Power Rangers. Kamen Rider, Sentai, suits and monsters

[Wolfy]

It's another one of those things that makes me want to understand The Morphing Grid more. I still think it's a semi-sentient energy like The Force, but for there to be 'residual energy' building up while unmorphed, it's gotta come from somewhere, be going somewhere, stored somewhere, and have limitations for how much can be stored, how fast it builds, what is considered dangerous levels, what happens when you exceed critical levels, what happens when you Morph too much or too little.

This isn't something I would worry about in the Zordon Era, for instance, where saying 'it's magic, deal with it' was the usual writing, but like with my Calling Bullshit thread, when they start answering questions, they open the floodgates.

Well, according to Samurai, you can access the morphing grid by writing symbols..so it probably is some kind of magic technology thing.

[Sabby]

Yes, there's plenty of different methods for tapping into the Grid, but the Grid itself is never fully explained.

[Wolfy]

Well, it obviously has to be something that reaches not only through space but time as well.

Otherwise how else could, for instance, the Time Force Rangers access their powers from the grid, when said powers weren't made/created until the future?

Not only that, it reaches across space, as seen in Lost in Space and Power Rangers Zeo (Or whatever the one was with the Swords in the stone)

..o3o

But then again, do said objects encapsulate the powers, or do they access the grid each time they're used?

[Sabby]

Same as comics dude, there really isn't answers in the original writing, what will later be considered canon is as much the viewers decision as the actual writers. The swords in Lost Galaxy are just magical swords that make you Rangers. That's what the writers put on the paper. then people ask the same questions you are now, and they slide in a 'yes, thats exactly right' like that was the plan all along.

That's the beauty of a long running series with devoted fans. It practically fixes itself.

[Sabby]

Looks like Samurai is toning down on the one liners. Good. I know it takes 10 or so episodes for a season to generally find it's groove, but the one liners are just painful. Walk in the park? Plays well with others? OH I GET! BECAUSE THEY"RE FIGHTING OVER A KID AT THE PARK! HA HA HA. No -.-

[krakenknight]

Looks like Samurai is toning down on the one liners. Good. I know it takes 10 or so episodes for a season to generally find it's groove, but the one liners are just painful. Walk in the park? Plays well with others? OH I GET! BECAUSE THEY"RE FIGHTING OVER A KID AT THE PARK! HA HA HA. No -.-

Think that's a little detrimental actually, I mean Power Rangers feeds on its own cheesiness. Mind you... Turbo... *eyes glaze over in hollow look*

[Sabby]

Defending Turbo because it's a part of Power Rangers is like defending that grassy mass of brown that dug its way into your shoe xD

[krakenknight]

Defending Turbo because it's a part of Power Rangers is like defending that grassy mass of brown that dug its way into your shoe xD

Never got why they cocked it up so badly, I mean yeah Zeo wasn't perfect but it worked and "In space" is still my second favourite after Dino Thunder.
I wonder who thought all those unessescary plot additions were a good idea. I mean you could have easily solved most of the problems by making Divatox a credible threat.

[Sabby]

Huh... it may just be me, but Briarwood seems to pop up everywhere now o.O I know, I know, multiple writers, no way it's intentionally building towards something significant, but future seasons could use this. Watching Jungle Fury, and I swear the Rhino Nexus is that magic tree the Mystic Force had as an HQ. Plus that Operation Overdrive special had Udonna guarding a magic sword in the forest. So it's definitely implied the cities in Mystic Force, Jungle Fury, SPD, Time Force and Operation Overdrive are all the same place at different time periods. Well, thats not true, some of those are confimed.

Very interested to see if this amounts to anything.

[krakenknight]

Huh... it may just be me, but Briarwood seems to pop up everywhere now o.O I know, I know, multiple writers, no way it's intentionally building towards something significant, but future seasons could use this. Watching Jungle Fury, and I swear the Rhino Nexus is that magic tree the Mystic Force had as an HQ. Plus that Operation Overdrive special had Udonna guarding a magic sword in the forest. So it's definitely implied the cities in Mystic Force, Jungle Fury, SPD, Time Force and Operation Overdrive are all the same place at different time periods. Well, thats not true, some of those are confimed.

Very interested to see if this amounts to anything.

I thought Overdrive was dubiously canon even by Power Rangers standards, but I think you might have something. SPD and Mystic force at the very least have a connection of some sort. I just have to wonder if the writers will develop it or attempt another desperate "fresh new universe" idea which fans will still try to add to canon.

[Sabby]

Or insist viciously that everything after In Space is not canon because it's not Saban, yet somehow Samurai doesn't count... because we all know the Zordon Era is the only Power Rangers worth anything and everything after that is terrible, despite over 15 years of advancement in every area of the show.

Fanboys are a lovely treasure trove of retardation, aren't they?

[krakenknight]

Or insist viciously that everything after In Space is not canon because it's not Saban, yet somehow Samurai doesn't count... because we all know the Zordon Era is the only Power Rangers worth anything and everything after that is terrible, despite over 15 years of advancement in every area of the show.

Fanboys are a lovely treasure trove of retardation, aren't they?

Fans are a wonderously foolish lot when they get passionate. The problem with Power Rangers is that older fans get nostalgia blinkered into believing that the Zordon Era was some perfect period, lets be honest there have been bad ideas and actors throughout the show's 2 decade run, the only thing is that that is part of the charm.

[Sabby]

I don't have nostalgia for most things. I saw a dozen episodes and the movie when I was a kid, and I wasn't too into it. It was just what was on TV before school. My Power Rangers fandom is only a few years old. So the only concessions I give to the Zordon Era stem from it being old, and being an early 90's show isn't an airtight defense against poor writing, massive stretches of filler, 1 dimensional characters and plenty of other issues 'true fans' are all to happy to ignore.

Not saying I hate the show, or that everything after Zordon Era doesn't suffer from the same problems, all I'm saying is I don't pull my punches :P

[Inkidu]

I don't have nostalgia for most things. I saw a dozen episodes and the movie when I was a kid, and I wasn't too into it. It was just what was on TV before school. My Power Rangers fandom is only a few years old. So the only concessions I give to the Zordon Era stem from it being old, and being an early 90's show isn't an airtight defense against poor writing, massive stretches of filler, 1 dimensional characters and plenty of other issues 'true fans' are all to happy to ignore.

Not saying I hate the show, or that everything after Zordon Era doesn't suffer from the same problems, all I'm saying is I don't pull my punches :P

It had giant robots that formed into an even bigger robot. Kung-fu, the green ranger with his awesome shield and a better giant robot (who has shades of God-freaking-zilla). Good guys, V. Bad guys. Giant monsters, and Amy-Jo Johnson. All packed into a half hour meant to appeal to five-year-olds to ten-year-olds (my age group at the time I watched it). And you want to go on about petty things like writing, one-dimensional characters, and filler? Priorities, get some. :D

It was bad, I don't think you can call any Power Rangers season good without adding the qualifier "for a season of Power Rangers" to it. It's my childhood and I love it in a weird kind of shameful way, but yeah, it was bad. ;D I'm just saying that even five-year-olds knew it was bad, but it was fun as hell to watch. It was cool.

I still have a freaking crush on Amy-Jo Johnson and she's about twice my age. She's gotten better looking too. You can see her in Flashpoint.

[Sabby]

It was bad, I don't think you can call any Power Rangers season good without adding the qualifier "for a season of Power Rangers"

I agree with the exception of RPM. That was a great show, in and of itself.

[Inkidu]

I agree with the exception of RPM. That was a great show, in and of itself.

I wouldn't know. That sounds like the second one they did with cars. I stopped watching it after Turbo. I think...

I've kind of noticed a circular pattern in the themes though. Evey once and a while ninjas will come back, then cars, maybe dinosaurs.

[Sabby]

Haha, I've mentioned this before, but my only complaint with RPM was it's theme. It was such a frankenstien. It was post-apocalyptic, borrowed a lot of Terminator imagery, but the Rangers technology didn't reflect that, they were animals AND cars at the same time. Animal Cars. Bird jets, dog and bear trucks, a flying shark, flying remote controlled car attack drones... sillier still was the person who invented them is the most unimaginative person ever, very by the book, and we're expected to believe she designed a giant red dog rover with googly anime eyes and only ever thought about effeciency. It's just one of those things you have to work with when your using Sentai footage though, and to their credit they really toned down on the pointless extra gear, like the aforementioned flying RC car.

One thing I did love was the Morph Suits though, had much more focus on the vehicle side, and if you can forgive the 'seat belts' they had this awesome 'burnout' thing going on, where wrist and ankle wheels could rev up to be like buzzsaws and they could accelerate their spinning motions when they kick like a race car pulling a doughnut.

Another thing I adored was how often they took their helmets off. Such a small thing, but it helps blur the lines between original footage and the Sentai stuff. Plus Dillons suit just looked... I dunno, it matched his more violent character.

[Violence]

I think it's a relief to hear somebody say something nice about RPM... I'd heard so many negative criticisms on it that I was beginning to dread watching it while I was going back and watching them all on Netflix. @_@

Admittedly, I got distracted watching the Japanese Sentai shows, though... ^.^;; obviously...

[Sabby]

People who even remotely liked any of the Power Rangers seasons would dislike RPM? My head. It is shaking.

[Violence]

People who even remotely liked any of the Power Rangers seasons would dislike RPM? My head. It is shaking.

I think it was RPM that I'd heard those criticisms.  But I think it was more to do with it "not fitting into continuity".  You know how people can be.  I can't imagine that I'd have a harder time getting into it than I did Mystic Force.

I've seen the Go-Onger (RPM) costumes on Gokaiger, and I like the costumes.  Not my favorite costumes, but they're pretty slick looking.

[Sabby]

They look more like actual technology to me. Yes, they're spandex and rubber, and no conventional costume will ever look convincingly like a high tech battle suit, even the plastic and PVC armour from the movie couldn't completely pull that off, but still, the RPM costumes did the best job so far. It didn't look like slightly too loose silk in areas like some costumes do.

[Violence]

They look more like actual technology to me. Yes, they're spandex and rubber, and no conventional costume will ever look convincingly like a high tech battle suit, even the plastic and PVC armour from the movie couldn't completely pull that off, but still, the RPM costumes did the best job so far. It didn't look like slightly too loose silk in areas like some costumes do.

It always bothered me when I could see the stitching or the zipper line. *laughs* These are supposed to be morphed on them... I imagine them more like solid light constructs than fabric, you know?  And it takes me out of the illusion to see the zipper running down their back.

Part of the reason I like the Gokaiger costumes so much is that they cover all of that up.  I can see why the vests might turn people off, but I think they were a smart idea in keeping with the theme of the series as well as making it feel more like something they didn't just put on in the dressing room.

[Sabby]

Yeah, but even a light plastic or PVC will do horrors on your back, especially in anything involving stunts. The amount of running and acrobatics in the show wearing a solid costume would put you out on sick leave by the mid way point. There's a reason they use spandex.

[Violence]

Yeah, but even a light plastic or PVC will do horrors on your back, especially in anything involving stunts. The amount of running and acrobatics in the show wearing a solid costume would put you out on sick leave by the mid way point. There's a reason they use spandex.

I'm not even saying to put them in anything solid.  Just something without the zipper running along the back.  I understand that the costumes need to be functional as well as maintain a look.  That's why I think the vests/jackets worked well.  Gokaiger has a pirate theme and it helps accent that theme, as well as hides the zippers on the costume.  They're not heavy vests, they're the same fabric as the rest of the costume.  It helps maintain the illusion, though, of it not being a "costume" as much as it's a "morphed state".

But they've done the solid costumes thing before, too.  The Gosei-Knight from Goseiger which is (or will be) turned into Power Rangers Miracle Force, at least that was the title I'd last heard was being used for it.  And there was the Black Knight from Gingaman/Lost Galaxy, I haven't seen Lost Galaxy so I don't remember what he was called here... ^.^;

[Sabby]

Magna Defender, the Max Payne of Power Rangers.