Action-Adventure Power Rangers 4.0 - Part 2

Heck yeah. Now, someone beat up Toei about Kamen Rider.

 

An impressive redesign of the Galaxy Rangers (Lights of Orion and the Magna Defender)

 

Awesome!

Yeah I want for Kamen Rider to get more attention too from the Western fans as much as Power Rangers/Super Sentai.

It was unfortunate that Kamen Rider name has been tainted in the US because of that dreadful "Masked Rider" adaptation (the adaptation that even made the late Ishinomori Shotaro-sensei (the creator of Kamen Rider) very angry to Saban...)

So I hope with the BD release of Zero One and Kuuga for the US market, the brand will get more recognition from fans there beyond being treated as "Power Rangers spin off" (I was quite bothered tbh by that. Haha).

And I really hope Kamen Rider Black RX will someday get an official release in the US too so that many can see why all of Kamen Rider fans here became so angry with "Saban's Masked Rider"

 

Speaking of Kamen Rider...the brand new series (Geats) is very very good. 3 episodes in, I am very much loving it!

The survival game story mixed of Battle Royale and Squid Game, it has the potential to be a Masterpiece series ... very exciting to watch it every week.

And I got addicted to its opening song.

 

I just don't understand Toei's thought processes. Tsuburaya is kind of eating their lunch, in terms of getting their shows seen by us. Besides getting nearly all of their shows out on physical media, along with partnering for streaming, they are also putting up Decker episodes on youtube, Near as I can tell, Shout only has Rider, Kuuga, Ryuki, and Zero-One. And only Rider and Zero One have been released physically, with Kuuga on they way. And Toei has the gall to only post 2 episodes on youtube to tease series. Which honestly, would be fine if they allowed a way for me to legally watch other stuff. It is especially egregious with the Fuuto Pi anime getting a release on Crunchyroll, but oops, no way to legally watch W.

 

From what I know...after the disappointment of "Saban's Masked Rider" particularly from Ishinomori-sensei himself, to the point that he had became hesitant to give permission for any adaptation for Kamen Rider again...you have to excuse why Toei had been precarious to bring Kamen Rider again to America.

But I think they learned that it is good for their brand recognition by bringing their series for free to watch (in their Toei Tokusatsu World channel)...but still, unlike Tsuburaya, Toei hadnt provided English subtitle for the non Japanese fans to enjoy their shows.

But the progress has been made now by bringing it first with Zero One and Kuuga for BD release there. Hopefully it wont stop halfway.

Oh yeah...watching Fuuto Detective anime without first watching Kamen Rider W will be confusing ...haha

 

That's the thing, no one is asking for adaptations. Just the ability to watch it legally. Toei clearly has no problem having various Kamen Rider merch sold over here. More than just Figurearts, I see they are selling belts. They are clearly interested in the market, but not letting us watch the source that sells the merch.

Its just frustrating to watch Mill Creek announce 3 or 4 remaining Ultraman series for release, and Shout just shows up with a physical release of a title they announced over a year ago. I mean, they are now to releasing Sentai faster than Kamen Rider. And that had a bigger legal hurdle to go through.

The adaptations may have failed, and while Masked Rider isn't likely to be well thought of, I know there is a bit of well regard to Dragon Knight. It has Mark Dacascos.

 

Hmm...I see. If that is the case, one of the possibility that I can think of is that perhaps because Kamen Rider is not solely owned by Toei...it is actually co-produced and owned by Ishinomori Pro. (The company that Ishinomori Shotaro-sensei himself built to protect and housing his creations). So maybe that is what complicate things.

As for the merch...I believe Bandai is the one holding the rights to distribute merchs and toys, not Toei. So perhaps there was different arrangement there.

Yeah, Mill Creek releasing Ultraman series relatively fast. Although since Tiga, they only sell it on DVD format (I cannot play a Region 1 DVD here since Japan is Region 2 code).
And Sentai got fast release is understandable since many Western fans are more familiar and already know Super Sentai more than KR ...as it is the original material source for Power Rangers.

Oh yeah Dragon Knight definitely had better response from Japanese fans, too. It even has the original cast from Ryuki to dub their same respective character.

 

I think Mill Creek has about all of Ultraman out now. It does seem that they are only doing hd remasters for the classic 70s shows. Though, that could be because there are already hd remasters for those shows in Japan. Its one reason I don't expect Super Sentai blurays till Shinkenger.

 

Power Rangers: Astonishing Movie & Series Reboot Details: Exclusive - The Illuminerdi

 

What I would say the issue is that Japanese companies and businesses are very traditional and set in their ways. A lot of times it's hard for a Japanese company to institute a change or do something different, even it's something that's been wildly accepted already in the western hemisphere.

Nintendo has had this issue a lot being slow to change and try new things, and it's negatively impacted them before in many areas.

It's not like this in all cases, but it is a different culture. I remember hearing about Nintendo would alienate and anger a lot of third-party developers and publishers in the early console war days with their strict business practices and demands. Many didn't want to work with Nintendo as a result, and it probably is one reason why SEGA was able to have such a meteoric rise and wrest a large share of the market away from Nintendo when they were super dominant.

Just for example, it took years for anime companies to figure out the whole streaming simulcast things when fans in the US all over college campuses were bit torrenting and kazaaing all the hot new anime in the 00s.

Clearly, there is a market here for Kamen Rider and people who want to watch Kamen Rider subtitled. But it's basically like getting blood out of a stone. Change happens but it happens very slowly with Japanese businesses.

 

Dekaranger and Go-Onger were getting Bluray release, too. But thats after Shinkenger got one.
Each got bonus special features which included episode 1 for Power Rangers Samurai, SPD, and RPM.

Hopefully you will get your first Sentai Bluray with Dekaranger.

 

Very well said, TheVileOne.

Yeah strong traditional value is the core value for most of any company in Japan.
Thats what makes Japan as a nation can keep our strong identity value most of the time.

But yeah slowly but sure...change is happening as now Kamen Rider already got 2 psychical releases there.

More and less it is thanks to the effort of Shirakura-shi and Takebe-san (both are veteran Toei producers) who fought to bring Kamen Rider for US market.
(Shirakura-shi in particular, he is the one who was getting online harassment from many Western fans over Toei sent a warning to stop and cancel one illegal website who used to distribute and share many Tokusatsu shows illegally in America). Maybe you've heard of it? ... Since it became quite a fuss when it happened even in our local community.

 

I think the best thing fans can do is just continue to use their voice but also voice their desires respectfully. And when there are those rare official US or official English releases, they should be supported. That's the best way you can show you want more.

 

Regardless...it makes me happy to see and know that Tokusatsu has a place among fans in the US (which many claimed and known as the home of the biggest and popular superheroes in the world).

I always thought before that Tokusatsu has and must be looked down in US. But it became more and more comfortable to talk about it here. Hehe.

And , I am looking forward to Hasbro's new and original concept for Power Rangers which is free from Super Sentai for the first time. It should be exciting

 

Original suits

90% of the show will be original footage with all Zord footage being Sentai footage from kyuranger.

Lord Zedd big bad

David Yost/Walter Jones are on set but who knows if its just for a special or an actual episode.

S30 will consist of 10 episodes.

 

I think going MMPR Season 2 is probably for the best for Kyranger. As great as those suits were, the cast was too big. And I am liking the two suits we see. Personally, I would love to see them to continue these hybrid seasons.

 

Im just happy to get back to original big bads because....idk what Saban was thinking (I know what he was thinking, he was thinking how to save as much $$ as possible) when he took over and just using the boring monsters as big bads.

 

Two more for a complete team of 6.

 

They’re still my heroes.

 

There's a rumor going around that we will be introduced to Trinis daughter in the 30th anniversary special.

Catherine (Kat/Zeo Pink), Steve (Rocky) are also in New Zealand.

 

After not being able to be in Forever Red, it's nice to see Steve Cardenas get more play in Power Rangers between "Dimensions in Danger" and potentially this.

Though personally, talking about "Dimensions in Danger," I wish that Kat had become Zeo Ranger One instead of the Pink Turbo Ranger.

 

So glad Saban and co. are out.

 

I'm kinda surprised they didn't reach out to Johnny Young Bosh to reprise his role as Adam or Karen Ashley as Aisha