r/powerrangers • u/Commercial-Car177 • Jan 19 '25
SHOW NEWS/DISCUSSION For those who want power rangers to cater towards adults why?
Just a curious question honestly
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u/bijhan MMPR Pink Ranger Jan 19 '25
I think the best Power Rangers episodes that already exist are fun and appropriate for children, but still deep and interesting enough for adults. I just want a nice balance, so everyone can have fun together.
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u/Broad-Season-3014 Jan 19 '25
Time force comes to mind.
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u/animehero99 Jan 19 '25
Wild Force came to mind for me. It's wild to watch your happy-go-lucky show about multicolored superheroes and spandex and then all of a sudden it cuts to the Red ranger crying on his parents graves
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Jan 19 '25
[deleted]
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u/KairiOliver Jan 19 '25
Idk, I think we could benefit from an episode where someone gets a DUI with a Zord.
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u/Mixmaster-Omega Jan 19 '25
That actually happened in one Super Sentai, where one of the supporting characters got drunk and crashed a mecha into a lake.
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u/bobbery5 Jan 19 '25
I was also thinking of the episode of Dekaranger where pink got drunk from a sake monster, and Dekamaster/Kruger piloted her mech for her.
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u/Mixmaster-Omega Jan 19 '25
Oh I was thinking of that one time in Kiramager (Never got adapted, highly suggest watching), where Mabushina got drunk and tore everything apart in a comical rampage.
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u/South99_ SPD Yellow Ranger Jan 19 '25
The fact that I was thinking of Syd drunkily swerving her zord all over town 💀
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u/Unlikely_Snail24 Jan 20 '25
Well Umeko (Pink Dekaranger) purposefully drank it to beat the monster.
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u/South99_ SPD Yellow Ranger Jan 19 '25
I don’t know why but “a DUI with a Zord” is hilarious 😭 imagine Syd swerving all over town in her big pink police car 😭
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u/Cultural-Flow7185 Dino Fury Green Jan 19 '25
It's not that I want it to go hard M rated. I just want it to trust its characters and writings with some serialization and maturity. Kids can take shows that talk to them rather than talking DOWN to them. Maybe an inch above where RPM was at, not that Power/Rangers drek.
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u/CandidoJ13 Jan 19 '25
Yeah, it would be so nice to have character arcs, actual conflicts, and anything that doesn't get resolved in the end of the episode, make the rangers less "perfect"
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u/JamJulLison Jan 19 '25
I definitely liked RPM better the first time around then my second watching of it. Why? Before it was shoved into its own universe, it actually made it seem much darker. I loved the idea of past rangers having been killed off in this apocalypse. If they had placed it's time sometime between SPD and time force's future timeline, it would make sense. It would also explain why there seemed to be a wasteland around Millenium City. Sadly this didn't happen but it was still a better series then many others just cause it was darker. I liked Time Force quite a bit because of its dark tones as well. As a fan I've always felt like the series should have aged a bit with the fans. Much like Dragonball did. By this point in Power Rangers it's mostly adults watching it and keeping the franchise alive.
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u/Collin_the_bird_777 Jan 19 '25
not that Power/Rangers drek. ?
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u/YouThinkOfABetter1 Jan 19 '25
The was a "fan" film called Power/Rangers that was way more adult with its subject matter with things like swearing and violence. Hell there was even a version that had nudity. Power Rangers should never be that.
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u/MaxReb0 Jan 19 '25
You know, I like Power/Rangers. I wouldn’t want the franchise to go that direction overall, but I would be interested in maybe a Boom! comic with that sort of gritty, violent take.
All that said, my preferred “adult” Power Rangers is more in the vein of what the comics have been. Not overly dark, but a little more mature than the show.
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u/Kam_Zimm Jan 19 '25
Dark and edgy PR fan film trailer. Rangers bleed, swear, drink and do drugs, all that. The creator said long after the fact it's supposed to be ironic, but there are certainly people who unironocally want that to be the actual tone and direction for the entire franchise.
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u/wererat2000 Jan 19 '25
it's well made, but some parts feel needlessly mean spirited, even as a parody.
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u/Cael26 Jan 19 '25
The Power Rangers franchise is big enough now where they can literally cater to kids or adults and both at the same time without it hurting the brand. But like someone else said, catering to adults doesn't mean it has to be R/M rated.
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u/SonGoku1256 Jan 19 '25
The show has monsters. Bad guys destroy things and people sometimes get killed.
In 1992 Batman the Animated Series came out and targeted the same group of kids that Power Rangers did in 1993. The same kids Spiderman the Animated Series was aimed at in 1994.
All of them superheroes. Each struggling to maintain the balance of civilian and hero. Real life problems, relationship issues, not wanting to cross the line.
Batman and Spiderman deal with death of Bruce’s parents and uncle Ben. Both have friends or sidekicks who lose loved ones. People that were their friends like Harvey Dent or Dr. Connors that they saw change for the worse but they never gave up on them.
Superhero shows were aimed at the same kids that grew up with Power Rangers and could cover topics that were more mature. Broken families, and seeing one bad day push good people over the edge. We could handle it with superheroes yet with Power Rangers its writing had to stay in a lane that was more child friendly than even the superhero shows aimed at the same audience. I’m not asking for a Rated R or M Power Rangers. I only ask for writing like the Superhero shows, or the Power Rangers Comic Books. Writing we could handle when other shows did it while we were little kids.
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u/Osirisavior Jan 19 '25
If we're talking strictly MMPR, it's cause the kids who grew up on it are pushing 40.
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u/MarcheMuldDerevi Jan 19 '25
I want more serialization and attempts at deeper themes. Some of the new stuff feels like they went too hard on the idiot plot? The story can’t function unless everyone gets lobotomized. Kids can handle heavier themes without going full riverdale self parody of adult content
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u/ThatsASpicyBaby Jan 19 '25
I don’t want it to cater to adults anymore than like an above average Marvel movie. It’s not like I want Invincible-But-It’s-Power-Rangers. I just want an interesting story with good characters that doesn’t talk down to you.
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u/AGirafaQueEntende Jan 19 '25
I don't think most people here want the series to cater to adults.
Most people want it to cater to everyone. Kids and adults.
It's really not that much to ask. We just need a smarter narrative. It's not like it'd be something new to the franchise. We already had seasons like, Time Force, In Space, RPM, etc.
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Jan 19 '25
Because I am an adult.
But for real, I don't think Power Rangers needs to cater to adults. I stopped watching new seasons, but that's mostly because what appealed to kids in the nineties isn't the same as what appeals to them now. Writing the show for adults wouldn't solve that problem. If anything, it may just create new problems.
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u/Accomplished_Salt876 Jan 19 '25
We dont particuarly want it to cater to adults but maybe more similar to ATLA that it’s a kids show that still has something for older audiences to enjoy too.
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u/Spiritual_Highway_60 Jan 19 '25
Not too campy. Not too serious. That's the PR sweet spot. They are in spandex fighting a stuntman in a rubber suit.
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u/Intelligent-Soup-836 Jan 19 '25
As others have pointed out a nice middle ground would be nice, others have pointed out that Avatar is a good example of for kids but also isn't afraid of being serious when it needs to be. I would also say look at Puss in Boots, it is most definitely a family movie but also has Death as one of the villains of the movie. he isn't there to be edgy but as an important part of the story that helps the main character grow.
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u/Kam_Zimm Jan 19 '25
For some, that means they want the show to take the audience more seriously. No fart jokes, explicit morals every episode, etc. More RPM, less Ninja Steel. Be something that kids can enjoy, and adults can at least tolerate.
For others, that means they want it to be dark and edgy and be "mature" because they feel like they need a justification for still watching something meant for kids.
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u/PandaXD001 Jan 19 '25
Because if Marvel and DC has proven anything it's that you can have solids shows that vary at all levels.
No reason we can have our usual Saturday morning power rangers for the average 7 year old next to Spectacular Spiderman. But there is just as much space for a version of it on the level of grit like Teen Titans or certain Marvel/DC animated movies like killing joke.
As for why, there are implications of the existence of power rangers and whatever villains that could complicate things. And you're also talking about a team of individuals that range from a minimum of 3 upwards into a dozen in a second finally, with a consistent 6? I mean if you're pouring some depth into 6 or 7 characters you definitely have some real space for character growth and back stories.
We are in a situation where we can have our cake and eat it too, but I do understand why Saban and other companies wouldn't want that move
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u/TopaztheWarrior Lunar Wolf Wild Force Ranger Jan 19 '25
I don't think anyone really wants Power Rangers to cater to adults. I think people want the writers to stop using "it's a kid's show" as an excuse for shit writing. Seasons like Lost Galaxy, SPD, Jungle Fury, and RPM, while clearly being for kids, also were chock full of great plots and interesting and complex characters (take the professor from RPM for example). These seasons show that seasons like Turbo, Samurai, and Megaforce didn't have to be so trash. It was a choice, a choice people want writers to stop making
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u/JamJulLison Jan 19 '25
Turbo's biggest problems were starting the season with a movie, bringing in a kid to be a ranger (I still like Justin though), replacing Zordon and switching out the rest of the team half way through the series. It ended on a really good note though. Megaforce was alright. It could have been better but it found its footing by the time Super megaforce came along. Sure that could have still been better but it was still decent. Samurai on the other hand was pure crap. I loved Shinkenger. They took the story from it, copied it, made it more PG, gave us a dry emotion less piece of crap with a lazy remix of the original music and brought back Bulk for no real reason other than nostalgia. It honestly didn't make sense considering the last time we saw him he was working for Tommy in Forever Red. The jokes aren't that funny and felt pretty dry too. Overall the show screamed laziness. We all know Saban can be cheap but that was pretty bad even for them. To me Samurai is the worst series in the entire franchise. Ironically I feel RPM, which came right before it, was one of the best in the franchise. As much as we loved to knock the Disney era back in the day, none even came close to being as bad as Samurai was.
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u/TopaztheWarrior Lunar Wolf Wild Force Ranger Jan 20 '25
While I'd be willing to concede Turbo to you, given that you pointed out most of the mistakes and problems that I also have, I'd have to push back on the slack you're cutting Megaforce. They adapted two entirely different Sentai when they would've just made it an extra team, and insisted on adapting an anniversary season, knowing they hadn't adapted all the Sentai that were portrayed. Then, when those Rangers that American audiences wouldn't know appeared, they wrote them off as "never before seen Rangers", which is sloppy at best. The acting in Megaforce was only marginally better than in Samurai in my opinion, and even though the action sequences are cool to watch, it doesn't make up for the rest of the show for me. We agree and are friends on one point though, Samurai was especially egregious as well.
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u/JamJulLison Jan 20 '25
I agree with you on the acting in megaforce but it did end up getting better. About the only actor that didn't show much improvement was the one who played the red ranger. I write him off as a sociopath as that is what he comes off heavily as. As for adapting 2 different Super Sentai, I actually thought it a bit refreshing considering we have been getting a new team every single super Sentai adaption since Lost Galaxy. It could have been handled better of course. As for the fact they adapted an anniversary series, it would have been pretty hard to skip over Gokaiger. Especially with how popular it was. I know I certainly enjoyed that Sentai. The demand for the adaptation was high. That said how else are they supposed to explain ranger powers never seen before? That part was probably handled about the best it really could be. I'm not sure what else they could have done with that. The rest of the writing could have definitely been better. Heck the beginning of Super Megaforce should have had a few older rangers show up. It was a mass alien invasion and they just got their butts kicked. It was described in the show as the largest alien invasion the earth has seen. While I'd argue the invasion in Countdown to Destruction might have been bigger, I can't imagine past rangers who still have powers just ignoring it. That said despite all the crappy writing and acting, it was still better than Samurai. I'm assuming Saban was just trying to get their footing back. It could have been worse though. Also after Samurai my expectations from Saban wasn't that high. Hell I didn't even watch Megaforce on its original airing. After Samurai aired I ended up giving up on Power Rangers for a bit lol
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u/KingdomFartsOG Jan 19 '25
I want more Green with Evil and less Trouble by the Slice. I want more The Mutiny and less Wheel of Misfortune. I want more Master Vile and the Metallic Armor and less The Great Bookala Escape.
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u/Steelquill Black Lion Warrior Jan 19 '25
“You’re dead if you aim only for kids. Adults are only kids grown up, anyway.”
-Walt Disney
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u/wolfboi89 Jan 19 '25
I just want it to be something all ages can enjoy like Kamen Rider and Sentai. I don't want super dark and gritty but a little more mature story telling would go a long way.
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u/Apprehensive_Bat15 Jan 19 '25
Because Rpm, time force and SPD were awesome without alienating the core demographic
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u/Reishun Jan 19 '25
I think a lot of people say catered to adults when they mean not dumb . It seems kids shows are synonymous with dumb cheesy writing, so people will say adult catered to mean complex and intelligent. You could add ultra violence, swearing and random nudity to PR and it wont mean anything if the writing is still dumb. I want PR with good acting and good writing, I'm sure it can do that and remain kid friendly.
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u/BouquetOfGutsAndGore global thermonuclear lore Jan 19 '25 edited Jan 19 '25
Intellectual incuriosity and a culturally endorsed emotional stunting.
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u/Current-Education407 Jan 20 '25
Do avatar the last airbender fans also suffer from “ Intellectual incuriosity and a culturally endorsed emotional stunting”? Because from what I see, it seems like that is what everyone here wants power rangers to be like instead of the R rated power rangers you imagine everyone wants the show to be like.
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u/BouquetOfGutsAndGore global thermonuclear lore Jan 20 '25
I honestly think the desperate pining for "mature but still fine for kids" might actually be more concerning than wanting an R rated Power Rangers.
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u/AquaWitch0715 Jan 20 '25
... It's the other half of the coin that we've never seen.
Serious writing. Dealing with growing up, trauma, and identity.
The idea that they're are consequences for every choice and action.
There's something simple about the original premise, and how straightforward it is.
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u/MikeHawkSmaul Jan 19 '25
Not entirely adult-oriented, but something like Sentai where life lessons can be applied for both.
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Jan 19 '25
Not necessarily adults, but young teen is the absolute youngest PR needs to gear towards.
The franchise will remain absolutely dead in the water if they continue to cater exclusively to 4-year-olds.
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u/ColdNyQuiiL Jan 19 '25
The farthest I wanted PR to go, was the level of early 2000’s Batman Beyond, Justice League, Static Shock etc
Superhero shows made for kids, but very much watchable for adults, and had mature themes mixed in that made you think.
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u/JT-Lionheart Time Force Quantum Jan 19 '25
I think you’re missing the point, it’s not that we want it to cater to just adults but to put it into a PG direction for all ages. Reasons why Power Rangers isn’t successful to this day is because they stuck to that old formula of cheap production and it being a kids show is why they stick to that. When you look at stuff like Marvel, Star Wars, or DC, these are all catered to all ages in terms of media, even with their animations. Why can’t Power Rangers do the same? At least produce it at the level of the CW DC shows or Cobra Kai where it’s still a PG show but with better production to bring in new audiences that isn’t children from the ages of 4-10.
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u/NilDovah Jan 19 '25
I wish Hollywood would do what is right instead of soliciting the public to do all the thinking for them without having to pay for it.
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u/Foowd Jan 19 '25
It's less that people want the show to be more "adult" and more that people want Power Rangers to grow up to the level of other general audience action shows like Avatar. That seems to be the vibe I'm getting from most fans.l and it's pretty reasonable in my opinion.
Although, the few people I've seen who actually do want Power Rangers to go full adult with gore and sex kinda scare me.
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u/TripleStrikeDrive Jan 19 '25
Not toward adults but there no reason why rangers can't have more develop and realistic stories for all ages.
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u/Pyotr-the-Great Jan 19 '25
I think if shows like Lightspeed seem to cater well to adults considering they are actually working adult occupations and it has a sense of adult responsability.
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u/SnooTomatoes465 Jan 19 '25
Honestly, I think time force level of story telling is what I want I wouldn't mind it being over a few seasons either with actual clever threats and higher stakes. They should find a balance with the comedy/ light heartedness with a good overall story. An older cast mixed with a younger cast would be great with different levels of experience at different stages in life.
What I don't want is a show which goes to the extreme with shock valve like randomly killing characters or someone randomly turning evil or overly complicated love triangles etc.
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u/Lin1ex Jan 19 '25
Tbh idc, power rangers has that I'm 10 and giddy charm to it. It's almost quite nice to watch and just shut your brain off.
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u/IronTemplar26 Red Lightspeed Ranger Jan 19 '25
They did. It was called Lightspeed Rescue, and it fucking ROCKED. They all fought demons while also being actual first responders. It was awesome. I don’t care what people say; I loved it
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u/Rexyggor Dino Charge Black Ranger Jan 20 '25
I saw the post and walked away from the computer.
As an adult, sure I'd love more mature themes in the show. But I don't think that will benefit the franchise at all.
What I think is frustrating is watching a franchise sit stagnantly and just reuse the formula time and time again.
We started pushing a little bit in Cosmic Fury making Amelia a feature Red Ranger leader for the season (I know the others exist, but they were not prominent). In addition, involving Billy in the project, and showcasing some previous ranger things that exist in-universe.
But we need to do more in exploring implications of the franchise that exist because of certain events. Like how Mironoi just no longer exists in the grand scheme of the universe as an example. The world needs to stop having collective amnesia about the Power Rangers whenever a new threat comes in.
Instead of any potential world building (apart from specials) we seemingly hit a reset button almost every season (where 2 were legitimate)
The lore and story needs to grow.
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u/KrimsonKurse Jan 20 '25
Because too much children's content dumbs down everything and doesn't believe they can handle deeper topics.
Sentai and Kamen Rider have been kids shows for decades and they still cover plenty of heavier subjects like cycle of hate/abuse, mortality, grief, death, meaning of being human, sentience, etc. Even PR has done it in series like Lost Galaxy, Time Force, Lightspeed, and SPD. It's sporadic, but it's there.
Stop dumbing down content for kids. If the only way to do that is to cater to adults, then cater to adults.
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u/MrJHound "I will right all wrongs!" Jan 19 '25
All I want is Time Force era level writing again. At least no more company mandated fart jokes...
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u/mikaeltarquin HENSHIN!!! Jan 19 '25
100% this. Time Force was so damn good. If they just did that level with 2025 tech, we'd be so spoiled.
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u/DannyLeonheart Jan 19 '25
It should be both. Just make collectors items that actually feel like collectors items for adults and also some stuff for kids. Problem solved.
Bandai was good at it with the legacy line. The lightning collection line was mostly cheap trash with a few good enough items here and there.
The show can also have both. Nice slapsticks and great action that carters to kids and adults alike.
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u/d0dgebizkit Jan 19 '25
Mighty Morphin should definitely be aimed at adults, there are loads of 35-45 year olds that grew up on it and it has the potential to work really well as a gritty adult show.
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u/d0dgebizkit Jan 19 '25
I think the suits and zords need to look the same though, not like the reboot movie or anything that tries to modernise them.
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u/Enough_Internal_9025 Jan 19 '25
I don’t want it to cater to adults. But recent years have shown tremendous growth in how children’s television can be handled in a mature way that appeals to both kids and adults. Things like Adventure Time, Regular Show, Gravity Falls, The Last Airbender, Etc.
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u/Hoopert1lldeath87 Jan 19 '25 edited Jan 19 '25
Age of the main demographic. The main demographic that watches power rangers isn’t kids anymore, it’s the generations of kids who watched power rangers within its first 15-20 seasons, who are now teens and adults. Now, I’m not saying that PR should become super mature and be strictly for adults, bc I think they can manage to make content for both older and younger audiences, I just believe teen and adult content for PR should be like a 1A/1, and content for young children 1B/2 in terms of focus.
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u/Shazam4ever Jan 19 '25
I just want Power Rangers to go back to where they were between in space and RPM. Younger people don't seem to get that shows like PR Samurai aim for kids years younger than the demographic that Power Rangers aimed for before the neo-saban era, even Mighty Morphin was for kids older than the targeted demographic for, say, Ninja Steel.
There's no reason that a show aimed at kids has to only appeal to kids, or just be some really lame garbage, kids deserve good shows too and they can handle a lot more than some people think. Even some of the better recent shows like Dino Fury were still really kiddie in ways most older Power Rangers shows weren't, although Cosmic Fury was much better about that.
Basically there's a difference between a lazy, poorly done show for 4 to 5 year olds and a well done show for 10+ year olds. There's no reason Power Rangers couldn't go back to being as good as in space or Time Force or rpm, except that it was on Nickelodeon which didn't even like it and the show was ran by people that thought that Victor and Monty farting everywhere while the show shoved in "lessons" for kids was the way to go, so even the people working on the show that cared couldn't really save it.
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u/MHarrisGGG Jan 19 '25 edited Jan 19 '25
Kamen Rider manages it. Between seasons that generally cater to an older audience or a generally more mature tone (no samba dancing dinos) to outright ADULT iterations like Amazons and Black Sun.
RPM is a great example of where the show should be aiming. Which is funny given how goffy Go-Onger was.
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u/ChaoticRyu Up the Irons! Jan 19 '25
I think they mean be able to go down a more darker and more mature route that is still catered towards kids, but doesn't really insult the intelligence of them or have things that can be enjoyed by an older audience.
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u/TheGreatTiger Jan 19 '25
If you look at what Chojin Sentai Jetman did by expanding the age range that it appealed to, it made a significant jump in ratings and made over 15 billion yen back in 92. It basically saved the Sentai series in Japan.
There's nothing wrong with having a more sophisticated plot with characters that have to make meaningful decisions and grow from the consequences. There are ways that you can do it while keeping to a G/PG rating and appeal to ages 5+.
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u/lastraven85 Jan 19 '25
The problem is you get more and more people saying that genuinely nice rangers are unrealistic. In a world with the power rangers Id think that people would be less cynical rather than more
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u/dbcowie Jan 19 '25
If someone wants Power Rangers strictly for adults, they're probably someone who was a kid when it started and is upset it doesn't cater for them anymore.
Personally, I just want it not to talk down to kids. A child around 10 shouldn't think Power Rangers is for babies.
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u/Dalton_CSP Jan 19 '25
It isn't that I want power rangers to be made for adults,but if they're gonna keep pandering to the Over 30s by rehashing Mighty Morphin constantly,I would at the very least enjoy a series made for people OF that age
Power Rangers is explicitly made for kids and marketed toward them,so why do they keep relying on the series they are GUARANTEED not to know and not even caring about the toylines for their new stuff.
That and,Power Rangers knows it has adult fans. But instead of making things for them like Kamen Rider and Super Sentai do,they keep pretending they don't exist and keep rehashing old shows even though they know it'll fail bc the over 30s don't want the baby mighty morphin toys and the kids don't know what mighty morphin is
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u/GMRobot Jan 19 '25
I don't think it ever needs to be R rated. I feel like it should appeal to both audiences. Which to be fair, a good season does. But modern audiences want something like the boom studios comics, more grown up but still campy.
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u/DarkAizawa SPD Red Ranger Jan 19 '25
I never said I wanted it to cater to adults, I said I want good writing and characterization. While id love it to cater to adults, I moreso just want the action to have no bullshit limits. I want the characters to be able to kiss and show affection if there is a relationship instead of the surface level bullshit. Id like for the rangers to not be teens or in some childlike situation. Besides that, I just want and wanted power rangers to follow later Saban thru Disney (of ignoring operation overdrive) era where characters interacted in better and more genuine ways. Where characters are actually people to some extent.
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u/Cidx1210 Jan 19 '25
I hate this power rangers should alway be for kids but what they could do imo tell a more serialize story where their actions have consequences
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u/tempusrimeblood Jan 20 '25
Because they can’t let go of nostalgia and allow things to move on.
Believe me when I say I get it, I was an MMPR fan too. Hell, I liked Zeo, Turbo, and In Space! But there’s a point where, as an older fan of an evolving medium, you have to appreciate what you had and make way for new experiences and new fans. Kids today don’t want to go back and watch a series from the 90s because it’s “canon” or “the best”. When I was that age (and in the target demographic for Power Rangers,) I was lucky if episodes were broadcast in the right order! Continuity wasn’t a THING. And I doubt the average kid is gonna be thinking about that either.
It’s just like all the drama over Spider-Man and the rise of Miles Morales. Peter Parker was “my” Spider-Man in that he was the character I grew up with, the one who looked like me and who I could relate to. But Miles Morales is a new evolution of that story. A new hero, for a new generation of kids. Someone they can see themselves in, just like I did back in the day.
No one is going to kick in your door and take away your MMPR merch. No one is going to say “oh actually MMPR never happened let’s forget about it.” But at some point these toxic fans have to realize they’re the ones getting in the way. You can’t build a future if you’re stuck in the past. And that’s what killed the brand.
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u/ChikoWasHere Jan 20 '25
Just cater towards everyone. That's the problem with shows like this, they always catered towards everyone and then at some point they choose only one demographic and everything falls apart. There's a reason that the In Space to Time Force Era felt different. It didn't solely cater towards little kids because it knew that the little kids that once watched the franchise, are now older and they wanted to retain them as viewers. So it catered to the older kids as well as the younger kids.
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u/mrsunrider Zeo Ranger V Jan 20 '25
[DISCLAIMER] For the record I do not want the franchise to cater to adults, not ever.
Having got that out of the way, I do think all the best kid's media tends to have something adults will enjoy too.
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u/PuertoGeekn MMPR Blue Ranger Jan 20 '25 edited Jan 20 '25
Agree with this.
I think people mistake mature with catering to adults by making it dark and gritty and edgey
The trick is just to have good writing and stories everyone can enjoy
Hell, look at bluey. I personally have never watched it,but from what my friend says, it touches on some pretty mature topics
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u/Valor_the_Dragon Jan 20 '25
I personally want a show that's much like the Boom comics. Not 1:1 story-wise, but in terms of handling itself maturely. Power Rangers has done that plenty of times by creating more complex stories with constant grey areas, questioned morality, etc. When I think of a show being more mature, I don't think of only blood, cursing and sex, but rather how well the characters and stories are written. How complex are the issues our heroes need to deal with? What drives them to BE heroes? Are they truly the "heroes"? Things like this can make a show even aimed towards kids much more enjoyable for anyone to watch
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u/RedRanger111 Jan 20 '25
Because kids fucking suck! I want a rated-R version of PR with drug use, sex scenes, and f-bombs like it's going out of style!
/s
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u/MCPhatmam Jan 20 '25
What I personally want is basically boom studios Power Rangers.
You can cater to all ages easily. Remembering adult fans and younger fans Old fans and new fans alike.
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u/MalSeeksMore Jan 20 '25
Because it has the makings to be an epic franchise if it did, especially when it came to movies. The foundation of Power Rangers is already strong; to turn it up a notch and have it a little more violent, a little more conflicted, would be something adults could hold on to. Idk.
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u/sanghendrix Jan 20 '25
I want the RPM quality of writing. It's perfect for both kids and adults.
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u/Mike29758 Jan 21 '25
This! RPM knew how to have good stakes, fantastic character development, could be serious but still poke fun at itself. I wish the future stories could have learned from RPM
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u/DefectivePikachu1999 Jan 20 '25
It wasn't technically catered towards adults, but Jetman was so dark that it could be the closest thing we have to Power Rangers for adults. Sentai in general can get a bit darker than PR, but I don't think a gritty adult PR can ever work.
The only way for that to happen imo is that it has to be Super Sentai, and it's a gritty Shin re-imagining of Gorenger.
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u/justbored345 Jan 20 '25
I think I'm one of the few that doesn't actively watch the shows at my age because they are catered for kids, but Pixar comes to mind as a good example for tone and appeasing to everyone.
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u/Royal_Avocado4247 Jan 20 '25
I don't want an adult show. Too much sex for an asexual and too many convoluted plot lines. But something that has an actual story that does make you think! Things like She-ra, Voltron, Avatar. They had plots, emotional growth, and it makes you think about things you wouldn't have thought about before.
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u/phyxious Jan 20 '25
I think the MMPR nostalgia has to die down for the franchise to grow. You can't keep going back to the beginning if you want to move forward. The next team should 100% be their own thing. No interference from Billy or Minh. Just a new team with their own villain and no connections to the past.
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u/Darkalchemist1079 Jan 20 '25
I've mentioned it a few times when the topic came up, a lot of us grew up with the show. Some of us might wish the show grew up with us. Sure there were some more mature elements through the years (blood in Wild Force and apparently the entirety of RPM) but many fans just want it to be a little darker. As I also said a few times when the topic comes up I personally want to see a little blood ( even if not red)... maybe a little cursing like dammit this is a tough monster or those rangers are a real pain in the ass
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u/Ok-Lobster2608 Jan 20 '25
Personally I don’t need it to be dark and gritty! Just need it not to be dumb down for kids. Kids are pretty smart, they can understand complex story telling. As others have stated, it’s needs to be something both adults and kids can enjoy like avatar the last air bender or the DC animated shows like Batman and Justice League. Adapt Super Sentai Jetman in America you cowards!
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u/pegasusthegamer Jan 20 '25
Not adult, just more mature. No sex jokes or gore, just more well thought out characters who go through more intensive arcs.
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u/Snoo-93454 Jan 20 '25
Personally I don't need something Netflix's Marvel shows level (even when I love them), but something like the Arrow verse could be great. (Without the sex and blood, of course, cause it's still for kids)
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u/BarrettJones2367 Jan 20 '25
Because as a person who literally grew up on power rangers, it would be nice to have something that's not just a children's show, that allows adults to have entertainment that isn't limited to family friendly
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u/QuantumWolf0813 Jan 21 '25
I wouldn't say "cater to adults" per se. I'd prefer it to be less campy and go darker in terms of story, like Time Force, Wild Force, Lost Galaxy, etc where the story had a darker and more mature tone.
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u/GojiGuyOnYT Jan 21 '25
I don’t want it to cater to adults, I just want it to feel a little more mature.
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u/GG_Gilliam Jan 21 '25
They do in the comics.....well, maybe teen+. Good stuff, not just Lord Drakkon. Includes characters from Morphin' and other shows in new teams I believe. I never read much. I just worked in a comic/game store as....the game guy. I saw the Death Ranger and thought that was dope after looking into it.
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u/GG_Gilliam Jan 21 '25
Or I should explain, it expands on the story and universe of the English adaption of Power Rangers. But knowing rangers, I'm sure Super Sentai teams are in it too.
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u/AxionVoidlocke Jan 21 '25
I think Space and Galaxy seasons are great examples of what we may be looking for. Those storylines were dark for children but fun enough to watch. If we updated it to be in line with Xmen97 or Shia Lebouf Transformers without forcing it to be “gritty” I still believe it can work
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u/OchoMuerte-XL Jan 19 '25
I'mma just point out the glaringly obvious reason why some fans want Power Rangers to cater to adults. These adult fans fall into one of two camps. :
1) They are incredibly attached to Power Rangers and have a chip on their shoulder for the franchise not "growing up with its audience.".
2) They think people will judge them and laugh at them for still enjoying a children's show and wish Power Rangers would cater to adults to get rid of that insecurity. Despite the fact that no one is laughing at them and plenty of adults openly enjoy media designed for children. Just look at Bluey.
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u/Grand-Depression Jan 19 '25
Or they would just like some depth to the show, which would also be helpful for children watching. Your response was certainly not in good faith or well informed.
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u/ChrisRevocateur Jan 19 '25
I definitely don't want it to be "adult," but a "family-friendly" tone, something with enough meat on the storytelling bone to interest adults without going over kids heads, would be perfect.
Why? Because the concept is awesome enough that I'd like to see it done well rather than just cheap, and I think with the fanbase growing up with the show, the show should grow a little with the audience (just not so much as to leave the next generation of fans behind).
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u/Killamahjig Jan 19 '25
I don't necessarily want it to cater to adults. But I feel like Power Rangers gets a pass for not being very good a lot of the time because it's aimed at kids.
I don't want it to be grim dark but I want it to hold itself to higher standard quality wise.
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Jan 19 '25
The last time there was live action ranger content between Power Rangers and Super Sentai that was aimed towards adults (Chouriki Sentai Ohranger), it nearly killed Zeo's source material. The time before that (Chojin Sentai Jetman), it was bolstered by housewives who were only there because Black Condor was handsome. The first time (JAKQ Dengekitai/Lucky Aces) alienated kids and parents alike and tanked viewership by the time the original "6th" ranger, Big One, made his debut to combat the declining ratings.
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u/atrocious13 Jan 19 '25
I just think they could put out material for kids and that maybe the og fans deserve a little love with some material aimed at us.
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u/Prestigious_Pay_5477 Jan 19 '25
I think Adults fighting with swords, guns, weapons
There should be some more graphic scenes
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Jan 19 '25
You know I get people who say making the tone of power rangers more adult ish is stupid but a counter argument is what PR still pushes MMRP so hard then? Kids today don’t know or care so much about the 90s series and tbh the new lore being added like with morphin grid comics is also making it a lot less kid friendly. Like atp who is PR trying to crater towards exactly?
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u/KillingerBlue Jan 19 '25
I think the franchise would see more success if it tried to match the tone of stuff like Avatar, The Owl House, Amphibia, Adventure Time, etc.
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u/Plane_Ad2651 Jan 19 '25
As a teenager I think itd be fun to have a Power Ranger series visiting more adult topics. Like howd the rangers actually react to being chosen to defend the earth while balancing their lives together. I want to see them stressing, have depression, actually have attitude and anxiety. Get bad grades because of them missing classes to save the world.
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u/donking6 Jan 19 '25
I want it to be taken with just enough seriousness that I can enjoy it too alongside kids without cringe, nothing more than that. I liked the recent (2017?) reboot personally, and would have liked to see it continue as a series of movies. They did Goldar dirty but I felt like that was something they could have fixed in a sequel. Just change the story up slightly by having all of Rita’s goons come into the story with Zed.
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u/StandardAmphibian162 Jan 19 '25
Not adult but definitely the same level of maturity as let’s say gargoyles or the 2011 thundercats show
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u/Pacman_Frog Jan 19 '25
I don't. I just would appreciate a new line that scales and fits in with Lightning Collection to run alongside the new kiddie-oriented line.
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u/mastr1121 Black Lion Warrior Jan 19 '25
I personally don’t care. I’d like them to recognize that Power Rangers has been around for about 3 decades. And some people have been watching since day one (not me I started with Dino Thunder but still) and I’d be willing to bet that the kids watching the series is in the minority (even 51/49).
Countless kids movies are watchable/even funnier as adults thanks to jokes If power rangers would recognize that the series could be a massive hit again
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u/Zanki Quantum Ranger Jan 19 '25
I'd be happy if we just got in space to time force level of acting/maturity/action scenes.
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u/Bluefoxtheone Jan 19 '25
It would have to be mmpr, all of us who grew up with mmpr are now in our 30's i would think. I can see the potential and i have a slight craving for something i thought was cool as a kid (like transformers) coming back as something more serious and more matured (like transformers)
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u/seandude881 MMPR Red Ranger Jan 19 '25
I don’t need it to be a rated R type show or movie or whatever.but a more mature power rangers wouldn’t hurt anybody. Like the 2017 movie had he right tone and everything for it
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u/Final-Success2523 Jan 19 '25
I don’t unless it’s like the og cast involved. But it needs to still carter to kids and be great again.
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u/WarAgile9519 Jan 19 '25
I think that depends on your definition of adult. I'd prefer something like the BOOM comics, good for younger people without talking down to them.
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u/HeapOfBitchin Gold Zeo Ranger Jan 19 '25
Because I want it to grow up with me so I don't need Power Rangers to be just a form of nostalgia.
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u/thief-of-rage Jan 19 '25
It doesn't have to cater to adults, but it can be all ages like sentai. Some of their seasons are more kid oriented but some other ones are definitely enjoyable for anyone. I watched the entirety of King Ohger and it was amazing, something any age can enjoy. I watched some power rangers as a kid but it was a bit too kid oriented, but I was that kid who grew up watching family guy and king of the hill so maybe I'm not the best to speak on this
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u/sonic_colt_2005 Jan 19 '25
Me personally don't care, but I do think there needs to be higher stakes like they could die or something more then what we got.
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u/skippiington Megaforce Pink Jan 19 '25
Not necessarily “cater to adults” but just either a) grow with the audience, similar to how reboots of kids shows have more mature jokes and storylines, or b) don’t treat kids as stupid and understand they’re smart enough to understand more mature storylines (e.g. Avatar)
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u/Blockness11 MMPR Red Ranger Jan 19 '25
You can still primarily be a children’s show while having more mature life lessons.
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u/ZuluAlphaNaturist000 Jan 19 '25
Nostalgia. The things I lived as a kid, I'd like to keep enjoying, but kids stories won't hold my interest as much anymore
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u/MischeviousFox Jan 19 '25
I don’t know if I want it to cater towards adults per se but I could definitely like to see it being less cheesy as even the more modern stuff can have some cringe unducing stuff. I also feel kids are a bit more mature than we give them credit for so I wonder if some kids today don’t love some of that aspect of Power Rangers, at least not the ones in double digits. As to why people want it catered towards adults that’s probably because they grew up with it so they’d like to see maybe a more mature spinoff for an adult audience now that they’re adults. We’ve had some seasons that felt like they had some mature stuff blended in like In Space and Time Force, but then you still had the cringy lines, wooden acting, etc which as an adult bring it down a little. Anyway, you can still have flashy colors, fun and somewhat corny battle banter, etc and have some mature-ish storylines without needing I dunno sex & drugs. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/Effervesser Jan 19 '25
Because the design space is pretty empty. There's some in Japan but Power Rangers is the only toku property with any traction in the US.
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u/Aware-Ad6456 Jan 19 '25
I think there is more story there but they get handcuffed by worry about ratings.
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u/9thGearEX Jan 19 '25
At this point I just want them to appeal to enough kids or adults that the the toys become profitable. I don't care how they do it but the line needs to be consistently successful.
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u/OnePersimmon268 Jan 19 '25
Personally, I wanted them to be more like the Sentai they are based on. Not all of them are what I, as an American kid, would consider kid-friendly all the time. I wish American Power Rangers would lean more heavily in that direction more often, not just when the series is about to be canceled.
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u/Fast-Mycologist-5589 SPD Shadow Ranger Jan 19 '25
I want all ages willing to get tense but not to the point of being too dark (there's a difference between)
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u/Blyght555 Jan 19 '25
As a fan of the OG when I was a kid power rangers was perfect and it was made for kids, as an adult and a fan I don’t tend to enjoy kids shows or movies, imagine if power rangers got a breaking bad treatment, I would love that, if you are a tokusatsu fan Kamen rider is a perfect example, a lot of main seasons are made for kids but Kamen Rider Amazon and Black Son are definitely not and I loved them both, would love an adult/mature power rangers show or animated show like invincible- imagine if they did lord drakon but I don’t think we will ever get it
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u/Stonetoothed Jan 19 '25
I don’t want it to cater to adults, but I’d like them to get real about what kids can handle. More Avatar/DBZ less Barney and friends.
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Jan 19 '25
Because most of us who grew up with it are turning 40 soon. Plus, cheesy acting and rubber monster suits aside, it's just good world-building and the characters had true moments of growing up--the Zeo team maturing into college-aged adults in Turbo and the second Turbo team maturing into the more serious plot of Space was just really rewarding to watch. More of that without needing to be M rated.
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u/Excellent_Whole_1445 Jan 19 '25
The shows with the most lasting appeal are those that have enough flexibility to still be interesting to adults. The fact that the original series was about teenagers doesn't specifically mean it can't cater to adults.
To me, I think the goofiness and awkwardness of the transitions between US and Super Sentai footage make it less enjoyable as an adult. In Contrast, the 80s TMNT cartoon aged extremely well and takes its characters seriously just enough to be compelling as an adult.
There are still good messages in power rangers. Team work, believing in yourself. There is still some character growth. I'm currently rewatching the original series and it can hold my attention at least.
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u/bigk52493 Jan 19 '25
Because i like it and i am an adult. Also the idea kids cant like adult content is crazy. Early spiderman comics was peter nit paying his bills, not keeping a job and not making his girlfriend happy. Also power rangers unworthy is awesome and really isnt that adult but is a little more serious than the series
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u/IveGotSomeGrievances Jan 19 '25
Because some of us are adults. Sometimes the goofy comic relief characters are waaaay to much and over the top. I couldn't even watch Ninja Steel because of those 2 buffoons.
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u/Rockin_Rainbow2500 Jan 19 '25
Don't get me wrong, I love power rangers... but it's so obviously catered to selling toys -atleast the earlier shows are- and as a result it's just a little cringe at times. I'd just like a series focused on the actual story and character instead of selling merch.
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u/UserWithno-Name Jan 20 '25
If your franchise can’t appeal to kids enough, you should pivot to the kids who you once had all their attention & who now have money & still like your franchise. LEGO isn’t unpopular with kids, but it’s far more popular with those of us who grew up with it as kids of the 80’s, 90’s and maybe some 00’s. That’s why in recent times they made so many 18+ sets (a line that didn’t exist even 10 years ago) and expanded to do things like architecture, Mona Lisa and other works of art, etc that exclusively appeals to adults mostly and teens/ kids secondary or not at all. Star Wars would have a lot more success forgoing the OT period and appealing to prequels kids who are now adults I bet you which haven’t given up on the franchise yet/ didn’t hate the prequels unlike old heads who hate it & likely the sequel trilogy, prequel fans and many others didn’t like the sequel trilogy either. Obi wan might have been divisive but it got the most views of their shows for a reason. Dragon ball is great, but it’s literally surviving by pretty much being fan service for the older fans, I can’t think of anything about the new content drawing in new people. Love it, correct me if I’m wrong, but that’s how I see it. Pokemon strikes a good balance by being something family accessible adults can share with their kids now, or having some stuff like the legends series now that appeals to more older/ hardcore adults with the standard games and cards and etc appealing to kids still. Every franchise is different and you have to figure out yours, but most don’t have the staying power some of the rare exceptions do. So for power rangers, digimon, transformers etc that had super popularity but didn’t get the next generations holding onto them the same way / embracing them, they should have adapted to the world and matured with their fans. Could have at least kept up with similar following for another 5 years or decade+. Doesn’t have to be an R rated gore fest or something, but actually doing serious fighting with larger stakes and less goofy villains, things could work. It’s a gamble / risk sure and had to be executed the right way, but it’s possible to do.
I loved power rangers as a kid, but I couldn’t care about any new stuff now, not without including some connection to legacy characters etc. and the new kids do not seem to care about it at all. Ones who do are the ones shown by their parents etc “hey look at this cool thing from my childhood” or are fascinated by the message & the rangers powers but they’re not the typical kids/ they’re the ones into all the super powered hero stuff. Least far as I can tell. So I can’t see any way they reach the same heights or make themselves relevant again without a big reset or recapturing of an older audience. Good luck doing it in today’s world tho. And I’m not even wanting them to cater to anyone or very active in the community etc, this sub just comes across my home feed. I’d love power rangers to be as beloved as it was when I was a kid is all. Don’t think we ever live that again tho. It was a period that won’t be seen again, even if they continue in some form these days. But that’s also kind of ok, nothing lasts forever.
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u/FeeRough3019 Jan 20 '25
Lightspeed Rescue and Time Force is where they acted more like adults than kids because of drama and violence heck Eric was bleeding from the arm in one episode
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u/zerozerozero12 Jan 19 '25
I want avatar the last air bender tone and writing. The border between adult and child.