''Franchise/SuperSentai'' has a simple enough concept: Live-Action series styled like anime about multicolored heroes in spandex with numerous weapons, including [[HumongousMecha Humongous]] CombiningMecha, against an army of goons in rubber suits. However, just because it's campy doesn't mean you have to make it dumb. You can still make it work.

With that being said, let's get busy.

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!'''Necessary Tropes'''

'''ColorCodedCharacters:''' You're gonna need to be able to tell each member apart somehow. How you do it is up to you, most ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' shows have the entire suit in that colour bar a few other bits but in ''Series/TomicaHeroRescueForce'' they all wore orange with trim depending on the colours.

This usually also applies to their pre-henshin state, but as ''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhranger'' showed, you don't have to do that necessarily. It just helps. If they work for some form of group and have uniforms that they wear before transforming (See ''Series/TokusouSentaiDekaranger'') then it's slightly more likely that they'll have colour co-ordinated uniforms outside of battle.

'''LawOfChromaticSuperiority:''' RedIsHeroic, so TheHero wears it; end of discussion. He usually gets [[ProtagonistPowerUpPrivileges the best stuff]], the primary focus, etc. Don't sideline the others, though. However, the Red Ranger doesn't have to be the leader, [[RookieRedRanger nor does he have to be the most experienced]]. The law was briefly broken by ''Series/KikaiSentaiZenkaiger'' with the White (actually Rainbow) Ranger being the leader '''and''' the main character, as well as being TheHero; but he still had prominent red markings on his suit.

'''SpandexLatexOrLeather''': Chances are, you're gonna be going with spandex; as much as [[Series/PowerRangersRPM some people deny it]]. [[Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie Latex armor]] and [[Series/TokumeiSentaiGoBusters leather-like materials]] aren't unheard-of, though. If the series has an additional, non-Ranger heroic ally, he'll probably have latex.

'''ThePowerOfFriendship''': Teamwork is a staple of the genre. It makes the kids happy, after all.

'''{{BFG}}''': You're gonna need something to blow up the monster before you summon the...

'''HumongousMecha''': Specifically, CombiningMecha. The main weapon tends to be a sword for these ones. They are always [[SuperRobotGenre Super Robots]]. Be sure to include a lot of them, [[MerchandiseDriven you'll make some good money out of their toys]].

!'''Choices, Choices'''
'''Motif''': Each season has some kind of overlaying motif to it. This motif is the inspiration for the heroes' costumes, their mecha, and sometimes even their weapons. Don't worry about repeating a motif that's already been done. After all, there have been a bunch of vehicle-themed seasons,[[note]]''Series/KousokuSentaiTurboranger'', ''Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger'', ''Series/KyukyuSentaiGoGoFive'', ''Series/GoGoSentaiBoukenger'', ''Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger'', ''Series/ResshaSentaiToQger'' and ''Series/MashinSentaiKiramager''[[/note]] four dinosaur-themed seasons,[[note]]''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'', ''Series/BakuryuuSentaiAbaranger'', ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'', and ''Series/KishiryuSentaiRyusoulger''[[/note]] three ninja-themed seasons,[[note]]''Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger'', ''Series/NinpuuSentaiHurricaneger'', and ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger''[[/note]] and plenty more where that came from. Give the motif a chance to rest before you dig it up again. [[FleetingDemographicRule 5 to 15 years sounds about right.]]
* While this isn't always the case, most seasons also give the villains a motif, be it one shared with the heroes or a unique one of their own. In either case, it'll need to reliably provide the MonsterOfTheWeek for a year's worth of episodes without getting stale, so make sure you pick one that offers plenty of variety.

'''CentralTheme''': While the motif largely deals with the visual aspects of the season, you've also got to tell a story with it. What message do you want the audience to come away with? Courage, friendship, and family some of the more common ones; just keep it idealistic.

'''Tone''': Do you want it to be a [[Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman dark drama]]? Or a [[Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger wacky comedy]]? Or even a [[Series/GekisouSentaiCarranger ridiculous parody]]? This decision will affect how things look.

'''Number of Heroes''': The minimum to a team is [[PowerTrio three members]], and one of those members is going to be a girl.

The most common configuration is to have [[FiveManBand five members]]. You don't have to have TwoGirlsToATeam, but you can if you want. Chances are, the guys adapting your series will want to [[ShesAManInJapan turn the one that isn't pink/white into a girl]] for the sake of feminism, though.

Of course, just because you start out with three/five doesn't mean you have to have that many for the whole series. ''Series/ChoujuuSentaiLiveman'' introduced the concept of [[ThreePlusTwo having two additional members join a three-member team]], and ''Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger'' introduced the concept of a permanent SixthRanger joining the team later. If the concept of a SixthRanger just doesn't cut it, you can always bring in an Extra Hero that fits the theme of the show, but with a radically different costume. Heck, you can add as many members as you like (budget permitting, of course): several series have extra allied Rangers join the team [[EleventhHourRanger at the end of the series]] or for special events like tie-in movies; ''Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger'' had recurring GuestFighter Rangers appear for a total team size of ten (plus an eleventh enemy Ranger appearing in a movie), and ''Series/UchuSentaiKyuranger'' grew to ''twelve'' Rangers, all of which were regular cast members.

'''Colors''': All Sentai series have a Red, a Blue Ranger, and ''usually'' a Yellow Ranger (there are only six shows that don't have yellow[[note]]''JAKQ'', ''Battle Fever J'', ''Changeman'', ''Kyoryuger'', ''Ryusoulger'', and ''Boonboomger''[[/note]]). If you're starting with three members then those are probably going to be their colors right there. That said, a red/blue/pink trio is slowly becoming more common.[[note]]being used in ''Kyoryuger'', ''Ryusoulger'', and ''Boonboomger''[[/note]]

For a FiveManBand, the other two members after red, blue, and yellow are usually two of the four following colors: pink, green, white, and black (''most'' of the time, one is either black or green and the other is pink, but it's not a hard-and-fast rule). As stated above, red is generally reserved for TheHero, while [[PinkIsFeminine pink is almost exclusively worn by women]]; all other colors are rather flexible as to who wears them (yellow is gender-neutral overall, having shifted from mostly-male to mostly-female over time; white tends to be used with women on a core team but with men for Sixth Rangers; blue and green are primarily male but there are cases of women wearing them;[[note]]female blues in ''Liveman'', ''Jetman'', ''Hurricaneger'', ''Magiranger'', and ''Zyuohger'' and greens in ''Kyuranger'' and ''Kiramager''[[/note]] and there has yet to be a female Black Ranger).

For the SixthRanger(s), gold and silver have become the defaults, but you can also use whatever core team colors aren't taken already (except for pink due to the whole "girls only" thing). ''Timeranger'' and ''Kyuranger'' also show that you can repeat the red color for the Sixth, but make sure to give him a different title and costume to differentiate him from the Red Ranger you already have.

And if you're going for a ''big'' roster a la ''Kyoryuger'' or ''Kyuranger'', you'll need more colors; options that have been used in those series include purple, orange, grey, and cyan (aka "aqua" or "skyblue", this color has also been used for regular Blue Rangers in place of the usual darker shade on occasion).

!'''Pitfalls'''
* Avoid going overboard with StuffBlowingUp during the fight scenes. Chances are, your audience will be more impressed by your actors' martial arts skills than the huge explosions constantly happening behind the heroes and villans. A much ''better'' use for huge explosions is to have one happen just after the rangers morph at the start of a critical battle or a team-up, because AwesomenessIsVolatile.
** Many of the best fight scenes involve interacting with scenery, such as ImprovisedWeapon and NoOSHACompliance environments.
* While Sentai is MerchandiseDriven,[[note]]''Ohranger'' had very low ratings, but the toy sales were huge, which was what made Toei decide not to cancel the franchise[[/note]] don't make it too blatant. It's a lot easier to get away with a lot more merchandise in a series with a collectible (i.e., [[Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger keys]], [[Series/ZyudenSentaiKyoryuger batteries]], [[Series/UchuuSentaiKyuranger globes]]), but even then, it's still possible to go overboard with merchandise (see ''Series/TensouSentaiGoseiger'', which had a card gimmick that was mainly to promote an arcade game, as an example). Consider how useful the collectible is as a way to determine how many times it should show up - a collectible that can allow the user to swim rapidly probably isn't gonna have much use if you're writing a series that takes place mostly on dry land, in the air, or in space, whereas a collectible that allows the user to generate a shield should appear multiple times. Same goes for the mecha - if you're going to include mecha, be sure to use the mechs you introduce a lot (for an example of how this can go wrong, look at ''Series/ChikyuuSentaiFiveman'', which went ''so'' wrong that had it not been for ''Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman'' being a huge success, it would've [[FranchiseKiller ended the franchise]]).
* Although there is no limit to how many Rangers you can have on your team, the more Rangers you have, the less focus each individual Ranger gets - although ''Kyoryuger'' and ''Kyuranger'' have more Rangers (and the Reds got a large amount of the focus), ''Ninninger'' is an example of where one Ranger getting too much focus derailed the show, to the point where Takaharu is used as the go-to example of how ''not'' to do a Red Ranger.
* VillainDecay can happen when Villains become too scary for children and the producers push for a more kid friendly villain. Additionally if a villain isn't allowed to win from time to time they lose their threat. As such many a good villain will be able to grasp victory from defeat or plan a XanatosGambit. In ''Go-Busters'', Enter's robots would be destroyed by the Go-Busters every time so he would use attacks as distractions in order to complete other objectives, such as stealing data and zord materials.

!'''Potential Subversions'''
* You don't have to include BlackAndWhiteMorality. Feel free to make the heroes [[AntiHero somewhat morally questionable]] or your villains [[NobleDemon not that evil]]. But regardless of a scenario it's best to give the viewer a reason to root for the protagonist and not fall into TooBleakStoppedCaring or make the protagonist bland enough that the viewer ends up RootingForTheEmpire. While making sure that your protagonist still has some heroic qualities so that he or she doesn't risk becoming a DesignatedHero. (The actual franchise attempted this idea in ''Series/KaitouSentaiLupinrangerVSKeisatsuSentaiPatranger''.)
* Explore the consequences of the existence of monsters and aliens existing. How much of an impact it can make? How involved will the military be now that monsters and aliens roam the planet?
* Mix up the colors: Use a nonstandard color like purple or orange.[[note]]on a normal-sized team, not an especially large one that would demand it anyway[[/note]] Let the Red Ranger be a woman, or the Pink Ranger be a man. Have TheHero wear something ''other'' than red. Put Gold and/or Silver Rangers on the core team instead of being Sixth Rangers. The franchise has flirted with ''all'' of these over the years, so nothing is really off-limits.[[note]]''Gekiranger'' and ''[=ToQger=]'' had Purple and Orange respectively as Sixth Rangers and ''King-Ohger'' and ''Boonboomger'' later had them on the core teams in place of Pink and Yellow, ''Shinkenger'' had a female (but secondary) Red Ranger and ''Donbrothers'' had a male Pink, ''Zenkaiger''[='s=] main hero was a White Ranger, and ''Kyuranger'' had Gold and Silver on the main team (while its Sixths were Purple and another Red).[[/note]]
* You don't have to have a show set in the present. Many shows try to do TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture, but few have gone beyond that. ''Timeranger''/''Time Force'' set itself in the present, but the characters were originally from 1000 years in the future. But ''RPM'' is so far the only ''Power Rangers'' series to have a drastically different setting, that being post-apocalyptic. And so far no ''Sentai'' or ''Power Rangers'' season has been set in the past.
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!'''Writers' Lounge'''

!!'''Suggested Themes and Aesops'''

[[ForGreatJustice Justice]]. [[TheDeterminator Resolve]]. Traffic safety. Keep it optimistic, even in the worst of times.

!!'''Potential Motifs'''

It all depends on the theme. Popular ones include dinosaurs, cars, police squadrons, ninja, and especially animals. When all else fails, go with a neutral vehicle theme.

!!'''Suggested Plots'''

Chances are, most of your episodes are gonna follow a similar formula: Monster attacks civilians, team faces off against monster but fails, focus member does something relevant to the episode, round two, heroes win, monster vs. robo, scene with group.

There are a series of plots that happen often, though:
* The Red Ranger learns a lesson on leadership.
* A monster might attack brides, forcing the heroes to go undercover as a couple getting married.
* A monster might make {{Evil Knockoff}}s of the heroes.
** Alternatively, the villains will bring in [[PsychoRangers a team of evil rangers]]. Said team does not have to be human, and usually lasts for an arc.
* A monster might not want to hurt anyone, but the team will usually end up having to blow him up anyway.
* In seasons with TwoGirlsToATeam, a GirlsNightOutEpisode that focuses on the women working together (usually to rescue the male Rangers).

For the end of the season, [[AllYourBaseAreBelongToUs raid the heroes' base]], TrashTheSet, and start blowing up mecha. Do anything to make the heroes' second wind awe-inspiring. Just don't go overboard.

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!'''Departments'''

!!'''Set Designer / Location Scout'''

There's a lot of places you can re-use. A city, a quarry, a grassy field, or other locations around Japan work great for regular-size battles, and there are specific sets for mecha battles.

!!'''Props Department'''

Well, there's the TransformationTrinket. The most common ones these days are wrist-mounted or cell phones.

A set of weapons that each member has, usually a gun, a sword, or [[BreadEggsBreadedEggs gun that can turn into a sword]] are also a must.

Each member should have a unique weapon of their own. Red usually has a sword, the others you can vary. These weapons can most commonly combine into one {{BFG}}.

Tie everything around a central collectible item that can be plugged into the other equipment somehow. It should also be incorporated into the mecha designs.

All the props (especially the collectibles) can be turned into toys, the real source of your money.

!!'''Costume Design'''

Spandex is generally what you'll be using for the heroes' costumes when transformed. Everything else that isn't human will generally be rubber. Some female villains, however, will tend to have visible faces.

!!'''Casting Director'''

Start off with the FiveManBand or PowerTrio characterization and work your way from there. Your cast needs to slowly grow as characters over the course of the series. They need to be friendly towards each other.

The villains will usually be played by actors in suits, but that doesn't make them inconsequential. The monster can benefit with a quirky personality.

Child actors are optional, but they work good as support members or heroes. In [[Series/KyoryuSentaiZyuranger at least one case]], a child was even one of the villains!

Voice actors can also be counted on to do some roles for the series.

Also, it's a good idea to have a few scenes every now and then featuring the rangers removing their helmets or otherwise showing their faces while they're still morphed. It'll help build the illusion that it's really the characters inside the suits and not random stuntmen.

!!'''Stunt Department'''

Martial arts are the real draw of the series. Each member of the team needs to be a skilled fighter, and they need to look good. When all else fails, however, throw some wires in.

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!'''Extra Credit'''

Let's say you're not writing a ''Super Sentai'' series. Let's say you're adapting a ''Super Sentai'' show into a ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' series. What are you going to do? It all depends on a few factors.

Factor one is '''Budget'''. You will probably have a reduced budget compared to ''Sentai''. This will determine what you'll be able to add. Save most of your budget for blending the ''Sentai'' footage with your American actors. The good thing about adapting ''Super Sentai'' is that most of your work is done for you. You'll most likely have access to the most important costumes, like the Ranger suits or the suits for the main villains. If you have a good enough budget, you can add a [[SuperMode Battlizer]] for the Red Ranger or some other vehicle. Don't go overboard with additions, though, or you'll be reduced to reverse-angle StockFootage. The kids aren't that stupid. They can tell when they've seen something over and over. They can also tell when [[Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers the foam shield is replaced by a cloth shield]].

Factor two is '''Footage'''. You will be limited by a combination of what suits you have and what footage you use. However, don't think this is an excuse to just [[ShotForShotRemake repeat the plot of the Sentai]]. The kids (and [[WebVideo/HistoryOfPowerRangers Linkara]]) won't notice, but the older fans will have access to the original Sentai a year or more before you adapt it, and they ''will'' notice, and only [[Series/PowerRangersTimeForce once]] has this type of adaptation been a fan favorite season. And they will let you know that they noticed. Loudly. Instead, think of the Sentai footage as sort of a guideline, a suggestion more than a rule. [[Series/SeijuuSentaiGingaman A nature-themed Sentai]] can just as easily be adapted into [[Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy a space opera]]. [[Series/EngineSentaiGoOnger A wacky comedy]], with enough work, can be repurposed into [[Series/PowerRangersRPM a post-apocalyptic drama]], [[Series/PowerRangersTurbo but this can also be messed up]]. Simply cut the footage you can't use and make good use of the footage you can. And remember that if the footage you have doesn't work for a scene you want, you can always film your own - but keep in mind that there's a budget limit to how much you original footage you can make.

Other notes for adapting to ''Power Rangers'':

'''Casting Department:''' You'll want TwoGirlsToATeam, even if the original Sentai didn't have it. [[ShesAManInJapan You usually don't need to stress too much about the fact that the Stock Footage has a male.]] If the Sentai starts with only a PowerTrio, though, you're free to ignore this.

You'll also want a FiveTokenBand to make sure your cast isn't too monochromatic. [[ColorblindCasting It doesn't really matter which races are used or what roles they take]], just make sure they're there. In a pinch; [[Series/PowerRangersMysticForce Xander]], [[Series/PowerRangersRPM Flynn]], [[Series/PowerRangersSamurai Antonio]], and [[Series/PowerRangersDinoCharge Chase]] are evidence that you should never underestimate the power of an accent (and with production stationed in New Zealand these days, [[FakeAmerican most of your cast will be faking American accents anyway]]).

'''Props Department:''' You'll usually be able to make your own additions to the arsenal used in ''Sentai'', but keep in mind that you'll need to film new footage involving the additions or otherwise work around its absence in the original StockFootage. A SuperMode for the Red Ranger (complete with its own TransformationTrinket) is a popular choice, as is a CoolBike or some other vehicle. A CanonImmigrant SixthRanger is possible, but the lack of StockFootage starts to become a glaring problem at this point. A new mecha is probably ill-advised; besides the same StockFootage issues an original SixthRanger would face, you likely won't have access to a miniature set to film mecha battles on. That being said, you are more than welcome to link an original SixthRanger to an already existing mecha if you are willing to reshoot the cockpit footage.
* One workaround that has been catching on in recent years is that the Rangers' new gear -- sets of armor, a weapon, or both -- is tied to piloting the mecha. That way only the cockpit footage has to be reshot (and you might have already decided to replace those bits anyway).
* On the other hand, keep in mind that you don't have to use ''everything'' present in the source material - if there's a mech that you fear would alienate the viewers, and said mech's appearances can be counted on one hand, feel free to cut it.

'''Subversions:'''
* Make your Power Ranger characters adults rather than [[RecruitTeenagersWithAttitude teenagers]]. It helps reduce the possibility of your series involving child soldiers fighting the empire.
* Make the team of Rangers a family - while this has happened before in a few Sentai series (''Series/ChikyuuSentaiFiveman'', ''Series/KyuKyuSentaiGoGoV'', ''Series/MahouSentaiMagiranger'', and ''Series/ShurikenSentaiNinninger''), it has never happened in ''Power Rangers'' - at most, only two Rangers on a team have been related to each other. However, the SixthRanger(s) doesn't need to be related to the rest of the team.
* Have the rangers go out of their way to search for and become rangers - traditionally, the rangers either are called by the team's mentor, start off as rangers, or are chosen by the [[MacGuffin powers]].
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