Dai Sentai Goggle V Watch Online
Annette Fazzari
90s kids in America grew up with the Power Rangers franchise, which has been going strong for 30 years already. However, in Japan, these shows' inspiration series had been making waves for a while: Super Sentai. While the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers aired in 1993 in the West, the first Super Sentai show debuted in 1975.
The franchise has had its share of highs and lows and certainly isn't as popular as it once was. However, even now there's a new series airing in Japan, following in the footsteps of dozens that came before. For as many American fans who grew up with Power Rangers, a few more generations of Japanese fans grew up with Super Sentai. Nostalgia is a powerful force, and the hero team franchise has proven surprisingly tenacious.
Updated on February 27th, 2024, by Mayra Garca: Super Sentai is famously known for inspiring Power Rangers, but it is much more than that. This long-standing Japanese franchise has been around for almost 50 years and it has developed a cult following, so there's plenty to say about it. This list has been updated to adhere to CBR's current publication standards and to include more information on Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger, the newest Super Sentai season, which will premiere on March 3, 2024.
Himitsu Sentai Gorenger was the first Super Sentai tokusatsu series ever. Gorenger remains the longest, too, clocking in at 84 episodes. Himitsu Sentai Gorenger follows the Earth Guard League, aka EAGLE, as they fight the terrorist group Black Cross Army, led by the Black Cross Fhrer.
The Earth Guard League uses governmental technology that grants them superhuman strength and speed. At this time, Super Sentai was not yet an established brand, but Himitsu Sentai Gorenger's success allowed the franchise to expand in the following decades.
The title's initials referred to the character nicknames: Jack, Ace, King, and Queen, taken from playing cards. These superheroes were enhanced cybernetically and given abilities (such as X-ray vision and super strength) by the Japanese government to fight against "Crime," a generic mafia network.
Battle Fever J was a collaborative effort between Toei Animation and Marvel, and it was definitely inspired by the House of Ideas -- particularly, it was inspired by Captain America. In fact, the series followed a team with codenames based on different countries, Battle France, Battle Cossack (Soviet Union), Battle Kenya, Miss America (United States), and Battle Japan.
Battle Fever J stands out in the franchise because it was the first Super Sentai series to include mechas. This was first introduced on Toei's Spider-Man, where Takuya Yamashiro aka Spider-Man, also had a big robot to go against the bad guys. However, Battle Fever J cemented it. Even now, all Super Sentai teams have mechas.
In Denshi Sentai Denziman, the rangers learn they are descended from Denzi, an alien race that became stranded on Earth after losing to the Vader Clan. Since Earth is Vader Clan's new target, the rangers team up to stop them. While a generic good vs. evil story, Denziman became central to Super Sentai because it was the first series to introduce morphers -- which are still key tools in the franchise and in Power Rangers.
This unique detail made Denshi Sentai Denziman one of the most successful Super Sentai series. Its success in Japan led to the show being broadcast in other countries, such as Thailand, where it was all the rage. This would be just the beginning of Super Sentai's eventual globalization.
Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan serves as a sequel to Denshi Sentai Denziman and is the only Super Sentai sequel series to date. It was the first show to feature rangers associated with elemental themes: air, land, and water. This theme would repeat in future series, but never with Taiyo Sentai as inspiration.
Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan stands out from other series because it was the first series to feature only male rangers. This series was fairly beloved, but it only had 50 episodes. Additionally, a film by Shozo Uehara was released in 1981 with a plot taking place around episode 23.
When the Dark Science Empire Desdark makes its first attempt to conquer the world, the Future Science Laboratory recruits five exceptional individuals to form the Goggle 5. This technologically-enhanced team -- with great fashion sense -- is the only chance for Earth's salvation.
Dai Sentai Goggle V is only the sixth Super Sentai series, but it marked the end of an era: it was the last show to incorporate neck scarves into the costumes. As of 2023, this unique accessory hasn't been used again, but hardcore fans are eager to see it back. Not even the Power Rangers franchise has tried to incorporate it.
Kagaku Sentai Dynaman was originally slated to be a baseball-themed sentai series, very similar to current sports anime. In fact, every hero is an expert at a different sport, such as martial arts, swimming, and fencing. However, as the series went by, it ended up leaning toward the more traditional "science" themed storytelling.
The series followed five teenagers who transformed into the Dynamen thanks to the inventions of Dr. Kyutaro Yumeno. Perhaps the first Super Sentai to make waves in the US, six episodes of the series received a parody dub, airing on USA Network under the name of Dynaman. If Denziman kicked off the franchise's international success, Dynaman surely cemented it.
Based on science fiction, Choudenshi Bioman incorporated more dramatic character elements than most previous series. It was also the first Super Sentai to feature two female rangers. This would become the norm both in Super Sentai and in Power Rangers -- with more recent seasons including even more. For instance, Power Rangers Cosmic Fury has three: Amelia, Izzy, and Fern.
The five heroes were descendants of people who had been in contact with Bio-Particles. This gave them the ability to transform into Biomen. Contrary to most of its predecessors, Choudenshi Bioman was translated into English, but not for America. Instead, Choudenshi Bioman was marketed to the Philippines. This would be yet another step into Super Sentai's world conquest.
The second-longest Super Sentai series, Dengeki Sentai Changeman reached 55 episodes. This season stood out because its was inspired by mythical animals from European folklore, such as Dragons, Pegasi, and Mermaids. This mythological motif has never been used again in the franchise -- nor in Power Rangers.
Additionally, Change Mermaid was the first female ranger to wear white, a tradition that would repeat on different occasions in the future, with the white color becoming a unisex option in Super Sentai. Funnily enough, although Changeman used many references to European folklore, it was never broadcast outside Asia.
Choushinsei Flashman was the tenth official Super Sentai series. While other shows sometimes showcased characters descended from aliens, this series' heroes were human beings who didn't grow up on Earth under different circumstances, such as being kidnapped by aliens. This gave them superior knowledge and incredible abilities to become rangers, like superhuman resistence or super strength.
While past Super Sentai series had become part of American television, this one didn't. However, it aired in different countries in Latin America. Choushinsei Flashman was dubbed in Spanish and Portuguese for Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Brazil.
Hikari Sentai Maskman, the 11th Super Sentai series, centered on a group of heroes, each of whom was an expert in a different martial art. Each had their own mecha, which could combine with the others to create an even bigger robot. This became a common trope in the following series.
Hikari Sentai Maskman proved popular both in Japan and abroad and found success in Korea, Brazil, the Philippines, and France. The series lasted 51 episodes and it didn't do great, but fans remember it fondly and Power Rangers owes it the Megazord trope, which the fandom adores.
The first Super Sentai to include a blue female ranger, Choujuu Sentai Liveman was the last series produced during Japan's Showa period, which officially ended in 1989. Choujuu Sentai Liveman was also the first to use animal-themed mechas -- this would become basically the norm for the Power Rangers series.
The team was formed by Red Falcon, Yellow Lion, Blue Dolphin, Black Bison, and Green Rhino. The Green Rhino ranger was eventually impregnated by one of the villains, which led her to consider an abortion. For such a lighthearted show, this was a controversial moment.
20,000 years after the Fairies helped humans against the Bouma Tribe, these villains escaped to destroy the world. To avoid this, Dr. Dazai and Seelon, the last fairy alive, form a team of five young heroes to become the Turborangers. The first series of the Heisei era, Kousoku Sentai Turboranger proved slightly less successful than its predecessor, due perhaps in part to featuring rangers powered by fairy magic.
Besides, by this point, every ranger was a high schooler, suggesting the franchise was leaning toward a younger demographic. Although now it has a cult following, now both Super Sentai and Power Rangers are aimed to kids. At the time, this was a big change.
Chikyu Sentai Fiveman focuses on the Hoshikawa siblings, five high-school teachers at the Newtown Elementary School who live a double life as superheroes. The siblings fight together against the Galactic Imperial Army Zone led by Empress Meadow and Captain Garoa, in order to prevent these villains from conquering the world.
Originally, this was supposed to be the penultimate Super Sentai series. In fact, Chikyu Sentai Fiveman fared poorly in both ratings and toy sales, signaling that the franchise had run its course. However, Toei found a way to make it work again after revamping it for Power Rangers.
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