Recalling That Time When I Saw Them Japanese Bandai Toys While Mighty Morphin' Aired In The 90s

The 90s were simpler times but also the times when the Internet was very limited and VERY EXPENSIVE. Who can remember the times of the dial-up Internet or when using the Internet meant you can't accept calls? It was also that annoying dialing sound and if you wanted faster Internet - you had to GO THE INTERNET CAFE. Well, we never had any Internet connection in our house until I was in high school. Then again, when we did, DIAL-UP CARDS which were very ANNOYING. The 90s was also the era of a lot of new stuff popping out. Being in the Philippines after the post-martial law years was something. New video games, new shows, new cartoons (which back then still had some quality check), and the rise of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers was the thing. So, it was that time when Super Sentai got overshadowed due to the fact that the information age was in its infancy. I did just mention that dial-up Internet was still the thing before the Digital Subscriber Line came in, right? 

Before Mighty Morphin' aired in the Philippines - other Super Sentai shows and other Toku were showing. I confess that I was already 16 years old and entering 4th-year high school (that was before K+12 was implemented), had bad grades like Kenta in Dengeki Sentai Megaranger, when I learned of the term "Super Sentai". I had to read Questor to find out that Mighty Morphin' was based on Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger and why Haim Saban had to create another show out of it. Yes, the localization came out (and it's my preferred term due to moving from one country to another). Back then, I never knew it was called Super Sentai. Those shows were Chodenshi Bioman, Hikari Sentai Maskman, Kosoku Sentai Turboranger, Chikyu Sentai Fiveman, Chojin Sentai Jetman, Space Sheriff Gavan, Space Sheriff Shaider, Seiun Machineman, Mobile Cop Jiban, and Kamen Rider BLACK as far as my memory can recall. Those were shown at IBC-13 which I think was pretty much outdated. Those were dubbed in Tagalog and had minor changes like changing Space Sheriff to Sky Ranger or how Maskman was called as Laser Squadron Maskman. There was also the Maskman Tagalog theme song which is part of my Old Shame list of likes. 

So Mighty Morphin' finally aired. I watched it like every other child though my dumb reason was that Kimberly was just so hot! Even now, I still find her prettier than Mei though I'd still watch Zyuranger over Mighty Morphin'. For every kiddie show - there's a corresponding toy. So I wonder why toys based on the Alien vs. Predator franchise or even Mortal Kombat were made when those franchises are geared towards ADULTS? Yes, I remembered having a Predator toy or watching the Aliens film thinking they were for children! What was also there was the Conan the Adventurer cartoon which I was obsessed with without knowing it was partly based on the very much ADULT Conan the Barbarian franchise! The Power Rangers toy line finally came in as a result of its popularity. But for the Philippines - Mighty Morphin' was shown in 1995. Then there was that trip to the toy store. Yes, who can remember the now-closed-down Nova Fontana and Gift Gate assuming you're a Filipino citizen or grew up in the Philippines? There was the SM Toys Department and the rise of the Toy Kingdom which was termed "The Amazing Toy Store". If it wasn't just X-Men: The Animated Series (X-Men TAS) that was that hit back then - a year later Mighty Morphin' followed though I was more into the latter. 

Then it happened - going to the toy stores but never having chosen one toy. I confess that I'm a choosy toy collector myself and an introvert of sorts. I remembered seeing the Zyuranger toys which were sold as "Power Rangers" toys. I remembered not just Zyuranger toys but also Zyuranger stickers. I wondered why they had Japanese characters instead of the title Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Just who was that "random" Japanese dude using the morpher? Granted, Power Rangers toys had the BANDAI logo so I knew it was legit. Also, anybody who bothers reading the credits will notice TOEI LTD. is also listed. So, yes, it's Bandai merchandise but who in the world was that Japanese dude? Why wasn't it Jason? The lack of Internet back then just nagged my head. I even wondered why the words Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger were written instead of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers on the morphing device. I just thought that it was just some random Japanese dude.

Then of course - there was also the Gosei Sentai Dairanger toyline. I remembered one was a bootleg and the other was legit in the toy stores. Other legit and bootleg toys of Super Sentai appeared in the toy stores. Regardless, I really remembered how I got confused as to why the White Ranger was with a different set of rangers. Though, being in the late tens entering teens means one thing - the mind starts to develop. So I wasn't really surprised to learn about it that Power Rangers is based on Super Sentai, and that Saban has contracts with Toei, though I wonder why Toei allowed Saban to have the contracts. 

Then there was this collage which I saw in a toy store. Was it in Nova Fontana or was it in SM Toy Store? I forgot but I remembered this one and got confused looking at it. Speaking of which, Tokyuu Solbrain was also shown in IBC-13 but it was never finished and never went past the Winspector crossover. PFFT! WTF IBC-13?! I was a little lucky (I guess) that I saw bits and pieces of Kamen Rider BLACK RX on a Chinese cable channel (and watched it WITHOUT understanding it and I also saw Tokosou Exceedraft there). Watching BLACK RX - I wondered what happened to Gorgom or to Bilgenia? Why was he called BLACK RX? Well, it wasn't until years later that I confirmed my worst fears that BLACK RX was Kotaro Minami who I still knew as Robert Akizuki. Yes, that's why I ended up using AKIZUKI as part of my pen name because it's my childhood nickname. I always wondered why "Robocop" turned purple there until I saw Tokosou Robo Janperson on ABC-5 as a high schooler. I still remember that Big Bad Beetleborgs episode where Janperson (as Karato) showed up so I wasn't too surprised anymore to learn Janperson was by Toei after I got into the Internet. Well, speaking of Robocop - it's an adult film franchise that later got a PG-13 show but still had a toyline nonetheless. Well, there was also the Robocop cartoons and Jiban is also called the Japanese Robocop. Later, ABC-5 would say in Tagalog, "If America has a Robocop - Asia also has a Robocop!" referring to Janperson. So, while I didn't know Janperson was by Toei (and thought Saban should go to jail due to Karato in Beetleborgs) - I wasn't surprised to find out he was either due to the number of Toku stars starring in the show! 

So pretty much, I just felt "betrayed" after I started learning more about Super Sentai or why the toy stores sold them as "Power Rangers". I ended up talking about the Japanese equivalent when people talked about Power Rangers. They were interested but always wondered how they could watch it. I made some friends out of them though I was already disliking Power Rangers but was too afraid to admit it. I talked about the times when they saw the Japanese toys and told them they were Super Sentai toys and how Bandai was involved. Well, I talked about licenses and international marketing as to why the original Super Sentai wasn't aired the way it was. In international marketing, it's called the process of adaptation with cultural differences though the better term is to localize. Though, I'd like to clarify that one of the reasons why I also don't like Power Rangers in contrast to K-Dramas based on Japanese media is because of the use of Sentai stock footage. Just feels weird IMHO when American fight footage (whether the main cast or their stuntmen) suddenly gets blended into Japanese fight footage. It just feels weird to me!

The digital age was in its infancy, with slow Internet, and no way to know about the Japanese original without the Internet. Then those college peers of mine did check out Youtube for RAW videos and did not understand a word. But they watched it, I watched it since fansubs weren't the thing yet. Also, I was stuck with a low-model PC back in those days. Eventually, DSL became the thing that replaced dial-ups, fansubs were becoming the thing (though back then, I was limited to Youtube), and I was slowly returning back to Tokusatsu but for dumb reasons. I mean, I did watch some Kamen Rider but it was but bits and pieces. Also, at that time, I was caught in the Taiwan drama and Korean drama wave it took stupid reasons for me to even watch Super Sentai again. In short, I was always taking a u-turn from the franchise and returning every now and then. 

Pretty much, just another nostalgic crazy rant to remember some past events!