Super Sentai is the name given to Japanese superheroes genre (known as "tokukatsu"). This genre contains live-action characters and special effects.The word "sentai" means "task force" or "squadron". It was first used by Japanese soldiers in World War II. The word "super" adds on that word because it consistently contains giant mechas and special weapons. Every sentai series depicted as five color-coded warriors (or some series fewer or more) who gains technological or magical powers in order to defeat small and giant monsters. The super sentai has giant robots made of combining mechanical vehicles/animals and each of the series has it's own plot and themes. Due to it's popularity, some of the super sentai series was later adapted into Power Rangers series in the United States.
I had discovered about super sentai series for a long time and I still used to it.I also found out that there are many people in the internet like super sentai. Like example here in the Philippines, Filipinos like to watch super sentai series before 2000. Out of current 33[1] super sentai series, 7 series were aired and known in the Philippines in different network stations during the 90's. Namely Himitsu Sentai Goranger, Dai Sentai Goggle V,Choudenshi Bioman, Hikari Sentai Maskman, Kousoku Sentai Turboranger, Chikyu Sentai Fiveman and Choujin Sentai Jetman. I considered to those fellow Pinoys during the 90's are very lucky because they saw some of the super sentai series before Power Rangers series. After the 90's, these mentioned super sentai series was never aired again in any network stations because of unknown reasons.[2] Here are some tidbit information about the mentioned super sentai series aired in the Philippines (although I only reached Bioman and Maskman before I went to elementary). I'd say these of the following shows should re-air in any network stations.
Himitsu Sentai Goranger
This is the first super sentai series aired around 1975 and was the series that had long episodes than the rest of the series in Japan. Unlike any the rest of Super Sentai series, Goranger doesn't have giant mechas but only special vehicles and weapons.The main characters are five members namely Aka Ranger (red), Ao Ranger(blue), Ki Ranger(yellow), Momo Ranger(pink), and Mido Ranger(green). In the Philippines, Goranger was released as Star Rangers between 1978 and 1979 on Saturday afternoons on RPN 9. In this version, aside from their color designations, the Gorangers also had numeric designations, in order of their introduction to the enemy prior to battle: Aka Ranger = Star 1, Ao Ranger = Star 2, Ki Ranger = Star 3, Momo Ranger = Star 4, and Mido Ranger = Star 5. The opening theme is here.Dai Sentai Goggle V
Aired around 1982 in Japan,Goggle V was the sixth installment of Super Sentai series.The main characters are five members namely Goggle Red,Goggle Black,Goggle Blue,Goggle Yellow and Goggle Pink.I'm not sure when this aired exactly in the Philippines but I found out that somebody pointed out that it aired every Saturday afternoons on RPN 9 in the late 90's. Opening theme is here.Choudenshi Bioman
This show was the eight installment of Super Sentai series aired around 1984 in Japan. Choudenshi Bioman is the first super sentai series that had to women in one team and a female sentai hero died in battle and replaced another female character as the new member.The five members are Red 1, Green 2, Blue 3, Yellow 4 and Pink 5. In the Philippines,Bioman was the known and popular super sentai series for Filipinos. The show was first aired around 1986/1987 and last aired around 1998 along with Maskman every Sunday mornings on IBC 13 in English-dub.The first opening theme is here. Also,the second opening theme is here when a new member of Bioman was replaced.
What really surprising about this series is that there is a dedication about this popular tokukatsu show. There's two local music videos that has the lyrics and theme of Bioman. One-entitled Psycho by Giniling Festival here produced in the year 2006 and the other is performed by Tito,Vic and Joey here.
Hikari Sentai Maskman
Aired around 1987 in Japan, Maskman was the eleventh entry for Super Sentai series.The main members in Maskman team are Red Mask, Blue Mask, Black Mask, Yellow Mask and Pink Mask and they specialized with different style of martial arts techniques and controlling the aura power. In the Philippine Tagalog-dub, it was called "Laser Squadron Maskman" and also the five members had their own Tagalog names-Michael Joe(red), Leonard(black), Adrian(blue), Eloisa(yellow) and Mary Rose (pink). It was first aired between 1989 to 1991 in IBC 13 and last aired around 1998 with the same network and along with Bioman every Sunday mornings. Also, the show had it's Tagalog opening/closing song version sang by Norman Caraan of 80's band Boyfriends during that time. Like in Bioman, Maskman was the popular super sentai series in the Philippines.The Tagalog opening is here and the ending version is here.Kousoku Sentai Turboranger
Turboranger was aired around 1989 and the thirteenth entry of super sentai entry in Japan.The main characters are Red Turbo, Blue Turbo, Black Turbo, Yellow Turbo and Pink Turbo. They are high school students who gain their powers as super sentai from magical fairies in order to defeat the Violent Demon Tribes. Somebody pointed out in Youtube that Turboranger was first aired around 1992 in IBC 13 in the Philippines.Like the names in Maskman,The Turborangers had also their Tagalog names-Ricki(red), Junny(black), Ian(blue), Ronnie(yellow), and Carina(pink). The opening theme is here sang by Kenta Satou, an actor who played as Red Turbo.Chikiyuu Sentai Fiveman
Debuted in 1990 in Japan, Fiveman was the fourteenth super sentai entry. The main characters are Five Red, Five Blue, Five Black, Five Pink and Five Yellow. This tells about five members (three male and two female) are actually siblings who are separated by their parents because of the Zone Empire. 20 years later,the siblings become elementary teachers and had their own secret identity as Fiveman. In the Philippines, it was aired around late 90's in ABC 5(now TV 5) then in early 2000 in SOLAR cable network. Opening theme is here.Choujin Sentai Jetman
Aired around 1991 and the fifteenth entry of super sentai series in Japan. Jetman was said to be the homage of Science Ninja Team Gatachaman. Unlike the previous series, Jetman contains darker plots and contains tragic ending even though the main characters will win the battle. The main theme about this series is about birds. The five main characters are Red Hawk, Black Condor, Yellow Owl, Blue Swallow and Pink Swan.These characters were first hit by "Birdonic Waves"accidentally and destined to defeat the Vyram's. In the Philippines, Jetman was aired around 1998 in RPN 9 and aired every Saturday afternoons in Tagalog-dub.The opening theme is here sung by Hironobu Kageyama, who also performed the songs from Dragon Ball Z.[1] as of this writing, it's 32. (the post was written during 2008, the time Go-Onger was on)
[2] Due mostly from Power Rangers, by Cartoon Network Philippines and Bankee Trading's bad influence.
0 comments:
Post a Comment