Super Sentai Seasons I Could Also Count as "Experimental Seasons" After Goranger and JAKQ

Super Sentai for me felt like I could count were also experimental seasons because they tested a lot of new stuff. Here are they and don't worry, I love some of them so much while the others are also still memorable:


Battle Fever J- It started the Super Sentai trend but later, we see Goranger and JAKQ were added. It was the first series to introduce a giant robot which was made to fight against the giant version of the monsters of the week.


Denzi Sentai Denjiman can be viewed as a draft season for me because it introduced what would be the "standard" suits for Super Sentai although this season didn't introduce the spandex. Stuff that were introduced were namely the transforming robot, enlarging monsters and the evil queen concept in Hedrian played by Soga Machiko.


Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan- This was probably another one. Fantasy Leader stated this was an overrated season. I haven't seen Sun Vulcan completely but I'd like to. For one, this was the only team that stayed with three males and never had additional members from start to finish. Of course this was also the first team to have a red ranger change as well due to contractual issues. I don't know why another season like Sun Vulcan doesn't exist anymore. =(


Kagaku Sentai Dynaman- This was the first scientific season and it also introduced the wearing of spandex. For the villains, I thought that it introduced the first really racist faction in Jashinka and the first father/son villain team in Aton and Megiddo as well as the first female midseason arrival villain in Zenobia and the first midseason upgrade of monsters.


Chodenshi Bioman- It broke the mold of having only one female to having two females and the first female yellow ranger. The team in itself was introduced with multiple finishing moves, the first rebel ranger (Mika who sadly didn't last long), the first female archer (Jun), the first humanoid assistant robot (Peebo) and the development of two female rangers fighting as one team. The villains in themselves had their own changes- Dr. Man introduced as the first mad scientist villain, the Big Three triumvirate, the first catwoman in Farrah Cat, the Beastnoids who only retreated after being dealt with a Bio Electron attack and later the neutral villain in Silver who stood neither by Gear or the Biomen, a concept that will later be added in later series. Should I mention Bioman's Magne Warrior was the first template for sixth rangers?


Dengeki Sentai Changeman- For the heroes, it introduced the idea of a team starting in five with a female white ranger and the first military themed one which made its way to Jetman and Ohranger. Also this was the first season to get really serious. For the villains it introduced the first multi-racial villain group as opposed to racist villain factions which also introduced the monster-enlarging creature and the first villain to die in one-on-one combat with the red ranger.


Choshinsei Flashman- It introduced the concept of heroes with a huge dilemma (the anti-Flash phenomenon) as well as the concept of a second robot. Added to that, I believe that Dr. Lee Keflen became the instrumental "Starscream" that would take over as the final villain. I would believe this series was also a necessary inspiration to Gingaman.


Hikari Sentai Maskman- It was in itself the first martial arts Sentai with the ki to one's inner power with aura power and of course the first love story Super Sentai which are reasons why I freaking love this series. I would dare say that this series was the main reason why Dairanger and Gekiranger later came to be. For the villains it presented the first love triangle between hero and villain (Takeru and Kiros for Ial) as well as the first villain to secretly disguise himself as human in Zeba and the adviser villain in Anagbas.


Chojuu Sentai Liveman- I would say this was a draft season in itself. It presented the start with three and add two more in the middle of the series, first to use actual animal-based mecha and the first to use a female blue ranger and the first super robot combination between two existing robots in the series. The basics were later integrated into the Liveman/Kakuranger hybrid that is Hurricanger.


Kosoku Sentai Turboranger- It introduced the "teenagers with attitude" concept as the Turborangers are teenagers who struggle with studies and saving the world, which they even have to keep their identity secret from everyone and introduced the first automobile themed robot, the first five piece mecha combining with the secondary robot and the first base robot which could form the first "Ultrazord".


Chikyu Sentai Fiveman- This was the first sibling team. While being the summary of most of Soda's works, this series also presented the concept of a family Super Sentai which worked itself to GogoV (which Fantasy Leader loves a lot) and to Magiranger though the three have different themes.


Chojin Sentai Jetman- Well this introduced the all bird motif or two, the first season to actually base itself with Gatchaman, the first time that the five main mecha could combine into a jetplane, a self-operating mecha in Tetraboy and the first female commander in Aya Odagiri. The villains in themselves presented the first time that inanimate objects could be used to create monsters to do their preposterous plans and the first to introduce the idea of villains competing against each other for leadership. Maybe I should credit Radiguet as the first villain who gets despicable all the more because he keeps throwing aside every chance he could get for redemption, a messy love polygon (Ryu, Gai, Kaori, Raita, Radiguet, Gure and Rie/Maria). Overall, viewed as the "best season" by me and others until today.


Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger- It introduced the first dinosaur-themed Super Sentai and the first speaking robot and the first regular sixth member. Burai was basically a more regular sixth member but sadly he died maybe it was arranged all along. Also for the villains, it introduced the first villain husband and wife team in Griforther and Lami which may have inspired Lord Zedd's marriage to Rita in MMPR and the husband/wife main villain team in Ohranger. Abaranger and Kyoryuger were dinosaur based as well.


Ninja Sentai Kakuranger- I'd say this was the first purely Japanese season. For the heroes, this was the first season to use a female leader than a male leader and also introduced a secondary combining mecha and the first mecha to be made of five humanoid mecha. The second Japanese-themed season was Shinkenger.


Gekisou Sentai Carranger- Carranger in itself is the first comedy season which actually introduced overtechnology weapons in itself for the heroes. However it also was basically inspired by Turboranger when it came to motif but used the motif imo to the fullest.


Mirai Sentai Timeranger- Maybe this is another draft season provided it showed a show with two reds, colored visors and the first one to cross 1,000 years apart. Also, this was the first season that chose to rather recapture than kill the alien criminals that break loose and the first detective series. Dekaranger apparently took the detective theme from this series but added the concept of "delete approved". This also introduced other dramatic plots like Ayase having an incurable disease and the first alien member (but that concept was from Power Rangers in Space with Andros being an alien).


Hyajakuu Sentai Gaoranger- Gaoranger started to cut some trends of combining mecha and began introducing the concept of multi-gattai. Other than that, a lot of ideas here weren't really first but rather a good reuse of older ideas except the villain concept of the Orgs was unique with its ever-changing leadership which worked its way to the finale. The multi-gattai concept seems to be the most welcome these days as Abaranger, Boukenger, Gekiranger, Go-onger and Shinkenger but done in some ways different.


Gougou Sentai Boukenger This was an experimental season in the sense it introduced the first multiple villain factions, first cluster mecha and the first Nagare Bouma member in Eiji.

Any more you can add? Just add!

Comments

  1. I think in a way, you could consider Akira Momoi/Denzi Pink as the first "rebel" ranger, as she left the team at the end of the first episode (since she wanted to focus more on her tennis career as opposed to fighting baddies). It was after nearly getting raped by an invisible monster that changed her tune in the following episode.

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