Henshin Grid: Quality (or lack of) of Power Rangers Show, Merchandise and more

I hear the excuse "it's a kid's show" when a question is asked about something head scratching in Power Rangers. But just because it is aimed towards Children, doesn't mean it has to be lacking in quality or be so obviously cheap. Also included are things that don't match from toys to show. Most kid franchises have mistakes like that, products change from image to actual product but some have been flawless for years. So here is a list and some criticisms of not only Saban era but also Disney era, so it is all twenty years of Power Rangers. This will be one long post, so be sure to press "Read more" for more!

Rita Repulsa

Purple Rita as I've mentioned before, not a lot of people may not know about, was in merchandise (stuff doll, squeeze light) and also the costume in the 1995 Live Tour. Her costume was clearly brown on the show. Going back to the brown costumed Rita, her American costume was clearly not made of the same material as the original Japanese costume Bandora used in Zyuranger. The American costume was used for background shots in the first season and then worn by new actress Carla Perez in season 2, 3 and so on. Even in the movie, which it was worn by Julia Cortez, the costume looked cheap. The original Bandora costume looked mystical and worn in. But the American costume looked very simple and new-looking, not like a thousand old witch wore it. Well who is to complain about quality when it comes to Rita, since the first episode it was Barbara Goodson dubbing over the voice of legendary Japanese actress (the late) Machiko Soga. That set the tone for the whole show that they had to dub over footage and not get a new actress.

Check here for more on Rita.

Tommy's Floppy Shield

I have previously called it 'Fluffy shield' because that is what I called it as a kid. I was 11 when MMPR started and for me it was obvious that his shield changed from large and floppy to tight and foam in the Sentai footage. It is one of the biggest things talked about when it comes to the Green Ranger. In Dino Thunder and recent MMPR box set DVD photos, he has the tight foam shield of Dragonranger but has a silver stripe on his helmet. Most likely Saban Brands inherited the Disney silver stripe helmet and didn't get back the original green one or it got lost way before Disney obtained the franchise.

Power coins on chest

During the MMPR tenure, they had these Power Coin symbols on their chests in toys, books, clothes and other merchandise, even the recent adult T-shirts. On the show, they clearly do not have them. In the movie, they did get them but they have been an eternal mystery, we never got an explanation as to why that was done. Other things that do not match the show in merchandise was occasional use of a skirt on a Yellow Ranger that did not have one and the Quantum Ranger being a darker shade than Red and having two vectors on his helmet and chest. Also the recent mistake on a PR20th painting mural with Quantum having the Red Ranger's suit instead of his own.

Click here for more on promotional differences like PRLR and PRWF Yellow Rangers with skirts and Quantum Ranger.

What is in a name?

There is a lack of names for zords or arsenal in the Disney Era. In the Disney Era, it was common that certain items got no name at all. This makes it extremely difficult when you have a database website that names each and every little thing. In Jungle Fury, the Rhino Steel Megazord got changed to Rhino Pride Megazord from time to time. But having names incorrect was also done in Saban era. For example, Dragonzord in Battle Mode got changed to Mega Dragonzord from time to time on the show (The current ACG cards calls it "Battle Mode Dragon Megazord" which was never uttered on the show). Also in the episode "A Different Drum," the Power Weapons got called different things: Cosmic Cannon, Mighty Mace, Dino Daggers, and Battle Bow. In Lost Galaxy, the Strataforce Megazord and Centaurus Megazord got their names swapped from time to time. Also names do not quite match from toy to show which is understandable because toy companies and programs might not agree as there is copyright issues and a name might not be ready yet.

Here is a list of items that changed from toy to show:

Turbo - Visceron = Hammeron (toy)

Wild Force - Ultimus Megazord (never appeared on the show but there was a toy and CCG 2009 card and they varied in appearance)

Mystic Force - Phoenix Unizord = Steerdergon Fury Megazord (toy)

Hidaic = Evil Space Alien (toy)

Operation Overdrive - Chiller = Evil Space Alien (toy)

Jungle Fury - Dai Shi = Evil Space Alien (toy)

Camile = Melle (toy)

RPM - Valvemax Megazord = Velocimax Megazord (toy)

Also, there is Sentai names that slip into Power Rangers with the recent Gosei cards which my buddy MorphinLegacy is tired of hearing people gripe about. For more on names that slipped in PR, click here. Also, things that lacked names was the villain toys. Names would be different or just have generic "Evil Space Alien" even if it wasn't an alien like Dai Shi and a Hidac.

This will be one long post, so be sure to press "Read more" for more!

Lack of quality in products back in the day

Back in the day, MMPR name got slap on any shoddy product like black soap that tinted your skin or yucky juices or anything. And I was the sucker who bought them. I am glad the products like juice and stuff got better. But I didn't like how the Rangers were drawn or illustrated on products, I rather have live photos like in most Sentai products. Some Sentai products do have illustrations but not as much as PR. I do like that in the Valentine cards now with Samurai and Megaforce, it has some live photos.

Not in Show Toys

Disney had a lot of this. Lots of repaints and repackaging but I probably bored people to death on this. But here is some about that. Elie Dekel has said he has worked with Bandai to make sure there is more show-accurate toys but some do fall through the cracks like cycles, the transtek armor repackaged for Samurai and a recoloring of the Mega Blaster. Also there was the infamous Mammoth, T-Rex and Triceratops Rangers from RPM toy line inspired by the PaleoMax Megazord. Funny enough, two of them have the same names as the MMPR/Zyuranger counterparts.

No toy at all

There is also a long list of items that had toys in Japan but never come to the USA such as the Elephant Zord, Dragon Morpher, Transwarp Megazord, Soul Bird, Spiral Saber, Defender Wheel, Rail Rescue Bay, Celphazord, Brachiozord, Shark Sabers, Jungle Chucks, Mystic Fighters, Laser Lamp, Wolf Centaurus Megazord, Shield of Darkness, White Mystic Ranger and the list goes on and on. Now that is a mixture of both Saban and Disney and some had to do with safety issues, others are a mystery.

http://henshingrid.blogspot.com/2009/06/only-in-japan-toys-not-released-by.html

Ranger Keys in Megaforce

Biggest bother to me is the Ranger Key props in the Megaforce base. I know they were probably just meant to be glimpse at and not studied vigorously but who else where those figures made for? Sure kid fans but most kids do not know about Gokaiger. For the most part those keys had to be made for adult fans. Adult fans that stop, pause and capture frame by frame. Now in this day and age, it is highly known fans do this. And for them to do this mistake, I feel is lacking. I mean, what can I do? It's not a real crime, there are more horrible things happening in the real world. It is just disappointing. I just hope the props change when they get real Ranger Keys next year.The mistakes as I have mentioned before is the Time Force Red's arrow symbol on all the chests of the Time Force Rangers, skirt-line on male Yellow Rangers, only 8 set of keys repeated twice, and the Mystic Blue Ranger figure is a regular blue instead of light blue. Also fans don't believe them to be actual keys, just figures.

http://henshingrid.blogspot.com/2013/02/ranger-keys-in-power-rangers-megaforce.html

Now I am depressed from listing all these things. There is much much more, like writing in scripts and non-canon in one season within its own continuity. I don't mind not having any continuity through every season but at least in its own season. Some mistakes come from legal stuff and I'll excuse that, but when you got plenty of time and it all falls on ignorance or laziness, that is what riles me up.

Pages

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Quality (or lack of) of Power Rangers Show, Merchandise and more

No comments:

Post a Comment