Now that I've thought back on 2 years of Samurai, it's definitely the worst ever from Power Rangers. At first it was alright and picked up somewhat when Antonio joined. Then Super Mode was stalled and it only got worse as the show dragged
on and on with Super Samurai in mostly translated episodes. It started to get frustrating as a fan and rock bottom for the entire legacy was reached with "TRICKSTER TREAT." There was some good though... "HE AIN'T HEAVY METAL, HE'S MY BROTHER" and "THE STRANGE CASE OF THE MUNCHIES" were the biggest and only real creative gems, while "TEST OF THE LEADER," "THE TENGEN GATE" and "THE SEALING SYMBOL" were also really good I thought. There were enough decent plots for several 4/5s I gave out. But for over 40 episodes, it was a fairly small amount, compared to other seasons.
In that regard, I'd put Turbo just above Samurai, which I've always considered the low point that also only had a few episodes I thought were really good (and "CHASE INTO SPACE") out of 45. It got to the point I stopped caring for awhile and missed a bunch of fillers in a second half (something I wouldn't do now unless I stopped watching completely).
Another difference is that it's not fun to hate the show anymore - unlike say, during Mystic Force and Overdrive when Rangercast would go on about how bad the episodes were and bitching about the show was sort of new territory for the fandom (though both seasons did have some really good 2 parters and fillers within the shorter seasons).
Even Disney's worst never had some of the problems Samurai had. Often times the Rangers talked down to the audience and nearly every episode had a flashback from the season. It seemed like the writers never communicated with eachother, the cast was never told how to act properly and so on. Plus all the pre-season hype 2 years ago from the trailer was lost when the third episode aired first and the actual premiere (a direct translation of Shinkenger #1) came later. And Bulk and Spike were utilized badly, especially after the Pink Ranger crush was dropped and they disappeared. I'm glad they at least got to finally meet the Rangers at the end of it all though.
After suffering through all that, I'm optimistic that things can only get better with Megaforce. It won't be as close to the sentai as we've had but a lot of improvement has to be made if this year is gonna be much better. Looking forward to how the villains play out, going back to a high school setting and how exactly burning through the entire Goseiger this year ends up. Hopefully the MMPR nostalgia doesn't get too out of hand and it'd be nice if we find out how Skull became rich and Bulk with practically nothing. I'd say it'll really get interesting when we get to the legend war (maybe as another Nick movie special) and then all the anniversary stuff and cameos in 2014.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Friday, January 4, 2013
2012 Wrap-Up: Reality Check
Once that nostalgic timewarp of 2011 fell apart, it was pretty much back to reality in 2012 - one in which several things ended or got cancelled - many of them around the end of the year. And it didn't help the awesome Thundercats update was among the casualties.
I gotta say, one of the worst downward spirals I've ever seen on TV has been the end of G4. I used to like watching Attack of the Show sometimes and they're E3 coverage was great. But then the channel was dropped from DirecTV just over 2 years ago and that was the beginning of the end. Now the network is shutting down and becoming the Esquire Channel. Meanwhile, Gossip Girl ended it's 6 year run and the final season of Merlin is starting on Syfy. December also marked the end of the long-running Nintendo Power magazine, which I'll get to later.
2013 will have more nostalgic fun, as I'll begin watching the MMPR DVDs and The Secret World of Alex Mack season 1 DVD (followed by encodes I'm obtaining). And with the Wii U buzz going on, it's probably going to be the first Nintendo console I won't own, partly because I plan on soon starting the GameCube version of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. But I'll definitely get on the bandwagon for Nintendo's next-gen system in 5 years or so (and maybe by then be caught up on games I intend to buy)...
I gotta say, one of the worst downward spirals I've ever seen on TV has been the end of G4. I used to like watching Attack of the Show sometimes and they're E3 coverage was great. But then the channel was dropped from DirecTV just over 2 years ago and that was the beginning of the end. Now the network is shutting down and becoming the Esquire Channel. Meanwhile, Gossip Girl ended it's 6 year run and the final season of Merlin is starting on Syfy. December also marked the end of the long-running Nintendo Power magazine, which I'll get to later.
2013 will have more nostalgic fun, as I'll begin watching the MMPR DVDs and The Secret World of Alex Mack season 1 DVD (followed by encodes I'm obtaining). And with the Wii U buzz going on, it's probably going to be the first Nintendo console I won't own, partly because I plan on soon starting the GameCube version of Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. But I'll definitely get on the bandwagon for Nintendo's next-gen system in 5 years or so (and maybe by then be caught up on games I intend to buy)...
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Power Rangers Samurai Finale "SAMURAI FORVER"
The unmorphed fight was perfect, getting to see cast do actual stunts, then a pose.
What happened to Xandred going to kidnap Lauren? I could buy if they had stopped him before he got to the Shiba House but it wasn't even brought up. Really enjoyed the fight against Xandred and Shogun finally getting used as a battlizer, among a few refilmed parts beforehand. Awesome... And then Jayden thinks Xandred's gone for good. Oh brother.
Good zord fight and great to see the cast in the crumbling cockpit. Xandred's final speech seemed to allude to what we the fandom already know - the Nighloks and Samurai Rangers will definitely be back.
Bulk and Skull's reunion was kinda over-the-top and Skull acting like a dick was odd. Still, best moment of Samurai. I'm still wrapping my mind over the fact that Bulk BECAME Skull at some point, which completely explains his behavior now. I have a good feeling we'll see them next year but hopefully written better than Bulk and Spike, and not forgetting storylines like Spike's crush.
Lauren leaving made as much sense as when she arrived. And as far as Mentor's gift, past seasons would've tied it in with an interest shown before. Also, liked that they decided to callback Mike/Emily but it's one of the things that could've been hinted at more over Samurai's run.
This was also the first finale without any sort of attack on the Rangers headquarters. It definitely had its good, long-overdue moments but was sloppy in places as well. "THE SEALING SYMBOL" was the better of the 2 but this still earns a 4/5. A pretty fitting end to Samurai.
What happened to Xandred going to kidnap Lauren? I could buy if they had stopped him before he got to the Shiba House but it wasn't even brought up. Really enjoyed the fight against Xandred and Shogun finally getting used as a battlizer, among a few refilmed parts beforehand. Awesome... And then Jayden thinks Xandred's gone for good. Oh brother.
Good zord fight and great to see the cast in the crumbling cockpit. Xandred's final speech seemed to allude to what we the fandom already know - the Nighloks and Samurai Rangers will definitely be back.
Bulk and Skull's reunion was kinda over-the-top and Skull acting like a dick was odd. Still, best moment of Samurai. I'm still wrapping my mind over the fact that Bulk BECAME Skull at some point, which completely explains his behavior now. I have a good feeling we'll see them next year but hopefully written better than Bulk and Spike, and not forgetting storylines like Spike's crush.
Lauren leaving made as much sense as when she arrived. And as far as Mentor's gift, past seasons would've tied it in with an interest shown before. Also, liked that they decided to callback Mike/Emily but it's one of the things that could've been hinted at more over Samurai's run.
This was also the first finale without any sort of attack on the Rangers headquarters. It definitely had its good, long-overdue moments but was sloppy in places as well. "THE SEALING SYMBOL" was the better of the 2 but this still earns a 4/5. A pretty fitting end to Samurai.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Catching up on Super Samurai comments
"STROKE OF FATE"
Good episode written by Amit Bhamuik and a nice end to the Serrator arc.
Antonio's moral dilemma over not finishing off Deker worked
Liked how they combined Deker with the same scene from Shinkenger since it's basically the same character.
Wish Bulk and Spike had been more involved and they had included the interaction with Antonio but for what we did have the bubblegum parts weren't bad.
Awesome zord fight and one my favorites out of all of Samurai. This episode did enough for a 4/5.
"FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE"
Episode started out pretty good. I really liked Fiera and how she used the fire attack against Jayden. But then things got too Japanese I thought, when the team went to battle at the park and we got mostly Shinkenger footage with the cast cut-ins. Jayden firing the bullzooka in a demorph was pretty sweet at least.
I liked Lauren's intro and how she defeated Fiera. But by the time she and Jayden had their talk it all lacked any soul and the last part was the nail in the coffin. I'm not bothered by Jayden leaving - It's just the way it was presented. :\ 3/5
"THE GREAT DUEL"
Better episode this time. Jayden fighting Deker unmorphed was awesome and I enjoyed Lauren's interaction with the others, especially the training scenes. Liked seeing her lead the team in battle and that shes uses a shodophone.
The beginning and end of the episode still kept things a little painful but the rest was still good enough for a 4/5.
"THE SEALING SYMBOL"
After suffering through almost 2 years I was happy to at last reach this point.
Dayu's "sacrifice" reminded me a bit of when Queen Bansheera absorbed Vypra. Kinda different for PR and a nice departure from the villainess-turned-human.
I had less of a problem with Jayden taking back leadership even though he never actually gave it up. All-around better scene with Lauren than when he left.
Bonus points if Xandred did send out the entire Mooger army (I always appreciate references like that). Also for no zord battle, which I liked having a break from.
Remember back when Red would USE the battlizer? It's obvious what Jayden has to do as a final attempt to defeat Xandred, since nothing else has worked.
Most of this episode worked for me and with the bonus points I'll give it a 5/5.
Good episode written by Amit Bhamuik and a nice end to the Serrator arc.
Antonio's moral dilemma over not finishing off Deker worked
Liked how they combined Deker with the same scene from Shinkenger since it's basically the same character.
Wish Bulk and Spike had been more involved and they had included the interaction with Antonio but for what we did have the bubblegum parts weren't bad.
Awesome zord fight and one my favorites out of all of Samurai. This episode did enough for a 4/5.
"FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE"
Episode started out pretty good. I really liked Fiera and how she used the fire attack against Jayden. But then things got too Japanese I thought, when the team went to battle at the park and we got mostly Shinkenger footage with the cast cut-ins. Jayden firing the bullzooka in a demorph was pretty sweet at least.
I liked Lauren's intro and how she defeated Fiera. But by the time she and Jayden had their talk it all lacked any soul and the last part was the nail in the coffin. I'm not bothered by Jayden leaving - It's just the way it was presented. :\ 3/5
"THE GREAT DUEL"
Better episode this time. Jayden fighting Deker unmorphed was awesome and I enjoyed Lauren's interaction with the others, especially the training scenes. Liked seeing her lead the team in battle and that shes uses a shodophone.
The beginning and end of the episode still kept things a little painful but the rest was still good enough for a 4/5.
"THE SEALING SYMBOL"
After suffering through almost 2 years I was happy to at last reach this point.
Dayu's "sacrifice" reminded me a bit of when Queen Bansheera absorbed Vypra. Kinda different for PR and a nice departure from the villainess-turned-human.
I had less of a problem with Jayden taking back leadership even though he never actually gave it up. All-around better scene with Lauren than when he left.
Bonus points if Xandred did send out the entire Mooger army (I always appreciate references like that). Also for no zord battle, which I liked having a break from.
Remember back when Red would USE the battlizer? It's obvious what Jayden has to do as a final attempt to defeat Xandred, since nothing else has worked.
Most of this episode worked for me and with the bonus points I'll give it a 5/5.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Looking Back: Power Rangers Zeo
Some of the earliest memories I have of being a Ranger fan come from 1996. The command center destruction to end Mighty Morphin left a lot of anticipation and imagining about how the show would continue. It was exciting - I never knew what was coming next back then as I began saving new episodes on tape.
Teasers aired alongside MMPR reruns in the break between seasons (focusing mostly on Rita & Zedd and the incoming machine army invasion) and Power Rangers Zeo kicked off April 20. The first-half (which aired Saturday mornings in the spring) was mostly filler episodes and got dull pretty quick. I still remember getting up early to watch it, while my sister and mom would be out shopping.
The second-half aired weekdays in the fall and things really picked up with the debut of the Gold Ranger (what I still consider one of the greatest storylines in 19 seasons), as well as other creative episodes.
A slow start, but some great storylines & episodes later on and still kind of the beginning of me being a big Ranger fan. Check out my tribute to the story, and characters, complete with a Gold Ranger music video:
Teasers aired alongside MMPR reruns in the break between seasons (focusing mostly on Rita & Zedd and the incoming machine army invasion) and Power Rangers Zeo kicked off April 20. The first-half (which aired Saturday mornings in the spring) was mostly filler episodes and got dull pretty quick. I still remember getting up early to watch it, while my sister and mom would be out shopping.
The second-half aired weekdays in the fall and things really picked up with the debut of the Gold Ranger (what I still consider one of the greatest storylines in 19 seasons), as well as other creative episodes.
A slow start, but some great storylines & episodes later on and still kind of the beginning of me being a big Ranger fan. Check out my tribute to the story, and characters, complete with a Gold Ranger music video:
Monday, September 3, 2012
Mega Morphicon Weekend
Saban Brands is already overdoing it on the word MEGA with Power Rangers Megaforce coming next year and really, it's how I'd sum up this years convention for me. I went into the weekend figuring the new location at the Pasadena Convention Center would be nicer and I probably wouldn't spend as much on autographs, at least not from the actors and voice talents I've met before. And beforehand, I'd get to spend overnight in L.A. with my sister, Sarah.
WEDNESDAY
Landed in Burbank about 6:00 and metup with Sarah, who took the scenic route on the way to her boyfriend Peter's place, where Tyler and I would spend the night. On the way I took in the sights and via my phone, caught a video recap of Felix Hernandez perfect game for the Mariners that afternoon.
We got settled and I got some gifts from their trip to Japan (The DX Go-Buster Ace would later be a hit with my friends). After going out to eat at Leafy Greens, we mostly plaved Wii Sports games and I enjoyed my new toys. Tyler and I took an after-midnight walk outside as well.
THURSDAY
Got up after 10:00 and the 4 of us had brunch at Alcove Cafe. We then drove around to a few places, getting supplies and snacks for the weekend. Upon heading over to Pasadena, we swung by Sarah's place and the local dog park, where we met her dog Jazmine and said goodbye to Peter.
About 3:30 we arrived at the hotel and already friends were hanging out in the lobby, including Sean, who'd be rooming with us. I got settled, washed-up and soon metup with the guys and Evan. By now it was after 4:30 and time for the tradition of the chat room group helping with setup. Over an hour was spent moving boxes and merchandise to the main room and setting up tables, chairs, etc. Before the convention staff needed to start getting the bags ready, there was a break to hang out back at the hotel. Then it was crunch time to get 1,000s of posters (5 different ones) rolled up, which is mostly what we did, while the staff got bags ready. It wasn't quite as fun as in 2010 - with the staff trying to move fast-paced and get the posters done to complete the bags - but I liked getting the preview of what the attendees would receive and we were treated to cake and cookies.
After 10:00 we ventured around trying to find a place to eat, but everything was closed (except for one that was too expensive for some) so we came back to the hotel and ordered pizza.
FRIDAY
Got up at 10:00 and eventually headed out wearing my black SPD t-shirt which got a few compliments from passerby's throughout the day. I got in line for registration, while Tyler and Tom weren't feeling it and ran off. About 45 minutes later I got my badge and swag bag - the 5 posters, Convention Power Coin, a mega blok toy, t-shirt and various printout and incentives for gold membership attendees. By now it was around 1:00, as I came back to the room and literally crossed paths with Tyler. Now that the pizza and snack-and-drink fest from the other night had worn off, it was time for lunch - so I grabbed a sandwich from the supermarket, while Tyler and others got more stuff for later.
At 3:00 the doors of the convention opened for folks with gold membership and I was immediately awe-struck at the vendors and toy dealers lining the walls. Right away the layout looked bigger and better than the previous Morphicon. I spent a lot of time wandering around and picked up a Go-Buster Blue Ranger to go with the Red Ranger Sarah gave me. An hour turned into two after the opening ceremony was cancelled again and the convention was officially underway. It never got too crowded as I lost track of time and got autographs and pics with Jessica Rey (Alyssa, Wild Force) and Johnny Bosch (Adam, seasons 2-6, 15), who was there with his band Eyeshine.
At 6:00 I saw the Design and Development Panel, which had some interesting background about the design process of Samurai/Super Samurai, rejected toy releases and an upcoming look at next year. Afterwards I sat in on a panel with part of the cast from the Turbo season, followed by the Power Rangers After Dark Panel. This was a no-holds-barred chance for cast and crew to say whatever they want and share uncensored stories without any cameras. It was quite something, some of what was shared.
At 10:00 many of us went to a MiSTing of the first 2 episodes of Operation Overdrive. I stuck around after to watch a few episodes of the fan series 21 Jump Street Rangers, while most others left. Metup with Sean and Tyler at our room and we got ready for the official Ranger Bar party at Alek's room. Lots more pizza and hijinks were had and I finally met Steve (BurgundyRanger), webmaster of Power Rangers On-Air Central and an older fan I've been in contact with online for a good 10 years or so. And like pretty much every night over the weekend, it was around 3:00 by the time I went to bed.
SATURDAY
Headed out early for the gold attendee breakfast at 9:00. It was nice getting to hangout with Catherine Sutherland (Kat, seasons 3-5), who was at the table I was and answered questions/comments, but I was disappointed the actors didn't rotate like last time. Oh well, I'm glad I gave it a shot and won't sign up for it next time.
At 10:00 was the so-called Zordon era panel with cast and voice-actors from the first 6 years. Later I met Mike Ginn - a cool dude and great to meet someone from 2009's RPM cast. Meanwhile, the front hall of the convention center quickly got SWARMED with people, as a mass line formed for the Samurai/Super Samurai cast autograph signing.
At 12:30 the highlight of the weekend arrived - Saban's Mega Power Panel. Paul Schrier (Bulk, seasons 1-7, 10, 18-19) headed the panel as the Samurai/Super Samurai cast answered Q&A. We saw a trailer for Power Rangers Megaforce and in a Power Morphicon first, the new cast came out on stage - in the spandex! It was one of the times I was happy to jump on twitter via my phone and I enjoyed doing real-times updates off-and-on throughout the weekend.
Paul was joined by Jason Narvy (Skull, seasons 1-7, 10) for their panel which was mostly a comedic pie throwing demonstration. Even Tyler and Rangercast's Tyler Waldman got in on it. But the PMC staff got in trouble for the mess and pie stains that wouldn't come off the walls, despite Paul and the staffs best efforts. Whoops! Afterwards I retreated back to my room for cold pizza and got in a pic with the morphed Megaforce Rangers. Saban Brands had their own Rangers roaming around throughout the weekend, alternating between Mighty Morphin, Samurai and Megaforce, so I was glad to get my pic taken with at least one of the teams. There were several fan cosplayers as well, some in full Rangers suits and others, like the Mega Voyager I got a pic with.
I met Ron Rogge (Captain Mitchell, Lightspeed Rescue) and saw a special Q&A with David Yost (Billy, season 1-4), who had never been to a convention like this. Later, while a big line formed (again) for David's autograph signing, I roamed around some more and met Walter Jones ("The Original Black Ranger!") and Najee De-Tiege (Kevin, Samurai/Super Samurai). Eventually I metup with the gang and we went to a hamburger place across the street. Tyler and I later popped in on Paul Schrier's band, the Ice Cream Truckers, as they were finishing up their concert.
After 9:30 was a small very casual wedding between Chris Funaro and his wife in the video room downstairs at the convention center, which hardly got used. For me it was nice to really feel like part of the group (not always the case before), as everyone from the chat room was present. Afterwards we hung out and watched a premade DVD which included the first episode of the awesome Bioman english dub and an episode of a horrible parody dub of Dynaman. I was one of the last to leave and joined the gang at Alek's room about midnight.
SUNDAY
Slept in until almost 10:30, washed up and hustled out to catch a panel with various cast/crew from Lost Galaxy/Lightspeed Rescue. That was followed by the Time Force/Wild Force Panel (almost the entire WF cast!) and an all-villains panel. Then it was crunch time to get last-minute autographs and pics, as I made sure to say hi to the always-lovely Rajia Baroudi (Dephine, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers), as well as Nakia Burrise (Tanya, Zeo/Turbo), Brittnay Pirtle (Emily, Samurai/Super Samurai) and Wild Force cast making first time appearances - Ricardo Medina, Phillip Jean-Marie and Jack Guzman.
At 4:30 was a 10 minute closing ceremony and I was about to join Tyler out the door... until I saw some actors were still signing, including Samurai/Super Samurai's Hector David Jr, who had a line not going anywhere, so I quickly got in and was there for about an hour, while the convention shutdown. I metup with the others after and we took a shuttle to In-and-Out Burger. Besides seeing the Megaforce cast, the other big highlight for me was the ride back to the hotel that definitely makes me excited for next year. We then spent about 2 hours at the pool and moved the party to Chris and Renee's room for more wild hijinks and leftover wedding cake.
Monday I got going about 9:30, arrived at LAX about 2 hours later and got home before 5:00.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It was clear from the start this PMC would be bigger and better than in the past. The main level of the con center worked out better than downstairs of the opposite building and it felt like there were more vendors and everyone had their space. There was practically everything including several display cases with upcoming or classic toys, Bandai's Mega Mode Samurai Red Ranger statue, a row of monster suits and Big Red in the front entrance. There were more people than in the past too, especially kids.
Everyone I talked to and got autographs/pics with were great. Most wanted to make sure the pic taken was good and it was especially nice meeting Samurai/Super Samurai cast, who offered to take 2 pics with you (normal and battle pose). This kinda felt like PMC 2007 as far as having the freedom to go up to the actor and have your pic taken, unlike 2010 which had scheduled photo-ops and a strict barrier between you and them. It caught me off-guard and multiple times I nearly walked off without my stuff after coming back around the table from getting my pic taken.
Aside from those close calls and the awkward party games with the gang, I'm pretty happy with the weekend and would say it was the best one yet. Thanks to Tyler, Sean, Evan, Waldman, Alek, Chris, Burg and others I hungout with. The only thing I'd improve on is my system for carrying around autographs so I can be sure not to lose anything.
Since PMC 2010, the past 2 years haven't been all that great, with Samurai rushed into production and Super Samurai following it, both with a mere 20 episodes + holiday specials, spread over a year each on Nickelodeon. But I'm more optimistic now that the show has had more time to properly prepare for the next season, as they'll celebrate the shows 20th anniversary alongside specials collectors editions of toys, including a new Power Morpher and season 1 Megazord. Now if the cast can actually act and episode plots aren't ripped from the Japanese episodes, than next year might just be MEGA.
2012 Gallery
My Videos (Includes 2010 and 2007 flashbacks)
WEDNESDAY
Landed in Burbank about 6:00 and metup with Sarah, who took the scenic route on the way to her boyfriend Peter's place, where Tyler and I would spend the night. On the way I took in the sights and via my phone, caught a video recap of Felix Hernandez perfect game for the Mariners that afternoon.
We got settled and I got some gifts from their trip to Japan (The DX Go-Buster Ace would later be a hit with my friends). After going out to eat at Leafy Greens, we mostly plaved Wii Sports games and I enjoyed my new toys. Tyler and I took an after-midnight walk outside as well.
THURSDAY
Got up after 10:00 and the 4 of us had brunch at Alcove Cafe. We then drove around to a few places, getting supplies and snacks for the weekend. Upon heading over to Pasadena, we swung by Sarah's place and the local dog park, where we met her dog Jazmine and said goodbye to Peter.
About 3:30 we arrived at the hotel and already friends were hanging out in the lobby, including Sean, who'd be rooming with us. I got settled, washed-up and soon metup with the guys and Evan. By now it was after 4:30 and time for the tradition of the chat room group helping with setup. Over an hour was spent moving boxes and merchandise to the main room and setting up tables, chairs, etc. Before the convention staff needed to start getting the bags ready, there was a break to hang out back at the hotel. Then it was crunch time to get 1,000s of posters (5 different ones) rolled up, which is mostly what we did, while the staff got bags ready. It wasn't quite as fun as in 2010 - with the staff trying to move fast-paced and get the posters done to complete the bags - but I liked getting the preview of what the attendees would receive and we were treated to cake and cookies.
After 10:00 we ventured around trying to find a place to eat, but everything was closed (except for one that was too expensive for some) so we came back to the hotel and ordered pizza.
FRIDAY
Got up at 10:00 and eventually headed out wearing my black SPD t-shirt which got a few compliments from passerby's throughout the day. I got in line for registration, while Tyler and Tom weren't feeling it and ran off. About 45 minutes later I got my badge and swag bag - the 5 posters, Convention Power Coin, a mega blok toy, t-shirt and various printout and incentives for gold membership attendees. By now it was around 1:00, as I came back to the room and literally crossed paths with Tyler. Now that the pizza and snack-and-drink fest from the other night had worn off, it was time for lunch - so I grabbed a sandwich from the supermarket, while Tyler and others got more stuff for later.
At 3:00 the doors of the convention opened for folks with gold membership and I was immediately awe-struck at the vendors and toy dealers lining the walls. Right away the layout looked bigger and better than the previous Morphicon. I spent a lot of time wandering around and picked up a Go-Buster Blue Ranger to go with the Red Ranger Sarah gave me. An hour turned into two after the opening ceremony was cancelled again and the convention was officially underway. It never got too crowded as I lost track of time and got autographs and pics with Jessica Rey (Alyssa, Wild Force) and Johnny Bosch (Adam, seasons 2-6, 15), who was there with his band Eyeshine.
At 6:00 I saw the Design and Development Panel, which had some interesting background about the design process of Samurai/Super Samurai, rejected toy releases and an upcoming look at next year. Afterwards I sat in on a panel with part of the cast from the Turbo season, followed by the Power Rangers After Dark Panel. This was a no-holds-barred chance for cast and crew to say whatever they want and share uncensored stories without any cameras. It was quite something, some of what was shared.
At 10:00 many of us went to a MiSTing of the first 2 episodes of Operation Overdrive. I stuck around after to watch a few episodes of the fan series 21 Jump Street Rangers, while most others left. Metup with Sean and Tyler at our room and we got ready for the official Ranger Bar party at Alek's room. Lots more pizza and hijinks were had and I finally met Steve (BurgundyRanger), webmaster of Power Rangers On-Air Central and an older fan I've been in contact with online for a good 10 years or so. And like pretty much every night over the weekend, it was around 3:00 by the time I went to bed.
SATURDAY
Headed out early for the gold attendee breakfast at 9:00. It was nice getting to hangout with Catherine Sutherland (Kat, seasons 3-5), who was at the table I was and answered questions/comments, but I was disappointed the actors didn't rotate like last time. Oh well, I'm glad I gave it a shot and won't sign up for it next time.
At 10:00 was the so-called Zordon era panel with cast and voice-actors from the first 6 years. Later I met Mike Ginn - a cool dude and great to meet someone from 2009's RPM cast. Meanwhile, the front hall of the convention center quickly got SWARMED with people, as a mass line formed for the Samurai/Super Samurai cast autograph signing.
At 12:30 the highlight of the weekend arrived - Saban's Mega Power Panel. Paul Schrier (Bulk, seasons 1-7, 10, 18-19) headed the panel as the Samurai/Super Samurai cast answered Q&A. We saw a trailer for Power Rangers Megaforce and in a Power Morphicon first, the new cast came out on stage - in the spandex! It was one of the times I was happy to jump on twitter via my phone and I enjoyed doing real-times updates off-and-on throughout the weekend.
Paul was joined by Jason Narvy (Skull, seasons 1-7, 10) for their panel which was mostly a comedic pie throwing demonstration. Even Tyler and Rangercast's Tyler Waldman got in on it. But the PMC staff got in trouble for the mess and pie stains that wouldn't come off the walls, despite Paul and the staffs best efforts. Whoops! Afterwards I retreated back to my room for cold pizza and got in a pic with the morphed Megaforce Rangers. Saban Brands had their own Rangers roaming around throughout the weekend, alternating between Mighty Morphin, Samurai and Megaforce, so I was glad to get my pic taken with at least one of the teams. There were several fan cosplayers as well, some in full Rangers suits and others, like the Mega Voyager I got a pic with.
I met Ron Rogge (Captain Mitchell, Lightspeed Rescue) and saw a special Q&A with David Yost (Billy, season 1-4), who had never been to a convention like this. Later, while a big line formed (again) for David's autograph signing, I roamed around some more and met Walter Jones ("The Original Black Ranger!") and Najee De-Tiege (Kevin, Samurai/Super Samurai). Eventually I metup with the gang and we went to a hamburger place across the street. Tyler and I later popped in on Paul Schrier's band, the Ice Cream Truckers, as they were finishing up their concert.
After 9:30 was a small very casual wedding between Chris Funaro and his wife in the video room downstairs at the convention center, which hardly got used. For me it was nice to really feel like part of the group (not always the case before), as everyone from the chat room was present. Afterwards we hung out and watched a premade DVD which included the first episode of the awesome Bioman english dub and an episode of a horrible parody dub of Dynaman. I was one of the last to leave and joined the gang at Alek's room about midnight.
SUNDAY
Slept in until almost 10:30, washed up and hustled out to catch a panel with various cast/crew from Lost Galaxy/Lightspeed Rescue. That was followed by the Time Force/Wild Force Panel (almost the entire WF cast!) and an all-villains panel. Then it was crunch time to get last-minute autographs and pics, as I made sure to say hi to the always-lovely Rajia Baroudi (Dephine, Mighty Morphin Alien Rangers), as well as Nakia Burrise (Tanya, Zeo/Turbo), Brittnay Pirtle (Emily, Samurai/Super Samurai) and Wild Force cast making first time appearances - Ricardo Medina, Phillip Jean-Marie and Jack Guzman.
At 4:30 was a 10 minute closing ceremony and I was about to join Tyler out the door... until I saw some actors were still signing, including Samurai/Super Samurai's Hector David Jr, who had a line not going anywhere, so I quickly got in and was there for about an hour, while the convention shutdown. I metup with the others after and we took a shuttle to In-and-Out Burger. Besides seeing the Megaforce cast, the other big highlight for me was the ride back to the hotel that definitely makes me excited for next year. We then spent about 2 hours at the pool and moved the party to Chris and Renee's room for more wild hijinks and leftover wedding cake.
Monday I got going about 9:30, arrived at LAX about 2 hours later and got home before 5:00.
FINAL THOUGHTS
It was clear from the start this PMC would be bigger and better than in the past. The main level of the con center worked out better than downstairs of the opposite building and it felt like there were more vendors and everyone had their space. There was practically everything including several display cases with upcoming or classic toys, Bandai's Mega Mode Samurai Red Ranger statue, a row of monster suits and Big Red in the front entrance. There were more people than in the past too, especially kids.
Everyone I talked to and got autographs/pics with were great. Most wanted to make sure the pic taken was good and it was especially nice meeting Samurai/Super Samurai cast, who offered to take 2 pics with you (normal and battle pose). This kinda felt like PMC 2007 as far as having the freedom to go up to the actor and have your pic taken, unlike 2010 which had scheduled photo-ops and a strict barrier between you and them. It caught me off-guard and multiple times I nearly walked off without my stuff after coming back around the table from getting my pic taken.
Aside from those close calls and the awkward party games with the gang, I'm pretty happy with the weekend and would say it was the best one yet. Thanks to Tyler, Sean, Evan, Waldman, Alek, Chris, Burg and others I hungout with. The only thing I'd improve on is my system for carrying around autographs so I can be sure not to lose anything.
Since PMC 2010, the past 2 years haven't been all that great, with Samurai rushed into production and Super Samurai following it, both with a mere 20 episodes + holiday specials, spread over a year each on Nickelodeon. But I'm more optimistic now that the show has had more time to properly prepare for the next season, as they'll celebrate the shows 20th anniversary alongside specials collectors editions of toys, including a new Power Morpher and season 1 Megazord. Now if the cast can actually act and episode plots aren't ripped from the Japanese episodes, than next year might just be MEGA.
2012 Gallery
My Videos (Includes 2010 and 2007 flashbacks)
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Powered up for PMC and unboxing the DVDs!
It's been 2 years since the last Power Rangers fan convention and now the 3rd is upon us. There's plenty of excitement in the air, with the DVD boxset of the first 7 seasons out now through TimeLife and Saban starting his own Saturday morning block on The CW August 25 (though new episodes stay on Nickelodeon for now). The vibe for this Power Morphicon is kinda different as well, as Saban Brands will have much more of a presence this time around and some big announcements are planned for Saturday.
I look forward to meeting the cast of the current season (Super Samurai), getting to hangout with my usual gang and meet people I know from the fandom making first time appearances. I also expect more of a social-media presence and will probably be doing real-time updates @starman311 and Facebook.
I look forward to meeting the cast of the current season (Super Samurai), getting to hangout with my usual gang and meet people I know from the fandom making first time appearances. I also expect more of a social-media presence and will probably be doing real-time updates @starman311 and Facebook.
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