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→VR Troopers
==VR Troopers==
==VR Troopers==
In 1994, Saban would use Metal Hero footage for ''VR Troopers'', which was a sister show to ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''. However, unlike Power Rangers, ''VR Troopers'' was aired in syndication. Because of this, the show had more violent footage. Initially, the show was pitched as ''Cybertron'', taking footage from the 1987 series, ''Choujinki Metalder''. It starred Jason David Frank, who was already famous playing Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger on Power Rangers as Adam Steele. Jamie Kennedy was also in the pilot, playing the comic relief. However, due to the popularity of Tommy on Power Rangers, Jason David Frank was brought back to the show as the White Ranger. Coincidentally, Brad Hawkins, who played Ryan Steele on ''VR Troopers'', was going to play the White Ranger. The theme song to ''Cybertron'' is a re-worked version of ''Go Green Ranger Go''.
In 1994, Saban would use Metal Hero footage for ''VR Troopers'', which was a sister show to ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers''. However, unlike Power Rangers, ''VR Troopers'' was aired in syndication. Because of this, the show had more violent footage. Initially, the show was pitched as ''Cybertron'', taking footage from the 1987 series, ''Choujinki Metalder''. It starred Jason David Frank, who was already famous playing Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger on Power Rangers as Adam Steele. Jamie Kennedy was also in the pilot, playing the comic relief. However, due to the popularity of Tommy on Power Rangers, Jason David Frank was brought back to the show as the White Ranger. Coincidentally, Brad Hawkins, who played Ryan Steele on ''VR Troopers'', was going to play the White Ranger. The theme song to ''Cybertron'' is a re-worked version of ''Go Green Ranger Go''. The show was re-worked, adapting footage from ''Jikuu Senshi Spielban'' for additional villains, as well as the characters of J.B. Reese and Kaitlin Starr, and renamed ''VR Troopers''. During the second season of the show, the footage from ''Metalder'' had been used up, and the show began using footage from ''Space Sheriff Shaider'' for new villains as well as Ryan Steele's new suit. The show ended in 1996, mainly due to the fact that there was no more Metal Hero footage to use that would match the motif. ''Spielban'' had been the only show in which there was a female Metal Hero. It was also around this time that Saban was beginning to adapt the 1995 series ''Juukou B-Fighter'' into ''Big Bad BeetleBorgs''.
Out of most American Tokusatsu adaptations, ''VR Troopers'' is the most unique. Shows like ''Power Rangers'' and DIC's ''Superhuman Samurai Syber Squad'' use footage that is at least 1-3 years old by the time the shows aired. From 1993-2009, ''Power Rangers'' was usually one year behind ''Super Sentai''. However, with ''VR Troopers'', the Japanese footage used was several years old by the time the show aired in 1994. The oldest being from ''Shaider'', which aired in Japan in 1984. ''Spielban'' and ''Metalder'' aired in 1986 and 1987 respectively. Because of this, the footage looked very dated. The same instance occurred with ''Saban's Masked Rider'' in 1995. The Japanese show from where it came, ''Kamen Rider Black RX'', originally aired in 1988. An instance like this wouldn't happen again until 2009's ''Kamen Rider Dragon Knight'', which used footage from 2002's ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''.
==BeetleBorgs==
In 1996, ''Big Bad BeetleBorgs'' began airing on Fox Kids. In a stark contract from ''VR Troopers'', ''BeetleBorgs'' was a more kid-friendly show. Instead of having characters in their 20s, the show focused on pre-teens, around the ages of 10-14. This would be something that would transfer over to Power Rangers in the form of Justin Stewart, the 12 year old Blue Turbo Ranger the following year. One of the more infamous characters on the show was named Flabber, who gained his infamy due to the character's resemblance to Jay Leno. ''BeetleBorgs'' and it's second season, ''BeetleBorgs Metallix'', used footage from the 1995 and 1996 series, ''Juukou B-Fighter'' and ''B-Fighter Kabuto'', respectively. Much like ''VR Troopers'' before, ''BeetleBorgs'' was cancelled due to lack of Japanese footage. Although the Metal Hero series did continue after ''B-Fighter Kabuto'', it's successor ''B-Robo Kabutack'' (1997) and ''Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack'' (1998) were aimed at a younger audience, with the shows being more kiddie in nature. As far as in the west, Saban would make one more sister show to Power Rangers in the Fall of 1998, called ''Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog''. The show garnered a fairly positive reaction. It is the only tokusatsu series produced by Saban to not use any Japanese footage. However, it was cancelled after only once season.
==End of Metal Hero==
The Metal Hero genre of shows ended on January 24, 1999, with the final episode of ''Tetsuwan Tantei Robotack''. To fill the timeslot, TV Asahi would air the 70s series ''Ganbare!! Robocon'' for the rest of 1999, along side the current Super Sentai series, ''Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoV''. After the series finished, Toei would bring back the Kamen Rider series, with ''Kamen Rider Kuuga''.
[[Category: Japan]]
[[Category: Japan]]