Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Lucha (Post 330686)

It's not that I don't like shared universes. I do, when well managed and easily containable (like the Marvel Cinematic Universe). Unfortunately, when a universe exists for 50-70 years and is populated by thousands characters who aren't allowed to age (unless you're a Robin)... things become an impenetrable disaster. Writers become minutia managers and not creatives out to express a meaningful idea or tell a good story. It's why the best and most memorable comic book stories tend to take place outside of normal continuity (The Killing Joke, The Dark Knight Returns, All-Star Superman, Watchmen, The Long Halloween, Marvels, The Authority, etc...).

Taking the dense continuity approach over the long term, the universe ends up having to reboot every 10-20 years just for things to make any sense at all.

Intensive, intricate, and recursive continuity makes it impossible for new readers to enter those universes. It's why DC and Marvel are, with rare exception, niche imprints that cater to a pre-existing fanbase.

Now, since Sentai is just one show ever year, it might be manageable to create an ongoing continuity. But given how flagrantly these shows treat logic, I wouldn't want to see them try.

Originally Posted by EnerPrime (Post 330691)

The thing is that if Sentai tried to make all teams in continuty every year, they'd either have to start depowering the teams at the end of their seasons PR style, or come up with some other reason that the new villains don't get dogpiled and wiped out by 30+ experienced and full powered teams earlier on.

Originally Posted by Locke (Post 330692)

Yeah but Super Sentai is one big franchise. It isn't like Marvel which has like a thousand publications within it.

Or they could just make sure to close Super Sentai seasons properly, like why even have the Power Animals active at the end of Gaoranger? All it's ever gonna cause is trouble. They seem like pointless creative decisions.

Originally Posted by ElConvoy (Post 330699)

Franchise wide continuity is something in japanese media that really doesnt exist :lol The concept of a real continuity and world building is something that we in the west are used to have but most people in japan really dont care for that sort of thing.

Its why almost every rider hangs around in tokyo but they never meet each other :lol

Originally Posted by Battlizer (Post 330704)

Aside from Garo, apparently.

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Lucha (Post 330702)

If all of these stories were designed to operate in the same world, they'd all have to start and end the exact same way. Start: New threat emerges, brand new powers created. End: They all get de-powered. Wouldn't that make the brand even more homogeneous than it already is?

Originally Posted by Battlizer (Post 330696)

Yeah, but that's the beauty of getting the trade editions. I've seen people who were originally into the movies buy in-continuity Marvel books of the characters in said movies and enjoyed them.

But I do agree that it could be intimidating for a lot of people so.

Originally Posted by Locke (Post 330707)

Well yes, if you wish to make it that shallow, because by that logic every sentai ends 'with powers' or 'without them', so I'd say by that logic continued, it's about as homogeneous as it could possibly be already.

Originally Posted by Kamen Rider Lucha (Post 330711)

All I'm saying is: There's a clear, voracious appetite for super hero stories across the world, as evidenced by the gangbusters success of Marvel and DC movies.

Why doesn't that success at the movies translate to success in comics? Why are comics still hemorrhaging readers at a rapid pace? There are probably a few reasons, but I think a major one is comics' dizzyingly complex continuity. Like you said, it's super intimidating.