Shocking news is coming from the world of Tokusatsu that is sure to leave fans stunned. After keeping viewers company for half a century, the legendary series Super Sentai will be ending its television run.
Shinichiro Shirakura, senior executive as well as Head of Character Business at Toei, revealed the reasons behind this major decision in his interview with Asahi Shimbun. This decision is not just a simple cancellation, but a fundamental strategic move for the future franchise The.
Why is Super Sentai losing its appeal?
Shirakura highlights an interesting paradox: almost everyone in Japan knows what Sentai, However, they are often unfamiliar with specific stories from year to year. The fundamental problem of franchise This is because the duration is too long, so it becomes a spectacle that is considered “ordinary”.
For many, hearing the word “Sentai” immediately conjures up images of five heroes in colorful costumes. On the one hand, this perception makes this spectacle a comfort zone or a comfort viewing that doesn't change. But on the other hand, this static perception makes people think that this show is not a must-watch.
As a result, you might stop watching new episodes every week and prefer to watch old shows for nostalgia's sake. Shirakura argues that his generation should step back from the franchise this. He wanted the new generation to take over to design a completely fresh concept.
Streaming and Marvel's challenge for Super Sentai
In addition to internal factors, the producer also outlined two major external shocks that forced this change. The first challenge is the streaming era triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Thanks to streaming services, viewers can now choose from an entire catalog of shows, both new and old.
This creates a unique competition where new series have to compete with their own predecessors, especially highly-rated classic titles. For new viewers, this can be confusing as they don't know where to start watching, given the sheer number of different entries that have little to do with each other.
The second challenge is the big wave of American comics, particularly the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Shirakura notes that Avengers is very popular in Japan. Marvel presents characters from Captain America to Iron Man in one package universe that is unified. In contrast, Super Sentai has been doing reset story every year. This annual anthology format hinders long-term character development, in contrast to Marvel's continuous storytelling model.
Long Hiatus Plan for Super Sentai
In light of this, Shirakura explained that the conceptual limits of the series have now become very real. Although the production staff had tried to incorporate various creative ideas to push the boundaries, it was difficult to maintain the freshness of a format that had been running for 50 years. Hence, the production team realized that they would have to rethink franchise This is fundamental.
Interestingly, this does not mean that Super Sentai will disappear forever. Shirakura emphasized that franchise which gave birth to the global phenomenon Power Rangers will return. However, he believes that a decade-long hiatus would be good for the title's survival. A long break of 10 years is necessary for the audience to feel a sense of longing. It also gives room for new ideas to flourish without the burden of a long, binding history.
The Repeated History of Project Tokusatsu
Shirakura recalled that he joined Toei in 1990, when the company was planning for a Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger (1992). At that time, the staff thought it would probably be the last entry. This thought encouraged the young staff to try something different, such as introducing a regular sixth member mid-story for the first time.
Who would have thought, Zyuranger instead becomes the basis for Power Rangers and extended the life of Super Sentai by another three decades. This success was actually born out of a series of coincidences. Originally, the concept was born out of a failed attempt to make project which features five Kamen Riders fighting together.
That failure triggered the creators Kamen Rider, Shotaro Ishinomori, to develop the Himitsu Sentai Gorenger. The giant robot element was only added after popular robot anime ended their TV run in the 1970s. Now, Shirakura closes the interview with a hint of a change of direction in the hero show, specifically mentioning Super Space Sheriff Gavan Infinity.
It seems that Toei is ready to make another big gamble for future relevance. Let's look forward to seeing the new face of Tokusatsu heroes in the coming era.
Source: Asahi (Yasuyuki Onaya) via Anime News Network
