KWEH!
Did you know that Saban‘s Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers was inspired by Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (恐竜戦隊ジュウレンジャー Kyōryū Sentai Jūrenjā, which roughly translates as Dinosaur Task Force Beastranger)?
If you remember MMPR, there are moments when the film, set, and lighting quality seem to shift and you may not be able to tell how or why. It is because MMPR borrows footage from the Japanese TV series Zyuranger. Zyuranger is about one or two years older than the American counterpart. With clever editing, staging, acting, and appropriation, the Power Rangers franchise has become a staple of American kids’ television.
The kids may not even know the existence of a series of the long popular Japanese franchise called Super Sentai (could be translated to “task force” or more literally, “battle squadron”). Even the REACT Channel on Youtube did an episode about kids reacting to Power Rangers. As expected, their reactions are priceless! Zyuranger was airing in Japan from 1992-1993 and is the sixteenth installment of the series. The first was Himitsu Sentai Gorenger (秘密戦隊ゴレンジャー Himitsu Sentai Gorenjā, roughly translates as Secret Task Force Five/GOranger) which aired from 1975 to 1977. Gorenger had 84 episodes, making it one of the longer series in the Super Sentai franchise.
Zyuranger has some significant achievements aside from being the first to be adapted into the MMPR franchise. Zyuranger was the first one that started the sixth Ranger tradition that would be followed in the subsequent Sentai series. It is also the first one to have the original Japanese series be officially brought to the States by Shout! Factory by means of a DVD collection.
Another interesting bit of information regarding the opening song above: it is sung by Kenta Satou who played the Red Turbo in Kousoku Sentai Turboranger (高速戦隊ターボレンジャー Kōsoku Sentai Tāborenjā, which roughly means High Speed Task Force Turboranger). While Zyuranger’s motif is based on prehistoric creatures, Turboranger’s motif is derived from wheeled vehicles. Satou also sung the opening song for Turborangers.
Image by blakehunter
Sources: Power Rangers Wikia and TV Tropes
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