01
Main
Old Updates Archive
Links
 |
Lists |
List of Monsters
List of Mecha
List
of Weapons
List of TV Episodes
|
Guides |
Episode
Comparisons
Movies
Guide
CD Guide
DVD Guide
Actors
Guide
Lyrics Archive
Video Games
Dora
Buuranagan's Belly | Episode
Comparisons | Kyouryuu Sentai
Zyuranger
Episode Stats:
Japanese Episode 01: "The Birth"
American Equivalent(s): 101 "Day of the Dumpster"
Japanese Air Date: February 21st, 1992
American Air Date: August 28th, 1993
Important Characters: Geki (Jason), Goushi (Zack), Dan (Billy), Boi (Trini), Mei (Kimberly), Balza (Zordon), Witch Bandora (Rita Repulsa), Grifforzor (Goldar), Bukbak (Squat), Tottbat (Baboo), Puripurikan (Finster), Dora Titan (Giant), Yoshimura Satoru (N/A), Ishida Yumeko (N/A)
Important Places: Planet Nemesis (N/A), Bandra Palace (N/A), Tower Building (N/A)
Japan has launched a space shuttle to the Planet Nemesis in order to find out more about this mysterious planet that only passes by the Earth's orbit once every 230,000 years. Once they touch down, the astronauts aboard the shuttle discover a canister and decide to open it. Unknown to them, the canister was used to seal the evil Witch Bandora and her minions millions of years before. Once freed, the evil witch sets her sights on the planet Earth to get her revenge. After she sets up a palace on top of the Tower Building, the Witch Bandora encounters the Great Sage Balza. The two exchange greetings before Bandora reveals that she had kidnapped the two children who were on the space shuttle and will kill them within the hour. Balza responds by retreating to his underground hideout to reawaken the Dinosaur Squadron Zyurangers. Geki, Goushi, Dan, Boi, and Mei are awakened and are dispatched to save the children. After they rescue the children, the five warriors use the Dino Bucklers given to them by Balza to transform into the Zyurangers! The five heroes fight against Grifforzor and a group of Golem monsters, eventually wearing them out. However, they now have a new problem - the Witch Bandora has unleashed a giant monster upon the city named Dora Titan! How can our heroes fight a giant!? To be continued!
Thoughts
I have absolutely no idea where to start.
The first episode of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyurangers, the sixteenth show in Toei's tokusentai series, introduces us to a lot of things. We're introduced to the Witch Bandora, her evil minions, and the fact that she wants revenge on the Earth. Once the initial conflict is set up, we're introduced to the heroes of the series, a group of warriors from prehistoric tribes who had been sealed for millions of years. We get a monster-of-the-week, a few brief fights, and then a cliffhanger ending.
The American version, on the other hand, throws so much at the viewer that it's hard to imagine any kid being able to keep up. We get a measly 60 seconds to introduce the villains without any real explanation as to who they are or why they're so pissed off at the planet Earth. Nevermind the whole "why are those astronauts on that planet in the first place" thing. Next, we're given a bunch of civilian scenes with a bunch of kids who all happen to be martial artists and who all happen to be friends with one another. They get chosen to be heroes by a guy in a tube, fight some "Putties," and then jump into their Dinozords (something we don't see in Zyuranger until Episode 02), form the Megazord (we don't see that until Episode 06), and then fight Goldar. He vanishes, we get a very brief wrap-up, and then the episode ends.
The whole thing makes Dragonball Evolution seem absolutely coherent by comparison.
The viewer is introduced to so many terms, concepts, and characters that it can be dizzying. The Japanese series that Power Rangers takes its footage from, by contrast, introduces everything to the viewer slowly, being careful not to overburden him or her with too much exposition. We get the fighting team in this episode, the Guardian Beasts ("Dinozords") in the next episode, a few episodes to get used to using them, and then the Daizyujin in Episode 06. The American "equivalent" is not so nice.
I put equivalent in quotation marks there because you really can't sit there and say that Power Rangers episode so-and-so is equivalent to Zyuranger episode so-and-so. You really can't. If you say something as simple as ""Day of the Dumpster" uses footage from the first episode of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger," you're kind of misrepresenting things. Because while some footage is used, there's also footage from like a half a dozen other episodes spliced in as well. And if that's not enough, some of the footage from this first episode that went unused in "Day of the Dumpster" will find its way in the next episode as well.
So...hackjob? You betcha.
Other than the overall feel of the episode, a lot of other things are changed around as well. The most obvious change would be the Yellow Ranger, who's a guy in the Japanese version but a girl in the American version. I guess Saban wanted more diversity in the team and therefore gave the group two girls, and the result is that Trini suddenly becomes very flat chested when she transforms.
Speaking of diversity...what was Saban thinking when they had the Black Ranger be a black guy and the Yellow Ranger be an Asian chick? Gotta love that early 90s stunt casting.
Bulk, Skull, Ernie, and Alpha 5 do not have equivalents in Zyuranger. Likewise, the two kids who were being held captive by the Witch Bandora - Satoru and Yumeko - have no equivalents in Power Rangers.
Japanese Sequence
The first 43 seconds of the Japanese episode are cut. These scenes introduce Balza (in his civilian form) and shows various news footage setting up the whole reason these people are going to the planet in the first place.
The shot of Planet Nemesis that's used as the first shot of "Day of the Dumpster" is shortened by one second.
The next twelve seconds, showing more shots of the shuttle, are removed from the American version.
The second shot of "Day of the Dumpster" is left as-is.
Next, a thirteen second scene of Balza running up a building and then extending his ear, as well as the episode's title screen, are cut.
The shot of the astronauts walking on the planet is shortened by two seconds.
A two-second shot of the astronauts commenting that there's nothing on the planet is cut.
After the astronauts run for the canister, a three-second scene of the children inside the shuttle, asking how long they have to stay in there, is removed.
After the astronauts put their hands on the red jewel on top of the canister, a five-second shot of Balza, with his ear still extended, is cut. Here, he yells out not to open the canister because there's something sealed inside.
After Bandora's minions are released, there's an eleven second sequence where we're giving an establishing shot of each of the villains, one by one, as their names appear on the bottom of the screen. These little introductions are cut, meaning that American audiences will have to try to figure out these characters' names themselves based on future dialogue.
When Bukbak runs over to wake the Witch Bandora up, a four-second bit where he pounds on the canister is removed.
After the Witch Bandora stretches, her name shows up, in Japanese, on the bottom of the screen for six seconds. This is removed from the American version. During this time, the Witch Bandora asks how long they had been imprisoned.
While Baboo gets his "breath mints" (in the original, he's getting a calculator to figure out the answer to Bandora's question), three seconds of Tottbat arguing with Bukbak are removed.
The next shot of Puripurikan is shortened by three seconds.
Two seconds of Bukbak grabbing his calculator back from Tottbat are removed from the beginning of the next shot.
By the way...in the American version, Rita Repulsa has been sealed away for 10,000 years. In the Japanese version, the Witch Bandora had been sealed away for over 170 million years. Quite a big difference, huh?
After the Witch Bandora breaks the seal on her old container, she uses some weird breath attack thing to blow the two astronauts off the planet, presumably killing them. This four-second bit isn't shown in the American version. I guess the fate of the astronauts is being left up to us or something.
Nine seconds from the following scene, during which the Witch Bandora reveals that she has a long-standing hatred for the planet Earth, are removed. While we won't learn the motives for her hatred of the planet for a while, at least we're given *something* - in the American version, by contrast, Rita Repulsa seems to randomly want to take over the Earth because it's the first planet she saw.
Altogether...the entire sequence on Planet Nemesis lasts for a minute and fifty-one seconds in the Japanese version. The American equivalent lasts exactly one minute.
After this, the overwhelming majority of the rest of the episode ended up on Saban's cutting room floor. We'll get a few snippets here and there, but for the most part, this is it. Here are a few screenshots of some of the scenes removed:
If you wanna know the context of those images, read the plot synopsis at the top there.
American Sequence
The next scene in the American version is the first of many, many, many scenes filmed specifically for the American version. The scene, which lasts two minutes, introduces us to the teenagers who will eventually become the Power Rangers and gives us brief snippets of the stereotypical role they'll fulfill. We also get introduced to Bulk and Skull, two characters who have no equivalents in Zyuranger who exist purely for comedic relief.
And while I'm on the subject of Bulk and Skull...why are they picking a fight against Trini and Kimberly? And then...why are they charging at them? Like...were they seriously going to attack Trini and Kimberly? Do Bulk and Skull beat up on women or something?
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The next scene in the American version is Japanese in origin, but comes from a much, much later episode. The seventeen-second scene takes place on the moon (somewhere the Witch Bandora doesn't go to until Episode 02) and also features Grifforzor talking, something he shouldn't be able to do until Episode 19.
American Sequence
The next sequence, lasting four minutes and forty seconds, is American-made as well.
The thing that kind of bugs me about this is how we're given yet more Bulk and Skull shenanigans. Like...I understand that Saban wanted to establish the whole "martial arts wasn't meant to be used to hurt people" thing, but couldn't they have done so without shoving those two down our throats again? Especially as jam packed as this episode is already? I would have much rather seen them give us some more time with the various characters (so far, Billy is the only one who really stands out) and make them likable rather than give us more comic relief BS.
But whatever makes the kids laugh, I guess.
Japanese Sequence
Inside Zordon's viewing globe, the shot of the Witch Bandora and Grifforzor flying through the air was taken from the part in this episode after the Witch Bandora sets up her palace on Earth.
It's kind of weird that they'd use those shots, though, since they clearly show her on planet Earth even though it's already been established, earlier in the episode, that Rita Repulsa is on the moon.
Oh, continuity.
American Sequence
A two second shot of the teens reacting to the footage is inserted after the shots of "Rita."
The next shot featuring the Putties is hard to place - it could have come from either side of the Pacific. The next shot of Bandora (way to recycle, Saban) is Japanese, though.
After that viewing globe stuff, Zordon goes through each teenager and describes what "Dinozord" they'll be using. And after description, footage of these robots, pulled from a later episode, are injected.
The footage of the Daizyujin in the viewing globe was also taken from a later episode.
After that's over, the next thirty-eight seconds of the episode, with everyone refusing to join Zordon and then leaving the Command Center, is American made.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The Rita Repulsa scene that follows is from an episode much further down the road. It lasts 36 seconds.
American Sequence
Next, we get a nineteen second sequence of our heroes walking away from the Command Center, wondering whether or not they should take Zordon's offer.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
Next up is another Rita Repulsa scene, and, again, it's taken from an episode that occurs much later in the series. It lasts eight seconds.
American Sequence
The five-second shot of everyone reacting to Rita's blast is American.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The shot of the Golems flipping onto the scene is taken from a later episode. It goes on for two seconds.
American Sequence
The fight between our heroes and the Putties, lasting a minute and twenty-two seconds, was created just for the American version. Now I don't know if the Japanese production company (Toei) sent Saban the suits their stunt actors used or if Saban just recreated their own, but whatever the case is, it'll be done a lot throughout the rest of the series.
Included here is also the morphing sequence, something we really don't get in the Japanese version. Usually, when Geki and the others transform, they pull out their Dino Bucklers, say something like "henshin!," and then are already dressed in their uniforms in the very next scene.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The shot of the TyrannoRanger helmet materializing is from the Japanese version.
The next shot of the Rangers posing is taken from a later episode since the "everyone posing" shot in the Japanese version of the first episode had them all up against a city background. And that would be silly for the American version since they're out in some desert-like area.
American Sequence
The next ten seconds featuring Alpha was made just for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The shots of everyone "teleporting" (which are really just sped-up shots of them jumping into their mecha) are from a later episode in the series. It lasts four seconds.
American Sequence
The next four-second shot of everyone teleporting was made for the American kiddies.
One thing I'd also like to point out is that the Zyurangers never, ever teleport the way the Power Rangers do. Instead, they just kind of go around the city in their extremely toyetic bikes.
Since these bike shots feature the Japanese cast in their civilian forms (a big no-no for Saban), they would have to get scrapped. I guess Saban didn't want to spend the money to buy American equivalents of the bikes, so they decided to have the Rangers teleport instead. It also makes it a lot easier to edit different footage together without having to film tedious "getting to the scene of the action" scenes.
Makes sense, if you think about it.
Japanese Sequence
And here we are...the third and final sequence taken from the actual first episode of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger.
In the Japanese version, we get establishing shots of each of the Rangers telling us who they are. This lasts 23 seconds and is cut from the American version.
Saban uses the next shot of the TyrannoRanger, but they put this weird filter on it to make it all blurry. I guess because they just teleported in or something.
The fight that follows was trimmed down considerably for the American version:
Three seconds are removed from the shot of the TyrannoRanger fighting Golems. He kind of kicks one of them in the head, so I can see why they might have removed it.
A four-second claymation shot of a Golem being knocked down and then reforming is cut.
The MammothRanger's fight is five seconds shorter. In the cut footage, he picks up one of the Golems (placing his hands on its crotch area), throws it off the building they're on, and then jumps off after it.
The PteraRanger's fight is a second shorter in the American version.
Another claymation shot of a Golem being knocked down before reforming, this one lasting two seconds, is cut here as well.
Finally, the SaberRanger's fight is shortened by four seconds. In the American version, we see the Yellow Ranger jump onto the higher portion of the roof. In the Japanese version, this is followed by Boi taking out his Ranger Gun and firing on the Golems below.
These could all be time cuts, but knowing how oversensitive Saban is to violence, they were probably content cuts as well.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The rest of the Japanese footage used in "Day of the Dumpster" comes from future episodes of Zyuranger.
In the Japanese version, the TyrannoRanger fights against Grifforzor, one-on-one, while the TriceraRanger and the PteraRanger run into Bandora's palace to rescue the children (no idea where the MammothRanger and SaberRanger are). Just as they manage to save them, Dora Titan appears and grabs the space shuttle. The episode ends with everyone looking up at awe at the giant monster, wondering how they can fight it.
The American version takes the Daizyujin vs. Grifforzor fight from an episode way in the future (the Daizyujin doesn't even appear until Episode 06) and places it here. This whole battle lasts for four minutes and five seconds in the American version.
American Sequence
...aaand the rest of the episode uses footage created just for Americans.
One thing I wanted to point out is how Zordon gives the Rangers "three rules" to follow. One that stuck out to me was the one where he tells them not to reveal their secret identities to anyone. Because in Zyuranger, the fact that Geki and the others are the Zyurangers is no secret; pretty much everyone knows. They also aren't nearly as sociable as the Power Rangers are (they seem to spend most of their time hanging out with Balza), so that's probably a factor right there.
One episode down...only a bajillion more to go.
Episode Stats:
Japanese Episode 01: "The Birth"
American Equivalent(s): 101 "Day of the Dumpster"
Japanese Air Date: February 21st, 1992
American Air Date: August 28th, 1993
Important Characters: Geki (Jason), Goushi (Zack), Dan (Billy), Boi (Trini), Mei (Kimberly), Balza (Zordon), Witch Bandora (Rita Repulsa), Grifforzor (Goldar), Bukbak (Squat), Tottbat (Baboo), Puripurikan (Finster), Dora Titan (Giant), Yoshimura Satoru (N/A), Ishida Yumeko (N/A)
Important Places: Planet Nemesis (N/A), Bandra Palace (N/A), Tower Building (N/A)
Japan has launched a space shuttle to the Planet Nemesis in order to find out more about this mysterious planet that only passes by the Earth's orbit once every 230,000 years. Once they touch down, the astronauts aboard the shuttle discover a canister and decide to open it. Unknown to them, the canister was used to seal the evil Witch Bandora and her minions millions of years before. Once freed, the evil witch sets her sights on the planet Earth to get her revenge. After she sets up a palace on top of the Tower Building, the Witch Bandora encounters the Great Sage Balza. The two exchange greetings before Bandora reveals that she had kidnapped the two children who were on the space shuttle and will kill them within the hour. Balza responds by retreating to his underground hideout to reawaken the Dinosaur Squadron Zyurangers. Geki, Goushi, Dan, Boi, and Mei are awakened and are dispatched to save the children. After they rescue the children, the five warriors use the Dino Bucklers given to them by Balza to transform into the Zyurangers! The five heroes fight against Grifforzor and a group of Golem monsters, eventually wearing them out. However, they now have a new problem - the Witch Bandora has unleashed a giant monster upon the city named Dora Titan! How can our heroes fight a giant!? To be continued!
Thoughts
I have absolutely no idea where to start.
The first episode of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyurangers, the sixteenth show in Toei's tokusentai series, introduces us to a lot of things. We're introduced to the Witch Bandora, her evil minions, and the fact that she wants revenge on the Earth. Once the initial conflict is set up, we're introduced to the heroes of the series, a group of warriors from prehistoric tribes who had been sealed for millions of years. We get a monster-of-the-week, a few brief fights, and then a cliffhanger ending.
The American version, on the other hand, throws so much at the viewer that it's hard to imagine any kid being able to keep up. We get a measly 60 seconds to introduce the villains without any real explanation as to who they are or why they're so pissed off at the planet Earth. Nevermind the whole "why are those astronauts on that planet in the first place" thing. Next, we're given a bunch of civilian scenes with a bunch of kids who all happen to be martial artists and who all happen to be friends with one another. They get chosen to be heroes by a guy in a tube, fight some "Putties," and then jump into their Dinozords (something we don't see in Zyuranger until Episode 02), form the Megazord (we don't see that until Episode 06), and then fight Goldar. He vanishes, we get a very brief wrap-up, and then the episode ends.
The whole thing makes Dragonball Evolution seem absolutely coherent by comparison.
The viewer is introduced to so many terms, concepts, and characters that it can be dizzying. The Japanese series that Power Rangers takes its footage from, by contrast, introduces everything to the viewer slowly, being careful not to overburden him or her with too much exposition. We get the fighting team in this episode, the Guardian Beasts ("Dinozords") in the next episode, a few episodes to get used to using them, and then the Daizyujin in Episode 06. The American "equivalent" is not so nice.
I put equivalent in quotation marks there because you really can't sit there and say that Power Rangers episode so-and-so is equivalent to Zyuranger episode so-and-so. You really can't. If you say something as simple as ""Day of the Dumpster" uses footage from the first episode of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger," you're kind of misrepresenting things. Because while some footage is used, there's also footage from like a half a dozen other episodes spliced in as well. And if that's not enough, some of the footage from this first episode that went unused in "Day of the Dumpster" will find its way in the next episode as well.
So...hackjob? You betcha.
Other than the overall feel of the episode, a lot of other things are changed around as well. The most obvious change would be the Yellow Ranger, who's a guy in the Japanese version but a girl in the American version. I guess Saban wanted more diversity in the team and therefore gave the group two girls, and the result is that Trini suddenly becomes very flat chested when she transforms.
Speaking of diversity...what was Saban thinking when they had the Black Ranger be a black guy and the Yellow Ranger be an Asian chick? Gotta love that early 90s stunt casting.
Bulk, Skull, Ernie, and Alpha 5 do not have equivalents in Zyuranger. Likewise, the two kids who were being held captive by the Witch Bandora - Satoru and Yumeko - have no equivalents in Power Rangers.
Japanese Sequence
The first 43 seconds of the Japanese episode are cut. These scenes introduce Balza (in his civilian form) and shows various news footage setting up the whole reason these people are going to the planet in the first place.
The shot of Planet Nemesis that's used as the first shot of "Day of the Dumpster" is shortened by one second.
The next twelve seconds, showing more shots of the shuttle, are removed from the American version.
The second shot of "Day of the Dumpster" is left as-is.
Next, a thirteen second scene of Balza running up a building and then extending his ear, as well as the episode's title screen, are cut.
The shot of the astronauts walking on the planet is shortened by two seconds.
A two-second shot of the astronauts commenting that there's nothing on the planet is cut.
After the astronauts run for the canister, a three-second scene of the children inside the shuttle, asking how long they have to stay in there, is removed.
After the astronauts put their hands on the red jewel on top of the canister, a five-second shot of Balza, with his ear still extended, is cut. Here, he yells out not to open the canister because there's something sealed inside.
After Bandora's minions are released, there's an eleven second sequence where we're giving an establishing shot of each of the villains, one by one, as their names appear on the bottom of the screen. These little introductions are cut, meaning that American audiences will have to try to figure out these characters' names themselves based on future dialogue.
 |
 |
 |
 |
When Bukbak runs over to wake the Witch Bandora up, a four-second bit where he pounds on the canister is removed.
After the Witch Bandora stretches, her name shows up, in Japanese, on the bottom of the screen for six seconds. This is removed from the American version. During this time, the Witch Bandora asks how long they had been imprisoned.
While Baboo gets his "breath mints" (in the original, he's getting a calculator to figure out the answer to Bandora's question), three seconds of Tottbat arguing with Bukbak are removed.
The next shot of Puripurikan is shortened by three seconds.
Two seconds of Bukbak grabbing his calculator back from Tottbat are removed from the beginning of the next shot.
By the way...in the American version, Rita Repulsa has been sealed away for 10,000 years. In the Japanese version, the Witch Bandora had been sealed away for over 170 million years. Quite a big difference, huh?
After the Witch Bandora breaks the seal on her old container, she uses some weird breath attack thing to blow the two astronauts off the planet, presumably killing them. This four-second bit isn't shown in the American version. I guess the fate of the astronauts is being left up to us or something.
 |
 |
Nine seconds from the following scene, during which the Witch Bandora reveals that she has a long-standing hatred for the planet Earth, are removed. While we won't learn the motives for her hatred of the planet for a while, at least we're given *something* - in the American version, by contrast, Rita Repulsa seems to randomly want to take over the Earth because it's the first planet she saw.
Altogether...the entire sequence on Planet Nemesis lasts for a minute and fifty-one seconds in the Japanese version. The American equivalent lasts exactly one minute.
After this, the overwhelming majority of the rest of the episode ended up on Saban's cutting room floor. We'll get a few snippets here and there, but for the most part, this is it. Here are a few screenshots of some of the scenes removed:
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
If you wanna know the context of those images, read the plot synopsis at the top there.
American Sequence
The next scene in the American version is the first of many, many, many scenes filmed specifically for the American version. The scene, which lasts two minutes, introduces us to the teenagers who will eventually become the Power Rangers and gives us brief snippets of the stereotypical role they'll fulfill. We also get introduced to Bulk and Skull, two characters who have no equivalents in Zyuranger who exist purely for comedic relief.
And while I'm on the subject of Bulk and Skull...why are they picking a fight against Trini and Kimberly? And then...why are they charging at them? Like...were they seriously going to attack Trini and Kimberly? Do Bulk and Skull beat up on women or something?
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The next scene in the American version is Japanese in origin, but comes from a much, much later episode. The seventeen-second scene takes place on the moon (somewhere the Witch Bandora doesn't go to until Episode 02) and also features Grifforzor talking, something he shouldn't be able to do until Episode 19.
American Sequence
The next sequence, lasting four minutes and forty seconds, is American-made as well.
The thing that kind of bugs me about this is how we're given yet more Bulk and Skull shenanigans. Like...I understand that Saban wanted to establish the whole "martial arts wasn't meant to be used to hurt people" thing, but couldn't they have done so without shoving those two down our throats again? Especially as jam packed as this episode is already? I would have much rather seen them give us some more time with the various characters (so far, Billy is the only one who really stands out) and make them likable rather than give us more comic relief BS.
But whatever makes the kids laugh, I guess.
Japanese Sequence
Inside Zordon's viewing globe, the shot of the Witch Bandora and Grifforzor flying through the air was taken from the part in this episode after the Witch Bandora sets up her palace on Earth.
It's kind of weird that they'd use those shots, though, since they clearly show her on planet Earth even though it's already been established, earlier in the episode, that Rita Repulsa is on the moon.
Oh, continuity.
American Sequence
A two second shot of the teens reacting to the footage is inserted after the shots of "Rita."
The next shot featuring the Putties is hard to place - it could have come from either side of the Pacific. The next shot of Bandora (way to recycle, Saban) is Japanese, though.
After that viewing globe stuff, Zordon goes through each teenager and describes what "Dinozord" they'll be using. And after description, footage of these robots, pulled from a later episode, are injected.
The footage of the Daizyujin in the viewing globe was also taken from a later episode.
After that's over, the next thirty-eight seconds of the episode, with everyone refusing to join Zordon and then leaving the Command Center, is American made.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The Rita Repulsa scene that follows is from an episode much further down the road. It lasts 36 seconds.
American Sequence
Next, we get a nineteen second sequence of our heroes walking away from the Command Center, wondering whether or not they should take Zordon's offer.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
Next up is another Rita Repulsa scene, and, again, it's taken from an episode that occurs much later in the series. It lasts eight seconds.
American Sequence
The five-second shot of everyone reacting to Rita's blast is American.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The shot of the Golems flipping onto the scene is taken from a later episode. It goes on for two seconds.
American Sequence
The fight between our heroes and the Putties, lasting a minute and twenty-two seconds, was created just for the American version. Now I don't know if the Japanese production company (Toei) sent Saban the suits their stunt actors used or if Saban just recreated their own, but whatever the case is, it'll be done a lot throughout the rest of the series.
Included here is also the morphing sequence, something we really don't get in the Japanese version. Usually, when Geki and the others transform, they pull out their Dino Bucklers, say something like "henshin!," and then are already dressed in their uniforms in the very next scene.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The shot of the TyrannoRanger helmet materializing is from the Japanese version.
The next shot of the Rangers posing is taken from a later episode since the "everyone posing" shot in the Japanese version of the first episode had them all up against a city background. And that would be silly for the American version since they're out in some desert-like area.
American Sequence
The next ten seconds featuring Alpha was made just for Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The shots of everyone "teleporting" (which are really just sped-up shots of them jumping into their mecha) are from a later episode in the series. It lasts four seconds.
American Sequence
The next four-second shot of everyone teleporting was made for the American kiddies.
One thing I'd also like to point out is that the Zyurangers never, ever teleport the way the Power Rangers do. Instead, they just kind of go around the city in their extremely toyetic bikes.
 |
 |
Since these bike shots feature the Japanese cast in their civilian forms (a big no-no for Saban), they would have to get scrapped. I guess Saban didn't want to spend the money to buy American equivalents of the bikes, so they decided to have the Rangers teleport instead. It also makes it a lot easier to edit different footage together without having to film tedious "getting to the scene of the action" scenes.
Makes sense, if you think about it.
Japanese Sequence
And here we are...the third and final sequence taken from the actual first episode of Kyouryuu Sentai Zyuranger.
In the Japanese version, we get establishing shots of each of the Rangers telling us who they are. This lasts 23 seconds and is cut from the American version.
Saban uses the next shot of the TyrannoRanger, but they put this weird filter on it to make it all blurry. I guess because they just teleported in or something.
The fight that follows was trimmed down considerably for the American version:
Three seconds are removed from the shot of the TyrannoRanger fighting Golems. He kind of kicks one of them in the head, so I can see why they might have removed it.
A four-second claymation shot of a Golem being knocked down and then reforming is cut.
 |
 |
The MammothRanger's fight is five seconds shorter. In the cut footage, he picks up one of the Golems (placing his hands on its crotch area), throws it off the building they're on, and then jumps off after it.
The PteraRanger's fight is a second shorter in the American version.
Another claymation shot of a Golem being knocked down before reforming, this one lasting two seconds, is cut here as well.
Finally, the SaberRanger's fight is shortened by four seconds. In the American version, we see the Yellow Ranger jump onto the higher portion of the roof. In the Japanese version, this is followed by Boi taking out his Ranger Gun and firing on the Golems below.
These could all be time cuts, but knowing how oversensitive Saban is to violence, they were probably content cuts as well.
Japanese Sequence from another episode
The rest of the Japanese footage used in "Day of the Dumpster" comes from future episodes of Zyuranger.
In the Japanese version, the TyrannoRanger fights against Grifforzor, one-on-one, while the TriceraRanger and the PteraRanger run into Bandora's palace to rescue the children (no idea where the MammothRanger and SaberRanger are). Just as they manage to save them, Dora Titan appears and grabs the space shuttle. The episode ends with everyone looking up at awe at the giant monster, wondering how they can fight it.
The American version takes the Daizyujin vs. Grifforzor fight from an episode way in the future (the Daizyujin doesn't even appear until Episode 06) and places it here. This whole battle lasts for four minutes and five seconds in the American version.
American Sequence
...aaand the rest of the episode uses footage created just for Americans.
One thing I wanted to point out is how Zordon gives the Rangers "three rules" to follow. One that stuck out to me was the one where he tells them not to reveal their secret identities to anyone. Because in Zyuranger, the fact that Geki and the others are the Zyurangers is no secret; pretty much everyone knows. They also aren't nearly as sociable as the Power Rangers are (they seem to spend most of their time hanging out with Balza), so that's probably a factor right there.
One episode down...only a bajillion more to go.
|
Next
Episode
|
Found an error? Spot an omission? Please help me keep this page current and error-free by e-mailing me with a description of the error or omission.
