I wrote an unpopular opinion on why Power Rangers in Space is an overhyped franchise saver. Now, I feel like I want to write about why Power Rangers Lost Galaxy is just overrated. Sure, it had its fans. However, I'm here to write my OPINION on why I felt it was overrated. Back then, there was the rumor that Lost Galaxy was supposedly more popular than its source material, Seijuu Sentai Gingaman, in Japan. That has been disproven. Maybe, Lost Galaxy is more popular than its source material by Power Rangers fans checking out Super Sentai and that one is more believable if it happens in America. Some Power Rangers fans may be checking out some more pre-Zyuranger entries as well. Now, it's time to write about how this show just got overrated.
I feel Power Rangers has been held back by TOO MANY THROWBACKS. Space was a direct continuation of the cliffhanger that's Power Rangers Turbo. Space ended with Zordon's sacrifice destroying the active evil of its day - the United Alliance of Evil. Somehow, it's sort of a plothole IMHO that Zordon's Energy Wave didn't destroy the dormant evil. I felt the issue of having too many throwbacks is that it even gave Power Rangers Megaforce a HUGE PLOT HOLE. Wasn't Gosei telling them Megaforce Rangers that he wouldn't awake until some kind of emergency? There have been many post-Zordon Era villains and why didn't Gosei wake up? It's pretty much unlike Super Sentai where most series are self-contained except for a few.
Lost Galaxy practically could've started a good start. Instead, it was directly linked to Space except you had a new set of Power Rangers. The direct links can be seen through how Skull was left behind while Bulk and Professor Phenomenus left for Terra Venture. Heck, the crossover with Space was pretty much linked to it. The Psycho Rangers were revived for the crossover. I felt that Lost Galaxy did stifle its potential by still getting directly linked. Heck, Alpha Six (who arrived to replace Alpha Five) is still there.
I watched Gingaman and didn't think too much about Lost Galaxy. I decided to finally see the crossovers to what they were - what-if scenarios. I felt that Darkness King Gill was just as non-canon as Cooler in the Dragon Ball Z movies. The crossover with Denji Sentai Megaranger obviously has some placement issues. I felt that Super Sentai being usually self-contained was a good thing. I just ignored Lost Galaxy like it never existed. That's until this happened...
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
I watched Choshinsei Flashman (a totally different show) and Lost Galaxy fell apart in my eyes...
I watched Flashman and it's been hard (for me) not to think about Lost Galaxy. It's worth nagging to my head that Lost Galaxy is based on Gingaman. Yet, Flashman was pretty much a space-themed series (in part). The opening scene narration says that five children were taken to the farthest edge of the Universe. 20 years later - they return to Earth to battle Mess. The five children were rescued by the people of Planet Flash and raised in the Flash Solar system. The four moons and Planet Flash was where the five rangers were raised. They're strangers to their birth planet. Later, they hear that Mess has arrived and they're determined to stop the invading force. They ride the Round Base (which isn't round). They even have a robot assistant named Mag (who's definitely more oddly-designed than the Alpha series) and in no way related to Peebo from Chodenshi Bioman. It may be 13 years behind but I felt the story of Flashman is truly a tough act to follow.
The first episode introduces Reconstructive Empire Mess. Ra Deus is definitely a messy design IMHO. I felt that Scorpius was a messy design. Both Ra Deus and Scorpius are scary villains. Here, I could imagine what if Dr. Hinelar was working as Scorpius' right-hand man. Like Scorpius, Ra Deus had insectoid footsoldiers called Zorors that did the empire's bidding. Lost Galaxy had the Stingwingers which had a scary design. The whole space empire's objective was to manipulate life. Ra Deus seeks to become the ultimate genetic being (which may explain his messy appearance). Great Doctor Lee Keflen is pretty much the hidden foe in the series. Ra Deus displayed traits of being irredeemable. At least, Scorpius did love his daughter Trakeena. Here, Ra Deus only cares about himself. It's a very trait that soon proved to be his downfall in a very karmic way.
So, unlike Lost Galaxy, we never have Flashman as a direct sequel to Dengeki Sentai Changeman. It's because Changeman never had a countdown to destruction. Flashman was more or less self-contained. No episodes with the Changemen returning for a crossover. Instead, the villains here had no connection to Great Star League Gozma or any plot with them. No plot of Ra Deus saying, "Good riddance that Bazoo is gone!" Instead, it's a fresh new start with zero references to past seasons whatsoever.
When a mad scientist actually ends up with a better plot...
One of the reasons why I dislike Power Rangers is how comic relief characters exist. I think my recent complaint about Power Rangers Beast Morphers is the addition of Ben, Betty, and their dumb father. I'd actually want comic relief that helped. Early on, we're introduced to this mad scientist named Professor Tokimura. Akira Ishihama does a rather good job. Meanwhile, I did want Shoichirou Akaboshi to play Professor Tokimura instead. That's rather a very slight wish. Ishihama did a good job acting as the professor.
I felt Professor Phenomenus was wasted after he supposedly did something courageous. Space had Phenomenus actually rally people to stand for themselves instead of relying too much on the heroes. Later, Phenomenus became nothing more than a bad joke. Here, Tokimura (at first) felt like he overstayed his welcome. Tokimura is a mad scientist obsessed with aliens. Heck, Tokimura has been engaging in zany schemes but with a plot attached to them. Tokimura lost one of his children to ALIENS. Yes, the even from 20 years ago hints that one of the Flashmen may be his child. It does create some tensions and not just have Tokimura as some kooky fellow who disappears into nowhere. Neither did Tokimura have two bumbling assistants who were supposedly removed as defective detectives.
Sure, I'm now prone to calling Tokimura "Phemonenus". It's because both of them are zany fellows. Yet, I feel Flashman knew how to handle Tokimura. Tokimura starts out as a comic relief. However, his later appearances started to give him more dimensions as a serious character. Heck, Tokimura even ended up hacking into Mag's systems to find out why the Flashmen have their moments of weakness! I felt it could've been cool if Phenomenus were allowed to do that. Instead, Phenomenus and Bulk got fired and ended up working in a cafe.
Tokimura even plays a huge part in the finale. Sir Kaura kidnaps Tokimura to produce a Gene Synthesizer. For a kooky fellow - Tokimura created a device that could help defeat Mess. Heck, Sir Kaura was able to weaken Ra Deus with that Gene Synthesizer. I'm amazed at how Tokimura's supposed stupidity plays into the plot. Later, it's revealed that Tokimura is Sarah's father.
The Lost Galaxy plot in Flashman in its entirety seemed to truly show why it's a lost galaxy
The Flashmen have grown up in a lost galaxy for 20 years. It almost felt like a plot was about to be abandoned. Instead, the whole Lost Galaxy plot (in this case, the Planet Flash which I love to dub as Planet Mirinoi from Lost Galaxy) starts to develop. The rangers return from the Lost Galaxy to Earth ti discover Mess is messing up with it. The rangers know they have to defend the Earth while hoping to find their parents. Sadly, only Sarah knew who her family was. It's a sad part really.
The show introduced the guest character Baraki. Sir Keflen and the Alien Hunters have messed up Flash King. Now, it's time for the Titan Boy to appear as a secondary robot. There weren't any two robots combining together until Chojuu Sentai Liveman. Baraki later warned of a phenomenon that befell Hero Titan. It's something that doesn't easily get resolved until later. I think it's a weaker point (at times) that the weakness was played for too long. I mean, it's not until the finale do we discover that people from the Lost Galaxy develop that Anti-Flash Phenomenon. The Flashmen gained civilian superpowers at the cost of not returning to Earth. It's really a very sad story.
The tragedy of the rangers is played straight. They came to Earth only to find out that they no longer fit. Soon enough, they experience pain as plants, water, etc. start to be dangerous to them. They have a very short time to defeat Mess. The bad guys are defeated but the rangers must soon leave the Earth or PERISH. Many revelations are soon played such as Keflen was really a child from Earth 300 years ago. Keflen later manages to betray his master Ra Deus turning him into the secondary final boss. The Flashmen finally defeat Ra Deus but they still have to face Keflen with VERY LITTLE TIME LEFT.
The final battle has been more of a psychological battle. The Flashmen finally meet Keflen for the first time. Keflen offered them the chance to stay on Earth. Keflen said that he could alter their genes with the Gene Synthesizer. Yellow Flash, the only one to discover her parents, makes the ultimate sacrifice. Yellow Flash shoots down the Gene Synthesizer for good. Keflen finally dies as a result of it. However, the Flashmen end up having to return to the Lost Galaxy where they grew up. There was obvious sadness when the Flashmen look at Planet Earth from the Roundbase. They would have to leave otherwise the Anti-Flash Phenomenon will KILL THEM.
The Flashmen now enter into capsules getting ready to leave their birth planet. They still have the hope, that one day, they could return to their birth planet. It's a sad thing when the rangers never got their happy ending. I guess there was a reason for this ending. It's a tongue twister actually. Five lost children were rescued by aliens in a lost galaxy. The five lost children grew up in a lost galaxy. The five lost children are once again lost from Earth to the lost galaxy.
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Pretty much, I find myself ranting unpopular opinions. I don't care anymore if my opinion is unpopular. You can still like Lost Galaxy if you want. It's just that I ended up finding it (and Power Rangers) in general as some of not my cup of tea.
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