It's a good time to be a Ranger,and I don't mean at Yellowstone, although that particular show and it's spinoffs ARE going great guns! I refer to the New York Rangers, currently in third place in the NHL Metropolitan Division but very likely to zoom up to the top spot,and another team of good guys in brightly colored uniforms,the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Although they made their official debut in 1975 on Japanese TV as Go Ranger ("The Five Rangers"),they exploded onto the American scene twenty years ago this year,and show no signs of going away anytime soon. Not only are Nickelodeon and it's co-owned free streamer Pluto TV celebrating with such POWERful iterations as Space Patrol Delta, Operation: Overdrive and Dino Thunder, but also introducing the original (subtitled) Japanese series to American audiences. My favorite is Hurricane Rangers,the predecessor of Power Rangers Ninja Storm, with Time Ranger,or as statesiders know it, Power Rangers Time Force,coming in a close second. Some differences between the Japanese and American series may be interesting, (Hurricane Rangers begins with a warning:"Watch TV at a distance in a well-lit room!" When the American version was shown on Jetix,the successor to Fox Kids International,the warning was that the Power Rangers were fictional characters (Really?!?I had no idea!) played by professional actors and impressionable youngsters shouldn't attempt their moves themselves. Whatever keeps the little ankle biters safe!) or disgusting, (The original Japanese predecessor of Dino Thunder shows a very racist and xenophobic portrayal of a Black baseball player which is acknowledged on this side of the International Date Line.) but the American Rangers series,for the most part,stick to the original Japanese concept while not alienating American and European viewers.
Some Rangers series in both canons have been either Morphinomenally good or powerfully bad,but,thanks to pop culture production house Shout! Factory , you can see the original five little Rangers and how they grew. Anytime is Morphin time for this limited time,and it won't cost you a dime. Just please don't karate chop your boss after the weekend!
LET'S GO (POWER) RANGERS!
And may the Power protect you!
Steve
