Super+Sentai+Shows

=Super Sentai=



=What is Super Sentai?=

Super Sentai is a genre of television show that can be best described as a "super hero team", in Japanese the word Sentai stands for "task force" or "team". A Super Sentai show generally consists of 3 to 5 individuals with the ability to "morph" into more powerful beings in order to fight evil. The super sentai shows are also known for their Giant Robots which the heroes can summon when the situation gets out of hand and they can no longer battle the evil forces in their normal form. Borrowing from the giant robot craze that was sweeping Japan at that time the Super Sentai shows created designs that rivalled those of Go Nagai by creating the idea of the combining robot--smaller robots that would combine into a larger more powerful robot.

=History of Super Sentai=

The concept of the Super Sentai show was originated by Shotaru Ishinomori with [|Himitsu Sentai Goranger] (Secret Task Force Goranger) in 1975. The idea of the fighting force that battled evil combined with the fast paced action made the show an instant success. Unfortunately Ishinomori's next incursion in the series known as JAKQ (pronounced Jacka) floppped, due to its unrealistic portrayal of a japanese strike force. This lead to a dry period of sentai series on TV, it was not until 1979 that Ishinomori tried again with [|Battle Fever J]. It was seen by many that Battle Fever J was the first true Super Sentai series, as it incorporated the 5 man transforming team with the giant combining robot that would soon become synonymous with the Super Sentai genre. It has also been made into a point that each incarnation of the Sentai Series would focus upon a social issue and make the public aware of it. Battle Fever J was created in a time where Japan was still looking for its national identity and where it fit in the world, to respond to this Ishinomori created his characters that exemplified traditional Japanese values and placed them on an international stage, showing that Japan was indeed a world power to bolster national moral. Some similar issues are used in later series, such as the importance of family values as portrayed in [|Magiranger].

=Journey To the West=

In 1993 [|Haim Saban], a TV producer who had seen much success in France decided to bring the sentai craze over to the North American shores. Saban was trying to catch onto the martial arts craze that was sweeping the north american shores in the early 90's by bringing to it a new children's TV show that featured fast paced martial arts action, explosions, and giant robots, this was of course the [|Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers]. The show was an instant hit, every episode drew thousands of viewers from coast to coast. Soon the show began drawing alot of heat from parent activist groups that were protesting the show's excessive use of violence. In fact in 1994, a pair of parents in Ontario launched a campaign that appealed directly to the CRTC. Using the violence as a platform they petitioned to have the power rangers removed from Canadian airwaves. By stating that the show displays violence without any negative consequences, it would lead children to believe that violence was a positive issue resolving option. The CRTC agreed and the power rangers were removed from all Canadian broadcasting stations, leaving Canadian chilrden turning to international cable and Fox Kids for their power rangers fix. media type="youtube" key="dvXqqhP3Pc0"

=Future of Super Sentai=

Despite their setback in Canada, the market for the Power rangers is still going strong. In fact in 2007 the Power Rangers franchise will be celebrating their 15th year anniversary, with 13 different power ranger titles under their belt. In February 2007 the franchise will be celebrating their anniverary with the launch of their newest title [|Power Rangers: Operation Overdrive.] The holding of the franchise has fallen out of the hands of Saban and newsgroup and control over it has been turned over to the Disney corporation. This changeover came about in 2002 and its changes have been apparent in the latest releases in the Rangers series. Storylines that were once original and separate from their Japanese coutnerparts are now parallel. In Power Rangers Mystic Force there are key elements that are paralleled between the two shows, leading to more of a domestication of a foreign show rather than an interpretation which the original Power Rangers was. Despite the changes in presentation and storyline, the franchise is still growing strong and is still boasting fantastic ratings. As long as Japan continues to churn out Sentai series every year like clockwork, the North American Power Rangers machine will continue to grow strong as well.

=Citations=

John J Pungente, "To morph or not to morph" http://interact.uoregon.edu/medialit/jcp/articles/morph.html

CANADIAN BROADCAST STANDARDS COUNCIL ONTARIO REGIONAL COUNCIL CIII-TV (GLOBAL TELEVISION) re "Mighty Morphin Power Rangers" http://www.cbsc.ca/english/decisions/decisions/1994/940405.htm =External Links=

[|Super Sentai Central] [|Power Rangers Central]