Series: Gougou Sentai Boukenger
The Super Sentai saga – created and produced by Toei Company, Ltd. since 1975 – celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2006! Every year for the past 31 years, a completely new Super Sentai [“special taskforce”] series had aired, with new characters, new villains, new storylines, and new mecha- creating a genre that has become generational in its appeal to of the island nation of Japan. In fact, some of the actors today who perform in a Super Sentai series were fans themselves when they were younger. Rarely does a franchise last for so long and succeed at being able to reinvent itself from year-to-year and continue to please fans of young and old; very few have been able to keep pace with it. It is filled with both drama and humor – with some hero characters actually dying or being replaced. And the villains- ranging from mad human scientists, buried demons, to invading space ninja aliens – are no less varied in personality, motives, and methods; aggressively attacking with carefully planned operations. Super Sentai was so popular that in 1983, “Kagaku Sentai Dynaman” was brought over to the USA Network as a dubbed comedic parody. Unfortunately, American audiences failed to stick with it. Saban Entertainment attempted to reintroduce Super Sentai to America as a children’s series in 1992 with “Choujin Sentai Jetman”, but failed with the younger test audience. Saban tried one more time the following year with a new version of “Kyoryu Sentai ZyuRanger”, and succeeded when the less-intense first season of “Mighty Morphin Power Rangers” became an instant hit with children 6-to-10yrs. While “Power Rangers” is based on the previous year’s Super Sentai show, it is a separate entity that will be celebrating its own 15th anniversary in 2007. Here are the Super Sentai that have come before:
“Himitsu Sentai GoRanger” (1975-1977)
“JAQK Dengeki Tai”…………….. (1977)
“Battle Fever J”…………………… (1979)
“Denshi Sentai Denjiman”………. (1980)
“Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan”……. (1981)
“Dai Sentai Goggle V”…………… (1982)
“Kagaku Sentai Dynaman”……… (1983)
“Cho Sentai Bioman”…………….. (1984)
“Dengeki Sentai Changeman”…. (1985)
“Choushinsei Flashman”………… (1986)
“Hikari Sentai Maskman”……….. (1987)
“Choujii Sentai Liveman”………… (1988)
“Kousoku Sentai TurboRanger”.. (1989)
“Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman”………. (1990)
“Choujin Sentai Jetman”………… (1991)
“Kyoryu Sentai ZyuRanger”……… (1992)
“Gosei Sentai DaiRanger”……….. (1993)
“Ninja Sentai KakuRanger”……… (1994)
“Chouriki Sentai OhRanger”…….. (1995)
“Gekisou Sentai CarRanger”……. (1996)
“Denji Sentai MegaRanger”……… (1997)
“Seijuu Sentai Gingaman”……….. (1998)
“Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGo-V”…….. (1999)
“Mirai Sentai TimeRanger”………. (2000)
“Hyakujuu Sentai GaoRanger”….. (2001)
“Ninpuu Sentai Hurricanger”…….. (2002)
“Bakuryuu Sentai AbaRanger”….. (2003)
“Tokusou Sentai DekaRanger”…. (2004)
“Mahou Sentai MagiRanger”…….. (2005)
The 2006 series – “Gougou Sentai Boukenger” [“Thundering Taskforce Adventure-Rangers”] – is a tribute to all that have come before, with old and new styles mixed together. For a more expanded explanation of Super Sentai, be sure to view this Wikipedia entry.
The Search Guard Successor museum organization (also known as SGS, or Sargess) has created a secret team to begin tracking down ancient artifacts that have been disappearing. With skills in treasure hunting/recovery, and their adventurous hearts, the Boukenger use their Accellular henshin devices to scan relics (called Precious) to discover their hazard levels and value. However, the many Negative Syndicates – the ancient stone Gordom Civilization, bio-engineered reptilian Jaryuu Clan, and covert ninja Dark Shadow – are also separately on the lookout for Precious to rule the world… or destroy it. The Precious are many, and they hold unknown power. Who will gain the most from them?
Gougou Sentai Boukenger (Japanese: 轟轟戦隊ボウケンジャー; translates to: “Rumbling Squadron Boukenger”; a combination of the words “Bouken” – Japanese for “Adventure” – and “Ranger” ) is the 30th entry into Toei’s Super Sentai series.