Phoenix Ranger Featherman R
Phoenix Ranger Featherman R (不死鳥戦隊フェザーマンＲ, Fushichō Sentai Fezāman Aru)? is a famous TV show in the universe of the Persona series.
Appearances
- Persona 2: Innocent Sin
- Persona 3 / FES / Portable
- Persona 4 / Golden
- Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
- Persona 4: Dancing All Night
- Persona 5
- Devil Survivor 2
Profile
It typically comes on Saturday night and is a parody or homage to Tokusatsu programs like Super Sentai (Most likely Chojin Sentai Jetman and Science Ninja Team Gatchaman). The known team members are named after a type of bird, and they include: Red Hawk, Black Condor, Blue Swan, Yellow Owl, White Swallow and Pink Argus.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin
Phoenix Ranger Featherman R masks in the Innocent Sin PSP remake opening movie
All the main characters, except for Yukino Mayuzumi, role-played as these heroes during their childhood, wearing masks and dubbing themselves as the Masked Circle. The masks can be collected and serve as key items that will provide each character's ultimate Persona, excluding Jun Kurosu's Black Condor mask which was retrieved prior to the beginning of the game.
- Tatsuya Suou: Red Hawk
- Eikichi Mishina: Yellow Owl
- Lisa Silverman: Pink Argus
- Maya Amano: Blue Swan
- Jun Kurosu: Black Condor
In the opening movie of the PSP remake, shelves hanging the Phoenix Ranger Featherman R masks appear briefly at a festival vendor.
Persona 3
Ken Amada is embarrassed that he owns a Phoenix Ranger Featherman R action figure, since he's already established precocious maturity as an impression to his fellow SEES members. The show can be watched on the TV in the dorm every Sunday.
List of Episodes:
- Episode 10: Instant Ramen Smorgasbord: Feather Swan!
- Episode 14: Lovebomb!
- Episode 15: High School Combat!
- Episode 16: Confusion in the Presses!
- Episode 17: The Priestess' Revival
- Episode 18: Death of a Condor
- Episode 19: Believe in Yourself!
- Episode 20: Married Life
- Episode 21: Trash Monster on the Move!
- Episode 22
- Episode 23: Here Comes a New Challenger!
- This episode included a special Apathy Syndrome announcement from Feather Condor.
- Episode 24: Giant Robot March! Icaras! Garuda! Combine!
- Episode 25: The Shadow's Half-Smile!
- Episode 34: Hawk's Betrayal!
- Episode 35: Passenger Pigeon Romance!
- Episode 36: Ant-Guy, The Walking Appetite!
- Episode 37: Here Comes The Emperor!
- Episode 38: Hammer Ambush!
The Movie
Midsummer Knight's Dream
Five masks of Phoenix Ranger Featherman R can be seen at the Summer Festival on display.
Persona 4
Kanji Tatsumi admits to having been a fan in his childhood. Naoto Shirogane's dungeon, Secret Laboratory, is also referenced as being similar to many of the secret bases found in such shows. In his job as caretaker, the protagonist watches as the children act out moves from the show. One kid in particular, Yuuta, enjoyed watching the show as he gets along with his stepmother Eri Minami.
In the events of the True Ending, Teddie will reference Phoenix Ranger Featherman R if talked to at the entrance to Marukyu Striptease by saying "I'll protect everyone! Phoenix Ranger Featherman Bear!"
Golden
In Persona 4 Golden, all the playable characters have Neo Featherman costumes that can be purchased from Okina City's Croco Fur.
- Protagonist: Feather Hawk (Red). The color of the leader as noted by everyone. Yukiko wonders whether she'd fight over the color if she was a boy.
- Yosuke: Feather Owl (Yellow). Yosuke wonders if he is the fat one, and Chie asks whether he likes curry.
- Chie: Feather Parakeet (Green). She remarks that green is the healing one. Teddie imagines her kicking down trees when she says that its the color of nature.
- Yukiko: Feather Argus (Pink). Chie did not expect Yukiko to watch tokusatsu shows, prompting her to say that "unless we defeat evil, we can forget about a bright future!" Game description refers to her as Feather Asas.
- Kanji: Feather Falcon (Black). Chie remarks that Kanji is better suited for the evil characters like the four kings that were defeated early in the show.
- Naoto: Feather Swan (Blue). Chie notes that the smart one wears blue, and Naoto explains further that Swan is the youngest in the group, but also a master tactician.
- Teddie: Feather Horned Owl (White). Teddie refers to himself as the Tidy Endorphin Power Stranger, which is a wordplay reference to Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (which was an early-90s American adaptation of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger).
The Animation
Kids at the Inaba day care center are shown playing with a Neo Featherman toy, a giant robot. When Yu Narukami offers to pay for it, after the toy is broken, it is shown to cost 68,000 yen (roughly $700).
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
"Death must not be needlessly feared. But it must not needlessly be desired as well. Face it and fight, Featherman!"
Yukari Takeba becomes an actress and plays the role of Pink Argus in the most recent incarnation of the show, Phoenix Ranger Featherman Victory. Her weapon, created by Kikuno Saikawa, is based on the ultimate bow she uses from the show. In Yukari's epilogue much to her surprise learns that Mitsuru watches "Featherman V" since her best friend is one of the shows stars.
Persona 5
Futaba Sakura owns a set of figures from the show in her room. Her room also has posters of it.
Devil Survivor 2
In one of his events, Joe mentions that he is a fan of the manga "Featherman: From The Ashes."
Gallery
| Persona 2 Innocent Sin | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Red Hawk mask.
Yellow Owl mask.
Pink Argus mask.
Blue Swan mask.
Black Condor mask.
Joker with the masks.
Child Tatsuya as Red Hawk
Child Eikichi as Yellow Owl
Child Lisa as Pink Argus
Child Jun as Black Condor
|
| Persona 4 Golden | ||
|---|---|---|
The Featherman outfits in Persona 4 Golden
|
| Persona 4 Arena Ultimax | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yukari pre-transformation
Yukari as Pink Asas with the cast of Featherman V
Group shot of the cast, number two
Yukari posing with the "Ultimate Bow"
Yukari using the move "Miracle Feather Arrow"
A clear head shot of Yukari
|
| Persona 4: Dancing All Night | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yu as Feather Hawk
Yosuke as Feather Owl
Chie as Feather Parakeet
Yukiko as Feather Asas
Kanji as Feather Falcon
Naoto as Feather Swan
Teddie as Feather Horned Owl
Rise as Feather Shoebill
|
Trivia
- Phoenix Ranger Featherman R is an homage to the real life Tokusatsu series Chōjin Sentai Jetman (which in turn is an homage to Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman), having similar details and episode synopses between them. The characters also share the same names (except for Pink Argus and Blue Swan, whose Jetman counterparts are White Swan and Blue Swallow respectively).
- Johnny Yong Bosch, the English VA for Yu Narukami is known for portraying Adam Park in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers, Power Rangers Zeo and Power Rangers Turbo. Yu's seiyuu, Daisuke Namikawa also has done some work for Super Sentai, Power Rangers' Japanese counterpart of which Featherman is a parody of.
- Yukari's leading role as Feather Pink in Persona 4 Arena Ultimax can be counted as one of the few references were the pink "ranger" is depicted as the main hero. In one of Yukari's victory poses she performs, albeit a single variant version, of a pose akin to the iconic Super Sentai stances as a subtle reference to them.