04-03-2017, 07:49 PM | #1 |
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Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger
In 1993, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers took America by storm. You probably already know the story: five teens from Angel Grove High are selected by Zordon, a mysterious man of science, to become the Power Rangers -- heroes who will defend humanity against the forces of evil. These "teenagers with attitude" pilot giant semi-autonomous robots which resemble prehistoric creatures such as the T-Rex, woolly mammoth, and saber-tooth tiger. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was based off of an earlier Japanese work, called Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger. It spliced together original footage shot in California with stock footage from the Japanese TV show, pairing the edits with brand-new scripts which almost entirely departed from the source material. But how familiar are you with Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger? The story goes like this: 170 million years ago, humans and dinosaurs lived side by side. Then the great witch Bandora appeared. Her terror was put to an end when heroic forces sealed her within a prison jar. This jar was relocated to a roaming planet that would not cross paths with Earth for another 170 million years. Five of humanity's greatest warriors were then placed in stasis, one from each of five tribes. Should Bandora ever reappear, these five warriors would come to humanity's rescue. In the present day (the early 1990s), Bandora is released from her prison. Swearing vengeance against mankind, she threatens to turn the world into a barren wasteland. A great sage, Barza, rushes to a hidden temple where he awakens the five warriors from their deep slumber. Now, these five heroes from prehistoric times find themselves in the modern era, faced with a terrifying adversary and an even more terrifying reality: everyone they ever loved, everyone they ever knew save for one another ... is dead and has been for over 170 million years. Fans of the Super Sentai franchise have written that the original Japanese TV programs are much, much better than their American counterparts. Four episodes in, I can see where they're coming from but I also think that the two versions are on more of an even footing than sentai fans let on. For instance, I disagree that only Power Rangers is cheesy -- both series are, incredibly so. But they're cheesy in different ways. They are hugely products of their very different cultures. But in general, I would have to agree even just four episodes in that, forced to choose between the two, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger is the better show to keep. This is my first sentai, and I am overwhelmed by just how perfectly it matches the stereotypical depictions of sentai programming in other shows I've watched. Whether it's BokuMachi or Level E, whether it's Tari Tari or School Rumble, the camaraderie, the over-the-top purity of heart, the speeches, the theme music ... all of it, it's so spot on. Even though this is my first sentai series, it feels so familiar. Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger is available in the United States on DVD with English-language subtitles for around $50. I couldn't find it online and I didn't want to purchase it blindly, so what was a guy to do? Luckily for me, my local library happened to have it. O_o Yours might too! So give it a shot, especially if you live in a city or college town. You might be pleasantly surprised. I'll be sure to keep you posted with my thoughts as I press on with the series.
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04-03-2017, 11:42 PM | #2 |
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It's easy for me to understand that someone would prefer Zyuranger, since its story is not nearly as "kiddie" as MMPR. MMPR is only a step up from Barney as far as lessons/morals go, extreme violence nonwithstanding.
I also dislike the origins of the Guardian Beasts. Spoiler: Spoiler: show It's ironic, but the American-made MMPR actually feels like a port of a 1960's Japanese toku, rather than a '90s one.
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04-04-2017, 06:39 PM | #3 |
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I'm through Episode 08 now. The series continues to be enjoyable. It's a family show, clearly, one meant to be watched by small children accompanied by their parents. But I can enjoy it on my own just fine. A few small discussion points: Spoiler: show
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04-04-2017, 11:44 PM | #4 | |
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Quote:
https://webmshare.com/rZB5x
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ふたりの想いが見つけだす希望 今 信じあえる あきらめない 心かさね 永遠を抱きしめて Last edited by Doppleganger; 04-05-2017 at 01:02 AM. |
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04-04-2017, 11:50 PM | #5 | ||
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Quote:
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04-07-2017, 01:03 AM | #6 |
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Currently 15 episodes in. I'm still enjoying the series, but this one fan's thoughts on Zyuranger sum up my own at this point in time almost perfectly:
"I think once the novelty of, "OMG this is the sentai that became the source footage for the first and most iconic Power Rangers! And it's a lot 'darker' than Power Rangers too!" wears off, it becomes apparent how mediocre this show is. Aside from the fact that the plot makes just as much sense as Power Rangers', the heroes are even more devoid of personality. At least the MMPR were defined by thin stereotypes of stock high school kids. Zyuranger had, uhh, leader, serious guy, goofy guy, the other guy, and the chick. And pretty much every plot was: kid of the week has problems; Witch Bandora decides to do something bad to children; Zyurangers help kid with problems; kid is happy; lather, rinse, repeat."I'm hoping that this is just a phase, a weak Act 2 that I'm stuck in while the show delays the arrival of the inevitable Act 3. If any episode gives me promise that this might be the case, it's the very episode I just finished, Episode 15. In this episode, our first ever Goushi-centric one, we get a lot of minor character development for Goushi all at once, catapulting him from the single least developed Zyuranger to one of the most: Spoiler: show It's good stuff! I'm hoping it's not too little too late. I'm really hoping that things continue to pick up like this and that we get more character development for Goushi and the other rangers. But fan comments online don't have me holding out too much hope. Seems like an awful lot of people rate Zyuranger near the bottom of the barrel , and a common complaint seems to be the underdeveloped main characters. Sigh. We'll see. :')
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04-07-2017, 02:00 AM | #8 |
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I'm not even six minutes into Episode 16 and already:
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04-08-2017, 12:10 AM | #9 |
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11-25-2023, 10:19 PM | #10 | |
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Quote:
Also, Zyuranger has made it into this Kamen Rider fan-animator's Kamen Rider meme video at 0:53. Redoru's animations are like Cocomelon to me. I always watch them at least 10 times, and I can't even listen to the original Ninja Slayer OP anymore. Their remix is just that good.
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11-25-2023, 10:47 PM | #11 |
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Also if you want to watch a JoJo's Bizarre Reference show, watch Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger, which IIRC aired around 2015? Don't mind me, I've decided this is the Super Sentai thread from now on.
Also, despite my dream last night that Power Rangers was FINALLY adapting Ressha Sentai ToQger, the Power Rangers corporate has decided to skip instead to the Kyuutamas (Uchuu Sentai Kyuuranger). Not only is this show a misnomer (kyuu = 9 and there being Not Nine Rangers), but Toei was forced by Japanese parents to change the ending. Feast your eyes upon the ending song kids enjoyed so much they began copying the dance. Of course, the parents couldn't have their kids copying the dance moves so they whined to Toei and Toei caved.
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