Power Rangers Jungle Fury is the 16th season in the Power Rangers franchise, adapted from Juken Sentai Gekiranger. Millennia ago, an evil spirit called Dai Shi waged war to determine whether man or beast would control the earth. A group called the Pai Zhua (aka "Order of the Claw") won the war for humanity, and imprisoned Dai Shi, appointing new guardians every generation to watch over his prison.Unfortunately, the masters never thought to put a lock on the prison, and Dai Shi escaped when the box was knocked over. The three current guardians are directed to a Pai Zhua master in Ocean Bluff, a city close to Dai Shi's old lair. With Dai Shi weakened and the guardians still just students, both sides have to seek out the masters who fought in the Beast War and hone their skills before their enemies can destroy them.This was the final series to be produced under Bruce Kalish, bringing an end to his less-than-acclaimed tenure. Though Disney considered pulling the plug on the franchise with his departure, Bandai successfully lobbied for another season due to contractual obligations. It was also the first season since Power Rangers Turbo to not give any ranger a battlizer; instead, the budget went into creating three rangers who appeared in the toyline, but never Gekiranger: The Elephant, Bat, and Shark Spirit Rangers. It also made history by giving the show its first ever canonical violet Ranger (the Wolf Ranger - hey, Sixth Rangers can get away with not having a Color Character name).General opinion of the series seems to be So Okay It's Average. It was considered a definite improvement over Operation Overdrive, but (possibly due to the writer's strike) there was a feeling that everybody was simply going through the motions at this point. There wasn't anything wrong with the series, but there wasn't anything astoundingly good about it either.Succeeded by Power Rangers RPM.Has a character sheet.
Panthera Awesome: The Ranger core trio of Casey (Tiger), Theo (Jaguar), and Lily (Cheetah). Also General Whiger (White Tiger) and Master Mao (unspecified).
Transformation Trinket: Instead of a wrist or phone device like the other series, this time it's the Cool Shades. (For the Power Trio. The Wolf and Rhino Morphers are wrist-worn - the Rhino Morpher going from a small bracelet to one of the largest morphers ever, a huge glove weapon that also serves as arm blade and missile launcher. This means all or most of his attacks are in his morpher, similar to an earlier Ranger in white.)
Armed Legs: The Wolf Pride Megazord - the Wolf Zord leg has a bladed shin.
Ascended Fanboy: In the first episode, when RJ gives the three their morphers, Theo says "Ever since I was a little kid, I've always wanted to be a..." and then shuts up when the others look at him laughing.
Bishonen Line: The Masters go to the limits of their power and become Muppets. The Rangers push themselves past that and become... themselves, with auras and fireballs.
By Wall That Is Holey: in "Path Of The Rhino", a sign falls toward Fran and Dominic saves her by cutting a hole in it
Canon Foreigner: The Spirit Rangers do not exist in sentai (the masters do, but they don't get shiny suits.)
Can't Catch Up: Casey, being a relative newcomer to Pai Zhua, worries about this at times.
Composite Character: RJ is somewhat a combined version Gekiranger's Gou (Geki Violet) and Master Sha Fu even though the latter's Power Ranger counterpart is Master Mao. Since Mao dies in the first episode much of Sha Fu's role gets shifted to RJ instead of Mao.
Conservation of Ninjutsu: In the final battle, every single "special" monster, like Phantom Beasts, Five Fingers of Poison, Shadow Guards, etc. is revived. The Rangers and their masters deal with them quite easily, considering how much trouble some of them caused alone.
Foot Focus: R.J. being the hippie pseudo stoner that he is is often barefoot, while one episode features a close up shot of Lily's feet as she steps out of her shoes after walking though some spilled flour.
Foreshadowing: All the way in episode 3, RJ blindfolds himself to demonstrate "The Swoop Technique".
Funny Bruce Lee Noises: Notable in a season where most of the Rangers distinctively practiced Chinese-based martial art. Despite this, none of the other Rangers felt the need to bother with this, but Theo loved it.
Getting Crap Past the Radar: In one episode they fought an "eel" monster who flopped around on the ground like he was dry-humping it, and then shot white goo all over them. It was arguably even lampshaded when the Yellow Ranger said "This guy's a freak!"
If It Swims, It Flies: Mostly averted as the Shark Spirit only flies to combine with the Megazord, or when they use all the extra animals in an Ultrazord-type formation.
Kinda played straight by the Penguin Spirit, which flies around on a surfboard.
"I Know You're In There Somewhere" Fight: Master Mao first tries to do this with Jarrod (possessed by Dai Shi) and fails. Casey does this later and succeeds, although this might be down to the fact Dai Shi was starting to lose his grip.
Idiosyncratic Episode Naming: As Bruce Kalish's fourth season, every title had four words. This led to strange titles like "Pizza Slice of Life" and "One Last Second Chance".
Master of Delusion: averted; Fran starts getting annoyed at her coworkers running off, and eventually discovers what they're doing.
Meaningful Name: the Pai Zhua masters: Master Mao (cat, think "meow"), Master (ele)Phant, Master Swoop (bat), Master Finn (shark), Master (go)Rilla, Master (ante)Lope, and Master (pen)Guin. Also Camille the chameleon.
Mythology Gag: Not just the reference to the Morphin' Grid. Let's see, we've got a White Ranger (well, Rhino Ranger, but he's in white) whose glove thingy has finger missiles (just like the Zord of a certain Green Ranger who became a White Ranger later.) Also, the Rhino Zord has Dominic riding on its back until he's ready to convert it to Warrior Mode (a term we're hearing for the first time since 1995-6, perhaps) by entering the cockpit and inserting the dagger that controls it into a slot. In other words, it pretty much is the White Tiger Thunderzord. Also, it uses the same kanji for its finisher as the White Tiger used in its main attack.
Spell My Name with an S: The press release for the season originally misspelled the order Pai Zhuq. To this day, people still use that spelling on occasion.
The Starscream: Grizzaka. Because he blames Dai Shi for losing the war 10,000 years ago, and even more for his current status as a human. No doubt about it.
Grizzaka: 10,000 years ago, you ruled us, and we were destroyed. Now you're human - even weaker. From now on, I'm in charge.
And unlike Starscream, he actually wins, and is the leader until Dai Shi can get his position back.
And after him come the Phantom Beasts. They are actually loyal to Dai Shi - having thought like Grizzaka back in the original war, and now believing they'd have won if they had followed Dai Shi. (Yes, villains blaming their failure on themselves. You don't see that every day.) However, they believe Dai Shi has been compromised by the will of Jarrod.
But before any of them, there was Naja. He made the mistake of trying to recruit Camille, and his Starscreaming career lasted two episodes before she finished him.
TV Strikes: The season was mostly completed by scab writers during the writers' strike of 2007-08.
This isn't a bad thing, as noted under Needs More Love while this season does have its flaws it's noted that it was at least a step back in the right direction.
Wolf Man: R.J., when his wolf spirit gets out of hand
You Look Familiar: Subverted as far as possible - Kelson Henderson gets reduced to a voice acting credit in the role of Flit, and only appears in person in the finale - even then, he's mostly hidden by a backwards cap and large sunglasses. Was his transformation to human form not complete?
Camille is played by Holly Shanahan, previously Leelee in Mystic Force. Making this her second role as a villainess who does a Heel Face Turn.
Disguised with Dyeing for Your Art - Leelee is blonde, Camille has dark hair.
And Michelle Langstone, Kat Manx from SPD, returns as Master Guin. Who incidentally was also called Michelle in Gekiranger, leading to fans deeming her Michelle Guin. Or Michelle Pengstone.
So the Western actress has the same first name as the Japanese counterpart of her character. Is there a trope for such a coincidence?
1 reviews 