Samurai Sentai Shinkenger is the 33rd installment in the Super Sentai franchise, a Japanese superhero series that aired from 2009 to 2010, featuring samurai who use Japanese kanji and origami-themed mecha to fight evil spirits called the Gedoushu. The story follows the 18th head of the Shiba clan, Takeru Shiba, as he gathers four retainers to form the Shinkengers and protect the world from the Gedoushu, who seek to flood the human world with water from the Sanzu River. The series is known for its traditional Japanese themes, Jidaigeki (period drama) elements, and was the basis for the Power Rangers Samurai adaptation.