Kyôryû sentai Jûrenjâ

I like Power Rangers, and it wasn't until late in 1996 I became aware of Sentai. Zyuranger from what I have seen appears to be darker that Power Rangers in a lot of ways even though there is a lot of silly humour in Zyuranger. I wish that a lot more Zyuranger footage had been used in Power Rangers, and I wish that the character dynamics had been copied to PR more. Also, I wish that Zyuranger would come out on video for the UK. I have still never seen the first ZYU ep - and I really really want to!!!! Does anyone have any video files of zyu for the first ep that they'd be willing to share? Does anyone know of any cool zyu sites out there or any cool zyu related stories or behind the scenes stuff? Please let me know.

A witch named Bandora has escape from her prison after two astronauts open the seal while exploring on a planet that enters our solar system every some thousands of years. Banza a mystical sage who sealed Bandora must awake the mystic Zyurangers who have been put to sleep for millions of years. With their dinosaur/prehistoric animal mechas, they'll have what it takes to take down Bandora's monsters.

For a long time, I've been curious to see how different this was compared to Power Rangers. And after seeing the whole thing, there's no comparison other than sharing the same themes. Not to mention the story is 60% different from that of Power Rangers. And there is an actual conclusion to it while Power Ranger continued longer than 50 episodes.

I can only remember a little of Power Rangers, so I did recognize some of the footage that was used for that series. Except it was a different experience seeing how it was originally released in Japan.

I don't want to say it's better than Power Rangers. I just find the story to be better and more interesting. Those who disliked Power Rangers being too long will be glad that this one is shorter than power rangers.

As we all know, Power Rangers was created from a Japanese TV show entitled Zyuuranger (Beastranger). Well, the majority. The plot has 5 ancient warriors from dinosaur tribes resurrected to do battle with a sorceress, Bandora, and her henchmen. Bandora hates dinosaurs because of personal reasons dealing with her past and origin of her evil. Anyways, the five warriors are equipped with powers that enable them to become a color coded force known as Zyuuranger. They combat Bandora's wicked Doramonsters with magical weaponry and machines. The series is my fave out of all the sentai I have seen. It's cheesy, but oh wah! Camp is fun. Heh. And let me say that Zyuuranger was very popular in Japan.

I'm old enough to remember when Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was on TV, and man that was 20 years ago. I went from being obsessed with the Power Rangers to no longer watching or caring about them after Season 2 around the time the movie came out in 1995. It seemed that way for a lot of my friends. I mean I remember how in the Halloween of 1994, so many kids including myself at school were dressed as Power Rangers, but the Halloween the year after I only noticed one kid dressed as a Power Ranger. I believe Power Rangers was at it's peak in popularity after the Green With Evil episodes to the second half of Season 2. When that show aired, I did not realize the show was using footage from a Japanese TV show. I did not hear about that until years later. But, I did notice at times even as a kid and more as an adult how the show wasn't always well done. Part of the reason is because the show changes from American footage to Japanese footage, and frequently there were the Zyurangers in scenes not morphed fighting alongside morphed characters, or lots of times there'd be people in the backgrounds of the fights, including kids that they tried to edit out in the American version, but weren't always successful.

I've seen all 50 episodes of Zyuranger, and I can't help but think about reasons why I'd say this show is better than the Power Rangers, and definitely better done. I believe part of the reason I lost interest in the Power Rangers was because the show wasn't well done, and it was predictable, as watching it years later I notice how the show doesn't have much of a plot to it. Zyuranger has more of a plot to the show. There also is more depth to the characters including the Zyurangers, even though we might prefer the characters from the American show over them. There is also more of a story behind the villains and even the monsters that strike. It also is fun watching this TV show as we get to see Japan. You can buy the DVDs subtitled, and if you're studying Japanese it would probably be a fun way to get to learn Japanese watching Zyuranger episodes.

So, while this show is a kids show and it seems like it would be PG-rated, it has a darker atmosphere than the Power Rangers. They edit some of the darkness from this show as lots of things from Japanese franchise gets edited for American audiences such as scenes from another Japanese TV show I really like called Dragon Ball Z, and one of my favorite video games Super Mario Kart where Bowser and Peach would drink champagne after winning the cup in the Japanese version, but not the American version. This show should entertain you more for the darker atmosphere and watching 50 episodes of Zyuranger feels more productive than watching 50 episodes of Power Rangers.

This show is also a little, but not much older than the Power Rangers. It's hard to believe that it's over 20 years old, it doesn't seem that old and it even looks less dated than Power Rangers. Though, if it were done today it would have had better effects.

So, while I as a lot of you think this show is better I wish they said more often at the time, how Power Rangers was from a Japanese TV show. Also, we can wonder what if this show came over to America instead of just using the Japanese footage and if it was dubbed, or even subtitled back then? Would it have done better than the Power Rangers? Oh Well, I guess we will never know.

If you're like me, you'll think of this show as better than the Power Rangers and will be sad when it ends after the last episode. I'm glad to see years later, what my childhood show was based off of.

"Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger" is one of the Super Sentai shows that is known to us Americans as the original version of "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" Season 1 with no Angel Grove, no Angel Grove Youth Center, no Bulk and Skull, no Command Center, and no Zordon and Alpha 5. You see, "Zyuranger" takes place in the city of Tokyo, Japan, which is getting under attack by the witch Bandora (aka MMPR's Rita Repulsa), who recently sold her soul to Dai Satan (aka MMPR's Lokar) to avenge her son Kai, right after she and her henchmen, Grifforzer (aka MMPR's Goldar), Tottpatt (aka MMPR's Baboo), Bookback (aka MMPR's Squatt), and Pleprechuan (aka MMPR's Finster) from imprisonment by two astronauts.

Bandora's nemesis, the Mysterious Wizard Barza, who wields a scepter that is similar to Bandora's, can disguise himself as an apartment manager working at the Sakura Mansion above his resting place (much like Superman/Clark Kent), and he also serves as an ally to the Zyurangers consisting of Geki/TyrannoRanger (aka MMPR's Red Ranger), Goushi/MammothRanger (aka MMPR's Black Ranger), Dan/TriceraRanger (aka MMPR's Blue Ranger), Boi/TigerRanger (aka MMPR's Yellow Ranger), and Mei/PteraRanger (aka MMPR's Pink Ranger). Grifforzer's wife Lamie/Lamie-Scorpion (aka MMPR's Scorpina) appears later in the show, and so is Geki's brother, Burai/DragonRanger (aka MMPR's Green Ranger).

In each episode, the Zyurangers battle Grifforzer, Lamie, and an army of clay foot soldiers known as the Golems (aka MMPR's Putty Patrollers), and later the Dokiita Golems (aka MMPR's Super Putty Patrollers), as well as the Dora Monsters, and the Zyurangers also battle them with the Guardian Beasts Tyrannosaurus (aka MMPR's Tyrannosaurus Dinozord), ZyuMammoth (aka MMPR's Mastodon Dinozord), Triceratops (aka MMPR's Triceratops Dinozord), SaberTiger (aka MMPR's Saber Toothed Tiger Dinozord), Pteranodon (aka MMPR's Pterodactyl Dinozord), Dragon Caesar (aka MMPR's Dragonzord), and King Brachion (aka MMPR's Titanus) when Grifforzer, Lamie, and each Dora Monster grows to giant size.

These Dora Monsters are not only based on World History, World Folklore (Greek Mythology and such, Fairy Tales we know, etc.), Plant and Animal Life, and such, but they are also classified into three groups: the Regular Dora Monsters, the Dokiita Dora Monsters, and the Zyu2 Dora Monsters. Here's what I remember from them.

REGULAR DORA MONSTERS=Dora Titan (aka MMPR's Giant), Dora Skeleton (aka MMPR's Bones), Dora Minotauros (aka MMPR's Minotaur), Dora Sphinx (aka MMPR's King Sphinx), Dora Goblin (aka MMPR's Gnarly Gnome), Dora Circe (aka MMPR's Pudgy Pig), Dora Cockatrice (aka MMPR's Chunky Chicken), Dora Cockatrice II (aka MMPR's Chunky Chicken), Jin/Dora Jin (aka MMPR's Genie), Dora Argus (aka MMPR's Eye Guy), Dora Ladon (aka MMPR's Snizard), Fairy DonDon (aka MMPR's Mr. Ticklesneezer), Dora Knight (aka MMPR's Knasty Knight), Dora Endos (aka MMPR's Pineoctopus), Dora Pixie (aka MMPR's Babe Ruthless), Dora Tortoise (aka MMPR's Shellshock), Dora Tarantula (aka MMPR's Spidertron), Dora Boogaranan (aka MMPR's Terror Toad), Dora Guzzler (aka MMPR's Spit Flower)

DOKIITA DORA MONSTERS=Dora Franke (aka MMPR's Frankenstein), Zombie Franke (aka MMPR's Mutitus), Satan Franke (aka MMPR's Mutitus), Dora Narcissus (aka MMPR's Octoplant), Dora Reiger (aka MMPR's Madame Woe), Magic Spinning Wheel (aka MMPR's Wheel of Misfortune), Dora Ninja (aka MMPR's Dark Warrior), Dora Ganrock (aka MMPR's Rockstar), Dora Goldhorn (aka MMPR's Samurai Fanman), Dora Silkis (aka MMPR's Weaveworm), Monster Goda (aka MMPR's Fang), Dora Fake (aka MMPR's Cyclops), Dora Antaeus (aka MMPR's Hatchasaurus/Cardiatron), Dora Chimaera (aka MMPR's Goatan), Dora Unicorn (aka MMPR's Polluticorn), Dora Mirage (aka MMPR's Twinman), Dora Talos (aka MMPR's Cyclopsis)

ZYU2 DORA MONSTERS=Goofish (aka MMPR's Goofish), Fleamonster (aka MMPR's Fighting Flea), Jellyfishmonster (aka MMPR's Jellyfish), Mantismonster (aka MMPR's Mantis), Dramole (aka MMPR's Dramole), Bee Monster (aka MMPR's Grumble Bee), Parrot Monster (aka MMPR's Two-Headed Parrot), Peckster (aka MMPR's Peckster), Lysinator (aka MMPR's Lizzinator), Pumpkin Rapper (aka MMPR's Pumpkin Rapper), Speed Shark (aka MMPR's Slippery Shark), Soccadillo (aka MMPR's Soccadillo), Rhinoblaster (aka MMPR's Rhinoblaster), Crayfishmonster (aka MMPR's Commander Crayfish), Oystermonster (aka MMPR's Oysterizer), Piranha Head (aka MMPR's Pirantishead), Pre-Gorilla (aka MMPR's Primator), Galamander (aka MMPR's Salaguana), Flowerbaster (aka MMPR's Bloom of Doom), Octophantom (aka MMPR's Octophantom), HoeSoilBeetle (aka MMPR's Stag Beetle), Venueleon (aka MMPR's Invenusable Flytrap), Robogoat (aka MMPR's Robogoat), MinGuitar (aka MMPR's Guitardo), Turban Shell (aka MMPR's Turban Shell), Pythor (aka MMPR's Pythor)

Overall, "Zyuranger" is the best of the best among other Super Sentai shows being adapted into such Power Rangers shows such as "Zeo", "Turbo", "Wild Force", "Ninja Storm", "Dino Thunder", and such.