Though Mighty Morphin Power Rangers has always been a show aimed at children, the same cannot be said for the original source material. Sure, the Super Sentai series (the franchise of shows whose footage was used to make Power Rangers), is targeted at a younger audience but thanks to cultural differences some of the content wasn’t suitable for American audiences and certain scenes of infamy were never shown. This is a list of some of the adult moments in the original Super Sentai series which never made over to America.
SPD Pink’s Baths
What’s wrong with taking a little bubble bath after work. Nothing, especially if you are Umeko the Pink Ranger in Tokuso Sentai Dekaranger. She regularly made it a point to relax after a hard day by hopping in the tub with some suds and her rubber duckies. Why didn’t this translate over? Kids need lessons in good hygiene don’t they?
Sexual harassment in Jungle Fever
The original Master Phant in Juken Sentai Gekiranger wasn’t the charming old man he was in the adaptation but was an animal. Actually all the different masters in the series were originally anthropomorphized animals. Despite how charming they seem, Master Phant found a way to remind people he wasn’t Dumbo by sexually harassing the female characters. He would constantly hit on Ran, the Yellow Ranger by lifting her skirt, licking her legs, and even went wanted a kiss from the team’s female teacher as a reward. Damn, what an animal.
Samurai’s Murder Suicide
The female commander of the Nighlok’s back story was much more tragic than the adaptation let on. In the original version, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger she was a woman who was scorned when the man she loved married someone else. Instead of simply getting over it, Dayu decided to she set fire to the place where the wedding was being held and killed herself in the process. Definitely not the kind of thing kids are used to seeing on their weekend mornings.
Zenowing Goes To Hell
Heroes dying is nothing new but sometimes their battles often continue after they are dead. In Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger to stop an army of monsters from invading Earth from Deboth Hell (a Hell which all the monster in the series went) Zenowing (Torin as he was originally known) was killed to fight some of the monsters there. This was all in effort to give the team time they needed to beat the final boss without more adversaries appearing. Unfortunately this is not properly explained until later so everyone watched the mentor character of the show die and mourned for him thinking he was gone for good. Way to tug on the heart strings.
Super Megaforce Villain Too Evil to Bring Over
You’re probably asking what’s so wrong with this guy? He seems pretty harmless and he even had a pet monkey. Sadly, appearances can be deceiving. This is Basco and he is a scum bag. He betrayed the Red Ranger of Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger and spent the better part of the series trying to beat the team to obtaining the legendary powers. He also wasn’t afraid to endanger his simian companion if it meant getting the upper hand in battle. Here probably wasn’t left out for content but more because Super Megaforce was only twenty episodes.
Quantum Ranger’s Death In Time Force
Dying in battle is one thing for a hero. Being killed in a cold blood doesn’t sit well, even for some adult programs. Still, this is the fate of the Quantum Ranger’s Japanese counterpart Time Fire of Mirai Sentai TimeRanger. While out looking for the pet bird of a little girl he had bonded with, Time Fire is shot in the back by a random enemy who was just passing through. Not exactly the best way to go out.
Lost Galaxy Alcoholism
There have been a lot of different ways the monsters in the series enlarged themselves. In the original footage, Seijuu Sentai Ginagman, the monsters would consume Barba Extract, a drink which made them grow. Unfortunately all of the different containers holding the liquid resembled alcoholic beverages. Resembling a bourbon and sake bottles the monsters would take a big swig before growing large. The American version, Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy an Erlenmeyer flask (commonly found in laboratories) filled with liquid was used but only in early episodes. Apparently, even the change was safe enough for American audiences.
Serpentera Destroyed Japan
Remember Serpentera? He was the massive evil zord used a few times and usually never effectively? This was because the creature wasn’t controlled in the original version, Gosei Sentai Dairanger It was a being whose purpose was to maintain balance. As the battle between the good guys, and bad guys escalated, Serpentera (called Daijinryuu) showed up and destroyed a good part of Japan in an effort to get them to stop fighting. It is hard to battle your enemies when your town is a smoldering crater.
The Green Ranger’s Death
The internet rumors were true. Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger which spawned the Power Rangers, the Green Ranger, Burai died. It turned out Burai had died while in suspended animation and was on borrowed time which symbolized by a candle which was burning down. In the end, Burai’s time ran out and he had to entrust his powers to his brother, the Red ranger you continue the fight. If you want to check it out for yourself, Shout Factory released the entire series, so you can watch your childhood be ruined.
The Dino Thunder Sex Scene
Yes, you did read it right. There was a sex scene in the original series, Bakuryu Sentai Abaranger. It’s not blatant but in a flashback before the black Dino Ranger went into battle, he and his recently married wife gave each other a proper farewell. Her hand on his naked back and his dangling necklace next to hers as she lays on her back is all which is shown. Though not graphic, when was the last time you had implications of sex happening on a kids show?
—
Are you surprised some of these moments didn’t come over to America? Leave a comment below and let us know.
