GKA Articles

A Personal Look A Power Rangers Jungle Fury

2008-09-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

originally posted March 13, 2008

By Dig Doug

Before I start, I'd like to thank NinjaJack for welcoming me into the G.K.A. family.

I'll admit that before I watched the premiere of Jungle Fury, I did not have high expectations. Like a lot of people, I was pretty disappointed with the previous season, Operation Overdrive, and wasn't sure whether or not this season would be more of the same thing. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised with how the first two episodes went. I will admit that it while it wasn't the best season of Power Rangers I've ever seen, it definitely wasn't the worst.

Here were what I thought were the strong points of Jungle Fury:

Decent Storyline: Even if the idea of a secret martial arts organization purposed in training young warriors (in this case, the Order of the Claw) to fight evil may sound pretty cliche, it really seemed to work here.
Cool Mentor: The JF Rangers' mentor, RJ, is simultaneously wise, powerful, and extremely funny.
Awesome Villain: For the first time in a very long time, I feel that Dai Shi is truly a worthy villain for the show. He's not goofy, he's not a pushover, and he has this very Lord Zedd-esque scariness about him.
A Likeable Team of Rangers: This year's defenders of Earth are a pretty fun bunch. So far, it seems like they know what they are doing, but at the same time aren't taking themselves too seriously. I really hope this doesn't change.

Like everything else in this world, JF also has its negative points:

The Theme Song: I am an obsessive Rock 'n Roll fan, so, naturally, I was very happy when I had heard that Disney was ditching the Rap direction. When I heard the new opening song, however, I almost lost it. It reminded me of a lot of bands that I really can't stand, such as Fall Out Boy and Story of the Year.
Flit the Fly: As much as I liked the Super Sentai show that JF is based on, Jyuken Sentai Gekiranger, I could not get over how utterly annoying Bae was. His American counterpart, Flit, is not much better, but he at least doesn't make those irritating 'buzz' noises.

So far, Power Rangers Jungle Fury is shaping up to be a pretty decent season. I guess we'll just have to see where 2008's adventure is gonna take us.

Why People Still Like Watching Power Rangers

2008-09-22T10:59:00.000-07:00

Now many of your are going to be young adults(or older) who have long forgotten that years ago every kid in the neighborhood didn’t want a Pokemon or any anime related ninja getup to wear. They wanted a Mighty Morphin Power Ranger. A show about teenagers who could have come straight from Bayside(only people from the previously mentioned age group will know what show Bayside is located in) that in times when the world was under attack would risk their lives against the forces of Rita Repulsa
About a year goes by and some of these ‘Power Rangers’ take their leave as newbies are called in. The newest villain Lord Zedd finds the one good thing inside him is the true love for his former underling Rita Repulsa , who by the end of the final season is his dearly devoted (and pain in the neck) wife.
And that’s about it…isn’t it?

Theres got to be more…
Ah, but there is more, oh so much more.
This is the one show I’ve followed pretty much without end on televison since it started.
It has outlasted X-Files, Xena, Hercules,Stargate, Babylon 5, Earth Final Conflict... wait, you mean you think I just watch this show for the suits? You think I and others would watch this show if it had no science fiction or dramatic appeal? Please, give us Ranger fans more respect than that. The power suits have a great uniformed look to them of course, but so do the robots in Transformers. That is to say that there are thousands of robotic themed television series but only one with the heart, erm, Spark that gets my TV time the most.

It’s that Spark, or heart that drives the die hard Ranger fan to this show. But when all you see is a cheap 20 minute piece of trash production you’re not looking with your heart. This show is put together by the some of the most dedicated people in Hollywood and New Zealand. Some of them have even worked on Herc and Xena and Lord Of The Rings. The actors have gotten their hands dirty helping out where they could, the cast and crew are a family unit. And most of all they bend over backwards to pull off in little miricles for the fans each year.

I look at a lot of science fiction, I’ve read a fair number of science fiction novels. And I say that this show is deserving ot being established as one of the top science fiction programs out there. Of course it doesn’t always have the depth of Doctor Who or Star Trek, but believe me it certainly is not from a lack of trying. 1998’s Power Rangers in Space is a fantactic ride where the heroes set across the stars to find their leader Zordon who was snatched from his home only to have to sacrifice his life to save the universe in the end. 2005’s Power Rangers SPD was a group of rookies allusion of racial tension and finding out your purpose as a young adult while trying to deal with being a cop in the near future..
Time Force is just awesome.

Now I know PR fans are everywhere but most think they will be embarresed by the show biut I tell you this man, this is one of the shows I want to show my kids. This show that features good vs evil, no cussing, martial arts(done expertly well) honor, loyalty, self sacrifice, love, dealing with hate, racism, grief, regret and positive and negative choices.
Everyboy grows up and everyboy grew up with at least one season close to heart. All the reviews for the latest game Super Legends are surprisingly not directly negative towards the idea of a Power Ranger game. In fact most of the gamers I’ve talked to spoke about how they wanted something against the normal Ranger game. In other words if there was a bad( bad being good) Power Ranger game they’d snatch it up.

See what this show really does at it’s core is talk to the inside of people who might want to do the right thing , who wish they were stronger in times of distress. There is something downright awesome seing the good guys whip the badguys into shape. And this show does it everyday with a whopping 651 episodes.

This is my show and it could be your show is you stopped a looked a few episodes, or even asked a Ranger fan why do we like it so much. You’ll be lglad you did
You can trust this Ninja on this because it’s true.

The Advent of the Dragon Knight and a look back at American Toku part 1 ( of 4)

2008-09-22T10:52:00.000-07:00

originally posted October 2, 2007

By Impulse87

When Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers first premiered in the United States, the fan reaction was explosive, a franchise unlike any other. It literally had everything a kid could want, giant robots, teenagers with attitude, witches, dinosaurs and most of all a diverse cast. By having a diverse cast practically everyone could connect with the cast in some way. Toys, videos, video games, a live stage show and even a full length feature movie with a plot, action and story that was completely independent from it's Japanese counterpart Zyuranger.

Over the years many have attempted to challenge the Power Rangers Franchise, from two American made Tokuhatsu series, to various adaptations of Japanese Toku. During this article I wish to create a sense of nostalgia for those who grew up in the 90s and remember the various live action shows, while I also hope to create a sense nostalgia for those who grew up watching Power Rangers along with it's various spinoffs as well as get everyone excited about the upcoming premiere of Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, the newest fighter to step up and challenge Power Rangers' dominance of the American Toku industry.

Well now that the introduction is done, let's get onto it. In this first part I will speak of the two (if not more) original American Tokuhatsu shows which spun off from the success of the Power Rangers. Keep in mind that most of this article is written from childhood memories, and not everything is 100% accurate and my opinions of the show are merely my own, if you disagree, I encourage you to write your thoughts on the matter .

As far back as I can remember, the first of the American Toku shows was an American ripoff of power rangers called Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills. The show was a complete Power Rangers clone in every possible way a team of teenagers taking command from an intergalactic being, which resembled a blob. Drawing on the power of their tattoos, they transformed into giants, wearing amateur wrestling body suits with face paint to battle giant monsters. Despite the crappy obvious ripoff elements of the show, it managed to leech off the initial success of Power Rangers long enough to last 40 episodes.

The second original American Made Tokuhatsu was Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog, based off of a celtic myth. The neighboring countries of Temra and Kells are at war, on one side is the peaceful Kells who desperately wants peace, while Temra is ruled by a queen who has made a deal with a dark fairy granting her vast magical powers along with the ability to summon various monsters ranging from trolls to cyclops and even three headed dogs. An adventurous young lad by the name of Rohan and his clever friend Angus along with the Princess Deidre and a foreigner Ivar seeking a chalice which was stole from his kingdom become the mystic knights of legend , warriors who wield magical weapons capable of killing these beasts. Through the eyes of an 8-year-old, the special effects of the series set a standard with epic battles between dragons and hydras, four little knights against massive monsters. Despite lasting only a season, since an american toku series with nothing original footage is expensive, and ending on a cliffhanger which would have led to the next season Mystic Knights: Battle Thunder. Definitely worth checking out, a fine example of American Toku done right.
Come back next week where I'll take you on a stroll down memory lane with the two adaptations of the Metal Heroes Series: VR Troopers and Beetleborgs.

Give Me Back My Rock Music

2008-09-22T10:41:00.000-07:00

Well the Operation of Overdrive is finally over and like everyone else I'm looking forword to the new season with Jungle Fury. Of course I liked Operation Overdrive for what it was, it was a fun show with a solid cast and some really endearing villains, good stuff all around. The only gripe I really had with the show was the lack of a good opening theme.

What? wait, wait, I'm sorry you actually liked the music? Why? WHY? As with One Piece and Dragonball GT studio heads seem to be drinking from the same cess pool of ideas.

Hey studio heads, listen up, the kids aren't into lamolicious cornball rap anymore, they're into rock. Just look at Guitar Hero, it's practically been running off the shelves.
look at how Guitar Hero does Power Rangers

There needs to be a return to rock music and if not rock music, music in general.

Operation Overdrive had a really catchy theme, but then after the first episode was over it got stale, the 31 times it was played it got worse. When I watched Once A Ranger and heard all the respective themes for the returning rangers and then cringed at the fact that the last two seasonal themes were no where near as endearing as PRNS to SPD. It's a hope a mine that Power Rangers Jungle Fury goes back to the old status quo, which means good themes that are so good you have to hum it throughout the day.

I remember when I was young and would record Lost Galaxy and rewind the theme over and over just because of how well it was pulled off. I just had to hear those church bells again.

The music in Operation Overdrive did have one thing that was done right and that was sweet BGM that you heard throughout the battles(Things Not Said). The only problem with the BGM was the fact that it tended to be drowned out by the ADR and everything else which made it hard to enjoy for most of the season.

A few years back Ron Wasserman signed on and produced the theme song for SPD, he would have contributed more but somebody in the Disney hierarchy said there was no need. But whats hillarious is that SPD was probably the most overplayed theme since Go Go Power Rangers in seasons 1-3. The fact that they played out the Space Patrol Delta themed proved to me that they knew Ron was good and they knew that his music was perfect for the show, but somebody knew that they should have taken Ron up on his offer but they goofed on that so they overplayedthe theme.
Then when they dropped Ron the next year they wound up hardly, if at all, playing the opening theme throughout the show, hmm I wonder if it was because they were bad?

So lets get the facts straight here:

Power Rangers owns when it comes to music

-SPD was one of the most overplayed songs in Ranger history, it has also become one of the new favorites

-When the Mystic Force rap music appeared, the standard for music in PR fell (tremendously)

-Power Rangers and rock music go together like chocolate and peanut butter, or robots and lasers.

-Overdrive had good but ultimately forgetable background music

So if PR and good music go so well together why don't we hear it? Well you can almost hear the bigwigs right now as they bring over a new anime series "If the kids don't like it, THEN WE WILL MAKE THEM LIKE IT," hey it's worked with pop music right?

I just want something strong and fun for the new season, something like Dino Thunder or Zeo something that I won't forget and won't grate my teeth at everytime it comes on

Race On Power Rangers

2008-09-22T10:39:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 10, 2007

By NinjaJack

Okay, I know this is going to be a touchy subject that might explode into something terrible such as thought provoking conversation and who knows maybe some resolve. But I`d like to bring something out in the open, set it in front of everyone and hear what has to be said about it.
Race in Power Rangers, how do you think been handled over that last 15 years? Have their been alot of stereotypes good or bad or otherwise? Do you think PR has the best track record for showing people as individuals or just tacking on social standards?

Personally, I love how the show has depicted people from all around the globe. You could say it`s been a tapestry of heroes that have found brotherhood among many differences.
Of course there is always the whole SPD issue alot of us banged on. Things like Sky`s reaction to a black street thug being given a superior position. Was this an issue or were we just reading too much into this? I dunno, since Bruce declared anything like that was never intended, but yet in Reflections it seems like there was something to be said for Jack`s "Heroes come in all colors" line. There were folks who got up in arms of Bridge`s "Reptiles" line but really that was nothing. Over the years PR has given us so many positive looks on people that I think it should have been given an award.

I read that interview from Rhoda Montemayor early this year, if you haven`t read it you should. She talks about how race plays a role in an actor getting a part, and how even if you are Asian a producer will tell you you `re just not Asian enough. (See Hollywood Shuffle)But when it`s come to Power Rangers, from my perspective as someone who isn`t Asian, I think the show has presented more positive characters and roles from people with Asian backgrounds than almost ANY show.

I could say that about my own people too, to a certain extent. Except that I don`t get why ever since Ethan left the scene Disney seems to think in order to be "black" you must talk slick, wear dreads/cornrows and hit on women.

This show I think has done more good for this world than people are willing to give it credit for, providing strong role models and going against social stereotypes being the the most commendable.

I Just Like Power Rangers..

2008-09-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

originally posted May 24, 2007

By NinjaJack

Yeah thats right

I`m not going to be going to Power Morphicon in person but I will be there in spirit. I've followed this series ever since High Five and never let go mystic force since. This little 20 minute program has taught that right is always right and true evil must be destroyed and dealt with.
And that sometimes this isn't always the case. Sometimes things do go bad and people do get hurt. Sometimes your friends turn their backs on you and at some point we've all walked down the wrong path in life.

This show is one of the few programs I can watch and sincerely enjoy day after day and come away feeling excited for the next episode. I`m just glad NBC finally figured out having superheroes on the front lines means big business.

I just read an article in one of the major business magazines detailings Marvel's entry into the movie business and how they are banking on the success of these movies on the heroes themselves. If they fail than Marvel wil be bought out. They're doing this on the basis of Marvel as a brand. They know people will go watch a movie about a Marvel hero because people generally love these guys.

You see the very reason any hero connects with it's audience isn`t just their plights and how they survive them. It's the things that make them human and therefore connect with the audiences.

Last night I was in the Star Wars section at Wal-Mart, and I talked to a fellow Star Wars geek for about an hour about science fiction. When Power Rangers came up I told about Countdown to Destruction and Force From The Future and he was pretty impressed. Not so much of the brand but because of the characters humanity.

Thats why I like PR, it has a level of child like innocence mixed in with a very human nature to all the chracters. I think that's why alot of us hated on Kimberly after seeing what that letter did to Tommy. How many of us felt a bit cheeted ourselves when Dustin found out Marah was a sham?

Power Rangers are human heroes who will be your guides through many exciting adventures, it's been 15 years and I still enjoy the ride

Power Rangers, Is It Really Cheap?

2008-09-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 3, 2006

By Superranger

This is my first post on the G.K.A times and I decided to talk about the cost of Power Rangers.

First of all, we all heard the complaints of past producers about the low budget and the lack of resources to execute some plans. Power rangers doesn't really get that much of a budget since they receive %50 percent of the materials alredy from TOEI. besides that.. even if producing it like that doesn't cost at all, there's still tons of costs to cover on.

Sets- Of course Japan wasn't gonna mail their whole city to NZ, so they looked alike. What you have to do? Let's get building! *Cue Bob the builder song* you gotta paint, break, draw, etc. For that you gotta get all the neccesary materials which cost a hella lot. A few hundred bucks or more go into building the sets. Which accumulates to a short time, shorter time equaling expensive costs. there goes a chunk of the budget.

Actors- This isn't a dub, so you can't pay them as voice actors. they are on screen, so they need make up, Utilities, props, etc. Some of the props are from Bandai, but the clothes they wear, the make-up they have to use, haircuts, etc. are paid by Disney. The actors are paid depending on the experience they have, if they don't have much like the Original MMPR then hardly anything goes to their pockets, but preparing them for their roles in term of clothing and other stuff costs quite a bit. there goes another chunk and I can imagine in SPD this part of the budget was unbalanced, since some had way more experience, and some others hardly had any. they din't share an equal resumes.

SFX, ADR, Explosives, editing- These are the parts that take the most money. specially the editing and explosives. as we saw on SPD and MF all those explosives used, required the presence of an explosives expert(I forgot his techincal name) and believe me they can be quite expensive. The editing itself I imagine it takes hours along with the ADR, that's another hella money spent.

Logistics- Yeah you need something to move all those cameras and equipment they use when they are filming in the city outside the studio. You have to pay people that specialice themselves in transporting heavy equipment with care, specially those cameras which cost a lot. With all the hard work of moving all the equipment and people it can get expensive. Another big chunk goes here.

Since this is getting too long for me and for you, i'll leave it here. I hope I was able to help understand that besides Power rangers having an certain advantage to the rest of the tv shows disney has, it's not cheap to produce, and with a low budget is up to the EP money saving skills to preserve the budget and still get away with everything.

Overdriving The Message

2008-09-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 7, 2006

By Victor Ong

Although Operation Overdrive more than half-a-year away, the anticipation is nevertheless becoming lethal. How will Disney handle the 15th incarnation of the States' most popular boy-action TV programme?

Boukenger's Task 1 presented a widescreen adventure of epic proportions that quickly tethered off into the regular Sentai fare, though as previous posts on this blog suggest, it is styled way better than Magiranger. See http://thegkatimes.blogspot.com/2006/07/im-really-looking-forward-to-power.html and start wishing for some solid 'anniversary material', to quote The Snake.

After the dismal Wild Force, which I truly hesitate to show my countrymen, Tori and the Ninja Storm gave me hope. It was something different. DinoThunder made a splendid showing, too, especially for people whose memories of Power Rangers are still stuck at the Tommy-Kimberly stage -- it is a step ahead which forsakes everything that transpired between Zeo and Ninja Storm.

Earlier this year, I took the liberty of new membership to post some opinion http://thegkatimes.blogspot.com/2006/05/new-power-rangers-movie.html calling for a 3rd Power Rangers movie -- a call that's too oft-repeated. If EP Kalish is finally ready for some ambition, we fans should suggest a cinema-quality Operation Overdrive. And merely reformatting the presentation style to widescreen isn't gonna do the job.

Is the 2007 season going to be dominated by pyrotechnics again? Are they going to film 25 episodes this time? If so -- and the ep count remains unconfirmed, mind you -- then the creative team had better give the world a GOOD 25-ep season devoid of cardboard, slapstick acting, inexperienced ADR and superimposing, poor body language and a noisy soundtrack.

If, as the previous post http://thegkatimes.blogspot.com/2006/08/is-disney-really-capable-of-canceling.html suggest, Disney really decides to cancel the whole franchise altogether, then the above changes had better take place, else we fans will forever sue the profit-driven, aesthetics-come-second Mickey Mouse company for slander, negligence and defamation of the Power Rangers TV show, which is in every way deserving of the treatment that has been given to the X-Men, Batman, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, Elektra, Spiderman and the I-love-Lois-Lane Superman.

We understand that for Power Rangers to remain TV-Y7-FV and not progress to PG-13, the creative team has to tone down on some of the consequences of explosive action, i.e. blood, screams, real pain and gore. But I believe that there is a kinder way to treat the Rangers than plonk them in the midst of rubber monsters and blow multi-colored smoke about them. While there should be cooperation amongst the Rangers, it is best to save the synchrony and fight-to-the-beat bowwow till the 16th season. If you want a TV series to rival Smallville, then you must give the characters a greater dimension of individualism.

That is if the Scooby-Doos want to make Overdrive an epic season. As end-users, we have no choice but to wait as we ride out the storm Mystic Force is causing with its rap. :)

Wild Force, Such Hatred

2008-09-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 9, 2006

By Superranger

Such hatred for a Season.. I think people hate it more than Turbo. But why? Because of "Ricardo Medina JR"? He's not really such a bad actor, and besides what people expected? Oscar-winning acting? This is a children show, they don't care about the acting at all. Wild force is hated because of him, yet people have over looked some of the stuff that made this season unique:

- Our second human villan, but instead of being brainwashed a la Astronema, he was bitter, Jealous, and ready to kill the new born of the woman he desired so much.

- The betrayal of the villans, how each one turned against each other for their own needs. How they tricked Toxica into cutting off her horn so she could enter the Animarium to kidnap Princess Shayla. Later finding out that without her horn she's as good as dead. She also got used as Shield against the Wild force rangers blast. the other villan(I forgot his name) how he turned against the other, so he could look like the perfect servant in front of Master org.

- Zen-Aku: Merrick used the Wolf mask to save his friends and destroy the orgs who had been on a Wild zord killing spree, at the end he sacrificed his freedom to save everyone. Centuries later he's been freed, starting a killing spree against the Wild force rangers, turning their zords against them. He had to be one of the most Angriest dangerous 6th evil ranger after the Titanium ranger. (Koragg would be our Zen-aku now but Disney decided to tone it down)

- The Face off- Master org facing the son of the people he hated the most, the sole survivor of that bitter memory is now in front of him. Cole finally gets to be in a one on one battle with his Mom and dad Killer, how he had to listen to the crushing words: "I destroyed your parents! They asked for mercy and I finished them off quick" There was no turning back.. His Parents died a horrible death.

- The finale- This would've been the Power rangers perfect finale. All the animals killed, their powers destroyed, the island crashing into the ground, Powerless rangers decide to fight with all of their might against the enemy even though they could've been killed in one shot. but their hope for survival was stronger, strong enough to revive the dead zords, giving them one more chance to win all of them united. At the end they had to give up their Power rangers life and each one went off with their lives. Even Cole finally made peace with the man who killed his parents, he was able to forget all that evil, and make peace with him. only a real forgiving person, could've done that. Showing he had the biggest heart of all red rangers, EVER.

My point on all of this? If you're willing to look past behind the acting, You can see Wild force was one of the best seasons ever, it could've been the perfect finale for the Power rangers.

Insanity

2008-09-22T10:01:00.000-07:00

originally posted January 28, 2007

by Undrave

Hello to all the GKA Times’ readers! I am Undrave the newest member of this fine team. It’s an honor to be given a chance to write for you all! I’m a Cinema student from the province of Quebec in Canada (yes that means my native language is French and not English, so please don’t be too harsh if I make mistakes). I’m a fan of any Henshin Hero including Power Rangers, anime, manga, animation in general, good movies and good sci-fi TV in general. Beyond my studies in Cinema I’ve done some History (basic), know quite a lot about mythology and I even took an initiation course in Mandarin! I don’t always have access to the latest stuff, but I know what I like and I have the background to explain why.

As I said I don’t always have access to the latest stuff. For example I don’t have the hardware to download torrents, I’m lucky to watch stuff on Youtube. When it comes to TV it’s no better. Being Canadian I don’t get channels like Cartoon Network or Disney, and for some reason my neck of the wood can’t get YTV even though it’s available everywhere else in the province. I have to wait for ABC Kids to air it to watch Power Rangers, and half the year it gets pre-empted by some stupid sport competition like football or golf. Luckily I still got Teletoon (I also have Vrak.TV for many of YTV’s and Nick’s original programming but that’s another story altogether). I know the network doesn’t have a good reputation, even though it’s been picking up awesome shows in the last few years, but that applies only to the English side. In fact thanks to the French version of the network I was recently able to catch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episode ‘Insane in the Membrane’, an episode that was never aired on 4KidsTV! So for my first article I decided I’d review that particular episode. Be aware that there is spoilers ahead!

The episode begins with a bone-chilling narration by Baxter Stockman telling us of his downfall and how he ended up as nothing but a brain in a jar. The part about him being chopped apart piece by piece is emphasized by a shot of Hun with a sadistic grin holding instruments that would make an Inquisition interrogator jealous. After the opening we learn that, against Agent Bishop’s advices, Stockman is moving up ahead with his plan to clone himself a new body using the same technique Bishop used. While he waits for the mind transfer we get treated to a flashback to Baxter’s childhood. These childhood flashbacks will return periodically throughout the episode. We learn that he was a very smart child, but came from a poor family. His single (apparently) mother had to have two jobs to make end’s meet. Stockman is elated to get his new body and his enthusiasm is very well transmitted to the viewers. You truly feel happy for him… although I could have done without the scenes of Baxter walking around Area 51 with nothing but techno panties on. Soon though, things go sour and his new body starts to deteriorate, to the point where he has to re-attach his arm with metal! His mind follows his body as the desperation makes him sink slowly into madness. Expecting his end to come soon Stockman wants revenge on the person responsible for all his ‘bad luck’. Not Shredder or Hun, not even the Turtles… he wants to make April O’Neil pay! The one who disrupted his mouser plan. Blaming her for everything that went wrong Baxter steals one of Bishop’s helicopter and flies off to New-York! I won’t tell what happens next, but let’s just say that Stockman ends up at the bottom of the river and everybody, including the viewer, is lead to believe he will finally rest in peace. Sadly, as anybody who saw the following episode knows, that will not be the case… but we’re getting ahead here. We also learn that Stockman’s mother died of illness when he was still young.

This episode was simply amazing in term of emotional impact. It was a serious episode and one of the best of the series for sure. You go through all the emotions that Baxter went through alongside him. You can’t help but feel bad for this man who made a few wrong decisions and then got dealt a crummy, or rather horrible, hand by fate, taking away the bright future his mother foresaw for him. The childhood scenes were also quite touching. The Turtles and friends only had short involvement but it was effective and in character for them. Now this episode was not perfect. The action for example is minimal and felt rather unimpressive compared to what this series has gotten us used to. It also seems like April completely forgot her training with Splinter, becoming nearly defenseless. Bishop looks completely disinterested with Stockman’s plight, disappearing halfway through the episode without a single ‘I told you so’, even though he considers him an invaluable asset to the point of fishing him out of the river in the following episode. He also doesn’t seem alarmed to loose one of his chopper. Basically it feels like everybody but Stockman is underused or out of character, but considering the purpose of this episode it’s excusable. It is HIS episode after all.

In the end though this episode is still great and worth the watch. I recommend to all fans of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to make sure to catch this episode if given the chance.
Well that’s it for me for today, hoped ya liked it! In the meantime, keep your blood boiling!

My Opinion on Powerpuff Girls Z

2008-09-22T09:57:00.000-07:00

originally posted July 4, 2006

by Rising Sun Ranger

Hey guys, it's me, Rising Sun Ranger. You guys probably know me from various message boards such as Henshin Justice.. and so on..

Anyway, I'm gonna post my opinion on the new Japanese Anime version of classic Cartoon Network series the Powerpuff Girls, "Demashita! Powerpuff Girls Z".

I downloaded the RAW off BitTorrent, and since it's raw I can only be able to understand a very little bit of it. I'm still somewhere in the middle of learning Japanese (infact, I'm on the level where I'm still not yet fluent but I can be able to ask dumb questions like "Anata wa Tamago desuka?" :P). Whether this will be fansubbed or not, I don't know, only time will tell.

The episode seemed to have contained 2 episodes in 1, the first one I thought was the pilot episode until I realised the difference between their clothes (the PPGs wore jacket like clothes in the pilot). So.. the first episode is called "Birth of the Girls", while the second one is called "Arrival of the Girls".

The first episode shows Mojo Jojo attacking the city (unsurprisingly), Proffessor Utonium and his son Ken Utonium (yes, he has a son!! ^^) summons the 3 girls, Momoko, Kaoru and Miyako, who then have to bunk off school to transform into "Hyper Blossom", "Rolling Bubbles" and "Powered Buttercup", and go off into town to battle Mojo Jojo.

The second episode has Proffessor Utonium and his son in their laboratory eating something which I think might be Japanese beancake (I dunno..). One of the beancake some how fell into a huge tub of Chemical X, and is mysteriously changed, so Utonium put it into his computer, which identified it as "Chemical Z". Then for some strange reason Ken put it into a huge cannon and fired it at some snowy mountain, which caused bits of Ice everywhere to, fly around. Then each of the 3 girls rescue some people who were gonna be hit by the ices, while simultaniously transforming into their PPG alter egos. After that, another piece of ice hit peachy (Utonium's pet dog), which gained him the ability to talk.. Then Mojo Jojo, who at the time was a normal zoo monkey, into his original self, and.. well, wreaks havoc again. Then a black piece of ice (why it's black, I don't know but it just appeared black in the show), hit Mojo Jojo, who at the time was a normal zoo monkey inside a zoo, and transformed him back to his original self.

I don't know how Mojo Jojo ended up transformed into a normal Zoo Monkey, in the First episode the PPGs simply whooped his ass and sent him flying up in the air, and then rescuing some dude.. What happened to Mojo while he was up in the sky we don't know because it was not shown onscreen and just after that the episode ended and moved onto the second.. But then again, this could be that episode 2's storyline was set before episode 1, and alot of Japanese TV Shows do that sometimes (I can even remember Kamen Rider Black's second episode taking place before episode 2). Either way it was in RAW, so... there ya have it.

Confusing storylines aside, I thought it was a joy to watch. It basically seemed like a cross between the original Powerpuff Girls and Power Rangers/Super Sentai (the way the PPGs have secret identities as everyday Japanese girls), and being a fan of both of these shows it's no surprise I liked this. The show also had some Di Gi Charat style whimsical humour, which I kinda liked too. They had some funky background music too.

As for the critisisms for the show, there's been quite a lot of it from most fans on message boards. Some fans of the original show didn't really want to see an Anime version of PPG. As far as what I can think of, I guess it's just that the original Powerpuff Girls cartoon was popular in Japan, and the reason why they created this Anime was because they thought they'd get more ratings. And if people were critisising it for being a Japanized version rather than sticking to the original storyline, I guess that would be pretty much the same reason why they would hate Toei's version of Spiderman. I reckon there's much much worse (EG: Saban's version of Kamen Rider, URRRGGGHHHHH!!!).

Personally myself, I think for a re-written version of an original series, this Anime version of Powerpuff Girls isn't very bad. While the original version was pretty cool, the addition of Blossom, Bubbles and Buttercup having secret identities as normal kids (ala Power Rangers) was a good idea. All we probably need now are some giant mecha, and some.. (just kidding :P).

So which to decide is better out of the Japanese Anime version of Powerpuff Girls, and the original one by Craig McCracken.. I'd consider it as a draw. While the Anime may be fun to watch, the original PPG still seems to have a more aggressive, kick-ass feel to it.

In the meantime, I'll try and continue to watch this series and see how the show goes..

Well, that seems to be all I can type in for now. NinjaJack, if you're reading this, hope this article was ok!! ^^

To finish this article off, here's a video clip of the Powerpuff Girls Z transformation sequence. Enjoy minna san!! ^^

Oh, and here's my website..

Rising Sun Ranger's Homepage
http://www.freewebs.com/risingsunranger/index.htm

The Fall and Rise of A Legacy part II

2008-09-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

originally posted February 12, 2006

By Victor Ong

Earlier this week, I gave you Part One as an insight into the barrenness that so characterized the Tokusatsu landscape in Johor Bahru and Singapore. But that was 2 years ago.

Of late, there have been some exciting developments. The acquisition of Saban Entertainment by media giant Disney interrupted the Saban half of Power Rangers Wild Force with more color, more Matrix-like action and an apparent increase in the number of Power Animals, the latter of which is a 100% Toei contribution, but nonetheless served to heighten the hype and fuel the interest – the dormant fan-base responded. This fan-base included kids who had outgrown MMPR a decade ago, and a new generation of children fed Disney’s maiden version of Power Rangers.

Wild Force is Disney’s MMPR – it brought back on-screen a lame campiness that felt strangely nostalgic. It also had a lot of crayon-and-pastel colors found lacking in some of Saban’s later productions.

Wild Force toys trickled into Toys ‘R’ Us as usual, but as viewership increased and ratings soared, more toys were imported and my eye could not miss the advertisement boards plastered on walls or suspended from ceilings in an extravagant manner. Departmental stores, like Parkson Grand and Carrefour, took up the challenge, jumping into the bandwagon with a wider variety of Power Rangers toys from seasons old and new, at competitive prices. Adding to this logistical nightmare was a flashflood of Kamen Rider Agito, 555 and later Ryuki merchandise, while Ultraman figurines were relocated from dark corners to brightly-lit shelves. These are observations of the naked eye, and my, wasn’t I elated!

These unprecedented changes were followed closely by premiere telecasts and repeat telecasts of TV shows all across the Tokusatsu genre. The remaining part of Power Rangers Wild Force (“Pasukan Liar Power Rangers”) was subtitled in Malay, and for the first time in 5 years, Berjaya HVN released episodes that were free of the unpleasantries I mentioned in Part One. Many companies signed on to take advantage of this growing phenomenon, and soon, TV tie-in products were released. Only the blind and uninformed would miss the colorful Wild Force lunchboxes, pencases, school bags, satchels, stationery, posters and bicycles.

But I must be prudent. I must not overrate this phenomenon. It’s something new, yes, but it is not taking the nation by storm or anything. Only Ninja Storm can take the nation by storm.

2005 welcomed Ninja Storm with open arms. With Seiyu, Sogo, Takashimaya and other departmental stores (where parents frequent) lining up their toy displays with the latest Bandai action figures, Singaporeans must’ve noticed something. It’s an undeniable fact: the Power Rangers are back. And this time, with something called “Super Sentai” in tow. Dog-faced Dekarangers are on display with plasticky Storm Megazords. Japanese Power Rangers……weird!

Today, Power Rangers Dino Thunder is airing simultaneously on Malaysia’s TV2 and Singapore’s Mediacorp TV12 (a.k.a. Kids Central). IMMG, Singapore’s sole licensee for Yu-Gi-Oh!, Crush Gear Turbo and Kamen Rider, is releasing Dino Thunder VCDs every month, while toy shops, big and small, are inviting a greater Power Ranger/Super Sentai presence. A little over a month ago, my brother and I, among other shoppers, had the pleasure of watching a full episode of Hurricanger in Sogo’s toy department. That, in addition to everything relevant that’s happening around me, convinces me enough to say that the Sentai presence is as significant as that of the Gransazers, here in Johor Bahru and even more so in Singapore.

The Power Rangers are regaining a foothold in this part of the world. Only God knows what SPD will do come January 2007.

It’s catchin’ on in this town! Witness the birth of Singapore’s 1st Tokusatsu superhero! Visit Project Leo http://www.projectleo.blogspot.com/ for more details. bruary 12, 2006

The Fall and Rise of A Legacy part I

2008-09-22T09:35:00.000-07:00

originally poasted February 7, 2006

by Victor Ong

Good morning, readers! It’s past 12a.m. in Malaysia, and I’m here with a report of the latest Power Rangers and Super Sentai developments in Johor Bahru and Singapore.

Back in late 2004, when Saban’s Power Rangers Wild Force began airing every Saturday 6:30p.m. on Malaysia’s TV2, my friends and I made a regular habit of leaving the hostel and entering College to watch the featured episode on overhead television sets in the canteen. The security guards would join us from time to time. The stout Indian lady peddling hotdogs, fries and burgers would crane her neck to catch a bit of the colorful action, while Malay kids back from their regular weekend soccer match would lounge about the canteen pretending to be mature, grown-up teenagers, drinking Coke and isotonic drinks, but still watching Wild Force nevertheless.

The 6:30p.m. viewership base soon expanded to include a CPA Accounting student, Monash University Malaysia undergrads, parents on school seminars (those freaky PTA stuff) and finally some members of Saban’s target audience – the kids of our lecturers. Trust those teachers to leave their tykes with us – we had the perfect childcare environment.

Guards + friendly tuckshop lady + innocent undergrads + cute girls + watchful parents + Power Rangers = wholesome time together. Sweet.

Most of my peers and ALL of my less-than-senior lecturers know what “Power Rangers” is; they just don’t know how far it has ventured post-MMPR. In Malaysia and Singapore, the general impression is “Tommy”, “Kimberly” or “the White Ranger……ah, I remember”, and nothing much besides. In 1998, toy sales began falling. Why? They changed the costumes. Zeo. Weird. Gone were the Power Rangers I knew, and I stopped watching the series. So did a million other kids.

In 2003, Power Rangers resurfaced in my life. It was a renewed interest brought about by MMPR Season 2 VCDs that cost US$1 apiece; I bought all 7 discs on sale at that time, and watched them over one weekend. This experience prompted me to welcome more Power Rangers-related material into my life, till it was saturated with them. An Internet search revealed much. Admittedly, I was shocked by the vast library of PR episodes, the expanse of the PR universe, the increasing complexity of PR plotlines and the upgraded special effects. I began fervent downloading, a habit that lasted quite long.

2004, I tried to lay my hands on episodes I could watch on TV, namely VCDs and DVDs, but many of my efforts were in vain. Singapore’s major cartoon licensees do not market PR, and many popular video stores do not stock them; across the Causeway, the situation is less bleak, with major player Berjaya HVN releasing PR discs every now and then. But subsequent purchases (especially Time Force) revealed poor video quality, lousy color separation and the occasional TV encode.

Toy stores, similarly, had forgotten PR. With the exception of Toys ‘R’ Us, most brand-name toy stores refrained from stocking PR toys and accessories. Don’t think too highly of Toys ‘R’ Us, though – it, too, had a poor catalog of PR merchandise. Fortunately, some of the ‘lesser’ toy outlets imported plenty of imitations, and though I avoided buying them, they gave me a pretty good intro to PR’s exciting counterpart – Super Sentai.

Malaysia and Singapore seemed like a wasteland in the aftermath of MMPR’s demise. Zeo, Turbo, Lost Galaxy all the way to Time Force were like weeds growing in a barren landscape under clouds that refused to give water. Those clouds are, of course, the local fan base.

MMPR left an indelible impression of campiness, silliness and kiddiness that gave what used to be 7-year-olds in 1995, but are now angst-y 12-year-olds in 2000, every reason to avoid Power Rangers and its supposedly immature incarnations.

But no longer. Power Rangers is back in Johor Bahru and Singapore with a vengeance.

-- to be continued --

Easy Rider On A Hard Road

2008-09-22T09:32:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 28, 2005

by NinjaJack

Kamen Rider, one of the key series in numbering fine television from round the globe. The masterpiece of Ishiromori Shotaro it has rode off with the hearts of children and adults alike. A cultural icon only dwarfed by Ultraman, Kamen Rider has a long steep legacy of brave men and women beating the odds on the skin of their teeth and their tire treads.
Such a long successful history overseas would certainly translate to a great show in the West right? RIGHT?
Wrong. The heart of Super Sentai's sense of teamwork broke through the language barrier and The Power Rangers continue to benefit from it till this very day. But Kamen Rider, otherwise Masked Rider, isn't a show about team spirit. In fact it's closer to Batman than the Justice League. Wolverine among the other X-Men, Paris Hilton in a church!
The last time America tried to bring Kamen Rider to the US market it collapsed under it's own weight.

Lets see, a jolly gentle giant married to an Asian women who adapted a African American son after the step mother adopts her step daughter and then they all adopt a 16 year old alien as their older brother, check.

As it`s quite clear to see Masked Rider was all too perfect, too clean cut and pasted to be taken seriously, or even humorously for that matter.
Beetleborgs suffered from laughing at itself, VR Troopers took itself too seriously and Masked Rider never found any solid direction either way.
Toei Co put buggy boy on hiatus and that was just another excuse for Saban to kill the show off and act as if the Rangers never met him.

But around the turn of the century Toei renewed Kamen Rider to full production and bigger budget. Returning to it`s former glory all the while reaching new heights Kamen Rider hasn't put the ball down since he got it back.
Hibiki, Faziu, Blade, Kuga, Agito Ryuki, these are the Riders of the new Japanese millennium, but what about us?

There is hardly a popular game in Japan that doesn't get released here in the states. Anime films by Miyazaki and others come here in bigger releases each yeah. We've seen Ultraman appear in a number of western countries on DVD and television. But after almost ten years I think it's about time to give the US Riders another chance to Riderkick.

A short time ago there was creditable word on an all new Rider series for both Ryuuki and Faizu. But according to the news the folks at Disney deemed the shows just too violent to air here. Kamen Rider has plenty of moments of violence but this isn't Guyver.
After the Power Rangers S.P.D. episode
"Reflections" we know Disney holds a firm lease on the violence in their shows, even the implied violence. So how could there possibly be a chance to bring Kamen Rider back? Even with better writing it still would be sexed down like Dr. Laura in a Las Vegas revue.
But if there is a will there is most certainly a way.

Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Even Disney channel have evolved overtime to support children and older demographics(least of these being Disney our antagonist of course) with slots like Teen Nick and Adult Swim.
Lets try that.

Instead of bringing Masked Rider to a Ranger standard, build it up to a new one. Jetix is a 24/7 machine in other countries and it`s slowly moving into that realm in the states and elsewhere. I say program a prime time block of shows to compete with Teen Nick and eventually Adult Swim. Imagine similar to saturday night Toonami a weekly block of prime time shows aimed at an older audience and that respects both demographics? The kids get the toys the teens and young adults get their high octane action and drama everybody is happy.

Of course speaking openly and honestly, this won't happen with Eisner's goons breathing down Village Roadshow's necks. But in the end if they do open up the resources to everyone not just the kids they`ll benefit the rewards Cartoon Network has been experiencing with their expanded lineup.

Every year Kamen Rider gets better, well the jury is still out on Hibiki, but there is no doubt within me that some day soon we'll be seeing a Rider belt on an American, or Kiwi if production is in New Zealand, shouting "HENSHIN!" or something akin to it. But only when Eisner is really out of power will we see those buggy eyes again.

To Mech Or Not To Mech

2008-09-22T09:28:00.000-07:00

originally posted October 2, 2005

By NinjaJack

"Oh no! It's the Zords!"-Goldar Mighty Morphin Power Rangers The Movie

Whether you like to call them Zords, Mechs, Gundams, Evas, MegaDeuces or Giant Robos, the Super Robot is an icon the whole world recognizes.

Starting with TESTUJIN 28 in 1953 children fell in love with the idea of a hero piloting a weapon of mass destruction down major city streets

In 1972 Gô Nagai's creation MAZINGER began the whole idea of jumping inside a super robot and piloting instead of using a remote as with Tetsujin 28. By the end of this landmark decade came the advent of the story driven robo series with the introduction of the evergreen we love to call Gundam. Both Gundam and Mazinger series forged the idea that the pilot was not only to one driving but he was the soul of the machine.

The 80s brought bad taste in clothes and the Transformers who transformed and
rolled into the hearts of children worldwide.
And I don't care if you think robots are "teH suX" now, you were one or knew one of those kids when Transformers first hit. A new dynamic was introduced, living machines that thought for themselves and had their own sense of right and wrong.
The eighties also brought us Voltron and Robotech, two cult classics.

Of course this isn't Pleasentville and everyone on God's green earth sure as certain do not agree on everything. And when it comes to robots on TV you' will find folks on both sides of the fence.

"They get in the way of the story" "Awesome, you mean they can actually combine?"
Above are just a few of the random quotes that seem to spew up whenever a new robot is introduced in ANY series. Lets dissect this just a wee bit and get a better understanding of the basics of this divider among fans.
Why do some people hate the sight of a ten story wrecking machine?
Well lets see it's a machine for starters, machines have no emotion. They destroy without remorse, like the RIAA.
Honestly how many buildings have been crushed both here in the states with Power Rangers and in Japan with all the Robo Anime and Sentai? I bet you can't even begin to think of the estimate.

Lots of explosions and running, and the screaming and the running and the screaming,

"It'`s a waste of budget and time!"
the people who hate giant robots cry out for stories over more scenes of random stock footage.

Take Ishimori Shotaro-San's Kamen Rider Tokusatsu series for instance, it has no mecha aside from a few super vehicles over the years. But the stories in Kamen Rider are still some of the most drawn out and dramatic of the Henshin genre.

As I have already noted above , Giant Robots use quite a bit of stock footage, some people just don't want to sit through the same "BIG O! SHOWTIME!" sequence over and over and over again. The very idea that sometimes producers will actually speed up the sequence when the robot is called more than once in an episode shows that even they know in the end they just really want to sale the toys.

Is that it, is the hatred of the Giant Robo really just a scapegoat? Is the giant robot a simple weapon like a sword or a jetpack? Or is it just the true face of the show`s true purpose to only sale toys that stares us in the face and therefore must be dealt with?

But now one might ask a question as to why do other people LOVE the robots?
"Because they blow stuff up!" a fan might say, but because Rocky had one great line in his Ranger days, when he saw the Shogun Zords for the first time "Yeah, they are awesome alright." We like the big bots because they're cool. Ah but that doesn't get down to the nitty gritty does it?

What purpose do they serve? They're just giant walking pieces of metal.
The purpose is simple, these robots sometimes will take on symbols of justice just as rightfully as their pilots embody.

Looking a the Gundam Wing series would Wufei had been so hell bent on Great Justice if he was not piloting the Shenlong?
Is Optimus Prime any less of a great warrior because he's ten stories tall?
The question I ask isn't if there is a need for giant robots or not. But is it possible to have a great show where Story+Robots coexist?

A letter to geeks

2008-09-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

originally posted November 2, 2005
by NinjaJack

Here are two dictionary definitions of what a "Geek" is
-person often of an intellectual bent who is disapproved of
-A person who is single-minded or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits but is felt to be socially inept.
Sounds about right doesn't it? You've been declared socially inept because your affiliation with something you love right? It's come to my attention that the fact of the matter is that if you're older than twelve years old and you freely say "That was cool!" you're a social outcast, sit down, shut up and join the rest of the sheep.

It does not matter if you're a sports jock or a rabid couch quarterback, it does not matter if you are video gamer or a game designer. It really doesn't matter if you love making movies or watching them. If you're reading this article guess what? You're a Geekazoid!
The geeks of the olden times were freaks who would bite the heads off live animals for entertainment, is that socially destructive or what?
Today's society also holds people down who decided to stand away from the crowd because they stood by the things they loved. That man biting that poor chicken'`s face off might have been touched in the head but I will bet it was something he liked. Wait, thats stupid, how can you like eating the face off of a live bird? Well tell me, who am I to say something is stupid when I know full well that I have done things in my life just because I was pursuing a dream of my own?

The modern Geek is constantly trying redefine himself when the very thing he was outcast for suddenly becomes mainstream. When Legolas off the screen and becomes Orlando Bloom, drawing in hyperactive tween girls and alienating the geeks who stood by it before the fame
in the process; Suddenly there is a 14 yr old girl who buys the last copy of the three disc LOTR collector edition DVDs just because Bloom is in it. Oh no she doesn't care for the story like you do, it's ok for her to indulge in it because it's mainstream now. But beware the awkward stares that accompany a 20 something year old picking up a collector's set of Gargoyles season 2.

See unless MTV says you can like it, it's childish trash, you're a man who can't grow up and smell the BS coming from the mass media`s collective mouth.
Whenever you pick up that rare issue #1 of Ultimate Spider-Man you're going to be looked down on for even liking comics at your age.
What makes all these prejudicial moments even worse is that they are provided by fellow geeks who hide behind the "casual fan" mantle. What the jehosaphat is a casual fan?

The definition of "casual" is a person "showing little interest or concern; nonchalant" while when you look up "fan" you get "An ardent devotee; an enthusiast". How in the world can you be enthusiastic and nonchalant all at once?
If you're standing there with a copy of Episode III in your hands while you yuck it up with your buddies about the guy down the aisle paying for a Batman Beings DVD, you're not just a fellow geek, you're a hypocrite.

There is a major message forum for just about every group of fans out there. But bring up the subject of PR to a fan from another show and they`ll confront you. Oh not on the quality or lack thereof, but they will criticize you for even WATCHING such immature trash.
Let me bring that up again, "They will criticize you for WATCHING such IMMATURE trash." How can fans of Spongebob have the plumbs to even make such a comment? Where does that Pokemon player get off calling PR immature? Because people call them immature for watching what they like.

Did you know that no matter what a Ranger hating Sentai elitist says against PR, Kamen Rider fans were telling the same thing to Sentai fans long before Haim signed on the dotted line.
Yoda once said that hate leads to suffering, it does, it suffers the hated's emotions and suffers the hater's heart.

While someone is laughing at you while you buy your DVDs and read your comics, you're the one with the big screen television, you're the one who is going to have fun without it coming at someone else's expense. You're the one with the open mind and heart to welcome the true believers to the fold and not ridiculing folks for liking a genre.

Being called a geek sometimes means you're wearing a badge of honor. You've just been singled out for sticking to your guns. The person who just called you a geek is totally ignorant of your life or whatever genre you`re gifted in. In fact they usually wish they had the balls you have
to like your show, movie, comic book or game.

Most naysayers wish they knew and cared about their stuff like you did. They don't know the thrill of wearing a Green Lantern sweatshirt. They do not understand the big deal of a Rider Kick or X-Ray vision. They don't know these things because they are not true fans because they
belittle people. They don't know these things because they aren't the geeks, we are the geeks.

To Whom It May Concern

2008-09-22T09:13:00.000-07:00

originally posted November 20, 2005

by NinjaJack

Right now I`m staring at a yet to be filled Christmas candy tin, this could only mean one of two things, it's time I stopped being such a pack rat or it's almost that time of year again when things tend to change or end.
To say that this season has piqued everyone's interests would be a terribly unjustified understatement.
The things that took place in this fandom over the course of a year has left this Ninja exhausted with intrigue and I think just a wee wee bit of envy.
After two conventions, a team up slip, a lady in red, Morphin Grid AND Onyx references on screen plus NINE Power Rangers this season was pretty exciting to watch.

You can /never/ say SPD was a boring season, they gave you 110% as far as crazy stunts and epic battles. There were many episodes I flat out hated, but gee whiz Wally, I loved the gunplay.

Watching the all those matrix moves may grow tiresome to some of you out there, but to me I like the quality of work the stunties put out for us. And whenever the actors shows enough gung ho to pull of a few stunts of their own then more power to you Brandon. That fight between you and the Krybot(I mean Troobian) in Stakeout still stands out as one of my favorite moments all year,
PR has always had stunt work above the usual network standard of one weak kick per episode.

This year we had enough pyrotechnics to declare SPD a war zone. Not to say I would ever want action to take precedence over story development, when lets face it, this year it has.

I`d like to think that when the series launched there was a clear point to all of the characters. That like previous years of PR, hold on wait, I mean as in previous seasons of television, there was a point to every plot or at least the blunt of the plot. That characters were not just created to fill up space for 38 episodes. That somewhere each meant more than just being a talking mannequin.

SPD gave us so many characters, so much heavy meat to bite into. The only problem is the meat was undercooked.
We have unexplained SPD history as far as Doggie and Birdie are concerned. Why isn't Cruger in command if he`s the last surviving member of the founders of SPD? How is it that Sam*cough OMEGA*cough* comes from the future but lands in a time whole stemming from past?

If Grumm had Cruger`s wife all this time what was the big payoff?
Things like this made up the backstories of SPD. Last season the fans helped influence the show, this year the fans are having to make up things as they go along.
"Cruger must have passed up the Supreme Commander title to Birdie" "Maybe Wes gave his morpher to Sky's dad" "Maybe Grumm's missing horn is like his manhood being removed"
As funny as that last quote might have been, I would rather the writers explain these things rather than speculate to this level. Speculation is fine and all, and I love it. But to speculate to SUCH an extent where you the fan are making a story more detailed than folks who are being /paid/ to write for this show, something has to be afoot. It. Just. Has to be.

Jackie Marchand is one of my favorite writers. She's also one of the PR main stays. Like Koichi Sakamoto(greatest stunt genius ever) she's been involved in many previous installments of this show. One half of PR's most dynamic duo "Judd & Jackie", she has provided many great, even breathtaking episodes over the course of the show`s history.
But alas, this season has been different.

I don't have any affiliations with Mrs. Marchand, I have no ties with her. I am just a guy whose noticed the incoherent writing pattern over the course of the last two seasons.
Knowing her style from previous years has caused me to consider someone has been editing her scripts. It could be Bruce Kalish, it could be Disney, I don't know who it is but her writings were NEVER this bad.
A few bad episodes I`ll give you, but something about this season Jackie episodes felt forced, rushed and honestly doctored to match the ideal of the season.

This is most obvious in the episodes that feel like true Jackie scripts amongst eps that don't. HIstory only suffered from time, but it sure made a heck of a lot more sense than Impact didn`t` it? Badge was quality. Now just tell me who really wrote Messenger part 2 and I`ll be happy.

Looking through the episodes this year I`ve come to the conclusion that there was one major plot that was never touched on. There was one consistent thing throughout the year. Space Patrol Delta has some dirty cops.

SPD has not only been the first to have good guys flat out turn on their friends, these were evil evil evil evil people who managed to get inside SPD. Heck five of them managed to pervert Rangerhood while they were at it. Dru was a dirty cop, Icthior was a dirty cop, I thought for a moment Birdie was a dirty cop but he was just fowl.

There was a whole underlining theme of Good Cop vs. Bad Cop. But like today's space program, there are things that are left unexplored.

When I saw Shadow I was pumping my fist in great passion, erm, I was overjoyed with emotion...no..Shadow left me feeling like I needed a cigarette and I don't even smoke. Then I decided that the best storyline in SPD, the one stroyline they'd be consistent with for the rest of the year would be Doggie's.

OK I needed that space to stop and think of something that wouldn`t come out as totally negative. Because basically I don`t see how you possibly can go so long without solving a character's mystery. Heck the payoff we get isn't really much to bark at anyway. Hasso might not be loved by a lot of folks but he once told me " SPD is good at everything but storylines"
But lets talk about the cast before we get back to the stories.

This cast was fantastic, they brought you into the shows world. What SPD lacked in the story department they made up with a cast with a huge on screen chemistry.
One of the best casts in years, and I don't just mean Rangers here. I`m talking the entire cast was awesome. Much like how I viewed the Time Force cast, I loved the supporting guys too. BoomKat forever!

The two casties closest to my heart will always be Monica May and Michelle Langstone. unfortunetly we didn't get much backstory on either of their roles. But I digress.
Monica May and Michelle Langstone are not only pretty faces, those faces saw some of the best emotions emulated on screen this year. Michelle is the best actress I`ve seen on PR period.

Greg did a superb job writing S.W.A.T and working on the sets and costumes, we will miss your work in the next series Greg...seriously come back!

If there was a single character that I hated in SPD, a single person that I think completely ruined the show for me, it would not be the EP. Oh sure he's on the top ten list but thats not the point I`m making. My most hated character, whom I WILL hate for the rest of PR's run, is Cruger complete opposite, Gruumm.

The this lamo is the poorest excuse for a villain I think I have seen. He RENTS his army and has the audacity to call himself Emperor when there's a guy right above him telepathicly pimp-slapping him on a daily basis. And then there's his strange, weird, disturbing relation to Mora. She's not his daughter, obviously, she's his highest ranking general of course. But what the fark is a ten year old doing with some grimey old man in a dark room?

Lets not forget his grudge against Cruger. Wait sorry, sorry the writers forgot his grudge against Cruger. Then again it`s more like Grumm forgot his grudge against Cruger and made up a reason on the fly "Cruger I hate you so much! I took over your planet, I committed genocide on your entire species, I kidnaped your wife, I'm not in prison, but heck I hate you for cutting off my horn." He's a crybaby. Gruumm sucks people.

He WON and still he's ally pissy at Cruger. Give me ONE reason why Grumm is hell bent on destroying Cruger. And don't give the horn answer because we all know thats a cop out.

What was the point of Morgana again?

I will say that this season has really been good for the fandom, it was exercise. Comic Con and PR would never had mixed years ago but somehow they did. Off screen I think this season was way way up there fantastico. But on screen this year was pretty and beautifully done, it just didn't seem to know how to execute and follow through.

Screw the over budgeting, thats been done to death. Please please screw the "It's a kid show" remark because I know, you know and everyone else whose a fanboy of any show that ever aired on Saturday morning knows that "Kid Show" just means you don't have to be sexy.

If Smallville focused more on their Super heroics rather than Lois puppies, then it would be called a kid show for being to much campy. I guess thats why I still watch this "Kid show" up till this season the writers, producers and stunt crews never used that term as an excuse to write shabby or put out cop outs to this level. This show has a target audience? Yeah, so does Justice League, so did X-Men, Gargoyles, Beast Wars, Reboot, The New TMNT, Batman, Thundercats, Robotech. Even Dora the Explorer has more consistency than what we've been given here.

I'd like to think that this season had a purpose. I`d like to think they didn't just tack on Jacks leaving the B-Squad because they had up and forgotten to do so 20 episodes ago. But it does really really look that way to me. It looks like they tried to jam Bridge's headstands into every bit of the last four episodes just to make it seem like he's been doing this all season when he has not.

It almost seems like they wanted you to forget Sam had magically gained a human body at the end of Endings when he clearly didn`t have it all season long.

So Disney wants self contained episodes? Okay, but just because an episode is self contained doesn`t explain why episodes don`t make sense. Why episodes before Shadow seem to contradict episodes around Badge.
Perhaps this season would not have been such a big disappointment if it had not promised so much.

I can't call A-Squad's story justified at all. Building up five character, well hinting at them, for a whole season only to learn that A)They were evil all along right under Doggie's evil sniffing nose and B)You really never learn why because they're gone before you even have a chance to forget they were there to begin with. Omni's whole story sucks, but it`s related to Gruumm and he sucks, so Omni sucks twice as much as Gruumm.

There were plenty of good things about SPD.
Not just the cast, but the music was great. I love hearing Ron's music again on the show. The massive world they lived in was way huger than anything we've seen in PR in recent years.

This world was a living and breathing entity. Bringing up Onyx was just adding to the mix. This season felt futuristic. I liked what I saw, it was a beautifully shot season. The camera shots this year left me in awe.
Everything before Shadow was golden, S.W.A.T was something we needed more of and Reflections was better than most of the season.

[i]S.P.D.you are charged with mishandling plot devices, ignoring characters, giving us Gruumm, giving up on Omega, trying to convince us that a Krybot is Troobian and finally, never giving us a bath scene[/I]
X
O
X
O
X
O
X
[I] Guilty![/i]
My final grade for S.P.D. is
three count`em three Ninja Cookies out of five

From Delta to Omega

2008-09-22T09:10:00.000-07:00

originally posted November 23, 2005

by VengeanceGOD

Further thoughts on Power Rangers SPD

In a year where the country itself its most divided in thirty years, one season of Power Rangers rose up to divide our poor fandom more than it had ever been. The season was Power Rangers: Space Patrol Delta. In the beginning, the prospects were good. Sure, the one episode of Power Rangers that the new executive producer, Bruce Kalish, had written wasn’t that great, he assured us that it was more due to people editing his work than anything else. And in the very beginning of this saga, all was good.

I remember when I turned on Beginnings, expecting nothing more than your basic opener. I was blown away. Here was a show that had fully fledged characters, amazing storylines, production qualities far beyond anything I had ever seen before. From there, the show continued to impress. I still hold that Idol is the best episode of PR I’ve ever seen. Without a doubt, SPD was about to be the best season of PR every produced. It had us all on such a euphoric high that barely anyone noticed when things started to slip.

Right around Dogged, suddenly, it seemed like people weren’t trying anymore. The acting was downhill, the plot was badly written…something was just wrong. I figured it was nothing, and that they had just hit a slump. They’d get out of it. Shadow rolled around, and I was proved right by yet another amazing episode. I completely forgot about the problems before. It was obviously the start of a new beginning.

Only…not. It became the end of the beginning, instead. Suddenly, SPD threw everything out. The amazing actors who had kept us interested were trying so hard, but the dialogue they were given was impossible. Look at Chris Violette, the man who made Idol amazing, and his reaction to Jack’s “death” in Impact. The acting is there, but the dialogue is so bad that he just can’t do it with a straight face. Look at SWAT, when suddenly the Rangers find themselves transported to a bad ‘Nam movie, running around screaming “I’m comin’ buddy! Hold on!”

Hell, let’s look at SWAT for a second, perhaps the biggest example of everything wrong with this season. The Rangers were best friends, bonding just the episode before. Suddenly, they hate each other to the point where Doggie removes them from defending Earth so they can go have a therapy session at boot camp? Were the writers sucked into one of their own plot-holes?

The season gets worse and worse from there…until suddenly, History hits. And we get a good teamup, and then we’re back to the crap. Then Badge hits, and suddenly we have a good episode again. Funny that both of those were written by Jackie. Then crap, then Endings part 2, which did rule, but was focused entirely on Doggie Crueger, and how badass he was, which is what has made many people jump to their feet and proclaim him the greatest mentor of all time.

Inconsistent characters. Badly written plots. Forgotten plots. The problems with SPD are well documented, and I’ve spent enough time on them now. So let’s start with the good stuff. The actors, as I previously mentioned, were some of the best in PR history. You guys did a really good job, especially with what was handed to you, and you should be proud.

Greg and his production department should always be proud of what they accomplished this season. Never before has the world of PR felt so immersive. It was amazing.

As for the whole issue of continuity, in all honesty, no one but the really nitpicky fans care about that. You didn’t step on anything that can’t be fixed in a fanfiction or two…although we shouldn’t really be fixing your problems for you. 

And for the way you guys catered to the fans outside of the show…thanks. No one has ever shown this much dedication to a group of grown men and women who post on the internet about a children’s show involving men in spandex before. And for that, no matter what happened with SPD, we’ll always be grateful to you.

As for Mystic Force, well, Bruce, you did an awesome job with quite a few eps of PR. I charge you to attempt it with a whole season this time. Good luck.

It's a Kid's Show, Get Over It!

2008-09-22T09:09:00.000-07:00

originally posted November 26, 2005

by Fenix84

This is the response that many Power Rangers fans have received, from other fans, whenever they dared to apply a bit of critical thought to the show. It's a statement that is both hypocrital and offensive. One thing that I've noticed in PR fandom, as well as other fandoms, is that analysis and deeper thought is often looked down upon.

I'm not kidding. You can have every episode on tape, collect all the toys, write 30-part fanfic epics, go to conventions dressed up in homemade costumes, and wear a morpher 24/7. It's all good. You're just a fan, and other fans will praise you for your devotion. But if you go on Rangerboard and explain why the show's stories are going downhill, or point out the logical errors, some other fans will jump on you for "taking things too seriously." It's just a kid's show. Shut up, you're just a "superfan."

Now why is analyzing the show and being critical of it at times a bad thing? How is it taking a "kid's show" anymore seriously than the other types of fans I mentioned above? It's not.

The people who post negative reviews of PR episodes, who try to find a way to make sense of this fictional universe (and get annoyed when it doesn't), are still fans. Instead of (or in addition to) writing fanfics or buying toys, they express their devotion to the show by posting about the direction it's going in, or how well continuity is being respected. It's extremely hypocrital for other fans, who have probably been teased or harassed in the past for liking PR (if they even dared to publicly admit it), to insult other fans for putting some more thought into the show.

Also, trying to dismiss logical and storytelling flaws because "it's just a kid's show" is pretty insulting to PR. Some of the recent entries in this blog have already explained that "kid's shows" don't have to be stupid, and ONLY cater to little, undiscerning children. What kids want, and what the older fans want, are not always mutually exclusive. Using the kid's show excuse belittles PR. It ignores the progress the show has made over the years in terms of writing and maturity level. I like to think that PR has grown into something more than "just" a kid's show. PR has shown before that it can be well-written and dramatic. Why should we all be satisfied when it isn't? Shouldn't we want the show to keep up the good work it's done in the past, and even become better?

If you don't like somebody's opinion of the show, or you don't care about the details as much as they do, that's fine. If you want to debate them over certain facts they talked about in their post, that's okay too. But don't treat them like they're nerd's nerds. Don't act like they don't have the right to post what they think. They're fans, just like you. Their thoughts matter just as much.

Transformers, finally More Than Meets The Eye

2008-09-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 25, 2005

by NinjaJack

If you’re a young man in your twenties you've probably have heard that term and it's quite likely when you were a boy you held that term very close to your heart.

These Robots In Disguise once were associated with fascinating stories, innovative toys and a well deserved dedicated audience I was in that audience and I bought those innovative toys (though I never could get my hands on the original G2 Optimus Prime)

Between 1985 and 1998 Transformers went through an iconic period of being a toy phenom then
being taken off to air in the states and then being broadcast on Japanese TV only to be brought back in 96 with the epical Beast Wars(Beasties for you Canadians) series.

Then the slag hit the fan.

In 1999 the most utterly confusing, totally immersing and completely ridiculous TF series of all time premiered on Fox Kids entitled Beast Wars( I don't know if it had a Canadian name, but I’m pretty sure it still sucked)

The Transformers plot line for this season was that they had forgotten how to transform. . . .
That’s right, they had somehow forgotten how to a natural function of their bodies. Optmus Prime forgot he was a warrior and became a wise old sage who was trained in the martial art of Transforming.

What the #%$!

As the first four years of the new millennium passed, it had become obvious like a Trekkie at a Star Wars convention that somehow the Autobots had taken a wrong turn on the highway to Sucksville.
After years of beautiful seasons from Mainframe the bots packed up and moved to Asia. Hasbro and Tekera started a new animated series for BigBot and his boys called Robots In Disguise but it suffered from way too much Anime sweat drops way too little story.

Then there was true revamp of TF, if you could call it that. Transformers Armada/Micron Legend
premiered with much fan fare. It was the first TF to be only available on a cable station, so it was treated as one of Cartoon Networks major events even having a mention in Entertainment Weekly(was positive but it was there) I liked the thought of there being a third faction, but they were not much more than tools.

Just last year Cartoon Network aired Transformers Energon, a better series that was written much smoother than it's predecessor. Its drawback was the stilted CGI and far more characters than anyone could care about, mass-produced Transformers didn't work in Beast Machines and they didn't work here.

As a TransFan I pretty much officially disowned this series with Beast Machines. The toys didn't look like the bots on the show anymore. The stories never seemed to make sense. The characters stopped taking themselves seriously. Transformers became a joke.

And you know what made it worse? The fans were the ones laughing, laughing at how these seasons were so bad they COULDN'T have possibly been Transformers. Someone must have resurrected The GoBots and tried to pass them off as craptacular Transformer series. Well, the truth sets your free, but sometimes it hurts. The fans came to accept that the period of excellence had longed passed. And that these supersized Henshin Heroes would never regain rise to greatness ever again.

But from deep out the bowels of Cybertron came the Amazing Gonzo (not the Muppet) Anime Company came into the fold to restore what was ounce thought lost forever to bad writing and plenty of deadweight.

Studio Gonzo is behind many well established animated series that have been critically acclaimed by critics and their fans for beautiful animation coupled with endearing characters.
The first foray into the TF mythos has been a supersized success. Transformers Cybertron/Galaxy Force has vindicated Transformers. After so many years of complete disappointment fans have been jubilant in the return of good stories and characters they(gasp) actually care about!

Megatron isn't the preachy loser as of the last couple of seasons. He finally back to the Megs we knew in Beast Wars.
The kids don’t get in the way
The dialog is actually pretty good, and did I mention the stupid kids don't get in the way?

I’m still in the process of retaining a state of calm after seeing all Transformers Cybertron has to offer. And recognizing that Transformers is no longer a laughing stock.

The Autobots are back on track, no pun intended, and the Decepticons are flying high once again.

"Way to getter dun Starscream!"-Thundercracker
Could not have said it better myself.

Is S.P.D. In Need of An Emergency?

2008-09-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 14, 2005

By NinjaJack

When you tune into an episode of S.P.D. you are throughly treated to spiffy characters surrounded by expansive beautiful sets. The towering Doggie Cruger keeps you grounded while Doctor Manx keeps you at attention. Lower squads and cadets scurry about the mammoth fortress of the Command Center as sounds of the day treat your ears to the happenings of the near future.

This kind of thing is what I love about this show, PR is capable of being bold and brave or dull and drab. SPD has been a little of bold to tell the truth.
Personally SPD strikes me as a fine first attempt at bringing PR to a new direction. I`m not sure where that direction will end up but it`s sure different from past PR.
S.P.D seems to suffer from not knowing where PR has been and not exactly being prophet like in knowing where it`s going.

Wired was a good effort that needed less of S.O.P.H.I.E. and more of Bridge. The story was fine, but in the long run it really did not advance any plots now did it?
We need more episodes like Shadow , we need to know that these Rangers face consequences to their actions. If Cruger had stayed with his wife he might today know of her fate. But episodes like Abandoned seem to drive the point this team still has room to grow.
The recent episodes that have aired have been better, well except for Messenger which suffered not so much from bad writing but rather two writers writing two different takes on the episode's set of characters. I just finished watching a true Jackie episode "Reflections", a true classic. Now this is the PR that I am use to seeing. Story before action and action that doesn`t slowdown the plot.

S.P.D. would benefit greatly if Jackie had the influence she had in PRDT(thank you for Fighting Spirit!) and PRTF. Not to mention all the other seasons she`s worked on.

Recently Rangerking, a Rangerposter that shall forever live on in infamy, wanted to initiate a huge boycott on PR because he did not like S.P.D.'s direction. Was his views valid? Maybe.
Was his execution on his complaints a good idea? Perhaps not.
SPD is a fine series with a lot of rough edges, it`s like a Gundam model kit thats missing a few parts. But with a little glue and some love it`s going to make it through just fine. Just as long as the producers are opened to well deserved criticism as much as well deserved praise.

Where`s Gransazers?

2008-09-22T08:53:00.000-07:00

originally posted August 11, 2005
By NinjaJack

Just under a year ago a poster, Lio Convoy, made a statement that the production company Lions Gate were in the process of bringing Gransazers here to the western world. Where the heck is it?

The most recent development has been Konami`s public remarks about a possible US debut for the henshin heroes
"We (Konami) would like to release the product in all of the territories but with products of this nature it really depends on the TV programming as well. I am waiting to hear from HQ about this but I am not holding my breath at this time. I think if we are to launch it is likely that it will be in the US before Europe (they only have to translate into one language and there is a bigger audience), if successful then they will launch in Europe."

Thanks goes to cleggar for originally posting this on Rangerboard.com

Sounds to me like they`re contemplating on wheather they should bring in a new cast and use the henshined footage the way the Rangers do, or just dub it over like....Ultraman Tiga.

Folks at Toho, I respect you and your genre. You are the godfathers of Tokusatsu. But why hurt your product by dubbing it over with bad VAs and cheeky humor? Tiga was not only cancelled but laughed at because of the terrible, terrible dubbing.
Re-cast and release the raws on DVD.

Lets see if the folks behind the US release can get off their behinds by next August.