DX DaiGoyou

This toy appears here courtesy of HobbyLink Japan (Hlj.com).

Special thanks to YouTube user krx50 for providing translations of the verbal clips in this toy!

In Act 28 – “The Lantern Samurai”, Genta finds himself still traumatized from his experience in Act 27 of having his soul trapped inside a piece of sushi and then almost getting eaten by a cat! As a result of this, he is now terrified of sushi and cannot even henshin into ShinkenGold (because, well, his Sushi Changer imitates the appearance of sushi). The other Shinkenger try to support Genta by facing some of their own fears in front of each other, but it doesn’t work. Humiliated and ruled by fear, Genta knows his time as a samurai has come to an end. He does not, however, wish to leave a gap in the ranks of the Shinkenger. So, he uses his electronic mojikara to modify one of the paper lanterns attached to the Gold Sushi cart and transform it into a talking robotic warrior called the Hiden Chōchin DaiGoyou (“Secret Lantern Big-Order”). As Super ShinkenRed faces off alone against a kirigami giant in Shinken-Oh, the other four take on an Ayakashi monster with little success, until ShinkenGold unexpectedly arrives with the DaiGoyou. First ShinkenGold defeats- but does not destroy- the Ayakashi, and then he uses electronic mojikara to enlarge DaiGoyou to giant size and defeat the kirigami monster.

Originally meant to act as a replacement for Genta on the team, DaiGoyou shares many of the personality traits of his new master, including being excitable, stubborn, and enthusiastic. In Paper Lantern Mode, DaiGoyou usually hangs from the Gold Sushi cart, but has a nearly inexhaustible supply of Hiden Discs which it can shoot for the Hiden Disc Fire attack. The baton-like Jitte Mode weapon is wielded at the same time as the Paper Lantern Mode by ShinkenGold. When DaiGoyou undergoes the DaiGoyou DaiHenge transformation and becomes a giant robo, he is a capable fighter on his own, and can flatten himself momentarily to avoid hits. Attacks include the blinding/disorienting DaiGoyou Daisenkou (“…Big-Flash”), spinning top-like DaiGoyou Daikaiten (“…Big-Spin”), and Hiden Disc Midareuchi (“Secret Disc Scattered-Shot”) swarming finishing attack.

The kanji on the front of DaiGoyou means “samurai” (侍), which Genta added due to his inspiration for the mecha from classic dramas where okappiki (a patrolman) walked at night. Ryuunosuke (ShinkenBlue) casually points out that okappiki were not actual samurai, however, much to the embarrassed chagrin of both DaiGoyou and Genta!

Paper Lantern and Jitte Mode

When wielded by a Shinkenger, DaiGoyou resembles a hand-held paper lantern and a patrolman’s jitte (phonetically: “gee-ight”) defensive baton used to disarm a sword-wielding assailant. (The jitte’s real functioning is demonstrated for the first time in Act 29). The jitte is held in your right hand, the paper lantern in the left. There are no moving parts in this mode, except for the lid of the paper lantern, and the trigger for the Secret Disc and electronic features.

The two light gray ends and the hook of the jitte are the only pieces made of PVC, all other plastic is ABS.

Robot Mode

The paper lantern and jitte combine to form DaiGoyou’s robot mode. Articulation is restricted to only the shoulders, which ratchet every 45-degrees all the way around.

Both the electronic and Hiden Disc features operate in both modes. Also note that this toy is not ‘smart’ and does not recognize when it is transformed into any of its modes, and so all SFX play the same whether in his robot or paper lantern and jitte modes.

The toy requires two AAA batteries (not included) inserted into the column in the center of the paper lantern. The On/Off switch is on the right side just above the handle; the speaker is on the opposite side.
Remember: unlike some past electronic Super Sentai toys, this one does not remind you that it is still on, so remember to turn it off or else the batteries will drain sooner!

When first turned On, DaiGoyou (voiced by his “Shinkenger” seiyu, Kōichi Tōchika) with polite enthusiasm will greet you with “Iza mairu!” (“It’s time to go forth!” or “Going forth!”), which are commonly spoken by the Shinkenger just as they enter battle. Two red LEDs will blink on and off inside the lantern section, and in his robot mode his eyes will glow a constant green until the sounds end.
Pressing on the clear plastic trigger above the handle will result in several SFX, which play in a random order. After each one plays, the LEDs will continue flashing a few seconds before turning themselves off to save power.

• “Rasshai! Rasshai!” (An abbreviated greeting from a sushi seller.)
• “Goyou dei! Goyou dei!” (“Your order!” or “Your business!” A sushi seller announcing that your food is ready. Alternately, an okappiki telling people he’s on serious business.)
• “Shinkenger, appare!” (“Splendid, Shinkenger!”)
• “Shinkenger, deban de!” (“Your turn, Shinkenger!”)
• “Deban dei! Deban dei!” (“My turn! My Turn!”)
• “Daihen dei! Daihen dei! Gedoushuu dei!” (“Big trouble! Big trouble! It’s the Gedoushuu!”)
• “Gaten gaten!” (“That’s right, that’s right!”)
• “Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, iza mairu!” (”Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, going forth!”)

If you press and hold down the trigger for a few seconds, he will enthusiastically shout: “Goyou dei! Goyou dei! Goyou dei! Goyou dei!” and several slashing and explosion SFX will be heard. (This specific clip is heard in the series for DaiGoyou’s Hiden Disc Midareuchi finishing attack, where he fires a swarm of Hiden Discs at a giant Ayakashi monster.)

. . .

DaiGoyou can store any eight total Hiden Discs inside the paper lantern at any time, accessed by unlatching and removing the top. (When filled to capacity, the Hiden Discs will cover one of the red LEDs.)

On the bottom of the handle on either side is a transparent-red bar. When pressed inwards, a Hiden Disc will be dispensed (a SFX accompanies this), which you can then take hold of and remove. When first removed, another set of random audio clips will play-

• “Kore made!” (“It ends here!”)
• “Gaten shouchi!” (“I agree!” or “I consent!”)
• “Iza mairu!“
• “Appare!” (“Splendid!”)
• “Hiden Disc dei!” (“Here is a Hiden Disc!” speaking in an older dialect)

-followed by more sound effects.

There is a rarer- or bonus, if you wish- voice clip that plays when removing a Hiden Disc. In a sing-song fashion, DaiGoyou says “Hi-den Di-su-ku!” in the exact same way that is heard by a small choir during the toy commercials in Japan for “Shinkenger”! (In fact, in the very CM that the DX DaiGoyou is advertised in, he sings that same phrase along with the choir!)

Iif you dispense a Hiden Disc, but don’t remove it, after a few seconds DaiGoyou will start repeatedly prompting you to remove it by saying “Hiden Disc wo nukou” (“Please remove the Hiden Disc”) until you do.

The DX Hiden Chōchin DaiGoyou set comes with two Hiden Discs-

#18 – Attack Disc

(a sushi seller cart’s wheel turning)

#19 – Help Disc

(a beacon-like signal)

The Attack Disc is unique to DaiGoyou, and multiples of it are dispensed from inside him for his Hiden Disc attacks and finishers (ex: Hiden Disc Midareuchi).

Shinken DaiGoyou

Sets required for this combination:

• DX Samurai Gattai Shinken-Oh
• DX Hiden Chōchin DaiGoyou

In Act 30 – “The Manipulated Academy”, the Shinkenger discover a plot by the Gedoushuu to use an Ayakashi to take control of all the students and staff at a Japanese high school academy and use them as living puppets to ruin the world. Infiltrating the school, the Shinkenger interrupt the plan, and destroy the monster, forcing it to grow to giant size. DaiGoyou- who had accompanied ShinkenYellow and ShinkenBlue undercover- wants to join the fight, and so ShinkenYellow uses her Shodou Phone to make him grow from within her Saru Origami. This accidentally interrupts the gattai process for Shinken-Oh and DaiGoyou bumps the Shishi Origami out of position to become the core of the gattai, Shinken DaiGoyou!

Though ShinkenRed is left out of the combination [once again!], Shinken DaiGoyou retains both DaiGoyou’s accordion-like dodging ability and the other four Origami’s abilities. Shinken DaiGoyou uses the enlarged jitte as a spear weapon for its finishing attack, Jitte Icchokusen (“Jitte Straight-line”)

Though not featured in the series- but certainly possible because the toys’ pieces are obviously using the same connection points- the Shishi Origami can combine with DaiGoyou’s arms and legs to form an alternate, unnamed combination.

(I should quickly note that I am 50/50 on so-called ‘helper’ mecha and characters in Super Sentai who are not specifically related in name and function to the main team, so I have no strong feeling about them one way or the other. In my opinion, it all depends how they’re presented and how/if they interact with the other DX-sized toys.)

Despite the annoyance of now having a copy of Genta running around on the show now (who I find rather annoying in his bumbling over-enthusiasm), I am surprisingly charmed by this toy. I certainly knew what a paper lantern is, but I didn’t know what a jitte was or how these two items relate to one another until I saw Act 28 and started preparing for this review. From afar, I thought it was a paper lantern with a poorly-designed sword/baton thrown in for convenience, but that is not the case at all. Indeed, though Genta goofed-up on what an okappiki is, I now like how that ancient occupation was integrated into the show and toy line.

It is a very simple toy to use and play with, which makes it appealing. The transformation is nothing special; it is short and to the point. I wish the legs had folded up a little more, but I suppose needing to get this toy to combine with the DX Shinken-Oh necessitated simplifying the transformation. Unchallenging, but understandable.
Being able to hold and dispense Hiden Discs is very convenient for those who have extras lying around from other sets. Though I wish they would actually shoot out like spring-powered projectiles when dispensed, it is enough that they come out in a different way from how they go in. (Om nom nom nom?)

Shinken DaiGoyou was a cute little gag in the show, but it’s interesting how the toy mimics this silly combo. (I suppose I should be thankful that this was as far as Bandai and PLEX went as far as limb-swapping in “Samurai Sentai Shinkenger” compared to other mecha systems in Super Sentai.) Meh.

I suppose it is just me complaining because I don’t like his personality, but the volume and repetition of the voice clips is rather annoying, especially when it tends to get stuck on one phrase as it “randomly” plays them each time. (“Goyou de! Goyou de!” is the main offender in this. Ugh-!) Really, that is my only big problem with this toy. As I said, that’s probably an issue that only I have because of what I’ve seen in the show. Personal opinion about the voice clips aside, that speaker isn’t the loudest I’ve heard in recent years in a Super Sentai toy, but it’s up there.

I was fairly disappointed that his hands couldn’t hold onto the edge of a Hiden Disc like he does in the show, for throwing them about like an Indian chakram. (The DX Samurai Gattai DaiKai-Oh could do just that, so I’m surprised they didn’t repeat it here.) Oh, and this was another perfect opportunity to integrate posable, pop-out elbows and rotating wrists. Having knees and a neck that twisted side-to-side a little wouldn’t have hurt either, but I’ll let those pass.

In 2009 when this first came out, I was only mildly interested, but ultimately decided not to get it. Having halfheartedly accepted the responsibility of reviewing it in 2011 on behalf of one of our sponsors (and mostly because I conveniently had access to some other Shinkenger toys), I must say I’ve become rather satisfied with the DX Hiden Chōchin DaiGoyou now that I have it. Not my first choice, but as I said earlier, it is charming. Recommended for young and old alike!