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Martialartfruituser’s Live Fanfic Readings
Well, since the guy just finished doing live readings of one of my fanfics, I figured it was fair that I give him a shout out here. Martialartfruituser, also known as LegendBringer, is a writer of fanfics, and also does live readings of other people’s fanfics. And, for the past 10 months, he’s done live readings of Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia Season 1 (and yes, I swear to God, more of Season 2 IS coming, folks, lol). If you’re into fanfic readings, check him out. He mostly does MLP fic readings, though he’s gone outside that realm more than once. And if you do, by all means, drop him a line and tell him J.A . Phillips sent ya. ^_~
My Thoughts On The Power Rangers 2017 Movie (WARNING – SPOILERS)
Well, I WAS going to do a vlog about the movie. Unfortunately, there are new tenants upstairs from where I live with little kids who like to run around a lot, so I opted to write about it instead. lol So, here they are, my written thoughts on the new Power Rangers movie, having just gotten home from seeing it with N. Harmonik.
Okay, I know that we live in the age where saying this sounds like an insult, but I thought the movie was GOOD. It’s not great, but it’s good and it’s fun to sit back and enjoy. And, believe it or not, THAT’S OKAY. I’m sick of people who take someone saying that something is good but not great as an insult. But yes, this movie is good. The best way to describe it is being dumb yet fun and ultimately harmless. And I will admit to being worried about it, particularly after finding out that Billy would be autistic and Trini would be gay. Why would that bother me? Because, if you’ll lean in real close so I can share a little secret with you: I’M ON BOTH THOSE SPECTRUMS…I know, I just revealed the best kept secret in the flipping world. I’ll give you all a moment to recover mentally. lol But anyway, my point is, with how very Bay-esque this movie was coming off in the trailers, I was worried the decision to make them autistic and LGBTQ would be simply to play up the stereotypes of both and have those BE their character traits. Thankfully, though, I think we may have dodged the bullet on that one. In fact, if I may be so bold, the reason I think this movie is actually better than both the Transformers and TMNT movies going on right now has a lot to do with the characters and our ability to actually LIKE them. And, that being the case, let’s go over each one, shall we?
The first thing you gotta know about the characters is that, while they’re people we can relate to and get on board with, they’re also very much delinquents. Jason, for example, finds himself in trouble after a prank gone wrong, to the point where he’s under house arrest. However, he’s still a good person, as shown when he stands up to a bully to protect Billy. He’s also the one who decides to go with being a Power Ranger first, much like his TV counterpart. I should also note that he’s not a martial artist, but rather a football player. In fact, none of the team go in being at all experienced in martial arts, and have to be trained by Alpha 5 (who is thankfully more adept than the TV version, or that would’ve ended horribly). However, he nonetheless comes off as the physically strongest (even after they get their powers) and seems to take on a leadership role rather easily. I did love how he at one point says they should stop pretending to be superheroes and then IMMEDIATELY goes into a superhero team leader speech. 😛
Zack is…the crazy one. No, seriously, that’s pretty much his character. He’s the more reckless of the team, opting to try and pilot his Zord before being able to morph, is all too willing to try and test the limits of his enhanced strength and leaping ability, and even gets into a fight with Jason at one point. However, he’s also the one to come up with the idea of sharing secrets around a fire as a means to help them get closer. And it turns out he might have a reason for his recklessness: His mother is dying, and he doesn’t know what to do with himself and his life when she goes. But, by the end, he finds he does have something more to live for: His friends. He also feels a connection to Trini, doing all he can to keep her with the group and helping her open up about herself. I’m not sure if that’s because he’s crushing on her hard or what, but the point stands that he gets her to be herself with the team.
Billy was honestly the one I was most concerned about since pretty much the first trailer. Of everyone presented, you could instantly tell through him that these were NOT going to be the same characters as we’ve known since 1993. And yes, that’s absolutely true, these are NOT your 90s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. However, here’s the thing you need to remember: That doesn’t automatically make these characters BAD. In fact, if I can be thoroughly honest, these characters are 100x more developed and interesting than the originals were in the beginning. They developed into much more well-rounded characters over time, but in the beginning? Not so much. And no, Billy’s character is not that he’s autistic. It’s a part of who he is, but it’s not his character, and as someone with Asperger’s Syndrome and having worked with people all up and down the autism spectrum, I was not offended at all by his character. Right from the beginning, he’s the one who values his new friendships the most, and because of that, he’s the first one to morph, albeit briefly. He also has a MAJOR moment late in the movie that…well, let’s just say I did NOT see it coming, but I honestly thought worked perfectly. Also, if you’re wondering, he’s in detention for blowing up his lunch box. Seriously. XD
Ahh, Trini, my first love. Which is why learning she’s LGBTQ in this movie is hilarious to me personally. lol And, much like Billy, her being gay is not her character. And while I was worried they might’ve only done that just so that they could have Rita go succubus mode on her, really, there’s only one line in particular that seems to have that kind of subtext to it. No, if I had to sum up her character, it’s best displayed in her sarcasm and her difficulty gelling into a group. In fact, her more sarcastic nature could even be seen as a defense mechanism/smokescreen. She quite literally has to be forcibly pulled into the group. But, once there, she realizes she likes being part of a group of friends that care for her and will watch her back, and is able to open up to them about her issues at home with her family who just want her to be “normal”. Granted, I still can’t say that I care for this character the same way I did Trini, but that’s my natural bias, and I did not have any kind of issues with this version. That said, what IS her last name now, since it’s obviously not Kwan? o.O
Kimberly is a bit of an odd nut to crack at first, but then the reveal is made why she is the way she is: She once leaked a photo of a friend of hers with some guy to her boyfriend. Looking on her actions in hindsight, it’s easy to see that she’s carrying the guilt of what she did the entire time, and when she considers that it may be her keeping this to herself that’s keeping them from morphing, she tells Jason, who tells her to carry that with her, and to be the person she wants to be. And yeah, they hint several times at the two having feelings for each other, though the kiss from the trailer has been removed. And all the better, I say. If they DO decide that’s the direction they wanna go as opposed to her with Tommy, better to have it develop slowly over a gradual amount of time.
Beyond the team, there are several other things that got revised for this movie. For example, Zordon is now the original Red Ranger, and rather than being trapped in a time-warp that he speaks through via a tube, he’s actually dead and had his consciousness transferred into his ship (the movie’s version of the Command Center) and speaks through a wall that reforms itself to be shaped like his head. Rita Repulsa is likewise the original Green Ranger, but betrayed and killed the team. And, if I can be honest…I really love that change. Honestly, it just fits, and even could’ve worked in the original version of the story without changing much. Hell, I don’t even think it was ever revealed exactly how she got her hands on the Green Power Coin originally in the show. Zordon being the Red Ranger is admittedly a little trickier to work in, but it could be done.
Now, about the Zords… … …Eh. Look, they aren’t bad designs, especially in their separated forms. Really, the only thing that bugs me is the multiple legs on the Mastodon Zord to make it “more alien”. Otherwise, they’re fine, and I actually appreciate the Pterodactyl Zord being the most useful of the group since…well, this is kind of a no-brainer, but because it can freaking fly. But then they combine, and…look, I get what they were going for, and it works for the most part, but it just does not hold a candle to the original design. And admittedly, that could totally be a me issue. What’s funny is, it was actually when I noticed something familiar about the Zords’ individual designs that something hit me about this movie. Specifically, I started to realize that there was one other PR story that this seemed to resemble a fair bit more than MMPR…
Think about it: The teens aren’t friends in the beginning and instead meet by chance that leads them to becoming Rangers after freeing the source of their powers from stone. Their mentor is a former Ranger. They actually have a tie to the time of the dinosaurs beyond the Zords simply being modeled after them, which, as I noted, actually look less like the original Dino Zords and more like the ones from Dino Thunder. Hell, even certain characteristics of the team can be seen as similar to the Dino Thunder team, like Jason being a sports jock. And I’m not even saying any of this as a negative thing. Honestly, if you’re going to use any season as a model of how to update the teenagers with attitude gimmick, Dino Thunder is the one to go with.
As for stuff I didn’t like…well, for starters, I was not a fan of some of the moments that seemed to be trying too hard to appeal to a more adult fanbase. For example, I did NOT need the thing with the cow’s penis, and frankly, I found that joke to be done better in City Slickers 2. I also did NOT need to hear Billy have to stop himself from saying motherfucker. That was going a bit too far with the gag of him having to stop himself and others from swearing. And while I agree that it’s probably for the best that Bulk and Skull are not in this movie, as they wouldn’t have fit the tone, the new bully is just the stereotypical bland bully that only exists to have his comeuppance and doesn’t really have a character. And then there’s Alpha, and while I appreciate him being more active and understand the reason for the new voice, the voice seems like a very random choice, and he doesn’t have much of a character at all, though putting developing that on the back burner for the first movie is understandable. Plus, while I understand where they were going with the new design…the eyes are weird. I’m sorry. lol
Now, all of that said, I have to be blunt about something: If you’re coming to this movie expecting to see a perfect adaptation of the original MMPR to the big screen, you will not get what you want. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is. This is not the 90s MMPR. However, that does not make this a bad movie, and while there are things about it that are inferior to the original, there are also things about it that are better. Will it be beloved to me in the same way that the original was? Of course not. But it’s something that I enjoyed watching, and wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel to, especially since it’s been all but written in the sky that the next movie will be Green With Evil. And speaking of, I am totally in favour of the idea of making Tommy a girl, just so long as she remains the badass martial artist. That part of Tommy has to remain the same, no matter what else they change about him/her/it/they/whatever. Also, I would just like to point out that Jason David Frank and Amy Jo Johnson are in this movie… … …That is all. XD
Anyway, I think that best describes my own personal thoughts on the movie. So, if anyone else was on the fence about seeing it, I hope I’ve helped you come to your own conclusions. Ja né, and may the power protect you always!
…Oh, and lastly, N. Harmonik and I marked out like mad when Go Go Power Rangers played. XD
Jyger and N. Harmonik Watch Logan And Power Rangers Trailers
OMG, I just now realized I was wearing my Superman hat and Heroes Beacon (local comic shop) t-shirt while watching two superhero movie trailers. lol Anyway, if you haven’t seen them, here’re the trailers we watched today…
…and here’s our reaction to them. Enjoy!
Ideas For A Future Power Rangers Fic (Please Give Feedback)
So yeah, even though Guardians of Gaia isn’t finished yet, and is actually on another hiatus, I’ve already been compiling a list of ideas for a future PR fic, assuming I ever do one. And, as always, I’m eager to get input from my friends and fans, as well as general fans of Power Rangers. So, for now, here’s a list of ideas I’ve got, with the bold ones being must-haves.
- Layla as the mentor of the team: Basically, the idea goes that Layla, my Blue Ranger in GoG, would return as the mentor for the new team. She would supply the team with their tech, and impart her own experience as a Power Ranger to the next generation.
- A thick-bodied female Ranger: Okay, I know that Saban (and Disney, back when they owned and ran the show) may feel inclined to cast fit, skinny actresses as their Power Rangers as a means of having them be at least close to the build of their Sentai counterparts. And I’m not saying this as any kind of slight against any of the women who have been Power Rangers, either, as there’s not a single one of them I have any kind of real issue with. I’m just saying, it would be nice to have a thick girl as a Power Ranger someday, and if it’s never gonna happen for real, then I feel like I should at least do it for a fanfic.
- A male Pink Ranger: Alright, maybe this only really bothers me as a member of the LGBTQ community (yeah, what a shock, and I’ve been hiding it SO well over the years, lol), but really, why is this a thing? Why is a guy in pink still considered odd? Why is it that guys seemingly only know the names of different shades of colours when they have to insist something of theirs (usually their clothes) isn’t pink when it is? Seriously, there are plenty of guys, even 100% straight, white guys, who can pull off pink just fine. So why is it that, after four decades of Super Sentai, we still do not have a guy in pink? The closest we’ve come is the all Pink Ranger Gokai Change from one of the Gokaiger movies. And yeah, isn’t it odd that, in a series that ate through as much Sentai footage as it could, we never saw that in Power Rangers Super Megaforce? And yeah, I know, I had that team go Legendary Pink Ranger Mode in a fanfic, but I still kinda wanna do a full-time male Pink Ranger.
- A team of Rangers that represent different emotions: Think of it kind of like the different Lantern Corps, just not necessarily the same colours or emotions. I mean, we’ve had enemy factions in both PR and the Sentai (and in Kamen Rider, for that matter) who are sort of representatives of different emotions, but never a team of Rangers that does the same thing.
- A group of Zords based on animals we’ve never seen used before: Be honest, we all are always wanting to see this. If nothing else, the core set of Zords used by teams in the past have found themselves repeated over and over. In particular, tyrannosauruses, sharks, triceratops, lions, wolves, pterodactyls, elephants/mastodons, and tigers of all sorts have been used repeatedly over the years. We usually only see other, more outside-the-box animals and creatures used when the Rangers have massive fleets of Zords.
- Team-up with Guardians of Gaia: Really, I honestly can’t imagine doing a second PR fic and not having a team-up with these guys. And really, there’s no reason not to, either. It’s my team and my story, and there are plenty of ways to justify a crossover, especially if I went with the first idea on this list.
Anyway, that’s all I’ve got so far. What would you like to see added to this list? Let me know in the comments below, and we’ll see what happens when GoG wraps up. Ja né!
What Do I Listen To While Writing Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia?
So, I’ve been writing my Power Rangers fanfic for a while now. Between the two ‘seasons’, the story is currently resting at 26 chapters long with 170,556 words. In other words, it’s the largest single project I’ve ever done, unless you count every article on my blog and add them all up together. However, one thing I’ve always liked to allude to is what I’m listening to while writing certain scenes. So, I’m here now to set the record straight as to exactly what I listen to as I write Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia.
Now, obviously, while writing action scenes, I listen to a lot of Ron Wasserman. If you’re unfamiliar (which you shouldn’t be if you’re an old school PR fan, but it CAN happen), Wasserman did a LOT of the classic songs for Power Rangers, including the original Go Go Power Rangers, and came back to do the Power Rangers SPD theme and a demo for Power Rangers Mystic Force. He also did a number of remakes of his classic songs, which he released as Power Rangers Redux. Luckily, a lot of Wasserman tunes work perfectly for certain scenes of my fic. For example, in Chapter 9, ‘Knight of the Wind’ (which is also a song I listen to sometimes when I write Patrick in action, FYI), when Pat is making his big comeback against the monster, this is pretty much the intended tune to play along with the scene:
When the Wizard Ranger, who has plenty of gold on his suit and fights a lot like a combo of the Gold Zeo Ranger and the Solaris Knight, leaps in to help the team, a lot of times I listen to this:
And so on. However, on top of a lot of those themes, there’s also a mashup produced on YouTube of one of Wasserman’s songs that I’ve become rather taken with and listen to a lot…
Also, just the instrumental of Welcome To The Family on its own is a great song for writing PR action scenes to. Oh, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t bring up one of my favourite things to listen to while writing people kicking ass, and in particular during the opening to ‘Guardians of Gaia, Awaken! Part 2’: The soundtrack to Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, specifically…
Or hey, remember the two part finale to Season 1, ‘Into Darkness’, when they charged the Blots on horseback?
I also sometimes listen to music from Super Sentai. For example, in ‘Sisters’, there’s a moment where Layla and Madilyn team up to fight a monster, and for whatever reason, this was what was playing in my head as I was writing and I HAD to put it on:
Then there’s that scene in ‘Always A Ranger Part 3’ where…well, I don’t wanna ruin it too much for anyone who hasn’t read it, but let’s just say that the Gaia Rangers band together with some new allies to fight a horde of monsters led by Dradarius himself, and I HAD to use this song. And you’ll have to forgive the quality, since there was never an official release of this, though there IS a piano cover on YouTube…
And during the fight scene that followed THAT up, I listened to THIS awesome mashup:
But enough of the action scenes, let’s talk about some of the other moments in the fic. Now, this is a case where I wish there was a lot more of the background music for the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers available, but unfortunately, for whatever reason, many of those were never released to the public. So, a lot of times, I gotta go outside the box with other stuff. Now, obviously, for moments like Dradarius sitting on the Dark Throne in the Abyssial Fortress, there’s only one theme that could fit the scene perfectly, which thankfully IS available, and has actually been covered and remixed a few different times on YouTube:
However, for other moments of the villains plotting or being menacing, particularly Walker and Darkea, I find myself listening to this more often than not:
And that’s not the only scene I’ve used music from Kingdom Hearts for. For example, remember that heart-breaking scene from ‘Sisters’ that I thought people were gonna kill me for? Well, here’s what I was listening to during that sequence. By all means, re-read that scene with this playing in your headset:
I actually use that for a lot of sad scenes, especially those centered around Layla and Madilyn. And remember in ‘Indigo Nightmare’ where the team entered the Well of Regret? Well…
Anyway, that’s enough of Kingdom Hearts. For other emotional scenes (not necessarily sad), like Drayden and Nikki’s talk in ‘Crying Out For Mummy’, here’s a nice little tune I like to pop in and listen to:
And lastly, for relatively silly moments, like when Madilyn is being…well, Madilyn, here’s a pretty on-the-nose song that I turn on:
So yeah, that pretty much covers everything, other than a few random songs I listen to here and there. Lemme know what you think about this unofficial soundtrack for my fic, as well as if you ever do the same thing while writing or drawing or the like. Ja né!
…Oh, and last of all, for the Lightless showing up in the next chapter…well… … …:)
Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia Season 2 Is Up! #TogetherWeAreMore
So, it’s been a couple of years, but I finally decided to get back to work on my Power Rangers fanfic, Guardians of Gaia, by posting ‘Season 2’ of the story. For the uninitiated, here’s the basic premise of my story: A parallel world to Earth called Gaia, which is tied to the natural elements of the world, is facing disaster. The Dark Zones of said world have been taken over by a powerful being called Dradarius, who is looking to conquer all of the other zones, cities, and locales of Gaia. Its ancient protectors, the Guardians of Gaia, disappeared millenia ago, and the source of their miraculous powers, the Gaian Crystals, with them. However, the crystals weren’t lost, instead passed down through the Guardians’ bloodlines…who wound up on Earth. As such, when five of them are brought back together by five college students, said students are sent to Gaia to protect it, not only as the newest Guardians of Gaia, but as the newest team of Power Rangers.
Furthermore, here’s a quick rundown of the main characters of the fic. And keep in mind, these rundowns do possess some spoilers, so if you don’t wanna know, scroll down past them.
- Nichelle “Nikki” Markson – The Red Gaia Ranger and Guardian of Fire. She’s a natural leader and a disciplined martial artist and fencer, and while she initially had trouble with long-range weapons, she’s since improved her aim with them. She’s a tenacious fighter and strategist who has defeated many powerful foes single-handedly, including the massive Plesio Lightless and the soul-stealing Ammit Lightless, but she has trouble dealing with loss, and treats any injuries that befall her friends as personal failures of hers. Despite these short-comings, Nikki has nonetheless earned the right to be named the true Guardian of Fire by the most stubborn of races on Gaia, the volcanic Magma Naga. Her Gaia Zord is the Phoenix Zord, which can assault foes with its razor-sharp talons, flame breath, and burning aileron roll.
- Patrick “Pat” O’Donnell – The Green Gaia Ranger and Guardian of Wind. Born to a meteorologist and a geologist, Patrick has learned much of his parents’ trades, and has also become skilled at fencing and parkour. He’s easily the most gifted swordsman of the team, using finesse and a little bit of luck to topple monsters like the Skeleton Lightless, who had previously bested the others in 4-on-1 combat. He has trouble admitting what he’s really thinking at times, and tends to put the good of others over himself to the point of self-sacrifice. Furthermore, an incident in battle cost him the use of his eyes, requiring him to further hone his natural and wind-based senses to compensate. His Gaia Zord is the Hippogriff Zord, which can both ride and manipulate the winds with ease, generate small tornadoes, and stomp down on foes with its thick hooves.
- Layla Bluestone – The Blue Gaia Ranger and Guardian of Water. A gamer-girl and tech expert, Layla was initially weak in combat, preferring to fight from a long distance, but has since toughened up a bit, once defeating the Frog Lightless by enduring its attacks long enough to find its weak point. An open lesbian, she’s currently dating a Dryad named Faye, and once subconsciously and unsuccessfully tried to hit on Nikki. While she’s occasionally made mistakes doing so, she’s been working to improve and expand upon the team’s weapons and equipment. She initially believed she was Madilyn’s sister, but this was revealed to be false, though she quickly forgave her and accepted her as her sister in her heart, regardless of blood relation. Her Gaia Zord is the Leviathan Zord, a long sea serpent which can coil around foes, tripping them up or keeping them held firmly in place, and can attack with blasts of ice.
- Dirk Slater – The Orange Gaia Ranger and Guardian of Earth. He is the muscle of the group, having grown up on a farm and having taken up wrestling in high school. While he’s occasionally the source of comedic relief, oftentimes pointing out certain long-standing tropes and coincidences in Ranger history, he also has a much more sensitive side to him he tries to hide. When the Doppelganger Lightless tried to trick him by appearing as his sister, Dirk was angered to the point of vengeance at the idea of villains using family against someone, especially his own. He also has occasionally butted heads with Layla over whether the Gaia Zords are machines or living creatures, though the two are still friends regardless of belief. His Gaia Zord is the Behemoth Zord, a bull-like monstrosity who mows down foes with its massive horns and orange energy orbs.
- Madilyn ‘Mad’ Bluestone – The Violet Gaia Ranger and Guardian of Lightning. Initially, Madilyn believed herself to be the leader of the group, as she was the one who brought them all together initially, but eventually conceded the position to Nikki, though the two can still butt heads at times. Her more hyperactive, chaotic, and overly optimistic stance has been known to cause turmoil for the team, as has her over-protectiveness of Layla, but she’s since come to grips with why she behaves in such a manner and tried her best to cool down for her team’s sake. Still, her energy is oftentimes seen as a major asset to the group, and she can at times think outside the box to confuse enemies, like the telepathic Satori Lightless. Her Gaia Zord is the Thunderbird Zord, which can launch electrified feathers from its wings, and can shoot lightning from its eyes.
- Jowar – The Wizard Ranger and Guardian of Light. The last of the Wizards of Gaia, he gave up his powers years ago to his newborn son, Walker. Unfortunately, this turned out to be a mistake when Walker was taken and raised by Dradarius, Usurper of the Dark Throne, and raised to be one of his Shadowmancers. However, Jowar later came across the Light Crystal, which reinvigorated him. He mostly prefers to wait on the team in the Ancient Library as their mentor, though this is mainly due to the crystal’s power weakening the further away from the library he gets. But, when the time calls for it, his light-based powers are the natural foil for Dradarius’ dark-based monsters, such as the mighty Orthrus Lightless. While he doesn’t possess a Gaia Zord of his own, he controls the Magna Cannon, a giant weapon that emerges from the Ancient Library, which can blast apart monsters or empower the Rangers’ Zords.
- Drayden Snyder – The Indigo Ranger and Guardian of Darkness. Despite learning Muay Thai kick-boxing growing up, Drayden always felt like a cheap imitation of his explorer father, Professor Charles Snyder. However, he was dragged into Gaia and was given the chance to become his own man if he fused his body and consciousness with that of a disembodied spirit. Unfortunately, said spirit was a former Dark General named Dargoon, who tried to destroy Gaia and nearly defeated the Rangers until they freed Drayden from his control. At first, he alienated himself from his father and the group, thinking himself evil because of the darkness still inside him, until he realized he wasn’t and officially joined the team. His Gaia Zord is the Dragon Zord, which can blast enemies with powerful dark flames, and is strong enough to carry the Rangers’ Gaia Megazord on its back while in flight.
Anyway, if you’re interested in the story, feel free to click the links below and start reading, and be sure to let me know what you think of it so far. Ja né!
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10041621/1/Power-Rangers-Guardians-of-Gaia-Season-1
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12005678/1/Power-Rangers-Guardians-of-Gaia-Season-2
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Fanfic/PowerRangersGuardiansOfGaia
Upcoming Plans For Jyger’s Rant + DC Rebirth Questionnaire
So, just thought I’d keep everybody up-to-date with what I’m doing for the next little bit. First off, if you’re wondering where the updates to my Nuzlocke run are, I’m still playing the game and getting screencaps of myself, but updates are gonna be kinda sporadic. This is because of two things that are happening that I’ll get into in a bit, but for now, don’t worry, the adventures of Mikey, Oswald, and the rest of my team will continue soon.
One major reason why the Nuzlocke updates will be spaced out, though, is because of Marvelous May. Speaking of, today is the cut-off date, so as of right now, I’m no longer taking votes. That means that tomorrow, I will be posting the finalized roster for the fan-vote tournament. Please remember that voting on individual match-ups won’t occur until May, when said match-ups are posted.
As most long-time readers of my blog know, N. Harmonik is my proofreader, and the two of us have done vlogs where we watch the newest Death Battles as of late. However, for this week, her and her mother have gone to Disney World. As such, I’ll be doing the Death Battle vlog solo this week (which is actually cool for me, since I don’t need to wait a few days to see it). But, when she gets back, N. Harmonik has agreed to do an article talking about her time in Disney World, along with photos she’s taken, so look forward to that. ^_^
On top of all that, expect there to probably be a quick vlog and/or slideshow of me going to Free Comic Book Day, as I am prone to do, and don’t be surprised if there’s some coverage of news regarding the upcoming DC Rebirth. Speaking of, I’ve been meaning to ask everybody here, if you were Geoff Johns and looking to steer the ship that is the DC Universe in a specific path, what would it be and what books would you want running as part of this new direction? Just something that’s been on my mind a lot lately is all. Oh, and lastly, sometime within the next couple of months, I plan to do a How To Drop The Ball In Comics about The New 52. Just one last look at everything that went pretty alright and horribly wrong with the reboot.
And in regards to my writing, after all of this is out of the way, I plan to go back and finish J.A. Phillips Presents Batman and Robin. After that, I’ll probably get to work on either Primal Strife or the long-awaited Season 2 of Power Rangers Guardians of Gaia.
Anyway, that’s all I can think of at the moment in terms of future plans. Lemme know if you have any thoughts on my current gameplan and projects, and I’ll try to get back to you. Ja né!
All Power Rangers instrumental theme songs (Unmastered) by Lemos Design
This was just too fucking awesome to not share. Enjoy! ^_^
Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0 Preview
Haven’t decided if I’m picking this up or not, but being a huge PR fanboy, I thought I’d go ahead and share the preview for BOOM! Studios’ Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #0.
- What’s to Love: The Power Rangers franchise is a true multi-generational, worldwide franchises. With its flashy costumes, mecha Zords, and-at its core-a story of superpowered teens who fight against evil alien forces, the Power Rangers are a pop-culture phenomenon that has continued to resonate with fans for over 20 years. As a new film gets ready for release in 2017, we, as huge Power Rangers fans ourselves, are excited to produce a modern Power Rangers comic featuring the characters of the original Mighty Morphin series.
- What It Is: It’s Morphin Time! The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers make their BOOM! Studios comic debut in this kick-off #0 issue that sets the stage for the rest of the series. After escaping Rita Repulsa’s mind control, Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, joins up with the rest of the Power Rangers to combat her never-ending evil plans. Any semblance of a normal life is gone for Tommy now, but with his newfound family there lies hope for a brighter path. Includes the short story from the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Mighty Morphin Power Rangers comics!
http://www.comicbookresources.com/comic-previews/mighty-morphin-power-rangers-0-boom-studios-2016
More Things I Would’ve Done With Power Rangers Megaforce
So, because it’s been a year since the end of Megaforce, and Linkara just posted a History of Power Rangers retrospective of it, I thought I’d go ahead and share some more ideas I had for things that could’ve been done differently for Power Rangers Megaforce/Super Megaforce. Bear in mind, not all of these ideas could all work as a whole, and some of them aren’t even my ideas to begin with. However, because I’ve heard many good ideas of what could’ve been done differently with the 20th Anniversary season(s), I felt I’d share them because…well, I think they’re really good. So, let’s start off with one that occurred to me while watching Mr. Lovhaug’s newest episodes of HOPR…
#1 – Play Up The Noah vs Argus Rivalry More
This was mostly skipped over in the retrospective, and I honestly don’t even blame Lewis for this, but there was a small rivalry that was hinted at between Noah and Argus. This is because Argus’ Sentai equivalent in Gokaiger was actually an old friend of GokaiBlue, but was rebuilt into a robot and had his memories wiped, save for his skill as a swordsman, and the two were forced into a rivalry. Here, though, when Noah is the one to destroy Argus, there’s no real weight to it, since they only came to blows once or twice. So, what would I have done differently? Well, in Goseiger, there was actually a GoseiGreen in the back-story who died saving GoseiBlue’s life. So, what if, prior to the enlisting of the team in Megaforce, there was a Green Ranger who was chosen a long time ago and had been acting as a lone operative, but then seemingly sacrifices himself to save Noah. However, it would then turn out he was found by Vrak, who rebuilt him as a robot, and had him sent back to the Armada to finish reprogramming, which would result in him joining Vekar’s elite guard. Suddenly, you could have this tragic rivalry between Noah and Argus, the latter of whom seemingly gave his life to save the former’s but now needs to be taken out. Then the episodes that highlight Noah’s self-confidence issues would make total sense. Hell, you could even bring Jake into that plot, by saying his Super Mega Mode Key was meant for Argus, and having him see himself as a weaker replacement for the Green Ranger. Sure, it lifts ideas from the two Sentai shows being adapted, but in ways that make sense, forward the story, and grants character development for multiple characters. And speaking of, no one needed more story added to them to explain and give us more reason to be invested in them than the next guy on this list…
#2 – Have Troy Be A Robot
…Hear me out. Yes, I’m aware that this has been done before. However, looking at everything in hindsight, it’d be the best explanation for everything that was going on, and would create some interesting development for Troy. Essentially, he’d be akin to the Blue Senturion, where he was sent back into the past to warn of a major threat to the world. However, in the process of being sent back, his memory was damaged, and he thinks he’s an actual teenager. This way, his dreams are explained as events he’d previously seen, his connection to Robo Knight is a bit more obvious since they’re both robots, and it would make Andrew Gray’s…well, let’s be perfectly honest, robotic acting a bit more bearable. Plus, it would be interesting to see how this would affect someone like Troy. Think about it: In the first episode, he makes the speech about how humans can do anything working together. Being human and his pride in being human is the most important thing to him. Now imagine him realizing that everything that was most important to him, the center of his character, was a lie. Suddenly, he’d need to find something new to believe in. Maybe his friendship with his fellow Rangers and humanity could be a new motivation for him? But what about the threat? Well, therein lies what could’ve been a much better ending…
#3 – Vrak Is Back Redone
Basically, make it so that Vrak doesn’t make his move until after the death of his father, and move Orion’s decision to leave Earth to after the ACTUAL defeat of the Armada, during which Vrak kidnaps him, and uses his connection to the Ranger Keys to cut the team off from Legendary Mode. In addition, he could create copies of the Legendary Rangers from their Keys, which would lead to the Megaforce team telling them not to get involved for fear of what could happen to them. After all, it’s been established that the Morphing Grid can’t handle more than one individual drawing from the exact same powers before one of them has to go. Suddenly, you’d have this situation where the team is left without most of their Zords (just say that all but the Mecha Zords were destroyed in the battle with the Armada), they can’t go Legendary, they’re having to fight copies of said Legendary Rangers, one of their sixth Rangers has been kidnapped while the other is fighting against them, and there’s the realization that everything they’d just been through, the massive Armada fleet that had come to destroy them…was all just a diversion to keep their eye off the real threat: Vrak. It’d be far more chilling to see his plan unfold in such a manner, and to see that Vrak was willing to sacrifice his own family to see their plans come to fruition, as well as to gain revenge against the Rangers. Plus…let’s be honest, his last stand had a bit more grandeur to it than his dad’s. That said, there IS one other possible final threat that’s been suggested by fans…
#4 – Gosei Is The True Villain
Here’s how I’d pull it off: Basically, Gosei had secretly been a student of Dark Spectre, manipulating events to where all of the previous Rangers were in the same place at the same time. Once done, he could drain their powers into the Keys to create his own massive army of evil Rangers. It would be his ultimate revenge against Zordon, all Power Rangers throughout history, and their entire lineage. However, before he could take the power from the Megaforce team, Tensou could cut them off from the Ranger Keys, leaving them as the last hope to stop Gosei. As such, it would be one last valiant struggle against Gosei and his army of Ranger copies, with Tommy and a few others, even the side characters for this season, fighting without their powers to try and give the team as much of a chance as they possibly can. It would be one grand, final stand against evil’s most sinister plot to destroy Earth and conquer the universe. But hey, enough of the big changes, here’s some of the smaller stuff they could’ve done…
#5 – Proper Music During The Legendary Ranger Battles
Yeah, I’m with Linkara on this one: Having the proper music play over the battles where the team goes Legendary Mode would be an impressive improvement all on its own. Y’know how I know that? Because I’ve seen the fight scenes with the proper music playing, thanks to YouTubers like PRUnreleased and hunterkiller1440. I refuse to believe it’s a budget issue, because Go Go Power Rangers has been reused for the past five years, and there were TINY hints of previous themes in the background music produced for Super Megaforce. And honestly, given how little Disney seemed to care about Power Rangers, I have doubts that they’d wanna hold onto the rights to the music. So yeah, would’ve been nice to see…erm, hear more of the old music used where appropriate. And lastly, there’s one more thing I wanna talk about…again.
#6 – Megaforce and Samurai Team-Up
…No, really, I have no idea why the hell they didn’t do this. In a season that is clearly out to burn through as much Sentai footage as possible, there is no excuse for why they didn’t do this team-up. After all this time, there is no possible explanation I can think of for why they didn’t do this team-up. So, because Saban didn’t do it, here’s a look at what could’ve been. Big thanks to the aforementioned PRUnreleased and hunterkiller1440 for making these two videos.
Anyway, that’s all I got for now. Once again, lemme know in the comments section below if there are any you’d add that I didn’t think of. Ja né!
Jyger's Rant 