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Forum - View topicNEWS: Toei Head Producer Explains End of Super Sentai's Half-Century TV Run
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Wyvern
 Posts: 1796 |
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Kamen Rider took an eleven year hiatus from TV (skipping the 1990's completely) and came back stronger than ever, enough that its popularity has now eclipsed Super Sentai's. So maybe a long break is exactly what Sentai needs.
That said, I do think most recent Sentai series have been creatively great, you can really see the writing teams trying out different approaches and giving the show a unique vibe for each new series. But the audience simply wasn't there anymore, and I'm sure the whole legal mess with the Power Rangers franchise didn't help matters.
See, I think one of the strengths of Sentai is that it commits to telling a complete story with an actual ending every year, which is something Marvel doesn't do. In recent years, Sentai has tried to manufacture a Marvel-like feel by doing more crossovers and forcing a connected universe, and it just has never felt authentic to me. I hope we're reaching the end of the era where all entertainment media tries to copy Marvel's formula. It was fun for a while but now it feels too contrived. Apart from the yearly VS movies, I actually prefer if sentai series stay separate. It allows for more creative freedom and keeps things simpler. Of course, who knows what the media landscape will look like when Super Sentai eventually revives? Too bad Gozyuger's production has turned out to be such a trainwreck. That's a hell of a way for Sentai to end its run. |
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EmeraldSaucer
 Posts: 978 |
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While I'm sure the stuff Shirakura mentions here contributed to the decision, I don't see these as being anywhere near the most important reasons (just the ones the public can be most privy to). Because both the issue of streaming forming self-competition and that of connectivity being limited to crossover movies and the depths of the Toei Toku Fan Club also apply to Kamen Rider, which is thriving and not going anywhere any time soon
But in any case, Gozyuger was definitely an ignominious end to a nearly continuous (thanks 1978 Spider-Man) 50 year run. If anything, its refusal to really dig into the concept of competition between the Gozyugers until the 11th hour demonstrates just how limited Super Sentai was by its own formula. So hopefully a decade off will help reevaluate how to move forward with it, and hopefully Toei learns how to actually protect its contracted talent in the meantime |
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Sirsumsrince
Posts: 21 |
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I feel like a general bump in target demographic to around Kamen Rider's level (preteen to teen) would be a good step for Sentai.
MCU inspiration without changing the complete formula I suppose would be more focus on individual heros teaming up (more diverse powersets and looks), direct legacy characters in universe and long term payoffs. I can't really imagine a truly single continuity though... it would get crowded quickly. |
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Silver Kirin
Posts: 1784 |
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I find it interesting Shirakura mentioned the Marvel Cinematic Universe being popular in Japan, because I've heard that the movies themslved don't tend to perform particularly well in Japan compared to how they perform in other Asian countries, even during the MCU's heyday back in the late 2010s, still, I can see that maybe Super Sentai has maybe become even more repetititve due to the series having a brand new story every year, I think one of the better decisions Power Rangers had was having a continuing story, with some recast, until they started making a new series each year with a different cast, but even as a kid I liked the idea that all the Power Rangers series took place in the same universe
To be fair, the fact that Super Sentai had been running for half a century is a huge accomplishment, giving it a hiatus it's not a bad idea. |
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TokimekiCrisis
Posts: 131 |
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As far as the MCU style writing goes, I'm not a fan when it's in the series itself. I really disliked the integration of past teams like Kyoryuger in Kingohger. Precure has also been doing this for awhile in some series as well. I was perfectly fine with crossovers being limited to movies but as soon as the series started to do it I felt it got too intrusive.
I will say the original Mighty Morphin Power Ranger was interesting in how they combined so many different series into one continuity and that's probably why it's the one series that stands the test of time and why it keeps getting fondly remembered and milked compared to later seasons but it did eventually get long in the tooth when none of the original ranger cast was left in the show. It kind of made the reveal of their secret identities a bit flat. If they wanted to extend some sentai series to more than a year I think that would do very well. Some series definitely could have used more episodes and could have easily went on for a second year. LuPat comes to mind with following the adventures of the new Lupinrangers or diving into Noel's home world which could have easily lasted another season or two and continue that series beyond the hard 1-year limit. |
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Handyman 68
Posts: 37 |
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[quote="Sirsumsrince"]I feel like a general bump in target demographic to around Kamen Rider's level (preteen to teen) would be a good step for Sentai./quote]
Even Kamen Rider is pretty toned down to where it used to be even a decade ago when it comes to violence. Funnily enough I always felt Super Sentai had more sexual/fanservice content compared to Kamen Rider. It's why I found it funny people were getting into recent Kamen Rider with Tojima Wants to Be a Kamen Rider due to the fanservice but if you want to find those kinds of designs or gags they do with Tackle you'd have more luck with modern Sentai than modern Rider. |
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mdo7
 Posts: 8241 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Just to let you know in case if ANN's article is met with some skepticism from some ANN reader/forumite, this article from Tokusatsu Network has also validated ANN's article (although Tokusatsu Network has cited this ANN article also as a source).
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WatcherZer
Posts: 530 |
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[quote="Handyman 68"]
Unless you watch Kamen Rider Black Sun, my god that's a gore fest and rated 18 in pretty much every country (except the UK where its a 15). |
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Cardcaptor Takato
 Posts: 5990 |
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So it was basically just Rangerboard who made up the claim that Super Sentai was just "rebranding" and they never posted any proof of their claims even when all official sources were saying it was ending and Super Sentai fans got angry and called for Oricon journalist to be fired because they believed Rangerboard.
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Nate148
Posts: 664 |
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And now he reposting hasbro killed super sentai bullshit as if he knew that all along… what a tool.
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mdo7
Posts: 8241 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Wait, who are you referring to, the Rangerboard user or the Toei producer? Because if it's the same Rangerboard user, ignore that user. I don't think there's no way Power Rangers would've killed Super Sentai given that people in the US are now already aware of the Japanese series thanks to Wikipedia, internet, social media, Youtube, etc... |
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EmeraldSaucer
Posts: 978 |
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The article here mentions Shirakura saying that Sentai lasted another 30 years in no small part due to Power Rangers. Which I see no reason to dispute that claim nor the implied consequences of Hasbro screwing the pooch and giving up. Because no doubt Power Rangers had become a major part of how Toei expected to recoup costs for Sentai and that just disappeared |
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GNPixie
Posts: 361 |
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When Bandai still had stake in PR, the PR sales were incoporated into the sales figures for Bandai hence why a lot of the finacial reports would say Super Sentai (Power Rangers). When Saban got the rights back and then sold them to Hasbro after the 2017 movie bombed, that extra cut that Bandai used to get from PR sales all but vanished thus dragging Super Sentai's numbers down in the proccess since they were no longer getting that cut themselves. |
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mdo7
Posts: 8241 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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Are you telling me that Super Sentai's success is based on Power Rangers??? Because that is ridiculous, I mean even before MMPR/Power Rangers franchise was even created, I know Super Sentai shows that were even exported to other countries even outside of Asia. If that was the case, then that's like saying Toho can't create anymore Godzilla films because of Warner Bros's Monsterverse (which uses Godzilla), how is it that Toho can get away having their Godzilla film coming out side by side with the Monsterverse Godzilla film, but Toei have to tied Super Sentai's success to Power Rangers. I know that there are Power Rangers shows that never got dubbed and broadcasted in Japan, but for the idea of Super Sentai's success being tied to Power Ranger's success in the US is just ridiculous. I thought Super Sentai has been going on a downfall for the last few years, and has nothing to do with Power Rangers. |
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EmeraldSaucer
Posts: 978 |
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I am literally paraphrasing the article's statement from Shirakura, who probably knows more about these things than you do as a producer who has worked at Toei for 35 years. Take it up with him if you don't like the idea that Super Sentai has been able to exist as long as it did, after a time when it seemed like things were wrapping up after the financial downturn of shows like Fiveman, in large part because Power Rangers became a major secondary revenue source. And it doesn't take a genius to figure that when Toei lost that source Sentai became much less sustainable from a business perspective. Which has nothing to do with what came first, or what is popular where |
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