[Kamen Rider Lucha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Battlizer

I generally disagree here. I think a lack of continuity could bring just as many problems as having a shared universe, especially when crossovers are concerned. That and I think continuity can be fun. Aside form the X-Men. They're the only thing that can be stuck in their own universe really.

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, after about 30 years of a universe's existence, 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, all of the Ultimate Marvel books, 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 disregard logic, I wouldn't want to see them try.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locke

Yeah speaking personally for me, I love dense continuities. I think comics are a great example of it being done badly, but if I've followed a TV show for eight seasons I want to feel rewarded.

Shows that completely disregard their continuity are usually the swiftest dropped by me, shows like Supernatural where each season seems to disregard the one beforehand so utterly you could watch the episodes out of order and not notice are some of the worst examples of storytelling I can think of.

I love a densely plotted TV show as much as the next guy, but at the end of 5-10 years, that show exists as a singular product. It doesn't link to hundreds of other stories that might conflict with the telling of or understanding of that story. (Side note: could you imagine how much of a pain it would be if you had to watch all of Firefly and Farscape just to understand a minor event in Battlestar Galactica?)

Sentai, as a format, is kind of a hybrid between comics and American TV in this regard. The logic of linking 38 unrelated super hero teams -- the majority of which still maintain their powers at the end of the series -- would be insane. It could easily lead to the kind of mess American comic books display today. It might not, but I wouldn't want to rock the boat.