Japanese Themed Sentai and Their Power Rangers Counterparts
Well no doubt Super Sentai is a Japanese heritage yet it was legally adapted into Power Rangers. Now here are they:
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger- This is the third of the late Noboru Sugimura's works (the first was Zyuranger and the second was Dairanger). Kakuranger utilized much of Japanese elements such as ninjas and the monsters were basically all based on Japanese mythology which the narrator introduces whenever he's around. It also had a Japanese version of Journey to the West added as well. The whole series in itself was pretty much the first Japanese themed Sentai. The series in itself also featured classic cartoony special effects likle "Thwok" and "Thump" during battle though I wish they were written in Japanese instead. My complaint about this series was why Gasha Skull was killed off so soon because I wish he could have fought side by side with his father Daimaou but oh well.
For Power Rangers, part of its footage was taken into MMPR Season Three and were jumbled quite creatively (but that season was getting weak imo). The Alien Rangers were later added for a mini-series using the Kakurangers as footage. Obviously I had my irks when MMPR began overextending which for me wasn't a good thing. I thought this was pretty bad in itself.
Ninpou Sentai Hurricanger- It was what I'd dare call a hybrid of Liveman and Kakuranger. Like Liveman, it followed the three plus two formula where it started with three members and was followed up by two, but it had a sixth member in Shurikenger. The whole series in itself was based on a ninja academy. While the enemies are also pretty much Japanese-themed, not all the monsters were and some of them appeared as generic monsters.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm- It was a decent Disney season imo with a few quirks. Yup who says an Asian season can't be done? It can be done as long as people got creative. The whole season was more of an international ninja school, featured the first Japanese ranger in Cam Watanabe and unlike its Super Sentai parent, it was a lighter and softer season. Changes were like for example Cam Watanable unlike Shurikenger didn't lose his identity (nor die) and Tao Zanto was replaced with the more human Lothor who was a funny but kickass villain. However I also felt this show was basically saying, "All races can learn ninjutsu." XD
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger- Well there were samurai characters in past Super Sentai or references but after two ninjas, a samurai team was created. I felt this was the only Japanese theme Super Sentai to use ki from your body concept, the first three were namely Maskman followed by the very Chinese ones namely Dairanger and Gekiranger. The Shinkengers were samurai, had the lord/vassal/shadow relationship and the Sanzu River with monsters based on Japanese folklore that emerged from the Sanzu River of Japanese folklore and the concept of Origami mecha is very Japanese in itself. The whole series also featured other Japanese elements like the origami mecha, kurokos draped in black (these were stage assistants) and even the rangers wearing their training gi which they also go into battle for.
It was adapted into Power Rangers Samurai which imo really lacked creativity. An Asian leader is NOT necessary if you know how to twist things around but sadly, the whole PR Samurai season was badly written and treated everybody as if they were Japanese, even if it was clearly a mixed race team. If you ask me, they could have tried to copy some original elements from Ninja Storm like make the message of, "The art of the samurai is no longer restricted in Japan, hey we're not samurai by lineage but we're samurai by training." which could have been better than copy/paste of Shinkenger with no real originality except for that whole Dayu and Deker being once married or the useless appearance of Bulk and Spike. Pretty much a sad disappointment for me but still, no excuse to write these guys (or any Power Rangers heroes and heroines) as villains for any hate fic.
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger- This is the third of the late Noboru Sugimura's works (the first was Zyuranger and the second was Dairanger). Kakuranger utilized much of Japanese elements such as ninjas and the monsters were basically all based on Japanese mythology which the narrator introduces whenever he's around. It also had a Japanese version of Journey to the West added as well. The whole series in itself was pretty much the first Japanese themed Sentai. The series in itself also featured classic cartoony special effects likle "Thwok" and "Thump" during battle though I wish they were written in Japanese instead. My complaint about this series was why Gasha Skull was killed off so soon because I wish he could have fought side by side with his father Daimaou but oh well.
For Power Rangers, part of its footage was taken into MMPR Season Three and were jumbled quite creatively (but that season was getting weak imo). The Alien Rangers were later added for a mini-series using the Kakurangers as footage. Obviously I had my irks when MMPR began overextending which for me wasn't a good thing. I thought this was pretty bad in itself.
Ninpou Sentai Hurricanger- It was what I'd dare call a hybrid of Liveman and Kakuranger. Like Liveman, it followed the three plus two formula where it started with three members and was followed up by two, but it had a sixth member in Shurikenger. The whole series in itself was based on a ninja academy. While the enemies are also pretty much Japanese-themed, not all the monsters were and some of them appeared as generic monsters.
Power Rangers Ninja Storm- It was a decent Disney season imo with a few quirks. Yup who says an Asian season can't be done? It can be done as long as people got creative. The whole season was more of an international ninja school, featured the first Japanese ranger in Cam Watanabe and unlike its Super Sentai parent, it was a lighter and softer season. Changes were like for example Cam Watanable unlike Shurikenger didn't lose his identity (nor die) and Tao Zanto was replaced with the more human Lothor who was a funny but kickass villain. However I also felt this show was basically saying, "All races can learn ninjutsu." XD
Samurai Sentai Shinkenger- Well there were samurai characters in past Super Sentai or references but after two ninjas, a samurai team was created. I felt this was the only Japanese theme Super Sentai to use ki from your body concept, the first three were namely Maskman followed by the very Chinese ones namely Dairanger and Gekiranger. The Shinkengers were samurai, had the lord/vassal/shadow relationship and the Sanzu River with monsters based on Japanese folklore that emerged from the Sanzu River of Japanese folklore and the concept of Origami mecha is very Japanese in itself. The whole series also featured other Japanese elements like the origami mecha, kurokos draped in black (these were stage assistants) and even the rangers wearing their training gi which they also go into battle for.
It was adapted into Power Rangers Samurai which imo really lacked creativity. An Asian leader is NOT necessary if you know how to twist things around but sadly, the whole PR Samurai season was badly written and treated everybody as if they were Japanese, even if it was clearly a mixed race team. If you ask me, they could have tried to copy some original elements from Ninja Storm like make the message of, "The art of the samurai is no longer restricted in Japan, hey we're not samurai by lineage but we're samurai by training." which could have been better than copy/paste of Shinkenger with no real originality except for that whole Dayu and Deker being once married or the useless appearance of Bulk and Spike. Pretty much a sad disappointment for me but still, no excuse to write these guys (or any Power Rangers heroes and heroines) as villains for any hate fic.
With the exception of the Hurricaneger adaptation, the Samurai was overmilked creating 3 seasons as Shinkenger proves to viewers that nothing like the real thing. The Alien ranger, what was the point of the b***t they where doing.
ReplyDeleteThose shows are done so bad that most of us fans calls PR fakes!!!