Samurai Sentai Shinkenger/Awesome

The Samurai Crowning Moments of Awesome, authorized by the Wiki Magic!

The 33rd Super Sentai currently holds the longest list of CMoAs among its fellow titles, but do note that the other series aren't lacking in that regard. It's just got a few factors in its favor that make Shinkenger moments all the more notable. It was the Sentai airing during a general renewed interest in the wiki in the series. Also possible is that the 2010 hiatus of Power Rangers attracted some PR viewers to the "next season" and it gained a Troper Critical Mass of interest. And Shinkenger has this habit of adding a dramatic flair and glorifying even the subtle and unexpected of the moments. The fact that it's inspired by theatrical samurai dramas certainly doesn't helps!

Note: Since Shinkenger has a rather strong arc, we've naturally come to list the CMoAs in episodic order. If the episode of your CMoA is listed, please add it there. If it isn't, slide it in where it belongs. Thank you. And be forewarned, as some of these CMoAs contain spoilers on some key plot points.

Going Forward!

 * Usually, in a Super Sentai series, there's one main writer, and about 3 secondary writers, average. And while the main apparently handles the overall plotline, they take turns writing episodes. But not for Shinkenger, no. A look at the episode table for the series (where the writer and director of each episode are also displayed) on Wikipedia Japan reveals that Shinkenger had only 2 sub-writers, and both of them wrote only 7 episodes in total, all of them side-episodes. In other words, Yasuko Kobayashi wrote 42 Acts, and managed the plot, characters and all the twists of this whole damn thing. Give the head writer a well deserved Crown.
 * As a general note... if you hear that little tune... pay attention-- a crowning moment of some variety is likely in the offing. And if the henshin theme or the series opening/ action themes follow suit, butts will be kicked.
 * How can you instantly tell a Super Sentai series is off to a good start? When the first episode is well-loaded with CMoAs, of course!
 * The first time we see Takeru fight, while the opening song plays is Act 1. Takes on a group of the mooks alone, and then has a nice drink brought to him. Right where they fought. Badass.
 * The first entrance of the team as a whole on the battlefield, establishing the Samurai Sentai as a team that knows how to make a damned fine entrance.
 * The first fight with one of the Ayakashi. Takeru gets a car thrown at him, cuts it in half, then pins the bastard to a support pillar with his BFS and ends its first life with one stroke.
 * Then, they tag team it with the Origami during the second life. Do not mess with Kotoha's monkey, and that Red God Lion will run you through.
 * Act 02: After the entire team gets blasted by the Ayakashi Ootsumuji, Takeru tells them to stand if they can, forcefully reminds them they can't afford to give themselves an inch, and then faces Ootsumuji down to save a child stuck in the battlefield. Right through to the others standing and pulling their Let's Get Dangerous henshin and join him... that little tune is playing for the first time.
 * Act 03: Chaiki makes the Ayakashi punch itself in the face. And tie its extensible arms in knots.
 * Don't forget that Takeru later avoided its punches hidden underground in ShinkenOh, literally with its eyes closed, and immediately cut off both. Humongous Mecha-scale awesomeness.
 * Act 05: Takeru's Training From Hell, in and of itself, is awesome. And when he finally cuts loose with Kabuto Origami's Hiden disk, we get a seemingly undefeatable Ayakashi facing the BFG Beam Spam.
 * A brief but affecting one: The Ayakashi Yanasudare has the four vassals down for the count. He has Ryunosuke at point blank range, and all their attacks have failed. What does Shinken Blue do? Least you forget the man was raised samurai.
 * Also to note that, unlike other team-weilded BFGs, the vast majority of the time, the four vassals don't aid in holding it. Instead, they kneel down behind him. You know you're boned when you only need one person to hold a BFG, unless said person asks the others to do so.
 * Act 06: Kotoha goes Determinator on the insult based Monster of the Week. The fact she collapses and Chiaki has to carry her home only makes it more awesome. And DAWWWWWW!, too.
 * Ryunosuke catching a fish in Act 07, paired with a CMoH noted on the main page.
 * And then he uses what he caught to make it rain and save his teammates and other MotW victims. Really, a lot of Ryu-san's Crowning Moments are better than they sound.
 * The Batman Gambit they set up to trap Dayu in Act 8.
 * Takeru's Origami fetches Mako's confiscated Shodophone right out of Dayu's hands.
 * The battle with Dayu, leading up to 's Badass appearance by cutting the GoRinDan with his own sword. Appropriately for his debut.
 * Any of the unique roll calls starting with Act 8. Most of these roll calls have the Shinkengers dramatically entering the scene as they surround the Monster of the Week. Particularly in Act 8 against Dayu;
 * Takeru calmly strides into the scene.
 * Ryunosuke pops up from under a Shiba Clan banner.
 * Mako appears on a tree branch.
 * Chiaki sits on a flight of stone steps and yawns before joining in.
 * Kotoha walks in from the side.
 * Finally, all five of them slowly surround Dayu with their Shinkenmaru drawn as they finish the role call.
 * Act 09. Showing his determinator side in full force, Takeru strikes a blow that embeds the "Resist" Kanji into Ryunosuke, freeing him from Hitomidama's control.
 * In Act 10, Chiaki, after connecting to what his elemental Kanji means to him after a CMoH with Jii, uses his Wood Spear to pole vault up to the flying monster of the week, switches his weapon to Katana mode, and slashes his Kanji into it, sending it to the ground several city blocks away, and ending its first life. Did we mention said Ayakashi is at skyscraper level, at least?
 * And on a minor but cool note for Act 10; the first time we see Jii on a motorbike.
 * The Melee a Trois mentioned on the main page between Takeru,, and the Monster of the Week in Act 11. A stunningly well choreographed and paced example of the trope, with the three fighting each other about evenly, so a CMoA for the crew of the show as a whole.
 * Don't forget: He's not the Lord for nothing.
 * In Act 12, there's a team CMoA, as the Samurai The Ayakashi seem really ticked off when his second life kicked in.
 * Shortly after, Ryunosuke - something he devised by himself. Something their anscestors never thought of. Something he at least partly worked on while being wounded and sick. Overdramatic? Yes. Useless to his Tono? Go jump in the Sanzu.
 * Act 13. Silly Ayakashi, trying to hurt kids around Mako and Kotoha. Have a nice windstorm in the Dance of Heaven and Earth.
 * The team getting back up on their feet after a strong attack from the Ayakashi in Act 14, following a Determinator speech by Richard Brown. Undramatic? ...Maybe. But hey, cue the music!
 * Chiaki's ploy in Act 15 to prove that someone's been posing as him and screwing around with everyone.
 * In the battle which ensues afterwards, he perfects his Shirahadori: he catches the Ayakashi's first blade with his hands, and the second one between his feet, then signs his work with his Katana.
 * Act 16 for the Kuroko. Wonder no more how the Shinkengers ready those grand entrances.
 * Oh, and the team cracked the Ayakashi's shell once they actually co-ordinated.
 * And then the Kabuto-Kajiki-Tora one-two-three.
 * But, you know, mainly the Kuroko.
 * Genta gets an Episode of crowns. After spending the first half of his debut in Act 17 running around like an idiot out of a cartoon, he spends the other half thoroughly curb-stomping a whole Nanashi mob and the Monster of the Week who had the Shinkengers in a corner just earlier singlehandedly, all the while telling the others that he doesn't need their help, despite slipping a few times and being crushed under numerous tree trunks that he accidentally slices off in the process. That's especially impressive considering how he normally looks.
 * There's also Takeru turning a bath time epiphany into one of his most awesome battle entrances.
 * Act 18. Mako smoothly dissecting her lord's motives for dismissing Genta while they spar. She's everybody's council, even for her stand-offish Tono.
 * When Genta and Takeru team up to thwart Hyakuyappa's blade-spam technique smoothly as if they trained side by side, taking him out with Takeru's Flaming Sword and Genta's 100-strike Iai finisher. That's when you know Genta's gonna fit in just fine.
 * Act 19. Any scene with the Ham Sandwich Ryunosuke and Genta.
 * Ryunosuke, in civilian form, steals a mook's sword and uses it to take out most of his attackers. When it seems he might be taken out, a powered down Genta comes out and takes care of the rest, headbutting the last to submission. Chef of Iron indeed.
 * Genta's speech to Ryu-san in the face of SkinkenBlue's continued dismissals is very much the definition of his character, and borders on Shut UP, Hannibal material toward his teammate's attitude.
 * Their shift from Large Ham to Badass Mode with a Let's Get Dangerous henshin.
 * Freeing the nine hostage women . Do remember that Shitari himself is there, and the old wizard is no pushover.
 * When the oil-using Monster of the Week isn't savvy enough to realize that Takeru really isn't a good opponent for him.
 * Genta and Ryunosuke's Combination Attack: Suiryu Hyakumai Oroshi.
 * Act 20 is the biggest example of the Shinkengers' camaraderie. The Ayakashi of the week just happened to . As if that hasn't pissed them off enough, he stalled further by not coming up from the River, and bragged about doing so as he retreated. When the Shinkengers finally got their hands on him thanks to Genta's quick thinking, what ensued would most appropriately be described as a one-sided slaughterfest featuring every single weapon in their arsenal, each active Samurai getting a piece of the bastard, and . Don't touch anyone on the team unless you're up for suicide...
 * And one goes to the production crew, too. Watch the initial battle again. The series, as a whole, has been rather good with its Chekhov's Guns and other Reveals.
 * In Act 21, Chiaki creates a bamboo stalk and slides down into the restaurant where a possessed man and Nanashi are holding several people, including his father and Mako hostage. It's like Act 10's Crowning Moment of Awesome except going down instead of up, but it's just as awesome.
 * And to make it even more awesome, when the Nanashi get back up, Chiaki's father grabs a nearby Nanashi sword and takes the remaining Nanashi down. This after playing the happy-go-lucky let's-have-fun dad, who doesn't look like a former Shinkenger, most of the episode. The Act is called "The Bear Father-and-Son" for a reason.
 * Keep in mind,.
 * Act 22, in which Kotoha slaps Takeru.  Committing herself to it that much really troubles her considering how polite and formal she usually is, especially toward her Lord.
 * Following a CMoH between Takeru and Kotoha, the two transform and take on the Ayakashi. When Kotoha is knocked back, Takeru catches her in a gentleman-like way with one hand and lands several blows on the Ayakashi with his Shinkenmaru grasped in his other hand. Then after helping his lady up, Takeru lets Kotoha land the next blow, and she introduces the Ayakashi to her newest attack: Sarumawashi.
 * The Movie: The Kyoryumaru, just the Kyoryumaru.
 * Takeru realizing how to active it, getting a badass coat in the process and then pretty much wiping out the enemy army with it, then the Shinkengers, after hearing the original ShinkenRed's Rousing Speech essentially One-Hit Kill the villain with it.
 * THREE CLAPS FOR VICTORY
 * Act 23 features a poisoned Takeru dragging himself away from Shitari as he slowly falls to paralysis rather than.
 * Dokukou reaching across the Crevices to drag a traitorous Ayakashi back to the Sanzu. He may be the most ill tempered and inactive Big Bad to work for, but forget he's in charge and...
 * Act 24. Juzo and Takeru's tense conversation in the cave. Between the revelations about how Juzo fell and the Hannibal Lecture he lays on Shinken Red. You can cut the building tension with a knife.
 * Soon followed by awesome debuts of Super Shinken Red and Dai Kai Shinken-Oh.
 * Genta. He spends the majority of the episode working himself to exhaustion repeatedly trying to get the Inromaru completed. Even Jii tells him to take a break, and he refuses. And then, when it's done, he goes right to where Takeru is located and whisks him away to save his vassals. Large Ham? Maybe. Useless to Take-chan? Go choke on curry.
 * Act 26, the long-awaited duel between Takeru and Juzo. As expected, the fight is well choreographed and intense, but the crowning moment comes when Takeru Not only does Takeru deal the final blow, that blow  !
 * Over in the secondary plot, Ryunosuke continues to show that under the Large Ham is one Badass Samurai and a worthy second-in-command; from his Super Mode with blade strikes like breaking waves to his simple-yet-effective rallying of the troops against the dream-eater Ayakashi's second life. Challenging someone who trained all his life to be a top-notch Samurai is a bad idea.
 * Chiaki's Batman Gambit in Act 27; . He's the team's smart guy for a reason.
 * That's not to say there wasn't a battle between the Ayakashi and Chiaki. Chiaki turns into his Super Mode. What follows is probably one of the best displays of Super Mode's power as he quickly lands blow after blow while parrying some of the Ayakashi's attacks without any stop in motion.
 * Act 28. Yeah, sure, every Shinkenger being badass enough to face down their fears is awesome. Yes, first appearance of our favorite living lantern. But the real crown goes to Jii. This is why they need the old man.
 * Act 29. After a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming, we get the awesome back lit roll call leading to DaiGoyo and Shinken Gold finally shutting up the self aggrandizing Ayakashi long enough for Neesan to lay the Shin Tenkuu No Mai on him as Super Shinken Pink.
 * Act 30. Kotoha's masterstroke of thinking under the box allows Super Shinken Blue to take out the puppeteer Ayakashi from below. Then, the team improvises admirably.
 * In Act 31, Takeru uses Kyoryumaru from The Movie again, swiftly whipping through hordes of the seeming endless Kusare Nanashi. Then when he faces the Ayakashi, just to show off how Badass he is, he chooses not to turn around and face the Ayakashi, but let Kyoryumaru furiously whip him while his back is turned. The Big Damn Heroes Roll Call definitely deserves mention as well:
 * After DaiTenku scatters the Nanashi, Mako frees Genta and the nurse and child whom the Ayakashi held hostage.
 * As the Ayakashi turns to his side, he sees Chiaki already taking down several Nanashi with his Wood Spear.
 * Then as he turns to the other side, Ryunosuke, who was sitting down the entire time, rises up and uses his Water Arrow to knock Genta's Sushi Changer out of the Ayakashi's hand.
 * Kotoha then leaps up and catches the Transformation Trinket and tosses it to Genta, who then proceeds to transform.
 * The Ayakashi then attempts to retreat and come up with a new plan...only to stumble at the sight of Takeru and his Kyoryumaru.
 * The roll call ends with the Ayakashi surrounded by the six Shinkengers as he realizes that his plan has fallen apart. He thought he had the advantage at the beginning of the Act, but he was dead wrong.
 * In Act 34, we got... Mako obliterating a group of Nanashi Renjuu with just human form, striking the "Heaven" Kanji to morph to ShinkenPink... Awesome girl is awesome.
 * Chiaki calling Ryunosuke's ShodoPhone swallowed by the Monster of the Week in Act 35, so that they can know which part to cut open. Though not a big one, it's still pretty clever. (Also funny. The monster thinks it's for him.)
 * And . Can't forget that.
 * They made even Genta's career decision in Act 36 a CMoA: Snowballing from the one exception he took to make curry rice for Kotoha in his stall, his curry got famous overnight, pressuring him into curry business by customers and risking his sushi to be overshadowed by his curry. He finally made up his mind after Kotoha talked to him, realizing that he's a sushi seller, and replied strongly against an offer to make him a famous curry tycoon. It even has that little tune playing in the background!
 * Kotoha manages to snag quite a bit of focus this week considering it's Genta's storyline. Sure, she manages to talk Genta round, which we've come to expect. Then she meekly asks to borrow the Inroumaru; all still in character. After that, she goes and takes on the spin-happy MotW with even MORE spinning, finally matching its speed and delivering the kill blow. The same monster that practically curb-stomped our heroes a while ago.
 * Say what you will about Act 37, full of Narm and Ho Yay moments between Chiaki and Ryunosuke; beating the snot out of an Ayakashi right down to the end of its first life while basically handcuffed together deserves to be acknowledged as a CMoA not just for their characters, but also for their stuntmen.
 * Act 38: The Crowning Episode of Awesome, full of one CMoA after another for both sides.
 * When the Shinkengers are pinned down by, the last-minute rescue comes from the Kuroko tossing bombs at the Nanashi, but the moment belongs to Jii as . After getting off the bike, he even beats down two Riflemen who dared attack him with his bare hands. Did we mention he has a bad hip; one Takeru has to nag him to take medications for?
 * Takeru going for the big goddamn payback on the Ayakashi, ending with "Gedou Fukumetsu".
 * Immediately followed by the Humongous Mecha version in . Even DaiGoyo can't help lampshading the coolness.
 * The Act also goes to the Gedoushu for their big comeback in a long while.
 * The revelation that the Gedoushu is now employing  . Considering, it's their CMoA in a long while.
 * The small Rifle Squad was defeated by Shinkengers scattering and taking them out from different sides, . The team is brought down to the ground in seconds; only Takeru is left kneeling because he's in Super Shinkenger mode.
 * After the Ayakashi in charge of training the Rifle Squads lost his first life, he reveals his trump card; . HOLY hell!
 * Act 39: Mako reaffirming her promise to put her life in Takeru's hands as his vassal when Takeru began to feel that he had grown weak due to Character Development and spending time with his Nakama. What follows is another badass Designated Girl Fight between Mako and Dayu.
 * Immediately followed by Takeru  once again in Slow Motion.
 * Act 40's CMoA goes to for  . While it turns out that
 * Act 41 adds up for Kotoha:
 * First for . Jii deserves some credit here too.
 * Then for taking down by herself an Ayakashi that effectively disabled the other Shinkengers through an extreme unsatiable hunger and thirst, and also nearly got Takeru because of his wounds from Dokoku... after at first getting a severe beatdown, and thanks to Inroumaru, pulled off a GREAT My Name Is Inigo Montoya.
 * Also for
 * Finally the real crowning moment: Witnessing her newfound spirit, Takeru stops trying to be an Innefectual Loner he's been trying to become since two acts ago. Although... he still won't openly admit it.
 * Act 43, the conclusion of Akumaro's arc. When, the Shinkengers get out the big guns: Genta wielding Rekka Daizantou's Ozutsu Mode using Ika Origami's disc as the focus for the Gorindan, and Takeru as Super Shinken Red armed with the Super Mogyu Bazooka's Gedou Fukumetsu attack, while under heavy fire from Akumaro.
 * Throwing down the 4 basic mecha at the same time against Akumaro and his two Kirigami; sometimes, you just gotta go for numbers.
 * And then... When SamuraiHaOh's Mojikara Dai Dan En proves not enough to take out Akumaro's second life, Genta realizes the team isn't really using ALL the origami. Kyoryu Origami's mecha sword mode, charged with the power of their combined mojikara, allows them to use a new attack--Twelve-Oragami Dai Samurai Giri-- letting the living sword split Akumaro in half and finally granting the pain of Hell he was so keen on.
 * That's the Christmas episode...
 * In that case, a toast to SamuraiHaOh; for finally catching up to EngineO G12 in terms of component number.
 * Act 44: So the latest Ayakashi is blasting everyone left and right and . With no other options, Takeru goes into Super Mode and brings out the Mogyu Bazooka, but it's no use as the Ayakashi quickly teleports and blasts him from behind. However, Takeru was expecting that and as his Shinken Red suit comes off, he turns and fires Mogyu Bazooka's Gedou Fukumetsu, ending the Ayakashi's first life. He might not be the true head of the Shiba Clan, but that doesn't disqualify him from being Badass.
 * Speaking of the head of the Shiba Clan, Kaoru certainly shows that being a Badass runs in the Shiba Clan bloodline. In her debut, she takes out the latest Ayakashi's second life with just Shishi Origami. And this is after DaiKaiShinkenOh failed to defeat the Ayakashi.
 * Act 45: Kaoru goes into battle with the others for the first time, the Kuroko actually preparing her Shinkenmaru for her. The ensuing battle shows Kaoru utilizing all of her given gear except for the Kyouryuu Origami in good fashion.
 * Act 46: Part 1 of Takeru and Juzo's final Duel to the Death, which contains possibly the most ferocious swordplay in the entire series Super Sentai history. The Crowning Moment comes at the end of the Act in which both Takeru and Juzo fight on horseback before transforming and clashing with each in the air as the Act ends.
 * What made the scenes more intense is that they first started fighting out of their transformations, and we actually get to see the intensity and pressure on their faces. And of course, the credit goes to their actors too.
 * Kaoru shutting up Tanba first by tossing a Paper Fan of Doom at Tanba's head and then ordering the Kuroko to have his mouth gagged. For the many who hated Tanba and his Jerkass tendencies, this was definitely a Crowning Moment of Awesome for Kaoru.
 * Act 47: Kobayashi-san does not waste characters, as  shows. And he gives Ryu-san the exact wake-up call needed to end a Heroic BSOD.
 * Part 2 of Takeru and Juzo's final Duel to the Death, which contains possibly the most ferocious swordplay in the entire series as well as one of the most spectacular deaths of any Sentai villain.
 * Ryunosuke slicing a path Out of the Inferno.
 * On a much less serious note, Kaoru throws her Paper Fan of Doom at Tanba to shut him up, but this time he manages to dodge it. Then while Tanba is rejoicing, Komatsu Sakutaro, the fisherman who returned to being a Kuroko after helping Ryunosuke all the way back in Act 7, comes in and gives Kaoru an even bigger Paper Fan of Doom.
 * Takeru slicing through a Nanashi mob without henshin, after.
 * Act 48: Karou has been struck down, her henshin form disrupted. The others are down and injured. Who will save her from Dokouku's attack? Why, her shadow and the Kuroko, of course. And note... Takeru is STILL without henshin.
 * Mainly a CMOA for Kaoru but it doubles as an Awesome Moment of Crowning for Takeru.
 * The six samurai on a cliff. Legions of Nanashi before them.
 * Dokoku gets one, for a perfectly executed Evil Plan courtesy of a Chekhov's Gun. Remember about 25-30 episodes back, when ? You might not, but he did - and through emotional manipulation of Dayu made her willing to allow him to absorb her, making him part human - and thus partially immune to the sealing character. There's a reason he's the Big Bad.
 * As expected of a finale, Act 49 is filled with CMOAs.
 * Jii's Badass Grandpa status is further solidified when he.
 * The Shinkengers spend a good portion of the Act fighting without transforming, the roll call, the main fight, even the mecha battle.
 * Takeru Dual-Wielding . Just as badass as you'd imagine.
 * Why was Takeru able to do it? Tanba created a disc that allows him to . That's right! The same Jerkass who had been calling Takeru a fake and yelled at the other Shinkengers for the past several Acts just aided Takeru in pulling off a CrowningMomentOfAwesome!
 * dealing the killing strike on Dokoku, and not Takeru. That's pretty rare.
 * In a move similar to the finale of, the Shinkengers have the auxiliary origami detach as SamuraiHaoh moves in towards Dokoku - (The cockpit getting noticably damaged in the process - leaving just ShinkenOh. As they close in, Dokoku stabs ShinkenOh, but that's exactly what they were going for. With Dokoku in place, they unleash all their Mojikara into one final Daishinken Samurai Giri, bringing an end to Dokoku forever.
 * The Samurai Sentai Shinkenger vs Go-Onger movie has quite a few which include:
 * When Nanashi try to overwhelm Takeru and Sosuke by having the Ugatz transform into motorcycles, Takeru responds by using his Mojikara to summon a red sports car and has Sosuke drive it while he slices oncoming Nanashi from the back.
 * Takeru tossing the Kyoryu disc to Sosuke, who attaches it to his Mantan Gun to become Hyper Go-On Red, while he transforms into Super Mode with the Inroumaru.
 * The Shinkengers and Go-Onger combining their attacks to defeat the Ayakashi's first life. It involves all Go-Ongers (Minus Sosuke) blasting the Ayakashi with their Mantan Guns followed by each of the Shinkengers charging in and slicing the Ayakashi and finally ends with Takeru and Sosuke dealing the finishing blow.
 * The Goseiger's guest appearance in which they easily prevent Akumaro, Juzo, and Dayu from interfering with the Shinkenger and Go-Onger's battle.
 * And once again:  Jii ! While not as epic as what he would be doing in the Final Act, the movie accentuates his Badass Grandpa status a lot; whenever he and the Nanashi share the same screen, he's beating them down. Barehanded.
 * Minus the part where he's captured. Then again, he lost only when the Monster of the Week started using fire... So, yeah.
 * The entire Henshin and Rollcall, especially since the whole thing is done with Shinkengers' henshin theme.
 * Although the Special Act as a whole was more a Funny Moment than a Moment of Awesome, the Jidai Geki opening scene had several moments of win:
 * Ryuunosuke quintuple wielding swords like a cross between Masamune Date and Zoro.
 * Mako as a Badass geisha
 * Kotoha as a full-on Ninja with smoke bombs and shuriken.
 * On the subject of suitless battles and roll calls as mentioned in the TV finale, the "Final Live Tour" stage show gives us a mid-battle suitless roll call that rivals the aforementioned one in flair, if you take into account what's lost and gained from being in front of a live audience.

Wasshoi!