What Are You Watching? (American Toku Edition)

Switchblade · 03-18-2013, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ljacone

VR Troopers episodes 8 & 9 -- Computer Captive & Kaitlin's Little Helper. Two more goofy episodes of the Metal Hero adaption. Computer Captive was actually pretty neat thanks to the episode of Metalder which is adapted. JB is captured and held prisoner in the Virtual Dark Fortress, so Ryan goes in to rescue him. So we get to see Ryan fighting through the Fortress against Grimlord's army. So that's just cool right there.

Kaitlin's Little Helper has a similar note in that the adapted footage is really neat, but it's from Speilban. JB has to fight the Gunslinger robot, who looks like a mutant version of a Clint Eastwood Western hero.

Part of me really wants to try watching VR Troopers, mostly because I really loved Metalder and am curious to see what the adaptation was like.

ljacone · 03-18-2013, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Part of me really wants to try watching VR Troopers, mostly because I really loved Metalder and am curious to see what the adaptation was like.

The adaption is pretty much non-existant. All of the neat non-visual stuff of Metalder -- the ongoing storylines, the evil army, the ranks and intrigue amongst the bad guys, and so forth -- is excised. The bad guys are all pretty generic, unfortunately, save for a few guys who get a little more attention like Decimator and Dark Heart.

Some of the changes don't really jive, either. One episode uses footage of Metalder fighting a pair of foes who are brothers (their names in the US are Slice and Dice), one armed with a katana and the other with a naginata. In the original footage, it's clear that the brothers are working together, as their weapons and fighting styles compliment one another. But the dubbing has the brothers arguing the entire time in order to fit it with the US story, which revolves around a pair of brothers who don't get along. So the footage from Metalder is cool, the dub just confuses the whole thing.

The main strength as an adaption is that you will often get a lot of tokusatsu footage at once during the fights. The Spielban footage seems to work better than the Metalder footage because JB's dialogue is more low key than the more "in your face" attitude of Ryan Steele ("Seeeee ya!").

Eric · 03-18-2013, 12:04 PM

I need to finish up Power Rangers season 3. Right now I'm at the episode where Kat makes her first appearance.

And as far as other American Toku shows go...I think I'll watch Big Bad Beetleborgs after I'm done with MMPR. That show is one demon from my childhood that I have to face.

Along with its annoying theme song from Satan's sphincter.

Switchblade · 03-18-2013, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eric

I need to finish up Power Rangers season 3. Right now I'm at the episode where Kat makes her first appearance.

Oh, you poor bastard.

Matrixbeast · 03-18-2013, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

Oh, you poor bastard.

He says he's going to watch Beetleborgs and THAT'S where you feel sorry for him?

Paladin · 03-18-2013, 02:20 PM

Picked up the first volume of Syber Squad. Video quality is OK; packaging quality is pretty bad- I nearly tore the case in half opening it.

Switchblade · 03-18-2013, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matrixbeast

He says he's going to watch Beetleborgs and THAT'S where you feel sorry for him?

I really don't know Beetleborgs from personal experience. I do know how bad season three was.

Eric · 03-18-2013, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Switchblade

I really don't know Beetleborgs from personal experience. I do know how bad season three was.

I'll admit, season 3 is a bit weak, and having Kim be replaced by Kat as the Pink Ranger was a dumb idea.

Beetleborgs...everything about it is terrible. I know a lot of you want to know why I hate this show, so I'll tell you.

I was seven. I saw commercials for this, and I thought the Beetleborg suits looked cool. I decided to watch the show, thinking that maybe it'll make up for the cancellation of VR Troopers and the crap-fest that was Masked Rider. As I watched, I tried to enjoy it, despite the fact that it felt too campy, even for Power Rangers. I guess I was at that age where my interest in Power Rangers and Power Rangers-esque shows had started to wane. It's as if I was torturing myself to like it. Beetleborgs Metallix didn't help at all, either, and that was when Power Rangers Turbo was on.

Many years later, I had discovered its original Japanese counterpart, Juukou B-Fighter, and compared the two plots. Why didn't we get the Japanese story instead? An insect calls upon three teenagers to use insect-like technology to save the Earth from aliens. Yeah, I could understand it sounded similar to what Power Rangers had, but come on!

What we got here on the other side of the Pacific were three children who summon what I can only describe as Jay Leno trying to be the ghost of Elvis who magically makes them the heroes of their favorite comic book, along with pathetic parodies of classic movie monsters that would make even Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff facepalm at the sheer sight of their stupidity.

And the theme song. THAT. GODFORSAKEN. THEME SONG.

I. HATED. THAT SIREN'S SONG FROM HELL AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

Not just because of how catchy it was, but because every kid on the playground knew that I hated it, and would exploit that weakness I had. All the way to the very end of elementary school. This song is to me what the show Doug is to the Nostalgia Critic; annoying, and a part of my history that I don't want to reminisce! Are you all happy now!? ARE YOU!?

Matrixbeast · 03-18-2013, 03:44 PM

I must've been a weird child, because I enjoyed PR Turbo...It's still not as bad as Linkara and everyone makes it out to be today. Yes, it's stupid, but everyone is overhyping how "Classic" MMPR is (Watching early S1 of MMPR is like watching early S1 of Transformers beyond the opener. It's not that good), and in a narrative standpoint, Turbo makes perfect sense ("Why replace the veterans who have been fighting for years with newbies?!" Just when Zordon explains that he never intended on essentially ending their lives to fight his war, which is what he had inadvertently did), Hell, Justin routinely out-acts adults and other child actors in both PR AND Sentai.

Anyway, Beetleborgs is a different beast. I had the oddest love-hate relationship with it. Even as a tiny child, I hated the human bits and that stupid ghost house, but those designs. It's like when my friends tell me the only reason they watched PR was to get to the mech fights. I was willing to sit through Beetleborgs because I wanted to see those suits more and more...

ZeoRangerV · 03-18-2013, 03:56 PM

I loved Beetleborgs as a kid. Dunno how well it'll sit with me now but since we aren't likely to be getting a fully subbed B-Fighters series any time soon I'll take what I can get

03-18-2013, 10:14 AM	#132
ljacone Uchu Kaiju Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: South Carolina Posts: 1,669	Quote: Originally Posted by Switchblade Part of me really wants to try watching VR Troopers, mostly because I really loved Metalder and am curious to see what the adaptation was like. The adaption is pretty much non-existant. All of the neat non-visual stuff of Metalder -- the ongoing storylines, the evil army, the ranks and intrigue amongst the bad guys, and so forth -- is excised. The bad guys are all pretty generic, unfortunately, save for a few guys who get a little more attention like Decimator and Dark Heart. Some of the changes don't really jive, either. One episode uses footage of Metalder fighting a pair of foes who are brothers (their names in the US are Slice and Dice), one armed with a katana and the other with a naginata. In the original footage, it's clear that the brothers are working together, as their weapons and fighting styles compliment one another. But the dubbing has the brothers arguing the entire time in order to fit it with the US story, which revolves around a pair of brothers who don't get along. So the footage from Metalder is cool, the dub just confuses the whole thing. The main strength as an adaption is that you will often get a lot of tokusatsu footage at once during the fights. The Spielban footage seems to work better than the Metalder footage because JB's dialogue is more low key than the more "in your face" attitude of Ryan Steele ("Seeeee ya!"). __________________ Check out my Japanese giant monster podcast --Earth Destruction Directive!

03-18-2013, 02:09 PM	#135
Matrixbeast Mighty Morphin Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Za Warudo Posts: 25,459	Quote: Originally Posted by Switchblade Oh, you poor bastard. He says he's going to watch Beetleborgs and THAT'S where you feel sorry for him? __________________

03-18-2013, 02:20 PM	#136
Paladin Have Zord, Will Travel Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: MI Posts: 5,956	Picked up the first volume of Syber Squad. Video quality is OK; packaging quality is pretty bad- I nearly tore the case in half opening it. __________________ TWITTER: Paladin4221 Check out my SALES THREAD Please! Every Little Bit Helps!

03-18-2013, 03:39 PM	#138
Eric Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 985	Quote: Originally Posted by Switchblade I really don't know Beetleborgs from personal experience. I do know how bad season three was. I'll admit, season 3 is a bit weak, and having Kim be replaced by Kat as the Pink Ranger was a dumb idea. Beetleborgs...everything about it is terrible. I know a lot of you want to know why I hate this show, so I'll tell you. I was seven. I saw commercials for this, and I thought the Beetleborg suits looked cool. I decided to watch the show, thinking that maybe it'll make up for the cancellation of VR Troopers and the crap-fest that was Masked Rider. As I watched, I tried to enjoy it, despite the fact that it felt too campy, even for Power Rangers. I guess I was at that age where my interest in Power Rangers and Power Rangers-esque shows had started to wane. It's as if I was torturing myself to like it. Beetleborgs Metallix didn't help at all, either, and that was when Power Rangers Turbo was on. Many years later, I had discovered its original Japanese counterpart, Juukou B-Fighter, and compared the two plots. Why didn't we get the Japanese story instead? An insect calls upon three teenagers to use insect-like technology to save the Earth from aliens. Yeah, I could understand it sounded similar to what Power Rangers had, but come on! What we got here on the other side of the Pacific were three children who summon what I can only describe as Jay Leno trying to be the ghost of Elvis who magically makes them the heroes of their favorite comic book, along with pathetic parodies of classic movie monsters that would make even Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff facepalm at the sheer sight of their stupidity. And the theme song. THAT. GODFORSAKEN. THEME SONG. I. HATED. THAT SIREN'S SONG FROM HELL AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! Not just because of how catchy it was, but because every kid on the playground knew that I hated it, and would exploit that weakness I had. All the way to the very end of elementary school. This song is to me what the show Doug is to the Nostalgia Critic; annoying, and a part of my history that I don't want to reminisce! Are you all happy now!? ARE YOU!? Last edited by Eric; 03-18-2013 at 10:21 PM..

03-18-2013, 03:44 PM	#139
Matrixbeast Mighty Morphin Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Za Warudo Posts: 25,459	I must've been a weird child, because I enjoyed PR Turbo...It's still not as bad as Linkara and everyone makes it out to be today. Yes, it's stupid, but everyone is overhyping how "Classic" MMPR is (Watching early S1 of MMPR is like watching early S1 of Transformers beyond the opener. It's not that good), and in a narrative standpoint, Turbo makes perfect sense ("Why replace the veterans who have been fighting for years with newbies?!" Just when Zordon explains that he never intended on essentially ending their lives to fight his war, which is what he had inadvertently did), Hell, Justin routinely out-acts adults and other child actors in both PR AND Sentai. Anyway, Beetleborgs is a different beast. I had the oddest love-hate relationship with it. Even as a tiny child, I hated the human bits and that stupid ghost house, but those designs. It's like when my friends tell me the only reason they watched PR was to get to the mech fights. I was willing to sit through Beetleborgs because I wanted to see those suits more and more... __________________ Last edited by Matrixbeast; 03-18-2013 at 03:49 PM..