My Story:
It all started 12 years ago, in 2005, when I was only three years old and I was watching ABC Kids, and there it was, Power Rangers S.P.D.
Being my first season, I was amazed. Possibly by their pretty colors, but no. As I watched more and more of the show, and started watching the following season, Power Rangers Mystic Force, I realized Power Rangers was more than just pretty colors. I loved the action, the monsters, the zords, everything. And to expand my love for the show, I rented VHS' of Power Rangers Ninja Storm and Power Rangers Dino Thunder, but thanks to one particular VHS, which is Vol. 2: Legacy of Power. I made a discovery....
They're were more teams of Power Rangers. I saw teams, like Wild Force, In Space, Lost Galaxy, Lightspeed Rescue, Time Force, which the latter would eventually become my favorite season, and so much more. I got more VHS', like Wild Force: Identity Crisis, I got the two movies, I even got VHS from VR Troopers, Beetleborgs, and Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad
But regardless on how different these shows are, I still called them Power Rangers. What? I was naive. As more seasons like Operation Overdrive came around, I started to collect DVDs, with the first one being Power Rangers S.P.D. Vol. 1: Joining Forces.
As time went on, I collected more DVDs, and after RPM finished it's run on ABC Kids, I was pretty shocked that they would be showing episodes of Mighty Morphin, which, as naive I was, I thought that they would be showing all the seasons all over again, but that did make me realize something. RPM, well at the time, was the last season, but I wasn't all sentimental over it since I was hyped up to see what Mighty Morphin was like. (Years later, I think the reversion is crap). Anyways, as I was in the second grade, I got news that a new Power Rangers series has hit the air, Power Rangers Samurai, and I was delighted......but that's not the end.
Discovering Super Sentai & Tokusatsu:
In the early years, I have always thought the Power Rangers was it's own show. I had no idea what it actually was, until that one day. While I was at my local library, I logged into an available computer and surfed through the web, learning so much about the past Power Ranger teams.....until, I found a little video showing me morphs of Asian teams of Power Rangers. I thought they were just some chinese people doing fan morphs for Power Rangers, but no, this was the moment we're I discovered.....Super Sentai.
Discovering Super Sentai & Tokusatsu:
In the early years, I have always thought the Power Rangers was it's own show. I had no idea what it actually was, until that one day. While I was at my local library, I logged into an available computer and surfed through the web, learning so much about the past Power Ranger teams.....until, I found a little video showing me morphs of Asian teams of Power Rangers. I thought they were just some chinese people doing fan morphs for Power Rangers, but no, this was the moment we're I discovered.....Super Sentai.
I was pretty amazed that the show I loved my entire life was adapted from a show in Japan, much like in anime, but in Japan, they're we're different actors and etc. This also paved the way towards my discovery of tokusatsu, in general. When I discovered Kamen Rider, I first saw a commercial for Kamen Rider Dragon Knight toys, back in 2009.
I didn't care much for it, I was too much of a fanboy for Power Rangers. Then, at my library, I saw another Kamen Rider video, which was a cameo that Kamen Rider Double made in Kamen Rider Decade: All Riders vs Dai-Shocker. Decade and Shadow Moon were arguing about what color he is, whether he was green or black, and it turned out he was both. As time progressed, I found out about other Kamen Rider series.
And I found a video of certain Kamen Rider Henshins, from Ichigo-Double, and.....I got scared of one certain Rider......and that Rider is Kamen Rider Shin. When I got to his henshin sequence, it was so gruesome that I don't even have the balls to watch it again. But as time passed, I became a fan of Kamen Rider as well. Discovering Ultraman is pretty bizarre, because I discovered it thanks to................The Ninja Turtles.
On a VHS I had, which was the 2003 series of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I saw a promo for an uncut DVD release of Ultraman Tiga.
We all know that Ultraman Tiga was brought over here in the States on 4Kids for an English Dub, which was comedic by the way. When I saw it, it reminded of Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad, since that show was based off of Denkou Choujin Gridman, a show made by Tsuburaya Productions, who are best known for making the Ultra Series. I even saw a DVD of the original Ultraman from 1966 in stores. I didn't buy it, but I highly regret that. Then, I discovered, the King of the Monsters.
When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, I got this book telling me about the Invisible Man, and on the back, it had the word "Godzilla" in it. I was confused who Godzilla was. I asked a friend of mine and he told me Godzilla was a giant fire-breathing lizard. As I became obsessed with the internet, I researched Godzilla and this was the result. Godzilla was practically a pop culture icon that I would eventually become a fan of. Again, as time grew, I discovered Metal Heroes, which is were VR Troopers and Beetleborgs came from, and Garo, and I would become a huge fan of tokusatsu.
No matter how Power Rangers can have some terrible seasons, or how I can be picked on for liking Power Rangers, my opinion will never change. Power Rangers just feels like wild ride that just will never stop. I am very glad that Power Rangers has existed for 25 years and hears to 25 more. In the words of a giant-blue head, May the Protect You. Later.
