Super Sentai Mostly Self-Contained Entries VS. Power Rangers' Timeline (Save A Few Entries) May Be Due To Cultural Differences

I wrote a LENGTHY entry at JEFusion (and I stopped guest-writing there) discussing the cultural differences between Super Sentai and Power Rangers. I wrote this and that but never thought of another angle until I read this OPINION piece discussing 10 areas where Power Rangers is better than its parent show. I read through it and found out the author's views included Power Rangers' inclusion of the Morphin' Grid (something that's NON-EXISTENT in Super Sentai) and the top reason was the long-running story arcs:

Entries in the Super Sentai franchise tend to be mostly self-contained, outside of team-up specials and anniversary movies. Power Rangers, however, really pushed the idea of a shared continuity, which was very satisfying for long-time fans. The first six seasons of Power Rangers essentially followed the same team throughout the years, with Rangers leaving and new Rangers joining the team as the series went on.

Even when the series began introducing entirely new sets of Ranger teams, they made it clear that their stories all took place within the same world. This was really emphasized with anniversary specials like “Forever Red” and “Once a Ranger.” Beast Morphers and Dino Furyf made the effort to include many references and Easter eggs to past seasons, which was some great fanservice for long-time viewers.

However, that didn't sit well with Jeff of Dryed Mangoez. Jeff was a longtime Power Rangers fan but developed some indifference. In my case, I dare say that I don't like Power Rangers even if it's a licensed adaptation or localization. If there was any good reason why I watched The Toys That Made Us -- I simply wanted to understand the international market more. Super Sentai was too Asian for the American market. Toei allowed the transaction between them and Saban. Interestingly, Saban was working with a Marvel license back in the 1990s. I still feel Saban's adaptations of X-Men and Spider-Man are way better than most adaptations. IMHO, I feel Power Rangers Beast Morphers got ruined by too many throwbacks to previous seasons. 

I wrote on the difference between using self-contained continuites vs. an existing timeline. Super Sentai crossover films are mostly meant NOT to fit into canon -- pretty much like the Dragon Ball Z films. If we do a history lesson -- we need to remember what Saban Entertainment was handling back then. Saban was handling Marvel properties during the 1990s. Some 1990s children may remember Saban's adaptations of X-Men and Spider-Man -- even creating a crossover with the two shows! Saban worked with the X-Men show in 1992 before getting the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers green light from Toei in 1993. Interestingly, the late Stan Lee wanted to adapt Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan but failed at that too. 

World Events Productions (WEP) created the Voltron franchise. I heard Kosoku Denjin Albegas was supposed to be part of the franchise. However, only Hyajakuu Golion was localized as Lion Voltron, and Kikou Kantai Dairugger XV was localized as Vehicle Voltron. Both premiered in 1984 under different months. The original shows were in 1981 and 1982. Both Golion and Dairugger XV weren't meant to be in the same continuity. Stroke or genius or what? WEP decided to combine both shows. Harmony Gold USA created Robotech from Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber MOSPEADA. Those were in the 1980s. Saban had an attempt to adapt Super Sentai and there's that failed Chodenshi Bioman adaptation pilot. 

If one observes American superhero shows -- they're usually part of an EXPANDING universe. Marvel and DC my favorite examples. That means superhero teams in Marvel Comics usually exist in the main continuity. The same logic applies in DC Comics where Superman and Batman belong to the same continuity. The American market may prefer superhero shows existing in JUST ONE CONTINUITY. However, the same may not be true about the Japanese market with their superhero shows. If one watched Chodenji Robo Combattler V, Chodenji Machine Voltes V, and Tossho Daimos -- it's noticeable that they're not linked together. Before that, there was the Mazinger Trilogy which were Mazinger Z, Great Mazinger, and UFO Grendizer. However, it seems Toei found their sweet spot in making most of their shows self-contained than putting all of them into one expanding Universe. Most of the shows become so different from each other storywise -- they become self-contained. 

That would explain why Power Rangers ran differently than Super Sentai during the 1990s. Mighty Morphin' was supposed to end but the popularity was too hot. Toei decided to make footage for Saban-only use -- the same thing they did for WEP for Lion Voltron. There's the Zordon arc which was a long-running story. Mighty Morphin' Season 2 featured the American-only Lord Zedd and replaced the Dinozords with the Thunderzords. Thunderzord footage was taken from Gosei Sentai Dairanger. However, it can be seen that Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger up to Denji Sentai Megaranger were all self-contained from each other. That reminds me that the long-running Zordon storyline is one reason why I dislike Power Rangers. It doesn't help to see the finale PER SHOW from Zyuranger up to Megaranger contributes to it. The yearly cast change is more welcome than cast recycling. However, American shows tend to overextend when popularity kicks in. That can also help explain why Power Rangers' Zordon arc happened! Super Sentai did no such thing as each series barely references the previous -- all except for Sun Vulcan to Denji Sentai Denziman or certain anniversary seasons. 

The yearly cast change starting with Power Rangers Lost Galaxy usually operated with a Power Rangers timeline in mind. Lost Galaxy is directly linked to Power Rangers in Space in an episode. Meanwhile, Super Sentai chooses to play with the audience's minds with obviously non-canon crossovers. Yes, that means Seijuu Sentai Gingaman's crossover with Megaranger was a what-if scenario. When Lost Galaxy had its crossover episodes with Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue -- it even dared to bring Trakeena back with a different actress. However, Kyukyu Sentai GoGoV's crossover with Gingaman was again, non-canon. There's no way to fit Darkness King Gill into GoGoV like Cooler would into the Dragon Ball Z series canon. Of course, this creates the problem of a timeline that's already contradicting itself more often than not. Another thing worth noting is that creating a Super Sentai timeline would even create more inconsistencies than Power Rangers' timeline. That hasn't stopped some people who still love to force that timeline narrative.  

Some Power Rangers entries take place in some other dimension like Power Rangers RPM and Power Rangers Dino Charge. Most Super Sentai entries take place in different universes. That means the dinosaur-themed entries are mostly self-contained -- easily explained by how the dinosaur extinction happens WAY TOO DIFFERENTLY. Uchu Sentai Kyuranger even verified that they're a completely different Universe -- possibly to try and explain why Ucchu Keiji Gavan showed up in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters. Go-Busters was meant to operate in its own continuity. Meanwhile, anniversary seasons may contain alternate versions of several characters from other Super Sentai entries. Some Super Sentai shows can take place in either what I call the Super Sentai Crossover Continuity or their own continuity. Some are linked and others aren't. Part of me isn't all too happy when Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger turns out to be in the same continuity as Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger. Okay, I love the suitless fight scenes there BUT I still wish King-Ohger didn't do that stunt. If anything, I feel Toei did it on purpose because it was Mighty Morphin's 30th anniversary in 1993.

In short, it's been about TARGET AUDIENCES for Super Sentai and Power Rangers. Super Sentai is meant for a mostly Asian audience -- maybe except for a few like the Philippines presumably due to its status as a former American colony. I still wonder why Super Sentai gets dubbed as Power Rangers in South Korea though. Power Rangers may be a multiracial team BUT it's still an American franchise. I even feel Power Rangers' multiracial team was done because most American superhero teams tend to be multiracial. America is also a multiracial country. Meanwhile, Japan isn't as diverse as America in terms of racial diversity -- which creates an understandably mostly Japanese cast. There's really no one-size-fits-all when it comes to the international market -- due to cultural differences as well!