Why I Still End Up Picking Zyuranger Over Mighty Morphin'

The Super Sentai Strongest Battle is coming to an end and I feel like writing yet another post due to the Zyuranger connection -- it's because the villain Rita had her plan to revive Dai Satan who was used as Lokar in Mighty Morphin'. I know there have been mixed reviews, I would even dare say that Zyuranger isn't solid gold either (and no Super Sentai is without its flaws... GET OVER IT) but I still want to talk about why I'd end up choosing Zyuranger over Mighty Morphin'. Yeah, I know I've been told not to think about Mighty Morphin' and just enjoy Zyuranger for what it is. So let's get started, shall we?


Child of the week is better than Bulk and Skull's weekly antics

I know Zyuranger gets skewered at times because of the child of the week focus. I know it's a weakness but I'd rather take the Zyurangers having to handle some brat in trouble over the antics of Bulk and Skull. It's just like how I still think Ohranger's most unfortunate family is always more welcome to me than Bulk and Skull as "defective detectives" -- something that always bothered me why American audiences tend to like that kind of humor! I'd rather get the child of the week steal the spotlight than having Bulk and Skull trying to do their idiotic plans. Sure, the majority of fans liked them so they lingered on but they just got irrelevant! They can leave and NOBODY will notice nor will plot be affected by it!


Tommy will never be close to the legend that's Burai in terms of actual greatness

I could always rant on and on and maybe whine on and on how much I think Tommy is just an overrated prick. Burai really owns Tommy in more than one level just like how Jason David Frank is nowhere near worthy to even fit in Hiroshi Miyauchi's shoes as a legendary figure. Miyauchi played several different characters in Toei's line of Tokusatsu (V3, Aoranger, Big One, Zubat, Commander Masaki, Chief Miura) while JDF played only TOMMY all throughout his career in Power Rangers. Burai is probably the reason why some people can still give credit to Zyuranger and he's my favorite one. I always felt Burai had a more glorious legacy than Tommy ever will. Tommy is forever that overrated prick and JDF is well just the Hercule of Power Rangers!

Want to get areas where Zyuranger's Green with Evil defeats Mighty Morphin's version? Burai emerging as a threat and willing repentance is more fun to watch than Tommy who is just this new kid in school who becomes a threat. Burai's getting the Hellfriede Sword, his rage and his redemption all summarize one badass arc! I always like how the whole green candle plot representing Burai's life force actually explained why he wasn't always there -- unlike Tommy who ended up as just back-up who gets called when he's needed. This makes Burai way better than Tommy -- though calling him as the "greatest sixth ranger" is an overstatement!

Some can go ahead and argue that if Burai were better than Tommy then why was he killed off late in the series? Well, he was destined to die anyway but his short life was more glorious than Tommy's. You can think of how he died in a high note -- he even died to save another one's life. Also, just watching Burai's Green with Evil and hearing him laugh is no joke. Burai's laugh sounds like he's about to murder someone! Tommy just sounded like Dr. Evil. No, not Burai -- he doesn't sound like a cartoon character but a murderous guy with his evil laugh!


Villain plots are more entertaining in Zyuranger

The villains in Zyuranger aren't exactly all that perfect either while I thought Bandora was better carried out than Rita Repulsa. Bandora tends to outdo Rita Repulsa in both cruelty and comedy. We never saw Rita try to poison Kimberly into a nightmare zone or want to eat children turned into apples. Those were really crazy but creepy plots. Also, Bandora had to kidnap 13 children and use them to invite her master Dai Satan into Earth. We never recalled Rita having to kidnap 13 children to invite her ally Lokar over, right? But those scenes just can't make it to the U.S. thanks to the TV-Y7-FV standards.

The comedy of Bandora is also better done -- her headaches aren't played over and over again for laughs! Other comedy aspects of Bandora involve her singing her theme song "Dora! Song of the Witch Bandora!" or any of her antics that involve her stupid plans against children. May I even say Bandora is even better carried out than Machineman's Professor K. Machineman never told us why Professor K turned evil -- Bandora has her last-minute backstory that her hatred towards children is because she lost her son millions of years ago to a dinosaur attack!


Kimberly is hotter while Mei got better used in script 

This is where I always get mixed feelings between the Mei vs. Kimberly argument. Seeing both actresses meeting each other makes me even have this, "WTF! Rin not Mei should be beside Kimberly!" I also tend to disagree with people who say that Mei is prettier than Kimberly but I find that to be pretty subjective in one way or another. I still find Kimberly to be prettier than Mei (and perhaps emotionally stronger as she doesn't easily cry) or just any Super Sentai or Power Rangers girl for that matter -- but that's just me and the surface! Amy Jo Johnson-Giner has better acting skills than Reiko Chiba though.

I may still think Kimberly is prettier than Mei but the implementation matters too. Innovation always has 4Ds with it -- definition, discovery, development and delivery. Mei has had several more interesting episodes such as when she got poisoned (and Kimberly trying to land a plane was kinda weird considering she used a flying zord) or when she tried to help the child of the week recover one's love for flowers. Kimberly tends to be a likable character who's not used to her fullest -- she's just eye candy for most of its run. We know Megafail had lots of eye candy but we know where it headed -- even fans of Power Rangers ended up bashing it so badly and some may have walked out of the franchise because of it! Same can go for Mighty Morphin' -- I can't deny that I've had a crush on Kimberly as a child yet I just can't watch it because of her!


Zyuranger has a definite conclusion while Mighty Morphin' overstayed its welcome

Then one could think about the fact Zyuranger has a conclusion to end the show to top it all. Why Toei decided to give it to "da greeed" with Haim Saban's request to make 25 sets of stock footage for Mighty Morphin' to use was just well... WTF! Doomsday was supposed to end the series and I always felt like the Zyurangers should have been allowed to pursue the retreating Moonbase or two assault it, Rita Repulsa gets sealed and end the show as planned. So while it was a relief for me that Mighty Morphin' went on and on as a child -- the same can't be said as an adult!

Having a conclusion to Zyuranger ended it in a high note. Mighty Morphin' could have ended in a high note and proceed to localize Dairanger. Instead, we ended up getting random decisions such as suddenly splicing Dairanger footage with obvious Zyu2 footage -- it was just badly done! I felt Lord Zedd's sudden introduction in the middle of the 25 extra episodes was just WTF. Zyuranger may not have the best ending either (and leaving two dinosaurs to a child is just funny and Jurassic Park would later screen on June 9, 1993 -- months after Zyuranger's finale! Coincidence?

So I hope this actually makes it clear as to why I just don't like Power Rangers!