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and Dairanger, doing reach on them and of course, began my campaign (in a way) to get rid of Haim Saban, writing unpublished documents why I hated Power Rangers, I insisted, "It's fake!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

Comments

  1. Reading the 1st article, I know how you feel! I was your exact age when I 1st saw MMPR and it felt very artificial!!!
    Then I saw clips and pieces in B-Club and Yuuchusen magazine. And I knew I was cheated!!!

    Finally the VHS solution, within a year I got educated with at that time 16 Super Sentais as Kakuranger was the latest.I watched MMPR here and there but I stopped totally in 1996?


    Funny thing as it's a small world. Jillun or Jill Sylvan, I never meet her in person but I first knew who she was because she wrote a article on a Antarctic Press magazine about Sentai (Jetman-Dairanger).

    Then in the 2Ks I saw her website and we both became sort of penpals. She was extremely neurotic and bi-polar moody almost unstable!!!
    I was joking around and talking down on Ryu Tendo(still do). And she flipped on talk down on RedMask Takeru. The funny thing with her is she is only well acquainted with only selected 90s series as she was not or maybe not interested with the the other decades!!!
    My last conversation was her knowledge with the Zyu 2 scenes as she screams and argue after 3 seasons there is no Oyster, Parrot, Pumpkin or Mantis monsters shown by Saban !!!!!! So I just left it at that and lost interest in conversing with her as she was totally out there.
    She lives in Japan and teaches English and what I saw in her website is she is loosing interest on the series.

    With the test of time I too got to understand the reason why MMPR exist as it is the only way to bring Sentai in the U.S. which is sad. They are doing a MMPR reboot movie and I am very excited!! (NOT)

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    1. I believe the MMPR movie will be a product of Mr. Krabs' cheapness.

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  2. I know exactly how you feel, but I still feel that way!! My first sentai series I ever saw completely was Magiranger, from then on, I feel Saban cheated my viewing of MMPR from seasons 1-3. Instead of making those seasons as continuing arcs, each season should of been its own stand alone story. However, Saban didn't want to take the risk of changing he suits , I guess in fear of affecting toy sales, but I know children would still buy ranger toys cause it was a show that had martial art action, which kids at the time loved!!!
    As a sentai purists, I can't ever see MMPR in a good light, except for Time Force, Lost in Space, Lost Galaxy, and Ninja Storm, and those I can barely watch
    To anyone that loves MMPR, good for them, but for me, I cant stand it. I'm all about sentai, kamen rider and tokusatsu shows like Garo, Ryukendo, Shaider, etc.
    P.S. the new MMPR movie I'm guessing wont be good cause no one really cares that much about a PR movie, but I'll watch the trailer just to see how they "update" it

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    1. MMPR overextending was terrible. It really killed all the potential the show had. I'm glad that changed later on but still... I can't forget how decayed everyone was becoming in that time. -_-

      Time Force, Lost Galaxy and Njina Storm for me are decent.

      By the way, that is PR in Space not Lost in Space (it's a mess).

      For the movie, ain't excited about it, I predict a disaster!

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  3. My bad on "PR in Space" typo!!
    Time Force was in my opinion, the closest to its sentai counterpart in PR history! It dealt with borderline mature lines, great action, great story, great character development, good villains.....its just AWESOME!!!
    As for the movie, I dont see why its being made but your right it'll be a hue disaster that no one will really care for

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    1. I could care less about deviating as long as it's done right. Lost Galaxy imo felt more like a Changeman/Flashman type of show than Gingaman and Trakeena felt the closest thing to PR's version of Ahames from Changeman.

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  4. True, PR doesnt have to be a carbon copy of its sentai counterpart, but Lost Galaxy have some of the major elements of Gingaman, like the Leo/Mike and Ryouma/Hyuuga storyline, also BullBlack aka Magna Defender arc. But PR in is totality really just was too kiddish and try too much to keep it a kids program, while Super Sentai is obviously a show that kids, teens, and adults can watch cause some of the jokes, action, etc are more mature themed to me

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    1. The Magna Defender uses the Aura Changer to change, now tell me if that's a total rip off!!!
      I prefer the original He-Man henshin that Hyuuga worked well with.

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    2. MAN THAT WAS A COMPLETE SLAP IN THE FACE!!!!!!!! They were to SCAREDDDDDDDD to use the dairanger suits in season 2 of MMPR cause toy sales could plummet and the show could lose ratings, but when Saban productions decided to finally do stand alone seasons, they use the Aura Changer for the Magna Defender to morph?!?!?!?!?!?!? ����������

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    3. Like in Gingaman, Magna Defender I died as well... and you might as well as Leo/Mike.

      On the other hand, I felt like Trakeena was an attempt to remake Ahames in Changeman. Both were cruel characters who manipulates people for their own convenience.

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