Ah, the Power Rangers. Ever since I was four years old, Power Rangers has been one of my favorite TV franchises. It's my Star Wars, my Star Trek, my Lord of the Rings. I'd say it's my Harry Potter, but I'm also a crazy Potterhead, so I'll just leave that one alone. I can still remember the first time I saw a Power Rangers episode... the costumes were interesting and colorful, and the super-heroic things they could do seemed mind-blowing to me at such a young age. Teleporting? Morphing? Piloting a giant robot? None of these are particularly original concepts, but to see them altogether in one place was just the absolute coolest thing ever.
As the years went on, I collected the toys and watched the show religiously, even videotaping episodes so I could watch them again later. When my parents signed me up for karate (ironically because I loved Power Rangers so much), I always had to go to lessons saturday mornings RIGHT when Power Rangers would come on. I had my brother, who was probably four or five by that point, record the episodes when I was out and I'd be thinking about it all practice. So you could say I was a bit obsessed.
As time went on, liking Power Rangers became sort of a taboo at my school. It was too cheesy stupid all of a sudden, and with me still being so obsessed, I felt kind of like an outcast. And then inevitably, I too started to become disinterested in the show. By the fifth season (Turbo), all the original cast was gone, which was really disappointing. I was starting to get into Pokemon and other things, so eventually I stopped watching altogether. "Power Rangers is for little kids," I thought, "and I'm not a little kid anymore! Now... where's that Moon Stone? I need to evolve my Jigglypuff!"
Then in 2001, I made a bold choice. I was curiously flipping through the channels and I found that Power Rangers was still on. I couldn't believe it! How could it still be on? "Power Rangers Time Force? Gimme a break..." But still, I had to check it out. I went to Fox Kids, put down the remote, and watched. And watched. And watched some more. At the end of the episode, I was hooked again. And I've pretty much remained hooked ever since, despite falling off around high school for a bit (which was during the Kalish era, so... that's understandable, right?). I had still kept my love of Power Rangers relatively secretive until pretty much last year when I went to Power Morphicon. I was blown away by how not alone I am. And with people's nostalgia for Power Rangers at an all-time high AND a big-budget movie on the way, being a Power Rangers fan just isn't all that embarrassing anymore.
So why am I telling you my life's Power Rangers story? Because I am embarking on a very dangerous mission. A mission that could potentially kill me. A mission so insane and incredible that only a few brave souls have ever attempted it and come out alive. I am going to watch every single Power Rangers episode and then write about it here, possibly even do an audio or video review as well. EVERY. SINGLE. EPISODE. I don't know how long it will take, especially since I can't guarantee I'll be very consistent. But dammit, I bought this Shout! Factory red ranger helmet and I'm gonna make the most of it, dammit!
I will mostly be talking about the series chronologically, so I'll be avoiding major spoilers if anyone wants to join me on my insane quest. So sit back, let the nostalgia blind you, put some of your old action figures on display, and enjoy. This is gonna be one messy ride.
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