Super Sentai's To Have A Christmas Special Or Not To Have a Christmas Special

It's Christmas Eve, and I thought of what might be a bizarre irony. Last year's Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger didn't have a Christmas special, and the episode aired on December 24, 2024. This year's Boonboomger had a Christmas special, presumably because Santa Claus is the ultimate delivery man. Santa Claus' mythos is are status-dependent on version. Santa Claus: The Movie tells a different story from Rankin Bass' Santa Claus stories. I found it bizarre but is there a reason some Super Sentai entries have a Christmas special and some just don't? I'd like to dig into that!

Historically, Modern Japan was born out of Imperial Japan's ashes. America had a temporary takeover of Japan after the Second World War ended. The result was that Japan had become more open to the world, the Japanese Emperor was no longer considered divine, and Western influence entered. Super Sentai has had several Western pop culture influences mixed into it. For example, the use of communicator wristbands and villains with stupid plans for world domination are similar to American superheroes. Toei once had a license with Marvel Comics when the Japanese Spider-Man was created. It's only normal American culture that got into Japan -- INCLUDING CHRISTMAS. Christmas is more of a secular holiday than a religious holiday in Japan. 

Toei did a few Christmas specials during the Showa era for its Toku brands. They may have been a marketing gimmick but they weren't done that much. The First Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider V3 did them two shows in a row. Kamen Rider Skyrider and Kamen Rider Super-1 did them too. Speaking of which, I'll use Kamen Rider Fourze to clobber up Super-1 without mercy. Back to topic, we also had that super strange Ucchu Keiji Shaider episode where we had a crucified downward Santa Claus symbol. That episode was scary and funny at the same time! Toei probably decided to parody Christmas horror movies (which feels strange) in that episode. Yeah, Christmas horror movies that weren't meant for children. What's up with that?!

Super Sentai was somehow immune from Christmas specials. Having watched a lot from Goranger up to this year's Boonboomger can be something.Yes, there were no Christmas specials for some time! If I'm not wrong -- episode 6 of Bioman aired in the Philippines during the Christmas season. Hence, the narrator gave a Christmas greeting NOT found in the OG script! It didn't matter if the episodes were in December or if Super Sentai toys were getting bought. 

Super Sentai never had a Christmas episode until Gosei Sentai Dairanger! Yes, 1993 was the champion year for Toei's bank account! The plot was because Kou was born on Christmas Eve. It was a plot-driven Christmas arc and it wrapped up on December 24, 1993. By then, the Western part of the world may have been busy buying the hot trend of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers toys. Take note that any Mighty Morphin' episode after episode 40 (the Doomsday Arc) aired in 1994. Toei was probably still negotiating with Saban Entertainment OR busy filming the Zyu2 footage. Children would've probably wanted more Mighty Morphin' merchandise at that time. It was a tearjerker Christmas special -- probably to remind people that Christmas season disasters do happen!

However, Santa Claus was never used until Ninja Sentai Kakuranger. It's one incredibly strange episode. There are multiple Santa Clauses -- something that was repeated in Engine Sentai Go-Onger. This was a strangely nightmarish and funny plot. Omumukade's plot was to use Christmas chaos through the children. The episode was full of insane Anime-style exaggerated fight scenes that Westerners may not easily understand. Santa Claus wouldn't be used in any other Christmas specials and was a rare guest character. 

Most 1990s Super Sentai had a Christmas special. However, it's somewhat unexplained (or maybe even understandable) that there was no Christmas special during Choriki Sentai Ohranger and Seijuu Sentai Gingaman. Gingaman chose to do a clip show that was aired on December 27, 1998. Ohranger had that wedding of Buldont and Multiwa aired instead of a Christmas special. Was it because a Christmas episode may break the flow of the narrative or not? 

However, most of the 1990s Christmas specials usually used Christmas as a subplot. Gekisou Sentai Carranger had the Bowzock not focus on ruining Christmas. Instead, the Bowzock's main concern was to get rid of the Carrangers. Denji Sentai Megaranger focused on wrapping up the Nezirangers and the destruction of Javious instead of Christmas. Kyukyu Sentai GoGoFive wasn't too focused on Christmas either. 

The 2000s came and Christmas specials hit even more than ever. I find it strange that Mirai Sentai Timeranger would bother to have a Christmas special -- even if the show's too serious for its own good. Timeranger was practically a finale-like entry. Hyajakuu Sentai Gaoranger was almost like a reboot of sorts. Timeranger's Christmas episodes didn't focus on Christmas itself. Instead, Timeranger was already thinking about how to wrap things up. Heck, I even wonder if people were supposed to feel Super Sentai was going to "end soon". However, it only meant ending giving a reboot as the 20th century was about to come to an end. Gaoranger felt like a reboot that would give Super Sentai's lighter tone for the rest of the franchise.

Gaoranger would present it as a mandatory Christmas special. Gaoranger had a Christmas-themed villain plot. Other Super Sentai entries that followed that formula were Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger, Gougou Sentai Boukenger, Juken Sentai Gekiranger (which had a serious plot attached to it), Engine Sentai Go-onger (to the point of even bringing Santa Claus again), Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Doubotsu Sentai Zyuohger, Kaito Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger, Kishinryu Sentai Ryusoulger, Mashin Sentai Kiramager, and Avatar Sentai Donbrothers. 

What's strange though is that some Christmas episodes aired early. Abaranger Christmas special was on December 7, 2004. Was it done simply so children would buy more Abaranger toys? Mahou Sentai Magiranger had its Christmas arc on December 11 and 18 2005. Magiranger's actual Christmas day episode wasn't even a Christmas special at all! Was it because they wanted people to do early Christmas shopping? However, scheduling would later put Christmas specials back to the near-Christmas day for some reason. Boukenger aired its Christmas special on December 24, 2006. Most Christmas specials tend to air days before Christmas!

It should be interesting that Tensou Sentai Goseiger had NO CHRISTMAS episode. They had a December 26 episode where it was called "Birth of the Messiah" referring to Buredoran. Strangely, there's no Christmas episode when the Goseigers are supposedly angels. Why did Samurai Sentai Shinkenger have a Christmas episode but not Goseiger? Shinkengerc could've done without it but why GOSEIGER didn't do it? That's something that will probably never be explained! 

However, some Christmas plots got tightly knit into the plot. Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters focused on Christmas while wrapping up a plot point. The tragedy that led to the series happened on CHRISTMAS EVE. The Messiah Virus came to life on Christmas Eve and was destroyed 13 years later on CHRISTMAS EVE too. I didn't like the idea of the Messiah Virus getting destroyed before the finale. However, one can't deny that Enter is the Breakout Villain of the show and was saved for last. Episodes 43-44 were plot-driven as Dairanger's plot with Kou. I'd say that it was better than the seemingly random Christmas special in Gokaiger -- which was probably more on, "Hey kids! Buy more toys!" 

Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger felt like a reboot of sorts... AGAIN! I wasn't too surprised at the line "The history of Super Sentai! It's over!" because of the low ratings! However, Toei was probably trolling people with that line in Zyuohger vs. Ninninger. Kyuranger inserted Christmas more as a subplot and somehow chose to copy Return of the Jedi into it. Lucky would still be more Lone Starr than Luke Skywalker though! It was almost as good as the Christmas subplot in Dairanger IMHO.

However, King-Ohger defied it by having neither Christmas nor New Year episodes! It was like a throwback to older Super Sentai during the Showa era! December 24 never gave a holiday special. I felt it was strange because Geoffrey the Giraffe was invited to Ishabana. I bet Toei got the sponsorship to ready for Christmas. However, no Christmas special was done in King-Ohger and almost every character would've been "better played by white actors". The Western themes were so heavy but no Christmas special? What's verified is that Masato Yano's birthday was the day when the show wrapped up. My opinion is that Toei probably felt a Christmas special could disrupt the intended narrative. Plus, they're all living in a different planet too!

Pretty much, a Christmas special can be a gimmick, plot-driven or what. I feel the Christmas special is a nice touch. However, they're pretty much like sweet desserts -- they're more of a want than a need on the production side!