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Yes, yes it is. How many kids do you think watched Finding Nemo and thought "Wow, this seamlessly blends a father's grief with light-hearted discovery!"

On some level I can agree with your point. As bleak as, say, "The Little Match Girl" or "The Brave Tin Soldier" were (thank you Hans Christian Andersen) they are still beautiful

Just because a child can't express it in as long-winded a way as I just did doesn't mean they don't notice it. Children are entitled to good quality entertainment too, their being young is really no excuse to throw rubbish their way and expect that to be good enough.
 
I liked him when he wasn't a god
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Just because a child can't express it in as long-winded a way as I just did doesn't mean they don't notice it. Children are entitled to good quality entertainment too, their being young is really no excuse to throw rubbish their way and expect that to be good enough.

And yet Goseiger's ratings and sales figures were respectable whereas Gekiranger's were abysmal - despite most English-speaking adult fans vastly preferring the latter to the former. I suspect it's because although something like Rio's constant pretty-boy angst is appealing to an older viewer, it's dull as ditchwater to a child. If something is bright and shiny enough, kids will enjoy it. Stuff like Spongebob Squarepants or Barney and Friends aren't intellectual masterpieces but they still have an army of child fans
 
When The Fruit Of Life Corrupts Men
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And yet Goseiger's ratings and sales figures were respectable whereas Gekiranger's were abysmal - despite most English-speaking adult fans vastly preferring the latter to the former. I suspect it's because although something like Rio's constant pretty-boy angst is appealing to an older viewer, it's dull as ditchwater to a child. If something is bright and shiny enough, kids will enjoy it. Stuff like Spongebob Squarepants or Barney and Friends aren't intellectual masterpieces but they still have an army of child fans

Well, like I've stated before in my previous arguements with you over the merits of Goseiger, I watched this show through the eyes of a 20 year old adult, not from the eyes of a 5-12 year old child.

And this isn't a "I ONLY WATCH MATURE SHOWS FOR MATURE PEOPLE SUCH AS MYSELF" situation either, I wanted to like Goseiger, I really did

I liked the henshin concept with the tesounder, I sort of liked the costumes, and I sort of liked the mecha (though I'm not one for Mecha clusterfucks, if there's one thing wrong with Sentai these days, it's that)

The show had a pretty good start, but it started to dip into the sesspool of mediocrity after episode 15
 
I liked him when he wasn't a god
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I liked the henshin concept with the tesounder, I sort of liked the costumes, and I sort of liked the mecha (though I'm not one for Mecha clusterfucks, if there's one thing wrong with Sentai these days, it's that)

The show had a pretty good start, but it started to dip into the sesspool of mediocrity after episode 15

I don't think it's a coincidence that many of the best-loved Sentai (Liveman, Jetman etc.) came from the time when they were written and marketed as family shows in general. Once it became aimed more at 2 to 7-year-old (ish) kids, that's when we started getting more of the mecha overkill and cheap gimmicks
 
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I agree with the idea that children being part of or the target audience doesn't excuse lazy writing and dumb gimmicks but I do think it is a valid point that the viewing priorities of a Japanese child are going to be somewhat different from an older toku fan in the United States.

That's why when I watch these shows I sort of watch them side by side with my five year old self while also keeping in mind that it's a different culture. In other words, there has to be a certain level of willingness to play along but that doesn't mean shutting off any sort of critical thinking.

Ideally, I feel a good Sentai works in the way a good superhero story does where it's something you can come to do as either a kid or an adult and get something out of it. Even better you may come to as a kid and just see the cool costumes and powers but then as an older viewer or an adult you pick up on the more subtle things and what the story is actually trying to say.
 
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And yet Goseiger's ratings and sales figures were respectable whereas Gekiranger's were abysmal - despite most English-speaking adult fans vastly preferring the latter to the former. I suspect it's because although something like Rio's constant pretty-boy angst is appealing to an older viewer, it's dull as ditchwater to a child. If something is bright and shiny enough, kids will enjoy it. Stuff like Spongebob Squarepants or Barney and Friends aren't intellectual masterpieces but they still have an army of child fans

Look at Gekiranger's opening without the music, it looks like one of those old kung-fu movies that have become legendary in Western civilization. Then listen to the opening without looking at the video, it sounds as if it were from an old late 80's cartoon. Maybe that's why Gekirangers clicked so well with the Western audience.
 
I liked him when he wasn't a god
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Look at Gekiranger's opening without the music, it looks like one of those old kung-fu movies that have become legendary in Western civilization. Then listen to the opening without looking at the video, it sounds as if it were from an old late 80's cartoon. Maybe that's why Gekirangers clicked so well with the Western audience.

The fact remains that by and large Toei does not think "good writing" sells to kids. That's why most Sentai/Kamen Rider now markets itself on shiny toys, guest appearances, idol girls and other such things rather than the quality of the story (and other toku, too. "Dogu-chan" is basically a half hour's long excuse to ogle women in bikinis)
 
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The fact remains that by and large Toei does not think "good writing" sells to kids. That's why most Sentai/Kamen Rider now markets itself on shiny toys, guest appearances, idol girls and other such things rather than the quality of the story (and other toku, too. "Dogu-chan" is basically a half hour's long excuse to ogle women in bikinis)

But that's still not an excuse. Specially when you compare it with KR W, which air almost at the same time as Goseiger, which went out of his way to introduce new toys for kids, and yet it had, in my opinion, one of the strongest writing among the Hesei series.
 
I liked him when he wasn't a god
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But that's still not an excuse. Specially when you compare it with KR W, which air almost at the same time as Goseiger, which went out of his way to introduce new toys for kids, and yet it had, in my opinion, one of the strongest writing among the Hesei series.

I personally love W and think it did a good job of fulfilling its toy quota while giving us a story worth watching. I'm saying that since Sentai and KR began to be viewed more as child-centric moneymakers than family entertainment (which for Sentai, IMO, began with Gaoranger and the 100 Power Animals) we have generally had a trend of merchandising and gimmicks over substance
 
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