Newer Super Sentai Series (2000-Present) I Find to Be My Top Three "Classic" and "Unforgettable" Ones
This is a list that's subject to change a lot. Now I'll probably just writing this out of being high or something since I normally end up treating Super Sentai these days in a very shallow way.
Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger- I'll admit I tend to treat this series superficially out of admiration for Jasmine but I'll just have to talk more about characterization and plot which for now makes it my top favorite newer Super Sentai series. I just love this series for its cop feel while rightly mixing character flaws and positive traits. First, the mood of the story is quite different from the typical Super Sentai where instead of a typical monster of the week, it has the criminal of the week to arrest and delete for crimes and there's much of the right mixture of serious to light themes while the big bad is a mysterious villain named Abrella who the Dekarangers are not fully aware existed until later in the series as their main antagonist. For the Dekarangers, I basically like how despite their flaws they're really likable. Ban for starters isn't the ideal leader due to his rashness and temper yet he is a very determined fellow who will do anything to see justice win and has a high sense of honor and respect for people, even if he did infamously pluck Numa-O's feathers to know the location of his predecessor the original Deka Red, Leon to inspire the others. Hoji starts off pretty serious with his being neat and precise plus he doesn't whine about wanting to be leader despite him showing signs of arrogance or that he's pretty badass making him another favorite of mine. Sen, well I'd say he is pretty funny even when he's the silent type. Jasmine, okay I'll say I tend to treat her as eye candy or she's the first reason why I wanted to watch Dekaranger- but as time passed I see pass through her gorgeousness to see how a witty and funny character was once a loner. Umeko, I like her least but that doesn't mean I dislike her. Doggie is also one awesome commander, I'd say perhaps the most awesome commander in history and for Swan, she's a really good scientist. I also liked how Tetsu came in and blended with the others or how each mecha really has a good plot overall. Overall, not your very average Super Sentai with some police drama in it mixed properly.
Jyukei Sentai Gekiranger- I'd say this is a bit of a revival to Wuxia themes and martial arts in Sentai though I'll say I still like Maskman and Dairanger better than this series. So why do I consider it a classic? It's got much of elements of Wuxia from the rangers to the Fist Saints (based on famous martial artists) to the villains Rio and Mele who are interwoven quite well with the heroes or Long's being mysterious even to the audience for some time until much later when his true motives are revealed. So I'd say for the characters Jan has a much more realistic jungle boy story than Cole which I like so much and how he fits with Ran and Retsu who also have their fair share of interesting stories. Miki Masaki, well as their mentor she really is also outstanding though I don't like her as much as Aya Odagiri but she's still fine nonetheless. The arrival of the later rangers both Gou and later Ken have their own interesting twists like Gou was missing for some time due to using a forbidden style or Ken being a slacker turned hero as well as how the mecha are one by one integrated with a more realistic approach and trained from a different fist saint. For the villains, it really is something that Rio had a very interesting backstory nonetheless like he was once part f the Gen Juken but ended up forming a renegade rival school, or how he was seeking to be the strongest as well as his relationship with Mele. Despite being evil for most of the season, he was an honorable rival and so was Mele. For Long, it was really fun to keep guessing his next steps or how he really was the real villain responsible for most of the tragedies series wise making him one of my favorites as well as how he feigned loyalty to Rio only to have his own agendas filled is pretty interesting drama-rama. Overall, still quite a classic.
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger- Well this was probably before Kobayashi actually burned out so much... like Inoue did after being overused. Yeah it's pretty like Rurouni Kenshin (minus Genta who feels more original), a bit of Maskman (with Takeru, Ryunsouke and Chiaki) and more of samurai in itself. While I had issues with the show's humor (the Gedoushu) but it's actually pretty fun to watch the characters develop, Mako is not just mere eye candy (she knows something is wrong with Takeru) and of course watching Chiaki grow up aside from Kotoha's mature attitude in spite of age. The interesting stuff for me were also with the villains namely the human turned Gedou, that would be Juzo and Dayu who try to balance the otherwise light nature of the show. I also thought of the plot in the Gedoushu of Doukoku being presumably born from negative energy itself (like Grandienne but he is sometimes played for laughs) and the game changing villain Akomaru who is one creepy fellow. The show itself has lots and lots of weird humor, some occasional nightmare fuel but it's more or less balanced to prevent the show from hitting towards the dark direction or towards the denser and wackier direction (like Go-onger). The Princess Shinken Red plot was good but not all that good, felt like she was underused and why she "adopted' Takeru was even really shock value for me but the show has replaced Boukenger in my heart.
Anybody is free to disagree with me and write their own version of this one also!
Updated on: July 15, 2014
Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger- I'll admit I tend to treat this series superficially out of admiration for Jasmine but I'll just have to talk more about characterization and plot which for now makes it my top favorite newer Super Sentai series. I just love this series for its cop feel while rightly mixing character flaws and positive traits. First, the mood of the story is quite different from the typical Super Sentai where instead of a typical monster of the week, it has the criminal of the week to arrest and delete for crimes and there's much of the right mixture of serious to light themes while the big bad is a mysterious villain named Abrella who the Dekarangers are not fully aware existed until later in the series as their main antagonist. For the Dekarangers, I basically like how despite their flaws they're really likable. Ban for starters isn't the ideal leader due to his rashness and temper yet he is a very determined fellow who will do anything to see justice win and has a high sense of honor and respect for people, even if he did infamously pluck Numa-O's feathers to know the location of his predecessor the original Deka Red, Leon to inspire the others. Hoji starts off pretty serious with his being neat and precise plus he doesn't whine about wanting to be leader despite him showing signs of arrogance or that he's pretty badass making him another favorite of mine. Sen, well I'd say he is pretty funny even when he's the silent type. Jasmine, okay I'll say I tend to treat her as eye candy or she's the first reason why I wanted to watch Dekaranger- but as time passed I see pass through her gorgeousness to see how a witty and funny character was once a loner. Umeko, I like her least but that doesn't mean I dislike her. Doggie is also one awesome commander, I'd say perhaps the most awesome commander in history and for Swan, she's a really good scientist. I also liked how Tetsu came in and blended with the others or how each mecha really has a good plot overall. Overall, not your very average Super Sentai with some police drama in it mixed properly.
Jyukei Sentai Gekiranger- I'd say this is a bit of a revival to Wuxia themes and martial arts in Sentai though I'll say I still like Maskman and Dairanger better than this series. So why do I consider it a classic? It's got much of elements of Wuxia from the rangers to the Fist Saints (based on famous martial artists) to the villains Rio and Mele who are interwoven quite well with the heroes or Long's being mysterious even to the audience for some time until much later when his true motives are revealed. So I'd say for the characters Jan has a much more realistic jungle boy story than Cole which I like so much and how he fits with Ran and Retsu who also have their fair share of interesting stories. Miki Masaki, well as their mentor she really is also outstanding though I don't like her as much as Aya Odagiri but she's still fine nonetheless. The arrival of the later rangers both Gou and later Ken have their own interesting twists like Gou was missing for some time due to using a forbidden style or Ken being a slacker turned hero as well as how the mecha are one by one integrated with a more realistic approach and trained from a different fist saint. For the villains, it really is something that Rio had a very interesting backstory nonetheless like he was once part f the Gen Juken but ended up forming a renegade rival school, or how he was seeking to be the strongest as well as his relationship with Mele. Despite being evil for most of the season, he was an honorable rival and so was Mele. For Long, it was really fun to keep guessing his next steps or how he really was the real villain responsible for most of the tragedies series wise making him one of my favorites as well as how he feigned loyalty to Rio only to have his own agendas filled is pretty interesting drama-rama. Overall, still quite a classic.
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger- Well this was probably before Kobayashi actually burned out so much... like Inoue did after being overused. Yeah it's pretty like Rurouni Kenshin (minus Genta who feels more original), a bit of Maskman (with Takeru, Ryunsouke and Chiaki) and more of samurai in itself. While I had issues with the show's humor (the Gedoushu) but it's actually pretty fun to watch the characters develop, Mako is not just mere eye candy (she knows something is wrong with Takeru) and of course watching Chiaki grow up aside from Kotoha's mature attitude in spite of age. The interesting stuff for me were also with the villains namely the human turned Gedou, that would be Juzo and Dayu who try to balance the otherwise light nature of the show. I also thought of the plot in the Gedoushu of Doukoku being presumably born from negative energy itself (like Grandienne but he is sometimes played for laughs) and the game changing villain Akomaru who is one creepy fellow. The show itself has lots and lots of weird humor, some occasional nightmare fuel but it's more or less balanced to prevent the show from hitting towards the dark direction or towards the denser and wackier direction (like Go-onger). The Princess Shinken Red plot was good but not all that good, felt like she was underused and why she "adopted' Takeru was even really shock value for me but the show has replaced Boukenger in my heart.
Anybody is free to disagree with me and write their own version of this one also!
Updated on: July 15, 2014
My top 3 of the 2000s is Hurricanegers, Boukengers and Shinkengers. By right Shinkengers should be in this list. Gekiranger is my guilty pleasures no doubt but Jan is the worst Red ever in my book. Why Gekiranger is a guilty pleasure and I do watch it still is for Gekiviolet his costume and Muay Boren fighting gimmick was the highlight( his robot should have been a torso to create a more unique Robo). Gekichopper as his Karate costume is the best. And Mele oh she was pure Sexy Eye Candy.
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