Eight Super Sentai Seasons I Felt Were "Hybrids" Of Two Or More Previous Super Sentai Seasons!

Super Sentai's innovation may involve introducing an entirely new motif. Let's think about how Super Sentai had that. Goranger and JAKQ were two different motifs. Battle Fever J was trying to do Avengers x Super Sentai. Military-based Super Sentai like Goranger, Sun Vulcan, Changeman, Jetman and Ohranger have different motifs in spite of being united under the military theme. Then you have some first time motifs like Changeman had the space theme followed up by next year's Flashman (and the same pattern happened with Power Rangers in Space and Power Rangers Lost Galaxy), Turboranger with cars (and in extension teenagers with attitude). Fiveman introduced a sibling themed Super Sentai followed by GoGoFive and Magiranger yet they all had different motifs. 

The other one is to bring a theme back and modify it for the modern audience. Carranger was an upgraded version of Turboranger in terms of mecha and writing. As mentioned earlier, you can bring one motif up and blend in something new like what happened with Changeman and Jetman for military or Fiveman and GoGoFive have entirely different motifs as sibling Super Sentai. With all the motifs going on, you can go ahead and think about how you can "spice it up" by what I felt like blending two or more shows together. Now let's check these shows I felt were results of mixing two or more Super Sentai shows to create an entirely new show. 

Here are the seasons that I considered as "hybrid" Super Sentai seasons and I'll explain why:

1.) Choriki Sentai Ohranger

The finale work of Takeyuki Suzuki's rather long era from Goggle V up to this show with a total of thirteen shows as the main producer. So he wasn't the main producer from Kakuranger to Ohranger but still you can't deny what happened. So how's Ohranger a hybrid season for me? It starts off with the concept of military Super Sentai from Changeman and Jetman. But the technology feels like it was imported from Planet Bio in the form of the Pangaean technology from the Super Civilization. The war between the Super Civilization and the Baranoia Empire felt like a rewrite of Bioman's Bio vs. Anti-Bio Alliance War. The whole conflict caused Pangaea to be split after the years of war. Chief Miura learns the secrets of Baranoia and creates the Ohranger machines to combat it years later.

Okay, this was a weaker point season. It's said it may have nearly caused Super Sentai to be cancelled. The show forced a lot and I mean a lot of retools to happen going from the intended darker and edgier to lighter and softer. The whole show felt like it had Changeman's military theme while the whole military is getting technology from Planet Bio.

2.) Denji Sentai Megaranger

So Ohranger was a flunk during its time and some say that it was Megaranger and not Carranger that saved Super Sentai. I think so too though I wonder how could Super Sentai survive two consecutive ratings crash if Carranger didn't save Super Sentai? Then again, we've had that from Go-Busters up to Ninninger yet for some reason Toei still has budget for Zyuohger. Now it's time to think about Megaranger as a hybrid show.

Turboranger was the first with using the, "Let's recruit teenagers with attitude." theme. Turboranger had high school students handling the invasion of the Bouma Clan. Well they had fairy energies and enough attitude to handle Rakia's task. In Megaranger, we've had the same theme of teenagers with attitude (again) but this time they were recruited in the most weird way. Kenta was recruited because of his victory in the Megaranger arcade game. The others were simply dragged into it like the other four Jetmen. Dr. Kubota had no choice but to use teenagers with attitude as their DNA got locked into the morphers. Hmmm... but I guess he did get the team he intended: TEENAGERS WITH ATTITUDE. Fortunately for them, they didn't have the Galaxy Mega pick them up like action figures!

We've got Turboranger's teenagers with attitude (minus the cars) but the whole show itself is a revival of the science theme shows. The teenagers with attitude get focused on the harms of innovation gone wrong. They are given that suit rather than altering their biology. Dr. Hinelar is the embodiment of science gone wrong in the show. Dr. Kubota has kept the secret that he's in a scientist vs. scientist conflict with Dr. Hinelar. It reminded me of Bioman's later conflict when Doctor Man reveals he's in a scientist vs. scientist conflict with his former friend Dr. Shibata who's later revealed to be Dr. Shinichiro Gou. The show also had some Bioman elements like the Megarangers had electronic abilities, the first episode had Dr. Hinelar destroy any possible threat to his ambition of evil science and Galaxy Mega used various finishing techniques against the monsters. The show did have a bit of Flashman with manipulating life and Liveman with evil science. 

3.) Seijuu Sentai Gingaman

After watching Gingaman, I really thought of the possible influences the show had. Okay, we've had a bit of Changeman with the "Earth Power" from within. So it's a "new series" in some way for the 90s but there's a lot of throwbacks in some way. I could discuss the throwbacks with some shows that may have inspired this show.

It's possibly Dairanger minus the martial arts and Zyuranger minus the dinosaurs. The Gingamen were inheritors of the lineage and the show features the 133rd Gingamen. It inherited the mystical concepts and the show uses mystical beasts but they were of an alien origin. Like the Zyurangers, the red ranger has an older brother who becomes the sixth ranger but the way it happened is completely different. Like Dairanger, it focuses on the lineage with some mythical animals that involve the use of their Earth Power. That's already two vibes there huh? 

On the other hand, there's some Flashman vibes but I can't be too sure. Gingaman does have this "lost galaxy" every now and then mentioned like during the Starbeasts arc or that Captain Zahab has been destroying several planets in the galaxy. The series didn't take place in space though. But I can't deny there's some Flashman vibes considering that the Gingamen all threw up trained to be warriors to battle the Balban one day. They're also strangers to modern civilization. The Flashman vibes may have inspired Power Rangers Lost Galaxy to attempt to be another space-themed Power Rangers instead of a mystical treehugger Super Sentai team with powers from another galaxy. 

4.) Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger

Although Hurricanger has appeared side by side with Kakuranger but I can't deny that there's another inspiration to it. It's the second ninja theme show which I felt that Hurricanger is Kakuranger mixed with Liveman. The show may be ninja in its theme but it does have the Liveman vibes going on with its mecha and some of its plot.

Where's the Liveman vibes? Well as much as the show isn't as violent but the first episode does have the Jakanja cause a genocide at the Hayate Ninja School. The three ninjas end up finding out that they're the only ones who can battle Jakanja. While there's none of that intense, "Friends why did you join the enemy?" going on with the main cast (which for me made Liveman a better show) or the Gouraigers having the same issues with the two later cast of Liveman, but there's still the Liveman elements going on in that way.

The other area is with mecha. We had a bird mecha (hawk, not falcon), a dolphin mecha and a lion mecha and I think Senpujin is a more advanced version of the Live Robo. The other two rangers who later join have their own mecha that forms their own robot and they form Gourajin. The two robots would later combine. Unlike Liveman, the mecha was more gimmicky focused on the Kakuri Balls and there was the "obligatory sixth ranger" which never happened in Liveman. Although the mecha of the show were improved version of the Liveman mecha but IMO, Liveman wins in the writing department hands down.

5.) Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger

The second dinosaur Super Sentai of the dinosaur Super Sentai trilogy. Unlike Zyuranger, the enemies were from another dimension which we had in Jetman. The show had a few Jetman elements like the Asuka and Mahoro love story which had a better ending than the Ryu and Rie love story or that monsters were hybrids of animals and inanimate objects though a plant element was also added to complete them. Also, I feel like this show did dinosaurs better than Zyuranger not just in the mecha department but also in the writing department.

As for the hybridization of two or more Super Sentai shows, I felt like this show's a Gaoranger and Zyuranger hybrid. It carried over Zyuranger's dinosaur theme while it's actually Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers' 10th anniversary and not Zyuranger's. Like Gaoranger, the dinosaur mecha here were innovated to allow various combinations in multi-gattai combat although we only have three main heroes. Asuka didn't participate early on but would later help out the Abarangers after earning back his powers. 

6.) Jyuken Sentai Gekiranger

We had Maskman as mixed martial arts and Dairanger with Chinese martial arts. If we're going to count Maskman in, we've already had three martial arts oriented Super Sentai seasons. In the case of Gekiranger, it may share Dairanger's kung fu while it also has Gaoranger vibes in it. Hmmm... did Gaoranger become the founder for the multi-gattai mecha in Super Sentai?

If you want Dairanger themes, Gekiranger plays arond with the concept of the balance of Yin and Yang. The two schools namely the Gen Juken and the Rin Juken are like yin and yang. Both are opposing forces yet one must meet balance. The concept was done earlier in Dairanger with the Daos and Gorma that if their battle should go that far, then something big will happen and literally THAT BIG because Daijinryuu starts to show up to demand the war to end. In Gekiranger, the conflict wasn't that well-explored as the producers were probably too busy with more toys.

The Gekiranger themes happen with the use of wild animals. The first three Gekirangers have the tiger, cheetah and jaguar as the primary animals. Then you have a lot of animals getting involved to form different weapons. Unlike Gaoranger which arms or legs were replaced, the main robot combined with the auxillary mecha to form different combinations. The concept was later carried into Shinkenger. IMO, I felt like Gekiranger managed to do it better. Shinkenger didn't add too much in the multi-gattai department compared to Gekiranger. 

7.) Engine Sentai Go-onger

Yet another show that has Gaoranger's influence written all over it. It has Gaoranger's influence but you can't deny the show has these influences too written in some way. Liveman has the color coding for the first five members (though Hurricanger has more Liveman reference mecha-wise) and Carranger as it's an automobile based comedy. I wouldn't bring up Liveman too much because the three evil recurring villains here were meant to be stupid and funny. 

I think I'd discuss more on how it's a Carranger x Gaoranger comedy. The Go-on Engines are like the Cars except they've got the wild animal motifs. Okay we've had dinosaurs in the later show but you can't deny a lot of modern day animals were also used. Like Gaoranger, we have some multi-gattai going on and it's the first show to introduce the cluster mecha. But you can't deny that it has Carranger's vibes combined with Gaoranger's vibes with the show's comedy and mecha. 

So can we really say that Go-onger is the third entry of the vehicle themed show? For me yes. Turboranger started out the theme and I felt that Carranger improved on it. Go-onger may have put the Gaoranger vibes to the show all the while it still focuses on automobiles as its main theme. 

8.) Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger

I felt like, "Don't we have enough dinosaurs already?!" which is why I felt that this show wasn't all too innovative. If they wanted a dance party, they could choose other themes that weren't used in Super Sentai. Yes, Kyoryuger's a dance party but the first dance party was Battle Fever J but the setting was pretty far away. Battle Fever J was in 1979 and Kyoryuger takes place in 2013. So both dance parties have a different approach depending on how old a fan is. I prefer Battle Fever J's soundtrack though I think the show isn't all that great.

The show itself feels like it attempts to become Abaranger x Battle Fever J with the dance party. They choose samba though isn't there other popular dances to use aside from samba? As it copies Abaranger's dinosaur multi-gattai concept, it also means it's in a way also copying from Gaoranger in that department and falls in line with the history of multi-gattai. But I felt like Kyoryuger wasn't anything much for me while it did have toy sales. But the writing wasn't all that good and I still feel like that I'm glad Zyuohger got better after the "downward slump" since this show up to Ninninger. I guess children loved the dance number but I personally thought that I can praise it for creative ways but at the same time, I want to say that there are other motifs we need to try out. 

I think repeating the dinosaur concept is just lazy innovation unlike if they decided to redo some Super Sentai motifs in the past and slap Battle Fever J into it. My own imagined dance Super Sentai may end up as Dance Fever Battlerger. Maybe we can have a military parody Super Sentai with samba or whatever instead of dinosaurs or there are also many other alternatives that could have been thought about. 

Closing words

So what did you think of my list? Do you think there's others that deserve to be in this list or do you have your own list? COMMENT!