Choujin Sentai Jetman
Title: "Seek the Warrior"
Season Theme: Aviation
This episode is amazing. After a peppy, catchy theme song, a full-blown, operatic alien invasion commences. There's a nice balance of darkness and genuinely amusing humor. But the best part of the show so far is the Commander/mentor character, a magnetic woman in uniform who punches and slaps her Red Ranger when he's having a strop! Granted, his emotional instability is understandable; his girlfriend was just blown into the vacuum of space!
Episode Rating: 8/10.
Kyouryu Sentai Zyuranger
Title: "The Birth"
Season Theme: Sword and Sorcery
Adapted as: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
"Humanity is garbage! You believe in love or whatever." So speaks Witch Bandora, American alias Rita Repulsa. It is so weird to have Bandora's lips match her lines... Yes, this is the season adapted as by far the most famous incarnation of Power Rangers. But the shows have key differences on a story level. For one thing, the Zyurangers are waken up from a millennia-long slumber to fight Bandora, making them a whole team of Kodas. (Koda being the Dino Charge Blue Ranger who comes from more primeval times.)
Episode Rating: 6/10
Similarity to Mighty Morphin: 3/10
Gosei Sentai Dairanger
Title: "Transform"
Season Theme: Not sure, to be honest
Adapted as: The White Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Things take a decided turn for the generic here. Dull drama, settings, and characters handicap this effort, although I like the design of the suits. And one of the changers would later become the Magna Defender morpher in Power Rangers Lost Galaxy. One of the only highlights is a spirited bike chase.
Episode Rating: 4/10
Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
Title: "We are Ninja"
Season Theme: Ninja
Adapted as: Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers
Oof. This attempt at a more humorous tone falls flat on its face, hard. There's bizarre attempts at levity throughout, and a demented, perverted narrator character on hand for inane cutaways. During action scenes, prepare for 1960s Batman-style "POW"s filling the screen. The end credits feature the foot soldiers apparently forming a flash mob? Embarrassing all around. The only successful joke in the episode comes when the Rangers take their time posturing and transforming, and one of the villains says, "Such a show off!"
Episode Rating: 3/10
Similarity to Alien Rangers: 1/10
Chouriki Sentai Ohranger
Title: "Invasion!! 1999"
Season Theme: Aviation/Air Force
Adapted as: Power Rangers Zeo
Finally. Finally something on the general quality level of Jetman. Finally more than one female Ranger. Finally. The foot soldiers are actually powerful and intimidating. There's a really effective one-on-one fight between the Red Ranger and the monster. Aside from quality, this has a clear similarity to Jetman in its Air Force theming. Even though the season was adapted to Zeo, the episode looks to be a clear influence on Power Rangers In Space's premiere, "From Out of Nowhere". In both episodes, the Red Rangers saves the other four Rangers from being shelled in a quarry.
Episode Rating: 7/10
Similarity to Zeo: 6/10
Gekisou Sentai Carranger
Title: "Fighting for Traffic Safety"
Season Theme: Cars
Adapted as: Power Rangers Turbo
I'd heard dire things about this season, as almost a self-parody of Super Sentai. While certainly comedic, I don't see this as farcical on the level of something like Kakuranger. The mentor character, Dappu, is irritating though, always saying his own name as a catchphrase with "Car Car Magic!" But there's some fun stuff here, including a trip to Super Sentai's version of Chalmun's Cantina from Star Wars. The foot soldiers are the stuff of nightmares.
Episode Rating: 6/10
Similarity to Turbo: 3/10
Denji Sentai Megaranger
Title: "Don't Let them! The Twisted Invaders"
Season Theme: Virtual Reality/Video Games
Adapted as: Power Rangers In Space
This premiere is an all right if disorienting introduction to Megaranger. The video game theme takes fights back and forth across multiple substrates of reality, making it unclear what's "real" and what's "digital". I swear there's a Doctor Who TARDIS sound effect when an alien ship crashes into the Nasada control room.
Episode Rating: 6/10
Similarity to In Space: 3/10
Seijuu Sentai Gingaman
Title: "The Legendary Blades"
Season Theme: Nature
Adapted as: Power Rangers Lost Galaxy
Now we're talking. For one thing, the death of this Red Ranger's brother goes to a dramatic place that the other premieres haven't. Yes, the Red Ranger's girlfriend died in Jetman, but that was just a bump on the roller coaster. Here, the death is mourned and lingered on... even though I suspect the brother will be back. (Unusually as well, the Rangers have unmorphed powers before becoming Rangers.) "The Legendary Blades" just goes through the beats of a premiere better. A timely heroic transformation leads to a truly impressive display of awesomely animalistic powers.
There are also key plot and character similarities to its Power Rangers counterpart for the first time. This Red Ranger, like Leo, is also the backup option not chosen like his brother was. And the brother dies in much the same way, falling in a crack in the earth. But there's one even more key difference between the two shows: Lost Galaxy is a space show, and Gingaman is not!
Episode Rating: 8/10
Similarity to Lost Galaxy: 7/10
Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive
Title: "Rescue Soldiers! Rise Up"
Season Theme: Emergency Response
Adapted as: Power Rangers Lightspeed Rescue
Definitely the closest to its Power Rangers adaptation yet, this premiere has an almost plausible documentary feel in the beginning... until a lava kaiju shows up. Uniquely, these Rangers are all siblings, children of the mentor/genius scientist. Japan's national fascination with trains also comes into play, and the Rangers' fantastical train even speeds past a bullet train. These idealistic Rangers make an action-movie one-liner out of "Human life is the Earth's future!"
This premiere is more efficient in introducing things than others. For one thing it gets to the Megazord for the first time, partially facilitated by making all the Rangers siblings, and by holding off on introducing the ongoing villains in favor of a random monster. But the show is called Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive? That translates to "Nine Nine Warriors Five Five Five"!
Episode Rating: 5/10
Similarity to Lightspeed Rescue: 8/10
Mirai Sentai Timeranger
Title: "The Time Fugitives"
Season Theme: Time Travel
Adapted as: Power Rangers Time Force
Timeranger is a group of time-traveling underdogs, a b-team of sorts with a de facto leader in the form of a take-charge Pink Ranger. They're up against a grotesque frog gangster who can fly through fart propulsion, and who in Power Rangers became a shmo underling called Bluto. And they have the power of having just seen The Matrix, as they use bullet time to dodge laser attacks.
There are some one-to-one aesthetic similarities with Time Force. Both Green Rangers have green hair. The original Red Ranger has slicked-back hair, although this episode threw me for a loop by making that character a disguise for the pink-haired Nadira analogue.
Episode Rating: 7/10
Similarity to Time Force: 8/10
Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger
Title: "The Lion Roars!!"
Season Theme: Nature
Adapted as: Power Rangers Wild Force
The gao in Gaoranger stands for "growl", as this is another nature-themed season. With their exploits again commented on by a narrator, and with CGI zords and phone changers for the first time, this team actually starts the episode already formed and functional. But, they're missing a Red Ranger, so that character can still be the audience identification figure as he's introduced to the world of Gaoranger. Believe it or not, the Red Ranger is punched out, mafia style, by the other Rangers and brought to their base!
There are a few callbacks to previous seasons. The have wings on their suits as in Jetman, 1960s Batman "POW" effects as in Kakuranger, and animalistic attacks as in Gingaman, albeit, not as cool. The episode features the most elaborate Ranger introductions yet, and the end credits show the Rangers... naked in contemplation while a power ballad plays?
Episode Rating: 5/10
Similarity to Wild Force: 8/10
Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger
Title: "Wind and Ninja"
Season Theme: Ninja
Adapted as: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
As in Kakuranger, the season has a ninja theme, but to mercifully better results. After the best, catchiest theme outside of Jetman, a pretty good if standard premiere plays out. The monster of the week makes an impression. He uses his "Space Ninja Art: Flying Face" technique to throw his disembodied head at the Rangers and shoot lasers at them! (It's similar to the Cybermen heads shooting lasers in Doctor Who's recent "Ascension of the Cybermen".) The monster can also take the Rangers to an Illusion Dimension where his head gets bigger, a la the head in Zardoz.
The end credits feature hang-gliding footage featuring the Rangers. There's something about the juxtaposition of Rangers in realistic aerial photography that's really pleasing.
Episode Rating: 6/10
Similarity to Ninja Storm: 7/10
So that's my first foray into Super Sentai. I was spoiled by starting with the excellent Jetman. I wondered if it all could be as deliriously entertaining. While there are lows like Kakuranger, there is great promise in seasons like Ohranger and Gingaman. It's also interesting to find that starting with Gingaman/Lost Galaxy, Power Rangers starts to take way more specific elements from the Super Sentai storylines and humanoid character designs. So I'm officially expanding the tent of my Power Rangers fandom to include Super Sentai, even though the Americanized variety will always be my first love.
