[Sh Ranger]

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 28: Robotpalooza

It's also the debut of my favorite Megazord in SPD, the SWAT Megazord. I absolutely love the SWAT Flyers, the overall look of the Megazord itself, the way it fight while dual wielding blasters, and who could ever forget that awesome finisher where the mech turns into a giant gun!?

SWAT Megazord is pretty cool. Reminds me of the redundantly-named Omega Megazord, my favorite from Lightspeed Rescue. However, my favorite from SPD has to be Omegamax Megazord.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Episode 29: Katastrophe

Notably though, when things go awry without Kat around, her decision to return is treated with just as much respect. It's the sort of thing that on a base level, kids can dig because it means a likable character gets to stay around, but adults can appreciate due to the relation it has to the working world. Some people genuinely don't care to move up the corporate ladder for one reason or another, and that this episode portrays such a mentality as equally valid as those who do strive to be at the top is very much appreciated. Episodes like this really stand against the idea some have that the franchise totally leaves its older fanbase out of mind.

It's a good reminder that the Rangers and Boom aren't just Kat's colleagues, they're her friends and her desire to continue supporting her friends in the way she does best is a perfectly respectable reason for sticking around, as well as a fitting moral about loyalty for PR. Kat's a great character for sure!

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Then as time passed and knowledge of Super Sentai grew, the more vocally critical sections of the fandom complained about the suit being called Kat Ranger when the suit is "obviously" swam based(because it's known as DekaSwan in Japan). And... I dunno, maybe I'm just biased due to having seen SPD first, but the suit really looks more catlike to me?

I guess Kat Ranger might've been one of the first cases of PR changing an animal, but it's happened so often since with RPM's "eagle" and BM's "mantis" that it seems futile to complain about it now. I also see cat more than swan, but even if it looked more swanny than catty, the person inside the suit is Kat, so the name makes sense regardless.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

While that basically sums it all up for the episode itself, there is one other aspect that I wanna bring up, because it's another reason that people remember the Kat Ranger nowadays; And that is the debate over what color she is.

Team OrangeKat FTW! I believe Kat is the original and GOAT Orange Ranger! SPD doesn't need two Whites on the same team. However, I acknowledge that there's enough evidence to support both arguments, so this is just my personal opinion, which just happens to be backed up by Lord Drakkon who has an intimate relationship with the Morphin' Grid.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

Either way one sees it though, I really just dig Kat Ranger as a whole, and I've always been rather sad that she was temporary. Probably a relief on the part of the show runner's' budget, though.

They could've just pushed this episode towards the final arc and let Kat Ranger be more active from that point if they didn't want to shoot too much exclusive footage. Perhaps this is a complaint for Dekaranger though, as Toei had the budget but gave an incredulous reason for not keeping her around. At least I could enjoy playing Kat as one of my mains in Battle For The Grid.

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Originally Posted by DreamSword

While it's certainly part of it, the hate for the show really does come mostly from elitism. Basically, as people grew up, Power Rangers in the US started being seen as this "dumb kiddy show" that everyone was supposed to grow out of. Meanwhile, as the internet grew and the larger Toku sphere became more well known, people began to push the idea that shows such as Super Sentai and Kamen Rider were "adult" and such.

Or, to put it in one quick sentence: It's just a dumb double standard that some people upkeep to try and make themselves feel smarter than others.

The important thing to remember is that the purists are a vocal minority and the only people who think they're grown-up and bad*ss are other purists. To the average jock, we're all the same nerds anyway, so the purists are denying themselves for no reason. And if you're abstaining from Sentai just to spite them, then you might be losing out as well. The only way to win is to judge each franchise on its own merits and flaws, without concern for stigma. Watching Sentai can actually enrich your love of PR if you keep an open mind. I'm saying this as someone who openly enjoys PR, Sentai, Rider, Metal Heroes and even Satria. The more shows you can enjoy, the better.