My Own Reaction To NHK's Super Sentai Grand Poll Results (Top 20)

Do I really care too much about polls? I've also been a fan of lesser-known series such as Kamen Rider BLACK RX, B-Fighter Kabuto, and Kamen Rider Kiva. I didn't want to react to this initially. However, thinking of 50 years since Himitsu Sentai Goranger (and next year will be the 50th entry) -- I'd write this down for fun. I only got this news from UkiyaSeed -- the very reason why I choose to REACT to updates than GIVE THEM!

It would be important to know the statistics and the audience. Here are the details of the said survey:

But before we look at the top results, here are some statistics on said poll. The poll ran from April 5 to May 6 in which fans get to vote their favorites when it comes to Kamen Rider in three different categories, namely: Works, Sentai Heroes, and Sentai Robots. In that period, the poll gathered a total of 596,736 respondents with 52.5% of the respondents being male, 41.8% of it being female, and 5.7% not disclosing any gender. Most of the votes are coming from ages 20-29 with 22.5% and 30-39 with 22.4%.

It turns out that 22.5% of the voters are from ages 29 down to 20 (born from 1996 to 2005), and 22.4% are from ages 39 down to 30 (born from 1986 down to 1995). Apparently, the statistics fans OLDER THAN 39 weren't disclosed, for some reason. There's a good proportion of males (52.5%) and a significant 41.8% females -- showing that females can also enjoy a show targetted mainly for men. I actually enjoyed superheroine shows too! 

1. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger (14 years ago)

2. Ohsama Sentai King-Ohger (2 years ago)

3. Samurai Sentai Shinkenger (16 years ago)

4. Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger (a year ago)

5. Kaitou Sentai Lupinranger vs. Keisatsu Sentai Patranger (7 years ago)

6. Avataro Sentai Donbrothers (3 years ago)

7. Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (21 years ago)

8. Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger (12 years ago)

9. Ressha Sentai ToQGer (11 years ago)

10. Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (50 years ago, HUH?!)

11. Kikai Sentai Zenkaiger (4 years ago, Legacy Virus Pandemic time)

12. Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (31 years ago)

13. Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters (13 years ago)

14. Mahou Sentai Magiranger (20 years ago)

15. Engine Sentai Go-Onger (17 years ago)

16. Mashin Sentai Kiramager (5 years ago, Legacy Virus Pandemic time)

17. Gosei Sentai Dairanger (32 years ago)

18. Mirai Sentai Timeranger (25 years ago)

19. Choujin Sentai Jetman (34 years ago)

20. Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan (43 years ago)

Some results here aren't too surprising (and surprising)

Gokaiger is still overly popular -- even after 2011! It's difficult to create a Super Sentai where you gather a lot of alumni guest-starring. It's pretty much like trying to find a needle in a haystack! However, it did what it did, and I understand why a lot of people love it. It's pretty much one of a kind from its script to execution. I find it overrated but only when people think it's a cheat sheet. Otherwise, I'm still able to understand the well-deserved praise it gets!

King-Ohger is still an ongoing hype. It's almost like an anniversary show, even when it isn't. Was it because of 30 years since Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers became Toei's ticket to the American fandom. The whole product placement of Toys R Us doesn't even seem too random either. Toys R Us was also involved with Mighty Morphin' getting launched in the 1990s. Did King-Ohger relive the overly long toylines? Maybe, maybe not. 

Is it surprising that Shinkenger made it to the list? I confess I hype over this show even today! I have some crazy reasons to do so. I've used its crossover with Kamen Rider Decade not just to berate "A Friend in Need" arc in Mighty Morphin' but also what I call the borefest of Ressha Sentai ToQGer's crossover with Kamen Rider Gaim. Shinkenger may also be the Super Sentai with the most eye candy while delivering a good show overall. I rewatched it after I dropped Power Rangers Megaforce like a hot potato! 

Boonboomger might be that "badly needed diet". There's always this tendency that some shows suffer from being overshadowed with last year. Take Tensou Sentai Goseiger, for example. The show really got overshadowed by both Shinkenger and Gokaiger. The show's still infinitely better than Megaforce though. Boonboomger was back to Earth and the Megazords don't look as cool IMHO. However, the show still managed to do what it could do. 

Maybe toy sales aren't the most reliable gauge. Some entries here have lower toy sales, such as Lupinranger vs. Patranger. However, I enjoyed Lupinranger vs. Patranger for its ambitious innovation. Timeranger is also another show where toy sales were low. What surprised me though is that GoGoFive never made it to the list. Maybe it's because of Magiranger. It's already known I dislike Magiranger. I feel Boonboomger had lower toy sales BUT it certainly made it to the Top 10! Go-Busters also didn't have many cool toys too. However, Go-Busters is here and it's higher than Timeranger. Not surprised though since Timeranger takes itself too seriously. However, neither Timeranger and Go-Busters are in the Top 10. 

Donbrothers being higher than Zenkaiger is no surprise. Sure, Zenkaiger is in the list. However, I'm still critical about the way Junko Komura with her anniversaries. Dobotsu Sentai Zyuohger just feels pointlessly beautiful to me! The Zyuohger vs. Ninninger crossover even delivered a line that never ceases to make me chuckle. "The history of Super Sentai -- it's OVER!" The line was said then Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger kicks in. No Kyuranger here. One thing is that Toshiki Inoue still managed to pull something good. I'm still baffled why Inoue wasn't assigned to be a secondary writer for Go-Busters after his guest-writing in Gokaiger.

I wish Dekaranger never had another reunion movie. I felt that most Dekaranger movies after the 2000s were only meant to capitalize on POPULARITY. 10 years after? 20 years after? A guest role in Ucchu Sentai Kyuranger? A more mature crossover move with Ucchu Keiji Gavan. The fact Dekaranger is still in the Top 10 makes me fearful that Toei might overly milk Dekaranger. I mean, think of how often short feature films tend to put Dekaranger. Even the short TV special King-Ohger in Space placed it there. So yeah, so much for King-Ohger's potential to be standalone! 

I find Kyoryuger to be overrated. However, I already had taste fatigue when it first came out. These days, I find it to be a watchable mess. I'm still going to say that Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger had better storytelling. The show still had cool toys and action scenes. I can understand why Kyoryuger even had to be linked to King-Ohger. It's still a fun show overall. I'm still overly critical about how Red Ranger Focus here gets overly done. 

ToQGer may be a show that wasn't initially well-received. IMHO, the crossover with Kamen Rider Gaim was a big step backward -- followed by that AWFUL Showa vs. Heisei film. Fortunately, ToQGer has some things that could make up with Yasuko Kobayashi's burnout. There's the likable cast, the amusing villains, and exploring one's childhood. The show deserves to have its following. In my case, my taste fatigue with Super Sentai was really at its peak. 

Goranger being in the Top 10 can be FUNNY. It's a huge generation gap and the show ran for 84 episodes. The reason behind the 84 episode run is RATINGS. Fortunately, Super Sentai found its sweet spot from being too long or too short. Dengekitai JAKQ is pretty much rushed and I'm going to say it again. So yeah, I'm still surrpised at this!

What surprises me is the honorable mention includes some shows from the 1990s. Sure, I'm not too surprised to see Engine Sentai Go-Onger get Vindicated by History. However, I'd still pick Go-Busters over it! Seeing Kakuranger, Dairanger, Jetman, and wait, even Sun Vulcan can be funny. Sun Vulcan was a show cursed because of Asao Kobayashi's sex offense! Again, I could understand Go-Busters being in the Top 20, but Sun Vulcan? It's really funny that some shows before 2000 had made it to the Top 20.

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Overall, I don't care too much about what the majority thinks. I have my own OPINIONS on certain shows. I could still like shows or video games that aren't well-received. I will have UNPOPULAR OPINIONS every now and then. However, I believe surveys are needed from time to time to know the next step of innovation or any old stuff that can be improvised in the present.