Poll: Best/Worst Sentai Helmets and Best/Worst Kamen Rider Heisei Era Costumes and Helmets

Favorite Sentai Helmets of 70's-80's?
Liveman - 32 of 101
Goranger - 8

Worst Sentai Helmets of 70's-80's?
Battle Fever J - 61 of 97
Dynaman - 4

Best Sentai Helmets of 90's?
Zyuranger - 39 of 112
Gingaman - 7

Worst Sentai Helmets of 90's?
Fiveman - 36 of 107
Ohranger - 18

Best Sentai Helmets this decade?
Shinkenger - 50 of 132
Gekiranger - 13

Worst Sentai Helmets of this decade?
Go-Onger - 47 of 118
Timeranger - 15

Best Heisei Kamen Rider Costume?
Double - 35 of 119
Blade - 4

Worst/Boring Heisei Kamen Rider Costume?
Hibiki- 51 of 111
Double - 6

Best Heisei Kamen Rider Helmet?
Kiva - 35 of 107
555 and Blade - 4

Worst/Boring Heisei Kamen Rider Helmet?
Hibiki - 45 of 101
Agito - 10

Are you going to Powermorphicon 2010?
No, Can't Afford It - 185 of 248
Yes - 37
Don't Want to go - 26

Side note, I actually thought about going, can't really afford it, only have half of what I need for the trip. I can go into the details but it is not needed. I am sure there will be other cons.

Kiba Ranger Vs. White Ranger: Kid Hero vs. Big Deal Power

I thought this would be an interesting subject but I didn't know if I had enough to back it up. The Subject being how differently one costume can be seen culturally when displayed in two different ways.

Kibaranger, the name of the original White Ranger in Gosei Sentai Dairanger, was a child hero. Even though the Ranger is meant to be a tall adult---his weapon Byakkoshinken spoke for him to conceal his identity but the suit actor was indeed shorter than the other suit actors. While when it came to the White Ranger, he was the epitome of power, an award to Tommy for all he suffered as the Green Ranger.

I read somewhere on a website that a fan hated Saba and didn't get the purpose of Saba's existence. The reason he spoke was because from the footage, the weapon spoke. In Dairanger, Byakkoshinken spoke for Kou like I mentioned before and he advised him and was like 'don't do that.' and he had powers. He could make the sky dark and lighting, he would fly and levitate and had telekensis. Sometimes he would go to the leader of the Dairanger about his concerns. One time Kou wrapped his mouth with a cloth. In Power Rangers, Saba was meant to advise Tommy but in the end, he really didn't and his speaking slowly stopped. In "A Ranger Catastrophe Part 2," the last time he would speak was when he said "White Ranger, I'm afraid I've failed you. I can see no way out of our present situation." In the movie he briefly appeared and didn't speak.


Much like the Green Ranger's floppy shield, Tommy as the White Ranger had what looked like arm bands. But in truth, they are like shirt sleeve cuff, like the rest of the Dairanger. The American Saban people made the bands on the arms, but when the White Ranger appeared again in Dino Thunder, he had the sleeve cuffs like Kibaranger, mainly because they got the suit from Japan.

I think it is interesting that in Japan the costume was seen as a little kid (the vest look childish) but for the White Ranger, the vest was a symbol of power, calling back the Green Ranger shield. Tommy had to be the leader (by default since Jason's actor was fired and written out of the story), a commanding force and the costume looked really cool and strong. Maybe fans that grew up with the White Ranger won't agree me about the vest looking childish because of their perspective. For me, just exclusively me, I was 11 when the show started and I have seen the entire Dairanger series multiple times and that's how I see it, maybe I'm alone on this one.

Movie-Exclusive Weapons

All right, all right, I know I talk too much about this movie, but it is the 15 anniversary for god's sake! Can you believe it has been 15 years since this movie was released? Anyhoo, lot of fans ask why the Rangers had different weapons in the movie, but it goes along with where is Squatt and Baboo? And also, why do they have shiny suits? I just think since it is non-canon, just go with it, also they look cool.

"Power Scope"
Rocky calls this out and his helmet changed into this VR Trooper-esque version (which I haven't yet seen any cosplay attempt to replicate) and can track the Oozemen.

"Power Beams"
Tommy asks for some lights and Aisha activates this. I thought this was so cool when I first saw it and it is still cool!

Stegastinger
Originally supposed to be the weapon of the Black Ranger in the early draft of the script (Billy was to have Audio Enhancers in his helmet). When I first heard it, I was like 'Billy is the Triceratops, not a Stegosaurus.' I remember one time on a local show in Miami, Lauren Delisa interviewed this spokesperson dude at a convention and he was with four of the Power Rangers (during season 2, without Yellow), and he said Black was the Stegosaurus. I was like, 'Are you blind?! Can't you see the tusks and ears on the helmet?!' He probably thought since Red, Blue and Pink were Dinosaurs, so were the others. Anyway, I digress, the weapon doesn't even look at all to be related to a Stegosaurus.

Pterodactyl Thunderwhip

Kimberly would release a lizard-tongue-like whip out of this weapon. I like its design and like the glowy pink light on the bottom. It might just like a Baton, but it had a lot of potential. Black had no weapon in the actual movie and Tommy had Saba. In the early draft of the script, it was going to be called the Raptor Ribbon. It seems they wanted to add more Dinosaur names. Speaking about Ribbons...


Maybe it was inspired by this Ribbon. In the episode "Bloom of Doom" which had footage provided by Toei but didn't appear in Zyuranger (now dubbed by fans as Zyu2), Kimberly takes out a string of pink ribbon that she wraps around the foe and electrocutes the beast with. We never see this weapon ever again!

Battle Bikes in Power Rangers

In MMPR 1993 toy line, fans found three bikes with the male Rangers and sidecars (not including the females) but they never seemed to appear on the show...

Until the background of episode "Calamity Kimberly" and appeared in one episode or another. That is because they existed in Zyuranger, as I have mentioned before.

Even the Battle Bikes were not properly introduced on the show, they continued to appear in coloring books, and other merchandise. Including this Battle Bikes race track toy that featured Lord Zedd so I am thinking it came out in either 1994 or 1995.

In Mighty Morphin Power Rangers book Vol. 2 The Zords vs. The Monster Squad, the Battle Bikes appeared. This was the only instance of live-action appearance of Battle Bikes called as such in Power Ranger merchandise. In Zyuranger, most of the footage of the Zyuranger using them was out of costume, so the producers couldn't use the footage. And probably the reason they didn't make their own bikes so because of costs. But they did have the money by Season 3, hence creating the Shark Bikes.
Recently in the 2010 batch of MMPR toys, the red battle bike appears in this power pack set.

Related: http://henshingrid.blogspot.com/2009/06/sentai-motor-club-bikes.html | http://henshingrid.blogspot.com/2009/06/power-ranger-exclusive-bikes.html

Power Claws Influence

Power Claws
It appeared in the small booklet that came with the first wave of Season 2 MMPR toys, as I have mentioned that it was not sold in the United States, I don't think it ever was released in any way. It was suppose to hold the Auto-Morphin Rangers. The funny thing is that when I first saw this thing, only a few episodes of season 2 had aired and I had a feeling that it would not appear on the show, which it didn't.

Power Dome
This toy was of the Command Center, but it was called the Power Dome, anyway, besides having Zordona nd Alpha, it had a device that looked like the Power Claws. A figure could sit in it and shoot missiles. I used to own it, I won it in a Bandai contest to send proof of purchases and stuff. I gave it as a Christmas present to a nephew.

A different version of the Power Claw, I guess it was released. I found this at the 'Power Dome' Flickr Account. The owner says it was produced through a licensed vendor and probably only made in small quantities. It is only about 3.5 inches long and the figure isn't removable.

Related: http://henshingrid.blogspot.com/2009/06/planned-but-never-released-power-ranger.html

Power Rangers Valentines Cards

 

I never liked how on merchandise they didn't show the live-action Rangers, always drawings (except for some rare cases, like MMPR posters and books, I remember once they had PRDT folders with photos). In Sentai, they mostly have the live-action in bookbags, dishes, stationary and other merch, except for the coloring books of course. I don't remember if there were any valentine cards from Zeo to Time Force, let me know!

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
I know this came out in 1995 because I couldn't find them in 1994 during season 1.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers

These probably came out during Season 3 in 1996 even though they have the Thunderzords on them. I don't remember if there were any valentine cards from Zeo to Time Force, let me know!

Ninja Storm
Of course with Disney we got more consistent cards. They did feature the Blue Ranger but I think only the 3 Rangers.

Dino Thunder
I don't think these featured the White Ranger.

SPD
They had this tote kit.  Most likely these only featured the 3 male Rangers.

Mystic Force
This most likely only featured 3 male Rangers.

Operation Overdrive
Most likely only featured the 3 male Rangers.


Jungle Fury
Featured the Tiger, Jaguar and Bat Rangers.

Power Rangers
Came out in 2008, ONLY had the Red Ranger on them!!!!

RPM

Out of the very rare Disney merchandise for RPM, there were Valentines Cards, with the same drawings used in the Calender. Featured all 5 Rangers, and for the first time ever included a live-action picture of the Red Ranger on the cover!

 

Power Rangers Samurai

3 different, one had bookmarks, one had stickers, one was just valentines. 2012.

 

 

Super Samurai

Came out in 2013.

 

Megaforce

Comes with 35 illustrated tattoos while the cards come with live photos.