Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 149951)

I know lately people have been bashing Saban Brands for this whole saga with former Power Rangers returning for cameos. While I agree that they've completely mishandled this whole process, I think sometimes we forget that there is another party involved in this. Yes, shame on Saban, but it seems like all of the expectations are on them.

So here's my question, is there any expectation on the actors that they make arrangements to show up and be a part of it? Or maybe even contact Saban and express their interest in appearing? The actors who portrayed the former Power Rangers were obviously a huge part of the show's success, and most fans are probably just as much fans of the individual actors as the show itself. Sometimes a corporation being greedy and incompetent can't be helped, but well, as a fan I'd really appreciate some of the actors stepping up where Saban has not. The 20th anniversary of such a significant show doesn't happen very often, so I'd hope that they'd have just as much desire to make it special for the fans. This really seems like a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I know personally if I had been an actor in a former Power Rangers season, I wouldn't want to simply pass it up.

Not to bash the former Rangers, because I definitely love and respect them, but while we've done nothing but attack Saban, they've been purely reactive perhaps even a bit whiny. Sometimes it seems like the fans are fighting the battle for them, not that I'm complaining about that, it just seems like they could get on the front line a bit more too.

So that's just my thoughts, and a different perspective from what we've been hearing for a while. Does anyone else think that maybe the former Rangers could be trying a little harder to make it work? Maybe they could find some middle ground or compromise that's good for everyone, the fans included. I guess that's what I'm hopeful for, rather than simply letting this failure occur and hanging it on Saban Brands at the end of the day.

Originally Posted by SPLIT LIP (Post 149958)

So being dragged out to New Zealand and paid basically nothing considring Saban isn't paying for their flights or hotels is whiney?

I don't think you realise just how utterly unworth it Saban has made it for the actors. They're literally making no money and flying far, far away from their lives basically for nothing but quick cameos and physical work? That's like flying halfway across the world at your expense to pop into an old friend's house to say hi and move a couch before immediately leaving.

Originally Posted by MnemonicSyntax (Post 149956)

This is simply a ridiculous notion though. If my former boss called me to go back to work for him, for a day, and I had to provide transportation, lodging, food, and wasn't getting paid from it, I'd tell him to go fuck himself.

Why wouldn't we hang it on the former boss? Have you seen the letters that Saban sent out? Not only did he not send them out in a timely manner (ie last minute, see: Valerie Vernon) but they're not even addressed by name, and Saban is trying to put them on a guilt trip because "this is what the fans want and it's up to them to make it happen." (See: Erin Cahill who is devasted she can't go)

I'm not going to blame anything on the actors. Some can go. Some have the funds, the ways and the means to do so. Some do not. Some do not have the funds and work a 9-5 to make ends meet. Some have family obligations. Some have lives that require their constant attention.

Honestly, I'm really just tired of this attitude too. Yost didn't accept, and one guy called him a jerk for not doing so? Why is he a jerk? Because he was abused and mistreated on the set, besides everything I already mentioned about time, expenses and cost getting there? Yeah, that's a good idea Mr. Yost, go back to all that. I don't blame him one bit.

And, let's not forget Saban inviting then uninviting people who geniunely wanted to go (see: Rhett Fisher). I guess that's the actors fault too and they should step up?

No, based on all this, this all lies in Saban's hands. While he had two years to prepare for Gokaiger and knowing what it contains, I'll give him a slight benefit of the doubt and say he had one year, because of the contract obligations and buying back from Disney. That's a very long time to make arrangements and not wait until the last minute.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 149971)

This isn't just some average job we're talking about. That's kind of my point. You can't talk about reprising their role as a Power Ranger as if it were being called in to McDonalds to flip burgers for a day. To put it in perspective, if my old boss called me back to participate in the 20th anniversary of a business I played pretty significant part in, I would definitely consider that even if I had to pay my own way, because that would have been a part of my life and I would have been a part of that success. Add to it that that role and that success was on international TV where it (and the person) generated millions of fans, and that the big anniversary would be too, and it seems to me like that would get pretty compelling.

Originally Posted by Kiryu (Post 149995)

Reading Valerie Vernon's response just gives me the impression that this whole thing was poorly organized and timed.

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast (Post 150005)

Reading their mass email gives me the impression that this whole thing was poorly organized and timed.
"Dear Power Ranger,"

Originally Posted by WhiteRanger (Post 150011)

yea who would want to come back after adressign them as a power ranger and not a person

Originally Posted by MnemonicSyntax (Post 149980)

Would you? because the way I see it from many actors is that Power Rangers isn't something they want to hang onto for the rest of their lives. That point in their life is done. Sure, they'll go to cons and meet and greet and recall past experiences with the fans, but they get paid to do that.

To put it into a better perspective, if my boss called me back to participate in the 20th anniversary of a business, while during my tenure there at said business was extremely terrible and the work conditions sucked, the pay was horrible, and I was mistreated, I'd still tell him to go fuck himself. Why should I be involved with the celebration of something that while climbing that ladder to make happen, I was just a simple rung?

And I'm not even saying the actors are saying "go fuck yourself" to Saban, but they're certainly not thrilled.

Lastly, though I didn't say going to work at McDonald's, I certainly can use it because the McDonald's employee would get paid more to do it.



That's exactly what I'm saying. Reunions are planned far ahead of time. Well, all reunions but this one it seems. And flying across the country? 328 roundtrip on a good day at Southwestern. (It's the air service I use when I fly, because it's cheap) but the cost to go to New Zealand and back? Hah. And just because they're former actors on a kids show, doesn't mean they're rolling in the big dough either. Justin Nimmo (Zhane, Silver In Space Ranger) is the co-owner of a Rent-To-Own store in Oklahoma. If you want a business to be successful, you don't just run off on a whim and not get any sort of compensation for it.

So far, your analogies have been a swing and miss.



But I'm saying what I would say. It's pretty obvious that most of the actors aren't happy with the way their treated but it doesn't mean that they're not happy with their fans (customers, I guess.) No actor would outright say "fuck you" to Saban, but you can tell (See: Matt Austin) that they're none too pleased with the "offer" they received.



Because they've moved on with their lives! How hard is it to understand that? Most of the actors have Tweeted that they don't even know what Megaforce is! They don't keep up with it. For most, it's a very bad mark on their lives and while they're thankful for the fans, they don't want to go back, under any circumstances. Considering these are the worst kind of circumstances, I can see why they would say no.



You say that, but would you? Did you work on Power Rangers? Were you an actor on the show?

Here's what we know from previous actors stating events that happened while on the show, and none of it is exactly memorable:

- Lousy Pay
- Unsafe working conditions
- Extreme physical conditions
- Long hours
- Not many breaks

Why would you go back to that? Even for a day?



No, the easiest thing to do is to say "what you would do" while wearing your rose colored glasses and pretending everything on set was just fine because you've experienced it and was there. It all happened to you, so you'll be disappointed in the actors, because as a fan, you're not getting your way.

I'm not trying to be rude here, but when many, many of the actors say that it's not worth it, what do you think that means exactly?

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150017)

Your whole post pretty much sums up the attitude that I'm unhappy with. You describe it like it's nothing more than a personal financial decision that effects no one else. I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to have a lot of sympathy for the actors if their whole attitude is "If I'm not getting paid then fuck it."

I have a hard time with the whole point about the short notice too. As I said, the whole world knew that both Gokaiger and the 20 year anniversary were coming. It's not like that was some secret that only Saban would have known about. It wouldn't take a an über wealthy genius to identify a time frame for the filming and start putting some money aside or saving up vacation days.

I don't understand how actors can simply wash their hands of Power Rangers. When you star in a TV show, especially portraying a super hero in a children's show, I think you do have to realize what that means to a lot of people. When you become a kid's childhood hero, it really is a disservice to a lot of fans to just put that behind you and move on. It's not just any old lousy forgettable job.

I may not have been an actor on Power Rangers, but everybody has had jobs or experiences that they didn't like. That's a part of life. What adult can honestly say that they haven't done something that they didn't want to for a good reason? You have the right to, but do you just say no to that wedding or graduation or birthday party just because nobody's paying you enough to travel and sit through an boring or uncomfortable experience for a few hours or *gasp* even a day or two? If you can't make it, you can't make it, but you at least try, not because it's great fun or financially advantageous, but because it's important to somebody.

It's not all about me, it's about all Power Rangers fans, really. Heck, we wouldn't be here on tokunation.com if we weren't all fans. Again, this shouldn't be a news flash to anyone, but you really shouldn't sign up to be a super hero if you don't want to have fans who will want and expect to see you and your character after your contract is over. When you become a hero and a role model, that comes with the territory. The actors can do as they please with their lives, but don't expect the fans to applaud when they remind us that they've 'moved on' or use this huge opportunity to stick it to their former employer. It's not just between Saban and the actors. There's a ton of fans (many of them lifelong) who are watching this story closely as well, and it's just disappointing to feel like we mean less to them than their gripes about their stints as Power Rangers do.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150017)

I have a hard time with the whole point about the short notice too. As I said, the whole world knew that both Gokaiger and the 20 year anniversary were coming. It's not like that was some secret that only Saban would have known about. It wouldn't take a an über wealthy genius to identify a time frame for the filming and start putting some money aside or saving up vacation days.

Originally Posted by Klonoahedgehog (Post 150019)

As much as that touched me they're still actors and they need to make money somehow.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150017)

Your whole post pretty much sums up the attitude that I'm unhappy with. You describe it like it's nothing more than a personal financial decision that effects no one else. I'm sorry, but it's hard for me to have a lot of sympathy for the actors if their whole attitude is "If I'm not getting paid then fuck it."

Originally Posted by cb1 (Post 150057)

some sentai is family like gogo v , fiveman , magiranger
gogo v , fiveman , magiranger got sibing as heroes

Originally Posted by ZeoRangerV (Post 150038)

I think you assume Super Sentai is more popular on a worldwide scale than it actually is.

Originally Posted by Locke (Post 150067)

This attitude is actually the thing that annoys me most about the anniversary, you can't talk about Super Megaforce without someone shouting Gokaiger and some completely irrelevant fact from the show or production.

What I think a lot of sentai fans have to get over, whether they like it or not, is a lot of Power Rangers fans don't even know what super sentai is and even if they do that doesn't mean they've gone out and watched it or know any of the finer details.

So constantly Gokaigering this and Gokaigering that is as obnoxious as it is irrelevant and useless.

Originally Posted by MnemonicSyntax (Post 150043)

What attitude? Did you not see the multiple times I posted about having lives and what some the actors now do?

I also finished my entire spiel with "it's not worth it" and asked you your response on that. You don't seem to understand that it's not about the money for money sake, it's about the money for "can I feed my family if I do this, will my business that I busted my ass for survive without me, is it going to put me in the hole."

No one is being selfish here. Except for the people who want the actors to do something that isn't feasible, ideal or logical. It's not logical to put out 2 grand on travel alone, then pay for everything else and receive nothing from it except a few minutes of screentime. It's not.



But that's all Saban though. You're putting the blame (rightfully so) on Saban.

Oh, you think the actors should have done this? When most of them don't even know about Megaforce in the first place, you know the same actors that have moved on?



Jesus, did you read anything I said? While most have moved on from Power Rangers, that same group of people still appreciate their fans. Just because they're not footing the bill for a plane ride to New Zealand and not getting anything in return doesn't mean they don't care. The two aren't mutally exclusive.



Says who? You? I've told friends that have invited me to weddings out of state that if they're not footing the bill, I'm not going. They understand that it's not personal, but financial.

Again, these "trips" you talk about are generally within the same country and not literally half way around the world! People just don't have 2 grand to go do something for a few days and work without receiving something for it. And again, it's not about the money, it's about it being worth it.



To somebody they don't even know. Sure, the actors love their fans, but the difference is, with a graduation, a wedding, or a birthday party, that's close, personal relationships. These people are not your friends. They're not your acquaintences. They're the people you looked up to on a children's TV show. That time has passed now. Move on.



Does it? Michael Keaton says hi. So does Val Kilmer.

(And even then, both would get some sort of compensation for flying out to New Zealand, damn straight)

No offense to you, but I wonder how old you are. Not only do you not seem to have a grasp on financial obligations, life's priorities, but you also seem to be wearing those rose colored glasses still.

You're speaking for the fans. It's like you're trying to put a guilt trip on us here. Many of us have accepted that it's just not financially responsible to go do what you want the actors to do, which is why we're not blaming the actors. Don't name drop the entire fandom just because you're unhappy with the way things are turning out and you expect someone else to resolve Saban's mistakes.

I'll have to requote this as well:



Why do you think that is?



You sound so selfish here. Really. The scenarios you're describing are not exclusive to each other. The actors don't need to go out and do something that may jeopardize everything they've worked for because you want them to. It has nothing to do with that you're being betrayed, but because to them, you're fan number #451342. You're not a close relative or neighbor or friend. It's not personal. It's also not logical or feasible to "run off and make the fans happy" either. So please, stop taking it so personally as a fan. They still care about their fans.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150074)

You're really painting an oversimplified and quite frankly dishonest picture. You make it seem like making the trip would be a certain and instant financial catastrophe equivalent to the actor in question blowing up their small business in a tokusatsu style explosion with their family inside. It's dramatic, misleading, and unnecessary. Nobody's being asked to destroy their lives to participate. All it takes is a little planning and a person can take a trip at their own expense without it meaning financial oblivion. In fact, millions of people do it every day, traveling for recreational purposes, or to attend special events like reunions. It absolutely CAN be financially responsible with a little effort.

If you're a former Power Ranger, there's really no excuse to NOT know about MegaForce. I mean, you really have to be living under a rock or willfully ignoring it to have no concept that the show still exists. And that claim is total bullshit considering that these same people who have moved on are the ones who have taken to social media to complain about the poor pay or the short notice. They can't be that unplugged. I'm sure that since Gokaiger aired in Japan, they've been hearing the chatter about it from fans through social media. So anyone who claims to have been caught totally off guard by this, it's just weak excuse.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking Saban's side here. I just want to see MegaForce be as good as it can be. Saban screwed up. We get it. Shame on them. But that's an awfully sour note to simply leave things on. I want as much as anyone to see the actors be paid fairly for their time, and I don't want them to be faced with financial hardship as a result of participating. But the standoff does nobody any good. So rather than simply dwelling on Saban's screw up with the first move, it would be nice to see the actors come back with something constructive and start the conversation that might lead to a better outcome. Instead they're complaining to third parties, and as valid as their grievances may be, it helps nobody. All it does is continue to polarize the debate, and the result is folks like you who simply think Saban = evil and the actors = good and don't really care about anything else.

While you see me as selfish fan #451342, I see 451,342+ fans who want to see MegaForce not suck. So it would be nice to see some of the actors, on behalf of those fans, reach out to Saban and at least try to make it work (even if in the end it doesn't), ideally with some sort of compromise. Increase the budget a little, delay the filming, re-invite some of the uninvited rangers, something to make it better than the shitty situation we have right now. I don't think that's selfish. I think it's a lot more selfish to refuse to even try simply because "I don't want to and you can't make me!" or there's not enough money in it.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150074)

You're really painting an oversimplified and quite frankly dishonest picture. You make it seem like making the trip would be a certain and instant financial catastrophe equivalent to the actor in question blowing up their small business in a tokusatsu style explosion with their family inside. It's dramatic, misleading, and unnecessary. Nobody's being asked to destroy their lives to participate. All it takes is a little planning and a person can take a trip at their own expense without it meaning financial oblivion. In fact, millions of people do it every day, traveling for recreational purposes, or to attend special events like reunions. It absolutely CAN be financially responsible with a little effort.

Originally Posted by cb1 (Post 150085)

magiranger footage for pr mystic force
gogo v footage for pr lightspeed rescue
saban got rights to zyuranger to gokaiger 's weapons and suits and villians and zords and monsters

Originally Posted by MnemonicSyntax (Post 150082)

And you're making the claim it won't. But, here's the thing. I've got that same social media on my side of this discussion with several actors saying they don't find it worth it financially to go to New Zealand (see: Steven Cardenas, Matt Austin) not worth it because of their time on set (see: David Yost) and other actors who don't even know what Megaforce is (see: Melanie Valejo). All this "dishonesty" yet I've got actors saying otherwise and the same thing I'm saying to you!

Do you have 2000 bucks and an entire day to fly out to New Zealand? The average Joe does not. For many of these people, they are average Joes.

So far, you keep digging yourself deeper with these examples.



But they are! I've proved it to you! Let me break it down for you.

- They got the invite. The invite was rescinded.
- They got the invite. Notice is too short.
- They got the invite. They don't want to go because it's not financially worth it.
- They got the invite. They don't want to go because they're not interested in dealing with Saban anymore based on how they were treated on the set.
- They didn't get the invite. They don't even know what Megaforce is.
- They didn't get the invite. They're upset they didn't and want to go, but continue to bring up how it's not worth it, financially.

What do you not get man? You don't believe these people when they say it's not worth it to go? How is any of that their fault?



Are you serious. Not everyone follows Super Sentai. It's not as big as you think it is. It has a niche fandom in the US, but widely popular in Japan. Even then, it's highly isolated!

And, Gokaiger isn't Power Rangers. Stop comparing the two.

How can you sit here and judge the actors (that you respect and love, I might add) but when they flat out say any of the aforementioned laundry list of issues why going isn't going to work for them, it's a weak excuse. No, it's not! You don't live their lives! You don't know what they do, their financial situations, life issues, etc.



That's not going to happen. Saban had his chance to make things better over the years and didn't. He's a cheapskate and everyone knows it. The actors that are coming forward and are interested and are going, nothing will change for them. They're still not going to get paid for their time, and the burden lies on them to "make it right for the fans" when Saban did this in the first place. The fact that you're suggesting that the actors "make the first move to make it better" proves that you know Saban won't budge.



Again, you're laying the guilt on the fans. You know, the same ones that you're speaking for. I'm not saying Saban is evil. I'm not saying the actors are good. It's not about that. It's not about trying to make things "right" for one shot in front of the camera. To them, that's not worth it. Saban, financially speaking, is a genius. If his plan was to get people in suits and be the "Power Rangers of the past" then that's smart of him. The bottom line is to sell toys. They don't make toys of civilians, they make toys of Rangers. That is what will sell.

Just because Saban is a cheapskate doesn't mean he's evil.



Yes, I know what you want. But again, the other fans you're speaking of... here even, at Tokunation... they understand that doing this isn't a great idea. Most of the actors have reached out to fans and have stated the reasons why. I'm sick of repeating them to you. If you respect them so damn much, maybe respect their decisions too.



It is selfish. You're not getting it. You want them to show up on film for your glorious children's show (that the target audience doesn't even recognize in the least) and have them drop everything in their lives to do it.

And now you're insulting the actors as well. Let them live their lives.

And lastly, again. How old are you? You seem to not have idea what priorities are, do you?

Again, these guys aren't doing you any favors because they owe you nothing. Stop pretending like they do.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150098)

You don't seem to have a firm grasp on this concept of an average Joe or real life for that matter. If an average Joe's car breaks down, and it costs $2000 and they have to miss a day of work to get it fixed, the world as he knows it doesn't end. If your average Joe takes a vacation, it could easily cost more than $2000 and a day or two, and again it can be done without financial ruin. You're trying to spin these things as completely insurmountable obstacles when they're things that people do with every day.

I'm not expecting that every actor drop everything and show up. I understand that some won't be able to make it. But "it's not worth it" is the most generic cop out of an excuse on the planet. Anyone could use that to get out of anything because it's so vague and meaningless. I really think a lot of the actors could have politely declined the invitation and left it at that rather than use it as an opportunity to take cheap shots at Saban. That's one perfectly reasonable option. Another would be to reach out to Saban and explain the financial and scheduling challenges, maybe get multiple actors together and sit down with the people at Saban and try to come to a compromise, is that really so bad? Is that so unreasonable? That they try to find a way instead of airing all the dirty laundry? If you can't come, you can't come, but it's neither professional or respectful to play this blame game and throw the everything on Saban for being so awful.

I don't get why you're so opposed to the concept of compromise. Again, it really doesn't seem like you give a shit about MegaForce at all, you're just determined to hold your anti-Saban stance, and fuck everything else. Just as I haven't been an actor for Power Rangers, I'm sure you haven't worked for Saban Brands. So your assertion that they're completely incapable of compromise is completely baseless. You and I don't know, maybe there's a simple change out there that could make it possible for another former Ranger or two to appear. It really sounds like you don't want any kind of positive solution, that you'd rather there not be one.

Originally Posted by Taro3 (Post 150098)

You don't seem to have a firm grasp on this concept of an average Joe or real life for that matter. If an average Joe's car breaks down, and it costs $2000 and they have to miss a day of work to get it fixed, the world as he knows it doesn't end. If your average Joe takes a vacation, it could easily cost more than $2000 and a day or two, and again it can be done without financial ruin. You're trying to spin these things as completely insurmountable obstacles when they're things that people do with every day.

Originally Posted by Sentai (Post 150145)

Guys. Remember to keep the debate friendly, and don't become personal. We're all fans here and shouldn't be belittled because of something we post.

Just asking you all to think about your posts before pressing that button.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast (Post 150149)

Isn't that statement an oxymoron?

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast (Post 150149)

Isn't that statement an oxymoron?

Originally Posted by Fortune (Post 150166)

Wow...just wow. I don't even know where to begin.

How can you say these actors don't care about there fans? Or they should do more for us fans. First off they are human beings, we are NOT entiteled to these HUMANS at all. Power Ranger actors give more and care about there fans then ANY other celeb I have ever met. I have had the pleasure of meeting hundreds of actors, actresses, wrestlers, sports stars, artiss, writers and musicians. NONE of them spent nearly as much time with their fans and had more of a connection then PR actors/actresses.

Heck I ran in to Johnny Yong Bosch at Disneyland and when he heard my brother remark "whoa is that Johnny Yong Bosch" Johnny stopped and begin talking to us. Even though he was there with his wife and VERY YOUNG child he took 30 minutes out of his day to with his family to talk with us. That was Mind numbingly cool to me. 30 minutes blew me away. No way in hell Id ever expect these people to give up 1-3 days of their life so they can appear on screen for 2 minutes. Thats just selfish and spoiled.

Further more, YOU sir have no idea about "the average joe" the Average Joe does not just have 2grand to drop at a momemts notice to take a vacation. They normally plan and save for months before dropping that kind of money on some well deserved rest and relaxation let alone charity work! When the average Joes car breaks down the dont normally just drop 2000$ and carry on. They hope and they pray they have rainy day cash AND that its enough to cover the cost. They then do whatever it takes to recupe the lost money.

How can any non spoiled/trust fund adult not see how very wrong Saban is in all this! I mean can you even guess how much money Saban has made off of each indivual actor and actress? I mean think about it. Think about how much freakin money Saban made off of JDF or Austin ST. John or even guys like Walter Jones! Or Valeri Vernan! Saban made an absurd amount off of everyone.

It was Sabans job to know about gokaiger and the anniversary not the actors. Heck I didn't even know Gokaiger was an anniversary season. All I knew was I saw some toys of Pirate power rangers. Yes Power Rangers. Thats what I call them because thats what I know. No matter what you THINK sentai is not this world wide craze that is just the talk of the town on average basis. Heck I have even watched a lot of Sentai but they are still Power Rangers to me because thats what I grew up on. Power Rangers is what I love. To me Sentei is just a cool little show that is enjoyable.

Would I like to see the entire cast back from every Ranger season ever? Of course! But not if it means these people who brought me joy have to lose money/credibility.

I dont care what job/role I had or if it was the 1st or 100th anniversary if I put my heart soul & body on the line and then the boss calls and says "yeeeeeaaaaah listen ....I know you made me thousands if not millions of dollars and helped me build what can only be described as an empire but do you think you could come back in for this big anniversary celebration we are doing for the 20th anniversary that weve already been crapping on? ...oh yeah you gotta pay your own way here....oh yeah you gotta pay for everything when we get here....oh yeah its on the other end of the world. ........and if you dont do it then youll make the fans hate you and forget all the public signings you do and all the meet and greats too" well Id have to tell that SoB that I would love to do something awesome fro my fans but its not worth it when I ONLY stand to lose. Especially cuz I do so much for my fans already. They should know I love them