Around Mid-June of this year a friend introduced me to Super Sentai, I grew up watching Power Rangers so this was perfect. I started with Goukaiger and couldn't stop watching until I finished it. Then I tried a few other Sentai but none really grabbed my attention as quickly as Goukaiger. That was until I watched Magiranger which also captured me from beginning to end. I tried watching Hurricaneger and Gekiranger recently due to their Power Ranger counterparts but those also didn't pull me in. I'm wary about getting into Kamen Rider mostly because I honestly can't stand the bug looking masks. So knowing that I loved Magiranger and Goukaiger what should I watch next?
Thanks!
How far did you get with Gekiranger? I find that it dramatically improves around episode 8 or 9. (I know that's a bit of a wait)
I guess I've become used to them but by this point I don't really see the bug designs in Kamen Rider helmets anymore. Even when they are based on bugs, it's done so in a pretty subtle manner unless everything about them is bug themed. (ala Kabuto and a lot of the earlier Riders) I would definitely recommend getting into Kamen Rider at some point as a lot of the best tokusatsu shows come from that franchise and the tone alone is vastly different from anything Super Sentai does. Personally, I think a good series to jump into is Kamen Rider Double. It's a solid series, well written, interesting characters, a story that feels as if it was planned out from the start, and a very satisfying conclusion.
If you enjoyed Magiranger, you might also like ToQger. Both casts have this overwhelmingly positive vibe to them while faced against villains that are representations of the darkness. Plus, it's got a pretty cool mystery early on in the show and some very interesting villains. If you haven't tried it, Zyuohger, the current series, is also refreshingly fun with a very likable lead and unique twist on who the Rangers themselves are.
I would also recommend maybe an Ultraman series. You can watch a ton of them for free, legally streaming and subbed on Crunchyroll. (the currently airing series is being streamed two hours after it airs in Japan to paid users and a week later to free users) I'd recommend maybe trying Ultraman X or Mebius in that case. Ultraman's tone tends to be very similar to Sentai but it has a fairly different formula as far as the action and plots are concerned. Mebius and X are essentially two versions of the same show - something meant for newer viewers to see all the basic staples of Ultraman and be introduced to some of the past hero characters in the franchise. (Mebius introduces you to the older characters while X introduces you to characters from 2004 onward) Mebius is about a young hero coming to earth and basically learning what makes it such a great place and why all of his elders protected it in the past. X is about a young scientist studying strange radio frequencies whose goal is to find a way for both humans and monsters to coexist.
So, my top recommendations would be:
Ultraman X or ToQger.
Though I'd definitely suggest finding a way into Kamen Rider at some point as well.