When Super Sentai Seasons Have Weird Looking Mecha Mixed With Good Production And Writing
While watching Zyuohger after a couple of episodes (and I am FEELING POSITIVE about the show in contrast to some Super Sentai seasons as of late) I really wanted to write this entry. There's a couple of Super Sentai shows that are great from both the old school and the new school. Some of them are awesome shows with awesome mecha while others can be a good show but give you a good show but wait, the mecha is really weird or maybe you might say it's UGLY. I feel like I'm going to enjoy Zyuohger but can't stop commenting that mecha designs aren't really good. I remembered how I felt ToQGer was uninspired with the ugly mecha never mind that some of my favorite Super Sentai seasons really have really "ugly mecha".
80s Super Sentai were perhaps where weird mecha really abound. While Hirohisa Soda is celebrated for being a good writer but I felt like that some mecha in the 80s Super Sentai were really weird. If I can name a few really weird designs one can talk about coneheaded robots like Goggle Robo, Dyna Robo and Change Robo. Maskman had Great Five as a terrific design but I felt like laughing at Galaxy Robo especially with the tit guns. Liveman's Live Robo and Live Boxer were crude concepts for animal mecha which were fortunately improved in later seasons. Some of these shows were celebrated for good writing but I can't help but still laugh at some designs. Soda may have written some pretty good shows but he was also accompanied by really weird looking mecha.
The 90s era design for mecha for me were the best. Shows that had great script and great mecha for me were like Jetman, Dairanger, Carranger, Megaranger, Gingaman and GoGoFive. Zyuranger may have had great mecha but I don't really think it's all that great but it did refine the concept of animal mecha. Carranger managed to improve Turboranger's automobile mecha concept to whole new levels with cool-looking combinations. Megaranger really had badass mecha with really good writing. GoGoFive really shows really good writing and mecha. I guess this was also the time when you can say when there was really care for the quality of both show and toys. This was the era where there were a couple of good head writers for Super Sentai such as the late Noboru Sugimura, Junki Takegami and Yasuko Kobayashi. It's also the era when Judd Lynn started to introduce better stuff for later seasons of Power Rangers during the late 90s.
Timeranger for me was pretty much another era of weird looking mecha but you get a great show. I didn't really like Timeranger's mecha nor did I find it all that cool-looking but there's a lot of cool stuff to offer. Then came more good shows with weird looking mecha. While I personally prefer Abaranger over Zyuranger but I can't deny how I thought the Bakuryus felt like they came from Barney's show instead of really badass-looking mecha. Shinkenger had origami x animal themed mecha which really made me think if a group of kids did the designs but it was a pretty good show. I just wonder how did Super Sentai and Power Rangers toy sales fare during last 2000-2010 considering that there was a lot of awkward looking mecha? But I guess good writing got people interested in buying the awkward looking toys anyway. I always felt that way that no matter how "ugly" the mecha may look but if it's a good show, I'm willing to buy the toys.
While feeling positive for Zyuohger in spite of the "Minecraft mecha" or "Minecraft Megazord" issue, the issue ends up with the writing and production over mecha design to define quality. A show may have cool mecha designs but may not have that much of good writing. I may be a fan of Boukenger and I'll admit that the mecha there is pretty much badass IMO but I felt like Shinkenger beats that show. Zyuranger may have better designs but Abaranger ends up having better writing and execution. What makes Carranger better than Turboranger is not the mecha design but the consistency in writing. GoGoFive has better mecha than Fiveman but it's the writing that makes it better. It's always been about what the writers and producers bring to the table and not too much on the designs and the pretty faces. You can have a lot of great mecha and pretty faces but if there's really bad writing then it fails. Go and figure it out yourself.
Let's talk MECHAS!
ReplyDelete1975-1976 was just giant planes.
1979 the beginning of a new era.
Battle Fever Robo was a generic samurai based bot and 14 years later Dairenoh would imitate the look
Then Dai Denzi is the first transforming Robo with Vul Robo as the 1st combined mecha. Goggle Robo is the 1st cone headed three piece Robo next to Dyna Robo ironically Goggle Robo only allow Red, Yellow and Blue to pilot it while Black and Pink stand outside and watch the fights and the three piece seems to be very popular thanks to the 70s/80s Robo shows. Bio Robo is the return of the two piece combo. Change Robo, had the biggest head in Sentai history and man it's the dullest Robo to date.
King Flash would continue the three piece trend until 1990 and Flashman would introduce the second Robo which is a truck.
Maskman's Great Five is the 1st of the five piece combo which would be a household digit in Sentai the 2nd would also be a truck as well.
Live Robo is the return of the 3 piece but because of the 2 additional warrior arrival and their MECHAS as well. It it combine into a bigger super Robo still playing with 5 mechas it would be the final year of the carrier which was started with Denziman.
In 1989, final year of the decade and cars is the crazy theme and it has a lasting memories, the second mecha is a jet fighter and Turbo Ranger would have a battle base.
Until next article and we are the 90s kids!
Enter the 90s with Fiveman.
ReplyDeleteCooler much colorful MECHAS and the Five Robo is the return of the 3 mechas but the unique thing is that besides a robot it also transforms into a convoy liner which would begin the trend of the United Battle Formation. Also with Max Magma, it would be the final battle base until Dekaranger.
Jetman would have the Jet Icarus and brings the 5 piece back for good. It would combine into a one piece aircraft of Jet Icarus. A second but awkward looking Bird Garuda which transforms into a bird headed human robot.
And of course the child like Tetra Boy that turns into a cannon similar to Flashman's Titan Boy.
Jetman would mark the final year of cliché writing where the 2nd Mecha is introduced when COINCIDENTALLY the primary mecha is totaled.
1992 a new era that would totally change Super Sentai and brings it in the U.S. consumption.
We have Daizyujin a Robo that most Transformers fans would imagine what the Dinobots could have formed if they where made for that type of combat.
Dragon Ceasar would highlight the 6th Warrior and with some parts of the primary Robo becomes the hype looking KyoryuJin. And finally King Brachion would bring in the battle tank that combines into something massive!!!
1993 Dai Ranger cool Sentai comes with cool mechas. The Red mecha of Ryuseioh is alone a transforming battle mecha that can combine into the Chinese Samurai Dai RenOh.
Won Tiger is the repeat of the 6th warrior Robo that borrows the core members robot to form Kiba Dai Oh.
And of cores the giant Turtle Tank Daimugen. Dairangers would be the first to offer Daijinryu a rouge mecha as part of the toy line up.
Enter the Ninja that is 1994. Kakuranger did not stop with Muteki Shogun which is the first humanoid component robots that transforms into the current robot. There is the falcon based Tsubasa Maru that combines with Muteki and Kakure Dai Shogun which is the first Sentai to offer a second set mecha. Still in debate is he a 6th Warrior or just a Mecha? Ninjaman I say he is both wrapped into one!!!
It's 1995 and it's the 20th anniversary Oh Ranger. Creative comes with Oh Robo and the personality helmets.
Red Puncher a non transforming robot would mark that a Red leader gets two Robo.
The King Pyramider is the first of 6th Warrior to have a giant battle based mecha. Oh Blocker a unique shaped robots. Another child like sentient robot in the form of Tackle Boy which is a football player looking robot that turns into a wheel as Galaxy Robo was the first Football player Robo. Finally the sentient but useless robot of Gun Majin that transforms into a Easter Island head.
The end of part 1
Continue with 1996, after the dismal failure in ratings and possibly merchandise. Carrangers is created and lucky enough the ratings, fan base and interest definitely had the Gekisou push it needed and we have the return of cars which was almost scary as Turborangers had a lot of negative reaction from hard core Sentai fans. RV Robo was a flashier(no pun intended) Robo with a lot of fog lights. He's better then the later crappy Car inspired Robo 12 years later but still can't beat Turbo Robo! Of course 9 years before its time, Sirender would be the 6th Warrior's trusty transforming pursuit vehicle (Prowl eat your autobot heart out!). Of course no team after 1995 should be without a 2nd set of Robots so VRV Robo is introduced and unlike the other mechas. The single vehicles do transform into robots and also combine. Transformer fans now has Sentai envy.
ReplyDeleteOf course a giant trailer robot is added with the unofficial 7th Warrior with the Victrailer.
It's 1997 and it is back to basics again and with serious and wholesome series to grow up and remember. Digitize Megarangers. With that the return of a single space ship transforming Galaxy Mega well it's two as the head is the shuttle. Galaxy Mega is hi tech design into the future. Of course a second robot for backup is needed and Delta Mega is in to transform into something bigger.
So much hysteria would not stop a 5 set robot and Mega Voyager is introduced. And let's not forget our 6th Warrior's Mega Winger.
1997 was a great series but we have to go to the next Galaxy.
1998 is in and Gingaman is the team.
Ginga Oh which is Daizyujin with out the Dinosaurs but animals. Though not fully used in action but the five creatures are organic and becomes metallic in must scenes to speed up action of course! Also the team powers up and Ginga Oh gets the Super Armour Shine which it would look more like God Sigma!
Then we have the 6th Warrior of Bullblack/Hyuga and the either one would grow tall and a red robotic form to combine with a bull like Armour to become Go Taurus.
We need more robots, their overkill but useless. We have a series of drone machines both air and the other land. Air is Ginga Pheonix and Land is Ginga Rhino which also includes a shark like carrier named Ginga Bitus which is a homage to Sunvulcan's Jaguar Vulcan.
The end is near and let's party like it's 1999. The planet alignment of the cross did actually occurred and the writing has demonic like villains planning to wipe earth clean. To the Rescue we have GoGoV.
A homage to the super rescue series, Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds and autobot Defensor. We have Victory Robo in action. Though started in episode 1, those liner train that delivers the robots. Those five trains would for the titanic Grand Liner.
It doesn't stop with two set of robots, a space cruiser set forms Victory Mars and a series not including a 6th Warrior. The triple changer if not the first in super Sentai, Liner boy is added and is cheaply considered the 6th Member who unlike most of the heroes, can't hang out with the five as Liner Boy is too big. Kyoko never stayed as Sieg Jeanne and Titanium ranger is mostly made by Saban.
GoGo V would mark a end of a era and end of a century in whole.
The millennium is near and see you in the future!!!
P.S. Going back to 1990, Fiveman would introduce the Star Five Robo. Like the series before them it too transforms into a fighter jet.
I think older Mecha is not ugly, but the design in that era was just like that. After more mechanic films have been introduced like Gundam, Evangelion, etc, Sentai has to improve their mecha design too. But honestly, older mecha really looks like a cracker tin, hahaha
ReplyDelete