A Look at Sentai's Screaming Reds and Ditzy Chicks

Some of the most controversial characters in Sentai can be classified under two subgroups, the "screaming reds" and the "ditzy" girls.  These characters tend to have similar traits, hyperactive, bubbly, sometimes childish, and outright idiots.  They divide fans.  Some love these characters for being fun, energetic, or even funny.  Other fans get headaches from watching them, being annoyed by how loud one screams or squeals, or even how hyperactive they are.  One thing I've noticed is that while Sentai had these or similar types of characters before, the trend seemed to start with Dekaranger.  Perhaps it was Dekaranger's popularity that influenced writers and producers to make more similar characters.  Also, while there were a handful of ditzy girls before the 2000's, I'm focusing more on the 2000's because that's what I've seen mostly and where the trend seems to start.




Yousuke is seen by some to be the first screaming red type.  He was the stereotypical idiot hero, but was more of a screecher than a screamer.  With Yousuke, I'm not entirely sure if he's even meant to be as much of a screecher as he is.  The actor's acting wasn't very good and often had awkward delivery.  As a character, Yousuke also fell flat in comparison to the other Hurricaneger characters.  His character had ego problems, and often fought over little things, had conflicts with his sensei, or with Kouta over who was chosen to be captain.  Yousuke also didn't have a storyline that stood out with his character, like Nanami with her singing career, Kouta with his sister and grandmother, the Goraijers with their father, or even Shurikenger with Gozen.




Some fans classify Nanami as one of the ditzy girls, though I don't really see it that much.  Like the other Hurricanegers (and many who fall under the ditzy stereotype) she's cheerful and energetic, but I don't really see the "airheaded" part in her.  Nanami acted like an airhead in episode 43 after reacting to Gozen not eating her New Years dinner that she cooked, but that's really the only time throughout the series where she seemed airheaded to me.  She had some instances where she fell for a Jakanja trap, but I don't think it would be any different for any average human given the situation. The character herself I thought was fun and enjoyable.  I felt her actress did a good job handling the hyperactive aspects of her character, and had her idol drama going on as well.




Ban was the first true "screaming red" character in Sentai.  With the exception of Boukenger, Ban was the first of a series of screaming reds that ended with Go-Onger.  He seems to be modeled after the cowboy cop stereotype.  Him and Jan are probably the loudest of the screamers, as such he tends to annoy fans more.  His actor does overact at times, but I found many of his quirks to be pretty funny.  Examples being drop kicking Hoji for acting pathetic from a mistake, and the wild, recklessness of his character.  What made his personality interesting was the sharp contrast between him and Hoji, the by the book cop, and how both characters interacted throughout the season.  At times this interaction got a little grating because of their respective personality nuances, but it was still fun to watch them grow together and respect each other throughout the series.




While Umeko wasn't the first ditz in Sentai, like Ban she started a trend with this type of character. Dekaranger through Boukenger all had a ditzy female character, and later Goseiger had a ditz as well. Among all the ditzy characters, Umeko is probably the most simplistic, without much depth or development.  However, her actress IMO did the best job with the character and was fun to watch.  Her actress had good comedic range and was pretty funny.  She had funny moments like the drunken boxing episode, and she felt like what the writers were aiming for: a cute, funny, and more like a kid who was untypical for a cop, but still had her traits that made her valuable to the space police.  However, Umeko isn't all that ditzy.  Despite having her airhead moments, she has some rather good ideas for handling the various cases that the Dekarangers encountered.  This included situations like her being a negotiator, and going under cover in the dream state to help her team catch an alienizer who invaded other people's dreams.



Following Dekaranger's success, Magiranger built many of their characters with similar personalities to their Dekaranger counterparts.  This included Magiranger's version of the screaming red, Kai.  Kai was a lighter version of Ban, reckless, rash, and a screamer, but not as loud as Ban.  As such, he doesn't get criticized as much as Ban does.  Being the youngest sibling of the Magiranger cast, Kai had an innocence element that also added a bit of flavor to the character.  He also matures later on towards the end of the series.  IMO, Kai was descent.  His innocence, along with his interaction with Yuka and rivalry with Wolzard made him interesting enough to watch.



Likewise, Magiranger had its own version of the ditz, Houka. But with Houka, having her as the "kiddy ditz" didn't really make sense.  She was the second oldest of the Magiranger siblings, and the writers seemed confused as to whether they wanted to make her the comedic ditz or the motherly figure of some past Sentai pinks.  They got something in between that didn't quite work.  Her ditzy characteristics were the worst part of her character.  The actress IMO didn't really fit well with the character.  Furthermore, she felt more often like she was more meddlesome and in the way, than fun.  One example being her trying to be a matchmaker for Kai and Yuka, but making the situation more messy.



Of all the ditzy child-like characters, I felt Natsuki was the most believable and understandable, in the way that she was written.  She acted childish and was airheaded, but she was a character that felt like she actually was a child in an adult's body.  She had no memory of herself, and was in fact, in suspended animation throughout what would have been her childhood.  So without a real childhood and ignorant of civilization, I felt it made more sense that she would act like a child, was airheaded, and still growing up.  Her storyline also helped make her interesting.  The actress did ok with her role, but was still enjoyable nonetheless.



Like Natsuki, Jan was the most well-written of the screaming reds.  I'm personally mixed on the character.  Like Natsuki, he has a believable background of growing up away from civilization (in a jungle actually), and didn't know how to interact with humans regularly.  He also has an interesting storyline to go with his character.  My complaint with him are some of his quirks.  I felt he screamed and overacted too much at times, and also the way he threw temper-tantrums at times got really grating.  He does mature towards the end of the series which helps, but at times it felt like a chore for him to get there.



In terms of IQ, Sousuke is easily the dumbest character on this list.  Sousuke was the standard idiot hero, and had little of a storyline in comparison to Jan, Kai, or Natsuki.  At times his idiocy does get over the top, but I felt he pulled off the idiot hero character pretty well.  He didn't annoy me like other idiot hero characters do, and I felt his actor had the charm to make him enjoyable to watch.  Like Hoji and Ban, the contrast between him and Hiroto made the two enjoyable to watch.  But what really helped his character was his relationship with his Engine partner Speedor.  I thought the two had some good interaction and character development from this interaction.



Eri is the last character to be a ditz so far. She was... up and down.  Compared to the other Goseigers she had a little more personality and probably the most consistent characterization along with Alata (which isn't saying much).  However, there are times where she can get irritating, particularly when she squeals or when her mind goes to a thousand places at once.  Also like virtually all of the Goseiger characters, she has very little character development.  Her actress did an ok job in general, but like the rest of the Goseiger cast, didn't know how to handle the bad script.

My Top 10 Miscellaneous Colored Sentai Warriors

After reading some of Godzilla606's top 10 lists, I decided to start one of my own. This one will be on miscellaneous colored Sentai warriors. By miscellaneous, I mean colors that aren't very common such as violet, maroon, navy, silver, gold, and even orange (though this is debatable). Usually these characters fill in the 6th ranger or extra ranger role.

Note to ChrisX: Hurricaneger spoilers (and spoilers for other shows) ahead.

10. Naoto/Time Fire


I don't like Naoto's attitude that much, but he does work out really well from a story perspective. He adds some spice to Timeranger, and does balance the other Timeranger characters out. While the others have their own problems and are the heroes, Naoto is the anti-hero who has his own ambitions.

9. Swan/Deka Swan


Swan was quite charming as the team mom of Dekaranger, and awesome as Ms. Tech support (although Miki of Gekiranger beats her for tech support characters). I also likied her humorous side, like using a really big needle on Doggie at the end of episode 44.

8. Genta/Shinken Gold


#2 through #8 are really tough choices for me since I love all of these characters. Genta comes in at #8. He's both funny and badass at the same time. IMO he's the funniest character that we've had from Magiranger-Gokaiger.

7. Isamu/Wolzard Fire


Between being the villain Wolzard, being the Magiranger's father, and turning good again, Isamu IMO is the best character on Magiranger. He was badass as a villain, and still awesome once he became good and turned into Wolzard Fire. His story arc was pretty cool as well.

6. Isshu/Kuwaga Raijer


I think Isshu is the weaker of the two Goraijer characters due to overacting a little bit (though he's not horrid), being overreliant on his brother at times, and his relationship with Nanami going nowhere. However, I still think he's an awesome character. He shares the same awesome backstory with Ikkou and his father. I love their development and what they went through. Isshu is the support character, and a very good one at that. His rash yet more sympathetic personality balances out Ikkou's cool yet more stoic and stern personality.

5. Miu/Go-On Silver


Like Isshu, Miu is the supporting character to her more stern, stoic brother Hiroto. She's the nicer of the two Go-On Wings. Like the Goraijers, the Go-On Wings develop from jerkasses to learning to accept the wackier Go-Onger characters (this was rushed a bit at the beginning but was done better as the series progressed). Also like Isshu, Miu becomes overreliant on her older brother, but what I like about Miu is that she learns to not become overly dependent on Hiroto (episode 38).

4. Gou/Geki Violet


Sandwitched in between the two Go-On Wings is Gou, whom IMO is the best of the core 5 Gekiranger characters. He's badass, has a cool backstory involving him becoming a werewolf, and a cool vibe about him. I also liked his development from being the lonewolf to being part of the team, as well as his evolving relationship with his brother Retsu. To me he's Tsukumaru amped up to 11.

3. Hiroto/Go-On Gold


I really liked Hiroto's development as the jerk with a heart of gold. He had to learn to recognize the strength of the Go-Ongers. Initially this was a little rushed but I felt the loose strings were tied more convincingly when he learned in episode 23 that Sousuke's randomness was useful. What I felt really solified his character was the episode with Chibi-Chan (episode 41), which really showed a soft, gentle side to Hiroto.

2. Eiji/Bouken Silver


Eiji is really cool. He's rash, badass, yet quite funny with his extreme herbivore antics. I also loved his backstory that involved the Questers and his parents (especially his mother). It's one of the better storylines in Boukenger. I also liked how he developed to accept the other Boukenger's help to defeat the Questers.

1. Ikkou/Kabuto Raijer


Ikkou is my favorite jerkass character to receive the defrosting the ice queen development. The Goraijer story-arc from villains to jerkass rivals of the Hurricanegers, and finally becoming friends is really well done. What separates Ikkou from Isshu is his storyline with the scorpion, and realizing how much Yousuke and the other Hurricanegers cared about him.

Sentai Characters Whom I Think Get Over-hated/Under-appreciated.

After reading Fantasy Leader's recent post, and also having an interesting discussion in the comments on one of my previous posts, I decided to weigh in on Sentai characters whom I feel receive too much hate or too much criticism. Criticisms on these characters tend to range from being the ditz, the "loud and annoying screaming red," too girly, too hyper, being bland, or being a jerkass. Before anyone asks, I do plan on doing a similar post for Power Ranger characters, at a later time.

Ban/Deka Red


Next we have Ban, one of the most infamous and controversal characters ever in Sentai. Ban's one of the "screaming reds" which also includes Yousuke, Kai, Jan, and Sousuke. However, Ban was probably the first among the group that received sharp criticism. He's criticized for being loud, annoying, and even being a jerkass. Others criticize Ryuji Sainei's acting and portrayal of Ban. The latter I disagree with. Based on the nature of his character and how later, similar characters are portrayed, I think Ban was meant to be overplayed. I think Ryuji Sainei nailed his portrayal of Ban spot-on. Furthermore, whenever Ban had an emotional scene or an instant where he had to slow down, I felt his acting was very good. It is understandable that some people will find him annoying, but I think Ban was a unique character. Like Fantasy Leader said, Dekaranger parodies its motif, cop shows, and Ban is a parody of a cowboy cop. I thought Ban's wild, recklessness was quite fun to watch, and he's pretty badass as well.

Umeko/Deka Pink


Along with Ban, I think Umeko is another Dekaranger character who gets bashed too much. Criticism on Umeko range from her being a flat one dimensional character with little development, being overly ditzy and childish (especially for being a cop), and for being Ms. Fanservice. With her character, I think some fans take her and Dekaranger too seriously at times. It is true that she is kinda one dimensional, but I think she received a fair amount of development. Throughout the show, she grew out of an inferiority complex (episode 17) and showed that she's daring and capable of taking things into her own hands when needed (episodes 24 & 39 are good examples). Even then, I think some fans judge characters too much on their development at times while overlooking aspects that make him/her a fun character. Umeko, along with Ahim (whom I'll get to later) is a perfect example. I know her ditzy nature might not appeal to everybody, but I think Umeko is quite a funny character. Furthermore, I think her ditzy nature is portrayed in a way that actually makes her character unique, and provides a refreshing balance to the more serious characters in Dekaranger like Tetsu, Hoji, and Jasmine. I also think her actress, Mika Kikuchi, is quite talented as both an actress and a singer.

Natsuki/Bouken Yellow


Like Umeko, Natsuki gets criticized for being overly ditzy and even more childish than Umeko. However, with her character I think Natsuki has an excuse. She was in suspended animation for 100,000 years, from the moment she was a baby. Her body only aged one year for every 5,000 years, and thus she was basically 20 when she woke up. Because of this, she never really had a childhood and thus never had a chance to grow up, so I think it's realistic that she's childish, ditzy, and a bit off. Furthermore, I think Natsuki has one of the most interesting backstories among 2000's Sentai characters, being the princess of an ancient civilization.

Eiji/Bouken Silver


To a lesser extent, Eiji also gets criticized. He's one of those characters that while has some popularity, isn't the most popular. Some fans criticize him for being "bland and boring" which seems to be a common criticism of Boukenger in general by the fans who don't like the series. With Eiji, I just don't see it. I think he's one of the most interesting 6th rangers in Sentai, and is among my top three favorites among 6th rangers (including Shurikenger and Doggie Krugar if he counts). Like Natsuki, I think Eiji has an interesting backstory as being one of the watchers of the Ashu. He's one of the more complex characters on Boukenger, and I love his rash yet badass personality.

Jan/Geki Red


With Jan, I won't lie. I'm not a big fan of his character, and I do find him at times to be annoying and an extreme version of Ban. Besides being one of the "screaming reds" Jan also gets criticized for his unique dialect of made up words. However, also like Ban I think the hatred of his character is often overexaggerated. He does gradually change, and has some good moments here and there (particularly the KaGeki arc, episode 22, the Gekiranger movie, and his backstory when it's revealed). Like Ban, his actor is fairly good when he has to show emotion or has to slow down a bit. Like Natsuki, while his childishness and dialect can get grating at times, I think it's a realistic part of his character since he lived away from society.

Ran/Geki Yellow


Like Umeko, Ran is criticized for being one dimensional and lacking development. However, I think her character receives a fair amount of development. Throughout Gekiranger, she had to learn to lighten up a bit and smile, deal with Jan and Retsu being turned into kids, learning how to be a team captain, and dealing with her mother. I do however, think her character gets the short end of the stick because she's underused, lacks focus episodes, and her leadership isn't developed as much as I would like. But for the short amount of focus I got, I think we got quite a bit out of her character.

Sousuke/Go-On Red


Sousuke is also at times bunched up with the group of "screaming reds." However, unlike the others I think he gets more criticism or is overlooked because of the series he's in, Go-Onger. He's much like Ban, and IMO plays the screaming red part better than anyone else except for Ban. Like Ban, he's quite reckless, but like Yousuke he's an idiot hero. While I like Ban better, I think he plays the "idiot hero" better than Yousuke. I also liked his relationship with his partner, Speedor, and also some of his dramatic stories such as episodes 35 & 36, and the Go-Onger movie. I also thought his interaction with the more serious characters was interesting, like the Go-On Wings or Takeru in Shinkenger vs Go-Onger.

Ahim/Gokai Pink


Despite the popularity of the Gokaiger cast, there's a trio of Gokaiger characters whom are a bit underappreciated by fans. The first is Ahim, whom like Umeko gets criticized for being the "girly-girl" of the team and being a flat one dimensional character. She also gets criticized for having a bland personality. Like Eiji, I just don't see it. Yeah she is "girly," but I don't think that's a good reason to dislike a character. I also don't think she's that bland of a character. I think she's shown some toughness, excellent gun skills, and I think is one of the best among recent Sentai senshi in terms of battle strategies and figuring out the opponent's strategies. Her development hasn't been as strong as the other Gokaigers so far, but I'm hoping we get a backstory episode about her past. Other's have even criticized her for being "badass" when the focus isn't on her, yet doing nothing in her own focus episodes, which I also disagree with. Episode 13 was kind of an oddball episode for me, but I like how she outsmarted Basco in episode 23 and the MOTW in episode 29. I also think unlike other stereotypical princesses, she's not your damsal in distress and holds her own pretty well.

Joe/Gokai Blue


Next we have Joe, who's not really "hated" but I feel is a bit underappreciated. Some fans accuse Joe of having the opposite problem as Ahim, being great in his focus episodes yet doing nothing or kinda just "being there" when the focus is not on him. To me this makes no sense. If the focus isn't on a certain character, he or she's not suppose to steal the show. So I don't think it hinders his character or the show at all. Others criticize him for being bland, which again I just don't see. It seems like some fans tend to associate "stoic" with being bland. Joe's focus episodes I think are among the best in the series, partly because of his backstory with the Zangyack and his friend Syd Bamick/Barizorg, but also because his acting talents really show in his focus episodes. This makes for some great drama. Also, like the other Gokaiger characters, he's quite awesome in terms of fighting ability.

Gai/Gokai Silver


Gai I think is another character who receives some unfair hate. He tends to get criticized for being a fanboy, Genta's clone, and being just there to cater to little kids and to sell toys. Admittedly, his fanboyishness does get a little grating once in a while, but I think just about anybody would act that way when meeting their favorite super hero or celebrity. In a way, his fanboyishness is a tribute to the franchise itself, and representing a fan's dream. Also, I think he contributes a lot to his team with his Sentai knowledge and has become relevant to the story. He's received some solid character development so far as well, particularly with his backstory, the Gingaman tribute episode, and even the Hurricanger two-parter.

Super Sentai's Handling of Nostalgia

Like Power Rangers, Sentai has its share of seasons that have a nostalgic base. Here's a look at a few selected examples.

Gaoranger


Gaoranger was the 25th anniversary season of Super Sentai. Like its Power Ranger counterpart, it didn't really intend to dig deep into nostalgia. However, it did have a few nostalgic elements. The heroes' color scheme was the same as Jetman's and GaoYellow's suit even had wings that were reminiscent of Jetman. The main nostalgic factor used was Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai, which involved a team-up with GingaBlue, MegaPink, Red Falcon, and the Big One with a quick pose of all the previous red rangers. Personally, I thought the team-up was ok. I liked the storyline with each of the past rangers helping the Gaorangers to overcome their fears and anxiety, but there are a few elements IMO that detract from the show. For one, there's no previous Sentai villain in the show, instead they fight previously defeated Orgs from Gaoranger. Also, more than half of it feels more like a clip show and we have a little too much of the orgs fighting stock footage. Then all the red senshi do is seemingly just pose and do their rollcall which was again, stock footage. It's an ok team-up, but among the anniversary team-ups I like Boukenger vs Super Sentai is better.



With Hurricanger, I don't know if I would call it a nostalgic base season. It combined elements of Liveman (student academies and starting out with three members with two more joining later) with Kakuranger (ninja theme). However, it's not really intended nostalgia like Boukenger and Gokaiger are. However, I do think Hurricanger combines these elements with its own unique elements and still manages to have an awesome season.

Abaranger


Abaranger bares a lot of nostalgia to Zyuranger. The most obvious is the dinosaur theme. The blue and red senshi both have the same type of dinosaur as a mecha as their Zyuranger counterparts did (T-Rex and Triceratops), and the lone female character had a Pteradactyle-like mecha like the lone Zyuranger female character. Storylines, however, are vastly different. Zyuranger handled the Dinosaur theme like a fairytail, while Abaranger put it more into a modern context, taking characters from present-day Japan. Another major difference is that Abaranger uses modern science with a twist, explaining that the asteroid that hit the Gulf of Mexico 65 million years ago separated the Earth into Earth and DinoEarth, with Dinosaurs still living on DinoEarth, which is essentially another dimension. I haven't seen a whole lot of Abaranger, but I do think it handles the dinosaur theme better than Zyuranger, which uses it like a fairytale.

Boukenger


Like Gaoranger, Boukenger was an anniversary season. However, Boukenger was the first season to really dig deep into nostalgia. Many of the villains and villain mechas had designs based on past Sentai mechas. Also, many of the characters were based off of previous Sentai characters and there were some Jetman elements, such as the black senshi, Masumi, being the rebel of the group and having an inter-squad rivalry with the red senshi, Akashi. After the ending credits, Boukenger also had the 30 Sentai Encyclopedia, which paid tribute to all the previous Sentais as well as other various elements of Sentai. I think these elements were well handled and as mentioned above, I like its Anniversary team-up, Boukenger vs Super Sentai, better than Gao vs SS.

Gekiranger


Gekiranger, like Hurricanger and Abaranger, was another somewhat nostalgic season but may have not intended to be nostalgic. It combined Dairanger's Chinese martial arts with some elements from Gaoranger. The Gaoranger elements include the beast theme, CGI mecha's, and even some of the mecha's being similar to Gaoranger, such as GekiElephant looking almost like GaoElephant, GekiGorilla being similar to GaoGorilla, GekiShark and GaoShark, GekiGazille and GaoDeer, GekiTiger and GaoTiger, GekiWolf and GaoWolf, and SaiDain being semilar to GekiRino. Also, Gou/GekiViolet, bares some similarities to Tsukumaro/GaoSilver. Both fulfill the "6th ranger" role, both are initially lone wolf characters, both at one time used an evil power to try to defeat an evil enemy, and both have wolf-like powers. Like Hurricanger and Abaranger, Gekiranger had much different storylines than the series they used to combine the elements. I can't comment a lot on how it handles the Chinese martial arts theme compared to Dairanger, but I do think Gekiranger handles some elements better than Gaoranger. For example, I like Gou more as a 6th ranger and lone wolf character than Tsukumaro, and the CGI mecha's are better handled in Gekiranger than they are in Gaoranger. However, I don't think the CGI mecha's really become good until Gokaiger.

Goseiger


Goseiger also had some nostalgic elements. The color of the suits and the helmit designs were similar to that of Zyuranger and the name Goseiger bears resemblence to Gosei Sentai Dairanger. The most glaring nostalgic resemblence is to Magiranger, with the Yuumajuu Beasts using magic powers and Super Goseiger mode being and looking similar to Magi Legend. However, I think the Magiranger elements weren't well handled at all. The Yuumajuu Beasts were terrible villains and the Super Goseiger mode just looked clunky with the big heads on the chest piece.

Gokaiger

Like Gaoranger and Boukenger, Gokaiger is also an anniversary season, being Sentai's 35th. In just 12 episodes, Gokaiger has dug deeper than Gaoranger and Boukenger combined. The ranger color schemes are the same as the original Sentai, Goranger. Also, there's the Legendary War, involving all past heroes, the Gokaigers transforming into past Sentai teams, and of course guest stars from past Sentais. Among the previous seasons to use nostalgia, Gokaiger has IMO handled it the best. The Gokaigers use the previous Sentai powers for better match-ups against the MOTW and the past hero guest stars are usually there mostly to develop the Gokaiger characters and thus don't steal the spotlight.

Some Sentai Characters That I Feel Mixed About

Among most Sentai characters, there's been many I've liked, some I feel are ok, some bland, and a few others that I disliked. However, there's a handful of characters that I don't know what to think about and generally have some mixed feelings about. Here they are.

Mei- Ptera Ranger


Generally, I think Mei is cute and some of Mei's focus episodes are pretty good (especially the punk episode with Dan). But other than Mei's "cuteness" and her rivalry with Lamie I feel she doesn't have much else to offer. She's really stereotypical of other pink senshi, granite she was one of the first kawaiiko's, and having a rivalry with one of the main villains is also pretty common among pink senshi. Also being the way Zyuranger is written, it feels often that the only two characters in Zyuranger that matter much to the story are Geki and Burai.

Naoto- Time Fire


Naoto is on both my mixed and dislike list. The reason why he makes my mixed list is from a story perspective, he works out perfectly well. I felt like the first half of Timeranger is kinda slow and episodic, but when Naoto arrives the pace of the story really picks up. He added the spice to the story and another dimension. The problem I have is with his character, and he's the only Timeranger character that I don't care much for. I know some others may like it but I feel his arrogance makes him too unlikable for my taste. To me he comes off as too much of a jerkass, and unlike many other of the jerk-like characters like Gai, Hoji, and the Go-On wings, Naoto's attitude doesn't change the slightest bit.

Yousuke- Hurricane Red


Yousuke really has me split. Sometimes I like him and other times I feel he's kinda bland. I really liked his rivalry and evolving relationship with Ikkou, but from a development and personality perspective there's not a lot to him. Especially when you compare Yousuke to many other red senshi. He's not a bad character, just that for a red senshi Yousuke feels like he's lacking.

Ran- Geki Yellow

Ran is probably the character I like the most on this list. She's kinda like the kawaiiko and the action girl rolled into one. She's cute, sweet, and tough, kinda like a mix between Sakura (Bouken Pink) and Saki (Go-On Yellow). I think some of her focus episodes during the first half of Gekiranger are some of the better ones IMO, specifically 11, 15, and 23 where she was named team captain. What I'm really mixed about is her lack of development, focus, and how her leadership was handled during the second half of the season. While I think the second half of Gekiranger improves quite a bit with the action, story, characters, and drama, it falls short with Ran's development. After episode 23, she only got a single focus episode (37). Being the team captain, I felt they should have figured out how to squeez in at least a couple more focus episodes for her. In short, I like her character and don't have a problem with the character herself, I just don't like how her character was poorly handled by the writers.

My Favorite Sentai opening theme songs

The one thing I haven't done a whole lot of is focus on the music of Sentai and Power Rangers. I'll start here with a list of some of my favorite Sentai intros and opening themes. As you can tell, I'm not much of a fan of pre-2000's Sentai music, but 3 90's theme songs still manage to make my list. Enjoy.

Jetman's theme song is pretty cool. The song fits well with both the intro and the fighting songs.

I like Zyuranger's opening theme song, a lot better than its ending theme. It's not quite as cool as Go Go Power Rangers or some of Sentai's other theme songs, but it's still a pretty descent song.

Megaranger's opening theme is by far my favorite 90's Sentai theme song. The song starts out kinda slow but it still has a fun beat.

I like the Timeranger theme song a whole lot better than the Power Rangers Time Force theme song. It has a strong beat, it's fast pace, and goes quite well with the intro. It's a pretty intense song for a pretty intense season.

Dekaranger's opening theme is awesome. It's by Psychic Lover, and just about every song by Psychic Lover is awesome. By far my favorite Sentai theme song and I often catch myself singing along with it. It also surpasses all of my favorite Power Rangers theme songs.

The Gekiranger theme song is also pretty awesome. Like Deka's theme, I often find myself singing along to it and it fits the intro quite well. The intro is also pretty awesome with all the martial arts action, except for some parts in the early part of the intro where the foot soldiers look more like they're dancing instead of fighting.

Go-Onger's theme song is also quite catchy and fun. Much like the series is. Not quite as awesome as the Dekaranger, Gekiranger, or the Shinkenger theme song, but still fits the series quite well.

Shinkenger's theme song is another totally awesome song. It's a collaboration between Psychic Lover and Project R. Catchy and energetic. It's my second favorite Sentai theme behind Dekaranger's. The intro is pretty cool as well.

Ideas That Power Rangers and Sentai Borrowed from Each Other

A few weeks ago, Sean Akizuki requested me to do a post on what ideas Power Rangers borrowed from Sentai or vise versa. I haven't had time to post on my blog that much during the last couple months because of school, but now that I'm off for winter break I decided to follow up on his request. So here are some of the ideas that I feel that Power Rangers and Sentai borrowed from each other. For similar posts, check Sean's blog.

Ideas Power Rangers borrowed from Sentai

Ideas Sentai borrowed from Power Rangers

Power Rangers borrowing from Sentai

The most obvious would be changing the cast, suits, stories, themes, and series every year. Changing the suits wasn't done until Zeo, while changing the cast annually started with Lost Galaxy but wasn't completely decided on until after Lost Galaxy was done. The original cast of Lost Galaxy had a two year contract. Every since Lost Galaxy, the franchise has tried to make each season as stand alone as possible.

Another idea taken from Sentai was the annual team-up episodes with the previous year's team. This was first done in Power Rangers Zeo with the two part episode Rangers from Two Worlds when the Zeo rangers teamed up with the Alien rangers. This however, wasn't fully implemented until Lost Galaxy teamed up with In Space during the episodes To the Tenth Power and The Power of Pink. However, when Lost Galaxy came out, originally there were no planned team-ups with In Space. But when actress Valarie Varone (Kendrix/Lost Galaxy Pink) was diagnosed with Leukemia, she had to be replaced quickly. The plan was to have a team up with In Space, kill her character off, and have Cassie (Turbo/In Space Pink) replace her. After the team-up, Patricia Ja Lee filmed one additional episode but then left due to a contract dispute. Despite this, the production crew was still able to use the team-up, and eventually replaced Kendrix with Karone, the former villain Astronema. After lost Galaxy, annual team-ups became a yearly occurence.

Anniversary team-ups such as Forever Red and Once A Ranger were borrowed concepts respectively from Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai and Boukenger vs. Super Sentai respectively. While the plots in each episodes are completely original, the idea of having all red rangers team up, for example, was borrowed from Gaoranger vs SS. The same goes for Once A Ranger.

As mentioned in a previous post, Power Rangers RPM had a very Sentai-like cast with many characters being similar to previous Sentai characters. This includes Dillion being similar to Gai from Jetman, Summer being similar to Ran/Gekiyellow, and hyperactive comic relief power rangers such as Ziggy, Gem, and Gemma that while are pretty common in Sentai, are pretty rare in Power Rangers.

Sentai Borrowing from Power Rangers

Magiranger vs Dekaranger introduced the canon immigrant, literally. Sentai borrowed the red ranger battlizer from Power Rangers SPD to give Ban/DekaRed a new weapon from the Fire Squad that he was promoted to.

Head or floating head like characters such as Mr. Voice from Boukenger and Master Head from Goseiger are likely partly inspired by Zordon.

Jan/GekiRed seems to be inspired by Cole, from Power Rangers Wild Force. Both characters have essentially the same story. Both being red rangers, both being newbies to their teams after growing up in the jungle. Both had their parents killed by their series respective main villains (though the stories are slightly different). Both also tend to overact at times, and both characters were on beast-themed seasons.