For or Against Adaptations?

[Keith Justice]

The only answer to this should be, "Yes... so long as it's not fucked up stupid **** like Beatleborgs."

 

[Quark]

All things considered, was Beetleborgs really all that bad?

 

[MattComix]

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.

A story that does not exist without having hacked ZyuRanger in the first place and whose continued existance depends on hacking more footage and putting it with suits from another show that are totally unrelated. A story whose existance depends on trying to make the fact a guy going from a mastadon to a frog for his power animal is an upgrade so they can use said footage.

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.

You're right about objectivity being hard to find. Especially when it comes to Power Rangers.

As for MegaRanger, hard pressed? Uh, no. I sure as hell prefer MegaRanger to In Space and so do other toku fans on this very board. I'll take Kenta's acting over their bland Tommy 2.0 "Andron" or whatever his name was.

 

[Quark]

A story that does not exist without having hacked ZyuRanger in the first place and whose continued existance depends on hacking more footage and putting it with suits from another show that are totally unrelated. A story whose existance depends on trying to make the fact a guy going from a mastadon to a frog for his power animal is an upgrade so they can use said footage.

..So? It's still different. The Power Rangers mythos transcends the footage it's based on. Sentai is a means to Power Rangers storytelling end. And what's wrong with carrying over characters from season to season? I prefer a single, expanding PR universe to "Hai let's reset the world every year!"

 

[Kivat]

Kibaranger isn't so awkward, cuz they kept him short even when he henshined, so that was good. but then they made saba (forgot jpnese name) voice over him to sound like an adult. lol

So you take some, you give some. heh

 

[Aoiblue]

All things considered, was Beetleborgs really all that bad?

When I was a kid I liked.
Hate tends to be overhyped on this board D:

 

[MattComix]

All things considered, was Beetleborgs really all that bad?

Yes.

..So? It's still different. The Power Rangers mythos transcends the footage it's based on. Sentai is a means to Power Rangers storytelling end. And what's wrong with carrying over characters from season to season? I prefer a single, expanding PR universe to "Hai let's reset the world every year!"

Japanese superhero stories for the most part, end. That's why they don't become the kind of convoluted continuity clusterfucks the way our heroes tend to end up in comics. The battle is eventually decided once and for all, characters get to move on with their lives.

It makes more sense as a story and a life by acknowledging the simple fact that no situation (or war) last forever. In addition, they retain the integrity of their original premise rather than having an endless slew of incongruous power-sets constantly heaped on them.

Each sentai ends and has powers and everything designed for a new set of characters for a new story with its own thing going on. KakuRanger and CarRanger were designed primarily as comedys not continuations of a mostly straight faced action/adventure story.

 

[minmaxticus]

I think Matt's got some great points on the "hey, everyone eventually moves on" thing... would also like to point out that PR has done just this since... what was it, Lost Galaxy? I personally think that that makes more sense. MMPR - Zeo was a really interesting experiment, but the days of Robotech and Voltron-styled storytelling (splicing multiple shows together with some interesting results) are by and large past us, methinks. Information moves at a rate and at a saturation level much higher then in the eighties and early nineties, so we all know where things are coming from. I'm not saying adaptation is "ZOMG RONG!", I guess I pose the question of... "why?" more then anything. Yeah sure, Dragon Knight is cool. Nothing wrong with that. Heck I still like Ninja Storm a lot (please don't hurt me). But I also think that some of the "weirder" aspects of the original source material is something embraced by kids (at least the fanbase) these days rather ridiculed. I mean, lets be honest here - you're not going to change someone's mind by taking a fuzzy blue wolf man and replacing it with a lizardy looking dog guy that echoes Ninja Turtle suit technology when the fact is you've still got people in spandex and rubber monster suits...

At least, that's my two cents.

 

[Quark]

Japanese superhero stories for the most part, end. That's why they don't become the kind of convoluted continuity clusterfucks the way our heroes tend to end up in comics. The battle is eventually decided once and for all, characters get to move on with their lives.

It makes more sense as a story and a life by acknowledging the simple fact that no situation (or war) last forever. In addition, they retain the integrity of their original premise rather than having an endless slew of incongruous power-sets constantly heaped on them.

Normally i'd accept that, but we're talking about a long running franchise. Yes, the story comes to a conclusion. Then they wipe the slate clean and tell the same story over, but with a new animal theme and different actors. We'll just have to agree to disagree, as I vastly prefer world building and continuity between seasons in a franchise THAT huge.

I mean, lets be honest here - you're not going to change someone's mind by taking a fuzzy blue wolf man and replacing it with a lizardy looking dog guy that echoes Ninja Turtle suit technology when the fact is you've still got people in spandex and rubber monster suits...

I think decisions like that are based on trying to make a character more believable. I'm eternally grateful Greg Aronowitz had the sense to redesign those gaudy, clearance isle Sentai costumes in order to present something that actually resembled 'big budget.'

 

[minmaxticus]

Normally i'd accept that, but we're talking about a long running franchise. Yes, the story comes to a conclusion. Then they wipe the slate clean and tell the same story over, but with a new animal theme and different actors. We'll just have to agree to disagree, as I vastly prefer world building and continuity between seasons in a franchise THAT huge.

Yeah, I guess we will - although I'd like to point not *every* series is "exactly" the same. They all may draw from the same well of archetypes and themes and so there will be repetition as years go by... but if I remember correctly there is a variance in the tone and direction of each season... some are funnier, some are darker, etc (although I totally would admit it seems Sentai has grown more "childish" in the last decade). But a case in point about them "all being the same": Does every single season have the sixth member dying like Burai does? I don't think so... at least I don't remember that in Gekiranger, for example.

Going by your argument, it would seem that's really no longer the case for PR now, is it? I mean I know that Forever Red and whatnot (DinoThunder too) has started to build a "inter continuity" between the seasons... but aren't they all different shows now with just "power rangers" in the title? I'm going to have to beg some forgiveness for my ignorance, since I'm not expert here (especially in the later seasons of PR)... furthermore, how are characters being developed in the story when even MMPR/Zeo/Turbo began to rapidly shift through cast members for one reason or another? And doesn't that shift in story/powers/character start to stretch credibility even a little for you? As if credibility is something we can even approach here, I know... but hey...

:sayin:

I think decisions like that are based on trying to make a character more believable. I'm eternally grateful Greg Aronowitz had the sense to redesign those gaudy, clearance isle Sentai costumes in order to present something that actually resembled 'big budget.'

Could you enlighten me here? Did Greg do anything to anyone other then the Chief? Again, I really stopped watching PR after parts of NS and DT...

P.S. I'm glad we can have some interesting debates and points here without it turning into "OMG UR RONG! NO U R!"