All Power Rangers instrumental theme songs (Unmastered) by Lemos Design

This was just too fucking awesome to not share. Enjoy! ^_^

Another Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia Season 2 Preview

Lest you think I’m just sitting on my hands and doing nothing, I HAVE been working on Season 2 of GoG, I just have been working on the entire first few chapters at once, while also working on my blog and doing other things. But, for those that enjoyed Season 1 and are anxiously awaiting more content, here’s another preview of Season 2’s opening story arc, entitled ‘Always A Ranger’.

---

“We’re here,” Adam stated as the group came to a large warehouse. Opening the steel doors of the loading dock, he led everyone inside, where they found a number of people huddled about, looking a bit scared and disheveled.

“City’s inhabitants?” Nikki asked, getting a nod from Adam. “What happened?”

“I got here just after it happened,” Adam explained, leading the team through the large room of people. “The Blots came in and overran the city. The police couldn’t stop them, and the military’s still licking its wounds from the invasion, so-“

“Whoa, INVASION?” Dirk inquired, confused.

Adam scratched the back of his neck. “Yeah…You guys have missed a lot. Earth was invaded by an intergalactic Armada. There was a team of Rangers that managed to beat them back, but the overall forces were so large that it took every last Power Ranger to finally stop them.”

“Aw man, and we missed it?!” Madilyn whined, getting odd looks. “…What? I wanted to fight alongside the other Power Rangers too!”

“Point is, we were still working to get past that, and when this happened, most of us were caught off-guard,” Adam continued as the group made their way to a door labelled ‘Front Office’. “Fortunately, after the war, a few of us veteran Rangers decided to stay in contact in case anything like this should happen again.”

Opening the door the group of seven walked in to find that the front office of the warehouse had been converted into a command center. Standing at different stations were an Asian man in a military-like blue uniform with a red beret, a blonde woman in a blue and black ninja-esque outfit, a brunette in a yellow hoodie and blue jeans, a somewhat shaggy man with brown hair in a purple and black gi, a young woman with dark hair in a white lab coat over an academy uniform of some sort, and a young Asian woman in a black and pink gi. They all looked up curiously to see the Gaia Rangers enter.

“Everyone, we’ve got some new friends,” Adam announced. “These are Nikki, Patrick, Layla, Dirk, Madilyn, and Drayden, the Gaia Rangers. Gaia Rangers, these are Eric, Tori, Kira, RJ, Doctor K, and Mia.”

“So, I hope you’re about to tell us these guys know more about what’s going on?” Eric asked, walking up to the team.

“We may have been operating on the parallel world they’ve been coming from for the better part of a year, yes,” Dirk replied.

“Finally, some good news,” Doctor K said. “Speaking of which, I’ve been trying to upgrade what surveillance we have in the city. It’s coming along slowly, but that’s to be expected with the low tech available to us.”

“Here, let me see if I can help with that,” Layla offered, reaching a hand out.

“…I’d shake your hand, but I’m told that I’m horribly anti-social,” Doctor K replied. “Also, I’m not even really here. I’m transmitting my physical parameters from my location on a parallel Earth.”

Layla’s eyes perked excitedly. “Wow, really? How’d you manage to send a broadcast through the dimensional barriers?”

“The barriers run on unique energy signatures, like radio waves,” Doctor K explained with a shrug. “Once you’ve figured out each one, it’s just as simple as tuning to match it. Took weeks to figure this one’s out, but who needs sleep when you have the unrestrained power of a sugar rush?”

“Y’know, that approach might help with tracking the Blots,” Layla realized. “Can I see your computer?”

Doctor K nodded, leading Layla to it as the others watched slack-jawed, Dirk finally piping up “…Oh dear God, there’s two of them.”

---

So, let’s talk a bit about the team presented here and why I chose some of them. Adam, Kira, and Tori were all chosen because they’d previously worked on a team like this and thus knew each other fairly well, making them easier to gel as a team. From there, though, it was a matter of choosing Rangers confirmed to still have their powers and would round each other out well, not only in terms of powers but in terms of getting more characters from various points in PR’s history. I mean, there’s a larger presence on the team that’s from the Disney Era, but it’s a bit more spread out. Eric seemed like an obvious choice, both in being the only member of the team from the post-Zordon Saban Era, as well as being both a sixth Ranger that could fill in the Red Ranger position on the team. Plus, as someone who has led the Silver Guardians, he fits well as Adam’s second-in-command. RJ was likewise an option that made immediate sense in my head, both for having martial arts experience that even Adam hasn’t grasped and for being the first Purple Ranger in PR history. In addition, he also has a purpose from a story perspective, but we’ll get to that later. From there, all that was left was to choose a Pink Ranger, and I felt as though I should really have someone from the Neo Saban Era, my own personal feelings on it aside. And, since these Rangers are all members of teams prior to Megaforce, Mia is the only real option, though she does bring plenty to the team that’s unique to herself with her samurai skills and Symbol Power. Finally, because I just couldn’t resist (and really, how could you blame me?), I decided to have Doctor K be the team’s technical support. Hell, I’m honestly even considering having her pop in from time to time even after this, though I suppose I shouldn’t be pushing the idea too much.

Adam, Eric, Kira, Tori, RJ, and Mia

Anyway, I’m hoping to have this done for the beginning of this Fall, if not sooner. When it’s done, I’ll be sure to post a notice here on my blog. Until then, though, lemme know what you think about how this is shaping up thus far. Also, I have a question: Would you like to see all of Always A Ranger posted at the same time, or would you prefer to have each chapter posted when each is done? Let me know, and I’ll see what I can do either way. Ja né!

Jyger’s Favourite 10?! – 10 Most Badass Red Rangers

I was recently having a conversation with my friend Sam about badasses in Power Rangers, when we eventually came upon the topic of who the most badass Red Ranger of all time is. I couldn’t really decide that, though, because in over two decades of Power Rangers, it’s usually a constant that the Red Ranger is a badass. Even the most unlikable of those that have worn the colour red have had plenty of badass moments. Nick, for all his belly aching, was still willing to charge The Master alone, and Mack, despite quitting with the other Overdrive Rangers in Once A Ranger, was willing on multiple occasions to sacrifice himself to save the world. Even Red Rangers that didn’t lead their respective teams, like Rocky, still had plenty of memorable moments where they put it all on the line to stop evil. So, with all of that in mind, I’m gonna try and determine who the 10 most badass Red Rangers are in all of Power Rangers. Before I do, though, here’re some ground rules…

1. Power Rangers ONLY, no Super Sentai entries. Main reason is because it makes the possible candidates even longer than it already is. In Power Rangers alone, there’s been like 30+ individuals that have worn Red or a variation of it, maybe even closer to 50 when you consider that the Samurai Rangers were a generational team.
2. Only one per team. In other words, if I, for example, picked one of the SPD Red Rangers, I can’t choose another.
3. No evil Rangers. Nothing against them, it’s just, when one generally thinks of badass Power Rangers, we usually think of them in terms of what they’re willing and able to do against the forces of evil.
4. The choices have to be made based on their credentials as Red Rangers, not any other powers they’ve had. As such, and I KNOW I’m gonna get a bunch of comments for this, Tommy is NOT on this list. Reason being, in having watched every episode of Power Rangers that Tommy was a participant in, his more badass moments happened when he was the Green or White Ranger, or even just as himself, plain Tommy Oliver, without his powers. Nothing against his tenure as the Red Ranger, he pulled off the role with the level of competence expected of him, just that in terms of those sheer “OMG, that was frigging awesome!” moments, they’re lacking when compared to other things he’s done.
5. The powers have to actually be THEIRS. In other words, as much as I’d like to include more potential female candidates, Gia and Emma assuming Legendary Red Ranger Mode doesn’t count toward this list.

And as always, remember that this is all opinion based, so don’t freak out if my opinion is different from yours. Anyway, with all of that out of the way, I suppose we might as well start off with the archetype and standard bearer of the badass Red Ranger…

#1 – Jason Lee Scott, the Red Mighty Morphin Ranger

There’s this constant argument over who was the more badass Ranger: Jason or Tommy. In fact, it’s an argument that spills out into real life, with people debating Austin St. John vs Jason David Frank. However, while I refuse to comment on that and thus get it started here, I will say that, much like how Tommy’s more badass moments occurred when he wasn’t the Red Ranger, Jason was probably a bigger badass when he WAS the Red Ranger, as opposed to, say, when he was the Gold Ranger in Zeo. When the Rangers lose their confidence after being subjected to horrific nightmares from Goldar, he still finds it in him to stop Goldar’s plot. He manages to fight off Goldar and Tommy as the evil Green Ranger when trapped on his own and without his powers long enough for the others to find him. He defeats a monster by himself when the Rangers have been kidnapped, and then goes to rescue them before their powers are taken. He defeated Tommy in battle and freed him of Rita’s control. He took Cardiatron out. And there’s just his opening line to the General Venjix in Forever Red: “You know, if you miss King Mondo that much, I promise we can help you join him.” In the end, all you can say about Jason is that he is a consummate badass, strong in mind, body, and spirit, and is able to stand up to any threat, no matter how imposing…Actually, here’s food for thought: In today’s day and age with Power Rangers, MMPR Season 1 probably would’ve ended with Jason fighting Rita while she’s in some powered-up form. Imagine THAT ending. lol

#2 – Carter Grayson, the Red Lightspeed Ranger

What else can I say about a guy that tried to run down a monster with a hummer, held off two giant monsters with just his side-arms, blew up a monster at point-blank range, charged through deadly energy blasts to punch a monster in the chest, and whose trademark response to a monster terrifying people was to pull his blasters and shoot ’em down?…Well, not much, other than to say that I’m pretty sure his theme song is Move Bitch by Ludacris. lol Add in the fact that he is both an action hero and a rescuer, more concerned with the protection of people than the kicking of ass, and you’ve got more than enough reason for Carter to be one of my all-time favourites.

#3 – Eric Myers, the Quantum Ranger

This was REALLY hard to determine, given his competition on his team, but ultimately, I decided to go with Eric. The first sixth Ranger to wear the colour Red while being sixth, he’s just a really ballsy, hard-assed SOB that will plough down anyone who gets in his way. And of course the Q-Rex is sheer metal awesome, too. For those that have never seen it, it’s a giant robotic t-rex with a pair of cannons strapped to its back, and can also turn into a warrior mode just for funsies. But, if nothing else, you gotta look at his Mega Battle armour and think, really, how many people can you think of who look badass while wearing ROLLER-BLADES? With that said, I DO feel bad leaving Wes outta this, because he had his awesome moments on the show. One thing I’m actually kinda upset about is that we don’t see his final stand from the timeline where he didn’t make it. Why? Because according to that, he managed to take every single one of the bad guys with him! Hot damn, that’s a hell of a way to go out!

#4 – Leo Corbett, the Red Galaxy Ranger

………………Just show it.

 

Oh yeah, and he also had that fight to the death with Trakeena that ended with him blasting her at point-blank range with his Battlizer set to full power, and…My God, I could make breakfast on those abs…………………………………………*slaps myself* NEXT!

#5 – Lauren Shiba, the Red Samurai Ranger

Okay, I MAY be a bit biased in this pic given my general favoritism and desire to see a girl on this list, but let’s be fair, she DID manage to destroy a giant monster that had taken down the Claw Armour Megazord with just ONE Zord. Right from the get-go, she’s shown to be someone with skill on par or greater than Jayden’s. Plus, anyone that can take the long-since dead running gag about how Mia can’t cook and make it funny again is plenty awesome in my book. Really, the only reason Jayden might rank higher with some people is because he was around longer. I guarantee that if Lauren had been on the show from the beginning that we would’ve gotten plenty more awesome moments from her. But, I suppose I should give credit where it’s due and bring up some of Jayden’s more awesome moments, particularly his deadly duels with Deker, where he showed he was a force the likes of which only a few other Rangers could compare with.

#6 – Mackenzie “Mack” Hartford, the Red Overdrive Ranger

Looking back, I’ve realized that Mack really deserved to be on a better season with a better team. The potential of his character, being an artificial lifeform raised to believe he was human, could’ve been explored a bit more, and he wouldn’t have to be remembered as the Red Ranger on the worst season of Power Rangers. Also, while he DID quit with the others in Once A Ranger, he made it clear he wasn’t going anywhere, and I DO believe he would’ve at least tried to help out around the mansion and their base however he could. Then there’s his credentials as a badass, and he does have plenty. Ignoring probably the more infamous (and complete bullshit) of those moments, when he chopped a giant monster in half unmorphed, there’s the aforementioned moments where he was willing to die to stop evil, like when he was gonna blow himself and the Fearcats up, or when he went to the volcano alone to fight Moltor and retake the crown, or when he used every last bit of his power to destroy Flurious. Granted, one can argue that he did these things seeing himself as disposable with nothing to lose, but there’s still something to be said for his passion and relentlessness in the face of evil.

#7 – Cole Evans, the Red Wild Force Ranger

Yes, I like Wild Force. Leave me alone. lol And I like Cole Evans. Yes, his character was a ham and cheese sandwich, but he was still likable, and Goddamn if he couldn’t kick some serious ass. He was also capable of brushing off some pretty epic beatings, too. Just look at his fights with Master Org. These two lay the most epic of beat-downs on each other. He even took the team’s combined weapon, the Jungle Sword, and Savage Slashed the heck out of Zen Aku over and over on his own. AWESOME. And of course, there’s the infamous moment where he destroyed Serpentara with a frigging motorcycle. Although, looking back on it, you wanna know what annoys me more than that? The fact that, after doing so, he only ever uses said motorcycle for transportation. He has a War Zord slaughtering motorcycle, and he never uses it when, say, Master Org was killing the Wild Zords??? C’mon, given his character, you don’t think he’d summon that thing and go straight for Master Org’s head? That woulda been awesome! Oh well, Cole still had plenty of sweet moments, which make it all the easier to look past his cheesy dialogue.

#8 – Scott Truman, the Red RPM Ranger

It’s admittedly hard to stand out as a badass on a team FULL of them. For example, take Scott, RPM’s Ranger Series Operator Red and leader of the team. His whole team is one big pack of badasses. Even Ziggy, the clown of the team, has his fair share of moments where he’s walking awesome. So how do you stand out on a team like that? Answer: You be Scott. Everything he does exemplifies his awesomeness. He owns the room when he’s in it. He has mastered the art of being an action hero, where in his own words, “When it comes to talking, less is more”. And despite being from a completely different dimension than the mainstream PR universe, he’s clearly read from the Carter Grayson book of badass, in that if necessary, he can and has charged giant opponents with nothing but his weapons. To quote Jim Ross in talking about Shawn Michaels, Scott is “like a pitbulldog, he doesn’t know how big or how little he really is… he doesn’t really give a damn”. And everything he does just has this element of cool and charm to it, unless story-wise he’s specifically SUPPOSED to be shaken or vulnerable. He’s like the Will Smith of Power Rangers. How can you not like him?

#9 – Casey Rhodes, the Red Jungle Fury Ranger

Again, a tough crowd of Rangers to stand out from. Hell, one of the Jungle Fury Rangers is a blind warrior. Still, while he started off Jungle Fury as the new guy that was unsure of himself and made mistakes aplenty, Casey quickly grew into a kickass fighting machine. Even the big bad of the series, Dai Shi, found himself on the receiving side of a most righteous of beat-downs from Casey on more than one occasion, though the best was near the end of the season: Casey just walks through a squad of Rin Shi without much effort or thought put into it, and then proceeds to have a brawl with Dai Shi that trashes the villain’s lair. He’s also willing to put his life on the line to prove that Jarrod could overcome Dai Shi’s influence, turning his back on him and telling him to destroy him. He even dispenses of the standard Battlizer armour and instead gets smaller armour components meant to work with a kick-ass motorcycle that literally steams through opponents. Yes, Camille, Red IS the tough one. 🙂

#10 – Andros ‘Aliens Don’t Have Last Names’, the Red Space Ranger

HE SAVED THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE! Case dismissed! And even beyond that, just look at Andros’ first appearance, where he managed to infiltrate the meeting of the United Alliance of Evil. Not only does he manage to do so and get away while confronted with the biggest bads in Power Ranger’s history at the time, one thing I take considerable note of: He knocked Lord Zedd on his ass……..I will repeat that. Lord Zedd, one of the most feared enemies of the Power Rangers, the villain that tossed even Tommy around like a ragdoll and was only forced to retreat due to a stalemate in the fight, got KNOCKED ON HIS ASS by Andros. Anyone that can do that is a badass in my book. It kinda makes you wonder how quickly situations on Earth would’ve been dealt with if Andros was on Earth from the beginning. My guess is that, after Green With Evil, Andros would’ve been like “Nope, not going through this again, I’m taking my badass spaceship/Megazord to the moon and hacking that palace in half”.

Anyway, that’s my list. Who are some of your favourite badasses in Power Rangers? Leave a comment below, and we’ll see if the Red Dino Charge Ranger can live up to the legacy of the Red Ranger in February. Ja né!

What I Would’ve Done With Megaforce/Super Megaforce

So, a few days ago, I ranted a lot about everything that was wrong with Power Rangers Super Megaforce. However, while I did touch base briefly on various things I would’ve done with the season, as well as Megaforce in general, I thought I’d save the majority of it for its own article. Now, some of these might not add up with one another correctly. They aren’t necessarily supposed to, though. They’re just various ideas I’ve had about how the past two seasons could’ve been done differently. So, let’s start off with an idea I had about what they could’ve done with the Rangers before I learned their back-stories and such…

#1 – The Megaforce Rangers Come From Eltar

For those not in the know, in Tensou Sentai Goseiger, the season of Super Sentai adapted into Megaforce’s first season, the Rangers were actually angels. Well, kinda angels, anyway. They’re called Gosei Angels, come from a place called Gosei World, and blend in with humanity to generally guide and protect them. And given Jonathan Tzachor’s love of directly translating the Sentai, I thought that it would actually be an interesting twist on that (and would also fit with Super Megaforce, which was adapted from a season where the Rangers weren’t from Earth) if the Megaforce Rangers were actually from Eltar, having to blend in with humanity while defending them from Warstar forces, and meet up with Zordon’s apprentice, who grants them their Megaforce powers. Granted, you’d wanna make sure they didn’t go full-blown on reusing the stories from Goseiger, and do NOT show them with wings at any time. Also, doing this would make Troy’s Super Saiyan “I AM A MAN!” punch to Robo Knight make a lot more sense, since he could’ve been channeling power from Eltar, which we’ve established was enough to fuel the Turbo Zords and powers.

#2 – Bulk and Skull

One thing that has made me scratch my head a LOT is the presence of Bulk and Spike in Power Rangers Samurai. It just seems completely out of left field for Bulk to want to be a samurai, and you REALLY need to make some serious assumptions with the timeline of Power Rangers to figure out how Skull has a teenage son (and I swear, if I hear one more person suggest that Kimberly is Spike’s mother…). What would’ve been much better use of Bulk, and hopefully Skull, would be for them to run the hangout for the Megaforce team. Why? Well, because having them run a juice bar or the like would be a great way to follow up on their development as characters. Plus, imagine some of the stories that can be told if Bulk and Skull found out about Troy and the others being Power Rangers, and being able to relay stories of the Zordon Era Rangers to them. And as a personal plus to me? We wouldn’t have the most literal retread of Ernie’s possible, even having a whole new character who has the same name…which is HIGHLY UNCOMFORTABLE TO ME. Look, maybe it was meant as a tribute or homage to the character and the actor who played him, but it still comes off as uncomfortable to me that we now have a character who more or less replaces him, especially considering that the actor passed away several years ago! Admit it, if the Yellow Ranger was named Trini, people would be more than a little uncomfortable. And speaking of stuff that should’ve been held back for Megaforce…

#3 – The Opening Theme and Morphing Call

Look, I have no problems with them reusing Go Go Power Rangers for Megaforce (although I would’ve gotten Ron Wasserman to produce and sing the remix), nor do I have a problem with their morphing call being “Go Go Megaforce!”…Or rather, I WOULDN’T mind them doing those two things if it was JUST for Megaforce. However, these are both carry-overs from Samurai, which had no business using either of those things. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Samurai should’ve had its own unique theme with a Japanese tone to it, and the only reason it didn’t was so Saban could continue the theme of “Power Rangers is back!”. It would’ve been far more meaningful and make more sense if Go Go Power Rangers was saved for Megaforce. And if I may be allowed to go on a tangent (too late, lol), I know that there was originally going to be a different theme done for it, but this was vetoed by interference from Nick, and that the theme for Dino Charge is another remake of Go Go Power Rangers, all because Nickelodeon insists on using the old theme. Again, I don’t mind the song being used for Megaforce, since it’s the 20th Anniversary season. However, I DO mind it on the grounds for why it’s ACTUALLY being used. That said, at least Dino Charge is an ACTUAL remake, and very energetically…well, for a lack of a better term, CHARGED. And in terms of “It’s Morphin Time!” being used as a pre-morphing call order of sorts…Meh, I don’t really mind, honestly. As someone who’s used it myself in that same manner for my own Power Rangers story, I can tell you it works a hell of a lot better than the oftentimes used “READY?!”. I guess “Let’s Ranger Up!” is decent enough, but I just prefer “It’s Morphin Time!”. Just personal preference, really.

#4 – Don’t Use The Gokaiger Costumes

Now, I know a lot of people who love the Gokaiger suits and equipment are gonna hate this idea, and I’d be lying if I didn’t get why: They ARE really cool. However, here’s the reason why I wouldn’t use them: They kinda clash in more ways than one with the Megaforce Rangers. Why DOES Jake go from Black to Green? Now, the obvious explanation is because there was no Black Ranger in Gokaiger, but there were Red, Blue, Yellow, and Pink Rangers, so Jake was the odd one out. But beyond a production reason, another explanation is the fact that a lot of Ranger teams use similar colour-schemes, with several teams having a Black or Green Ranger, and few having both without one being the Sixth Ranger (notable exceptions including RPM, hence why Emma uses Dillon’s Ranger Key, to the point where now I’ve gotten way too used to seeing RPM Black’s costume have a skirt). But still, it’s odd to see a Super Mode change a Ranger’s colour, and the use of GokaiGreen footage is the reason why Jake had to be made a clumsy oaf, as to fit such footage. Instead, I would just have the Rangers go Legendary Ranger Mode using new Power Cards…which, honest to God, I thought they were gonna do at first, when the card game and Morpher sold in stores had cards for various Rangers both in and out of PR canon. Plus, I’m sorry, but it bugs the heck outta me that Super Mega Mode makes them look like pirates. Gokaiger makes the pirate motif work for them (especially since their enemies are a giant space fleet with a old-school navy feel to them, and pirates are the natural antagonists to naval fleets), but it doesn’t make any sense for these kids, especially since there’s no explanation for the motif, nor does anyone bring it up. And hell, why take focus off of the Goseiger suits? They work perfect for the 20th Anniversary. Seriously, look at the Megaforce Rangers and tell me they don’t heavily resemble the Mighty Morphin Rangers. And in terms of Orion, there WAS a Green Ranger costume made for Goseiger for a single scene. Really, the only thing I would do is add a golden shield to it, akin to Tommy’s shield when he was the Green Ranger. That said, there IS one other way they could use the Gokaiger suits…

#5 – Have The Gokaigers Used Initially As Villains

Basically, among the Armada would be a group of space pirates who got mind controlled into becoming evil Rangers and wind up stealing the Legendary Keys from the Command Center. The two teams get into a massive battle until a monster from the Armada takes the keys when it looks like the evil Rangers might lose. The pirates are freed from their mind control and team up with the Megaforce Rangers to take on clones of the Rangers created from the Legendary Ranger Keys, and reclaim said keys. The pirates would then either give their Legendary Morphers to the Megaforce Rangers, thus justifying them having pirate-themed weapons, equipment, and Zords, or become a secondary group to supplement the team, making use of their ability to morph into previous Rangers. Hell, if they went with the former, it would be a better way to give Orion his own Ranger Key and Morpher: The pirates made them and gave them to him to go assist the Megaforce team. And yeah, in case you’re wondering, this WOULD make use of footage from the Gokaiger/Goseiger team-up movie, though with some additionally filmed footage…which brings me to my next point.

#6 – Proper Use Of Stock Footage

I’m sorry, but one the bigger issues with Super Megaforce is the overuse of Gokaiger footage. Now, in some cases, it’s perfectly fine to use the Gokaiger footage, since it’s plenty action-packed with badass action scenes. However, some of these scenes definitely needed to be left out or edited better than they were. Specifically, stuff like Jake and Orion’s mannerisms not matching the footage used for them (and Noah to a lesser extent), and certain Legendary Ranger Modes that really shouldn’t have been included (seriously, that battle with Levira should’ve had them use different Legendary Rangers, though at least they had Troy go MMPR Red). Now, on the flip side, there’s some moments in Gokaiger that weren’t used in Super Megaforce that I wish they HAD used. Time Force and Lightspeed Rescue were barely used at all in Super Megaforce, with I think only Jen and Chad’s keys being used to go Legendary Mode, and Quantum Ranger’s key used to summon the Q-Rex (which I assume is either a brand new version of the Q-Rex built by Time Force, or an upgrade of the original. Personally, I hope it’s the former, since otherwise, it means Eric doesn’t have a Zord anymore). Plus, I would’ve loved to see certain Legendary Ranger Modes used, like Yellow Ranger Mode, Silver Ranger Mode, Sixth Ranger Mode, and so on. So, I suppose it’s really about having a better balance of old and new footage.

#7 – Megaforce and Samurai Team-Up

What I thought would’ve been a lot better than what we got for the Samurai homage episode would be a made-for-TV movie set in Megaforce, where Vrak takes control of the remaining Nylok forces for his own purposes. And yeah, I know that the last made-for-TV PR movie didn’t work out so well, but considering how they got most of the Samurai cast to make cameos in Super Megaforce, I’m sure they could get the whole cast back for this, and if it was more or less an adaptation of Goseiger vs Shinkenger, trust me, the story would’ve been a lot better than Clash of the Red Rangers. It’d have awesome stuff like…well…Well, just look!

Hell, they coulda then made use of the episode of Gokaiger where they go back in time to the final battle of that movie (hence the Gokaiger debut being in that movie, which was set before the Great Legend War, when the Ranger Keys were created), where the Super Megaforce team has to do the same. Woulda been kickass.

#8 – Legendary Rangers Minisodes

This is basically the best way I could think of to excuse the use of the Legendary Rangers who were Sentai teams that weren’t used for Power Rangers. In a nutshell, they would be short 5-15 minute episodes telling about the Rangers’ stories, their battles, who they were, and who some of their enemies were. They coulda been exclusives shown on Netflix, or the show’s website. Granted, this is supplemental material to explain something in the main series, which can be considered a failure in storytelling, but at least we’d have SOMETHING. They’d also be super-easy to make, too. And hey, after you’re done explaining the various Ranger teams used for Legendary Mode, they could then tell some more of the back-story for Megaforce, where the keys come from, and what the Legendary Rangers are doing in the middle of the battle with the Armada.

So yeah, other than stuff I’ve already discussed (Jake’s stalker nature, the need for stuff to be properly explained, additional cameos) and little details that they got wrong about previous seasons (the island of the Wild Zords is called the Animarium, while the kingdom it once belonged to is called Animaria, and it wasn’t pronounced like you had people do in Super Megaforce), that’s all I got for now. Lemme know in the comments section below if there are any you’d add. Next time I talk PR, I think I’d like to discuss the future, which is honestly looking a bit brighter than the past four years have. So, feel free to check back in then, as we unleash the power of Power Rangers Dino Charge. Ja né!

Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Favourite Weapons from Power Rangers/Super Sentai

Y’know, right after the Zords, the thing that I would want most in terms of being a Power Ranger is a kickass weapon. And let’s be honest, they’ve had some pretty awesome ones. But which ones would I consider my personal favourites? Well, that’s what I’m here to count off. And once again, because I know some people aren’t familiar with the Sentai footage, I’ll primarily use names, terms, and historical events on the PR side of things, while also giving Super Sentai names and history afterward. Also, allow me to list criteria/limitations for this list right off the bat.

1. I’m going to limit this to one weapon per team, just so I don’t double up. As such, you won’t be seeing both the Power Sword and Power Ax on the list.
2. One weapon per Ranger, so only ONE of Tommy’s weapons. Not, for example, Saba AND the Brachio Staff.
3. They have to be single weapons. In other words, no Power Blasters. That said, single weapons that turn into a team’s blaster on its own, or Power Blasters/Cannons/etc. that aren’t a combination of weapons are all alright.

#1 – Fire Smasher from Power Rangers Samurai (Rekka Daizantou from Samurai Sentai Shinkenger)

So you know how some of the most awesome weapons in fiction are swords that turn into guns? Lightning’s gunblade, Ruby Rose’s Crescent Rose sniper scythe, Kamen Rider Wizard‘s Wizarswordgun, and so on. Well, PR/SS have had a number of these, one of the most recent being the Fire Smasher. It’s basically a Zanbatō that can turn into a cannon. In either mode, it is a powerful, albeit challenging to wield, weapon. It’s actually proven to be one of the more popular weapons, as aside from being used by the Red Samurai Ranger (ShinkenRed), it was also used by Kamen Rider Decade when he and ShinkenRed swapped weapons to battle a monstrous version of Kamen Rider DiEnd, and a giant version is wielded by Shinken GokaiOh.

#2 – Laser Lamp from Power Rangers Mystic Force (MagiLamp Buster from Mahou Sentai Magiranger)

Okay, as silly as the Solaris Knight’s (MagiShine) weapon is, it’s actually highly effective when put to use. By spinning the dial on the side, it charges up shots that, when fired, are guided light bursts that hit the target no matter where they are, even if they’ve gone underground. Also, by fully charging it, he can fire the genie inside, Jinji (Smoky), for a massive finishing attack. During team-ups, MagiShine has also loaded DekaBreak (SPD Omega Ranger) and Zubaan (the Sentinel Knight from Operation Overdrive) inside, allowing them to use their finishers alongside Smoky.

#3 – Saba from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Byakkoshinken from Gosei Sentai Dairanger)

This was one where if I didn’t include it, someone was gonna kill me. lol Anyway, Saba is an enchanted sword that was wielded by Tommy Oliver as the White Ranger (Kibaranger), as well as acting as a sort of partner to him. Beyond his natural abilities as a short sword, he’s also capable of speech, firing energy blasts, levitation, and assists in controlling the White Tigerzord, allowing it to mimic Tommy’s moves while it was in Warrior Mode. Also, in Dairanger, Byakkoshinken (or Byakko for short) voiced-over Kibaranger as a means of hiding his identity as a child.

#4 – The Quantum Defender from Power Rangers Time Force (DV Defender from Mirai Sentai Timeranger)

While Time Force had a TON of badass weapons, this choice again came down to which one would people kill me the most for leaving out. This is the personal weapon of the Quantum Ranger (TimeFire), though he has lent it to others where necessary. It’s also another example of a badass gun that turns into a sword and vice versa. While it may not be the biggest or baddest looking weapon when compared to the stuff that’s come out since, this little bastard still packs a hell of a punch. So whenever you’re gloating over how much ass you’re kicking, and you suddenly hear a sound like someone tapping a gun on the back of their hand, don’t bother turning around, just RUN. lol

#5 – The Falcon Summoner from Power Rangers Wild Force (Falcon Summoner from Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger)

Noticing a lot of red here…Meh, anyway, the Falcon Summoner is a simultaneous blaster, bow, and summoning tool for the Wild Force’s Falconzord (GaoFalcon). It also marked an interesting transitional period that most might not be aware of, but it is the first bow weapon on Power Rangers wielded primarily by a male Ranger, in this case the Red Wild Force Ranger (GaoRed). Granted, in Super Sentai, bows and arrows had been used by men since the very beginning, but not so much in Power Rangers. In fact, they were usually used by Pink Rangers. I don’t get that. Look at Robin Hood, or Hawkeye from the Avengers. They make the bow a manly weapon when it needs to be. And really, what’s more manly than a bow and arrow that summons a giant falcon out of a volcano? I ask you.

Anyway, those are my 5 Favourite Weapons from Power Rangers/Super Sentai. Got a favourite that wasn’t on the list? Feel free to bring it up in the comments below, and I shall see you guys the next time I put one of these together. Ja né!

Related articles

• It’s morphin’ time! (bigcomicpage.com)
• SDCC 2013: New Power Ranger Exclusives And Premium Figuarts Toys (geek-news.mtv.com)
• Power Rangers Mystic Force (powerrangercostumes.wordpress.com)
• Power Rangers Morph Through 20 Years! [Video] (geeksaresexy.net)
• A Power Ranger Made Out Of Power Rangers (creativitism.wordpress.com)
• Power Rangers Meme Contest Best Entries and Winner (toplessrobot.com)
• Knights of Pen and Paper dev’s next game is a Power Rangers sim (polygon.com)
• Jyger’s Favourite 5 – 5 Most Surreal Moments in Power Rangers (jygersrant.wordpress.com)
• Talking With The Original Green Power Ranger Jason David Frank (ireport.cnn.com)
• Gokaiger x Goseiger x Super Sentai: 199 Great Hero Battle (2011) (asianflixs.wordpress.com)

Thoughts on RWBY Episode 1 + Who Would Be On My Cross-Branded All Women Superhero Team?

Click here to watch Episode 1 of RWBY

So, I’m kinda late at doing this, but I thought I’d give my thoughts on the first episode of RWBY. If you’ve followed along with my recaps on the trailers, you’d know that RWBY is all about a team of four young women who fight monsters, gangsters, and other such scum of the world. The first episode is a bit different from what I expected, depicting the first of the characters to be revealed, Ruby Rose, as a tiny bit of a stereotypical anime teenager who’s still in combat training when she gets caught up in a situation involving criminals and Huntresses, women who protect the world from monsters. I won’t give too much away, since I want people to go check it out themselves, but I will say that I like what I’ve seen thus far. You can find it at RoosterTeeth‘s website, or, if you’re still curious, check out the links below for info.

You’re a Huntress…Can I have your autograph??? 😀

Overall, seeing the trailers and this first episode makes me wonder how these four young women, all with varying fighting styles and weaponry, will fare as a team. And that got me thinking: What would it be like to take four women, all superheroes in their own ways, with different personalities, utilizing different combat styles, possibly even completely different universes, and put them on the same team? Heck, who would I even pick?

So, that’s what I have here: A list of four women from different tv series, comics, etc, but all considered superheroes, and all having various powers, abilities, skills, and personalities. This is my all-women superhero team!

Kara Zor-L, AKA Power Girl

So naturally, I’d start with a DC Superheroine, and of them all, Power Girl seemed the most logical choice. She has all the strength and powers of Superman, and is smart enough to run a multi-million dollar business. She’s not invincible, mind you, as she has the same vulnerabilities as Superman too (red sunlight, magic, and Kryptonite), but on a team with three other badass superheroines, she should have more than enough back-up to get her out of trouble should any of those weaknesses come up.

Jennifer Walters, AKA She-Hulk

Another comic book superheroine, and like Power Girl, She-Hulk has powers and abilities comparable to one of her universe’s mightiest heroes: The Incredible Hulk. Her strength is just slightly below that of Thor, making her easily the strongest woman in the Marvel Universe. However, unlike her cousin the Hulk, her transformation has little effect on her mental state, meaning she keeps her intelligence, and she’s also worked to make her human form of Jennifer Walters in shape as well, which makes She-Hulk all the more potent a combatant. She possesses a vulnerability to radiation that can mess with her ability to transform, but since she would have three team-mates to back her up, I don’t think that would be a problem. Heck, beyond that, the only way to put a dent in her is to have that kind of power yourself. I’d be surprised if even Power Girl could beat her in a fight……………Note to self: Suggest Power Girl vs She-Hulk in a DEATH BATTLE…Possibly a Bra and Panties Match. XD

Lauren, AKA the true Red Samurai Ranger

You can make the argument that there are plenty of women who have served as Power Rangers that are better characters than Lauren, and I’d tend to agree. However, I don’t really fault her for that, since she came in near the end of Power Rangers Super Samurai and wasn’t given much time to develop a character. What we DO know, however, is that she’s the true Red Samurai Ranger, and is a samurai at least on par with Jayden, the leader of the team while she was in hiding. Not only is she fast, strong, possesses near-limitless fire Symbol Power, and pilots the mighty Lion Folding Zord, her greatest feat is her taste buds, so mighty that even Mia’s cooking tastes good to her…which, I will admit, actually managed to make that terrible running gag funny again after not being funny for at least a year…so I guess I’ll add THAT to her feats, too. In fact, in those few episodes she was in, I found the team dynamic worked a lot better with her as leader. Why the hell did they switch back to Jayden? Oh yeah, ‘cuz that’s what happened in Shinkenger…Note to self, do a rant on Power Rangers Samurai. SOON.

Serena Tsukino, AKA Sailor Moon

Really, who better to be a member of a team of superheroines than the leader of the Sailor Scouts and Princess of the Moon Kingdom, Sailor Moon. While occasionally (okay, a bit more than occasionally), Sailor Moon can succumb to clumsiness and air-headedness, Serena (Usagi in the original Japanese version) possesses incredible powers. She can purify people of evil, she can create perfect disguises for herself with a magic pen, even her tiara can become a miniature Destructo Disk (Man, EVERYBODY’S ripping off poor Krillin these days). Again, she’s not without her faults, but with her friends backing her up, there is nothing she can’t do.

Anyway, that’s it for tonight. Comment below, and tomorrow I will be sure to talk about…

…Ja né!

Related articles

• RWBY Fan-Made Mega Trailer (jygersrant.wordpress.com)
• First Look: RWBY (rhapsodistreviews.wordpress.com)
• Rooster Teeth Finally Unleash The Pilot Episode of Their New Anime RWBY (techfleece.com)
• SDCC 2013: ‘RWBY’ Series Premiere Sneak Peek (geek-news.mtv.com)
• RWBY Recap – Episode 1: Ruby Rose (thunderwell.wordpress.com)
• What Your Favorite Superhero Says About You (businessinsider.com)
• Superheroines vs. Superheroes (musicholic55.wordpress.com)
• Superheroines vs. Superheroes pt 2 (musicholic55.wordpress.com)
• The Best New Superhero Costumes of 2013 (wholesalehalloweencostumes.com)
• New Sailor Moon pendants help you move one step closer to complete superheroine transformation (en.rocketnews24.com)