"What went wrong with Power Rangers Samurai" or "AR trying to rationalize spectacle"

I think we all recognize that there's a whole lot wrong with the Power Ranger's franchise adaptation of Shinkenger. However, I've been thinking about WHY some of the choices made it into the show. Sure, for the most part, it closely follows the Japanese source material, but the sense of urgency, the dark undertones, and a good bit of the fighting have all been stripped away. Replacing these elements with filler and the "emPOWERED" was done on purpose. Thought went into this. While I don't mind the producers trying to get kids up and moving again so they aren't prone to a sedentary lifestyle that many of us from the mid-to-late eighties were, I do mind being forced to suffer the current cast any longer than I have to.

\RANT TIME/
Jayden is wholly unconvincing as a leader, authority figure, or experienced fighter. He seems more like a varsity football player rather than a natural born leader bred to take charge of a long line of warriors to fight the forces of darkness. Kevin and Emily are just bland. There's absolutely nothing to them. They shows nothing on their face, and can't vocally express emotion (surprise, confusion, displeasure, et al) with any degree of accuracy.
Mike and Antonio, to their benefit, are touch and go. Sometimes they can be convincing, sometimes not. Overall, I don't mind their arcs, and look forward to further developments to their characters. This leaves us with Mia, the pink ranger. Being the least discussed of the six rangers, Mia's actress is in my opinion the single most talented performer of the lot (which admittedly, isn't hard to do). When she says a line, I can believe it most of the time.
\END RANT/

So, other than the obvious problems with the writing and the desire to stand as far apart from the Sentai as they can while keeping those purse strings as tight as they can, what is it about this show that causes so much derision among fans of the franchise older than 10 years old? Well, let's take a very brief look at international reception. Countries like New Zealand and Canada banned the franchise from airing due to complaints of violence to their respective censorship boards, and TV stations pulled the original MMPR before the end of its second season (some much, much sooner). Currently, as far as I've been able to find, all of the countries that formerly banned the show, currently allow Power Rangers Samurai to air, as it's the first season to adhere to their rather script censorship policies regarding violent imagery and adult themes. By cutting out a great deal of the action and tension, and by extension the wind down and resolution (and lessons learned), Saban has sacrificed over-all quality and family appeal in exchange for an international release and the resulting revenue.

Now, don't get me wrong, I totally understand this. By making compromises to reach a wider audience, you open your product up to a greater turn on investment. I just wish that they didn't make the compromises they did, and try lobbying for a closer look at network censorship (which would cost more money, so naturally that option is out). I get that there's a bottom line to keep in consideration, however I think we can all agree the product being offered to us has greatly suffered.

Why do we keep coming back and buying merchandise? Well, there are several possible reasons. My personal reasoning, is that Even though I don't care for the current direction, I know well enough that every year the franchise is given an opportunity to go back to basics and try again, and buying merchandise helps to fund the next year of shows; more money coming in typically means more care goes into production. Also, I really liked Shinkenger and buy merchandise to show that (even though Bandai of Japan probably doesn't get much of the BoA profits) in hopes it encourages further quality Sentai shows and by extension better Power Rangers shows. Granted, my logic is flawed considering how good Shinkenger was, and how abysmal Samurai is. Other reasons may be the most common one. Fans by and large are hoarders; we tend tend collect things. Regardless of how much sense it makes, we throw money at things related to something that makes us feel good, filling some kind of hole in our lives to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and live these characters' lives vicariously. Whatever the reason, Saban has us firmly held by the short hairs.

While they have us, what can we do to make sure we're actually HAPPY about giving up our money? It's simple. We get involved. We can get involved in the industry as writers, effects artists, producers, directors, maybe even actors. It's not impossible for us to have a stake in the development of something we love to ensure its longevity for the coming generation.

Why do I like PR/Sentai?

Having grown up with the Power Rangers series, I want to explore how I think of the franchise now, rather than what I thought of it twenty years ago. I also want to explore the Super Sentai franchise, which started it all. While both series as a whole try to target children, it's clear that there is plenty for adults to enjoy as well. While the mature undertones are subtle, they serve more to remind parents of their own pasts and fantasies all while keeping in mind that a child's brain is a sponge, constantly on the brink of over stimulation from absorbing so much new information. The maturity can get lost in the muddle of what, in a few years, can become everyday for a kid.

Before I proceed, I want to impress that when I use the word "mature", I am not necessarily referring to sexual content as the word is often used today, but rather I am referring to themes or instances that a typical child just wouldn't typically totally grasp (and if they have, they need a hug from someone who cares about their well-being). These situations could be some form of social problem, a common issue for anyone (divorce, physically or emotionally violent abuse, et cetera)

At least in the sentai series I have seen so far, the only things we Americans would consider "too mature" are instances of sexual harassment. But, this is a common issue for Japanese girls on public transportation (just google "chikan" or "Japanese groping laws"). Young women and girls are often groped or otherwise improperly touched by an older man on trains and buses, so seeing a strong young woman on a TV show being molested only to in turn exclaim her displeasure and soundly beat the everliving snot out of him, shows that the show is socially conscious and want these girls to stand up for themselves.

Power Rangers has its fair share of mature moments. Take Power Rangers Samurai. While the episode where Emily realized she was strong because of how often she was insulted was taken directly from Shinkenger, this is a pretty serious topic here. She has been berated, ridiculed, and brought down SO MUCH for her clumsiness, that words can't hurt her anymore, even when faced with a monster whose words have real and devastating power. That much emotional scarring should take DECADES to really make someone completely impervious to insults. I was birthed with an extremely unfortunate name, a (admittedly slight) physical deformity, a stutter, and a social awkwardness that would make any psychiatric professional roll up their sleeves, and even I still feel hurt when insulted for these things, even with the love from my wife and children behind me every day. Emily's torment would have to have been so, so much more than anything I have experienced to temper her against ridicule. Bullying is an issue that most children have to overcome, and for most, it goes away towards the end of high school when everyone else their age is faced with the real world and its own horrors. This example is just depressing. Then take Nick from Mystic Force. No mom, no dad, no siblings. Just foster homes. While I'm sure his adoptive family loved him greatly, he clearly never felt the connection that you would feel with your biological family (in many cases). A piece of him was ripped away when he was removed from his family (who he would later be reunited with...as an adult). Forces beyond his control alienated him from really being able to open up to anyone, to even trust anyone. He felt he was FORCED to be brave to survive the day to day, to stand out as someone could could be alone, who should be alone, and who was better off keeping everyone at arm’s reach. In Ninja Storm, Cam's father symbolically, died in front of him. While his dad was technically still able to be there to guide him, the familiar face he had known his whole life was ripped away in a single, violent moment.

This is why I still like Power Rangers, and why I think many grown-ups in the East still are willing to watch Super Sentai with their own children. There's something that resonates with us throughout our whole lives, which reminds us that (though fictional) someone understands our hardships. We saw them experience it or reminisce about it, and then either use it to their advantage, or overcome it completely. We want to do that too. We want to know that no matter how bad things are as we get older, there's always going to be a smile at the end waiting for us.

FIRST POST!

First blog post I've made anywhere since the advent of the medium. Man, that's sad.


In any case, here's my mission statement here. I will talk about what it's like being a Power Rangers fan as an adult with a job and a "million dollar family". While most of my peers teach skiing or soccer, or slave away trying to save up for a vacation to visit people they despise, I save up for collectibles and conventions. I will discuss seasons as I watch them with my kids, both Sentai and Power Rangers, and I will share my newly started collection.

I will also use this as a place to discuss various other things as I see fit, but right now, I can't think of what that might be.

For now, look forward to pics of my current collection this weekend! I am expecting 5 deliveries of swag, so huzzah!