Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (1992) [Tokusatsu Review]

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger; or, The Heroes’ Journey

     Five warriors from the prehistoric era of dinosaurs have been reborn in the present day!

I think that time has come for me to tackle one of the most popular Super Sentai shows out there. For two years now, I have been meaning to review Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger [Dinosaur Squadron BeastRanger] (1992), but considering the fact that the show is as old as I am, all was said and done about it already. Even though my thoughts may turn out to be bland, I still want to share an opinion on the show without which we would not have Mighty Morphin Power Ranger in the West.

Release Info

Developed by: Noboru Sugimura Starring: Yuuta Mochizuki, Seiju Umon, Hideki Fujiwara, Takumi Hashimoto, Reiko Chiba, Shirou Izumi, Machiko Soga

Language: Japanese Original Title: 恐竜戦隊ジュウレンジャー No. of eps.: 50

Synopsis

170 million years ago, there was an ancient civilisation of humans who evolved from dinosaurs. They defeated an evil witch called Bandora (Machiko Soga) and locked her away on a distant planet. In the present day, Bandora is accidentally reawakened and now she tries to conquer Earth yet again. Barza (Jun Tatara), an ancient wizard, wakes up five young warriors: Geki [TyrannoRanger] (Yuuta Mochizuki), Goushi [MammothRanger] (Seiju Umon), Dan [TriceraRanger] (Hideki Fujiwara), Boi [TigerRanger] (Takumi Hashimoto), and Mei [PteraRanger] (Reiko Chiba), from suspended animation. With the power of prehistoric dinosaurs known as Guardian Beasts, they have to stop Bandora before it’s too late.

 

Zyuranger vs. Power(ful) Rangers

Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger comes as a sort of an odd entry in the Super Sentai franchise because it tried to distance itself from other shows. Its immediate predecessor, Chōjin Sentai Jetman [Birdman Squadron Jetman] won the viewers with a serious tone and complex characters. Zyuranger, on the other hand, not only broke with the science-fiction convention (choosing fantasy, instead), but also became more lighter in tone, seeking to recapture the child audience.

 

The result is the story about courageous warriors who bring the sword of justice upon an evil witch. Indeed, the series is full of monster-of-week shenanigans with the heavy-handed usage of children as supporting characters in many episodes; however, there is also a place for much needed pathos, interesting subplots, and character development. Probably, this is why I like Zyuranger so much.

 

If you’re patient, after getting through a dozen of episodes involving children in distress (and after wondering about how ancient warriors can befriend random children so easily, with their parents being totally fine with this), you are in for a real treat. For the first 20 episodes, Zyuranger conditions the viewers to believe in certain patterns, but thankfully, these are done away with when the heroes find themselves in the darkest hour. For instance, I love the subplot involving Burai [DragonRanger] (Shirou Izumi). In addition, the evil witch turns out to be actually a complex character with a backstory. These aspects really seem as if taken from Joseph Campbell’s monumental work The Hero of a Thousand Faces (1949).

 

Zyurangers themselves also experience a fair share of trials and tribulations along the way, be it resurrecting the Guardian Beasts or fighting with Great Satan. After 50 episodes, you feel that you went to hell and back together with these rangers. I really liked their personalities and the fact that they never gave up, even in the silliest stand-alone episodes.

 

Speaking about stand-alone stories not connected with the overarching arc of defeating Bandora, not all of them are weak. For example, I loved such episodes as when Mei [PteraRanger] had to single-handedly fight against Lami (Ami Kawai), Bandora’s secret agent, or when Dan [TriceraRanger] tried to make a living by working at a ramen shop. Also, I absolutely liked the stories with full fantasy vibes (saving dinosaur eggs, battling Genie, fighting in the spiritual world).

 

It has to be noted that without Zyuranger, there would be no Power Rangers. Producer Haim Saban tried to adapt Super Sentai since he saw Bioman on TV, but the production was green-lit only around the time when Zyuranger hit the TV screens. It still boggles my mind that as a young lad I was watching half of an American show and half of a Japanese one. Thankfully, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger was released on DVD in its unaltered form by Shout Factory! in 2015.

 

Recommendations

Zyuranger is an awesome Super Sentai series due to plenty of action, great music (that theme song!), and the wonderful fantasy world with mecha dinosaurs. Zyuranger is the hero journey unlike any other. Maybe I’m too subjective, maybe it’s because the show aired during the year of my birth, but I will always look at Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger with fondness and nostalgia. If you want to start your journey with Super Sentai, then give Zyurangers a chance. Minna Henshin! Dino Buckler!

Overall score: 8/10 My previous Super Sentai-related texts: Hikonin Sentai Akibaranger review, Tokusatsu Gagaga review, The Power of Transformation: Celebrating 45 Years of Super Sentai (Re-edited)