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fandomhigh_ooc2007-07-01 11:54 am
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Spotlight on Fandoms: Power Rangers Ninja Storm
Hi people! It’s Nicole again, bringing you an overview of Power Rangers Ninja Storm. Why yes, there will be extra stuff towards the end, should you find yourself wanting more. And to keep everything from crashing because we all know how the internet can get, this will be put into various lj-cuts.
The Power Rangers franchise began with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and continues to create new series to date. I'm not sure I see an end to it, unless they stop making the Sentai series. Power Rangers Ninja Storm is based off of the Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger.
Tori, Shane and Dustin are three students training to be ninjas at the Wind Ninja Academy in Blue Bay Harbor, California. Tori is an avid surfer and a part of the water class. Shane is a skateboarder and belongs to the air class, while Dustin is a motocross rider and a part of the earth class. These three are the only remaining students when the Wind Ninja Academy is attacked and destroyed by Lothor, an evil ninja from outer space.
What I absolutely love about this particular series is that it doesn't have any qualms about making fun of itself. At one point, I think towards the end of the series - if not the last episode, Lothor says "This is the most fun I've had all season!" It really is just an all around fun, quirky show. It breaks off from the PR universe by holding the belief that Power Rangers are only found in comic books - Dustin is a huge comic book geek and believes that the Power Rangers are real, getting teased by Tori for that.
Throughout the series, Tori, Shane and Dustin grow as ninjas, Rangers and friends, showing Cam (the other survivor of the attack and the son of the Wind Ninja Academy's sensei) that they were meant to be Power Rangers. Along the way, they meet Hunter and Blake Bradley, brothers (adopted!), who turn out to be Thunder ninjas and Rangers themselves. At first, they're evil - believing that Sensei Watanabe killed their parents and it ended up being Lothor (shocker!), who'd planted the lies in their heads.
So the Thunders join the Winds in the battle against evil. And, oh! Cam gets powers too! He travels back in time and receives the Samurai amulet from his mother (Miko!), traveling back to the present and becoming the Green Samurai Ranger.
Lothor is eventually beaten, yay! The Rangers lose their powers but they continue on, everyone but Blake accepting the title of Sensei and teaching at their respective academies. Blake goes on a motocross tour, riding for Factory Blue.
All in all, this show is full of cracktastic goodness and just plain fun. There are some great episodes out there (Wild Wipeout, I Love Lothor, etc.) and I just love this show so much.
The Power Rangers:
Shane Clarke: Played by Pua Magasiva. Shane is a child of the air, being giving the role of the Red Wind Ranger and leader of the group. As I said before, he's an avid skateboarder and once he receives his powers, he becomes seriously committed to his ninja training, Ranger training and helping to keep Lothor from taking over. At times, he let's the Rangering gig get to his head and comes off as way too serious, pointed out to him by Tori and Dustin. Over all, Shane's a good guy and a great leader, deserving of the Red Ranger powers.
Tori Hanson: Played by the wonderful Sally Martin. (Why yes, I am biased! Shh!) Tori, Tori, Tori. She's often called the logical and sensible one of the team, ridiculing Dustin and Shane for their childish antics. Tori is a child of the water, loving to surf whenever she can. She's given the Blue Wind Ranger powers. She's a lovable, trusting person who tries to see the good in everyone and is only girl on the team. She's the oldest out of the trio, which is why she disapproves of how Shane and Dustin act sometimes. Tori becomes truly dedicated to her ninja studies and her role as a Ranger, seemingly the most promising of the Rangers. But that just might be me talking, hee.
Dustin Brooks: Played by Glenn McMillan. Dustin was chosen to be Yellow Wind Ranger. A child of the earth, Dustin loves motocross. He's a bit of an airhead and a comic book geek, which makes him so lovable. He's an all around good guy, and very trusting, this is shown when Marah leaves Lothor's army and pretends to be good for a while. *glares at Marah for hurting Dustin so* What else can I say? Dustin's just a lovable dork, who couldn't possibly get any cuter.
Cameron Watanabe: Played by Jason Chan. Cameron is a genius behind the underground hideaway known as Ninja Ops. He's the one who came up with the morphers, if I'm not mistaken and pretty much all the stuff the Rangers use in battle, from weapons to megazords. I really love Cam. For a while, he tried to convince his father that he'd make an asset to the team as a Ranger but because of a promise Kanoi made to Cam's mother, he forbid his son to become a Ranger. But, all's well ends well in a Disney series. Cam eventually becomes the Green Samurai Ranger, thanks to a quest sending him back in time and all that jazz (see intro). He's the oldest of the group, and is the most serious out of all of them. As the series goes on, Cam does lighten up and we even find out what his hobby is (besides holing himself up in Ninja Ops to create more technology for the Rangers).
Blake Bradley: Played by Jorgito Vargas Jr. Blake Bradley, the younger of the Bradley brothers, is an awesome motocross athlete. He can be a bit dense, like Dustin, but is an all around good guy, except for the part where he'd been evil. He totally overcomes it though, when the ghosts of his parents tell him who truly killed them, that it wasn't Sensei Watanabe. Blake is the Navy Thunder Ranger, having gotten his powers from Sensei Omino (correct me if I'm wrong guys) and is from the Thunder Ninja Academy. There is an immediate spark between him and Tori but nothing really ever happens with them in the series. *shakes fist at Disney and writers, grr!*
Hunter Bradley: Played by Adam Tuominen. Hunter is also a motocross rider. And a pretty awesome one at that. He's the more serious and broody brother, not easily trusting of others - especially where the Winds are concerned. Hunter becomes the Crimson Thunder Ranger in the series, also made evil at first via Lothor's lies. He too overcomes it, when the ghosts of his parents tell him who truly killed them, that it wasn't Sensei Watanabe. He joins up with the Winds, eventually letting down his guard and becoming good friends with them all.
Allies:
Sensei Kanoi Watanabe: Sensei Watanabe is the head of the Wind Ninja Academy and Cam's father. During the attack on the Wind Ninja Academy, Sensei turned into a guinea pig. Complete with a the sensei uniform, yep! He is constantly giving the Rangers advice and little clues to help them with whatever they may be going through, whether it's against Lothor or something within themselves. He's awesome, as both a human and guinea pig. In the end, he's turned back into human form via another battle with Lothor. He truly loves his son and wife, and cares for each Ranger as if they were a part of his family.
Kelly: Kelly is the owner of the local sports store, Storm Chargers. Dustin and Shane work for her, Hunter and Blake eventually joining up. She sponsors the three motocross riders, and works with each one to help them improve their performance. She's an all around awesome boss, trusting the boys to finish whatever they were doing when they have to suddenly leave. And that's just about every shift. Kelly's really great and the boys are lucky to have a boss like her. Though sometimes she does get fed up with them, she's never mean about it.
Cyber Cam: Oh Cyber Cam, how I love thee! Cam created this cyber replica of himself to help out around Ninja Ops, when he's out on Ranger business. Cyber Cam is the complete opposite of Cam, in that he speaks like a California native, using dude just about every chance he gets. He also wears a green skull cap, which is awesome. Ninja Ops just wouldn't be the same with Cyber Cam, that's for sure.
Villains:
Lothor: Lothor is the twin brother of Kanoi Watanabe. The two trained at the Wind Ninja Academy when they were younger, but Lothor was kicked out for studying the dark arts. That was forbidden. Lothor resides on a ship in space, hell bent on destroying the Academy and taking over Earth. He's a pretty funny guy too, if you watch the eps. He's got a pretty bad temper, often getting fed up with his nieces and generals very quickly. And yes, he does have awesome l33t ninja skillz.
Marah: Marah is the niece of Lothor, and is quite a ditz most of the time. Though she does surprise you with some of her ideas, really. Oh, though she is technically evil, she has a huge crush on Dustin, even if she pretended otherwise in "All About Beevil." At the end, she leaves Lothor's army, and joins up at the Wind Ninja Academy, turning good.
Kapri: Kapri is definitely the smarter of the two nieces. She's much more evil, too. Kapri does come up with schemes to destroy the Rangers, but most of the time they backfire. That really doesn't earn her Lothor's favor. Like Marah, Kapri leaves Lothor's army at the end and joins the Wind Ninja Academy, also turning good.
Choobo: Choobo is a lieutenant in Lothor's army and is promoted to general at one point. He's not as evil as the others, but sometimes he comes up with what seem like great schemes. But, they backfire.
Zurgane: Zurgane is the main general of Lothor's army. He's mean and can pull swords out of his shoulders, which is pretty cool.
Kelzacks: They are Lothor's grunt troops. Creepy things, too. They make weird noises but are easily taken down by the Rangers, both in civilian and morphed forms. Further in the series, Kelzak Furies are created and they're a bit tougher to defeat.
Motodrone: Once fused with a human named Perry, Motodrone was rebuilt and reprogrammed under Lothor's command, having a personal score to settle with Hunter, the Crimson Ranger.
Shimazu: The incarnation of a Japanese legend, that Cam comes face to face with in a museum. And he's a toughie, that's for sure. He serves Lothor and comes close to defeating the Rangers, until Cam steps in.
Vexacus: This bad boy is voiced by Michael Hurst, you know, Iolaus? Yep, that's him. *squees like a squeeing thing* Vexacus is a renegade bounty hunter, having come to Earth to hunt down an alien woman named Skyla. Shane comes face to face with him and protects Skyla, earning him his Battlizer. Vexacus eventually ends up working for Lothor, though his plan is to destroy the ninja master and take over Earth himself.
Extra Stuff:
Wiki entry for Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Should you want more info on this series, this is the article to read.
PR Central Database Ninja Storm entry: This has a good listing of info on the characters, weapons, zords, allies, etc. Good site to check out.
Ninja Storm in the PR Timeline
Prelude to a Storm: So this video is pretty much a synopsis of the pilot episode of Power Rangers Ninja Storm. It's set to "Rush" by Aly & AJ. I'm not sure I would've picked that song, but it does fit the clips used. :D This vid showcases the trio (Tori, Shane and Dustin) becoming rangers. I think it's worth taking a look at. :D
Thunder Storm: I just love this video because it showcases one of my favorite ranger team up episodes of all time. Plus? It uses an old school Power Rangers song featured in the show, called "The Best of the Best of the Best", which is awesome. <3!!
Prelude to a Storm Opening Scene: You get a first glimpse at Tori, Shane and Dustin along with their respective hobbies.
The legacy continues...: When Tori, Shane and Dustin are chosen to be rangers.
Holding On: Quite the interesting PRNS fan vid.
Okay, whew. All done!
Questions, comments, a variation of baked goods?
The Power Rangers franchise began with Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and continues to create new series to date. I'm not sure I see an end to it, unless they stop making the Sentai series. Power Rangers Ninja Storm is based off of the Sentai series Ninpuu Sentai Hurricaneger.
Tori, Shane and Dustin are three students training to be ninjas at the Wind Ninja Academy in Blue Bay Harbor, California. Tori is an avid surfer and a part of the water class. Shane is a skateboarder and belongs to the air class, while Dustin is a motocross rider and a part of the earth class. These three are the only remaining students when the Wind Ninja Academy is attacked and destroyed by Lothor, an evil ninja from outer space.
What I absolutely love about this particular series is that it doesn't have any qualms about making fun of itself. At one point, I think towards the end of the series - if not the last episode, Lothor says "This is the most fun I've had all season!" It really is just an all around fun, quirky show. It breaks off from the PR universe by holding the belief that Power Rangers are only found in comic books - Dustin is a huge comic book geek and believes that the Power Rangers are real, getting teased by Tori for that.
Throughout the series, Tori, Shane and Dustin grow as ninjas, Rangers and friends, showing Cam (the other survivor of the attack and the son of the Wind Ninja Academy's sensei) that they were meant to be Power Rangers. Along the way, they meet Hunter and Blake Bradley, brothers (adopted!), who turn out to be Thunder ninjas and Rangers themselves. At first, they're evil - believing that Sensei Watanabe killed their parents and it ended up being Lothor (shocker!), who'd planted the lies in their heads.
So the Thunders join the Winds in the battle against evil. And, oh! Cam gets powers too! He travels back in time and receives the Samurai amulet from his mother (Miko!), traveling back to the present and becoming the Green Samurai Ranger.
Lothor is eventually beaten, yay! The Rangers lose their powers but they continue on, everyone but Blake accepting the title of Sensei and teaching at their respective academies. Blake goes on a motocross tour, riding for Factory Blue.
All in all, this show is full of cracktastic goodness and just plain fun. There are some great episodes out there (Wild Wipeout, I Love Lothor, etc.) and I just love this show so much.
The Power Rangers:
Shane Clarke: Played by Pua Magasiva. Shane is a child of the air, being giving the role of the Red Wind Ranger and leader of the group. As I said before, he's an avid skateboarder and once he receives his powers, he becomes seriously committed to his ninja training, Ranger training and helping to keep Lothor from taking over. At times, he let's the Rangering gig get to his head and comes off as way too serious, pointed out to him by Tori and Dustin. Over all, Shane's a good guy and a great leader, deserving of the Red Ranger powers.
Tori Hanson: Played by the wonderful Sally Martin. (Why yes, I am biased! Shh!) Tori, Tori, Tori. She's often called the logical and sensible one of the team, ridiculing Dustin and Shane for their childish antics. Tori is a child of the water, loving to surf whenever she can. She's given the Blue Wind Ranger powers. She's a lovable, trusting person who tries to see the good in everyone and is only girl on the team. She's the oldest out of the trio, which is why she disapproves of how Shane and Dustin act sometimes. Tori becomes truly dedicated to her ninja studies and her role as a Ranger, seemingly the most promising of the Rangers. But that just might be me talking, hee.
Dustin Brooks: Played by Glenn McMillan. Dustin was chosen to be Yellow Wind Ranger. A child of the earth, Dustin loves motocross. He's a bit of an airhead and a comic book geek, which makes him so lovable. He's an all around good guy, and very trusting, this is shown when Marah leaves Lothor's army and pretends to be good for a while. *glares at Marah for hurting Dustin so* What else can I say? Dustin's just a lovable dork, who couldn't possibly get any cuter.
Cameron Watanabe: Played by Jason Chan. Cameron is a genius behind the underground hideaway known as Ninja Ops. He's the one who came up with the morphers, if I'm not mistaken and pretty much all the stuff the Rangers use in battle, from weapons to megazords. I really love Cam. For a while, he tried to convince his father that he'd make an asset to the team as a Ranger but because of a promise Kanoi made to Cam's mother, he forbid his son to become a Ranger. But, all's well ends well in a Disney series. Cam eventually becomes the Green Samurai Ranger, thanks to a quest sending him back in time and all that jazz (see intro). He's the oldest of the group, and is the most serious out of all of them. As the series goes on, Cam does lighten up and we even find out what his hobby is (besides holing himself up in Ninja Ops to create more technology for the Rangers).
Blake Bradley: Played by Jorgito Vargas Jr. Blake Bradley, the younger of the Bradley brothers, is an awesome motocross athlete. He can be a bit dense, like Dustin, but is an all around good guy, except for the part where he'd been evil. He totally overcomes it though, when the ghosts of his parents tell him who truly killed them, that it wasn't Sensei Watanabe. Blake is the Navy Thunder Ranger, having gotten his powers from Sensei Omino (correct me if I'm wrong guys) and is from the Thunder Ninja Academy. There is an immediate spark between him and Tori but nothing really ever happens with them in the series. *shakes fist at Disney and writers, grr!*
Hunter Bradley: Played by Adam Tuominen. Hunter is also a motocross rider. And a pretty awesome one at that. He's the more serious and broody brother, not easily trusting of others - especially where the Winds are concerned. Hunter becomes the Crimson Thunder Ranger in the series, also made evil at first via Lothor's lies. He too overcomes it, when the ghosts of his parents tell him who truly killed them, that it wasn't Sensei Watanabe. He joins up with the Winds, eventually letting down his guard and becoming good friends with them all.
Allies:
Sensei Kanoi Watanabe: Sensei Watanabe is the head of the Wind Ninja Academy and Cam's father. During the attack on the Wind Ninja Academy, Sensei turned into a guinea pig. Complete with a the sensei uniform, yep! He is constantly giving the Rangers advice and little clues to help them with whatever they may be going through, whether it's against Lothor or something within themselves. He's awesome, as both a human and guinea pig. In the end, he's turned back into human form via another battle with Lothor. He truly loves his son and wife, and cares for each Ranger as if they were a part of his family.
Kelly: Kelly is the owner of the local sports store, Storm Chargers. Dustin and Shane work for her, Hunter and Blake eventually joining up. She sponsors the three motocross riders, and works with each one to help them improve their performance. She's an all around awesome boss, trusting the boys to finish whatever they were doing when they have to suddenly leave. And that's just about every shift. Kelly's really great and the boys are lucky to have a boss like her. Though sometimes she does get fed up with them, she's never mean about it.
Cyber Cam: Oh Cyber Cam, how I love thee! Cam created this cyber replica of himself to help out around Ninja Ops, when he's out on Ranger business. Cyber Cam is the complete opposite of Cam, in that he speaks like a California native, using dude just about every chance he gets. He also wears a green skull cap, which is awesome. Ninja Ops just wouldn't be the same with Cyber Cam, that's for sure.
Villains:
Lothor: Lothor is the twin brother of Kanoi Watanabe. The two trained at the Wind Ninja Academy when they were younger, but Lothor was kicked out for studying the dark arts. That was forbidden. Lothor resides on a ship in space, hell bent on destroying the Academy and taking over Earth. He's a pretty funny guy too, if you watch the eps. He's got a pretty bad temper, often getting fed up with his nieces and generals very quickly. And yes, he does have awesome l33t ninja skillz.
Marah: Marah is the niece of Lothor, and is quite a ditz most of the time. Though she does surprise you with some of her ideas, really. Oh, though she is technically evil, she has a huge crush on Dustin, even if she pretended otherwise in "All About Beevil." At the end, she leaves Lothor's army, and joins up at the Wind Ninja Academy, turning good.
Kapri: Kapri is definitely the smarter of the two nieces. She's much more evil, too. Kapri does come up with schemes to destroy the Rangers, but most of the time they backfire. That really doesn't earn her Lothor's favor. Like Marah, Kapri leaves Lothor's army at the end and joins the Wind Ninja Academy, also turning good.
Choobo: Choobo is a lieutenant in Lothor's army and is promoted to general at one point. He's not as evil as the others, but sometimes he comes up with what seem like great schemes. But, they backfire.
Zurgane: Zurgane is the main general of Lothor's army. He's mean and can pull swords out of his shoulders, which is pretty cool.
Kelzacks: They are Lothor's grunt troops. Creepy things, too. They make weird noises but are easily taken down by the Rangers, both in civilian and morphed forms. Further in the series, Kelzak Furies are created and they're a bit tougher to defeat.
Motodrone: Once fused with a human named Perry, Motodrone was rebuilt and reprogrammed under Lothor's command, having a personal score to settle with Hunter, the Crimson Ranger.
Shimazu: The incarnation of a Japanese legend, that Cam comes face to face with in a museum. And he's a toughie, that's for sure. He serves Lothor and comes close to defeating the Rangers, until Cam steps in.
Vexacus: This bad boy is voiced by Michael Hurst, you know, Iolaus? Yep, that's him. *squees like a squeeing thing* Vexacus is a renegade bounty hunter, having come to Earth to hunt down an alien woman named Skyla. Shane comes face to face with him and protects Skyla, earning him his Battlizer. Vexacus eventually ends up working for Lothor, though his plan is to destroy the ninja master and take over Earth himself.
Extra Stuff:
Wiki entry for Power Rangers Ninja Storm: Should you want more info on this series, this is the article to read.
PR Central Database Ninja Storm entry: This has a good listing of info on the characters, weapons, zords, allies, etc. Good site to check out.
Ninja Storm in the PR Timeline
Prelude to a Storm: So this video is pretty much a synopsis of the pilot episode of Power Rangers Ninja Storm. It's set to "Rush" by Aly & AJ. I'm not sure I would've picked that song, but it does fit the clips used. :D This vid showcases the trio (Tori, Shane and Dustin) becoming rangers. I think it's worth taking a look at. :D
Thunder Storm: I just love this video because it showcases one of my favorite ranger team up episodes of all time. Plus? It uses an old school Power Rangers song featured in the show, called "The Best of the Best of the Best", which is awesome. <3!!
Prelude to a Storm Opening Scene: You get a first glimpse at Tori, Shane and Dustin along with their respective hobbies.
The legacy continues...: When Tori, Shane and Dustin are chosen to be rangers.
Holding On: Quite the interesting PRNS fan vid.
Okay, whew. All done!
Questions, comments, a variation of baked goods?
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*runs*
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You suck. Because it is now stuck in my head.
... SHU SHU TO NINJA JAN! I hate you. ;)
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. . . not that it's miserable misery, 'cause so damn bouncy.
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*bounces along*
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Hee. I honestly wonder if Power Rangers will EVER END. Like, ever. I kind of hope not...