The Big 80's: Sentai Edition

[MattComix]

Even though I was a kid in the 80's, since there was no sentai or PR the only thing comparable we got in my area was Gatchaman in the form of Battle of the Planets. I remember seeing the wacky Dynaman dub when we got cable, but even then I was wishing I could see what the show was like without dub actors goofing off.

When I got into sentai it was already the mid-90s so my first exposure were the team-up movies starring Denji Sentai Megaranger (which quickly became a favorite) and then following up with GoGo V, Timeranger, and a tape of Jetman episodes. I've seen clips and/or random episodes from different eras and series.

A couple of years ago I was watching the sentai movies collection and one of the shows that stood out to me the most from the collection was Bioman. Just based on the movie and what I have read it's become the 80's sentai I want to see the most. But I'm also curious about some of the others like Dynaman, Maskman, and Turboranger.

So what I would like to ask folks is, out of the 80's era which series do you like the most and why? This is not meant to be a contest or a new vs. old debate or anything like that. Just post the one that appealed to you the most and the reasons.

Thank you.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

The '80s! Stories were varied, creative, and done well, designs were at an all-time high, action scenes weren't as stiff...I think sentai, especially, was at its best in the '80s...

 

[Sage Shinigami]

The '80s! Stories were varied, creative, and done well, designs were at an all-time high, action scenes weren't as stiff...I think sentai, especially, was at its best in the '80s...

Where they really that creative, or were they just first and thus more creative than the retreads we've seen since? That's not meant to start an argument--its a real question I pose to those who think 80's Sentai is teh pwn.

Anyways, what I've seen of 80's Sentai isn't much--just a little of Changeman, some of Bio (even though I have the full dub), and some of Mask (even though I supposedly ordered the full thing), and of the three I like Changeman the best probably. Bioman I couldn't get into because of the dub and it took watching the first two episodes of Maskman I think four times before I thought it would be a pretty decent series. Even though ChangeRobo looks like **** (is that concept drawing in the 1975-2000 artbook for Sentai mecha REALLY one of the ones they were considering? WTF happened then...), the show itself is at least entertaining. (And what I was expecting from early Sentai.)

Still, I find myself more interested in Flashman and Liveman, Turboranger and Jetman. (To me Jetman is "classic" even if it isn't 80's because it came before Power Rangers existed.) Just something about the look and what I've heard about those Sentai make me really interested. I wish someone would bother to sub them, but in the meantime I have a whole lot of Kamen Rider to keep me busy.

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

Where they really that creative, or were they just first and thus more creative than the retreads we've seen since?

I don't really think of them as "firsts" -- the period I like most, mid-to-late '80s, sentai was reaching its tenth year. I think what helped was that it -- and other tokusatsu -- had been around long enough for the writers, cast, and directors to know what to do with it. The '70s shows, as much as I liked them, were rusty gears in motion -- they hit their stride and were moving by the early '80s.

I think what really helped sentai out was the chief writer of them at the time, Hirohisa Soda -- he was interested in having fleshed out characters, ongoing plots, villains with personality. He's talented and he really raised sentai's bar and I think he's an unsung hero of the genre. Another thing that helped him out, IMO, was the trimming of the running time -- from 25 minutes to 20 starting with Dynaman. That really brought it down to the essence of the story, quick paced action and briefest of mecha scenes. Shows in the early '80s, like Denjiman or the Uchuu Keiji shows, had the 25 minute running time and padded a lot with stock footage, so the time-cut really removed all of that and provided a cleaner, more focused show, IMO. It called for a more focus on story than padding with never-ending scenes of mecha building.

 

[MattComix]

But are they any specific series that stand out to you from the era above the others?

 

[Shougo B'Stard]

But are they any specific series that stand out to you from the era above the others?

For me, it would be Changeman, Flashman, Maskman, Liveman. I think even shows like Dynaman, Bioman and Turboranger, while not being the tightest series, were more unique and interesting than some of the entries that would eventually air.

 

[Forever Knight]

The '80s! Stories were varied, creative, and done well, designs were at an all-time high, action scenes weren't as stiff...I think sentai, especially, was at its best in the '80s...

100% agreed.

 

[Black Ranger RX]

My current favorite 80's Tokusatsu would are..

Kamen Rider Black and RX (if they count)
Choushinsei Flashman
Choujuu Sentai Liveman

I only listed these 3 (or 4) because they are the ones I've seen the most episodes of. I'd love to add Uchuu Keiji Gavan to the list but I haven't seen enough episodes of him to..

And Basri's lucky enough to have a VCD set of Gavan, with English subtitles (poor English subtitles, but English subtitles noneoftheless..). And sorry for mentioning your name again without your permisson, Basri!! :laugh:

 

[ryuurenjaa]

i like denjiman , flashman, maskman shows

 

[UltraMatt]

Changeman is my all-time fave Sentai series! You MUST see it! It's got action, darkness and er.....MORE darkness LOL!

One thing that you'll being thinking about though is "I'm bored of ChangeRobo, I want another mecha in the series!"

Well if you want a series with two Mecha, get Flashman which I also hear is quite good. :anime: