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I'm just kind of bored right now so I figured I would talk about a japanese topic that most people I am around don't seem to address much which probably for an understandable reason which I will get to.

What I want to discuss a little are some of the Super Sentai shows I have seen. For those of you who don't know what Sentai is, check below to see a picture of the team from the first Sentai show called Himtsu Sentai Goranger.


Looks like the Power Rangers, right? That would be exactly correct, the Sentai in Japan were what eventually became the Power Rangers in English speaking countries as well as several other places around the world. I decided to make a journal on this after watching James Rolfe's Godzilla reviews. My Japanese interest lies with these cheesy shows. I want to give some small reviews on each Sentai series I have seen which so far is only 4 of them (though I do have a 5th series on DVD). To be quite honest, I look back at the Power Rangers and it just comes off as plain stupid until possibly the In Space and after seasons before Disney took over, but there's something about the original Japanese shows that's more appealing and entertaining to watch which is why I hope anyone who's ever liked Power Rangers will find some interest in these mini reviews.


JAKQ Dengekitai
Is roughly translated to JAKQ Blitzkrieg Squad and was released in 1977 (yes, the Power Rangers in Japan were around before most of us were born, and I say that as I know most of my watchers are in their 20s or younger. Goranger was around in 1975 actually). This review will be somewhat half-assed as I didn't watch the whole series, I couldn't stand to as it was boring. I mean all the Sentai shows can be considered cheesy and possibly stupid to other people, but one thing I do not find them to be is boring save for this one.

The plot involved this criminal organization literally called CRIME and to combat them, 4 people were chosen to become cyborgs, some by choice and others without much of it from how it seemed (one was actually dead and became a member by being revived as a cyborg).

The show seemed to focus more on pointless dialogue scenes and not really too much entertaining action, and when we get to the scenes with the squad in their ranger uniforms, it's pretty much the stupidest and most pointless thing I have ever seen and for a Sentai show, that's really sad.

This was a darker series then the other Sentai shows were which I do appreciate as I like the mature direction and it's also why I wanted to see this show, but even the darker tone didn't work for me. I read that it got lighter and tried to have more entertainment factor for kids later in the show but I got so bored that I never got to it so I can't review that portion at this time. The reason I believe this series was darker was because it was created by Shotaro Ishinomori who is known for Cyborg 009 and the Kamen Rider series in Japan who's work I have read is at many times dark and serious which for me just didn't work for a Sentai. It's probably also worth noting that it was the least well received Sentai in Japan at the time of it's release which also lead to it being the shortest with only 35 episodes (Most sentai shows have at least 50 episodes)

If I was going to watch it then I rather watch the series around other friends who are as nerdy as I am to even have any interest in it, because at least with company around, it's not AS boring. But maybe other people would like this more then I do, I don't really know. So due to my mixed feelings and also the fact that I haven't seen the whole series, I'm not going to give it a rating.


Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger
Translated to Dinosaur Squadron Beast Ranger and from the image above I can be pretty sure that most of you know what this became in the US. This was the very first Sentai I ever saw (I'm sure most Power Rangers fans can guess why) and it's also one of my personal favorites.

The plot of this series involves the evil witch Bandora escaping imprisonment with her gang and begins plans to reak havoc on the Earth's children (reasons why are stated later in the series). She was sealed centuries ago around the time of the Dinosaurs and there were 5 warriors to stop her. When Bandora as sealed away, the 5 warriors went into suspended animation to be ready for the day she may return. The funny thing is that not all the rangers in this series have Dinosaur spirits, just two of them, the other spirits are ancient animals from other prehistoric times.

The show had it's heavy goofy side which is a common thing with a Sentai series and it's also why I like it, because it's entertaining. However it has it's serious side too and this time it actually works for me. For one, this time I am actually able to follow the story and care about it, and second, it's not dragged on for the whole episode of the show.

Another thing that contributes to my fondness for this series is that I often compare it to it's American adaption "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" which is what I do with most Sentai shows I watch (which could be a factor in why JAKQ didn't interest me since it had no American adaption, but I still stand by what I said on it too as I can also compare it to the other Sentai shows I watch). With Power Rangers, everything was pretty much a stereotype, Kimberly (Pink Ranger) was the valley girl hottie, the black ranger was a black guy, the yellow ranger was an Asian (RIP Thuy Trang), Rita (Bandora redubbed) was just a 100% cliche evil villain with little motive, and the dialogue was just stupid. I actually still have a fondness for MMPR as a childhood memory and it did get a little better in the later episodes, but I still prefer the Sentai.

With the Sentai, it at least actually had a real plot and motivation. You feel for the characters in this show, you care for them when they have a bad situation, the situations in general make more sense. I can also say for sentai in general, it has more of a Lord of the Rings legendary style to it (granted in a cheesy way) then most of the later ones did which just seemed to be more modern, and that alone made it good for me, it was kind of like a classic tale. I enjoyed learning the history of the villains as the series progressed and the same goes for the heroes. I also enjoyed when the Dragon Ranger (Green Ranger) Burai came into the show as it was tragic as he was misguided and corrupted and there was also another tragic side to him that remained even after he realized his mistakes and became good. I can also say that the ending of the series was satisfying but I'm not going to say anything about it beyond that.

For the Power Rangers fanbase, this is the sentai I recommend checking out first the most due to it being the first Sentai adapted for Power Rangers and I think it has one of the best storylines in the Sentai series, it wasn't as over the top as I have seen some of the other sentais yet it still had the over the top moments, to me that makes it Sentai that can me more universally appealing then some others.
RATING: 9/10


Ninja Sentai Kakuranger
Translated as Ninja Squadron Hidden Ranger. In the US the Mechas was used for the Ninja and Shogun Zords for the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers in season 3 while the Ranger uniforms were used for the Alien Rangers in the last 8 episodes of the MMPR season.

This series involves some old battle with ninjas and Yokai and in the present time, the Yokai have returned. 5 decedents of great ninja tribes and warriors have come together and now face this ancient threat on the world.

This one was definitely entertaining but I found the plot and characters at many times to be VERY weird. It had moments of the Adam West Batman show with comic action texts appearing, and for an ancient plot, some of the enemies just felt very odd, that's not to say that none of the other sentais are like that, most of them are pretty much like that, but there is just something about this one I can't really place my finger on. I don't know, maybe if I watched it again then I might be able to figure it out, I've only watched it once where as I've watched Zyuranger and the next Sentai I will review multiple times.

For the most part, it just came off more as redundant as it kept doing a few of the same things over again which realistically didn't work for me. It wasn't as clever as Zyuranger or as well written. I will say it was at least slightly funnier but that's really all I felt it had going for it. In fact, it's actually one of the few Sentais that I felt had parts that were executed better in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers then they were in the original, and it's VERY rare for that to even happen. With Rita and Zedd being to how I was used to them in Power Rangers, I could accept it more as a comedy and it also the show didn't take it's self as seriously as Kakuranger did.

I don't really know how to review this one in more detail having only seen it once, I would have to watch it again and possibly make it a video review so allow me to go into greater detail. So I guess bottom line, Kakuranger is okay but I prefer Power Rangers Season 3. It's at least not a terrible sentai, it's entertaining and fun, just not as well written as a few others I have seen.
RATING: 7/10


Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger
Translated to Blast Dragon Squadron Outburst Ranger or Burstosaur Squadron Outburst ranger. Of all the sentai series I have seen, this one has to be the most entertaining. It's the funniest, the situations are amusing, but unlike Kakuranger, this one doesn't it's self seriously, in fact it's a downright live action cartoon. It's actually the exact opposite situation on Power Rangers as well. Where as Kakuranger took it's self too seriously while MMPR didn't, Power Rangers DinoThunder which was the American adaption of Abaranger took it's self too seriously while Abaranger did not. There's also a interesting connection on that as well, an episode of PRDT shows an abridged American dub of a Abaranger episode which treated then entire Japanese series like a joke which I found both insulting and deluded. Abaranger may be a live action cartoon that doesn't take it's self seriously but it takes it's self just seriously enough that you care about the plot and characters, the dub made it look like none of that mattered. If Disney really thinks they give more justice with their adaptions then Toei does with the shows THEY actually made then I don't think Disney should even have the rights to handle any more of the Sentai adaptations (which they are stopping with anyway as of right now so I guess it doesn't matter much at this time).

But enough with my gripes on the American adaption, let me get to Abaranger it's self. The plot is like this: While as we know, It's said that 65 million years ago the dinosaurs were killed by a meteorite, but it turns out that not all of them were killed. The Meteorite crash created a parallel universe. Our Earth in this series becomes known as Another Earth to the Parallel one called Dino Earth. The dinosaurs on Dino Earth over the years evolved into the Burstosaurs and the humans have more dinosauric features. There is also another race from Dino Earth called Evoliens who desire to conquer Another Earth. A man from Dino Earth named Asuka travels to Another Earth to protect it. Three Burstosaurs who have been taken over by the Evoliens are sent to Another Earth to begin the take over, but deep down, they are sending messages for help and hoping someone will hear their cries for help. 5 people hear the call, the first two to hear it are a nerdy school girl named Emiri and an elderly curry shop owner named Ryunnosuke. These two hear the call because they have an energy called Dino Guts. They meet up with Asuka who has the Dino Bracelets which allow the users of them to communicate with the Burstosaurs and gain a ranger form. When Emiri and Ryunnosuke attempt to transform, the bracelets reject them so things get a little more complicated until 3 other characters who have Dino Guts and heard the call and were accepted by the bracelets which these three used to retame the Burstosaurs and restore them to normal, and the Burstosaurs that the Abarangers restored then became their partners in the battle against the Evoliens.

I think that is the most I will leave it at. I had more to say on the plot this time as the introduction of the series was actually more interesting then the introductions in the other sentais I saw, not to mention it's also my top favorite Sentai series.

While this is more comedic then the previous Sentai shows I have seen, I find the characters more interesting in this one and I care for near all the situations they get into. I also like when the evil Abaranger named who is called Abarekiller comes it and he also gave one of my favorite scenes in a sentai which is as follows: In both Sentai and Power Rangers, you often see the rangers make these silly dancing poses as they announce themselves, this series actually made fun of it in one episode where when the good Abarangers were preparing fight Abarekiller, they did their usual poses to announce themselves but while doing it, Abarekiller just instantly strikes them, something that REALLY needed to be done by the bad guys as these poses always gave them the chance to quickly attack. That one scene alone is excellent proof of how this sentai doesn't take it's self too seriously and it's also self aware of a few things. For one of the few times, I'm actually able to fully accept the completely ridiculous enemies due to these factors as well. Here's one character who is probably the most ridiculous of them all and even becomes a supporting character:


Yatsudenwani, my personal favorite comedic character on the show.

There's a LOT I could talk about on this show, but I probably made this one long enough as it is so bottom line, it's for the most part well written and the first I've really seen to make fun of it's self as well and it really works well as a live action cartoon.
RATING: 9.5/10

So that's all the Sentai I have currently seen. I hope to do some video reviews on them at some point and possibly go into more detail. I hope those reading this have enjoyed this entry.

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