Golden Festival Day 17
Kagura slammed her hands on the table: "Listen well, team." The room tensed. "We… are making…" She took a deep breath. "A Sentai promo video."
Silence.
Shinatsu blinked: "A what?"
Chifuyu: "Oh hell yeah."
Ariel sparkled: "Ooooh! Like the superhero team?!"
Shinatsu: "Hero?!"
Caesar: "Yes! YES! I've trained for this moment!"
Diego: "…you have?"
Beatrice rested her elbow on her knee: "I can already envision the costumes."
Kagura grabbed Chifuyu's shoulder: "Chifuyu. You are the main character. Accept your destiny."
Diego: "WHAT?!"
Chifuyu: "I'm the red ranger?" He smirks, "I accept."
Yuji: "If he's the red ranger, make me the black ranger."
Kagura snaps her fingers: "You got it!"
Kagura smashed a whiteboard on the table, already covered with scribbles: "CASTING IS FINAL," she declared. "Chosen by yours truly."
Nicholas: "This is exciting."
Kagura: "As already stated, the red ranger will be Chifuyu."
Chifuyu folds his arms with a smug.
Kagura: "Blue ranger, Diego."
Diego rubbed his fingers through his hair: "I was born for this."
Kagura: "Pink ranger, Ariel."
Ariel immediately posed like a magical girl: "I ACCEPT."
Kagura: "Black ranger, Yuji."
Yuji: "Hmph."
Kagura: "Nicholas, green ranger."
Nicholas: "Nice."
Kagura: "White ranger will be Beatrice:"
Beatrice: "Who's going to record?"
Kagura: "Ina will be coming in, you can leave that to her."
Beatrice nodded.
Then Kagura paused dramatically: "Purple ranger..." Everyone looked at Shinatsu knowing she would get it."
Shinatsu: "Got it."
Kagura: "Iris, yellow ranger."
Iris: "I'll do my best."
Kagura: "I will be the orange ranger. And finally, the villain… Caesar!"
Caesar gasped dramatically: "Wait—why the villain?!"
Kagura: "Because you have villain vibes," she said simply.
***
Ten minutes later, Kagura had dragged out 4 massive storage bins from somewhere no one had ever seen her store anything before. They thudded against the backyard tiles like summoned relics. The lids popped open revealing the array of costumes. Spandex, capes, gloves, boots, helmets, foam armor plates, plastic emblems, and entirely unnecessary shoulder pads spilled out in a horrifying rainbow.
Shinatsu: "Where's mine? I'd like to try it on."
Kagura: "Someone's enthusiastic."
Kagura put the purple ranger outfit into Shinatsu's arms. She stared at it with sparkles in her eyes. Across the yard, Beatrice had already slipped into her white ranger outfit. It suited her perfectly, like she was made for this role. The cape flowed dramatically despite there being no wind. The light caught on the white plating like a studio spotlight followed her everywhere she went.
Chifuyu: "Are we sure Beatrice isn't the main character?"
Ariel: "She was born for this."
Beatrice: "It's more comfortable than I thought it'd be."
Nicholas: "We're all the background characters, the true protagonist is the chosen White Ranger."
Beatrice: "Enough guys."
Meanwhile, Diego was in the middle of the yard, shirtless for some reason, gyrating his hips while striking aggressive Blue Ranger poses: "BLUE STORM SPIRAL TEMPEST POSE!"
Ariel spun in a circle with her pink cape and nearly tripped over the lawn chair: "Woah this is a little hard to move in."
Kagura: "Everything's falling into place, we should establish emotional stakes in the opening scene."
Caesar stood in front of the glass door practicing villain laughter in the reflection: "HOHOHO—NO—HAHAHA—NO—KYAAHAHAHA—"
Iris stood near the back holding a tiny printed script with trembling hands.
Chifuyu lifted the red helmet, and slid it over his head. He immediately walked straight into the wall.
They lined up in the backyard in a loose formation, costumes rustling in the breeze.
Chifuyu adjusted the red scarf around his neck and looked around at everyone: "How do I look?"
Yuji rolled his shoulders in the black ranger outfit: "Stop hitting dumb poses, they're hardly appealing."
Chifuyu: "We're sentai rangers, we're supposed to be posing."
Yuji: "And I'm saying you're doing them poorly."
Chifuyu: "Say that again when you're the main character."
Shinatsu flexed her gloved fingers slowly, testing the purple ranger sleeves: "I'm a hero."
Kagura pointed at her: "Yes, we all are."
Nicholas: "How do I look?"
Diego: "Not bad. But how do you like this?"
Nicholas: "Oh, that one's not bad. But I like this better."
Diego and Nicholas strike poses as they get into character. Ariel bounced in place, cape fluttering wildly.
Iris held the edge of her yellow cape nervously: "This'll be my first time in a public video…"
Chifuyu smiled at her: "You'll be fine. Worst case, only the entirety of Shioto sees it."
Caesar: "So only about 900 million people."
Iris: "Maybe I can't do this…"
Ina arrived with a camera and a tripod in hand: "Looks like everyone's all ready."
Kagura: "Ina!"
Diego: "I'm ready, let's do this."
Shinatsu: "Let's get this show on the road."
Yuji cracked his neck: "I'm ready to embarrass Red Ranger."
Chifuyu scoffed: "In your dreams, Discount Batman."
Ina lifted the camera slightly: "Rolling."
Kagura's eyes lit up: "TAKE ONE—ACTION!"
***
Chifuyu burst forward first, red scarf trailing behind him as he planted his foot and drew his wooden blade in a wide, dramatic arc: "Odd Jobs Sentai—!"
Yuji shot past him from the side, faster and lower: "Move. You're blocking the shot."
Chifuyu stumbled: "You're not even supposed to enter yet!"
Diego rushed in behind them with a spinning flourish: "BLUE RANGER HAS ENTERED THE CHAT!"
Ariel leapt forward with both hands raised: "PINK RANGER, THE HARBINGER OF DONUTS!" She tripped on her own cape.
Beatrice caught her without looking and set her gently back on her feet. Nicholas, trying to slide into frame like a strategist, slipped on the grass and rolled directly into Yuji's legs. Yuji stepped over him without stopping. Chifuyu turned just in time to see Caesar lumbering out in full monster cosplay, arms raised dramatically.
Caesar: "BEHOLD. THE END OF YOUR—" Shinatsu walked forward and flicked her wrist. Caesar's villain staff flew out of his hands and stuck into a tree. He stared at his empty palms. "I didn't finish my line…."
Kagura: "CUT! Okay, okay—reset!"
Chifuyu: "That was terrible."
Yuji: "Don't get in my way next time."
Chifuyu: "You're just a side character, stop overstepping."
Shinatsu: "This is gonna be a mess."
Diego: "Give it time."
Ina: "Let's continue. This time on script."
Kagura: "Take two!"
Chifuyu and Yuji immediately leaned forward in identical stances. They glanced sideways at each other.
Yuji: "You're copying me."
Chifuyu: "Yeah right, stop tryna one up me."
They launched at the same time. Red and Black crossed paths mid-sprint, shoulders colliding with a dull thud. Neither slowed.
Diego vaulted over them both with a flourish: "Blue aerial superiority!"
Ariel launched two glowing donut-shaped blasts that curved wildly through the air. One clipped Nicholas's head. He spun in place, dazed. Beatrice moved like a ghost, clean steps, precise timing, perfect spacing. Shinatsu followed just behind her, movements sharp and disciplined. Caesar rushed in, arms swinging wide. This time, Chifuyu and Yuji both intercepted him at once. Red slashed high. Black swept low. Caesar was lifted off his feet by sheer accident and landed flat on his back.
Kagura: "You can't fall down, Caesar!"
Caesar: "Sorry!"
As they took more takes, something shifted. They stopped thinking about the camera. They started moving like a unit. Chifuyu led with confidence instead of flash. Yuji mirrored him perfectly from the opposite angle. Their rivalry turned into rhythm. Diego timed his spins between their strikes. Ariel's donut blasts actually hit targets. Nicholas synced the explosions properly. Shinatsu, Kagura, and Beatrice moved in perfect counterbalance precision and grace. Caesar's monster movement became fluid and threatening. When they finished the final formation pose breathing hard, everyone knew they had nailed it.
Then Kagura screamed: "THAT'S THE ONE! THAT'S THE SHOT!"
Chifuyu bent over with his hands on his knees, laughing: "…Okay. That one felt good."
Yuji exhaled slowly: "Let's perfect it."
Shinatsu: "This is a cool idea for a video and all, but how does this correlate to the cafe again?"
Kagura: "Simple. We make a cool video that reaches a ton of people and then at the end, we actually show the cafe and promote it."
Ina: "I wouldn't be filming if I didn't think it was a good idea. I'm sure this will do well."
Diego: "See the vision, Shinatsu:"
Shinatsu: "I was just asking a question…"
***
After filming wrapped up, Ina edited it. They watched the finished PV together.
—A crack of light splits the darkness as the Odd Jobs Café logo glows gold.
Kagura narrates in a dramatic voice: "In times of peace… in times of flavor… a new force rises to protect the people of District 4."
Electric guitar kicks in.
Cut to a wide shot of the Odd Jobs backyard, stylized with heavy color grading to look like an alien battlefield.
Smoke effects billow across the ground. A silhouette appears. Then another. Then seven more. The camera zooms out to reveal them all.
ODD JOBS SENTAI
Red Ranger Chifuyu
Leaps forward in a spinning slash pose.
"Burning Crimson Courage! RED!"
Black Ranger Yuji
Walks past the camera with stoic menace.
"Unyielding Fang of Night! BLACK."
White Ranger Beatrice
Elegant, effortless pirouette that looks professionally choreographed.
"Graceful gale… WHITE."
Purple Ranger Shinatsu
Perfect defensive sword stance. No wasted motion.
"Silent Shadow… PURPLE."
Green Ranger Nicholas
Fumbles slightly but recovers with a salute.
"Strategic Brilliance… GREEN!"
Blue Ranger Diego
Backflip into a hip-thrusting pose.
"The Splash of Cool Justice! BLUE!"
Pink Ranger Ariel
Finger hearts, sparkles, and a donut-shaped aura.
"Sweet Circle of Love! PINK!"
Yellow Ranger Iris
Small determined stance, trembling a little but brave.
"Radiant Light… YELLOW!"
Orange Ranger Kagura
Double peace signs and an unnecessary explosion behind her.
"Blazing Cheer! ORANGE!"
The screen flashes.
ALL: "ODD JOBS SENTAI—ASSEMBLE!!"
The camera pans dramatically. A giant silhouette rises. It is… Caesar wearing foam armor, fake claws, and a lumpy papier-mâché mask.
But Ina's editing makes him look like a menacing monster.
Monster Caesar: "My rage is unstoppable! Tremble before the mighty DARK BEAST CAESARON!"
Lightning flashes behind him. He stomps forward and roars. The ground shakes.
THE BATTLE BEGINS
Red Ranger: "Team! Let's show him the power of Odd Jobs!"
Black Ranger: "Try not to slow me down."
The music blasts into full sentai rock anthem.
Chifuyu charges in with a red streak effect trailing behind him with Yuji following behind. Caesar swings a giant foam fist. Chifuyu slides under it, Yuji leaps, and they both slash in a downward and upward arc. A massive animated explosion erupts behind them. Beatrice glides in, spinning with perfect precision. Shinatsu mirrors her movements. Their blades cross in an X-shape. Diego sprints in, flips, and distracts Caesaron with unnecessary breakdance moves. Nicholas throws color-coded smoke bombs. Iris fires tiny yellow spark blasts from her palms. The trio knocks Caesaron off balance. Ariel leaps into frame, a swirling pink donut aura shoots out and slams Caesaron in the chest. Kagura follows up with relentless slashes. Caesaron slams his fists down, creating a massive shockwave. Chifuyu and Yuji jump back simultaneously.
Red: "His power level's rising!"
Black: "Step back if you're scared."
Red: "Scared? Don't make me laugh. Everyone! Sentai Formation!"
Each ranger takes a pose. Blue crouched low.
Yellow behind him. Green tapping on a fake holographic screen. Pink spinning with hearts.
Orange cheering in place. White and Purple standing gracefully at the flanks. Black stepping forward. Red leaping over all of them in a cinematic arc. The screen splits into colorful panels like a classic tokusatsu climax.
RED: "ODD JOBS FINAL JUSTICE—"
BLACK: "SHADOW FANG STRIKE!"
WHITE & PURPLE: "TWIN LOTUS CROSS!"
PINK: "SWEET JUSTICE WAVE!"
BLUE: "BLUE LIGHTNING TEMPEST!"
GREEN: "TACTICAL OVERDRIVE!"
YELLOW: "SOLAR SPARK!"
ORANGE: "ULTIMATE FESTIVAL BURST!"
All nine attacks converge into one blazing beam of rainbow chaos that crashes into Caesaron.
MONSTER CAESARON: "NOOOOOOO—BLASTED RANGERS!!"
He explodes into the biggest digital fireball Nicholas has ever rendered. Everyone poses as the music crescendos.
Camera zooms in on the team.
Red: "For justice!"
Pink: "For donuts!"
Kagura: "For the best experience!"
All: "COME TO ODD JOBS CAFÉ!"
Fireworks burst behind them.
Kagura narrates: "Odd Jobs Cafe, where flavor brings people together."
For the closing shot, they all stood next to each other with their helmets off as the camera then panned to the sky.
***
Kagura wiped her eyes: "We did it…"
Comments flooded in immediately.
"Who are these people?"
"Why is the black ranger so cold?"
"Red and black are definitely rivals irl"
"White is stunning"
"Wait, this was an ad for a cafe?"
"Ahhh! I've always wanted to go to Odd Jobs but I live across the world!"
"Blue is hot"
"Villain got jumped so hard"
"I would watch a show of this"
"Don't give up, monster!"
Caesar read his comments: "I wanted to be a ranger… At least they noticed me."
Chifuyu: "Hey, you still killed it as a monster."
Shinatsu: "This video is blowing up so fast."
Kagura: "Told you it was a good idea."
Shinatsu: "Hey, I never doubted you."
Iris: "That was pretty fun."
Ariel: "Let me see it again, I wanna rewatch it."
Beatrice: "Are we keeping the costumes?"
Nicholas: "Haha. Good question."
Diego: "I've taken a liking to this costume. I think I know what I'm dressing up as for Halloween. Nova, would you like to duo ranger with me?"
Beatrice: "Sure, I don't mind."
Diego: "Yes!"
Ina: "Well done, all of you. A promotional video was a good idea."
Kagura: "Now we won't fall behind that new cafe."
Shinatsu: "Assuming it goes viral."
Ina: "Is that the reason for posting a PV? To compete with the new cafe? If so, there was no need. Odd Jobs is plenty popular and has a consistent flow of customers."
Diego: "But the other cafe already has so many more customers."
Ina: "They are from a large chain, so it's to be expected. If things go as planned, the video will make the cafe a lot more busier than it already is. But are you guys ready for that?"
Kagura: "Uh…"
Chifuyu: "Uh oh."
Iris: "W-Why am I just now realizing that?"
Nicholas: "Haha. We better be ready for some big rushes."
Shinatsu: "I'll be ready, can't speak for anyone else though."
Caesar: "I'll do my best not to hold anyone back!"
Yuji: "I still don't know how to make a frappuccino."
Beatrice: "Well that has to change."
Diego: "Oh boy, we need to lock in."