[DISCUSSION] Lupinranger VS Patranger, Episode 51 + FULL SERIES

[Dr Kain]

Zamigo is more like what Juuzo or Basco were if they showed up for an episode, said hi, and then didn't show up again for another 20 episodes. Reappeared, said hi again, and then disappeared for another 15.

 

[Toku Prime]

The real problem is Toei just not having guts. You know damn well this series had to have been pitched as "A Super Sentai where the villain group is another Super Sentai," but they didn't have the courage to stick with that.

It was very clear from the first trailers that this was a "phantom thief" show and that the Lupinrangers were front and center. Just as you would never have a Robin Hood show where Robin is the villain, phantom thief shows never depict the titular thieves as the antagonists, even if they acknowledge that they are breaking the law.

Having said that, a lot of the rumors concerning Ryusoulger's need to perform have suggested that there's a lot of personal disagreements going on between the people who plan Toei's toku shows, so nobody can really execute their ideas as they intend to because their rivals keep putting roadblocks in their way.

Would a heroic Sentai vs a villainous Sentai work? Well, we keep hearing that the reason Rider is always doing 'Rider War' stories is because they can sell villainous Rider toys more easily than random monster faction toys. I think the "new generation" Ultraman series feel like they have borrowed a lot from Rider and their toy sales are the best they have ever been. Having said that, if Sentai went that way too it might get a bit same-y.

I certainly feel that LuPat didn't manage to extract the full potential of the concept.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

I'm pretty sure it was pitched as "Lupin III Sentai" and neither Lupin nor Zenigata are bad guys in Lupin III.

It was very clear from the first trailers that this was a "phantom thief" show and that the Lupinrangers were front and center. Just as you would never have a Robin Hood show where Robin is the villain, phantom thief shows never depict the titular thieves as the antagonists, even if they acknowledge that they are breaking the law.

I'm saying the pitch was probably "Hey, let's have the villains be an evil Sentai." But when they went through themes and settled on cops and robbers, that's probably when it took on the more predictable developments. So we got stuck with a show too afraid to make the bad Sentai all that bad and they had to shoehorn in generic common foes for both teams.

The show needed to be less afraid and also have the Janperson/Boukenger approach of having multiple regular villain groups.