1993: A Starting Year For Toei's Daring Direction?

 

It's been 30 years since 1993, right? I guess the 1990s can be filled with several daring turns for Toei Ltd. A rewatch of The Toys That Made Us episode about the Power Rangers franchise is there. Yes, that episode featured Toei executives, the origins based on some Japanese show (and I believe the budget got that high hence higher royalty fees), and how I still feel 1993 was a champion year for Toei's bank account. Now, it's time to do another rant which I feel doing with Toei's daring direction. Yes, we've got a lot of stuff going on!

Janperson: Serve the public trust, protect the innocent, uphold the law

The Kamen Rider series was pretty much on a halt. Yes, only a movie called Kamen Rider ZO came out on April 14, 1993, of that year. The now-defunct but never forgotten Metal Hero series started to experment on new stuff in the early 1990s. That's all before the formula started to return back to the Metal Heroes vs. Monster of the Week. We had the Rescue Police Trilogy which made the franchise look like a primetime TV show from 1991-1993. We have Tokkei Winspector, Tokkyu Shirei Solbrain, and Tokosou Exceedraft. There were several events such as Chikyu Sentai Fiveman NEARLY killing the franchise due to bad ratings and toy sales (but it got Vindicated by History for a reason), Chojin Sentai Jetman saving the franchise, and there was Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger which wasn't much of a masterpiece. Still, no one can deny certain concepts were explored.

Before 1990 struck, there was the Robocop tribute with Kidou Keiji Jiban. The idea was a weird mish-mash of Robot Detective K and the very-much adult Robocop movies. The 1980s had the two Robocop films. In 1993, Toei Ltd. had its new daring production. Maybe, call it Robocop Lite because the show, though more violent than Jiban, was still aimed at children. The children's vocals in the opening theme would be a HUGE HINT. Still, it feels weird how children were back-up singers in the rather brutal Hyajakuu Golion anime also by Toei Ltd. However, unlike Robocop, Janperson had no human past to talk about. Instead, it seems to go with the idea what if Robocop was purely well, a Robocop, and had no human past. Still, Janperson's design is blatantly ripped off from Robocop. It does seem to go full circle since a Japanese magazine inspired Robocop's design. Then Robocop inspired Janperson's design. 

The Rescue Police Trilogy were all connected to each other. Janperson seems to be self-contained so the whole B-Fighter finale crossover was a distraction of sorts. I did watch the first two episodes of B-Fighter Kabuto and Takuya mentions more about Jamahl than Jagul's defeat. I still feel episode 51 is the true ending while the next two episodes are but a distraction. The first three series had different criminals per week. Eventually, both Solbrain and Exceedraft had villains that became recurring villains. In Exceedraft's case, bringing the Devil in human form (as Iwao Demon) was a very daring direction. Several past alumni from Toku made it more and more of a hint that it was by Toei. Also, I did once believe Saban Entertainment could've been sued when Janperson was a "special guest" in Big Bad Beetleborgs as Karato. Footage from episodes 52-53 were carried over for that certain episode. In Janperson's case, he fought three different rival organizations and brought them down. There were occasional other criminals but not as frequent as the Rescue Police Trilogy would carry it over.

The show somehow gave some blatant Robocop movie references. Take note that the Robocop TV series came in 1994. The beginning scene seemed to take a scene from the Terminator franchise. We're soon brought to what's the most blatant Clarence Boddicker rip-off namely Ryuzaburo Tatewaki. Shun Sugata almost matches the hammy performance of Kirkwood Smith. Later, the said Boddicker counterpart becomes the evil cyborg Bill Goldy - almost a reference to Robo Cain from Robocop 2. The show may be less violent than Robocop. However, the show was considerably not for American standards at all. The show had the use of bullets, knives, etc. that would totally not get it accepted by Fox Kids and the like. 

Gosei Sentai Dairanger: A huge step in martial arts

I think I'll forever consider it that Toei Ltd. has a martial arts trilogy. We have Hikari Sentai Maskman and Jyuken Sentai Gekiranger as well. Except that Maskman was based on Mixed Martial Arts instead of different Chinese martial arts. I feel Maskman won't be as appreciated as what came after. All three shows used some form of Aura Power to fight the forces of evil. Dairanger was pretty much focused on Chinese aesthetics. I feel it can be awkward since the series is a Japanese product. It's like how I feel awkward at Japanese productions involving Western characters and the default language is JAPANESE. 

After Jetman and Zyuranger, it was another challenge. I think Dairanger took a more daring direction. We both have Takeyuki Suzuki and Shinichiro Shirakura involved  in the production. Toshiki Inoue wrote a good portion of this show namely the Demon Boxer Jin arc. The show had a very daring of choreography that most Super Sentai series starting with Gaoranger can dream of. Gekiranger was pretty much at a tamed level - get the job done but let's keep it down. Dairanger was going to focus a lot on heavy martial arts, light vs. darkness themes, and I'll say that the way things unfolded is pretty much, "You decide! You use your imagination". Some plots can be rather muddy especially the finale (spoilers).

Dairanger was also controversial for taking violence to a whole new level. There's more blood from the mouth scenes - something that modern Super Sentai hardly does. A good example is how Ryou vs. Jin can be a very brutal battle. The first episode has the Gorma Triumvirate trying to BEHEAD people. I'd say Lt. Col. Shadam himself was pretty much Radiguet 2.0. I even felt that the late Masaki Tachi was invited to play Shadam but refused. It's said Tachi soon got too disgusted with Radiguet's moral descent. I guess that may explain why Tachi ended up playing lighter guest roles and even became a good guy in Exceedraft. Shadam's moral compass was something to be desired. 

The show may have also raised a few eyebrows too. Kou was a daring direction in presenting a child ranger. I think Riki in Choriki Sentai Ohranger was already a young teenager. In Kou's case, he was only nine and going 10 later on. Yeah, I could say that Kou was better-implemented than Justin ever will be in Power Rangers Turbo. I still think Kou was a big risk. A child ranger? What in the world Toei? I guess not so many people liked the idea back then. I guess Kou only got Vindicated by History because of how wonky Justin's implementation into Turbo was. Kou was a well-done character. However, I guess the concept isn't so well-received that it's hardly used. Kotaro was a child ranger in Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger and Ressha Sentai ToQGer did reveal that the rangers were children trapped in adult bodies. 

Going to America with the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers

I could remember the joke that morphin' is morphine'. Talk about the silly reason that Malaysia once banned it! I sure dislike Power Rangers but I can't help but laugh at such an incident. That was just plain stupid. A rewatch of The Toys That Made Us would explain why Super Sentai was never aired in America as it is. It's pretty much like how Golion was edited heavily before Lion Voltron could even be used. I guess I feel Super Sentai's being unable to pass through TV-Y7-FV standards just makes it another reason why I prefer it over the licensed localization called Power Rangers. So yeah, I may not like Power Rangers but it's not its fault that it's airing in the Philippines (though not that often) instead of the source material. I believe it's really Toei's and Bandai's decision. Strangely, Kamen Rider is still aired in the Philippines. I don't expect any more badly dubbed Super Sentai. Remember how badly done the Chodenshi Bioman dub was?

I think it was a real challenge since comparing Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger to Mighty Morphin' is apples and oranges. For example, the Mighty Morphin' team had their weapons handed over to them like in any typical Super Sentai. The Zyurangers weren't so lucky that they had to venture forth to find their legendary weapons. The Zyurangers were warriors from Ancient Mankind unlike most Super Sentai teams. Mighty Morphin' used Recruit Teenagers with Attitude - something taken from Kosoku Sentai Turboranger. 

Rewatching it right now can be as awkward as rewatching old-school Hanna Barbera cartoons. Back then, it was the big hit and Toei Ltd. was counting in the royalty. It was quite a gamble. Both Toei and Saban fought that battle with TV networks. Back then, Toei and the late Stan Lee also had that struggle. Amazingly, Saban Entertainment also had a Marvel license which allowed the company to make Marvel-based cartoons. Who can remember X-Men: The Animated Series for a start? Toei also had a license with Marvel. It was getting full circle. The show aired and it became a big hit. Toei decided to give in to the greed by producing extra footage for Saban's exclusive use rather than end the show. Yeah, I guess that explains why they had a long partnership. I guess Kougami in Kamen Rider OOO is the embodiment of both companies. Kougami also looks like Haim Saban too - something I felt wasn't even coincidental! Lion Voltron had the same treatment when Toei Ltd. produced extra animation for World Events Productions (WEP) presumably for more money. 

It was also here where I felt things got awkward. Toei allowed Saban to use license fight footage for the show. The main cast fight scenes get magically replaced by Japanese fight footage! Sure, there have been their own suited fight scenes too. However, I still feel the awkwardness when licensed footage replaces the American fight footage. What's even more awkward is when some yellow rangers are actually She's a Man in Japan. It's also weird how male stuntmen double for female characters in Japan too. Still, this awkwardness did work its way, in some way. Meanwhile, I'm using it as another PERSONAL reason to dislike the franchise even when Toei allows it. 

I'd also say that Power Rangers may have had an influence in decision making too. Toei Ltd. was now making Sixth Ranger more or less a regular trope - except in GoGoFive. Heck, I feel awkward that Mahou Sentai Magiranger introduced Hikari as a sixth ranger to a sibling team! I still feel the same way when Kinji became part of Shuriken Sentai Ninninger when HE IS NOT FAMILY. Later Super Sentai seasons toned down the violence to near PG-7 levels since 2001. Coincidence?

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I'd say that these were the times. Janperson and Dairanger were focused on deeper storylines. In the case of Mighty Morphin' - it was Toei's gamble on the Western market. I'd say all three shows would still add up to that bank account!