For or Against Adaptations?

[ShinmeiSuzaku]

Isnt that a teenager?

He was a "9 year old" in the show, dunno about the actor though. A perverted 9 year old at that. Way to go Japan!

 

[minmaxticus]

As a measure of mercy to the "losing" side, I threw my hat in as "against", but I would like to clarify: As other posters have stated, it's preferable to have the material done justice then for it to be "trampled on". Now, I would like to see something original and creative done but I can understand that sometimes you "just don't have the money" to do something wholly new. In that regard, I can respect an adaptation and appreciate it for its own thing (in particular when it takes a fresh approach or twist with the original material). Otherwise I'm very much for people being inspired to make more great shows/toku/fic... heck, inspired in general. :buttrock:

 

[garfield15]

I'm also glad Trey of Triforia was the Gold Ranger instead of a direct copy of what they got over East.

King Ranger

Yeah, King Ranger is awesome

 

[Aoiblue]

He was a "9 year old" in the show, dunno about the actor though. A perverted 9 year old at that. Way to go Japan!

Yea, cause in no way is he 9 yrs old in real life XD
He's at least 13.

 

[MattComix]

Adaptations aren't meant to be representations of the source material, they're different entities. Power Rangers isn't Super Sentai for America, it does it's own thing. The seasons that try to be like it's counterpart are the ones that fail (TF, WF, anyone?).

It will never be it's own thing because without the Sentai footage being hacked for it, the suits and everything else Toei provides there IS no Power Rangers. It does not exist. There is no Dragon Knight without Kamen Rider Ryuki having existed. No Len without Ren.

I understand why adaptation has been done and is still being done. In other threads I have commented how I think DK is a step in a better direction. If there HAS to be adaptation, then that's a better way to go.

..but I really hope the day soon comes where we move beyond any conceivable need for doing the adaptation thing at all. That we can watch something from another culture and not find it so aggressively alien and off putting that the only way we can wrap our minds around it is if we chop it up into something else. At the same time I'd like for us to figure out the universal elements that cross the boundaries of culture in regards to this stuff and create our own henshin heroes.

 

[Lynxara]

I threw my hat in with "For," wildly disregarding possible marital strife, because I think showing people crappy hacked-up tokusatsu is still better than no experience of the material at all. I have acquaintances who came to, say, Kamen Rider through the early 90's movies after growing enchanted as a young person with Masked Rider's suit footage. Likewise, Tiga's TV dub was god-awful but it resulted in all of a very great Ultraman series being available in faithful subtitled format in the US.

I'd love to see someone attempt a straight dub of tokusatsu with the original actors, mind you. I don't buy that American (read: white) kids would reject material starring Japanese people. Kids of all colors love Godzilla movies and when I was a (white) little kid I loved Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which was black people as far as the eye could see. Fat Albert came off as a funny friend and that's all that matters.

Little kids aren't going to judge the race of the actors in a show because, cognitively, they usually aren't capable of understanding race yet. They might ask someone why the Shinkengers don't look like mommy and daddy, but most kids end up learning about race and ethnicity by asking those sorts of questions anyway. If they ask it about people on TV, it's a lot less embarrassing for everyone involved.

 

[MattComix]

I threw my hat in with "For," wildly disregarding possible marital strife, because I think showing people crappy hacked-up tokusatsu is still better than no experience of the material at all.

Ha! No strife to worry about honey. Besides, it's not like I ever wanted some robot who would just agree with every little thing I said. :anime:

 

[Forever Knight]

Yeah, King Ranger is awesome

Damn right. His unhenshined fight scenes were awesome, Trey had nothing on Riki.

 

[Quark]

It will never be it's own thing because without the Sentai footage being hacked for it, the suits and everything else Toei provides there IS no Power Rangers. It does not exist.

I agree to a certain extent, but at the same time that's a really unfair statement to Power Rangers. Yes, early episodes were just hacking Zyuranger and splicing in new actors actors. But the show evolved into so much more than that. We GOT original Power Rangers footage (Zyu2). And not just more re-purposing of Sentai. They incorporated Green and Pink's relationship and Blue being the brains into the suit acting. Not to mention the entrance of the universally loved and praised villain Lord Zedd. A US creation with no ties to Sentai. The second and third season aren't Dairanger and Kakuranger hacks. They're natural continuations of the story Power Rangers started in season 1. Saying Power Rangers is absolutely nothing without Sentai is just... incorrect.
Aside from that, just because it's an adaptation doesn't mean it's going to be a lesser version of it's source material. You'll be hard pressed to find an objective fan that prefers Megaranger to In Space. Come to think of, you'd be hard pressed to find an objective fan. In any case, there's numerous times where the adaptation has differentiated and improved upon it's counterpart.

 

[Chronotia Archzenom]

I for one gives it a 'I'm FOR IT!' as long as they did with what Kamen Rider Dragon Knight is currently doin, then HEAVEN YEAH!!!

I'm for them. As long as they don't molest and make the franchise look fucking stupid like Masked Rider or Beetleborgs.

To be short, I agree.

5 year olds are really easy to get to like anything regardless of whose in it. Get a five year old kid, get some cool looking outfits and fighting, and they are sold on the deal. There you go.
Dub well a Japanese show, air it on a good network, not only do you get the kids, but the weeaboo anime fans to jump on board and then you get a larger market base. Especially considering that the Anime market base in the US is a lot larger now than it was back in the 90s. Its just smart business.

As for animes, I prefer dubs but as for toku, I prefer it subbed (TV Nihon, NTN or Order of Zeronos fansubs are FTW!) unless done right like Kamen Rider Kabuto, Choudenshi Bioman and of course the unuploaded to the net Kamen Rider Blade. They are done right. (Filipino dubs, please leave them out from these discussions. I honestly hate my national language get insulted)

This one pissed me off the most.

I agree! That is one of the hate that came from me to Power Rangers. I mean, they could've done a better storyline for the Blue Turbo Power Ranger (Turboranger is not valid for it is a separate Toku)

Kiba & King Rangers > Justin.

But Tommy beats all! Even his own Sentai counterparts.

As a measure of mercy to the "losing" side, I threw my hat in as "against", but I would like to clarify: As other posters have stated, it's preferable to have the material done justice then for it to be "trampled on". Now, I would like to see something original and creative done but I can understand that sometimes you "just don't have the money" to do something wholly new. In that regard, I can respect an adaptation and appreciate it for its own thing (in particular when it takes a fresh approach or twist with the original material). Otherwise I'm very much for people being inspired to make more great shows/toku/fic... heck, inspired in general. :buttrock:

It will never be it's own thing because without the Sentai footage being hacked for it, the suits and everything else Toei provides there IS no Power Rangers. It does not exist. There is no Dragon Knight without Kamen Rider Ryuki having existed. No Len without Ren.

I understand why adaptation has been done and is still being done. In other threads I have commented how I think DK is a step in a better direction. If there HAS to be adaptation, then that's a better way to go.

..but I really hope the day soon comes where we move beyond any conceivable need for doing the adaptation thing at all. That we can watch something from another culture and not find it so aggressively alien and off putting that the only way we can wrap our minds around it is if we chop it up into something else. At the same time I'd like for us to figure out the universal elements that cross the boundaries of culture in regards to this stuff and create our own henshin heroes.

But at least you guys have:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M678PVOf5F0[/ame]

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future which is an epic win.