The Amazing Coincidence With Golion, Zyuranger, Lion Voltron And Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers?


Image taken from Henshin Grid...

I felt like writing this editorial due to the launching of the Power Rangers movie and because it's also Zyuranger's 25th anniversary. With that in mind, I also remembered another series called Lion Voltron which was based on Beast King Golion. It's pretty much of a nostalgic trip since I watched both in the 90s but have no intention of rewatching them after seeing both Zyuranger and Golion in my older years.

Golion was a part of a long list of Super Robot while Lion Voltron was a first of its kind in the U.S. to start a new trend

Golion was already in the long list of Super Robot Anime with all the cliches from Combattler V and Voltes V. Although the concept was pretty innovative with its status as a legendary god of destruction but it didn't so so well in Japan. I don't think it was a failure but it just wasn't memorable. Was it because of the excess violence that its predecessors never had or was it too dark and edgy a show? Maybe you can all it suffers from a similar scenario with Go-Busters and Kamen Rider Faiz. Voltes V and Combattler V had violent scenes but Golion was overdoing it.

Lion Voltron became a huge hit on 1984 while Bioman and Shaider were airing in Japan. Since it was pretty new and somehow the concept clicked everyone just got into the Voltron craze. Lion Voltron was originally meant to end but the popularity caused it to overextend and made more spin-offs while Golion had its finale. The result was that Toei Ltd. made additional footage for World Events Productions to use. While Vehicle Voltron ended and was never continued but more seasons of Lion Voltron came. Voltron became a huge icon in the America while Golion wasn't really a huge icon in Japan. One may want to take note how the Super Robot Anime series was already in decline during the 80s while Super Sentai got better almost every time.

Zyuranger is the 16th Super Sentai series while Mighty Morphin' was the start of a new craze for the U.S. 

Jetman was a huge hit and Zyuranger may have not matched up to its predecessor. Sure it tried something new but not everything works immediately. Super Sentai already had a 16 year run so a lot of ups and downs would have happened along the way. I don't find Zyuranger to be as good at Jetman in terms of writing but it still has its charm. Maybe fans still had the hangover over how good Jetman was last year that this show was momentarily overshadowed. What may have also happened is that shows after Zyuranger may have been much better.

Mighty Morphin' was definitely something new for the United States. It was a low budget production with a lot of spliced footage from Zyuranger. It was also that year of Jurassic Park's first movie. I guess Toei and Saban could have not chosen a better time to have the first Power Rangers series due to the Jurassic Park craze. Zyuranger was localized and something much different than Zyuranger came to be. The show became extremely popular that any plans to end it were halted. Toei decided to produce the Zyu2 footage and overextend Mighty Morphin'. Like Voltron, the popularity of Mighty Morphin' caused Toei to allow the series to overextend to the point of derailing its plot.

Similarities between Golion and Zyuranger

What I could remember doing was comparing the designs of both Voltron and Dino Megazord or should I say now it's Golion and Daizyujin. The blue and yellow mecha formed the legs of both Daizyujin and Golion. What you may not want to miss is that Golion was once a sentient mecha made up of five legendary guardian beasts. Daizyujin is the first sentient mecha made up of different guardian beasts.

My final thoughts on all four shows and how my views change quite too often 

I remembered how much I cried over stupid finales because there won't be any more episodes of that certain show when I was in elementary. But I came to appreciate the beauty of finales in my teenage years and as an adult. So what did I think of the overextended arcs? I could talk about how the overextension ended up ruining both Lion Voltron and Mighty Morphin'. I liked the idea as a child but hated it as I was growing up.

Lion Voltron's overextension just made no sense to keep the battle with Doom going on. It made no sense for King Zarkon to "magically escape" while it made more sense that Emperor Daibazaal was torn apart since he served as the life link for the Mecha Beastman Galra. Season 2 of Voltron already reeked and nothing improved. The spin-offs such as Voltron: The Third Dimension just derailed the plot even further. I thought Golion having its proper start to end made it the "superior show". I don't care how popular Lion Voltron became because Golion has the better plot. Golion may not be a perfect show but it still makes more sense in areas where Lion Voltron didn't make sense.

I felt the same towards Mighty Morphin' when it overextended. What shocked me to know was that the show should have ended with 40 episodes in mind but Toei ended up making the Zyu2 Footage so they could continue the show. Instead, it went on and on and I felt it just got boring. Worse, Tommy Oliver was taking all that attention. Season 3 was even more stale (and nothing was getting better for me) and I don't blame Amy Jo Johnson for leaving the show. I'd do the same thing if I were her because the show wasn't taking her anywhere. Zyuranger may not be the best Super Sentai ever but having it come to its conclusion and starting another show next year was the best thing to do.

Oh, should I mention that I'm still hesitant to try and watch all 84 episodes of Goranger and 98 episodes of the first Kamen Rider or just anything that has a super high episode count? I feel like super high episode counts for just one season tend to make me dizzy these days.

Comments

  1. The ironic thing with Go Lion is it was all a accident for it's success as the word serendipity can come to use. World Event Production wanted Daltanious(which had a lot of inspirations for Liveman especially the Robot). Requesting a show with a "robot lion" they gave them Go Lion and it would become history. A lot of 80s kids insist that MMPR is a live action rip from Voltron Lion and those TOEI doga robot anime do have a lot of Super Sentai flavor in it especially the color scheme that the Lion team would wear.
    Unlike most of the viewers. I got the honors in seeing the actual
    ending of the series.

    World Events Production got Luke warm success with Dairugger 15 whose designer is used by Dynarobo, Great Five and Turbo Robo.

    A third series was in the works as they acquired the rights to Alvegas after God Sigma was deemed a little old in animation. Unfortunately the series was only hinted with toy sales.

    Before the 2Ks had happened I always thought of a Sentai series based on Go Lion/ Thundercats. Gekiranger almost came close but not even near.

    Going back to MMPR cast. AJJ left and got actual work thanks to Filicity. JDF was in the right place at the right time. He was a newcomer who got the role of a cool Sentai suited hero and Green was synonymous with coil and the 6th hero. He road on that train for 4 seasons until he hung that spandex.

    David Yost stuck around for 4 seasons until he was no longer a Ranger rather operated a control counsel and was quietly booted off the show as he was just visibly old and on top of it he was revealed homosexual as the 90s wasn't too warm with LGBT rights.

    Those were the days.

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    Replies
    1. @Cyber9989

      "The ironic thing with Go Lion is it was all a accident for it's success as the word serendipity can come to use. World Event Production wanted Daltanious(which had a lot of inspirations for Liveman especially the Robot). Requesting a show with a "robot lion" they gave them Go Lion and it would become history. A lot of 80s kids insist that MMPR is a live action rip from Voltron Lion and those TOEI doga robot anime do have a lot of Super Sentai flavor in it especially the color scheme that the Lion team would wear.
      Unlike most of the viewers. I got the honors in seeing the actual
      ending of the series."

      Oh I really remembered making that comparison during the 90s. I remembered watching Lion Voltron and MMPR on TV reruns back then. I had no idea that Toei was the mastermind behind both shows!

      If I'm not wrong Dairugger XV didn't even do well in Japan as far as I'm concerned and neither did Vehicle Voltron do any success either.

      For MMPR cast, is it me or is Saban's treatment really that bad? For JDF I really hate to say it but I love comparing him to Hercule from Dragon Ball Z. I think Tommy is just an overrated guy. No, he's not the greatest guy never. JDF will NEVER fill Miyauchi-san's shoes. The issue will always be Hiroshi Miyauchi plays different characters and JDF is Tommy all throughout.

      For Amy Jo Johnson, I would say leaving Power Rangers was a good decision. Getting stuck in a show where your character development goes nowhere is bad for your career. I would have left the show also if I were her.

      Also, I thought that David Yost leaving was also a good thing. Overextension isn't a good thing you know.

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    2. In Japan, Golion was just a show that came and went and is almost forgotten even when America was going crazy for the series. And to this very day the majority Japanese that grew up in the early 80s as a child don't even remember as it came and went. Dairugger XV was even much more mediocre. And it suffered in the U.S. Because the viewers only excepted Golion as Voltron and nothing else as the switch was very much of a shell shock!
      But don't forget, it is all business as well. These shows are a annual fiasco and success is everything. Like Super Sentai NOW, it is a joint venture between TOEI and Bandai.
      They are these shows whether it is a hit or miss they need to make their money back some how.
      Only Golion and the aborted Alvegas has the Sentai feel to it and if you happen to get a copy of Alvegas the main hero Daisuku who pilots the black Alpha Robo looks incredibly a dead ringer to Tenma Ranger Shouji!!!
      I doubt Alvegas would work with the Voltron name as it does not have the intergalactic rebel fighters vs. the great galactic empire but it would have inspire thousands that would see it.
      Short note: Alvegas do have the Super Sentai feel with the two guys and one girl team, they are all high school students with a genius IQ that builds three robots for a science project which would be used to defend the earth.

      I give JDF his dues, he is charismatic as a performer and I thought he hammed it when he was evil Tommy which you can love it or hate it.
      After PR he kept busy and is the embodiment of martial arts as he trains for Mix Martial Arts tournament.

      David Yost didn't quit but finally got let go because he was starting to not look like a teenager and he was OUTED from the closet. Though he is a unique interpretation as a blue by being a nerd as most Sentai Blues are just young,impulsive and impetuous. But then again he is not believable as a hero and is very annoying.

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    3. @Cyber9989

      Speaking of Golion and Dairugger XV it's no secret that they're superior to the Voltron series in terms of plot but I don't consider them the biggest hits of the Super Robot franchise. I still think Voltes V and Combattler V had more charm but I like them all. Golion's brutality was too much for some and I dunno how I'd reacted to it if I saw it as a child. But I did see Voltes V, Combattler V and Daimos which were also pretty violent.

      As for JDF I wonder what you think of my comparison of him and the fictional character Hercule in Dragon Ball Z. For evil Tommy, I find the whole "mwahahahaha" lame in contrast to Burai. Burai's evil laugh reflected on how badass he was when he first came to face the Zyurangers and get his revenge on Geki. I'd pick Hiroshi Miyauchi's roles over JDF's overly reclcled Tommy any day.

      Speaking of nerds, Renn or Go-on Blue in Go-onger was pretty much a nerd. But he's way more believable than Billy and he belongs to a season that's not even meant to be taken seriously.

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