuity that the Engine Souls from Speedor, Buson, Bear RV, Birca, and Gunpherd would be placed within it. So, you would get their preceding character-based effects instead of those in Buson’s which are customized specifically for the MantanGun.

(If you don’t understand what I just said here, then watch the video below, and I’ll show you there what I mean.)

The Power Rangers’ version of the MantanGun has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. Lately, Bandai America has become notorious for not releasing the standard Ranger sidearm in their original forms, but instead creating brand new toys with fewer functions and removed electronics which are frequently made of soft foam for safe play. (Well maybe, if parents supervised their kids more closely with weapon-shaped toys, we wouldn’t have these stupid laws banning their sale! But I digress…) However, I have a good feeling that this one might make it over intact because of its simplistic construction and use, albeit with a few change in paint apps, and whatever the do with the equivalent-Engine Soul cartridges. Oh, and they might remove the spring-loaded holding frame.

My only gripe with this set is that because of my adult-sized hands, my fingers almost become crushed in the grip, so I have to wiggle to get them in there. Even just another half-inch would’ve done fine! Otherwise, its simple design, aesthetics, and function won me over, not to mention its striking and hilarious resemblance to a gas pump dispenser! Yeah, having a baton as a weapon seems a bit odd, but it’s a nice change from seeing daggers & swords all the time in almost all previous Super Sentai series. The transformation to Rod Mode was also different- no flipping parts, only sliding or twisting. It was a nice touch to be able to see the provided Engine Soul stored within the main section. While Buson’s Engine Soul suffers a little in order to accommodate this toy as far as those preceding effects go, I think it was an interesting twist to have a removable electronics package that could be swapped out for another; thus allowing role-players to select which Go-Onger they’d like to be without having to make heavy modifications or their own versions. For someone else who doesn’t like this toy, they would still be forced to get it in order to obtain Buson’s Engine Soul for use in the DX Engine-Oh set. But, I liked this toy, so I highly recommend getting the Self Henkeijuu MantanGun!

There was a time in Super Sentai where six components was a rare thing to see- something that only appeared on special occasions, and usually only in the latter half of a series since it was the most powerful of combinations; supplanted only by super-rare seven-component gattai. But nowadays, you see these limb-swapping-friendly six-part gattai at the drop of a hat- this one only ten episodes in.

Video review included!

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Several Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose five young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Sets required for this combination:

DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh

Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca

Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator

See the Engine-Oh G6's debut on YouTube here!

For some time now since the Go-Onger gained an ally in the powerful and legendary Engine Carrigator, the intelligent and resourceful Ren (Go-On Blue) has become aware that Gaiarc may soon be sending more powerful Banki monsters against them. To counteract this, he begins to work with Bomper secretly in their off-time to modify the six Engines. Meanwhile, in Grand Prix 10- “Starting Alright”, the Gaiarc Ministers had use of information sent to them by the former Lens Banki regarding all of the Go-Onger’s known attacks and weapons. And so they collaborate together to create the special hybrid-pollution Kagami Banki, which can both mirror and repel all of their attacks. By the time the mirror-inspired Kagami Banki first attacks, Ren has already completed modifications to Speedor, Buson, and Bear RV, but needs Hanto (Go-On Green) and Gunpei (Go-On Black) to help him accelerate the modifications to the other three Engines. In the meantime, Engine-Oh (with only Go-On Red and Yellow piloting) will engage Kagami Banki even though he can match them move for move. With time approaching the ten-minute mark when Engine-Oh will begin to fatally rust and need to separate, the other three Go-Onger, Birca, Gunpherd, and Carrigator arrive to lighten the load. Then using Carrigator’s special ability to combine, the six Engines merge together to form Engine-Oh G6.

G6 Formation! Engine Gattai!

Though surprised that his current knowledge of their attacks isn’t working here, Kagami Banki tries to copy this new formation, but Engine-Oh G6 shatters the replicating mirror on the monster’s chest, rendering him defenseless. Together in their shared cockpit for the first time inside the head, the Go-Onger change their control columns into Handle Blasters, insert new Blaster Souls into them, and then use the combined power of all six Engines to destroy Kagami Banki with the G6 Grand Prix.

“Engine-Oh G6: Tune up!”

Engine–Oh G6 (back) is the first super combination in “Go-Onger”, massing six Engines at once. There was a time in Super Sentai where six components was a rare thing to see- something that only appeared on special occasions, and usually only in the latter half of a series since it was the most powerful of combinations; supplanted only by super-rare seven-component gattai. But nowadays, you see these limb-swapping-friendly six-part gattai at the drop of a hat- this one only ten episodes in. But I digress... As I mentioned in an earlier review, we didn’t seen Birca and Gunpherd in the same Engine-Oh combination until now. (Yeah, you can combine them in toy form, but they haven’t done it yet in the series; supposedly Carrigator’s presence in this combo allows this.) Both shoulders are in their Engine busou form now so that Birca and Gunpherd can attach at the same time. A new face for Engine-Oh G6 appears in the form of a broad mask, with four new gold-painted exhaust pipes on either side- the same part is used for Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh ’s helmet. The biggest change, however, are the huge, long feet, composed of the two halves of Carrigator. The use of the clips on the bottom of the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh’s feet now becomes apparent, as does the reason why the panels on Carrigator’s back open up. Recall that I mentioned a very small wheel under Carrigator that didn’t seem to serve any use? Here it and a fold-over clip on the other foot form a pair of small heels, but they are there just to prevent Engine-Oh G6 from rolling all over the place with those 15 wheels under there. The only other thing I can point out is that the V Shield is removed from Engine-Oh G6’s back; why, I don’t know since it’s not in the way. (The Go-On Sword remains stored in the left leg.)

Poseability is in the shoulders and those twisting elbow joints that I gush over so much; nothing better than what Engine-Oh usually has. Of course, since Engine-Oh’s head can’t turn, Engine-Oh G6’s head can’t either. Oh, and Carrigator’s head can still open and close. And, of course, all six Engine Souls and their activations buttons can still be accessed.

Ehh... not much to add here. I know the DX Engine line of toys is supposed to be simple, but this seems to push it. It’s just another limb-swap. My biggest problem is with those huge, Sideshow Bob-inspired feet. In the show, obviously, they have to be shorter for the guy in the stunt suit to walk around in, but it’s just plain ridiculous here! I suppose rolling around on skates is supposed to be a feature, but I don’t find it all that interesting. I think that Carrigator could have been redesigned to somehow wrap around Engine-Oh’s legs as bit while preserving his head from being hidden or disassembled. I obviously can’t say go out and get the Engine Gattai Engine-Oh G6 because all of its parts are sold separately, but I think that the separate components and their different combinations are better than this. Like I said with the Engine-Oh, it doesn’t drop the 32-year-old Super Sentai mecha bar, but this combination doesn’t raise it much, if at all, either.

Though Gunbir-Oh displays no particularly abilities greater than those of Engine-Oh, its weapons are more aggressive, and it allows a second Engine gattai to take the battlefield at the same time.

Video review included!

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Several Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose five young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Sets required for this combination:

Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca

Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator

See the Gunbir-Oh's debut on YouTube here!

In Grand Prix 07- “Partner Amigo”, Bombe Banki has grown to giant size, and just shot Engine-Oh with a powerful beam which is rapidly rusting the Engines! As he closes on the three helpless Go-Onger and their decaying Engine Casts, the newly-arrived Gian race Engine Carrigator arrives after making friends with Go-On Green and Black, with their own Engines Birca and Gunpherd riding atop his back. The three split up and engage a swarm of Bandou Moth fighters. Quickly defeating the massed grasshopper-like mecha, Go-On Black is impressed at what a powerful ally Carrigator is turning out to be.

[Carrigator]- “It is time to become one!”
[Birca]- “It can’t be… we can be like Speedor-tachi?”
[Gunpherd]- “Can we combine?”
[Carrigator]- “We can!”
[Birca]- “Speaking of which, I learned this in school, al dente... Long ago, it was said the Gian race had the ability to combine with all Engines.”
[Go-On Green]- “Let’s try it!”
[Go-On Black]- “Carrigator, show me your soul!”

Engine Gattai!

Though Gunbir-Oh displays no particularly abilities greater than those of Engine-Oh, its weapons are more aggressive, and it allows a second Engine gattai to take the battlefield at the same time. It now uses two Engines on its arms, allowing it access to both the Gunpherd Gun and Bircutter Slash attacks, in addition to the new Bircutter Storm typhoon-like attack. The only downside may be that it cannot grip anything, but using its left arm allows it to deflect bladed weapons and then dish out its own cuts. And for its finisher, it has the energized Gunbir Grand Prix- the left and right arms slash, followed by the chest lifting up and then all three Engine’s energetic souls shoot out at the same time to demolish the target.

Gunbir-Oh: Tune Up!

Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh (back) has unusual features, though not nearly as wacky as the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh first presented. The head is similar in that it has gold[-painted] exhaust pipes for its crown, but then has red eyes with a more traditional blank silver mouth plate. However, Carrigator’s front set of six wheels rest on either side of his head; even though it cannot turn. His torso is a rectangular block, and is accented by having Carrigator’s head cover the whole front side; a small gold-painted “V” sitting on top of the chest. (I don’t know why that “V” is there, but it reminds me a bit of the one on Engine-Oh’s V Shield for some reason...) Surprisingly for a combo mecha this big, the shoulders are rather plain small orange-and-black rectangular blocks. Engines Gunpherd and Birca- the right and left arms, respectively- are in their Engine Busou forms identical to when they form Engine-Oh Gunpherd and Engine-Oh Birca. The legs are where things get interesting. As opposed to more mecha-like boots, a different approach was made, and they have something of a three-point high heel foot, taking up more than half of the lower legs! Very different. (I don’t know why it has those painted green stripes along the front of each foot.)

This time, also unlike Engine-Oh, you can look at it from different angles without groaning about the Gunbir-Oh only looking good from one angle.

. . .

As far as weapons go, you don’t have any hand-held weapons to deal with. Instead, you have Gunpherd and Birca which you can use the same as you always do with Engine-Oh; which means that you get to keep those great elbow-twisting joints. As to Gunbir-Oh’s range of motion, it brings a few nice changes to the table. During the process of changing it, you suddenly realize that this toy has very versatile shoulder joints. Not only do you get the standard 45°-increments forward & backwards, but you can actually make the arms snap out 45°- and 90°-increments as well! Adding in the two rotating elbow joints and you can get those arms into some very dynamic poses [for a DX Super Sentai mecha]! Now, unfortunately, if you want to recreate the Gunbir Grand Prix finisher, you’re kinda on your own for this- while Carrigator’s head can pivot up freely, it doesn’t snap to the 90° position that it does in the series, so you have to hold it up. The legs do not move, and snap into those slightly-angled positions while changing Gunbir-Oh.

All three Engines Souls are still fully accessible in this form as far as their activation buttons go. However, inserting or removing them while it is transformed like this is in no way easy. Since Carrigator’s is in his mouth, and that is pointed downwards here, if you open him up the cartridge just dumps onto the floor. And with Gunpherd and Birca, you have to disconnect them since their access doors also are also their elbow connection joints. Ironically, Carrigator’s is the only one of the three where you can still see its bright red LED light when it activates in this form; it shines out through Gunbir-Oh’s chest/Carrigator’s head.

I’ve already given my recommendations and opinions on the three individual Engines, so I’ll not rehash that here. Though the lower legs have those three-point feet which seem rather out-of-place on a Super Sentai mecha, it does give the mecha an interesting if misplaced appearance. The combination of the colors & decorations used across the three Engines is sufficient, though I kinda disagree with Gunpherd being all black which kinda makes you not notice him as easily in the gattai. If I sung praises about the elbow joints on Birca and Gunpherd, I am absolutely thrilled with the shoulders on this guy! You heard it here first: “I couldn’t have asked for anything better” regarding their simple design and yet amazing functionality. Could the head have been able to turn side-to-side? I don’t see why not. I actually find fewer problems with this combination than I do the Engine-Oh as far as overall shape, functionality, and transformation. It’s not quite as simple as its predecessor either, so that was a bonus point there. And it looks a bit more coherent than a totem pole-arrangement of the Engines’ faces too. If only Gunpherd had had a little more functionality to his transformation, or an additional feature of some kind… But, separate from my opinions of its separate components, the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh is definitely worth shooting for!

. . .

…but hold on a moment-! Carrigator has one last role to fulfill before I’m done with him.

In Grand Prix 09, just moments before he expires, the teleporting camera-themed Lens Banki transmits photos of his battle between Gunbir-Oh and the revitalized Engine-Oh to the Gaiarc ministers, revealing all of the techniques used against him before his destruction. With this insight, the ministers cooperate in Grand Prix 10 to create a special monster that is a hybrid of all three of their specialties- polluted earth, water, and air- a mirror monster called Kagami Banki which can replicate and counter any attack used by the Go-Onger. Knowing since they were joined by Carrigator that more-powerful enemies would come soon, Ren begins to work with Bomper to modify the Engines…

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator is the final component required to make a new combination which also utilizes all four DX sets released thus far. And so, go on to the final page to read the review on the Engine Gattai Engine-Oh G6!

Carrigator has the persona of a samurai or higher-class citizen, but has the intentionally-exaggerated, -melodic, and well-recognized speech patterns of classic Japanese kabuki theater, so he ends up with quite an accent whenever he speaks.

Video review included!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Three 1.5 volt (LR44) batteries are required to operate electronic light-&-sound feature within the Engine Soul, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

Adequate batteries have already been installed in the Engine Soul by the manufacturer and do not need to be immediately replaced. However, to activate the feature, you must first manually remove the small white tag from the back of the cartridge before it can work; this is a one-time issue. Nothing other than the Engine Soul on this toy requires batteries.

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Three Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose three young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

. . .

Bomper was helping the five Go-Onger track down two underground signals appearing to have Gaiarc signatures. As they entered the vicinity of the famous Tokyo Tower, they see it suddenly rust and collapse! Springing into action to rescue injured bystanders, they surmise that even for a new building like the Tower to suddenly rust like this is quite improbable because of its modern construction techniques and materials; the Gaiarc creatures- which have now split apart from each other- must have done it. Gunpei (Go-On Black) and Hanto (Go-On Green) go south, while Sousuke (Go-On Red), Renn (Go-On Blue), and Saki (Go-On Yellow) go north. As the former two reach the quiet lake, Hanto jokes about a monster being under the water and throws a stone in. Ironically, he is right- a giant orange and black monster does suddenly raise up out of the lake! Surprised that the creature is already giant, they call for the Engine Attaché Case containing their Engine Casts, Birca and Gunpherd. As the two Engines engage the monster, the other three Go-Onger find the other Gaiarc monster- the gas cylinder-themed Bombe Banki- and challenge him. As Go-On Green and Go-On Black fight, it is revealed that their own opponent is actually a giant Engine from the mythical Gian Clan, Carrigator! The orange-and-black Engine quickly overpowers both Gunpherd and Birca, and then demands to know why they attacked him. They try to apologize for mistaking him for a Gaiarc monster, but he defends his honor. Seeing the other two Engines as weak for allowing humans inside them, Carrigator begins to recognize a special power within them which he seems to lack despite his own strength and endurance. He decides that he wants a part of this special power and aligns himself with them, giving his Engine Soul to Go-On Black.

Engine Number 6 – Carrigator (back) While he does not have a dedicated human partner like the previous five do, his Engine Soul and Engine Cast are protected by Gunpei Ishihara (Go-On Black). He is represented as a combination of a long nose semi-truck car carrier and an alligator. He is an honorable and prideful Engine, recognizing how Gunpherd and Birca were able to accept humans inside of them in order to gain power. But Carrigator is also a rather simple-minded Engine- not immediately identifying himself to the Go-Onger or recognizing them by saying that he was pursuing Bombe Banki underground as opposed to aiding him; and thus the Gaiarc ministers were able to indirectly use him to distract the Go-Onger from their real plans. But his physical strength and powerful jaws are weapons not to be underestimated, as is his ability to carry other Engines on his back over long distances. As a life form from Machine World, he ends most of his sentences with the last two syllables of his name, “Geh-ta geh-ta!” Carrigator- as a member of the mysterious Gian Clan- can initiate powerful combinations on his own, and so he serves as the head, torso, and legs of the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh.

Now, unlike both Engine Birca and Engine Gunpherd, here is an Engine that fits in with the vehicles-merged-with-animals theme of the series! His entire body is by far the largest one seen yet (15in / approx. 38cm), almost twice as long as Engine Buson from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh! His head is quite long and flat, but along the top there are the ridges, snout, and eyes of an alligator; all cleverly incorporated into the appearance of a semi-truck. (See the little green windshield on top between his eyes?) However, the animal motif does not end entirely with the head- aside from his length, a pair of painted orange stripes runs in a crocked fashion across both sides like very poorly-implied scales, culminating in the stylized orange “6” on the back end. Even the back ramp- usually seen extended- is stored in a lowered position as part of his ‘tail’ end. Along the top of his whole body are various segmented panels, which represent the raised grating deck of a real car carrier trailer.

Aside from putting the provided Engine Soul into him (see below), Carrigator rolls about quite well with his 14 small black wheels. (There actually an even smaller wheel mid-body underneath where Gunbir-Oh’s helmet is stored. Why, I don’t know; it strikes me as unnecessary.) Additionally, Carrigator’s entire head can freely twist about 45° to either side! But if you don’t want to mess with his head turning, you can push backwards on it about 1.6cm to lock it in place; a function of later transformations. As mentioned earlier, Carrigator- just like in the series- can haul around Birca and Gunpherd on his back. They just sit loosely on the platforms i.e. don’t turn them over or they fall off. According to the instructions, all five of the smaller separately-sold Chogokin Engine vehicles (think Hot Wheels™-sized die-cast versions of the first five Engines, none of which I will be covering) can also sit loosely at the same time on Carrigator’s orange platforms since they are each at least half the size of the smallest DX Engine, Bear RV.

In addition to future accessory DX Engine sets, the common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Engine Gattai Series #3 set comes with Carrigator’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its orange ABS casing, the stylized “6”, and the phrases “ES” & “06” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Carrigator’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size. The storage compartment is located in his mouth. To access it, simply lift the top of his head up, and stick it in. (Opening Carrigator’s mouth actually reveals some additional techy details inside right on top of the Engine Soul compartment, such as implied teeth and a long narrow tongue!) The bright red LED light from the Engine Soul shines through a hole in the top of Carrigator’s head, just in front of the green cockpit windscreen.

Carrigator’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Ky?sei Tsukui. (He returns for a fifth time to Super Sentai here, but is best known for more-numerous anime and OVA performances, and he also did a one-time voice in 2007’s “Kamen Rider Den-O”.) He says, in Japanese:

• Oh, Carr-ee-geh-ta!
• Geh-ta geh-ta
• Pardon me for biting [“Kamitsuki gomen”]
• Unlimited strength [“Goriki museigen”]

Carrigator has the persona of a samurai or higher-class citizen, but has the intentionally-exaggerated, -melodic, and well-recognized speech patterns of classic Japanese kabuki theater, so he ends up with quite an accent whenever he speaks.

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a diesel engine running followed by hydraulic brakes hissing. Now, if you place Carrigator’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

Like Birca and Gunpherd before him, access to Carrigator’s alternate/generic sound effects can be accessed in both his regular mode and transformed mode:

• Oh, Go-On!
• Geh-ta geh-ta

This time, however, instead of a diesel engine rumbling, you hear the sound of metal clash twice followed closely by muffled glass shattering first. But it is still Carrigator speaking.

As with Birca and Gunpherd, if you press both of Carrigator's sound-activating buttons at the same time, most of these phrases will be repeated (though now preceded by the crackle of a radio), and a single new phrase will also sound which can only be found in this way:

• What a coincidence that we meet here, my enemy. Be prepared for the end of your life here. [“Kokodeattga Hyakunenme”] (a line from a classic poem)

(I found the translations for the three long phrases in, ironically, another review, so I’m completely dependent on what they said he says; if they’re wrong, please let me know immediately so I can remove them. And you can certainly help me by watching the video review below!)

The activation buttons for Carrigator are the small black fuel tanks on either side of his head directly below his eyes

The Power Rangers’ version of Engine Carrigator has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. If I were to take a shot in the dark, I’d say the front- and back-most orange lines on his body are left the plain black plastic, the green lines along his ‘tail’ are also left un-painted, the silver lines under both platforms are removed, and the black Go-Onger logo from his nose. I’d also venture that all Engine Soul cartridges (whatever those will be called) will be either modified to have fewer-or-no electronics, or completely eliminated from the line. There’s no PVC or die-cast metal, so that’s not a problem. (No metal in a car-shaped vehicle? Who’d‘ve thunk it?) I doubt any plastic coloring will be changed, but there may be very minor paint changes.

As a stand-alone, this set is rather fun. The personality expressed in the series by the character certainly carries over into the toy. And it is a good blend of car carrier and alligator; it may not have feet & legs, but the flattened appearance of the body, and clever merging of the control cabin and his animal head are good enough for me. I also really like that you can turn the cab/head side-to-side as opposed to having it fixed-forward. One odd thing that struck me, though, is that Engine Soul compartment- if you open his mouth to imitate him talking, the Engine Soul pops out and presses back in each time, triggering the activation sound. I think a small latch of some kind could have been used here so that you didn’t have to worry about that. I would also have liked some sort of clip mechanism to keep Birca and Gunpherd fixed to his back as opposed to slipping side-to-side so easily; they just sit on thin ridges, and their underbellies rest on top of the platform rotation joints. But, that the two smaller Engines can even fit on there is really awesome. Even if it weren’t for its combining capabilities, I would still recommend getting Engine Carrigator.

. . .

…but wait-! The story’s not over yet!

The Gaiarc ministers’ original plan was to rust the Engines using Bombe Banki so that they (and thus the Go-Onger) would become powerless. Unfortunately, Carrigator got in the way and started chasing him down through the underground tunnels. With Birca and Gunpherd distracted by the proud and ignorant Gian Clan Engine, Bombe Banki grew to giant size, and Engine-Oh was summoned. Though Bombe Banki wasn’t a particularly brave Gaiarc monster, he could still instantly rust things. Faking running away, he suddenly turned and shot a red beam at Engine-Oh. Rust quickly covered the three Engines, and they broke apart and shrank back down to injured Engine Casts! With Sousuke, Ren, and Saki cradling their disabled partners’ Casts in their hands, Bombe Banki closed distance…

But then they all turn, hearing a rumbling growing closer...

Engine Gattai Series #3- Engine Carrigator is the final component required to make a new combination which also utilized both Engine Birca and Engine Gunpherd. And so, please proceed to the next page to read the review on the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh!

One thing is immediately clear about this character- he would never have been considered if this had been an American TV series aimed at kids!

Video review included!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Three 1.5 volt (LR44) batteries are required to operate electronic light-&-sound feature within the Engine Soul, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

Adequate batteries have already been installed in the Engine Soul by the manufacturer and do not need to be immediately replaced. However, to activate the feature, you must first manually remove the small white tag from the back of the cartridge before it can work; this is a one-time issue. Nothing other than the Engine Soul on this toy requires batteries.

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Three Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose three young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Though the excitable Hanto Jou and former-police detective Gunpei Ishihara didn’t know each other, they were both strongly intrigued when they first saw the Go-Onger fighting against the Ban KiZoku Gaiarc. Gunpei (with Hanto following cautiously behind) actually managed to track down the Go-Onger’s private RV, and then steal the Engine Attaché Case with the three dormant Engine Casts in it, and kidnap Bomper! After interrogating Bomper in a tunnel, they learn about the origins of the Go-Onger, and both then insist on joining the team. Later, as the Go-Onger are loosing in a battle, Bomper recognizes positive qualities in Gunpei and Hanto when they help some civilians, and he gives them Shift Changers & Change Soul cartridges so that they may officially join. Though initially suffering a rocky start between the five Go-Onger, they manage to get along and become a real team.

. . .

Though Gunpei is an official Go-Onger, he still needs an Engine partner to grant him access to the same powers that Sousuke, Ren, and Saki have- such as even the standard MantanGun sidearm! Towards the end of Grand Prix 3 – “Basic Investigation” (aka episode 3), Bomper announces that the energy signatures of two Engines have appeared near Earth from Machine World. After some difficulty tracking down and acquiring both newcomers’ Engine Casts and Engine Souls in Grand Prix 4 – “Engine Trouble”, Birca and Gunpherd secure their place among the other Engines as they help Engine-Oh beat back the Spray Banki monster.

Engine Number 5 – Gunpherd (back) His partner is former police detective Gunpei Ishihara (Go-On Black). He is represented as a combination of a semi-automatic pistol and a German shepherd dog. On Machine World, he is a dedicated police Engine with a serious mind and no-nonsense policy- even criticizing Go-On Black one time in Grand Prix 7 for missing three shots while using the Gunpherd Gun Fire finisher! But he is also loyal and understanding, providing helpful suggestions & insight when needed. With a sniper’s accuracy, he uses the barrel in his long muzzle (pun intended) for his Gunpherd Gun attack to knock enemies down in a fury of bullets. But he also frequently teams up with Engine Birca for a combination attack. As a life form from Machine World, he ends most of his sentences with the first syllable of his name, “Gaan Gah-Gaan!” Gunpherd serves as a right arm component for any combination, but usually is seen as part of the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh.

One thing is immediately clear about this character- he would never have been considered if this had been an American TV series aimed at kids! (When’s the last time you heard a Saturday morning American cartoon say the word “gun”? Not even in dubbed anime.) But here, it works, because in Japan they usually don’t shy their children away from uncomfortable subjects; certainly not the way most Super Sentai series [and even the darker Kamen Rider franchise] work out! While it’s a little difficult to distinguish a German shepherd in there, you can at least tell that Gunpherd is of a dog- or wolf-like nature, with small whisker-like lines on the forward cowls, pointed ears, and small but distinguishing jowls on his muzzle. And as a representative of the Engine police, the square-like muzzle and silver trapezoid nose are clearly indications of a modern pistol. And keep in mind (as I keep having to remind myself) that Gunpherd is not trying to imitate a police car even though he has four wheels, a police shield beneath the stylized “5” against a white-painted panel on either side, transparent-red ABS on top of his head above the green-painted cockpit to indicate police strobe lights, and a front fender. Despite having larger back wheels, Gunpherd does not tilt downwards in any way, so his aim is always straight-on. (Should I mention that I chuckle when I recall that the hole for the barrel is actually a small black decal...?)

As with the previous four Engines from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh and Engine Gattai Series #1- Engine Birca, Gunpherd’s identical wheels are represented on either side of Go-On Black’s helmet.

. . .

Aside from putting the provided Engine Soul into him (see below), you can only really just roll him around. While you can extend his nose & face forward a little less than an inch , it doesn’t really do the Gunpherd Gun attack justice. (It doesn't bounce up-and-down like it does in the series when he talks.)

In addition to future accessory DX Engine sets, the common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Engine Gattai Series #2 set comes with Gunpherd’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its black ABS casing, the stylized “5”, and the phrases “ES” & “05” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Gunpherd’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size. The storage compartment is located in front of the back wheels, and requires very minor transformation to get access to. The head needs to be pushed forward (unless you have small fingers and/or strong fingernails) in order to access the lever on top, which will then swing down the wheels and open up the Engine Soul compartment. The bright red LED light from the Engine Soul shines through Gunpherd’s head, and right into the transparent-red plastic on top of his head. When the Engine Soul is activated, the LED shines through and into the plastic, making it glow!

Gunpherd’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Kenji Hamada. (He makes his Super Sentai debut here, but is best known for more-numerous anime and OVA performances.) He says, in Japanese:

• Gunpherd!
• Gaan Gah-Gaan!
• Target [???]... Lock On! (gunshot sound repeats)
• Emergency Deployment

I suspect he's saying something like "Target is acquired" or something like that in that third effect, but I'm not certain. (You'll just need to watch the video below and help me figure out, please!)

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a fictional/techy-sounding gunshot. Now, if you place Gunpherd’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

Unlike the three previous Engines from both the DX Engine-Oh set, access to Gunpherd’s alternate/generic sound effects can be accessed in both his regular form, and his Engine Busou form:

• Go-o-o-o-o On!
• Gaan Gah-Gaan!

This time, however, instead of a gun firing, you hear a police car klaxon first. But it is still Gunpherd speaking.

As with Birca, if you press both of Gunpherd's sound-activating buttons at the same time, most of these phrases will be repeated (though now preceded by the crackle of a radio), and a single new phrase will also sound which can only be found in this way:

• Roger!

Because of the similar design of the center lower parts of their bodies, Gunpherd’s Engine Soul activation buttons mirror the location and function of those on Engine Birca- set directly behind his front wheels.

The Power Rangers’ version of Engine Gunpherd has not appeared yet, so comparisons are impossible. If I were to take a shot in the dark, I’d say the silver paint on all of the wheel hubcaps & on top of the transparent-red plastic, the white painted lines in front of his eyes, and the Go-Onger logo on the nose were removed and left the plain coloring of the plastic. I’d also venture that all Engine Soul cartridges (whatever those will be called) will be either modified to have fewer-or-no electronics, or completely eliminated from the line. There’s no PVC or die-cast metal, so that’s not a problem. (No metal in a car-shaped vehicle? Who’d‘ve thunk it?) I doubt any plastic coloring will be changed, but there may be very minor paint changes.

Engine Busou - Engine-Oh Gunpherd

Components required for this combination:

• DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh
• Engine Gattai Series #2- Engine Gunpherd

In Grand Prix 6 – “A Maiden’s Heart”, after growing to giant size, the sound-stealing Speaker Banki faces off against Engine-Oh. But it can’t fight against the increased power of the destructive sound waves. However, Go-On Black realizes something...

[Go-On Black]: “Gunpherd can shoot through that sound wave barrier!”
[Speedor]: “Really!?”
[Gunpherd]: “If we do an Engine Busou and do an energy charge, that is.”
[Go-On Black]: “Everyone, go with Engine Busou.”

[Go-On Red, Blue & Yellow]: “Right!”

Engine Busou!

“Engine-Oh Gunpherd: Tune Up!”

Go-On Black’s theory proves true, and the Gunpherd Gun shoots out Speaker Banki’s speakers, disabling him. And then Engine-Oh Gunpherd destroys him with the Gunpherd Gun Fire finisher. Smoke still floating from the muzzle, Engine-Oh Gunpherd casually blows on the barrel to cool it off...

Engine-Oh Gunpherd (back) s the second upgrade of the series for the lead mecha. The right arm is now dominated by the extended barrel from Gunpherd, and is now fitted with a scope-like sensor above it. The scope sensor is made by removing Gunpherd’s back wheels and attaching them to his head; this also exposes the connection joint which they were snapped to. Though rather oversized compared to Engine-Oh’s regular arms (reaching to within 2” of the ground it stands on), this new right one has an added advantage over the former. At the connection point in the upper arm region, there is a ratcheting joint which allows the entire lower arm to twist in 45° increments all the way around at the elbow! Unfortunately, like Engine Birca, with Gunpherd’s upper body pushed forward, the shaft which allows the Engine Soul’s LED light to shine through is now cut in half and can’t be seen anymore when activated; however, both activation buttons are still fully accessible.

Again, I am more surprised because of the cultural differences between the US and Japan that this character is directly based on a real firearm rather than a more-fictional energy-based weapon. (You just know that it will be changed for its PR incarnation to just that to please the censors. After all, Disney is a family-friendly company, and wouldn’t dare show violence of any kind in one of their TV series. Should I mention that of all the TV networks that Disney owns, not once has a single PR episode appeared on The Disney Channel...?) It’s a good little toy, though a bit featureless compared to some of the others. I did like the light-up strobe light detail using the Engine Soul’s LED, and how well the dog & gun features were blended together. But the backside of the Engine seems a little lackluster compared to the rest of him. Using the back wheels as a sniper scope was an interesting idea, but I didn’t like how you have to separate it to get there, and it doesn’t really blend in once this is accomplished. But again, I can’t argue with the advantage of that new ratcheting elbow joint, which I absolutely love on here! Between this one and Birca, I think I like the latter a little more just because it has more moving parts. (Oddly, as of Grand Prix 16, we haven’t seen Engine-Oh with both him and Birca attached at the same time.) But that doesn’t mean I dislike Engine Gunpherd any less. I think that Engine-Oh Gunpherd is also a good little upgrade, though perhaps without the dramatics of Birca’s Engine Busou. Regardless, he passes, so go-on and get ‘im!

Despite having never been to Earth before now, Birca is a light-hearted multi-linguistic polyglot- frequently mixing Spanish, Italian, English, and Mandarin Chinese phrases in with his regular Japanese speech.

Video review included!

This toy appears courtesy from HobbyLink Japan.

Three 1.5 volt (LR44) batteries are required to operate electronic light-&-sound feature within the Engine Soul, and should be replaced by a responsible adult.

Adequate batteries have already been installed in the Engine Soul by the manufacturer and do not need to be immediately replaced. However, to activate the feature, you must first manually remove the small white tag from the back of the cartridge before it can work; this is a one-time issue. Nothing other than the Engine Soul on this toy requires batteries.

In one of the eleven dimensions, Machine World is a planet populated by Engines- giant sentient living machines with individual personalities and capabilities. They succeed in driving the destructive Ban KiZoku Gaiarc clan off their world during one of their largest planet-wide races. Unfortunately, the Gaiarc decide to move on into the dimension where Earth is since it seems to be an easier target for them to conquer in order to turn it into the ideal world of unchecked pollution and waste which they favor. Three Engines cross the dimensional barrier to pursue them, but they will begin to suffer fatal rusting if they exist in the atmosphere of the Human World for more than ten minutes at a time! To protect against this, they separate themselves into two halves- inanimate Engine Casts which are smaller versions of their physical bodies, and Engine Souls which contain their life energy and personality. Therefore, they and their smaller rust-resistant assistant Bomper chose three young humans to fight the Gaiarc in their place, and restore them to their larger forms whenever they are needed. Together they form the Flame-god Taskforce Go-On Rangers!

Though the excitable Hanto Jou and former-police detective Gunpei Ishihara didn’t know each other, they were both strongly intrigued when they first saw the Go-Onger fighting against the Ban KiZoku Gaiarc. Gunpei (with Hanto following cautiously behind) actually managed to track down the Go-Onger’s private RV, and then steal the Engine Attaché Case with the three dormant Engine Casts in it, and kidnap Bomper! After interrogating Bomper in a tunnel, they learn about the origins of the Go-Onger, and both then insist on joining the team. Later, as the Go-Onger are loosing in a battle, Bomper recognizes positive qualities in Gunpei and Hanto when they help some civilians, and he gives them Shift Changers & Change Soul cartridges so that they may officially join. Though initially suffering a rocky start between the five Go-Onger, they manage to get along and become a real team.

. . .

Though Hanto is an official Go-Onger, he still needs an Engine partner to grant him access to the same powers that Sousuke, Ren, and Saki have- such as even the standard MantanGun sidearm! Towards the end of Grand Prix 3 – “Basic Investigation”, Bomper announces that the energy signatures of two Engines have appeared near Earth from Machine World. After some difficulty tracking down and acquiring both newcomers’ Engine Casts and Engine Souls in Grand Prix 4 – “Engine Trouble”, Birca and Gunpherd secure their place among the other Engines as they help Engine-Oh beat back the Spray Banki monster.

Engine Number 4 – Birca (back) His partner is high school graduate Hanto Jou (Go-On Green). He is represented as a combination of a motorcycle and an orca whale. Despite having never been to Earth before now, Birca is a light-hearted multi-linguistic polyglot- frequently mixing Spanish, Italian, English, and Mandarin Chinese phrases in with his regular Japanese speech. When not popping wheelies and being bubbly & happy-go-lucky with Hanto, he uses the BirCutter attack- where the upper half of his body spins around like a saw blade- as he plows through Gaiarc fighters. But he also frequently teams up with Engine Gunpherd for a combination attack. As a life form from Machine World, he ends most of his sentences with the two syllable of his name, “Bar baa-ruka!” Birca serves as a left arm component for any combination, but usually is seen as part of the Engine Gattai Gunbir-Oh.

With Engine Buson from the DX Engine Gattai Engine-Oh, it was very difficult to tell that he was a passenger bus crossed with a lion. So, while it’s a little more obvious that Birca is part motorcycle (well, more like a motorized tricycle, since he actually has three wheels), he seems to have a bit of an identity crisis as far as his animal half. Officially labeled as an orca, these “killer whales” are larger members of the dolphin family, hence why here Birca’s smaller dorsal & ventral fins and pointed snout are more consistent with the latter. Also, if Birca had been colored all-black instead of Engine Gunpherd, the white spots would have been more obvious and it would have matched an orca’s real striking black and white coloring. (Trust me- I live in Washington State; we have three regular families [called “pods”] of orcas that call the large Puget Sound inner waterways home during summer months, so I’m pretty familiar with what they look like at a glance.) If it wasn’t for the horizontal PVC tail fins [which designates it as an aquatic-based mammal] and signature white spots, I’d have called him a shark or dolphin. Birca’s lower-half is sufficiently tech-oriented to somewhat resemble the exposed innards of a motorcycle. Additionally, because of those paired back wheels, he won’t tip to either side.

As with the previous three Engines from the Engine-Oh, Birca’s front wheel is represented on either side of Go-On Green’s helmet.

. . .

Aside from putting the provided Engine Soul into him (see below) and rolling him around, the only action feature is his BirCutter attack. Birca’s upper half can snap-twist sideways in either direction at every 90° all the way around. So to get him spinning, you have to just keep pushing since he can’t turn on his own for any length of time.

In addition to future accessory DX Engine sets, the common ‘collecting’ gimmick is the battery-powered Engine Soul cartridge. These serve as a replacement in all of the toys for a dedicated light-and-sound effect. Each Engine Soul shares an identical shape (2½” x 1¾” x 9/16”, or 2.57cm x 4.5cm x 1.5cm), has a single bright red LED light (which can project over 6ft / 2m in a dark room!), a large decal which identifies it, and they all have some generic sounds. Because of this, any Engine Soul (or Change Soul, which I won’t get into here) can be fitted into any properly-fitted toy that can accept one. But, the gimmick is that each Engine Soul has a unique set of sound effects...

The Engine Gattai Series #1 set comes with Birca’s Engine Soul. It is uniquely identified by its green ABS casing, the stylized “4”, and the phrases “ES” & “04” on the front decal. While each of the Engines in the “Go-Onger” line can accept an Engine Soul, only Birca’s is provided; however, it will work equally in all of them since, again, all Engine Soul cartridges are the same size. The storage compartment is located behind the back wheels, and requires some transformation to get access to. Both back wheels split apart to reveal the compartment, and then Birca’s upper half needs to be twisted away a little bit so that you can access the lever on the door to open it. The bright red LED light from the Engine Soul shines through a hole in the top of Birca’s head, just in front of the brown cockpit windscreen.

Birca’s Engine Soul has four unique effects- all performed by the same seiyu from the series, Soichiro Hoshi. (He makes his Super Sentai debut here, but is best known for more-numerous anime and OVA performances. Coincidentally, he was the Japanese-dubbing voice for Andros the Red Space Ranger in “Power Rangers in Space”!). He says, in Japanese:

• Birca!
• Bar baa-ruka!
• Here we go, amigo!
• (onomatopoeia for “twirling” or ”spinning”)

The word “amigo” is not Japanese, but rather Spanish, for “friend”. If you don’t watch the show, then you wouldn’t be aware that Birca says amigo and al dente [Italian for the ‘taste of well-prepared pasta’] almost as frequently as he does “Bar baa-ruka”.

The phrases will always play in that order, each preceded by the same sound of a motorcycle engine racing by. Now, if you place Birca’s Engine Soul into any other DX Engine set, it’ll say the same things, but it’ll obviously be inaccurate since that’s not the right Engine for it to go with.

Unlike the three previous Engines from the DX Engine-Oh set, access to Birca’s alternate/generic sound effects can be accessed in both his regular form, and his Engine Bisou form:

• Go-o-o-o-o On!
• Bar baa-ruka!

This time, however, instead of a motorcycle whooshing by, you hear the engine revving first. But it is still Birca speaking.