Toy Sales are Why We Haven't Had a Female Rider

[Shynilyte]

Considering how we've already had threads about this before, this isn't exactly news.

The OP's point makes complete sense if you think about it; after all, how many Batgirl/Supergirl toys do you see in the States? Fairly few. They just don't reach the primary demographic.

You got a point, this issue isn't exclusive to Japanese superheroes.

 

[Khaiden]

What follows are the ramblings of a madman:

What if the Gavan movie is a success? What if there's a Metal Hero series?
Then Metal Heroes would take Rider's spot and Rider would be moved to Precure's spot. So, to make up for the lack of Precure, Rider gets a female lead! While Toei goes crazy as usual in merchandising with Metal Heroes!

Hahaha!

 

[lazycoconut]

Well, that's all only really applicable to Nadeshiko though - and another reason for her death was to create more parallels between Stronger and Gentaro.

There's Tackle herself, and Femme was a love interest for Shinji, too. (Albeit a very poorly done one.) But I suppose that given the ending of Ryuki, Femme would have been fine in the end anyway.

 

[MattComix]

It just hit me.

Reason why is because across the board with boys toys, they always short pack females cuz it's collectors that want them and the real big money is in dude toys.

If we had a female main Rider, that'd be a lot of time spent with a character that would not sell as much as a dude character.

That's why female Riders are one offs.... for the collectors, but the real time and money to spend to get that money... is in dude Riders.

So is your point they shouldn't even try and anybody who wants to see that should just let it go?

That may very well be the prevailing mentality but to that I submit that no female Rider has taken off simply because Toei has never actually tried with a female Rider. I mean really tried on the level that they would with a male character. If a female Rider doesn't sell I think it is self-fufilling prophecy. If you make a female Rider some half-assed one off then of course no one but the collectors are going to be interested.

Seriously, look at what we have got for female Riders and do any of those characters have anything to them other than "oh hey, a girl one." What was the last attempt? Nadessico? As pathetic as it was insulting. At least there's Tackle who is awesome but still not on the mark.

Toei doesn't even put the level of thought and creative effort into a female Rider that they would with the most generic Sentai Pink you could possibly think of. If they started with something like a female secondary Rider and actually bothered to make her at least as cool and as interesting and part of the actual main story as any male secondary I think they would be surprised.

But they have to do be willing to do it for reals and put more effort into it than just girl type. But to just lean on the crutch of "well boys will never buy that" is a cheap excuse. They can say that after they've cared enough to really present a female Rider anybody could truly give a damn about, girl or boy.

 

[NeonZ]

There's Tackle herself, and Femme was a love interest for Shinji, too. (Albeit a very poorly done one.) But I suppose that given the ending of Ryuki, Femme would have been fine in the end anyway.

Shinji doesn't learn about Femme's death at all though, does he? She did die "tragically", but if he never learns about it in the movie it's not really being used to motivate him.

That may very well be the prevailing mentality but to that I submit that no female Rider has taken off simply because Toei has never actually tried with a female Rider. I mean really tried on the level that they would with a male character. If a female Rider doesn't sell I think it is self-fufilling prophecy. If you make a female Rider some half-assed one off then of course no one but the collectors are going to be interested.

Do you really think that boys would ever like a female Rider enough to buy roleplay items and play about transforming into her Rider form? That's the main issue here, not action figures.

 

[lazycoconut]

Shinji doesn't learn about Femme's death at all though, does he? She did die "tragically", but if he never learns about it in the movie it's not really being used to motivate him.

No, that's true. I do think it was done for the drama effect though.

Do you really think that boys would ever like a female Rider enough to buy roleplay items and play about transforming into her Rider form? That's the main issue here, not action figures.

This is why I think a full-time female Rider would work best if she were part of a show with multiple Riders, where the hero and secondary Rider were both male (like Shuki if she hadn't been killed off.) Problem with this is that Toei seems to be dead stuck on the idea of not having more than two Riders in the TV series

 

[MattComix]

Do you really think that boys would ever like a female Rider enough to buy roleplay items and play about transforming into her Rider form? That's the main issue here, not action figures.

You could have a standard belt design for all Riders with individual modules. So they could collect all the modules without feeling like they have to wear a girly belt. On the other hand if there was a female Rider as cool as any of the male ones you wouldn't be entirely dependent on boys buying the role-play items because girls would be. Little girls can make their parents spend money just as much as little boys.

Also, if Toei can still make some money with female pink and yellow rangers they can make money on a female Rider. Face it, Toei's attempts at female Riders don't sell because they're half-hearted and half-assed.

 

[Glamador]

This is why I think a full-time female Rider would work best if she were part of a show with multiple Riders, where the hero and secondary Rider were both male (like Shuki if she hadn't been killed off.) Problem with this is that Toei seems to be dead stuck on the idea of not having more than two Riders in the TV series

Is this a modern decision? Because I definitely remember Agito, Ryuki, Blade, and Hibiki having more than 2 riders. I realize they haven't lately, but is that something they'd come out and said or are you assuming?

Also, if Toei can still make some money with female pink and yellow rangers they can make money on a female Rider. Face it, Toei's attempts at female Riders don't sell because they're half-hearted and half-assed.

Couldn't have said it better myself. Quoted For Truth.

 

[lazycoconut]

Is this a modern decision? Because I definitely remember Agito, Ryuki, Blade, and Hibiki having more than 2 riders. I realize they haven't lately, but is that something they'd come out and said or are you assuming?

No, you're quite right I'm assuming, but after three years it seems to be pretty established as part of the current format of the show. (I don't expect Wizard to have more than two either since it's making a point of trying to keep the cast small.) Toei seems to be trying to have fewer suited heroes, possibly for budget reasons - that would also explain why Sentai has had several teams of three, and more non-human Rangers, over the last few years.

I agree that Toei simply hasn't tried very hard with female Riders. It might work better if they didn't push the character's gender as a huge thing - you don't need an overly cutesy suit design (hello Nadeshiko) nor to keep reminding the audience that she's female

 

[FlashNeko]

Shinji doesn't learn about Femme's death at all though, does he? She did die "tragically", but if he never learns about it in the movie it's not really being used to motivate him.

Wasn't Femme's death during the point where Shinji was been possessed by Mirror-Shinji? It's been a few years since I've seen the film but, if so, he'd certainly have been there for it. And even if not, the possession probably would have clued him in on things anyway.