My Thoughts On The LONG-AWAITED Abaranger DVD Release

I haven't done a Super Sentai DVD rant for a long time, right? Yeah, I could remember how I actually called Dino Thunder as Dino THUMPER in an angry rant of sorts. I felt it was rather awkward to do a Fiveman DVD release of sorts. I felt that who'd want to watch Fiveman IF they've seen GoGoFive. I think it's easier for a Power Rangers fan to embrace both GoGoFive and Lightspeed Rescue than to appreciate Fiveman. Fiveman was that near-franchise killer during the 1990s and NOT Ohranger. Abaranger will get its release on November 8, 2022. Meanwhile, I totally missed that Kamen Rider Kuuga got licensed subbed last September 20, 2022. Interestingly, both are written by Naruhisa Arakawa - a writer I feel got appreciated among Power Rangers circles because of the fansubs of Dekaranger and Gokaiger.

So, how will an Abaranger release do? I could remember the often misunderstood episode "Lost and Found" in Dino Thunder. Some people who should no longer be even acknowledged thought it was an insult to the Super Sentai franchise. I did watch the episode. I found it annoying because of Conners' reaction. In the end, Conner said, "It's not bad." Yeah, it was sort of a weird episode. I still feel Dino Thunder was a wreck thanks to how Tommy was brought back. I can't imagine if Abaranger brought Burai back just for that. 

Abaranger is a show that's obviously self-contained in the Dinosaur Quadrilogy

Just a bit of a tidbit. I couldn't help but laugh at a few Power Rangers fans who not only criticized inconsistencies in their show but also in Super Sentai. The whole dinosaur extinction plot varies from entry to entry. By now it's known that Zyuranger had Bandora become the cause. Go-onger featured the Horonderthal. Boukenger featured the Hyde Gene in the movie. Amazingly, Boukenger as an anniversary season only gave Ranger History lessons as clip shows but never linked all 29 previous seasons in a what-if. Only Gokaiger did that for a reason. Abaranger had a meteor with NO RELATION to Bandora at all splitting the Earth into two. You have Main Earth and Dino Earth. Talk about that bizarre similarity with the failed Mario Bros. movie. 

It's best to keep in mind that the stories of the dinosaur-themed shows aren't linked together. My dislike for Kyoryuger has been enforced further by that weak crossover it had with Go-Busters. I think I could've probably given Beast Morphers more points IF it totally skipped it. That crossover made me DIZZY one way or another. In reality, Abaranger is pretty much separate from Zyuranger and that should be a GOOD THING. Having an entirely new ranger in Asuka has been more refreshing IMHO than Tommy returning for the same role. Good thing that weak crossover will always remain as a huge what-if scenario. 

Fortunately, Ryusoulger (and I confess I didn't enjoy it as well in the long run) didn't try to give more Ranger History lessons. Sure, it did make a cameo in Super Sentai Strongest Battle mini-series. However, again the series never bothered to make a single reference to it at all WHICH IS GOOD. I felt that Super Sentai Strongest Battle was simply meant to wrap up the whole Heisei era of Super Sentai. It managed to actually correct the overly-rushed "Dimensions in Danger" which should've been a mini-series instead. 

That means that unlike Dino Thunder - the show operates on its own continuity. I think one of the biggest weaknesses of Dino Thunder (aside from Cassidy and Devin) is the return of Tommy. I felt Tommy wearing several suits just gets annoying. It's very much unlike how Hiroshi Miyauchi wore different suits as DIFFERENT characters. You've probably known Miyauchi as several characters. Jason David Frank or JDF still remains as TOMMY every time he appears. That typecasting can be so annoying. I guess that's why Kamen Rider BLACK RX didn't get as many fans as its superior predecessor even if we had the same character.

I think it's pretty cool that Abaranger simply decided to focus on being its own show. Asuka definitely isn't Burai and that's a good thing. Asuka is pretty much his own character. Even better, there was no attempt to do throwbacks in Abaranger at all. No episode where Asuka starts to recall stuff like the Zyurangers or other shows. Instead, the whole show simply focused on being a dinosaur-themed show. True, Abaranger might be on the tenth anniversary of Jurassic Park and Mighty Morphin' - both 1993. Yet, the only reference ever made is the dinosaur theme. 

Where this DVD release could go next

Possible future releases after Abaranger may also lead to Dekaranger. What I hear is how the TV Nihon fansub of Dekaranger actually gave non-English speakers more of Super Sentai. I think a Dekaranger release may be there anytime soon. I wonder if the VS. Movies will get licensed or what? Then again, those VS. Movies are pretty much as non-canon as the Dragon Ball Z movies. 

Though, I also suggest releasing more older Super Sentai series by Hirohisa Soda. I still want to see other great classics such as Changeman, Flashman, Maskman, and Liveman released. Maybe, a Turboranger release would be good though some people tend to unfairly hate it. Yeah, I get it that Carranger has been more established. Still, if only people can accept Carranger didn't save the ratings of the franchise either. 

Just my thoughts on where the DVD release could head next!