Why I Stopped Being a Super Sentai Purist

Back then as a child, I always thought Power Rangers was a Sentai-inspired show, it was Saban's original production when it was actually a show that Saban produced with Toei's permission.  I was around 15-16 as a hormone driven, problematic teenager when I discovered about Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger with the Internet.  I discovered MMPR was based on Zyuranger then it took footages from Dairanger and Kakuranger... woah I started to get shattered and then, I started to campagain against Power Rangers.  I started seeing Sentai raw on Youtube... which started to make me think, "Woah my childhood is a LIE!"  Then it began, my hate campaign against Power Rangers.

I did some research on Zyuranger, I landed on Jillun's website , I also went to Rovang's website and started finding out about Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger and more.  I started to be that enraged fanboy and said, "Why in the world did Power Rangers have to exist?!"  So I started that hate campaign, that smear campaign against Power Rangers and of course, wishing to threaten and endanger the well-being of Haim Saban whose name is carried into Power Rangers.  So yeah, I was too LAZY to read credits back then, which Toei was credited in the process of making Power Rangers.  So I had my smear campaign in mind though I held it back more than once then it came back again.  I would admit Power Rangers' lack of serious plots, bland humor most of the time (Bulk and Skull were really annoying me), a lot of bad plot (Zordon era), lack of awesome moments (made me do "It's more fun to be a purist thing.") and then I just thought, "That's it, I'm gonna destroy Power Rangers, mwahahahahaha!!!!"  I even whined why ABIas-CBN showed MMPR instead of Zyuranger, unaware MMPR was still part of my cherished memories and I hated to admit it.  Though at that time, I threw away all my PR stuff and swore to myself to become a Super Sentai purist!  If my memory serves me right, I threw away all my Kimberly Hart related stuff too. =P

So I began reading episode synopsis' of Zyuranger and Dairanger, doing reach on them and of course, began my campaign (in a way) to get rid of Haim Saban, writing unpublished documents why I hated Power Rangers, I insisted, "It's fake!  It's fake! Saban should go to jail and Toei should sue him into OBLIVION!"  Every time somebody told me about the latest Power Rangers series, I only would say, "Oh the real version is Dekaranger." when somebody told me about Power Rangers SPD.  But at the same time, I was simply rechecking some Power Rangers seasons that aired like Wild Force and Ninja Storm, which at that time, I would admit I was on my way to taking a break from Tokusatsu, unhappy with the changes that happened.  As you know, I can easily loathe change.

So then on, I took my break from Tokusatsu (or not) and was into Kung Fu movies. But by that time, that "break" made me realize all the credits I saw of Wild Force and Ninja Storm with, "Based on (insert Sentai season)" and realized Toei allowed Power Rangers to exist because of cultural reasons.  Remembering myself having watched and later loathed Voltron, I started to look into Golion which was more realistic.  Then I started to watch Lost Galaxy and Time Force on cable TV for fun, since I loath the current state of Pinoy TV, I said, "Hey there are some decent seasons!"  I starte dto think that Power Rangers is still an essential part of Toei's merchandising.  Saban Entertainment, Disney and Saban Brands pay royalties for footage, costumes, etc. that they were using in the production of Power Rangers.

It entered my head that while I was blogging, no, I just can't hate Power Rangers but it did almost return during the Kalish era but I had to put it under control.  Okay I hated most of the Zordon arc but if it wasn't for Power Rangers, Toei won't enter the American market!  If it wasn't for Saban and Disney, Toei won't earn much money!  And Power Rangers began to introduce original concepts that Sentai later copied.  Although the Kamen Riders and Super Sentai appeared together on stage shows, but Saban brought the idea on-screen but it was shelved, the formula was later done in Decade in a better way and later, ToQger meets Gaim!  I have to admit that checking both sides from Rovang's website which stopped at Hurricanger, I was surprised to how Moak was a Zordon-inspired mentor or I may want to admit it THAT nothing's completely original.  You may want to check out that Japan localized Marvel too!  And later, Magiranger vs. Dekaranger gave Jacks' Battlizer to Ban!  And let's face it, Power Rangers became the only way that Toei can reach America because Super Sentai doesn't pass TV-Y7-FV standard and even if it will, cultural differences will abound.

Easily, I really would admit that although Power Rangers isn't exactly top but I realize that I still just can't hate it... I was probably just pretending to hate it.  In fact, my blog started to be visited by Power Rangers fans.  So what happened was that, after some "inner searching" I realized, I just regret why I even got into my Power Rangers hatred in the first place!  Without Power Rangers, Toei would have no foothold in America!  All I can say is, I simply can choose not to watch Power Rangers if I don't like it, I don't need to hate it, I've learned to respect it because it's still part of Toei!  And I started to even think Power Rangers was also responsible for why I stopped my Chinese supremacist thinking as well!

Read also this article from Toku Warriors:

Why Super Sentai Purists Don't Often Blame Toei for Power Rangers' Existence