Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger (Japanese: 恐竜戦隊ジュウレンジャー, Hepburn: Kyōryū Sentai Juurenjā; Dinosaur Squadron Zyuranger) is a Japanese television tokusatsu series broadcast by TV Asahi. The series is the sixteenth installment of Super Sentai. Directed by Shōhei Tōjō, Takeshi Ogasawara, Taro Sakamoto and Katsuya Watanabe, it stars Yūta Mochizuki, Seiju Umon, Hideki Fujiwara, Takumi Hashimoto, Reiko Chiba, Shiro Izumi, Machiko Soga, Ami Kawai and Jun Tatara. It aired from February 21, 1992 to February 12, 1993, replacing Chōjin Sentai Jetman and was replaced by Gosei Sentai Dairanger. It was the first Sentai series to have a regular Sixth Ranger, and the first to introduce the concept of sentient, living mecha, a theme that has been used frequently in the franchise ever since. It was also the first Sentai series to be adapted into an installment of the American Power Rangers series. Footage from all 50 episodes was extensively used for the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The core Zyuranger costumes were used in all three seasons of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and were used as the original Power Rangers costumes while the Dragon Ranger costume was adapted into the Green Ranger's costume and was used throughout Season 1 and in early Season 2. The title Toei gives this series for international distribution is Galaxy Rangers.
Cast members from the series reprised their roles for the 2014 film, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger vs. Go-Busters: The Great Dinosaur Battle! Farewell Our Eternal Friends.
At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con, Shout! Factory announced that they would be releasing the entire Zyuranger series with English subtitles on DVD in North America. On February 17, 2015, Super Sentai Zyuranger: The Complete Series was released on DVD in North America. This is the first Super Sentai series to be released in North America. In addition on January 23, 2016, Shout Factory streamed the series on their website.
Contents
Plot
Five young warriors from an ancient civilization of dinosaur-evolved humans (恐竜人類, Kyōryū Jinrui) are awakened during the present day after 170 million years of suspended animation when their sworn enemy Bandora the Witch is inadvertently released from her magical container on Planet Nemesis by two astronauts. The five warriors, the Zyurangers, must summon the power of mechanical-looking deities known as Guardian Beasts, each modeled after a different prehistoric beast, in order to protect mankind from Bandora's evil forces. A sixth warrior, Burai the Dragon Ranger, later becomes involved with the conflict between the Zyurangers and Bandora's forces.
Cast
Geki (ゲキ): Yūta Mochizuki (望月 祐多, Mochizuki Yūta)
Goushi (ゴウシ, Gōshi): Seiju Umon (右門 青寿, Umon Seiju), played as Aohisa Takayasu (高安 青寿, Takayasu Aohisa)
Dan (ダン): Hideki Fujiwara (藤原 秀樹, Fujiwara Hideki)
Boi (ボーイ, Bōi): Takumi Hashimoto (橋本 巧, Hashimoto Takumi)
Mei (メイ): Reiko Chiba (千葉 麗子, Chiba Reiko)
Burai (ブライ): Shiro Izumi (和泉 史郎, Izumi Shirō)
Burai (young): Hisashi Sakai (酒井 寿, Sakai Hisashi)
Bandora the Witch (魔女バンドーラ, Majo Bandōra): Machiko Soga (曽我 町子, Soga Machiko)
Mysterious Sage Barza (不思議仙人バーザ, Fushigi Sennin Bāza): Jun Tatara (多々良 純, Tatara Jun)
Spirit of Life Clotho (命の精霊クロト, Inochi no Seirei Kuroto): Mayumi Sakai (酒井 麻由美, Sakai Mayumi)
Secret Scorpion Agent Lamy (秘密蠍官ラミイ, Himitsu Sasorikan Ramii): Ami Kawai (河合 亜美, Kawai Ami)
Great Satan (大サタン, Dai Satan): Masahiko Urano (浦野 眞彦, Urano Masahiko)
Kai (カイ, Kai): Issey Takahashi (高橋 一生, Takahashi Issei)
Satoshi (サトシ): Yuya Tajima (手島 佑弥, Tajima Yuya)
Satoshi's friends: Hayato Kikuchi (菊地 隼人, Kikuchi Hayato), Masashi Mikami (三上 雅士, Mikami Masashi), Hayato Seideki (青出来 隼人, Seideki Hayato)
Voice cast
Totpat (トットパット, Tottopatto): Kaoru Shinoda (篠田 薫, Shinoda Kaoru)
Bookback (ブックバック, Bukkubakku): Takeshi Watabe (渡部 猛, Watabe Takeshi)
Grifforzar (グリフォーザー, Guriffōzā): Kan Tokumaru (徳丸 完, Tokumaru Kan)
Pleprechuan (プリプリカン, Puripurikan): Yutaka Ōyama (大山 豊, Ōyama Yutaka)
Golem Soldiers (ゴーレム兵, Gōremu Hei), Dokiita Golems (ドキータゴーレム兵, Dokīta Gōremu), Dora Cockatrice (ドーラコカトリス, Dōra Kokatorisu), Dora Cockatrice 2 (ドーラコカトリス2号, Dōra Kokatorisu Nigō), Dora Silkis (ドーラシルキス, Dōra Shirukisu): Kazuhiko Kishino (岸野 一彦, Kishino Kazuhiko)
Great Satan (大サタン, Dai Satan): Seizō Katō (加藤 精三, Katō Seizō)
Guardian Beast Tyrannosaurus (守護獣ティラノザウルス, Shugojū Tiranozaurusu), Daizyuzin (大獣神, Daijūjin), Gouryuzin (剛竜神, Gōryūjin): Eiji Maruyama (丸山 詠二, Maruyama Eiji)
Guardian Beast Saber Tiger (守護獣サーベルタイガー, Shugojū Sāberu Taigā), Dora Narcissus (ドーラナルシス, Dōra Narushisu): Masaki Terasoma (寺杣 昌紀, Terasoma Masaki)
Dora Franke (ドーラフランケ, Dōra Furanke), Zombie Franke (ゾンビフランケ, Zonbi Furanke), Satan Franke (サタンフランケ, Satan Furanke): Maroshi Tamura (田村 円, Tamura Maroshi)
Dora Goldhorn (ドーラ金角, Dōra Kinkaku): Shōzō Iizuka (飯塚 昭三, Iizuka Shōzō)
Narrator: Tōru Ōhira (大平 透, Ōhira Tōru)
Songs
Opening theme
"Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger" (恐竜戦隊ジュウレンジャー, Kyōryū Sentai Jūrenjā)
Lyrics: Gōji Tsuno & Reo Rinozuka
Composition: Gōji Tsuno
Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto
Artist: Kenta Satō
Ending theme
"Bōken-shite Rappa-peeya!" (冒険してラッパピーヤ!, Bōken-shite Rappapīya; "Let's Go On Adventures, Rappa-peeya!")
Lyrics & Composition: Gōji Tsuno
Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto
Artist: Pythagoras (ピタゴラス, Pitagorasu)
Mecha themes
"Daizyuzin No Uta" (大獣神のうた "Daizyuzin's Song")
Artist: Ju-project
"Dragon Caesar No Uta" (ドラゴンシーザーのうた Doragon Shīzā no uta, "Dragon Caesar's Song")
Artist: Funky Y.K.
Insert themes
"Kibou No Tsurugi" (希望の剣 Kibō No Tsurugi, "Sword of Hope")
Artist: Tomomi Hiraishi (平石豊 茂美 Hiraishi Tomomi)
"Tyrannoranger ~Akaki Yuushi~" (ティラノレンジャー・「赤き勇姿」 Tiranorenjā "Akaki Yūshi", "Tyrannoranger -The Crimson Hero-")
International broadcast and home video
In its home country of Japan, this was the next series in the franchise to be given a full home video release after the success of Chōjin Sentai Jetman. It was released on VHS (both Sale/Rental) from April 1993 until February 1994 and spread across 11 volumes. The first seven volumes contain four episodes each. Volumes 8 and 9 contain 5 episodes, and the final two volumes contain 6 episodes. It was also released on Laserdisc from November 25, 1993 until January 25, 1994, as it was cancelled after two volumes were released, with each having four episodes. From September 21, 2010 until January 21, 2011, the series was released on DVD for the first time spreading through five volumes, with each one containing ten episodes each. On November 9, 2022, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the series' premiere, a collection set to spread through two volumes was released with the both volumes having 25 episodes.
International distribution towards all future Super Sentai seasons would be limited to a few neighboring Asian regions starting with this series since then, as most regions around the world would receive foreign language dubs of the American adaptation based on this series, which was Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Although, Japan did release the first 100 episodes of the Power Rangers adaptation dubbed, but despite high ratings the rest was not dubbed. South Korea only aired a dub of the first season due to the belief that the attention span of Korean kids was too short to keep up with a multiseason show. Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia and The Philippines also aired the Power Rangers adaptation dubbed in their languages as well.
In Thailand, four different Thai dubs have been confirmed to exist for Zyuranger. The original Thai dub was licensed by Toon Town Entertainment for Channel 9 (now 9MCOT) in 1994, a second dub was licensed by Video Square, A third dub was released around 2006/2007 by Cartoon Inter Company Limited for VCD release and spread across 25 VCDs, and a fourth dub was released by the Cartoon Club Channel for YouTube.
In Hong Kong, the series aired as Dinosaur Team (恐龙战队, Kǒnglóng Zhànduì) with a Cantonese Chinese dub on TVB Jade from July 9, 1994 to July 1, 1995, with all 50 episodes dubbed. The Cantonese dub of the Power Rangers adaptation would be released as New Dinosaur Team (新恐龙战队, Xin Kǒnglóng Zhànduì).
Video game
A Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger video game was released in Japan for the Family Computer by Angel (a subsidiary of Bandai) on November 6, 1992. It is a side-scrolling action game in which the player takes control of a different Zyuranger in each of the game's five stages. The game includes two difficulty settings and a password feature.
The player begins the game as Boi in the first stage, followed by Mei, Dan, Goushi, and Geki in subsequent stages. Each Zyuranger begins his or her stage wielding the standard Ranger Gun, which can be replaced with the character's corresponding Legendary Weapon by finding the entrance to Barza's room in each stage. Each stage also contains ten scattered coins which will replenish the player's life gauge completely when fully collected, as well as display a still of the character's mecha and its specifications. At the end of each stage, the player will confront one of the main villains from the show. The villains faced are Pleprechuan, Bookback, Totpat, Grifforzar and Bandora herself.
Between stages, the player will be challenged to one of three possible minigames by Burai the Dragonranger. These consist of a trivia game where Bandora will ask the player a question related to the TV series, a Pong-style game between Daizyuzin and the Dragon Caesar, and a hot potato-style game between Gouryuzin and Lamy. These minigames are also accessible from the main menu and can be played with a second player.
The series itself is also included in the Mobile game Super Robot Wars X-Ω as a limited-time event, making it the first Tokusatsu series to debut in a Super Robot Wars game.