Dystopia Vs Buddy Comedy

As things are adapted from one form to another, there will likely be some differences as a result. This is usually seen in movie/tv show adaptations of books and video games as well as when something is being translated from another language. However, the biggest show of this is in Power Rangers adaptations of Japan’s Super Sentai series. In order to appeal to their own audiences, they will usually make changes to show while still keeping some things in common. For example, Operation Overdrive still shared the same premise of treasure hunting despite having different reasons for it. But the biggest change and tonal shift in any of their adaptations is without a doubt Power Rangers RPM, the adaptation of Engine Sentai Go-Onger.

Power Rangers RPM is regarded as one of the best Power Rangers seasons, and for good reason to. Set in a dystopian world which has been taken over by a dangerous AI, the humans struggle to survive while also trying to find a way to reclaim their world. This show had a beloved cast of characters, a compelling world that you couldn’t help but want to learn more about and thrilling action that didn’t rely that much on its source material. What really sets apart though is its dark tone. RPM wasn’t afraid to go into themes such as death and sacrifice which allowed it to tell stories that you won’t see nowadays in kids shows. As a result, it became a show that people of all ages could enjoy.

Go-Onger though is basically the exact opposite of RPM. While RPM was a show about taking back what’s yours, Go-Onger was more like a buddy-comedy show. The main focus was on the engines (the zords) and the rangers’ bonds as they worked together to fight against the Gaiark Empire whose goal is to pollute the world. This simple premise allowed them to do typical monster of the week episodes without much depth. Though when Go-Onger did decide to get serious, it could at times rival RPM. At the end of the day though what mattered was showing how the humans and machines worked together as well as the bond they shared. While much more light-hearted, it is still a great show in its own right. So that begs the question: why the big change?

It simply boils down to differences in culture. While giant talking cars are par for the course with Japan, America might see it as too silly for live action. For a lot of Americans they’d probably see that as something for little kids and thus something to be put into a cartoon. It’s likely why when adapting Go-Onger they decided to go the dystopian route so as to be taken more seriously and instead of looked down upon. After all if Go-Onger was adapted one-to-one, there would likely have been a lot of people that made fun of it for its goofiness.

As a result of culture differences we ended up getting one of the best Power Rangers series to date. It’s just unfortunate that after RPM we got a significant nose-dive in quality. In the end, I guess that is truly the biggest difference between the two series as a whole: the respect that the studios show. While Go-Onger and Super Sentai in general is still beloved by studios and fans alike, Power Rangers has lost a lot of fans due to their studios not giving the proper care to keep its quality consistent. Finally, Go-Onger will always be remembered as another edition to a great legacy, while RPM will be remembered as the end of an era.

 

 

 

 

Logan Floyd-Mcgee | Writer
POP-COOLEDTURED SPECIALIST
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