Why MMPR's Friend in Need Still Deserves Credit

No matter how terrible Saban's Masked Rider was or no matter how for most of the time, Super Sentai's writing is deeper than Power Rangers, neither show is bootleg or unlicensed.  Now for why I still believe that MMPR's Friend in Need still deserves credit:


Yes Kamen Rider had appearances together with Super Sentai but it was limited to STAGE SHOWS which is again, it's not an official crossover until it's done on TV.  References to Kamen Rider were made in JAKQ vs. Goranger but they did not appear.  Toei had the idea BUT Saban managed to try and take the idea on TV.  That was something Toei didn't do during that time.  And there are probable valid reasons which I will write down.


So why didn't Toei immediately do a Kamen Rider and Super Sentai crossover?  Well no doubt that the 80s Riders had Toei involved but it was NOT fully Toei.  Ishinomori Productions back then was responsible for the first Kamen Rider up to Amazon.  Later Riders of the Showa era were co-produced between Toei and Ishinomori, which however Toei didn't fully have the the rights.  Also back then, Toei didn't acknowledge Goranger and JAKQ as part of Super Sentai until 1995, the year of Ohranger.  So most likley Toei didn't acknowledge Goranger and JAKQ as part of Super Sentai back then  Toei acknowledged Goranger and JAKQ to be part of Super Sentai when Ohranger came and were included in Timeranger's special clip.


Remember Kamen Rider came to a hiatus but fully returned in 2001.  The hiatus came also, which would have prevented any unity.  Later on, Kamen Rider Kuuga was born under another joint production of Ishinomori Productions.  However the time was not yet ripe and the KR/Sentai crossver was being shelved for some time, maybe until an anniversary.


The idea got conceptualized in Kamen Rider Decade last 2009, a really bad series that aired alongside Shinkenger.  Unlike MMPR's Friend in Need, the Shinkenger Arc happened in the Decade series, not that Shinkenger had two episodes dedicated to Decade.  Which of course, I had my thoughts on how this series polished up the mess Saban left behind (and reduced it to two episodes) but not so much, it was basically still a mess.


And don't forget at the end of the Shinkenger Arc in Decade, they were going to travel to the World of Black RX.  This is more or less an acknowledgment to Friend in Need.  Later three more actual crossovers were made with Super Hero Taisen (a mess Saban may give a thumbs up to), Super Hero Taisen Z and Toqger vs. Gaim.