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Metal Hero is a genre of Japanese tokusatsu television programs.  It was produced by Toei, the same company responsible for the ''Super Sentai'' and Kamen Rider series.  Beginning in 1982 and ending in 1999, the series usually consist of 1-3 characters transforming into cyborg-like superheroes.  In 1994, Haim Saban took footage from the Metal Hero series, and used it for ''VR Troopers'' and in 1996 and 1997 for ''Big Bad BeetleBorgs'' and ''BeetleBorgs Metallix''.

'''Metal Hero''' is a genre of Japanese tokusatsu television programs.  It was produced by Toei, the same company responsible for the ''Super Sentai'' and Kamen Rider series.  Beginning in 1982 and ending in 1999, the series usually consist of 1-3 characters transforming into cyborg-like superheroes.  In 1994, Haim Saban took footage from the Metal Hero series, and used it for ''VR Troopers'' and in 1996 and 1997 for ''Big Bad BeetleBorgs'' and ''BeetleBorgs Metallix''.

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''.

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''.

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''.

[[Category: Japan]]

[[Category:Japan]]