Why I prefer Power Rangers over Super Sentai

Go ahead. Scream at me for using a remastered MMPR image.

People think it's kind of a shocker that I prefer Power Rangers over Super Sentai, but I think Super Sentai is a better franchise, and I like Power Rangers more....if that makes any sense?

Super Sentai has higher quality of writing, characterization, believable performances by the casts, and a bigger budget. Not to mention a better handle on what entertaining action looks like. Above is an image of Bioman, which I think is probably one of the BEST series I have ever seen! Thank you Fantasy Leader! XD

Power Rangers, on the other hand, is my childhood. I grew up with it. It's the thing that has stayed with me since I started watching it back in '97, and from that point on it's played a large part of my life. The key to continuing success for Power Rangers is always present something new and inventive, even knowing that most of the material comes from Sentai. Without originality, Power Rangers would be known as nothing more than an "English version" of Super Sentai. And no matter how bad the season may be, there is always at least one original thing that wasn't seen in the original material. Like for example, MMPR is about overbearing teenagers living their teenage life while fighting off a evil alien witch and her minions, where as Zyuranger is about ancient warriors from the past defending the planet from their sworn enemy.

Wild Force was an exact replica of Gaoranger, but watered down a little bit, and bad acting. The only thing that was new was Master Org, I think? Another example is Lost Galaxy. The setting was way different from Gingaman, took place in a Space Colony called Terra Venture. As well as added the Megaship, DECA, and Alpha from the previous season.

There was a thriving fandom for Power Rangers long before there was one for Sentai and Toku itself, and I knew people for years based purely on debates about how Astronema was Andros' sister, or why Goldar suddenly became lame in Season 3. You can't override those memories.

No matter how good Sentai is, it will NEVER take the place Power Rangers holds in my heart. I'll probably never grow out of Power Rangers, but I know for sure that I won't ever leave it for Super Sentai. I think both should just be enjoyed on their own merits.

One thing I do like about Sentai is how they let their heroes be their own comic relief. Even someone who's as much of a steadfast adventurer as BoukenRed has his silly side. It used to be with Power Rangers that they'd have the villains played for laughs or comic relief supporting characters like Bulk and Skull while the Rangers took themselves very seriously. The show's gotten better about that though.

These last few series of Sentai have been a let down for me. Last strong Sentai that I thought was really good was Gekiranger. Go-Onger was good, but RPM is amazing. Had a stronger plot, better characters, and a good tone, especially for a Disney season. Shinkenger is claimed as the best, it had a good start I'll admit, but I think it's greatly overrated...the story is too bland for me and episodes were boring. And Goseiger, like Shinkenger, the plot is bland for me. Had a good start until they started bringing in mecha that is really unnecessary and annoying. There's a plot for at least every mecha they introduce. There are a few good episodes here and there, but it's still not all that good. I'm hoping Saban won't let me down with Season 18, what I'm really looking forward to.

Originality in Power Rangers

This post is somewhat similar to the one FantasyLeader did a few months ago, talking about the originality in Power Rangers. Fans like to complain that Power Rangers is never good unless it's exactly like it's counterpart.

Some fans tend to complain that Power Rangers is better when it stays true to the original content. I fully disagree to this. I mean, yes, we had some good seasons like Lightspeed and Time Force. But sometimes it feels like I'm watching GoGo V and Timeranger with a different cast.

Fans also complain that Power Rangers is too campy and cheesy. This, makes no sense...at all. Since the campiness and cheesiness make Power Rangers unique.

Here's an example, when the producers and writers saw Megaranger, they thought is was a space season. But when they actually saw footage of the show, it wasn't, exactly. Megaranger was video-game themed. They never left Earth, their ship was in orbit, it just flew down to Earth for the fights. There was no footage of the ships sailing the stars, no alien landscapes or monsters, no space at all from the Sentai that was destined to be 'Power Rangers in Space.' But since the producers thought that it was gonna be the last season of Power Rangers, they went ahead and still went with the space idea. Shot their own footage of space and such. It looked bad, but it worked. It's also loved as the best season of Power Rangers ever.

Another example would be Power Rangers RPM. Disney hired Eddie Guzelian who had worked with a few Disney shows such as American Dragon: Jake Long and Kim Possible. When Guzelian first saw footage of Go-Onger, he basically went nuts. He wasn't sure on how to make it into a Power Rangers season. He defied the Sentai material, changed Go-Onger significantly. Go-Onger was turned into a post apocalyptic setting with a mature tone, a Terminator/Mad Max feel and a new villain named Venjix. The season was serious, yet lighthearted, serious, yet funny. This season was the best we've seen in years. It's said that Eddie had some other plans for the show (like an ending totally different from Go-Onger's and the one that Chip wrote, another story arc between Dillon and Tenaya, revelation of Dr. K's actually name, etc). If he hadn't gotten fired, we most likely would've seen those happen. It was a good season. It was unique in it's own way, and it didn't need to copy elements from the Sentai material.

And finally, my last example, Power Rangers Operation Overdrive. The basic premise of a millionaire relic hunter funding his own team of rangers to find the jewels of the Corona Aurora was amazing in theory. What we got was FAR different than that. The rangers weren't very likeable, the story was muddy, and I feel like a lot of the characters were so one note it felt like I was watching the same episode with a different adjective each week. This season is just absolutely terrible, but it did show Power Rangers' true colors. It had so much potential, and it all went down the drain.

Overall, Power Rangers doesn't need to stay true to the original material Sentai offers. It's just some of the writers and producers (I'm looking right at you, Tzachor and Kalish) are just lazy to come up with something original. Yes, we did have some good seasons that stayed true to the original content like Lost Galaxy and Time Force, but it's just we want to see something new and interesting. I'm hoping that we'll see something new and creative for Season 18. If not, make it a good adaptation, Tzachor.