There will always be generation gaps. I doubt it that modern-day children will be too interested in super old shows. That's why I even question Hasbro's decision to reignite Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers -- since the show's already DECADES OLD. Talk what if Toei decided to reignite Himitsu Sentai Goranger -- I'd berate Toei too if it happened! I watched Kaiketsu Zubat -- a show that happened in 1977. It was that year when Hiroshi Miyauchi was both Zubat and Big One.
What makes Zubat unique? It had no MOTW. Instead, it was almost like an early foreshadowing of the short-lived Rescue Police Trilogy for the now-discontinued (but NEVER forgotten) Metal Hero franchise. The short-lived series felt more like a show for an older audience (such as how it only has 32 episodes). There were reminders NOT to imitate the stunts because they're dangerous. What also WTFed me was that we see a man GUNNED DOWN at the beginning. Goro Asuka is the protagonist Ken Hayakawa's best friend. Ken goes from town to town hoping to avenge his best friend. It's not very heroice when you think Zubat is tainted by revenge. However, Zubat also fights the crooks to protect the innocent.
Zubat's suit has a five-minute limit -- something that Tokkei Winspector did with the Fire Suit. It's a challenge to finish something in JUST FIVE MINUTES. Did they get inspired by the idea that the Ultraman transformation has a time limit? Most protagonists in the Ultraman franchise had this limit for some reason. Apparently, Zubat wanted to add more realism as superpowered suits could theoretically wear down the user.
Imperial Japan died the moment America occupied Japan. Today, the Japanese Emperor is but symbolic to the people. American influence flowed into Japan, which may explain why Zubat had that cowboy influence. Did some American cowboy movies get shown in Japan at that time? I even had nagging thoughts that Zubat should've taken place in Texas and not in some Japanese town. Yes, I'm getting nitpicky. The late Shotaro Ishinomori would've been influenced by a lot of American pop culture and decided to put them into a Japanese setting. What was Ishinomori thinking with the cowboy thing? It's pretty strange but it may have helped the Japanese learn more about the West. Eventually, this act would lead to Power Rangers. The cultural differences made Power Rangers necessary.
The series was probably never intended to last a year. The show ended up rushing things. However, it was understandable because it was still the 1970s. Trying things out and finding that SWEET SPOT isn't easy. I complained about Himitsu Sentai Goranger being TOO LONG (84 episodes) while I felt Dengekitai JAKQ (35 episodes) was too short for a Super Sentai series. JAKQ's pacing would be even more rushed than a Power Rangers episode. Zubat had the rushed pacing that Disney did with much of its time with Power Rangers.
It was an interesting experience to see the older -- to appreciate the newer!
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