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Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Power Rangers/Super Sentai Character Conversion: Jungle Fury / Gekiranger

UPDATED NOVEMBER 1, 2008

Casey / Jan (GekiRed)
Both can be kinda annoying to fans. They are very different in origins. Jan was a jungle boy, literally. He had his own language, he would make up funny words and was rather childish. Even the Sentai producers admitted he was the most childish adult character they have had lately, I think ever. Casey isn't as bad as Connor but there doesn't seem much to him, many fans find him whiny. Casey is basically a normal kid but new to the whole Phai Zhuq (special class of martial arts of this series). Casey also comes with this 'full of it' attitude and is also absolute--he told a kid if he steals, then he is evil and against the Power Rangers, no grey. And that's not how the whole world works. The entire Gekiranger story was all about choosing your own path, Jan's father was a fighter and he was destined to fight Rio but ultimately he chose it. Jan had to deal a Darth Vader-ish father but Casey didn't, just dealing with the banished Whiger. Jan became close to Rio and both Jan/Casey believed in Rio/Jarrod. No one else believed Jarrod could be turned. While, mostly everyone wanted Rio back, but Ran and Retsu didn't want to completely forgive him.

Theo / Retsu (GekiBlue)
I initially disliked Retsu at first, finding him stuck up but he grew on me. He found beauty in everything, loving to paint and was all technique when it came to fighting. Unfortunately, Theo grows like a fungus. He is just plain stuck up. He is bossy, wants things a certain way and is such a multi-tasker, that he doesn't care to listen to reason. Retsu was very young when Gou was already an adult, he had went to fight Rio and he promised to Gou not to join GekiJyuKen (Fierce Beast-Fist) and fight. Of course, Gou disappeared and Retsu thought him more or less dead. Later after Gou returned and they made up, Retsu still felt like his brother treated him like a kid. In the end, Theo revealed his feelings to Lily. Retsu and Ran never had these feelings.

Lily / Ran (GekiYellow)
Ran was a bit of a prude, she was a tomboy and very strict. She also had a habit of saying 'eh???!' the equivalent to 'huh.' Lily is more laid back, she is a sweet nice girl, she sees the bright side of things. She also cops an attitude when she has to be put the boys in line. So did Ran, as she was like the 'mother' of the team. Both became 'bad,' in reality defiant, in one episode due to a 'spell.' Also, Lily was given the position of 'captain,' which I consider the leader because she is seen taking charge and the boys follow her orders. And in all other group attacks, she is seen in the center. Lily has yet to have any sort of promotion, I doubt it since Casey has already asserted he is the leader. Ran and Retsu didn't forgive Mele and Rio and challenged them to a battle for forgiveness.

RJ (Wolf Ranger) / Gou (GekiViolet)
RJ is the mentor, a zen-obsessed neo-hippie vegan. He is quite entertaining and refreshing for a young trainer. He is a quite innovative character on the part of the writers. Gou, on the other hand, is one of my favorite characters of Gekiranger. He followed his own path, even when he didn't know what it was. He is stern, but not too cold, he cares for his brother Retsu so much, he didn't want him to fight and made him vow not to. Both RJ and Gou became werewolves, except Gou did it to himself trying a forbidden technique and RJ's wolf side was simply tampered with by Dai Shi. Both had to tame the beasts. RJ also sought his own path, since his father is a Shark-style user and he chose to go under a Wolf master. Gou was also old friends with Rio. He tried fighting him but ultimately it had to come between Jan and Rio. RJ simply told Casey he couldn't teach them anymore at the end and told the others that when he fought Dai Shi it was his destined battle.

Dominic (Rhino Ranger) / Ken (GekiChopper)
Ken is lazy (nothing wrong with that), has technique and power but just fell on it, he's a goof-off. He is girl crazy and it was hinted he had feelings for Ran. While training in front of SaiDain, he decided to quit but vowed to come back and protect the sacred ground. The others didn't immediately warm up to him. Same as PR, they don't warm up to Dom--everyone considered everything being a game to him, same as Ken. In fact, Dom saved Fran the same way Ken saved his sister. Dominic wandered the Earth for six years, like Gou (well, much longer=10). And same as Ken, he had to make the others want to be part of the team. Dominic seems more wanting to part of something. I personally like Ken, always looked at the positive. Ken sold the SouJyuTo, which is much more reckless than Dom who left it (Control Dagger) between cushions in a restaurant. In the end, Dom ended having a romance with bookish Fran.

Master Mao / Master ShaFu
ShaFu is a anthropomorphic Caracal, who used to be human. They decided not to go that way in Jungle Fury, so Mao is human but when he disappears or teleports, there are signs of caracal. Mao was killed early on and is now a spirit that occasionally helps the gang. He was their first master. ShaFu was always there, and was very much hard to understand sometimes with his phrases. He was unconventional, him and RJ of course have similar teaching styles. ShaFu used to have a relationship with Rageku and took his students to their limits. Mao took ShaFu's animal form by the last episode.

Master Phant (Elephant Spirit Ranger) / Master Elehan Kempo
There is three definite different things between the two, the only two similarities are their costume and they share the same animal spirit. #1 is the most obvious, that Phant is human; #2 is Phant was connected to the Spirit Ranger--Master Elephant Ranger; and #3 Elehan is a pervert. Phant was a sad-sack, that people thought they didn't care about him. He is very similar to Bat Li, who refused to teach anyone new. Elehan chased young girl's skirts, touched Ran everywhere and was just an overall pervert. He believed in having fun. Phant took Elehan's animal form by the last episode.

Master Swoop (Bat Spirit Ranger) / Master Bat Li
They both have different costumes to begin with. Swoop has a Matrix-like outfit. Both of them are interesting characters. Bat Li was a hermit, who refused to teach anyone, because he was saddened from the failure of a student with promise not learning from him. Of course, Retsu learns and makes him cry. Also, Bat Li had a lady love---unfortunately because of his commitment to GekiJyuKen, he couldn't be with her and she had been living in contempt for him for decades. But of course, the Gekiranger clarified this. Swoop, on the other hand, is actually blind and is RJ's favorite teacher and taught him how to fight blind. Swoop has a nice sense of humor and very insightful. He was able to call Theo out on his bad habits and help him. Swoop was connected to the Bat Ranger. Swoop took Bat Li's animal form by the last episode.

Master Finn (Shark Spirit Ranger) / Master Sharkie Chan
Both have the same outfit, and that's all they have in similarities other than their animals. Sharkie is basically a kid, he never had a student before and the other Kensei didn't take him seriously. Sharkie and Jan are very similar and got along quickly. Sharkie is very clumsy, he was in charge of keeping something that could bring Maku to life, but he lost it. Finn is RJ's father and was insulted when he didn't follow in his father's footsteps in studying the shark techniques. Finn and Casey got along quickly. Finn and RJ had a typical dysfunctional father-son relationship. Finn was connected to the Shark Ranger. Finn took Sharkie's animal form by the last episode.

Master Rilla / Master Gorrie Yang
Gorrie Yang worked in NY writing novels. He had dreads in his hair. Other than ShaFu, he was like the leader, he is smart and stern. He helped Gou at a time when he was concerned about the gang's triangle, he was very insightful. He was even insightful with Rio with a spar/mentoring thing. He even rubbed Jan to the wrong way when he asked why he was studying GekijyuKen. What drove him. But Gorrie has his moments of goofiness. Rilla didn't have a lot of characterization since he is dead and was visited in the spirit world and the jungle fury masters have limited appearances compared to the Kenseis. He did appear at the end and took Gorrie's form.

Master Lope / Master Pyon Biao
Pyon monitored a national park in Kenya. He decided to teach Retsu to hone his body. Retsu and Pyon combat in a bloody battle in a soccer field, the object was for Retsu to capture Pyon's bandanna. He mostly followed Ken in a X-mas ep. Lope didn't have a lot of characterization since he is dead and was visited in the spirit world and the jungle fury masters have limited appearances compared to the Kenseis. He did have Theo sing karaoke. Also, Pyon is a Gazelle and Lope's power lies on the Antelope. He did appear at the end and took Biao's form.

Master Guin / Master Michelle Peng
Michelle is colorful and cheerful, she is in charge of the Sweden branch of SCRTC. She was selected by Gou to teach him how to hone a technique the master of GekiJyuKen--Brusa E created and honed and none of the Kensei knew. She only knew it in theory. Guinn didn't have a lot of characterization since she is dead and was visited in the spirit world and the Jungle Fury masters have limited appearances compared to the Kenseis. She was played by Michelle Langstone, who portrayed Kat in SPD. She did appear at the end and took Peng's form.


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