The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

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Sume Gai
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

I realize I forgot to throw in my thoughts for the 3rd (or rather 5th) episode of power Rangers Samurai. So I'll throw in my comments of both recent episodes and the team dynamics of the show so far (since we've now learned a bit about each ranger)

last weeks episode focused on the Red Ranger, Jayden, as he worked to master an upgrade maguffin (safe money says we'll see more of these in the future...) Despite Ji giving the team a day off. After the get thoroughly trounced by the nighlock that is immune to their Spin-swords Jayden pulls out the new disc but hesitates. As it turns out using the beetle disc requires double the "Samurai Power" of a regular disc. Jayden then spends the entire night in self-imposed training from hell to master it. As a result his enormous sword becomes an enormous cannon which fires the discs and it is quickly revealed the Disc can also become an upgrade Zord armed to the teeth with fricken' laser beams. All in all it was a good episode as the nighlock managed to be very threatening (despite a silly accent and way too many hair puns) and the new weapons were completely awesome.

This week we get some focus on the Yellow Ranger Emily who at first glance seems like the weak link of the group, rather klutzy and apparently lacking in self confidence. Though she also has a motherly, caring nature and wants to do whatever she can to make the other rangers feel better. This week's nighlock has the interesting power to turn cutting remarks in to psychical pain which blasts every ranger about, (while hinting that the red ranger is hiding something important) except Emily, who seems immune and drives the nighlock back. She reveals how she was teased as a child and her sister taught her to block it out, we also see that this sister became ill and had to, with much regret, pass the yellow ranger powers onto Emily. The Nighlock returns and targets Emily almost getting to her when he insinuated that she wasn't up to filling her sister's shoes but they succeed in blasting the monster and then trashing it in the megazord. Another interesting note in this episode are Bulk and Spilke after they get blasted by the monster for being wannabe samurai rather than just run and scream Bulk psyched them up and set out to find and beat the monster. Overall probably the best episode so far with an interesting back-story and some interesting hints....

The Samurai team as a whole seem to have some nice dynamics going on. We Have Jayden, the leader, who is incredibly devoted to the cause and apparently willing to risk life and limb to defeat the nighlocks. Kevin, the serious one, who while sometimes a stick in the mud, is nonetheless less supportive of his teammates. Mike, who is less serious and more competitive, wanting to surpass Jayden according to the most recent episode. Emily, the shy girl with big shoes to fill. Mia's main characterization is still somewhat in the air though she seems to be ripe for a relationship with Kevin and seems more confident than Emily.

All in all this is a very promising setup. All the main characters seem set to develop in some way or another. Mike and Emily seem the most promising as of this post though I'm very curious about Jayden's secret.
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wilcosu35
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

hmm, that sounds like they're sticking quite close to the shinkenger story and source material, with the kabuto disc power, the psychological monster and the yellow ranger who's unsure of herself
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Well, I happened to catch the latest episode of Samurai Rangers today. I'd since stopped watching Power Rangers ever since SPD came about, but with the whole ordeal of Saban re-acquiring the rights to the franchise, I thought I'd sit down and see what all the fuss was about.

Oh. Oh, man was this bad. :x

Terrible acting abounds. It wasn't even the "So Bad It's Good" type of performances -- this was truly cringe-worthy.

The rest of my problems stem from the Super Sentai source material, like the Red Ranger's plastic-looking weapon and the team's horrid-looking Megazord. I've always thought that the Shinkenoh was a joke ever since I saw it while Shinkenger was airing, and seeing it again with its ridiculous beetle helmet didn't really help to change my opinion.

Some things I did think were cool, like the remixed version of the original Power Ranger theme (though the new artist could never hope to hold a candle to Ron Wasserman), Bulk getting some time on the screen again and the Red Ranger's character, but other than that... boy.

Then again, I'm clearly no longer a part of the show's target age demographic. Then again, again, it's one of my firm beliefs that any show can be enjoyed by anybody of any age so long as it's good. Whether or not Samurai Rangers becomes that remains to be seen.
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Vent Noir
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

wilcosu35 wrote:hmm, that sounds like they're sticking quite close to the shinkenger story and source material, with the kabuto disc power, the psychological monster and the yellow ranger who's unsure of herself
Well, the executive producer is Jonathan Tzachor, who's known as something of a Sentai purist.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

People are reporting that Kazuki Shimizu (Don/Gokai Green) was injured in the earthquake and his role will be recast; I don't know if it's a temporary or permanent recast, or even how true these statements are (all I know is, Gokaiger and Kamen Rider OOO were filming when the earthquake hit), so right now all we can do is hope for the best.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

People are reporting that Kazuki Shimizu (Don/Gokai Green) was injured in the earthquake and his role will be recast; I don't know if it's a temporary or permanent recast, or even how true these statements are (all I know is, Gokaiger and Kamen Rider OOO were filming when the earthquake hit), so right now all we can do is hope for the best.
Is Shimizu's injury serious or "just a scratch?"
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

http://nerefir.livejournal.com/49942.html

list of the actors who checked in to their social networking profiles to confirm that they are safe. No clue about Gokai Green yet.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Like many kids my generation in South America, I started watching Sentai before Power Rangers existed. Back then, Brazilian TV stations started airing dubbed versions of plenty of Tokusatsu. To this day, three endure the most in the popular imagination: Juspion (a post-space-sheriff Metal Hero), Dengeki Sentai Changeman (ridiculously popular in Brazil despite being nowadays universally acknowledged as a weak Sentai season) and Kamen Rider Black (as popular as it is still currently acclaimed). The immense popularity of these shows encouraged the adaptation of further Sentai shows (I recall Flashman and Maskman), Black RX, and some minor one-off Toku shows like Kidou Keiji Jiban and Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop...

So, when I saw Power Rangers, despite being unaware of Super Sentai existing as an ongoing franchise, I instantly realised they were adapting a Japanese show and splicing in American actors. I was used to the 'look' of Sentai and could easily spot, in those early seasons, when the footage went from American to Japanese (they've become much better at this in PR I must say).

I kinda stopped watching with Zeo, and it was all kinda forgotten until I started investigating Tokusatsu again around 2006.

TL;DR I've gotten back into Tokusatsu after many years due to its easier availability. My all-time favourite show is, without a doubt, Kamen Rider Hibiki. A unique premise, well-accomplished aesthetics, terrific acting and writing, it's overall the strongest Tokusatsu show, the closest to a decent-quality fantasy TV show a la Buffy, or to a decent superhero or anime story despite it's kiddy trappings.

I can't really say the same for Super Sentai, although I deeply enjoy Jetman and Shinkenger. Admittedly, I haven't given too many other seasons a shot. Gokaiger has been really quite fun so far!
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Just watched Goukaiger episode 5. Good to see Jasmine, Doggie Kreuger and Ban again. Dekaranger is one of my favourite Sentai series.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

i've seen gokaiger 5 yesterday, as well as OOO's 26.
it was certainly good to see jasmine, ban and boss again, especially as i just finished re-watching dekaranger.
though ban certainly has matured, with the long hair and lower voice
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

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Mu La Flaga
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

So I'm dropping in for a different Power Rangers related question.
So what are opinions of the 2 movies thus far?

For me the Power Rangers Movie was okay, but why did they need an alternate introduction for Ninazords instead of Ninja Quest?

The CG is ok, it was an ok movie.

Turbo movie was just an overly long TV episode of Turbo debuting.

So what do you guys reckon?
Vent I'm curious to hear your opinions.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Mu La Flaga wrote:For me the Power Rangers Movie was okay, but why did they need an alternate introduction for Ninazords instead of Ninja Quest?
Adaptation to the movie format maybe? It's been a while since I saw the TV version of events to compare to.
The CG is ok, it was an ok movie.
Except for the look of the megazord. Man that thing was horrible looking. The machines looked good enough seperate, but combined made them look butt ugly somehow.

Many fans believe, and I agree with them, that Ivan Ooze was one of, if not the best Power Rangers villian ever.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Mu La Flaga wrote:So I'm dropping in for a different Power Rangers related question.
So what are opinions of the 2 movies thus far?
MMPR: the Movie was alright, good action choreography, really nice sets and costume design. The regular Zord battle was a better than your usual fair but the Megazord battle was rather meh. I Honestly think I like the Rubber suits and Models over the old CGI. As for why they handled the Ninja powers differently, I remember hearing there was trouble getting a Ninjor suit to do it properly (make of that what you will).

Turbo was somewhat less fun to watch. There were a number of plot holes especially about why and where they got the Turbo powers and the guest stars (Austin St. John and Amy Jo Johnson) were terribly under used though this megazord fight was much better simply because they used suits and models. The fact that Ron "Awesome" Wasserman did more songs in this movie helped alot. Honestly I wish we'd gotten the three hour cut of the movie as a special edition since it sounded interesting.
Many fans believe, and I agree with them, that Ivan Ooze was one of, if not the best Power Rangers villian ever.
He was a decent Villian, though I think we've had many better. Ransik and Frax (Time Force); Gendrax and Toxica (Wild Force); Messagog (Dino Thunder); Grumm (SPD); Andronida (In Space); Trakeena (Lost Galaxy); and of course good ol' Rita and Zed were all very enjoyable villians. Ivan probably feels threatening because he only has a movie where as most villains would have been losing over an entire series before their big final fight.
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Mu La Flaga
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

I will say this much Ivan Ooze was interesting in the aspect of his personnality and humor.
But at least Zedd and Rita can say they have surived up to a point in Power Rangers where as Ivan got wiped out in just the movie.

As for the differences, well the Thunderzords got destroyed in a battle against Rito Reuplso, Rita Repulsa's brother.
And he was a strong army camo decorated skeleton monster.

Then after that the Rangers got Ninjazords and came back and cubrstomped Rito in a return battle.

Not to mention unlike the movie, they got their new powers from Ninjor who also became an ally to the Rangers and all.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Mu La Flaga wrote:I will say this much Ivan Ooze was interesting in the aspect of his personnality and humor.
Humorous villains are in many seasons and often windup being enjoyable and sympathetic characters [Gendrax and Toxica, (debatably) Piggy] but can also be very wearing if they take up too much screen time or are simply utter incompetents [Elgar, Norg, (almost) Rito]. A comedic main villain usually by their nature takes up a bunch of screen time and has yet to work for Power Rangers [Divatox and Lothor].

Honestly looking at Ivan Ooze I think had he been a broadcast villain (sticking around for 40-50 episodes, likely without the referential humor that made up his best lines) He would have been rather wearing.

Moving on though how bout we discuss something I consider integral to power rangers success, the music. Power Rangers Music started with one man,Ron Aaron Wasserman (also credited as Aaron Waters and the Mighty RAW), who composed the first theme song overnight. There's something about that guitar that sucks you into the very catchy, if simple, vocals. Ron Wasserman also produced and performed most of the music used for the first three seasons!

Eventually Wasserman left Saban and Jim Cushinery along with Jeremy Sweet became the goto composers for Power Rangers with the quite awesome Zeo Theme. They did well but less vocal stuff was featured during Zeo so they leave less of an impression. Ron returned briefly for the Turbo Movie though I'm fairly certain the Turbo theme (which remains my personal favorite) was mainly the work of Cushinery.

Ron however did create the face-smashingly awesome theme for In Space. while Jim Cushinery did a lot of the, sadly limited, in-show music.

As Power Rangers switched to unlinked storylines the composer changed over to Lior Rosner. Sadly, this was also pretty much the end of vocal in-show music. Jeremy Sweet was the singer for both the Lost Galaxy and Lightspeed Rescue theme.

I am unable to find the name of the singer for the Time Force theme song (a pity since it has quite grown on me. The composer remains Lior Rosner though. he also composed the Wild Force theme (again no Idea who the performer is)

Information on music production becomes rather vague as production heads to New Zealand, though Steven Vincent is listed as the Music Supervisor for several seasons. Ninja Storm gets a decent theme but it's not instantly catchy to me. DinoThunder manages better and oddly is the first song not to use the word "Go" in it's lyrics.

Ron Wasserman returns to perform the stunning theme for S.P.D.. Sadly Disney let him go for leaking a preview of this theme to the internet so rather than this we get the First hip-hop Power Rangers theme for Mystic Force. This one isn't too bad, it's got nice instrumentals and is fairly catchy.

I'm much less fond of Operation Overdrive's rap, apparently produced by the "Transenders" (a Music Production Team founded by members of the Black Eyed Peas).Jungle Fury returns to rock though some what pop-y and lighter than any previous Ranger Rock. RPM nearly had the same kind of song but instead wound up with some simple Trash Metal

Finally there comes Samurai, where we have the original theme with altered lyrics composed by Noam Kaniel. Power Rangers theme songs have come nearly full circle now. And who knows where they will go in the future.

My hopes, short of Ron Wasserman returning, are that they try to keep Samurai's composer but give him more leeway to write something new while retaining the Hard Rock feel. I do like Samurai's theme but it seems like cheating to use the original over again.
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Vent Noir
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

Yeah, the "Wasserman factor" as Linkara calls it, definitely contributed to Power Rangers' success. The insert songs were cool, too (And we keep dreaming of a time / Where good is all that we can find / We need a hero!) - as TV Tropes put it, any routine Putty fight became less obligatory and more awesome when set to that music.

Incidentally, Wasserman also composed the theme for the 90s X-Men cartoon.
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Re: The Power Rangers/Super Sentai/Tokusatsu thread

I would like to add also Sume Gai.
There are full complete versions of the original MMPR theme and Power Rangers In Space theme.
I have them both, I think I downloaded them off of rangercentral ages back.

So yeah, if anyone might be looking for those, just letting you lot know
Since they are awesome

Also on a musical related note, the movie version theme is rather good, who did that one?
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