My Own Retro-Rambling On The 2000s Era Of Super Sentai
Well, here's a post I'd call overdue. I remembered writing a series of posts regarding the end of the Heisei era and remembering the Showa era. I feel a bit obligated to end the year with this review and some confessions. I confess that I was also critical of Super Sentai after some time. I keep hearing of toned-down violence, less serious stories than it used to be but it can be good, right? It's time to look at all the series from 2000 to 2009.
Timeranger would turn 20 years old by 2020. It started the 2000s with it through it's also what I'd call the last 20th century Super Sentai. The year 2001 would be the 21st century. Though with a decade - the 2000s started with Timeranger. One could consider the fact that just a few years after Seijuu Sentai Gingaman - we would be getting this show. Some hail it as Yasuko Kobayashi's masterpiece. Overappreciated? Underappreciated? I can't say. I hear it gets praise from the older fanbase but younger fans didn't immediately click to it. Did the same thing happen to Maskman?
Super Sentai somehow needed a reboot and Gaoranger seemed to be the answer. It would be the first 21st century Super Sentai era. It would also define a lot of stuff that would be used in Super Sentai such as evolving computer-generated imagery (CGI) and the one to introduce multi-gattai. I remembered how I got critical about this one without seeing it. I admit that I first saw Wild Force before this show. I still feel the show's only appreciated because of supposedly better acting and nothing more.
Another series that I'd say is good or decent is Hurricanger though I praise it for obvious dull reasons. I was thinking of how Ninja Storm was enjoyable (at first) but just falls flat IMHO. The show tried to redo ninjas and did it right. For me, this show may be lighter and softer than Kakuranger but I like the execution better.
I admit I pre-judged Abaranger while watching now-taken-down Zyuranger raws on Youtube. Like, I thought WTF or what. Well, I didn't really watch much Dino Thunder because of Connor, Cassidy, Devin, and need I mention the Tommy hype? I did, however, start to get interested in the dinosaur multi-gattai. There were no clear fansubs yet back then. Right now, I don't know when an Abaranger official DVD set will be coming out.
An obvious case of favoritism now, isn't it? I think even Toei has the Dekaranger hype because they released a movie ten years after it first aired, have Ban appear in Kyuranger, AND made a Dekaranger vs. Gavan movie. This was also the first series that tends to get too much appreciation because of the fansubs. Language barrier? Can't understand? TV-Nihon fansubs came in and English speakers came in. I still feel that it would take a very long time before the hype ends.
I used to think that Magiranger was great but boy am I so wrong. Sure, the fantasy stuff is cool but I'd still berate both Kai and Houka A LOT and I mean A LOT. I think about the cheesy stuff this show has or it's a poorly-done toy commercial for me. The more I watch it - the more I really find this show to be quite lacking. Maybe, just maybe, the greatness of Timeranger up to Dekaranger overshadowed it or what?
Boukenger is one series and I confess I've overrated it UNTIL I've seen more series. It's not as great as I think it was but I still watch it for laughs. It seems to be that the team gets drunk behind the scenes a lot. Akibaranger did feature a Boukenger episode with a drunken mess. Sakura giving a gun to Natsuki isn't an act of a sober woman! Akashi recklessly endangers everyone like a drunk driver! I did hate Operation Overdrive with a passion too. However, watching other shows just makes Boukenger look less and less appealing eventually.
Gekiranger? Well, I did only hesitate to watch it because I relied too much on fan opinion. However, the more I watched this show - the more I think about the complexities that it has. It has very difficult-to-imitate storytelling by the Michiko Yokote trio. I would even say that this show is my favorite Super Sentai in the 2000s - perhaps even above Timeranger! True, it's not as serious as Dairanger and Maskman but it's a pretty entertaining story!
Go-Onger is probably one controversial season. I don't hate it but I once pretended to actually prefer Go-Busters over it. I think I relied too much on the opinions of others such as Sentai Bandicoot. I checked it out for myself and find it to be entertaining. However, I'd still pick Carranger over this show. Then again, I realized that I'd probably still pick Turboranger over Carranger!
I would dare say Shinkenger is overly appreciated even after it aired. What's amazing is that the 2000s Super Sentai era started with a series with Kobayashi as the head writer and ended with her again as the head writer. I do feel that maybe liking Timeranger less may also be because of Shinkenger fans wherever they may be. I still find myself disagreeing with people who think this series is Kobayashi's Magnum Opus. Sure, Shinkenger has a more likable cast of characters while Timeranger has a more mature approach. I'm glad no ten years after movie. Now, who's the next in the cast to get married? I do feel Tori Matsuzaka may be the last to marry in his group!
Timeranger would turn 20 years old by 2020. It started the 2000s with it through it's also what I'd call the last 20th century Super Sentai. The year 2001 would be the 21st century. Though with a decade - the 2000s started with Timeranger. One could consider the fact that just a few years after Seijuu Sentai Gingaman - we would be getting this show. Some hail it as Yasuko Kobayashi's masterpiece. Overappreciated? Underappreciated? I can't say. I hear it gets praise from the older fanbase but younger fans didn't immediately click to it. Did the same thing happen to Maskman?
Super Sentai somehow needed a reboot and Gaoranger seemed to be the answer. It would be the first 21st century Super Sentai era. It would also define a lot of stuff that would be used in Super Sentai such as evolving computer-generated imagery (CGI) and the one to introduce multi-gattai. I remembered how I got critical about this one without seeing it. I admit that I first saw Wild Force before this show. I still feel the show's only appreciated because of supposedly better acting and nothing more.
Another series that I'd say is good or decent is Hurricanger though I praise it for obvious dull reasons. I was thinking of how Ninja Storm was enjoyable (at first) but just falls flat IMHO. The show tried to redo ninjas and did it right. For me, this show may be lighter and softer than Kakuranger but I like the execution better.
I admit I pre-judged Abaranger while watching now-taken-down Zyuranger raws on Youtube. Like, I thought WTF or what. Well, I didn't really watch much Dino Thunder because of Connor, Cassidy, Devin, and need I mention the Tommy hype? I did, however, start to get interested in the dinosaur multi-gattai. There were no clear fansubs yet back then. Right now, I don't know when an Abaranger official DVD set will be coming out.
An obvious case of favoritism now, isn't it? I think even Toei has the Dekaranger hype because they released a movie ten years after it first aired, have Ban appear in Kyuranger, AND made a Dekaranger vs. Gavan movie. This was also the first series that tends to get too much appreciation because of the fansubs. Language barrier? Can't understand? TV-Nihon fansubs came in and English speakers came in. I still feel that it would take a very long time before the hype ends.
I used to think that Magiranger was great but boy am I so wrong. Sure, the fantasy stuff is cool but I'd still berate both Kai and Houka A LOT and I mean A LOT. I think about the cheesy stuff this show has or it's a poorly-done toy commercial for me. The more I watch it - the more I really find this show to be quite lacking. Maybe, just maybe, the greatness of Timeranger up to Dekaranger overshadowed it or what?
Boukenger is one series and I confess I've overrated it UNTIL I've seen more series. It's not as great as I think it was but I still watch it for laughs. It seems to be that the team gets drunk behind the scenes a lot. Akibaranger did feature a Boukenger episode with a drunken mess. Sakura giving a gun to Natsuki isn't an act of a sober woman! Akashi recklessly endangers everyone like a drunk driver! I did hate Operation Overdrive with a passion too. However, watching other shows just makes Boukenger look less and less appealing eventually.
Gekiranger? Well, I did only hesitate to watch it because I relied too much on fan opinion. However, the more I watched this show - the more I think about the complexities that it has. It has very difficult-to-imitate storytelling by the Michiko Yokote trio. I would even say that this show is my favorite Super Sentai in the 2000s - perhaps even above Timeranger! True, it's not as serious as Dairanger and Maskman but it's a pretty entertaining story!
Go-Onger is probably one controversial season. I don't hate it but I once pretended to actually prefer Go-Busters over it. I think I relied too much on the opinions of others such as Sentai Bandicoot. I checked it out for myself and find it to be entertaining. However, I'd still pick Carranger over this show. Then again, I realized that I'd probably still pick Turboranger over Carranger!
I would dare say Shinkenger is overly appreciated even after it aired. What's amazing is that the 2000s Super Sentai era started with a series with Kobayashi as the head writer and ended with her again as the head writer. I do feel that maybe liking Timeranger less may also be because of Shinkenger fans wherever they may be. I still find myself disagreeing with people who think this series is Kobayashi's Magnum Opus. Sure, Shinkenger has a more likable cast of characters while Timeranger has a more mature approach. I'm glad no ten years after movie. Now, who's the next in the cast to get married? I do feel Tori Matsuzaka may be the last to marry in his group!
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