Kyoryu Sentai ZYURANGER Mecha Review

Zyuranger started off as just another entry in the ongoing Super Sentai franchise (by then in its 16th year) and ended up with a place in the history books.

A group of American producers led by one Haim Saban decided that this sort of thing just might fly with American audiences-assuming they could splice in some of their own homemade footage around the battle sequences. It was a shot in the dark but it got incredible results- the show was an overnight runaway success. And the rest is history!


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These are the first five Guardian Beasts- Mammoth, Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops, SaberTiger and Pteranodon. By themselves they're somewhat boring but the real fun is just ahead!

These 5 are also the source of the series' primary anachronism: The literal translation of this title is "Dinosaur Squadron" but only 2 of these creatures can honestly be called "dinosaurs."

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The Guardian Beasts first combine into this form, BeastTank DinoTanker. It has a few powerful attacks but is mainly used only as an intermediate stage.



THIS is the Beasts' main combination, DaiZyuJin! An elegant fusion of all five powers. Its blocky and virtually inarticulate but damned if it doesn't send everyone who reads this on a happy trip down memory lane.


Now, ZyuRanger was actually the first series to firmly establish another tradition: that of adding new members to the core team of Rangers. And this was accomplished with-





Burai, and his powerful companion the Dragon Caesar! Summoned & controlled by the tune of a flute, Caesar came to life and rose out of Tokyo Bay with explosive force in a clear homage to his proud kaiju ancestors.

Though they started off as enemies, Green Ranger & Caesar eventually joined the others. This (to no one's surprise) allows for new, more powerful combinations!

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Goruryuujin, a combination of Dragon Caesar & some of the other Guardian Beasts. Occasionally the Tyrannosaurus would fight alongside this configuration but Pteranodon was still left out in the cold. The "Dragon Antler" drill-spear is his primary weapon; the toy form can't really wield it to resemble its televised counterpart.

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This alternative configuration was also used a few times- Zyutei DaiZyuJin! It uses energy attacks to dispose of enemies (something else that doesn't translate well in toylines).



God-King Brachion, the most powerful of the Guardian Beasts. So strong that he doesn't need a pilot like the others. He first appeared as a way to test the Zyuranger's worthiness. Once they met his approval, Brachion helped them in several battles.

As a side note- the US toy producers were apparently VERY fond of this mold (which they called Titanus). So much, in fact, that it was reincarnated for another Ranger toyline two years later. And then corpse-raped into a god-awful remold three years after that.


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Brachion's alternative form, affectionately known as "King Tanker." Merely a stepping stone for his true purpose-



he's the foundation of [b]ULTIMATE DAIZYUJIN!!![/b] The perfect formation of Beast-God, crushing its enemies in a hail of energy.

While the overall design of these toys is considered "inferior" to modern standards, I cannot help but look back on these three with unbridled fondness. Nostalgia's a great thing sometimes.