Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger 20th Anniversary V-Cinext and Memorial Edition Changer Revealed

Toei and Bandai revealed an all-new 2023 V-Cinext movie and the Dino Brace Memorial Edition transformation device at the 2022 Tokyo International Film Festival to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger‘s premiere. A Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club-exclusive spin-off drama will accompany the movie.

Toei and Bandai rampaged with announcements this past weekend at the 2022 Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) as a special event for Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger‘s 20th anniversary brought together almost the entire main cast for the first time in nearly 20 years to perform the team’s transformation and roll call. This version of each pose included Emiri Imanaka’s (played by Michi Nishijima) made-up Abaranger, AbarePink. Fans who purchased the recent Shout! Factory release of Abaranger will be excited to know that this event commemorated the announcement of a brand new Abaranger 20th anniversary V-Cinext and accompanying Dino Brace Memorial Edition transformation device.

The upcoming V-Cinext, Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger 20th: Unacceptable Rampage (translated from Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger 20th: Yurusarezaru Abare), will reunite the entire main cast for the first time since the show’s conclusion, including Aiko Ito (Ranru Itsuki/AbareYellow) who retired from acting in 2010. This will be her first acting appearance since retiring, though she did not join the cast at TIFF. This news followed a similar event for Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger‘s 20th anniversary the previous day at TIFF 2022 which brought with it the reveal of a Hurricaneger 20th anniversary V-Cinext and the upcoming Hurricane Gyro Memorial Edition.

Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger 20th picks up in the present day after the fight with the Evoliens is long over. When a new threat appears before Ryoga Hakua/AbaRed (played by Koichiro Nishi), Yukito Sanjou/AbareBlue (played by Tomita Shou), and Ranru Itsuki/AbareYellow, they perform their first Bakuryuu Change in 20 years, but the citizens think their fighting is barbaric! Is their sense of justice merely outdated heroism in the Reiwa era? As the plot unfolds, Asuka/AbareBlack (played by Kaoru Abe) and Mikoto Nakadai/AbareKiller (Koutaro Tanaka) are back to join the action! But how are they here when Asuka went home to Dino Earth and Mikoto sacrificed his life before the final battle against the Evoliens? The answers to these questions will surely be revealed alongside AbaRed’s new form, Super AbareMax. (translated from Chou AbareMax)

Nishijima will also be featured, reprising her role as Emiri. Helming the project in his directorial debut at Toei is Hisashi Kimura. Kimura previously worked on Sadako DX (2022), and both the 99.9 Criminal Lawyer series (2016, 2018) and its movie (2021). The screenplay is written by Naruhisa Arakawa, and the action director is Sanshiro Wada. In addition to the V-Cinext releases, Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club (TTFC) members will have access to a TTFC-exclusive spin-off drama to go with each film. No further details on that drama have been revealed as of now.

Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger 20th: Unacceptable Rampage is set for a limited theatrical release in Japan sometime in 2023. The day before this V-Cinext announcement, the Super Sentai Toy Official Twitter account (@bandai_sentai) revealed a teaser image announcing the upcoming Dino Brace Memorial Edition. The Dino Brace is used by the main three Abarangers to “Bakuryuu Change” into their hero forms. Though no information about the release is specified outside of this being a Premium Bandai release, the teaser image above suggests it will include the Tyranno, Kera, and Ptera Dino Plates for transforming into AbaRed, AbareBlue, and AbareYellow, respectively.

In addition to the Dino Brace Memorial Edition’s included Dino Plates, the physical home release of the V-Cinext is confirmed to include an edition that has the new Super Bakuryuu Dino Plate packaged in. This plate is compatible with the Dino Brace Memorial Edition, allowing users to act out a transformation into AbaRed’s new form, Super AbareMax. The Super Bakuryuu Dino Plate will also unlock voice lines from Super AbareMax in the Dino Brace.

A physical home release of the film is scheduled for March 27th, 2024, just in time for the 20th anniversary of Abaranger‘s conclusion. The regular edition will cost 4,500 yen plus tax for the DVD and 6,000 yen plus tax for the Blu-ray. This will include a PR collection, design gallery, digital poster visuals, and two Blu-ray exclusive bonuses: a “making of the film” video, and an audio commentary track by the cast.

The Super Bakuryuu Plate edition will cost 11,500 yen plus tax for the DVD set and 13,000 yen plus tax for the Blu-ray set. Bonus features remain the same as in the normal editions, but the Super Bakuryuu Plate edition includes a photo card set and the Super Bakuruu Plate which can be attached to the Dino Brace Memorial Edition to access voice lines from AbaRed’s Super AbareMax form. For fans in Japan who don’t want to wait, the DVD will also be available at the theater when the film is screening. Pre-orders for the home release have already gone live.

Sources: Toei via Super Sentai Friends, Toei Video YouTube Channel (1), (2), Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club via Twitter, Super Sentai Toy Official Twitter (1), Tokyo International Film Festival YouTube Channel, Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger Anniversary Twitter Account