Recommend a Sentai series!

[Captain Shark]

I hope my experience helps you (or anyone else!) out.

Everyone's has, yours included! Now my problem is figuring out where to start. -dizzy-

I'd rather not start something so recent (like CGI recent), call me a tad old fashion. I like CGI (more than most), but to start a franchise this huge I'd prefer to go into the rudimentary route down to basics. I found a bunch of raws (mostly Chinese subs) from Gorenger to Turboranger save a couple with a lot of the recent stuff fully subbed. I kind of want to start with Gorenger and JAKQ, but you guys have taken time out to give me these recs and I don't want to feel bad.:disappoin Also for some reason Denzi, Dyna, Bio, Change, Flash, Mask, Turbo, and Five all look so similar to me. -dizzy- I will say what series do interest me the most.

-Gorenger: I like starting at the original. Plus I have been getting into Shotaro Ishinomori works this year. It also has a theme of spies even if the camp factor looks off the charts.:laugh:The only thing off putting is 84 flippin' episodes. -dizzy-

-JAKQ: It is the shortest and has a similar camp value as above. My only complaint is that I can't tell if Red Ace or Big One is supposed to be the team leader.:laugh:

-Sun Vulcan: I am a Getter Robo fan, the team reminds me of that, I see the motif as unique so.... Unfortunately I'd have to watch Denziman first because of sequeling and stuff or something.

-Changeman: It has the coolest of the original seven robots that were not replaced with a second bot.:laugh:

-Zyuranger: I was a Power Rangers kid growing up until Lost Galaxy aired (in which case I stopped watching then) so.... Plus Dragon Ranger/Caesar looks neat. Before anyone asks, yes I enjoyed Turbo.

-GoGo-V: I actually have seen Linkara's History of Power Rangers and this series has the best looking 90s robot transformation, it reminds me a lot of Might Gaine.

-Timeranger: It has a second red ranger, which is kind of neat and I think he appears in the last episode of Akibaranger with some white ranger and some yellow ranger.

-Dekaranger/Magiranger: Both for the same reason, they have the most appealing looking costumes at first appearance. I know that is a weird point, but I think I could get into them easier if it is visually appealing.

Shinkenger and Gokaiger have me interested to smaller degrees due to Decaido crossovers/crossover movies and Gokai Silver having the same voice actor as Gold 4's pilot from Majestic Prince (why the hell can't I remember his name!? I never have this problem with other characters of the main protag cast!). Gokaiger also has this AkaRed guy who seems to be sentai reddo Decaido and I have to wonder if he has other powers. I know he transforms into previous reds, but does he have any weapons or techniques as just him?

Sorry if these seem obnoxiously picky, but you guys know this more and far better than I do.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

http://www.nyaa.eu/?user=92193

This user provides very high quality raws of tokusatsu shows. They're probably a lot better than those Chinese subs. (unless those are actually helpful in your case)

Of the shows you've narrowed it down to, Changeman, Zyuranger, GoGoV, and Magiranger are probably your best bets. They're all very solidly written shows. I think GoGoV takes a little longer to get going than most, but it's got a ton of great practical effects work going on and its villains are very unique. Changeman is a great premise for a Sentai show, mixing the military theme with the wilder space fantasy stuff that I don't think older shows got into nearly as much. Zyuranger's an addictive watch if you can stomach that rather bland characters, everything else is top notch.

 

[Painted_Outlaw]

My only complaint is that I can't tell if Red Ace or Big One is supposed to be the team leader.:laugh:

Someone else can fill in the bigger details but what I've heard is that JAKQ was bombing in the TV ratings so, [hide]Spade Ace got his leadership revoked by Big One which said writing change tried making the show super-goofy and not as serious as before.[/hide]

 

[Toku Prime]

-Sun Vulcan: I am a Getter Robo fan, the team reminds me of that, I see the motif as unique so.... Unfortunately I'd have to watch Denziman first because of sequeling and stuff or something.

I hope you don't as I just started on Sun Vulcan yesterday and I haven't seen Denjiman :sweat: From what I understand the only connection is that the villainess from Denjiman returns in Sun Vulcan. I'm told you can watch the series without any knowledge of Denji.

-Changeman: It has the coolest of the original seven robots that were not replaced with a second bot.:laugh:

I finished Changeman a few months ago and it really is a very solid series. Some of the effects have dated rather poorly, but the suit actors really know how to thrown themselves down the side of a quarry wall with gusto :laugh:

-Zyuranger: I was a Power Rangers kid growing up until Lost Galaxy aired (in which case I stopped watching then) so.... Plus Dragon Ranger/Caesar looks neat. Before anyone asks, yes I enjoyed Turbo.

I must admit I haven't seen MMPR since I was a kid, but I wouldn't really recommend Zyuranger as a first Sentai. The early episodes seem to stick to a very rigid pattern of "child guest of the week" plots that can become quite boring. If you are confident that MMPR nostalgia alone can get you through 20+ episodes until the plot really starts (at which point the series did get really rather good), then by all means give it a go. I'd recommend either Dairanger or Kakuranger ahead of it, mainly because I find them both much more enjoyable than Zyu. Dairanger seems to be one of the Japanese fandom's favourite shows too.

Shinkenger and Gokaiger have me interested to smaller degrees due to Decaido crossovers/crossover movies and Gokai Silver having the same voice actor as Gold 4's pilot from Majestic Prince (why the hell can't I remember his name!? I never have this problem with other characters of the main protag cast!). Gokaiger also has this AkaRed guy who seems to be sentai reddo Decaido and I have to wonder if he has other powers. I know he transforms into previous reds, but does he have any weapons or techniques as just him?

Decade was my first Kamen Rider series too, so Shinkenger became the first Sentai series I saw by default. The team have lots of character and the evil "lieutenants" are also very interesting (at least, to me anyway). It generally gets mentioned as a good started series, and I'd have to agree.

AkaRed was originally a one-off character from the 30th anniversary special that was released during Boukenger. He has the ability to turn into other red rangers, though IIRC in that special he only uses the ability during one fight and as part of his roll call. He returned in Gokaiger, though he is a minor re-occurring character, usually appearing during flashbacks related to Gokai Red, rather than a regular. I don't recall him using his abilities at all during Gokaiger. He's never appeared out of his suit, and there's very little information given about him. Having said all that, if you liked the way that watching Decade gave you a "shop window" to see what all the other Riders' costumes and weapons were like, Gokaiger also does the same for Sentai. It's not a perfect series, but it's good at showing off the previous 190+ rangers.

 

[themidnighter]

Denzi, Dyna, Bio, Change, Flash, Mask, Turbo, and Five all look so similar to me. -dizzy- I will say what series do interest me the most.

-Changeman: It has the coolest of the original seven robots that were not replaced with a second bot.:laugh:

Alright, let's narrow it down then:

If you want to start with older series, I'd avoid watching the entirety of GORANGER and JAKQ. These aren't technically "Super Sentai" series -- they pre-date that branding -- and as such, aren't quite typical representations of the genre (I've also heard the writing of the early shows leaves a lot to be desired). Maybe sampling a couple of those episodes just to see what they're like would be a good idea.

If you want to avoid CGI, you definitely want to rule out TIMERANGER, DEKARANGER, and MAGIRANGER. Those series are very CGI-intensive.

Based on what you've said so far, I think your best bet is to start with CHANGEMAN, FLASHMAN, or MASKMAN. These 80s series are the height of the franchise in many people's eyes, and their first episodes are all great. They may seem aesthetically similar due to being made within a few years of each other, but they're really quite different.

 

[shamrocknroll]

Alright, let's narrow it down then:

If you want to start with older series, I'd avoid watching the entirety of GORANGER and JAKQ. These aren't technically "Super Sentai" series -- they pre-date that branding -- and as such, aren't quite typical representations of the genre (I've also heard the writing of the early shows leaves a lot to be desired).

The writing is more or less a product of the times as well.

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

and their first episodes are all great

This is something I disagree with quite a lot. Most of the 80s Sentai have very similar opening episodes - which isn't to say they're bad, but they're very formulaic. It usually takes an older Sentai a couple of episodes before you get a decent idea of what the show's identity is going to be. A lot of the first episodes play out with the heroes confronting the villains in a line up on a hill and there isn't a lot of variety there.

 

[themidnighter]

This is something I disagree with quite a lot. Most of the 80s Sentai have very similar opening episodes - which isn't to say they're bad, but they're very formulaic. It usually takes an older Sentai a couple of episodes before you get a decent idea of what the show's identity is going to be. A lot of the first episodes play out with the heroes confronting the villains in a line up on a hill and there isn't a lot of variety there.

I don't know. I watched each of those series' first episodes in an afternoon, and I was surprised by how immediately distinct they felt.

Sure, they are structurally similar and share certain plot points (they are, after all, variations on the same concept) -- but I find the milieus of CHANGEMAN, FLASHMAN, MASKMAN, and LIVEMAN provide quite a bit of distinction between the series' openers.

 

[Captain Shark]

Some of the effects have dated rather poorly

That is no factor to me other than possible cheese enjoyment.

The early episodes seem to stick to a very rigid pattern of "child guest of the week" plots that can become quite boring. If you are confident that MMPR nostalgia alone can get you through 20+ episodes until the plot really starts

I barely remember PR outside of a few creatures, but if I was able to trek through Mazinger Z entirely in crabsticks and watch entire anime like Great Mazinger, Getter Robo, Grendizer, Steel Jeeg, Baldios, Tekkaman: The Space Knight, and Neo Human Casshern with very few English subbed eps I can easily handle 20 some odd eps of filler or whatever the problem is without much hassle. I am the the number one expert of monsters of the week, mere filler can be endured.:buttrock:

From what I understand the only connection is that the villainess from Denjiman returns in Sun Vulcan. I'm told you can watch the series without any knowledge of Denji.

Well that is neat.

On that note it looks like I narrowed it down to Sun Vulcan, Changeman, or Zyuranger. I'd like to give everyone a big thanks for trying to help me out.