Hasbro's Power Rangers era and General Tokusatsu discussion

Someone on Twitter suggested that those aren't tires, but the capstans in a cassette tape player, suggesting a musical theme along with the vehicle theme. Although I'm not sure that tracks, since cassette-player capstans have either 3 or 6 vanes, not 5.
 
This seems like the place to ask, is there a term for the generic baddie soldiers in Tokusatsu shows? What were called "putties" IIRC in Power Ranger.
 
This seems like the place to ask, is there a term for the generic baddie soldiers in Tokusatsu shows? What were called "putties" IIRC in Power Ranger.

The Japanese word is sentou-in (戦闘員), combatants, rendered in English as "Combatmen." In Power Rangers, they're called foot soldiers or grunts. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, the loose American adaptation of Kamen Rider Ryuki, called them Minions.
 
From Erica Murakami(Princess Himeno) twitter page Kingohger will end with 50 episodes.

https://twitter.com/hi_erica_/status/1731842429085724753



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Also an update on BoonBoomger. The toy listings came out but there's talk that the helmets could resemble a tire.
 
Also an update on BoonBoomger. The toy listings came out but there's talk that the helmets could resemble a tire.

Huh? Not sure what that means. That the visors will be stylized to look like tire tread shapes, maybe? My first thought was to envision a tire around the head like on Kamen Rider Drive's torso, but horizontal. Which seems unlikely.
 
If the current crop of rumors are to be believed, and it's late enough now that they could be legit, the tires on the helmets are DEFINITELY NOT the visors.

Thus far I've seen a couple of concepts drawn by fans. The tire running vertically down the middle of the helmet seems a popular choice. But nobody knows. I guess we'll see when images hit at the end of the month.
 
Huh? Not sure what that means. That the visors will be stylized to look like tire tread shapes, maybe? My first thought was to envision a tire around the head like on Kamen Rider Drive's torso, but horizontal. Which seems unlikely.


Of course, it all makes sense now! It's Gorenger's 48th anniversary, after all.

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Something like this but probably not sticking out so much

InivGvv.jpg
 
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I just finished a rewatch of Power Rangers RPM, which was always my favorite series in the franchise. It still holds up really well, an exceptional entry in the series for its post-apocalyptic setting and smart, dramatic writing with rich humor. In particular, it's got what's easily the most talented cast in Power Rangers history. Usually there's a lot of amateurish acting in PR, but most of RPM's cast members were really good, with Olivia Tennet and Rose McIver being particular standouts. I can't think of another PR season where so many of the cast members have gone on to greater prominence -- McIver and Adelaide Kane have both starred in CW series, Eka Darville has been a regular in a few shows including Jessica Jones, Dan Ewing apparently had a major role in the hit movie Love and Monsters, and Ewing, Tennet, and Milo Cawthorne have had ongoing careers in New Zealand/Australian film and TV.

I think Doctor K is probably the richest, most compelling character in the PR franchise, and her origin episode was brilliant, sad, and beautiful. The character writing in the first half-season was really rich. The quality diminished a bit when Eddie Guzelian was fired and Judd Lynn was brought back in as showrunner. There was still some fairly effective drama, but it lacked Guzelian's witty, edgy style, some of the characters didn't get as much to do, and Lynn pretty much repeated his Astronema/Karone arc from Power Rangers in Space for Tenaya. The humor also wasn't quite as effective. (The low point is the episode where Ziggy wants to use a mind control device confiscated from the villains as a way to "pick up chicks," and we're supposed to think it's funny that he's an aspiring sexual predator.)

It's kind of surprising how little Go-Onger action footage the show uses, though not really, I guess, since that was a comedy season where the mecha were sentient, speaking characters, so they would've had to avoid scenes of them talking, of the Go-Ongers interacting with the Engines in their chibi "soul" forms, etc. As it is, the comical designs of the Zords and monsters really clash badly with the generally serious tone of the story. The original action is often impressive in the first half-season, with some creative Jackie Chan-style comedy fights that were often character-driven, but it gets more generic later on and I often found myself zoning out during some of the long, repetitive fights.

I'm considering doing a Beast Morphers rewatch once I get around to rejoining Netflix, since that show turned out to be a stealth sequel to RPM and I want to look for the connections now that I've refreshed my memory. I realize the two have some similarities beyond the direct connection, which might have been subtle clues. They both start out with three-member Red-Blue-Yellow teams that later expand, they both have paired Gold and Silver Rangers, and they both use a system where the Ranger suits and gear are teleported from the home base. In both cases, the Red Ranger is the son of an authority figure in the community where the Rangers operate.
 
We should be getting close to some look at BoonBoomger near the end of the month.

Suit descriptions are floating around


Updated info:

-Helmets are your standard sentai fare, but with a "tire" on the face, with the visor being the spokes of the wheel, and then a traditional sentai mouthpiece in silver w/lips. Red's visor is like a star (same as the wheels in official logo) and BoonBoomGer Robo has the same wheel on his forhead. Blue's visor 3-pronged, kind of like a wonky triangle. Pink's visor looks like the GoGoV symbol without dividing lines. Black's visor has 8 spokes, looks kind of like the kanji for "gauge" in Japanese, but also like a normal wheel. Orange's visor kind of looks like a gun turret.


All the visors are in their ranger colors, with the wells being black and also part of the visor material; except Black whose only real visor part is the black wheel wells, with the center spoke being silver. (Kind of like how HachiOhger's helmet worked.) Red, Blue and Pink have two wheels on their backs; but they're small. Black and Orange have shoulder armor on their left shoulder with a siren-esque motif. I believe some people will be weirded out by the visors at first.

-All 5 suits seem to be mostly the same otherwise. Right arm and helmet are in the ranger color, as well as the "sports shoes" having the ranger color on top; the color from the right arm reaches over onto the top of the chest, which is a speedometer in that ranger's color blending over into the white. The rest of the suit is white with the left side having grey "shading", similar to how the King-Ohger suits have their shading colors. The material seems a little hardier than spandex, but the only armored parts are the gloves, shoes and lower-leg armor. Looks very sporty. Belt buckle looks like a seatbelt. Pink is the only OBVIOUS woman, but the suits are honestly so similar that it's still possible for Black or Orange to be a woman as well, though it's looking likely it's just Pink.


To give some context. Something like this which one poster mocked up

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But the usual poster who finds the information from Japanese boards said that it was off

That's very close. But the visor is off; really does look like OhRed's star visor. The wells behind the visor are all black visor glass, then a red rim, and then the tire. Tire itself is a little bigger too.
 
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Just wanted to share that Boonboomger leaks have come out. I can't post the pictures because they have been watermarked with a childish insult to one of the people who's been bringing information he got from various resources over 20 years.


I can post a fan art that's pretty close to what we saw

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I don't know if even seeing them in action will change my opinion on them though.



Interestingly a lot of people on certain message boards are posting an old quote from Shirakura's about "good design & ugly design" when the fan drawings started appearing


"the requirement for design at this time is that it doesn't matter even if your design is ugly, the design that can catch the audience's attention is a good design"

"Even if your design is cool, if the audience doesn’t leave any impression after seeing it, that kind of design will basically not work"




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These definitely won't be forgettable.
 
Good grief. I was expecting circular visors flush with the helmet and resembling flat images of tires. This... the suits are pretty good, but those helmets are going to take some getting used to.

I think it would've been better if the tire motif had been more on the sides of the helmet, like the animal silhouettes on the Goseiger helmets. Then it would have a more streamlined look that would fit the rest of the costumes. This is just kind of clunky-looking.
 
Quick translation


Boon Red is always positive and has a passionate heart. He has the ability to see through the essence of things, has a strong competitive instinct, and leads the team by making quick decisions

Boon Blue is a reliable fighter with a high degree of professionalism, and while he is cool, he also has a passionate side that burns up the more the hurdles get higher.


Boon Pink is the mood maker for the team, and is the type of person who is full of curiosity and energy. She brightens up the team with her emotional and innocent character.


Production staff
https://sys.4chan.org/derefer?url=https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/boonboom/staff/
https://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/boonboom/staff/

Rough translation:
Producer Takehiro Okawa (TV Asahi)
SHIBATAKA Keisuke (TV ASAHI)
Reito Kuji (Toei)
Koichi YADA (Toei Agency)

Original Story
Saburo Hate
Screenplay by
Atsuhiro Tomioka and others
Directed by
Shojiro Nakazawa and others
Special Effects Director
Hiroshi Butsuda (Special Effects Laboratory)
Action Director
Jun Watanabe
Production
TV ASAHI, Toei, Toei Agency
 
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Quick translation


Boon Red is always positive and has a passionate heart. He has the ability to see through the essence of things, has a strong competitive instinct, and leads the team by making quick decisions

Boon Blue is a reliable fighter with a high degree of professionalism, and while he is cool, he also has a passionate side that burns up the more the hurdles get higher.


Boon Pink is the mood maker for the team, and is the type of person who is full of curiosity and energy. She brightens up the team with her emotional and innocent character.

In other words, a pretty typical Red, Blue, and Pink.

Looks like a new head writer -- haven't seen the name before.
 
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