My Analysis of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger And Its Fairy Tale Setting

Zyuranger as a series was really a fantasy world of fairy tales.  So maybe I did talk about Gingaman's fantasy setting now I don't see any reason why I shouldn't explore the fantasy elements of Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger.  The setting felt like Grimm's Brothers met Super Sentai... a concept that was somewhat redone in Magiranger.  Now to explore the world of Zyuranger's fairy tales.  I just love how the opening credits actually shows you a book that opens considering it was meant to be set in a very fairy tale setting from rangers to villains and all.


I always felt like the Zyurangers felt like the typical tribal warriors of any epic.  I can't really say what fairy tales they come from so I'll just start with whatever knowledge I have about fairy tales and Zyuranger.  The Zyurangers are from tribes which feels like an epic in the making.  Their mentor Barza is sort of like an oracle keeper of Greek mythology or any traditional shaman.


Zyuranger was also the very first series to introduce avatars and guardian beasts.  Daizyujin means "Great Beast God" though for some reason, he allows the Zyurangers to use his body or shell for their primary robot.  The Dragon Caesar is well, based on a mythical dragon while making a Godzilla reference.  Zyuranger would be the first series to have mecha that is not technically mecha but supernatural, sentient creatures that would combine into one huge robot.  In short, he is a physical incarnation of the ruling god of the five tribes.


The Bandora Tribe itself feels like a fairy tale world.  You have a witch that hates children... you got Bandora herself!  You have a troll (Bukback), you have a parody bat monster (Tottobatto), a griffon (Griforther), Lamie (named after the mythical Lamie but that was a serpent lady, strangely Jarmin in Turboranger had a serpent face) and a leprechaun (Puripurican).  Their foot soldiers are called the Golem which in myths, was sculpted out of clay and the Golems here are made from clay.  I always thought the setting of Zyuranger was pretty much a fairy tale!
When you think of the Zyuranger monsters, how many of them are monsters from a children's story book?  Most of Zyuranger's monsters were based on mythology or fairy tales like Dora Titan, Dora Minotaur, Dora Sphinx (he asked deadly riddles), Dora Goblin, Dora Circe (however in the myth, Circe was a witch who turned people into pigs), Dora Cockatrice I and II, Dora Argus (who had eyes all over him), Dora Ladon (Ladon in the myths guarded the tree), Dora Pixie (who was probably based on Cupid), Dora Franke (Frankenstein), Dora Narcissus (after the Greek myth and flower), Dora Ganrock (based on a rock creature), Dora Goldhorn (from Journey to the West), Dora Fake (from a cyclops) and Dora Unicorn.  Also, Dora Talos was named after the giant that Jason faced in the story of the Argonauts.


Dai Satan in Zyuranger would be like the mythological okubi.  Even the name alone directly states he is the true antagonist and ultimate evil of Zyuranger.  While Zyuranger heavily draws its myths from non-Japanese sources, the okubi according to Japanese myths would appear in the sky showing impending disaster.  The okubi format was first used on Empress Meadow in Fiveman but in Zyuranger, it played a bigger part.  In Zyuranger, Bandora sold her soul to Dai Satan, hmmm sort of a Faustian pact with the Devil isn't it?  When Dai Satan appears, it shows disaster although Dai Satan only appeared midseason (he was temporarily driven off by Kyukyoku Daizyujin) and in the finale arc where he is finally destroyed for good.

Missed anything?  Let me know!