Tuesday, October 20, 2009

8 inch Super Sentai figures

That I know of, there has never been any 8 inch figures for Zyuranger, Dairanger, Ohranger or Megaranger officially made by Bandai Japan. Only bootlegs. I've had this picture for over 10 years and beleived they were 8 inchers but I have no evidence that Bandai Japan made 8 inch GoGo Five figures. The picture to the bottom right looks like 8 inch GoGo Five figures but I might be wrong. At further inspection, they look like those regular imposable vinyl figures. They could be bootlegs....

UPDATED 11/6/09 10:30 PM EST
I have seen bootlegs of the Dairangers. These are bootleg figures, meaning they are not official Dairanger figures but some anonymous company sold figures looking like the MMPR 1993 8 inch figures with the Dairanger looks.


Some of the Bandai Japan 8 inch figures:

Turboranger (1989)
The only pics I could find, but I believe all 5 rangers were made.

Carranger (1996)
Carranger had 8 inch figures that had different actions, well just two.

Apparently there was only four of the five males. Yellow was male in this series. Apparently these were in a few different style than the American 8 inchers.


The life of the 8" Power Rangers figures

UPDATED 7/16/17
Hotlinking to a particular website removed
It all started with these five 8 inch tall figures, that got us original fans into this. They were so cool when they came out because most toys at the time was 5 inches and this was rare in the 90's. Now, toys come up to 13 inches or more, but back when this was cool. The Green Ranger was released with the Dragonzord only in season one. Let's track how long they lasted until Bandai America succumbed to 5 1/2 inches.

By season two, they went to the 5.5' Auto-Morphin figures but they were special feature figures. Season two recycled the 8 inch figures but gave them special features, either kicking or chopping. The White Ranger was only released with the Tigerzord much like the Green Ranger. 5,5' monsters began by season 2 but 8 inchers were also available.
For the movie in June of 1995, the 8 inches got re-released but this time painted 'metallic' instead of producing new figures that looked like the new Movie suits. Saban and company remedied this by giving the Rangers the shiny suits known as 'Metallic Armor' late into Season three. This was the first time the White Ranger was released on his own. They also re-release the Auto-Morphins in this metallic coating.

For Season 3, the 8 inches were released for a fourth time, this time with talking features. Well, the White Ranger's second time sold separately. The 8 inch monsters stopped by season 3.

For Zeo in 1996, the 8 inchers continued, but also available in 5". They had sound action and other action features.

For Turbo, the 8 inchers had repeat action, including the Blue Senturion and the Phantom Ranger. They were not released when the show started in Spring but in the Fall. There were going to be a 8 inch Maligore and Terrorsaur but they weren't made.

By 1998, the 5.5' figures were popular and for Space, they were multiple amounts of them, including the beginning of the Battlizers. So, by Fall, they still made the 8 inches, but these were to be the last. The 8 inch talking Rangers were available and the Silver Ranger (also spoke), much like the Green and White before him was released with his main zord.

Actually, this was not the last way to obtain the 8 inch Silver Ranger (also talking), he would be re-packaged with his morpher for the Lost Galaxy line.

Astro Armor Rangers were the first... and last 8 inchers to have specially designed armors. They had individual weapons.. that were colored!!! Not like the first Rangers, that had plain white weapons. They also had their own individualized armors. You will notice the females also got special armor. They would try this again for Lost Galaxy but I will cover that tomorrow. And these were the last 8 inch figures ever made.


For the Power Playback back in 1999, the Green Ranger was re-released by himself for the first time and also in a special package with the White Ranger (as the Gold Team). All the MMPR Rangers were re-released again under the Power Playback line.
8 inchers were available from 1993 to 1999, making six years. But original ones stopped being produced in 1998 with the Space line.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Super Sentai Girl: Rina Aizawa

18 year-old actress Rina Aizawa portrayed Saki Rōyama/Go-on Yellow.










Super Sentai Girl: Suzuka Morita

17 year-old Suzuka Morita plays Kotoha Hanaori/Shinken Yellow in Samurai Sentai Shinkenger.












Power Rangers RPM - Power Ranger Firsts

UPDATED OCTOBER 23, 2009 9PM EST


Blood
Super Sentai has a lot of blood and blood has been skimmed through by Power Rangers. It hasn't been addressed or referenced to, until RPM. For Tenaya to discover she is not a robot, she has a injury and sees blood. The Rangers have gotten scrapes and bruises before, but not as much as this. Kenny reminded me that we saw Zenaku/Merrick's blood in Wild Force.


Multiple Supporting Character Deaths
Even though Master Mao died in the beginning of Jungle Fury, it wasn't directly said he 'died,' only that he went to another plane of existence, more specifically, the Spirit World. But it has been stated time and time again that Scott's brother Marcus had died during fighting Venjix. Also, Summer's butler Andrews had died. Gem and Gema were believed to be dead by Dr. K, but of course turned out not to be, much like Mike and Kendrix of Lost Galaxy. So characters had died before but they hadn't stayed dead. It is also the first to mention 'death' so often, like in "Ranger Blue" when the little girl asked Flynn "Are we going to die today?"

The most zords in one Megazord or Ultrazord
The RPM Ultrazord is the first to have twelve zords in one.



This part was Updated 10/19/09 7:15 pm est
And a kindly reader reminded me ever so nicely....


Organized Crime
It is the first season and maybe the last to ever cover the mob, a.k.a. organized crime. They have not specifically said 'mob' but the Scorpion Cartel is most obviously a mob, I mean they use the word 'cartel' for godsake. And they use the slang term 'ghost' instead of kill or mob hit.


Rangers to be Imprisoned
The first season ever to have Rangers in orange jumpsuits, basically incarcerated Power Rangers. It was only for two episodes: Fade to Black and Ranger Green, where Ziggy returns to jail thanks to Dr. K believing he betrayed their trust.


Holocaust
The definition is destruction or slaughter on a mass scale, esp. caused by fire or nuclear war. So it is a holocaust. It is the only season to cover total annihilation for a long period of time, it is the main theme basically. No real lush green fields of New Zealand in this season.