I'm Pretty OK With Using Power Rangers Terminologies While Discussing Super Sentai

Super Sentai has made certain American pop culture references. Heck, even Metal Hero and Kamen Rider have had them. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Tokosou Robo Janperson came AFTER Robocop or how Knight Rider inspired Tokkei Winspector and Kamen Rider Drive. Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger may have made several references to American movies such as Armageddon, Rocky Balboa, Speed, Die Hard, and Men in Black. It's not too surprising whenever Super Sentai and Power Rangers may have made nods to each other. Dragon Ball Z blatantly has American references such as the Days of Future Past storyline with Future Trunks or Frieza's third form with Aliens. Without much ado -- I want to present every terminology done in Power Rangers first that I'm A-OK will be used in conversations.

Using the term "ranger" over "warrior" 

The suffix "-man" has been dropped and the last to use it was Seijuu Sentai Gingaman. After that, the suffixes were usually either abbreviations of ranger (such as -ger), or ranger. I guess because the length of Japanese names can be tiresome or seeking new creative ways. For example, Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger used ger over ranger. I kinda like the creative way when "ger" is used though I prefer spelling ranger out. Why am I preferring to use the term ranger over warrior? The term senshi or warrior was used. However, ranger seems to fit it well.

Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger used the term Ranger Keys as an official term. The Ranger Keys were conceived after the Super Sentai rangers sacrificed their powers to destroy the Zangyack Armada. Even more, wasn't the first Super Sentai series called Himitsu Sentai GoRANGER or spelled as Gorenger or Gorenja? Ranger was a term that wasn't used much in the pre-Zyu era -- except for Kosoku Sentai TurboRANGER. I guess the term warrior was still comfortably used. Each ranger in Goranger was called Akaranger, Aoranger, Kiranger, Momoranger, and Midoranger. The names literally translate as Red Ranger, Blue Ranger, Yellow Ranger, Pink Pranger, and Green Ranger. I feel the term Ranger Key is much more endearing than Warrior Key. 

After all, the Gorangers were NEVER called Gowarriors. Yes, the rangers are also warriors. But the term ranger may be more endearing than warrior. Basically, I even said, "Well the yellow ranger was a male in some series." especially in referring to Trini Kwan's counterpart Boi. One can say that Chodenshi Bioman introduced the concept of a female yellow ranger. These days, one can say most yellow rangers are females.  

The term morph can be easily acceptable 

It may be the digital age and Power Rangers fans can easily understand this and that. Just a Google search and someone would know the meaning of the word "transform" in Japanese. However, when Kamen Rider was aired in Tagalog or English in the Philippines -- the word henshin was replaced with the phrase "Rider Change". Power Rangers used the word morph -- which means to transform. Henshin is the Japanese word for transform. However, it does get funny because whether one uses the word morph or henshin -- it's simply another layer of clothing over one's current clothing. The term changer was used in Super Sentai. The Power Rangers franchise had used the term morpher. Both are still synonymous. 

What I can't get over is how Malaysia almost banned Power Rangers because morphin' sounds like MORPHINE. I wonder what Fox Kids was even thinking with that name? It almost sounded like a show that promoted morphine abuse -- even when it doesn't! Synonyms used were either changers, changing devices, or transformation devices -- all linked to HENSHIN! However, the term morph has been used in superhero terminology. I believe the term was used in superhero shows even before Ultraman by Tsubaraya or even before Toei had its own Tokusatsu franchise. The word morph is simply from metamorphosis.

Basically, I don't mind if someone uses the term"morphing sequence" or "morphers". Sure, the Super Sentai morphers never used morpher except for Go-Busters. However, I wouldn't mind if somebody said that the Gorangers had the most basic morphing sequence, the JAKQ squad's morphing sequence can be funny (and I laugh at it), or how Battle Fever J's morphers released the battle suit. Overtime, Super Sentai managed to refine morpher and the morphing sequences. One can also say that the morphers have had strange innovations throughout the years.

The term unmorphed fight scene is still applicable. Unmorphed is a synonym for untransformed. One can say that the quality of unmorphed fights back in the 1970s to 2000 was over the top. One can say that the unmorphed fights in Super Sentai today have been toned down due to censorship. 

Using the term Zord as a synonym for Mecha

Mirai Sentai Timeranger used the term G-Zord for some reason. It was already established at that time that Zord is a generic term used for the mecha in Power Rangers. The term Zord isn't really all that widely used in Super Sentai -- I don't it being used. Calling Battle Fever J the first Megazord or Bio Robo the first sentient Megazord is fine by me. 

IGN wrote this as a reason as to why they feel Power Rangers is better than the source material, at least from an AMERICAN perspective:

These mecha are not however divided into classes, as Power Rangers does with Zords, Megazords, Ultrazords and the like. Weirdly enough, this uniform classification of their robotic arsenal adds a great sense of power scaling with each fight, since depending on the type of Zord used, fans get a sense of how powerful an enemy can be.

I don't like the naming scheme in Power Rangers. For example, I find the name Dragonzord Fighting Mode or Mega Tigerzord to be more generic than Gouryujin or Kiba-Dai-Oh. However, it can be easy to strike up a conversation with the Western fanbase by using the term Zord. Megazord was used to describe the main formation of the primary combining or secondary mecha. However, one can say that Battle Fever J's Megazord has no combination sequence while Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan introduced the combining Megazord.

The term Ultrazord was used as the dub-over name for Kyukyoku Daizyujin in Zyuranger. However, one can really say that the first Super Sentai Ultrazord was in Kosoku Sentai Turboranger. The Turbo Builder merged with the Super Turbo Robo to form the Super Turbo Builder -- a combination that got remodified during Choriki Sentai Ohranger. One can think of the Ultrazord as the ultimate combination of several mecha. It was used as a last resolve when the enemy monster was too powerful. Turboranger used their Ultrazord during their midseason confrontation with Ragorn's first form. 

What may be surprising (or not) was how Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters used the term Megazords. The term Zords was used for every giant mecha. Power Rangers used the term Zord for both good mecha and evil mecha. Maybe, I should start calling every evil mecha as Evil Zords. Go-Busters feels like Power Rangers RPM (minus the Doomsday, presumably due to the time it was aired), the use of "It's Morphin' Time" (they could've modified the RPM morph call instead), and the use of Zords

I don't like the Power Rangers' naming scheme for the Zords. However, I don't mind if the term Zord is used to describe Super Sentai mecha. In fact, I'd like to brag about how Megazords defeated NASA many times over! Apparently, the term Zord is a play on the Zoids franchise. Wasn't there any other better name that producers could think of? Even funnier, why has the word Zord still been used even after Zordon was finally written off? 

The term Masked Rider instead of the Japanese term Kamen Rider

I grew up with the term Masked Rider. Kamen Rider BLACK was called Masked Rider BLACK in the Tagalog dub. Saban's Masked Rider came out in 1995 -- a show that was so bad even Haim Saban hated it! However, the term Masked Rider was still used until 2009. If I'm not wrong, the last Kamen Rider series to be called a Masked Rider was Kamen Rider Decade -- a show I consider to be the spiritual successor of Saban's Masked Rider! Saban's MaskedRider had a TV crossover with Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. That was all before Samurai Sentai Shinkenger had its crossover arc in Kamen Rider Decade.

There are some things I have missed in the past. I miss some toy stores and amusement centers that no longer exist. However, I prefer to use the term Kamen Rider. I learned Kamen Rider was basically just Masked Rider when I was 16 years old. Back then, I always wondered why there was Masked Rider and Kamen Rider. I don't feel like calling Kamen Rider with the name Masked Rider even when both are synonyms. The digital age has allowed Power Rangers fans to simply embrace the term Super Sentai.

However, I don't have a problem if the term Masked Rider is still used -- no matter how awful Saban's Masked Rider was as a show. After all, the term was originally used by Toei before Saban did. I guess adapting Kamen Rider for the Western audiences is easier said than done. The last known licensed adaptation was Kamen Rider Dragon Knight -- based on the downright awfully brutal Kamen Rider Ryuki. Ryuki's reset button really looked forced and not something Yasuko Kobayashi wanted to write!

Calling Super Sentai as Power Rangers is still fine by me, actually!

Super Sentai is aired in South Korea as Power Rangers. I can't determine the reason why it happens. Even funnier, Dekaranger was aired as Power Rangers SPD -- which may further confuse viewers! Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger is called Power Rangers Kingdom Force. The term Super Sentai can sound very unfamiliar to a few. Sentai? I remember people thought I was talking about HENTAI when talking about SENTAI. I was saying, "Nope, that's the OG Power Rangers!"

People say, "You're still watching Power Rangers." but I was watching Super Sentai. It's easy to think of Power Rangers even one knows of Super Sentai. Sure, Super Sentai DVDs are released. However, I can't blame if some people still prefer to call it Power Rangers. They'd know the origins, and why Power Rangers was created for the American market (cultural differences), and the term Power Rangers is more familiar than the source material. However, I'd prefer to spell out the Japanese title instead of calling it "Japanese Power Rangers" or the "OG Power Rangers". Super Sentai would easily say it's the Japanese show where Power Rangers is based. The word Sentai is too obviously JAPANESE. 

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I decided to write this because of some news about Power Rangers. Sure, I got critical (and still am) about Power Rangers' implementation for some time, especially with how Mighty Morphin' is getting promoted way too much. I still feel the pacing can be way too fast between 32-40 episodes only. Those who disagree may want to watch Dengekitai JAKQ which has only 35 episodes! I also didn't like how Mighyt Morphin' overextended instead of ending it as planned. I know Toei provided additional footage to Saban as it did to World Events Productions for Lion Voltron. However, I usually prefer the Japanese versions over the American adaptations. 

I always feel that Power Rangers needs to focus on the NOW -- like what some of the 1990s entries did! Reading Dryed Mangoez's apathy rant encouraged me to be my true self. I wrote why I still prefer the original material over the American adaptation. However, I still understand Power Rangers was created due to cultural differences between America and Japan. I don't like Power Rangers (it's just not my cup of tea) but I'm still fine with using some of its terminologies while discussing Super Sentai.