Some things just hit at the WRONG PLACE at the WRONG TIME, right? For some, it's their birthday during a pandemic or some had a birthday when ECQ hit. For some, it may be a big milestone in their life. In my case, I do believe I just hit the Super Sentai taste fatigue zone for the nth time and it's during the 45th series, Zenkaiger. Just because I dislike Power Rangers doesn't mean I'm going to treat Super Sentai it's such a perfect franchise. Besides, I confess I did have preconceived biases towards newer Super Sentai during the early 2000s until I checked them out.
I felt critical about Super Sentai last 2013 (because we were having a third Dino Sentai). I decided to check out more of the older Super Sentai I haven't watched yet. I was also filling in the gaps when I decided to check some Metal Hero classics such as Metalder, Winspector, and Solbrain at that time too. I also decided to watch more Heisei era Riders and I've watched everything from Kamen Rider Kuuga up to Kamen Rider Zero-One. Later, I decided to catch up with Kyoryger (sorry but I still think Abaranger has better storytelling), ToQGer (got a warm spot for it now due to Yasuko Kobayashi and it does deserve love), Ninninger (which really only got redeemed IMHO due to how horrible Ninja Steel is), and Zyuohger (well, I ended up concluding Gokaiger is still better). Though, Zyuohger did carry the concern that the history of Super Sentai might be over in its crossover movie with Ninninger. Then there was Kyuranger, Lupinranger vs. Patranger, and then I started to feel critical towards Ryusoulger later on, then Kiramager had fun potential but was ravaged by the Legacy Virus. Fortunately, Juru Atsuta did recover from the Legacy Virus after he was tested positive.
At first, I was excited to see how Zenkaiger would run with a new, unorthodox team. Kyuranger and Lupato were both unorthodox teams. Yes, I think that there are times you just need to think outside the box more than once as innovation is pursued. The concept of the rangers going giant with a sole human was somewhat a throwback to Metal Hero. Zenkaiger has some interesting concepts which might rewrite Super Sentai. However, having had watched a couple of older and newer Super Sentai series can develop taste fatigue. For instance, having checked out Abaranger, then GoGoFive, then Dynaman, and then Sun Vulcan can mean extra servings of Japanese food. Catching up with Kyoryuger, ToQGer, and Ninninger can also mean extra servings of Japanese food. Talk about trying to eat different types of sushi, sashimi, tonkatsu, bonito, and whatever Japanese food is served in the buffet. I just felt like the hype in me died down and I'm letting the younger generation enjoy their servings first.
I also feel other factors are going on. I feel like Kamen Rider Saber (which I'm still watching but at my own pace) may be starting to redeem itself (or not) after its initial flak. If it didn't then it wouldn't really still be airing right now but I'm still skeptical if the series can reach an intended year-long run. I can also attribute taste fatigue to the broad choices of the digital age. For me, Tokusatsu is like going for Japanese food. I love Japanese food but when eating it too much - I end up developing taste fatigue. Recent choices can be seen on fan sites (such as Kiss Asian) or on legit paid Internet TV (such as Netflix). Netflix can rent some shows or co-own some shows. Lately, I find myself watching some Korean crime thrillers on Netflix - something I'd compare to me going for a Korean buffet. I used to enjoy Korean food more than Japanese food while enjoying Japanese entertainment more than Korean entertainment. Now, I feel distanced from Japan as I look for kimbap over sushi and even watching K-Drama over J-Drama. Though, I still listen to J-Pop over K-Pop.
It seems the best advice (for me) is to sometimes take a break. Yes, it's bad timing that I got hit with taste fatigue on Super Sentai's 45th anniversary. I also find myself slowly getting distanced from Japanese entertainment (unexpectedly) while I still enjoy Japanese stuff. I think it would be good for me to take a break and catch up on it later. Though, I'd still be checking out the upcoming Kiramager vs. Ryusoulger movie (to see Canalo get rejected badly). Maybe, it's time to take a break from Super Sentai for an indefinite time period. Then again, I'm just a passing-through Super Sentai fan myself.
Taste fatigue just really sucks! GRRRR!!! Good thing that the digital age has a wide variety of options or that there's still other new stuff worth checking out so it's not a big deal either. Maybe, I'll return to watching Super Sentai, or maybe not. Then again, this blog is just a hobby so....
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