Turborangers: Was it the Trope Codifier to "Teenagers with Attitude"?
TV Tropes (which well can be a place to argue sad to say) has called Turboranger with the trope "Recruit Teenagers with Attitude" to which the page on "Teenagers with Attitude" has said this, "Kosoku Sentai Turboranger is probably the Trope Codifier as it's the first Sentai to consist of just teenagers, but they've yet to be referred as 'Teenagers with Attitude' (this was before Power Rangers was even conceived in his current form)." This brings us to the fact that Turboranger premiered in 1989 and MMPR premiered in 1993 quite a few years apart. Now to define the word "attitude" as defined:
1.) The arrangement of the parts of the body or figure: posture
2.) A position assumed for a specific purpose
3.) A ballet position similar to the arabesque in which the raised leg is bent at the knee
4.) a: a mental position with regard to a fact or state
b: a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state
5.) The position of an aircraft or spacecraft determined by the relationship between its axis and a reference datum
6.) An organismic state of readiness to respond in a characteristic way or situation
7.) a: a negative or hostile stater of mind, b: a cool, cocky, defiant or arrogant manner
In the tropes page of Turboranger you may read:
"Preceded, even the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers in this situation. Granted, Chiron has the justification that they saw her kin int he past but there are other kids who saw her that way but.. maybe they lack attitude so they do not get chosen."
The term "Teenagers with Attitude" can be very, very vague. In fact, the first time I saw Turboranger before I saw MMPR, Seelon kinda seemed dump to choose teenagers to fight to save the world. To my own interpretation, teenagers with attitude can mean these for this trope:
1.) teenagers with the attitude to save the world
2.) teenagers who are having the state of readiness to save the world
Perhaps that's what was really meant by the trope. But it can be very vague indeed leading to some opinion clashes here since teenagers with attitude can also mean overbearing teenagers.
Just reading this making me nostalgic. Turboranger is my very 1st Super Sentai and I did not see in till 1990 through the Toei Hero Club VHS.
ReplyDeleteWell speaking about nostalgia, the series premiered in 1989 and it was the final series of the 80s and it was also the year my life changed. I mean whatching Black Rain give me that feeling.
Anyway the majority of the characters are not full of attitude but all Zen like. DAICHI is calm and calculating one, Shunsuke is the comedic relief. Haruna is the sophisticated lady character. But as warriors of peace and order they will throw down. The other two however are attitude driven.
However in MMPR, Jason, Zach, Kimberly and Tommy are the only ones with "attitude".
Super Sentai only has two series with Teenager High School themes. I guess Japan has little interest for that theme whereas the U.S. have a fascination for that theme.