Why Fiveman May Have Gotten Vindicated By History

 

Chikyu Sentai Fiveman is a show that was eventually vindicated by history? Well, maybe. I was thinking about how the show is remembered for being Hirohisa Soda's burnout and the series that could've spelled the end of Super Sentai. Not to mention, Kosoku Sentai Turboranger was also slipping down in ratings too. The trend also followed when both Choriki Sentai Ohranger and Gekisou Sentai Carranger also had low ratings one after the other. Yup, Carranger DID NOT save Super Sentai - it was Denji Sentai Megaranger. Fortunately, Chojin Sentai Jetman saved Super Sentai though it felt like Fiveman was doomed to be overshadowed - at least for the time being.

I think about how the show in itself had evidence of Soda having no idea what to do anymore. It didn't help matters (for me) while watching Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive. However, I couldn't ignore Fiveman one bit. I could say that my liking Nagare as my favorite GoGoFive character all goes back to Ken as my favorite Fiveman - both blue rangers. However, Nagare is a scientist while Ken is a physical education teacher. Fiveman just keep throwing random things here and there, villains felt they were just a compilation of Soda's older works and the like. Fiveman was simply on a road downhill at that time. But it was a show not without its strengths. If anything did get Fiveman noticed (eventually) - it's the fact that show had a strong cast of rangers. Yes, I'm talking about the celebrities and the characters they play as are rather likable characters. Do I need to say that while I refuse to compare Matoi with Carter - I can't resist comparing Matoi with Gaku? What it lacked in script and toys - the cast made up for it when they gave us the best they could with a likable group of siblings.

What could be said is that Fiveman (like Kamen Rider BLACK RX) might be (or should be) viewed as a necessary failure that built towards success. Innovation can fail but sometimes, that failure can be resolved and made better. Fiveman was airing with Tokkei Winspector last 1990. Eventually, it might be said that without Fiveman - GoGoFive would've probably never been the success it was. Obviously, GoGoFive's costumes clearly copy from Fiveman. The sibling Super Sentai concept is from Fiveman. The rescue concept was partly inspired by the Rescue Police Trilogy (Winspector, Solbrain, and Exceedraft). At that time, perhaps Jun Hikasa (as a producer) and Junki Takegami (as the head writer) along with the other writers analyzed Fiveman, saw its potential, and saw a better way to implement it.

So, as much as I would still say GoGoFive did a lot of things right that Fiveman didn't - Fiveman's failure (at least, during 1990) was a necessary failure. Just think BLACK RX didn't really know how to implement the newer concepts such as getting allies more involved in the battle or use of the multiple forms. Eventually, Kamen Rider Kuuga managed to polish a lot of stuff that BLACK RX didn't do well. Kuuga managed to figure out how to work with multiple forms and how to get his friends more involved. BLACK RX had Kotaro's more involved in the fight against Crisis only later on. Kuuga manages to integrate them from the beginning. GoGoFive had Fiveman to learn from. 

Not to mention, I still think that Empress Meadow's concept was difficult to write off or that the people behind Fiveman had no idea how to get rid of her eventually. I guess that's why the producers eventually wrote her off as an illusion created by Zone's true ruler, Vulgyre. However, the concept, symbolic as it may be, made way for two more Okubi-persona characters with Dai Satan from Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger and Grandienne from GoGoFive. Grandienne was presented to be what I'd call "Meadow done right". Grandienne showed herself in her goddess-like image in GoGoFive's image as the Minus Energy of the Universe, envelops the whole Earth with her malice (for me, an improved version of the final episodes of Zyuranger), uses her own two sons (Zylpheeza and Salamandes) to become mindless drones puppet by her to cause havoc, and that it needed a last-minute, life-threatening move with the one-shot only Max Victory Robo Sigma Project (which was probably shelved due to how dangerous it was for regular battle) as they used their body energies to power it. The GoGoFive siblings literally put their own lives at risk (by using their life energy) in order to dispel the Minus Energy that Grandienne was forever. 

It's almost like saying that some failures were actually necessary in order to create something better. After all, innovation requires learning from past failures and the ability to accept it while pursuing to make things better.