User blog:TheIkranRider/My VR Troopers Retrospective

I remember watching the underrated sister series of the Power Rangers on Philly57 back in 1994. It was a syndicated show that came on multiple networks during various airtimes, but I was only able to see it on one channel alone on weeknights at 5:30. Back then, I had no idea what syndication was, nor knew what the requirements were. All I knew was that it started from curiosity by seeing an awesome commercial of it, as well as my parents watching that same network frequently where it involved other shows such as "Laverne and Shirley;" even though I noticed the network was first mentioned from an old VHS tape in the background... Yeah, awkward.

I almost instantly knew it was going to be great, and I wasn't much of a fan of toku media since the Power Rangers never caught my attention. But after I saw the pilot, heard the catchy theme song, and noticed it had an intense cliffhanger (and quite literally so), I was pumped! I was so invested in the story and was curious to see what'll happen next, especially with my all-time favorite character from the series, Ryan Steele. As you may or may not be aware of it, he was actually my first crush when I was a kid, nearly 7-8 years old. And since then I always fantasized being the fourth Trooper, despite the fact she was too young and not really the fighting-type.

And by the time I noticed it didn't come on anymore, that alone was the first time I learned about a cancellation of a series and having it cut short. I was undoubtedly upset it had to go so soon, and I grew very envious since the Power Rangers was still a fling, even now. Sure, it may be archaic since this was like having virtual reality as a wave of the future, but I still wish it would have more of a satisfying end. Which is why I'm making that crossover with the Mutant League.

Speaking of which, I was also really into the Sega Genesis game, Mutant League Football. And since then, it became a sort of staple in the series to me, having all those mutants work alongside the Troopers in fighting against Grimlord, specifically characters such as Razor Kidd, Blood Clot, Snake, Spew and Mo Puke, and The General who's a coach of my favorite team, the War Slammers. I fantasized myself meeting them in virtual reality and recruiting them as such. Like Ryan would have the Aliens, J.B. would have some of the Superhumans, and so forth. This was one of the early years I came up with for an original character, so it may not have developed very much... Still, I figured it made the most sense since they're mutants fighting against evil ones, and the Troopers would have a dang army for a change! That really irked me too.

I also saw a comic book named The Comet, and I thought of an alias of my OC, Cheetah, with Ryan being Comet since I was enthralled by both factors. The comic itself was ok, and my ideas were pretty awkward, but now I'm trying to make these things work.

And oh man, I can't stress this enough; when TVTropes said that fans considered it to be darker and edgier than its original counterpart, they weren't joking. The VR Troopers has plenty of dark moments, while it still attempts to display some comic relief in between. Such examples include Ryan discovering his father was missing for a decade and then brainwashed by Grimlord, not to mention he failed to defend him as Dark Heart; the episode which included the Dream Master (NOT Little Nemo as I thought) as well as Kaitlin's own worst fears; the one when the Troopers were comatose and had to confront an alternate reality where Grimlord ruled all; and the mother of them all, the five-parter known as The Quest for Power. Each one more intense and serious than the last! I don't want to spoil too much but even to this day there were a lot of moments that were not only shuttersome, but also produces some pangs of loss, fear, anxiety, and sometimes confusion. Also, it really bothered me that Ryan is Grimlord's #1 target throughout the series, and it gets worse when the seasons change.

I also remember having the figurines of all three Troopers, I believe it was a birthday present but I'm not certain. Too bad I never had Ryan's Season 2 outfit, though I always considered his Season 1's figurine to be better than the other two; like I said, I'm a HUGE Ryan Steele fan, even back then. It's a shame I don't have it now.

Sadly, as awesome and nostalgic as it was, it only lasted a mere two years and only had a couple seasons to follow, 92 episodes altogether, without a proper resolution. Nevertheless, I'll always consider it as an all-time classic, and I hope other generations of viewers would see it that way as well, as dated, though retro, as it may be when it actually refers to virtual reality. Since it ran out of stock footage from other Japanese series, why can't we just end it with advanced CGI like we have now? I know it may seem farfetched considering everyone has aged and a few actors bit the dust (like Grimlord's, Tao's and Zeb and his sis), but I'd really love to see a movie, or perhaps a few more episodes with an epilogue that brings us to modern times, and just finish where it left off. While it might not be possible for Saban to do so, I feel the possibilities are almost endless. Not to mention it was the earliest Japanese series I'd ever encountered.

So, what do you guys think of the overlooked series? Feel free to leave a comment, I'd really like to relive these moments, and I hope it gets a second wind after so many years.