So Chojin Sentai Jetman Not Gekisou Sentai Carranger Saved Super Sentai?


So I read from Tokusatsu News Network a couple of days ago that Jetman, not Carranger saved Super Sentai. I still remembered the shock I had when I realized this fact: Fiveman wasn't well-received and the show was problematic during its airing. I even think that as much as I want to see Fiveman all over again, I still think that GoGoFive is miles better as a family-based Super Sentai.

There was the Hirohisa Soda era where he served as the head writer for Goggle V, Dynaman, Bioman, Changeman, Flashman, Maskman, Liveman, Turboranger and Fiveman for nine consecutive seasons. He started to show signs of burning out during Turboranger and met his inevitable burnout during Fiveman. Fiveman nearly cancelled Super Sentai so I guess Jetman was meant to be a "finale" but instead, it opened up another era. Producer Takeyuki Suzuki soon worked with Toshiki Inoue for Chojin Sentai Jetman. The Soda era came to its closure with the great writer meeting his inevitable burnout.

I've heard much praise for the show from fans during its time. I guess the new approach by Toshiki Inoue (who has worked some episodes in Flashman, Maskman, Liveman, Turboranger and Fiveman) was assigned as the head writer for 29 episodes. Other contributors were Kenichi Araki and Naruhisa Arakawa. So Jetman was a "mixed bag" since I found that whole Dryer Jigen episode as a "misfit episode". I was thinking that episode may have worked in Zyuranger or Abaranger but not with Jetman. The show may have had a different approach that fans of Super Sentai were interested. So Jetman ended up from an intended "finale" to a "transitional era" or it may be a "finale" for the pre-Zyuranger era. Then maybe, we can all think of Zyuranger as a door to a new era. I'd call it the opening of the start of Power Rangers era or the Post-Zyuranger era.


How popular was Jetman? It merited itself to have a TV Encyclopedia AND a non-canon Manga sequel three years later. Both events didn't reconcile to each other since in the TV special, Ryu and Kaori had a son they named Gai. In the Manga, Ryu and Kaori had a daughter they named Aya. Inoue penned the whole TV Encyclopedia so officially, Radiguet never returned nor was Jeffry Kensaki ever Gai Yuki's official replacement.

I can't deny Jetman's popularity has fans call it the "Best Super Sentai ever". But is it? Not really. There's a lot of better series out there before it or after it. Sometimes, I think Maskman's love story was better written. I think Dairanger is probably more preferred to by Power Rangers fans than Jetman. Maybe some Power Rangers fans can respect Jetman but I feel like they prefer Dairanger which is another favorite of mine. But Dairanger didn't have a post-series TV special nor did it have a Manga sequel.

Just a bit of trivia: Carranger's ratings weren't much higher than Ohranger either. If any series had a much higher rating than Ohranger - it was Megaranger. Plus, Toei hasn't even confirmed that idea neither did any of the Carranger casts. As a fan of the series, I like it as I like it but if it were really true, why didn't Carranger get a post-TV series special or a non-canon Manga sequel? None. It's really a problem when fans create rumors like "Lost Galaxy is more popular in Japan." or "Mighty Morphin' is more popular in Japan." The same may have happened with how Carranger fans ended up creating the rumor that Carranger saved Super Sentai when it didn't. So what's the next rumor going to be?

After Jetman, a couple of other shows apparently had more or less the same treatment. Timeranger had a post TV-series clip featuring all 23 Super Sentai series (Goranger up to GoGoFive) before Gaoranger becomes the 25th anniversary but no non-canon Manga sequel for it. Shinkenger later had a post-series OVA instead of an encyclopedia but I felt like a hero encyclopedia could have been more welcome. But other less popular series like Goseiger, Kyoryuger, ToQGer and Ninninger also had post-series specials for some reason.

Comments

  1. I guess different generation has a different taste. If this series truly saved the franchise from cancellation then do remember this series is dark if not nightmarish and the villains are playing for keeps. I think I would have been in the same band wagon with this show like everybody else if 100% of the characters where like able if not functional!

    Even though Super Sentai ratings is as flimsy as a wet noodle, Gobuster which is both original and dark as well was the first series to ask TOEI to axe the franchise completely but Kyoryugers topped that notion!

    Here is my quick personal experience to Jetman. Before MMPR aired, and from 1990-1993. I browse through Hobby Japan model magazine and a lot of Tokusatsu was advertised and Jetman was one of them. I was not judgemental about it nor negative as I never seen it. Then during 1994 when I was going full throttle with Tokusatsu and my life would change. My first VHS volume was 5(DVD technology was not yet developed in the mid 90s)
    It was the volume that contained the Jet Striker bazooka and Empress Juuza. What killed it for me was too much whinyness and Reita and Kaoru alone hurt my head of Jetman and that is all I needed to rate this series a F.
    My friend and Toku comrade analyzed and ripped it apart further! Somewhere down the line I got more episodes from 1-14,21-26. Nothing positive changed for me but 8 years later I would get final volume which showed the infamous end and introduce of gears and MECHAS. It had some moments here and there and I saw put favorite bad boy Gai Yuuki changed into literally a Cool Guy!

    I finally got them all on a hard drive and I am taking my eternal time with them.

    Now when 2016 ends, I wonder if the bird motif will be used once again as Animals, Cars, Ninja, Dinosaurs has ran its course!

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  2. I am a weird people because most of Super Sentai series I love is low rated, such as Goseiger and Gobuster. And I also do like Fiveman. I think it is the best sibling theme. However, I am shocked to read the information you post. I agree with Cyber9989, everyone has their own taste.

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    1. Most of the Sentai series these days are very much forgotten and left in mediocre void. Most viewers old and young are going to forget Dynaman, 帥, Turboranger ect.

      Those series will stay alive if we see them once again.
      Before Kyoryugers-ZyuOhgers came,went and still airing. Gobusters was creamed verbally by fans alike and our boy Sean Akizuki show no mercy. But when these series later on aired, Gobusters is revered as classic as Dairangers. Zyurangers, Gokaigers.

      As bad as some of these shows are, I like to give some time until I can cheer or jeer!

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  3. why do people need to hate underrated sentai

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