Super Sentai's Possible Limitations As A Franchise

 

Right now, I'm watching Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger at my own pace. Last year was when I enjoyed the incredibly awkward festival in Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger. It's no secret that I PERSONALLY prefer Super Sentai over Power Rangers. However, I keep in mind that there's NO perfect Super Sentai season. The franchise never gets better all the time. Next year will be better or next year will be worse. There are new concepts to test. New concepts may become well-implemented or not. Now, let's get down to business, shall we? 

Super Sentai is VERY Japan-centric because of the home country where it's in 

Superhero fiction is always meant to suspend logic -- to a certan extent. Super Sentai is no different and you may notice some popular references to American superheroes and shows. If American superheroes have aliens attacking American OVER AND OVER AGAIN -- Super Sentai makes Japan the worst place to live. Can you imagine commuting every day to work and a monster attack happens? If one ever watched classic Marvel or DC shows -- one can always think, "Wait, why is America the favorite target for aliens?" Super Sentai is no different when villains prefer to attack Japan. Why don't these half-brained villains attack SOMEWHERE ELSE? It's because of real-life constraints such as Super Sentai was always meant to be filmed in Japan. The logic got carried over to Power Rangers where villains prefer to attack that ONLY ONE LOCATION.

With Super Sentai being Japan-centric -- it can be a real hurdle. One can observe how Battle Fever J had five heroes representing five countries. However, it's impossible to have a multi-racial team for Super Sentai. Diane Martin herself was a dubbed-over American actress. The actress, also named Diane Martin, formally left the show with her character leaving for America. Japan isn't as multiracially diverse as America. Super Sentai usually has no choice but to stick to an almost all-Japanese team. There are a few times when Japanese aliens take over. The language barrier between America and Japan can't be ignored. I could imagine how Austin St. John and Yuuta Mochizuki thought when they met each other. I can be sure that they felt awkward due to language barriers! The excitement can be mixed with awkwardness. Just imagine a Westerner enjoying the best sushi but he or she can't communicate directly to the chef!

King-Ohger tried to build a new fantasy world. However, a midseason retcon probably happened when the show fit into Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger's continuity. The introduction may have given it off but I wanted it to be an Earth without Modern Japan. However, the more I watch the show, I can't help but comment that white people should've been playing most of the cast! Sure, Erica Murakami is half-white but most of the citizens are Japanese playing non-Japanese humans! The show didn't explain how European cultures survived and were brought by JAPANESE who left for space! Yes, the show's enjoyable like a high-budget play. However, I still understand that Toei has to work with whatever resources are available. Getting real white people to play several characters can be too expensive. 

The retcon may have been done on purpose. My WMG is that Toei isn't keen on always setting Super Sentai outside Modern Japan. Sure, they technically first did that in Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger when Japan's all but a memory after Jark Matter took over the Universe. King-Ohger really takes place on another planet in some distant galaxy. The Lost Galaxy concept was already explored in Choshinsei Flashman but the show happens in 1980s Japan. For any ambitious concept Super Sentai may have -- it's usually forced to stay in Modern Japan 99.9% of the time. Modern Japan tends to define Super Sentai's setting. It's also difficult to keep creating more outside Modern Japan concepts. It may be because of a planned budget.

This reminds me of marketing concepts I learned from The Toys That Made Us episode on Power Rangers. Haim Saban wanted to ship it as is but cultural differences between America and Japan are so different. I could repeat a million times that I believe Saban understands Marvel better than Toei. I'd still rewatch Spider-Man (1994) over the Japanese Spider-Man. Toei had a Marvel license and even used the late Stan Lee's voice clip in Japanese Spider-Man. However, Toei ended up creating characters based on American superheroes instead such as Jiban and Janperson-- both based on Robocop. However, I wonder why Toei hasn't made a Spider-Man-themed Kamen Rider or a Robocop-themed Kamen Rider?!

Sure, Super Sentai official DVDs have reached the West. Super Sentai cast members are getting invited to Power Morphicon. However, it's always good to remember that Super Sentai will always have limitations because of its home country. It's easier to promote it around Asia (though the Philippines had Power Rangers instead presumably due to it being a former American colony) than it would be to America. 

There's going to be still that FIXED formula (to a certain extent) despite innovations

Okay, I'm putting Himitsu Sentai Goranger instead of Battle Fever J. Goranger was retroactively added to the Super Sentai series list in 1995. Choriki Sentai Ohranger became the 20th anniversary. What's the fixed formula? It's a team of superheroes that fight against a team of mostly dim-witted (but still dangerous) villains to save the world. The formula did get shaken up a bit when Battle Fever J introduced the first Megazord. Different Megazords and other Zords were given more and more wacky concepts. However, the fixed formula remains the same for most of the time. 

What can't be denied is that Super Sentai villains can lack common sense. Sure, they've had a few wins. Most of the plans can be VERY CONVOLUTED AND/OR PLAIN UNBELIEVABLE. Watching some episodes of Goranger can make one say, "Wait, these villains just can't come up with a good plan!" most of the time. Some of the villains operate with the For the Evulz plan. Kosoku Sentai Turboranger took that to an entirely new level -- to the point the Bouma General Trio got berated for it. My favorite example has to be Jarmin dealing with Chime Bouma -- an episode where she only wants to brag about how bitchy she can get! Gekisou Sentai Carranger had the villains also operate with For the Evulz for most of the run -- except they were better written than the Bouma General Trio.  

It's difficult to deviate from the formula of a superhero team dealing with dimwitted but dangerous villains. The villains formulate some stupid plan for world domination and the heroes usually stop them. Most of the time, a Monster of the Week is involved. Somehow, it got subverted in King-Ohger when the second half was focused on Dugdead Dujardin's For the Evulz. Dugdead probably didn't want any MOTW to overshadow how evil he can get huh? Dugdead turned the second half more soap-operatic than the already soap-operatic first half. I enjoyed King-Ohger for what I call a daring direction. 

However, I'll credit Tokosou Sentai Dekaranger for not having a central villain organization. Sure, the criminals can carry out exaggerated plots but there was no central organization. Abrella was usually more practical when he showed up. Abrella became an Overarching Antagonist like Takaoka was in Shirei Solbrain. Sidenote -- I've had more fun watching Solbrain (for its more mature way of doing things) over Dekaranger. 

I may not enjoy Kikou Sentai Zenkaiger. However, I still enjoy that the team was anything but your typical Super Sentai. My only problem was more on the pacing such as letting the sixth ranger arrive too soon or how Junko Komura just sucks at anniversaries. 

Super Sentai writing can get OVERLY SERIOUS at times -- especially before 2001

Watching Super Sentai set from the 1980s to the 1990s can be incredibly depressing. Super Sentai became more fun from 2001 to the present -- with a few attempts to return to Darker and Edgier. Darker and Edgier Super Sentai seasons may no longer be feasible. However, Super Sentai used to get that serious back then. 

My favorite example of an overly serious Super Sentai is Mirai Sentai Timeranger. I conversed with someone who pointed out that neither Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger, Jyuken Sentai Gekiranger, or Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters got that serious. Timeranger was trying to be as serious as possible. I don't blame Power Rangers fans who prefer Power Rangers Time Force over it. However, even putting aside Time Force isn't going to help. By then, Power Rangers fans would've seen more Super Sentai series to prefer something better. They probably checked out Go-Busters and enjoyed it despite its Darker and Edgier storyline. They probably checked out anything after Timeranger and found those storylines far more enjoyable. Call me sick but I tend to complain about Super Sentai being toned down these days! I like Timeranger for its dark atmosphere but I agree it can get overly serious! 

Even before Timeranger -- there are just some moments in older shows that can be difficult to swallow. Battle Fever J gave a rather bloody finish to Kensaku Shiraishi aka Battle Cossack I. Yukio Ito got married midseason and wanted to spend time with his bride. Chodenshi Bioman featured Mika Koizumi's death -- written because Yuki Yajima left the set. Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger gave the plot of Burai's death. Burai died after he lost his limited lifespan. Burai became popular but Toei refused to respond to the petition to bring Burai back. Gosei Sentai Dairanger decided to kill off Master Kaku in the finale arc. Master Kaku showed up as a ghost just like Burai did. Chojuu Sentai Liveman is the darkest that Hirohisa Soda can get. Chojin Sentai Jetman even went as far as to kill off Gai Yuki AFTER THEIR VICTORY - a decision that Toshihide Wakamatsu was involved in! I guess Toshihide wanted to try something new. Timeranger even went as far as to kill off Naoto Takizawa at the hands of a FOOT SOLDIER! Super Sentai today usually keeps darker events in the narrative or significantly tones them down. 

I'd say it's easily understood why the older Super Sentai series can be less appreciated. Newer Super Sentai tends to be in the Ligher and Softer spectrum. It certainly has something to do with newer censorship laws in Japan than Toei.