Could Sentai work without the Red Ranger?

[lazycoconut]

But Red's still the figurehead and most important character, so he's the "real" leader

 

[Wing Saber]

What about a leader who isn't one of the team? The closest the Dekarangers had to a leader was Doggie, who was DekaMaster, but he wasn't a full-time Ranger like the main five. I think something like that could work and not have Red be the protagonist

Both Big One & Deka Master were both mentors/Rangers. They would only help out if the group really needed it. Which is why in those cases the Red Ranger is the field leader.

One time the Deka Rangers almost became too dependent on Doggie. Which is the last thing he wanted.

 

[lazycoconut]

Both Big One & Deka Master were both mentors/Rangers. They would only help out if the group really needed it. Which is why in those cases the Red Ranger is the field leader.

One time the Deka Rangers almost became too dependent on Doggie. Which is the last thing he wanted.

Wasn't there an episode about Doggie trying to teach the Dekarangers not to rely on him so much? But, could Sentai work without the Red as de facto protagonist and most important character?

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

Every show needs a main character. What difference would it make if the person getting all the attention was a different color?

 

[Painted_Outlaw]

Wasn't there an episode about Doggie trying to teach the Dekarangers not to rely on him so much?

Yep. Iirc, it was the episode right after the show debuted him as DekaMaster.

 

[lazycoconut]

Why can't all of the team have equal focus and importance? Or the mentor be the main character and the Rangers have equal focus

 

[SamuraiEchidna]

It seems to me that in the future most Sentai series will be more like Gekiranger, Shinkenger and Magiranger (where the entire series revolves around the Red and there is no story without him) than Timeranger, Gaoranger or Dekaranger (where all heroes drive the plot, there was a team before Red came along, and they would have been just fine without him.) I think that having more Red-centric seasons is a bad thing. So, could Sentai work without the Red Ranger as figurehead and de facto leader? What would happen if all the Rangers had equal importance and screen time, or a non-Red character were allowed to be the actual leader (instead of leader in name only like Timeranger?)

I'm sorry, but I kind of have to argue this. I kind of feel like, what with the Battlizers and everything, making the show Red Ranger-centric is more of a Power Rangers thing. I just don't see it as much in Super Sentai. Okay, so maybe the red rangers get just a tad more focus sometimes, like how Jan got some special mentions because of his mysterious back story, but that doesn't mean he out-shined his fellow GekiRangers. You see all of them progressing, learning new things, and becoming better people. We even see some things from their back stories too. Many recent Sentai have been like that. Even if the Red Ranger gets a little bit more focus, you can still walk away from the shows remembering the other rangers and their stories.

About the only ones that made me feel like the Red Ranger out-shined the others, after the show was over of course, was Boukenger and Shinkenger, and maybe DekaRanger at the end of the series and the MagiRanger team-up special. And even Shinkenger I remember the other Rangers very well, I only say it felt a little Red-centric because the whole build up about how he wasn't really the head of the Shiba clan.

I'm not saying you are wrong or anything, we all have our own opinions. I'm just challenging the point you are trying to make.


...Oh, and to answer your question, maybe it could, maybe it couldn't. But the important thing is that it shouldn't. Taking a Red Ranger out Super Sentai is like taking the Red Sun out of the Japanese flag. I know that sounds weird, but I've always associated some SMALL level of national pride by making lead hero wear red.

 

[lazycoconut]

I'm sorry, but I kind of have to argue this. I kind of feel like, what with the Battlizers and everything, making the show Red Ranger-centric is more of a Power Rangers thing. I just don't see it as much in Super Sentai. Okay, so maybe the red rangers get just a tad more focus sometimes, like how Jan got some special mentions because of his mysterious back story, but that doesn't mean he out-shined his fellow GekiRangers. You see all of them progressing, learning new things, and becoming better people. We even see some things from their back stories too. Many recent Sentai have been like that. Even if the Red Ranger gets a little bit more focus, you can still walk away from the shows remembering the other rangers and their stories.

About the only ones that made me feel like the Red Ranger out-shined the others, after the show was over of course, was Boukenger and Shinkenger, and maybe DekaRanger at the end of the series and the MagiRanger team-up special. And even Shinkenger I remember the other Rangers very well, I only say it felt a little Red-centric because the whole build up about how he wasn't really the head of the Shiba clan.

Shinkenger gives all the Rangers good character focus, but ultimately, Takeru is the only one who has anything to contribute to the plot. Mako and Genta are the only two of his vassals who have any kind of effect on him. You could write Ryuunosuke, Kotoha and Chiaki out of the story completely and there would be no major changes to the outcome.

In Gekiranger, Jan is the ONLY one of the Rangers who is a well-rounded character. The focus is given to Jan, Rio and Mele. Gou and Ken might as well not have existed - Long could only be "sealed" away by the main three.

...Oh, and to answer your question, maybe it could, maybe it couldn't. But the important thing is that it shouldn't. Taking a Red Ranger out Super Sentai is like taking the Red Sun out of the Japanese flag. I know that sounds weird, but I've always associated some SMALL level of national pride by making lead hero wear red.

... I hadn't thought of that. Red is associated with war/military, and it's considered to be a dominant colour (see "Law of Chromatic Superiority" on TV Tropes) so I always thought that was why Red is the leader :sweat:

 

[musashi03]

I've read in a study somewhere the the color red is the first color that really attracts babies-children, which is why they make the main ranger color red. I'm sure it would work since there have been a lot of kid's shows that didn't have a red-colored main characters... But it's a proven formula and it's tradition.

 

[lazycoconut]

I've read in a study somewhere the the color red is the first color that really attracts babies-children, which is why they make the main ranger color red. I'm sure it would work since there have been a lot of kid's shows that didn't have a red-colored main characters... But it's a proven formula and it's tradition.

That's interesting. Red is bright, and deep down we probably associate it with blood or something, yeah