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Super Sentai

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File:Supersentaiserieslogo.jpg
The official logo of the Super Sentai Series introduced in 2000 during the run of Mirai Sentai Timeranger

The Super Sentai Series (スーパー戦隊シリーズ, Sūpā Sentai Shirīzu) is the name given to the long running Japanese "superhero team" genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd. and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Super" refers to their use of mecha, and "sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or, literally, "fighting squadron" and was also a term used for Japanese squadrons in WWII). The shows are of the tokusatsu genre, featuring live action characters and colorful special effects, and are aimed mainly at families. This series is one of the most prominent tokusatsu productions in Japan, alongside the Ultra Series, the Kamen Rider Series, and the Metal Hero Series.

Series overview

The official poster for the 25th Anniversary crossover movie, Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai (2001)

In every Sentai show, the fight between good and evil is illustrated, with the good side winning most of the time. The basic premise of the series is that a group of (usually) five people gain special powers (magical or technological), wear colored outfits, and use advanced weapons and martial arts skills to battle powerful beings from other planets and/or dimensions threatening to take over the Earth. In most of the episodes, after the team has beaten an army of evil creatures ("grunts") and the "monster of the week", they call for huge robotic vehicles/animals ("mechas") that can combine to form one giant robot to fight an enlarged version of the monster. Sentai series with the giant robot element are specifically known as Super Sentai. Each Sentai is set in a different fictional universe, with the exception of specials that feature a teaming up with the previous Sentai.

The first Sentai series, Himitsu Sentai Goranger, was created by the late Shotaro Ishinomori, creator of Kamen Rider and Cyborg 009 in 1975. He did not create any further Sentai series after his second, J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai, was not received well. These two series were not a part of the Super Sentai series until 1994 when TOEI decided to include them with the series that followed.

The third Sentai series, Battle Fever J (1979), is the first Super Sentai show (on account of it being the first to have a giant robot that the heroes ride - the past two shows only had vehicles).

The term sentai is also occasionally used to describe shows with similar premises, such as Voltron, or even the magical girl team in Sailor Moon, as Naoko Takeuchi deliberately used sentai ideas.[1] In 2003, Sailor Moon was retold in a fashion somewhat similar to Sentai shows in the form of Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. While not officially Sentai, some fans of the genre have accepted it as such.

Distribution

Although the series originated in Japan, they were imported and dubbed in several other countries. Choudenshi Bioman & Hikari Sentai Maskman were very popular in France and in the Philippines in the 1980s,[2] and multiple Super Sentai shows aired in Hawaii, due in large part to the previous success of Kamen Rider V3 and Kikaida there. Additionally, Choudenshi Bioman & Kousoku Sentai Turboranger were aired in Spain.

Himitsu Sentai Goranger was also aired briefly in Sacramento and San Francisco, California. Kagaku Sentai Dynaman was dubbed and aired as a parody on the USA Network television show Night Flight in 1987. In 1993, Haim Saban produced the first installment of the Power Rangers franchise by dubbing the action sequences from 1992's Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger and filming new footage with American actors for the story sequences. This trend has continued, with each successive Sentai show contributing the action sequences to the Power Rangers series the following year.[3]

Super Sentai has also been broadcast in South Korea dubbed from Japanese to Korean, starting as early as Choushinsei Flashman titled Earth Protector Flashman (지구방위대 후뢰시맨). Recently, JEI-TV has broadcast Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger, Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger, and Mahou Sentai Magiranger under the Power Rangers titles of Dino Thunder, S.P.D., and Magic Force (while the American series is Mystic Force).[4]

In recent years the Super Sentai franchise has begun to gain a strong following from older Power Rangers fans due to online fansub groups releasing English-subtitled versions of various series, making episodes available on many websites.

The series of Super Sentai

File:Sentai 30th Anniversary.jpg
The 30th Anniversary logo introduced in the opening sequence for GoGo Sentai Boukenger
File:30 Sentai.jpg
The 30 Super Sentai from Himitsu Sentai Goranger to GoGo Sentai Boukenger

Each of the series of Super Sentai has their own unique values and themes.

Himitsu Sentai Goranger (translated as Secret Squadron Goranger), aired from 1975-1977, was the first Sentai. It was a super-technology spy team that fought against a secret terrorist monster force. The motif was "variable technology".

J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai (translated as J.A.K.Q. Blitzkrieg Squad) aired in 1977. It featured a team of cyborgs based on a playing card motif - Jack, Ace, King and Queen. It had the first non-Red leader, and it was the first team-up with the previous Sentai team (J.A.K.Q. vs. Goranger), a special feature that would not repeat until Ohranger vs. Kakuranger, when it became an annual tradition.

Battle Fever J aired in 1979. Its theme was that of national countries (Japan, Soviet Union, Kenya, France and the United States) and a dance style motif. The female character, Miss America, was designed by reference in Marvel's Miss America; in addition, her male counterparts vaguely resemble Marvel's Captain America. This fact is influenced by the cooperative relation built when Marvel and Toei made the tokusatsu Spider-Man. All other characters were designed as original by Toei.

Denshi Sentai Denjiman (translated as Electronic Squadron Denjiman) aired in 1980. It was the first Super Sentai to have opaque visors, and a transforming giant robot.

Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan (translated as Solar Squadron Sun Vulcan) aired in 1981. It was the only series to be a sequel to the previous one. Each of the team members represented a different part of the Earth; land, sea, and air. It was also the first all-male team, and the first to have a combining robot (two units forming into one). San, the Japanese pronunciation for "sun", may also mean "three," since there are three Sun Vulcans (it is also in the series' second ending theme: One [Ichi] + Two [Ni] + Three [San] Vulcans).

Dai Sentai Goggle V (translated as Great Squadron Goggle Five) aired in 1982. Its sentai team is based on the jewels of ancient civilizations and on rhythmic gymnastics. The show had a tremendous impact in Indonesia.

Kagaku Sentai Dynaman (translated as Science Squadron Dynaman) aired in 1983. It was the first series to feature heroes wearing spandex and to forgo wearing scarves. Several episodes of this series were later dubbed into English as the comedic parody series Dynaman, which was briefly seen on the USA Network's Night Flight programming block.

Choudenshi Bioman (translated as Super Electronic Bioman) aired in 1984. It was the first series to have two female Sentai members (and the first female in yellow). It was well known in France and in the Philippines.

Dengeki Sentai Changeman (translated as Blitzkrieg Squadron Changeman) aired in 1985. Its theme was European mythological animals: dragon (red), griffin (black), pegasus (blue), mermaid (white) and phoenix (pink). The show had a tremendous impact in Brazil.

Choushinsei Flashman (translated as Supernova Flashman) aired in 1986. Its theme was colored crystals on different planets. It was the first to have a second robot. Like Changeman, Flashman had a tremendous impact in Brazil.

Hikari Sentai Maskman (translated as Light Squadron Maskman) aired in 1987. Its theme based on different martial arts techniques and mystical "aura power" energy. It was the first to have a sixth team member (for one episode only), and the first to have a five-piece component robot. The show became popular in the Philippines after Bioman in 1984.

Choujuu Sentai Liveman (translated as Super-Beast Squadron Liveman) aired in 1988. Its theme was animals (falcon, lion, dolphin, bison, and rhino). It was the first to have a female in blue, and the first to initially have three members, with two members joining later. It was also the first team to have animal-based mecha (widely used since), and the first to have two giant robots combine to form one powerful robot. The show had a tremendous impact in Peru.

Kousoku Sentai Turboranger (translated as High-Speed Squadron TurboRanger) aired in 1989. Its theme was based on automobiles. This was the 10th anniversary series (by Toei's official count until Goranger & J.A.K.Q. were re-included) and it featured a Super Sentai reunion. It was the first series to have a command base to be combined with the other giant robots to create a very powerful robot.

Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman (translated as Earth Squadron Fiveman) aired in 1990. Its theme was academic subjects: (science, athletics, language, music and mathematics) and martial arts styles. It was the first all-sibling team.

Choujin Sentai Jetman (translated as Birdman Squadron Jetman) aired in 1991. Its theme was various birds. This series brought intense drama to the Sentai franchise, making it one of the more popular Super Sentai series. It was based on the '70s anime Gatchaman. It was the first series to have a third giant robot, and a female mentor. It was the first series with a member getting killed after the war, and a new character introduced in a manga.

Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger (translated as Dinosaur Squadron Zyuranger) aired in 1992. Its theme was prehistoric beasts. It was the first Super Sentai to introduce sentient mecha. This series was the first to be adapted as an installment of the American Power Rangers franchise as the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. It was also the first series to have a regular sixth team member and the first series with a member dying while active, but not on the battle field.

Gosei Sentai Dairanger (translated as Five-Star Squadron Dairanger) aired in 1993. Its theme was Chinese mythological animals and martial arts styles spanning generations of combatants fighting over the centuries. Also, it is the first series to feature a growing child member.

Ninja Sentai Kakuranger (translated as Ninja Squadron Kakuranger) aired in 1994. Its theme was the art of ninjutsu. This series saw the first multi-Sentai team-up; Super Sentai World, where the previous four teams joined in the action. It was also the first series to have a second five-piece giant robot, as well as the first set of non-combining separate mecha.

Chouriki Sentai Ohranger (translated as Super-Power Squadron Overtech Hardware Ranger) aired in 1995. Its theme was five geometric symbols and ancient mystical technology. Ohranger began the annual tradition of a team-up movie with the heroes of the show seen the previous year with Chouriki Sentai Ohranger vs. Kakuranger ("Vs." in the Sentai context does not, for whatever reason, indicate animosity between the two teams but rather the two joining forces).

Gekisou Sentai Carranger (translated as Racing Squadron Carranger) aired in 1996. Its theme based on cars. It was the 20th anniversary Sentai incarnation and its helmets are closely related to Turboranger's. This season was a parody of the Super Sentai series while being an actual series itself. It lacked the seriousness present in previous series.

Denji Sentai Megaranger (translated as Electromagnetic Squadron Megaranger) aired in 1997. Its theme was various electronic equipment, with Toei capitalizing on the growing popularity of the internet, cell phones, and computers, and also on space exploration. It was the first Sentai to have a member in silver.

Seijuu Sentai Gingaman (translated as Star-Beast Squadron Gingaman) aired in 1998. Its theme was both benevolent "Galaxy Beasts" that aided mankind through the centuries and nature/elements (Fire, Water, Wind, Electricity and Flowers).

Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V (translated as Rescue Squadron Go-Go V) aired in 1999. Its theme was various rescue services (hazardous rescue, firefighter, helicopter pilot, police officer, and paramedic). It featured the second sibling team in the Super Sentai series. For the first time since Jetman, the series featured only five heroes.

Mirai Sentai Timeranger (translated as Future Squadron Timeranger) aired in 2000. Its theme was time-travelling police officers from the year 3000. It was the first to have the sixth team member's costume color the same as a regular team member (red).

Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger (translated as 100 Beast Squadron Gaoranger) aired in 2001. Its theme was wild animals. It was the 25th anniversary Sentai team, which had the honor of teaming up with past Super Sentai members in a special production entitled Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai.

Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger (translated as Stealth-Wind Squadron Hurricaneger) aired in 2002. Its theme was variations of the art of ninjutsu. Its costume designs are closely related to Liveman (Red falcon, Yellow lion, Blue dolphin).

Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger (translated as Blastasaur Squadron Abaranger) aired in 2003. Its theme was dinosaurs, closely resembling 1992's Zyuranger.

Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger (translated as Special Investigation Squadron Dekaranger) aired in 2004. Its theme was an intergalactic police force division stationed on Earth to handle extraterrestrial criminals who enter Earth illegally and wreak havoc. It was the first to have a regular seventh team member, with three more Rangers who appear once throughout the series: DekaSwan (36), DekaBright (40), and DekaGold (Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger the Movie: Full Blast Action), although DekaGold was not a member of Earth's Dekarangers. Deka is Japanese slang for Detective and is similar to "deca", which is the SI prefix for 10, since there are ten Dekarangers in all, five male and five female.

Mahou Sentai Magiranger (translated as Magic Squadron Magiranger) aired in 2005. Its theme was magic and elemental powers, with Toei capitalizing on the popularity of the Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings series as well as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, their own adaptation of the Sailor Moon franchise. It was the first series to feature a married couple serving as team members (MagiMother and Wolzard Fire), and later two (MagiBlue and MagiShine), making Magiranger the first Sentai family.

GoGo Sentai Boukenger (translated as Rumbling Squadron Boukenger) aired in 2006. Its theme was adventure and treasure hunting. It is the thirtieth anniversary of Super Sentai. At the end of each episode (Task), starting with the fourth, Boukenger had a short featurette at the end to commemorate the previous 30 years of Super Sentai entitled the 30 Sentai Encyclopedia. It is the first Super Sentai series to be filmed and broadcast in widescreen HDTV.

Jūken Sentai Gekiranger (translated as Beast-Fist Squadron Gekiranger) currently airs in 2007. This series' theme is that of both martial arts and wild animals, beginning with large cats such as the tiger, cheetah, and jaguar.

The Super Sentai series have been airing in Japan for the past thirty years, and have been parodied as well as emulated in various ways throughout the world. Some of the more notable anime, other cartoons and video games that reference or parody are:

There have also been direct parody series such as the Filipino series Biokids[5] and Kabayokids[6], the French series Bioumen, and the Japanese series Special Duty Combat Unit Shinesman (特務戦隊シャインズマン, Tokumu Sentai Shainsuman).

There have been many tribute series that pay homage to the long running franchise, starting with the Japanese series Patriotic Squadron Great Japan (愛國戰隊大日本, Aikoku Sentai Dai-Nippon) created by what is now Gainax.[7] The most recent series is the French online series Jushi Sentai France Five[8] (now Shin Kenjushi France Five) which became so popular in Japan that Akira Kushida sang an opening theme for it.[9]

In a couch gag on the American long-running sitcom The Simpsons, the family appears as Sentai characters.

Colors

The color palette for Super Sentai has grown over the years, beginning with Red, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and Green in Goranger.

# Series Red Blue Yellow Green Pink Black  White   Silver   Gold 
1 Himitsu Sentai Goranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
2 J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
3 Battle Fever J ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
4 Denshi Sentai Denjiman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
5 Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan ✔ ✔ ✔
6 Dai Sentai Goggle V ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
7 Kagaku Sentai Dynaman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
8 Choudenshi Bioman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
9 Dengeki Sentai Changeman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
10 Choushinsei Flashman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
11 Hikari Sentai Maskman(refactored from X-1Mask) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
12 Choujuu Sentai Liveman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
13 Kousoku Sentai Turboranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
14 Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
15 Choujin Sentai Jetman(refactored from Green Eagle) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
16 Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
17 Gosei Sentai Dairanger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
18 Ninja Sentai Kakuranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
19 Chouriki Sentai Ohranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
20 Gekisou Sentai Carranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
21 Denji Sentai Megaranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
22 Seijuu Sentai Gingaman ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
23 Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
24 Mirai Sentai Timeranger(refactored from TimeFire) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
25 Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
26 Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger(refactored from Gouraiger) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
27 Bakuryuu Sentai Abaranger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
28 Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger(refactored from Dekaranger) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
29 Mahou Sentai Magiranger(refactored from Magiranger) ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
30 GoGo Sentai Boukenger ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
31 Jūken Sentai Gekiranger ✔ ✔ ✔

Template:Ent Maskman had the first sixth team member, X-1 Mask. However, he appeared only in one episode. Template:Ent Jetman also had a sixth member, Green Eagle, in a non-canon manga epilogue. Template:Ent Timeranger was unique in that there were six warriors, but the sixth warrior, TimeFire, had a red-colored suit which was only distinguished from TimeRed's suit by its black accents and the jagged arrows. Template:Ent Hurricaneger had the Kabuto and Kuwaga Raigers that wore suits of darker hues of Red and Blue, respectively. Template:Ent Dekaranger included five additional warriors, a final count of ten warriors. Both DekaBreak (who wore a White suit) and DekaMaster (who wore a primarily Black suit) were regular characters; whereas DekaSwan (wearing a primarily orange suit) and DekaBright (wearing a silver suit) were only seen for one episode each and DekaGold was exclusive to Tokusou Sentai Dekaranger The Movie: Full Blast Action where she was only seen for a split second in her suit before having her transformation disrupted by a hostile attack. Additionally, Dekaranger is the only series that has included all current colors that have been seen in Super Sentai. Template:Ent Magiranger had two additional warriors who did not fall under the basic color schemes. MagiShine wore gold armor over navy blue spandex and Wolzard Fire wore dark red armor.

Mecha

The main theme that makes a Super Sentai are the various mecha that the teams use. The two original teams, Goranger and J.A.K.Q. solely had vehicles, which is what designated them originally as "Sentai." What originally denoted a "Sentai" from a "Super Sentai" was the use of a giant robot. The first series to have such was Battle Fever J with its Battle Fever Robo. This was followed by the first giant robot that transformed from a vehicle, Denshi Sentai Denjiman and its DaiDenjin, and then by the first combining, or "gattai" (合体) robot, Sun Vulcan Robo. The first time a team had a second robot occurred in Choushinsei Flashman with Flash King and Flash Titan. The first combination of two robots, or "Super Gattai" (スーパー合体, Sūpā Gattai) occurred in Choujuu Sentai Liveman with Live Robo and Live Boxer combining into Super Live Robo. Kousoku Sentai Turboranger featured the first transforming base robot, Turbo Builder. The first third robot was Tetraboy in Choujin Sentai Jetman alongside JetIcarus and JetGaruda. The first seven-piece combination was Ultimate DaiZyujin in Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger, a number only recently surpassed by Super DaiBouken and Ultimate DaiBouken in GoGo Sentai Boukenger, which are comprised of nine and ten mecha, respectively. The first multiple combination mecha appeared in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger, with all of the Power Animals being interchangeable with each other in the main combinations.

References

  1. ^ McCarter, Charles. "Public Interview with Takeuchi Naoko" (Q & A Interview). EX:CLUSIVE. www.ex.org. Retrieved 2006-11-30.
  2. ^ "Japan Hero > Cho Denshi Bioman review". Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  3. ^ "tokusatsu-l". Retrieved 2006-12-03.
  4. ^ "파워레인저 매직포스 (Power Rangers: Magic Force)". Retrieved 2006-12-03. Template:Ko icon
  5. ^ Biokids at IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-03-27.
  6. ^ Kabayo kids (1990) at IMDb. Retrieved on 2007-03-27
  7. ^ GAINAX Co., Ltd. (2006-01-05). "GAINAX NET｜Works｜Animation & Films｜DAICON FILM｜愛國戦隊大日本[[Category:Articles containing Japanese-language text]] (Aikoku Sentai Dai-Nippon あい くに いくさ たい だい にっぽん[[Category:Articles containing Japanese-language text]], literally "Patriotic Squadron Great Japan")". GAINAX NET (in Japanese). GAINAX Co., Ltd. p. 1. Retrieved 2007-03-26. 愛國戦隊大日本 (Aikoku Sentai Dai-Nippon あい くに いくさ たい だい にっぽん, literally "Patriotic Squadron Great Japan") {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  8. ^ [Webmaster|pilotalex] (2004-11-17). "France Five". France Five (in English, French, and and Japanese). France Five. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2006-05-27. Retrieved 2007-03-26. http://www.francefive.com/img_choix_langue.jpg Jushi Sentai FRANCE FIVE {{cite web}}: External link in |quote= (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  9. ^ [Webmaster|pilotalex] (2005-02-25). "オープニング＆エンディング[[Category:Articles containing Japanese-language text]] (Ōpuningu & Endingu 開始(かいし)＆終り(おわり), literally "Opening & Ending")". France Five (in Japanese). France Five. p. 1. Archived from the original on 2005-12-21. Retrieved 2007-03-26. フランスファイブを見た串田氏のほうから、主題歌を歌ってみたい！との友情にとんだ申し出があり、氏みずからフランスファイブのために曲を作詞・作曲してくださった。 {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
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