Hi guys. I've be doing a lot of thinking. As some of you may or may not know, I am 27 (was 32, but I just got done watching the first 5 episodes of Dino Fury Season 2) episodes from finishing the entire Power Rangers franchise (TV wise).
And while there have been bumps and breaks, and even some seasons I didn't care for as much as others, I have to say that there is a reason why this franchise's fanbase has such loyalty. The stories. It's not about the monsters, the morphing, the Zords. It's the stories for many of us. ll this
As a young teen who took a long while to mature, the more serious issues and stories didn't really occur to me back then. Back then, it was "What was Kimberly wearing this week? How can I copy her?" Or "I wonder if I can do Hip Hop Kedo.... (followed by me attempting it, and it became my main reason for actually *doing* my stretches that I needed for Cerebral Palsy.) All I knew as a teen up till the end of Turbo? Power Rangers had a great soundtrack, terrific, level headed characters,
Now as I stand at the end of the road of the TV portion of the franchise, I realize that while those might have been important things for my teenage self, what I've gotten out of the rewatch is so much more poignant. And so much more meaningful than anything else.
There are a few seasons that these things don't apply to. Some of them are just plain fun to watch. They don't have to be super deep. I'm looking at you Wild Force and Operation Overdrive. And there aren't any series that I hated outright, either. There are some series that get so much hate, it's basically bad form to say you like it. (Like that's ever stopped me. I proudly told everyone how much I liked Overdrive. and Season 1 of MegaForce. We don't talk about Season 2. As far as I'm concerned it doesn't exist ). I do have one that I will never really gel with. That was Light Speed Rescue. And my reason behind that is stupid as hell, but I can't get over it, so.
But what I really wanted to talk about, in saying all of this, is how much this franchise, along with it's Japanese counterpart, Super Sentai, have really helped over the last two years. I've had so much tragedy in both my IRL and celebrity world between 2023, 2024, and this year, 2025. Jason David Frank (he was 2022, but still), Matthew Perry (2023), My best friend, Fred (2023), and then my Dad this year. It's been hell you guys. And, between you guys who've RPed,listened to me hyperfocus on Tokusatsu, have even directed me what to watch in some cases? and Tokusatsu itself, I have been able to make life make sense again. This is not to say that I don't miss those who died or that I am, in any shape or form, done grieving. It just means I'm beginning to feel normal and less on edge, and anxious. These actors will likely *never* know how much they have helped me. (I do plan to let James Davies, Michael Copon, Brennan Meija, and Davi Santos know when I see them at RangerStop. Along with any others I have the chance to talk to). but I am really really glad that I have this platform, and IMs, Discord and Facebook, so that I can tell YOU GUYS that you are also a big part of why I have been able to cope, and in turn, develop skills that I've needed to be a more functional adult. It has really been something. And I will be eternally grateful.