REPOST: The 30-Day Challenge Under One Roof

Okay, so an explanation is in order...

This was originally posted last year as three separate blog entries. The original intention behind the 30-Day Challenge (that I had discovered on that Henshin Grid blog thing) is that it's a list of thirty questions based on Power Rangers thar you're supposed to answer one per day - hence the name, "30-Day Challenge". The original plan last year was to compress it so that I'd put out six questions per day - the idea being that I'd get all thirty questions out in five days as part of a special theme week.

Unfortunately, tragedy hit close to home in the middle of the week and plans will go awry. So the end result is three blog posts spread out over a month.

Now because I'm trying to compile as much crap together as possible for the Master Document page currently in progress, I've manage to track down all three posts and compiled them under one handy dandy cheat sheet. So all thirty questions to this "challenge" can be found here, with some elaboration and a couple minor edits here and there.

So yeah... just remember that this was written in 2012.



#01 - Your favorite Power Rangers Series
Cop out answer would be MMPR, because it's that batch that I still watch and enjoy today... but truthfully, in terms of the later seasons, I'm torn between Dino Thunder and Lightspeed Rescue. Dino Thunder because it was actually the only Disney-era season I actually enjoyed and Lightspeed Rescue, despite its Sentai-influenced storyline, did start to grow on me somewhat. People will swear up and down by RPM due to its somewhat darker tone, but I honestly couldn't get into it.

And while In Space may have had some solid storytelling and brought about an end of an era of continuous continuity, I honestly don't hold that series in any real high regard due to the fact that the Rangers spend more time on Earth than they do in space... as the title implies.

#02 - Your favorite Ranger color
Red, because it's darker than Pink... I guess. I don't know.... Seriously, I rather like dark colors, so blue.

#03 - Your favorite villain
Prince Gasket from Zeo. Out of all the villains of the early Ranger era, I always felt that the eldest-built son of Mondo was perhaps the most cunning of the bunch. Every plan he had enacted felt grandiose and well-planned out in nature despite only being filler for single episodes. He had every chance of succeeding and was only thwarted through outside means - i.e. nothing the Rangers themselves actually did. And perhaps, most impressively of all, he was able to survive a full-on attack from Zeo Ultrazord. If nothing else, the guy has earned high marks in my book.

#04 - Your favorite Theme Song
Last year, I said I didn't know. This year... mind's still a blank.

#05 - A love interest you’ve had with any of the rangers or characters
Pinky... vague enough for some and yet specific enough for those who have been around me long enough.

#06 - Your favorite Morpher
Zeonisers. They only come out when needed, so they're easily concealed and in plain sight. On principle, I can't stand it when these Rangers are supposed to have secret identities and yet wear large bulky things around their wrists that look way to high-tech for common folks to afford. Then again, this is a world where Ranger teens often wear clothes of a single color and the common folks are too stupid to put two and two together.

#07 - Your favorite individual Ranger weapon
Power Scope from the first movie... I like the visor.

#08 - What “Power Ranger” items do you own in real life?
All I really own are some of the video games, a couple VHS tapes, a couple DVDs including the DVD sets of the first seven seasons, the Red Ranger w/ Dragon Shield that came with the DVDs, a CD-ROM of that old MMPR Screen Saver program, and a rugged, worn-out Falconzord toy with only one foot. Not exactly an extensive collection, but it's modest enough.

#09 - The easiest Villian to defeat
Hydrohog from the Alien Rangers saga is perhaps the most worthless big bad ever concocted in Power Rangers. A monster who's supposed to be the Aquitian Rangers' mortal enemy, as they made him out to be this big, bad baddie and he lasted like, what? A couple episodes? There have been lame Aquaman villains that lasted longer and seemed more threatening than this joker.

#10 - The hardest Villian to defeat
Prince Gasket from Zeo. Surviving an Ultrazord attack is no small feat and if he stuck around, he might have been able to do more damage. Notable runner-up would be Divatox, who had amassed forces to defeat the second wave of Turbo Rangers and destroy their Power Chamber. Beneath the materialistic diva twat behavior belied someone who had some strategic sense and some fortitude once she had the tools to back it up.

#11 - Who was your favorite sixth ranger?
Quantum Ranger. Even without the excess powers and a Q-Rex that could eat Dragonzord for lunch, Eric Myers had all the makings of being the closest thing to a legitimate badass that you can get in Power Rangers. A loner and a common man who worked his tail off to get to where he is, Eric exudes the kind of presence and hard edge that makes him something of a rogue Ranger. Not entirely trustworthy yet manages to get the job done. And I thought Dan Southworth played that character to a hilt and within the confines established by children's entertainment, so you could imagine how much more he could have been within a less restricted environment.

#12 - Your favorite Megazord or Megazord combination
Ultrazord... what, that doesn't count?

#13 - A Ranger/Character you would want to cosplay? Or have cosplayed?
I don't think I'd ever want to cosplay as somebody. Nothing against cosplayers - some of them do nice stuff - but I personally don't ever see myself doing it. But, on a theoretical basis... Bulk during the detective years, because it'd be a pretty easy deal; cheap dress shirt, pants, and occasional trench coat  And the best part is that it won't stand out from the crowd.

#14 - Your favorite individual Ranger Zord
Q-Rex. It eats Dragonzords for lunch. MUNCH!

#15 - A scene in one of the Seasons that made you misty
The first time I saw "White Light Pt. II" and the moment where Tommy was revealed to be the new White Ranger and declared the new leader. Even back in 1994 at 12 years of age, I knew things were going to go downhill with Tommy in charge. And downhill things went, as the Rangers would lose two sets of powers, a fleet of zords, and failed to prevent Master Vile from turning everyone into little children... nice going there, Mister Ed.

But if you're talking about in terms of teary-eyed, sappy-sappy stuff, then I honestly do not have an answer for you. Closest thing would probably be when Kimberly went bye-bye in Season 3, replaced by Kat, who was stuck in a Pinky suit that didn't suit her. I thought Kat got better in Zeo, but for a time, I disliked her in MMPR, simply because she wore Pinky's suit.

#16 - A character you could relate to the most
Meh... I'll get back to you on that one.

#17 - Something in “Power Rangers” that you want to exist in real life
Wrist-strapped teleporters. Just so I can avoid traffic.

#18 - Your favorite actor/actress in Power Rangers
Pinky... nuff said.

#19 - Least favorite “Power Rangers” Season
Operation Overdrive... if there ever was a season that could have killed Power Rangers in my eyes, it would have been this. Promising concept, horrible execution... and that's not taking into account the 15th Anniversary dungfest "Once A Ranger." Some people say Samurai is pretty bad, but I can at least tolerate Samurai. Operation Overdrive? Nah, can't do it.

#20 - Your favorite Monster
Globber, the blue monster that stole powers. For the simple reason that its final transformation sequence featured the helmets of the yet-to-debut Aquitian Rangers. Funny thing is that when said Rangers finally see action, nobody makes note of this very obvious observation. Thus proving my theory that Germans love David Hasselhoff.

#21 - If you could create your own season based on a Sentai season not done by Saban, which Sentai would you use?
Fiveman. Mostly because I kinda like the suits... but otherwise, I'd probably go with TurboRanger. Considering Lightspeed Rescue's Titanium Ranger's suit design was partially based on TurboRanger, it would be neat to link this new season to the former.

#22 - Something you want to change in continuity
Eliminating Tommy's second stint as the Green Ranger and have him return as the White Ranger to counteract Lord Zedd's arrival, whose sole purpose would be to wedge Tommy back to the dark side. A close second would be integrating the MMPR movie into continuity, with the Ninja Quest being a later adventure to hunt for the Shogunzords or something.

#23 - 6 Ranger team of 1 color
Kimmy, Cassie, Kendrix, Dana, Jen, and Mia. All pink with two Asians, two brunettes, two blondes.

#24 - Favorite Morphing call
Shift Into Turbo! On the NES Advantage. :)

#25 - Your favorite mentor
The Sensei from Ninja Storm. The one who became a gerbel.

#26 - Your least favorite mentor
At the risk of sounding blasphemous... Zordon. His timing for introducing new toys and powers when he deemed necessary was pretty suspect, I find. That and I don't trust a floating head.

On a sidenote, I find it awfully convenient that the current mentor of MegaForce, Gosei, is basically a flunky for Zordon.

#27 - Your favorite Morphing Sequence
The classic MMPR morph sequences... for the simple reason that they didn't drag as long as the later sequences would. Yeah, your CG-rendered flip-floppy morphing cinematics look beautiful, but does it really need to take ten tedious seconds per Ranger to show off? Can't we cut that down a bit?

#28 - Favorite Suit/Helmet design
The original suits.

#29 - Your Dream reunion team of 6 for 20th Anniversay
No clue... whoever wasn't in Forever Red or Once A Ranger... or Operation Overdrive.

#30 - Your thoughts/hopes for Power Rangers 2013
My only hope for the 2013 iteration is that it's not another season of Samurai... thankfully, it isn't.

And that's all there is to it... nothing more. Nothing less.

Later.