How Were Themes Of Super Sentai Chosen? ( By Guyferd 20)

There has been a burning question that i have been thinking for a while. This question had also became a staple in the Tokusatsu Fandom. How were the themes of super sentai chosen? And to related to that question, why is there a need for robots? And why is always that red leads a sentai? Now this article will try to answer the questions.

The term “sentai” as we all know means “fighting squadron”. This term was first used, not in television but in real life. This term was used for the fighting soldiers of Japan during World War II. To simply put, the term “sentai” was a term related to warfare.Any theme that should be used must be integrated to the concept of warfare. As we all know, the Japanese people were proud of their warrior culture and pays great respect to their fighting men who embodies courage, manliness and honor. Now let us go to the most common themes that are being used in SS.

One of the very common theme in SS is science, technology and machinery. Japan being an industrialized country is a trend setter in terms of machines and electronics. And the root of having these kind of technology and machines is science. And of course, machinery and technology were essential in terms of warfare.

The second theme that is widely used in SS are the mystical elements like aura, ki, magic and the like. Japan being a country with great respect to tradition has also great beliefs in supernatural things. In the past, they are also believing that these super natural powers could be accessed by some methods like meditation, chanting and others. Just like other cultures, the Japanese people believed that tapping these supernatural powers would help a soldier in battle. It is like a common belief of our Filipino ancestors in the use of agimat, anting-anting and others that are believed to grant users great powers. And that makes supernatural things related to warfare.

The third most common theme used in SS is body-kinesthetics. This theme involves martial-arts and others like dance and sports. You read it correctly. Dance and sports just like martial arts were used in order to strengthen the body and mind in order to ready a soldier for battle. That makes body-kinesthetics also fit to be used for SS because it is essential for warfare.

The fourth most used element in SS are the things related to nature like animals. These theme shows another aspect of the Japanese culture. The Japanese people have a strong regards to their natural surroundings. They show great care to nature while having their technology and industries developed. Japan shows the concept of sustainable development where as there is progress without compromising nature. Besides their love for nature, this theme also showcased a common trend in the history of warfare. Animals were very useful in war. Horses for example had became a common transport vehicle for warriors in the ancient times. Wild animals are also being used as complement to siege machines just like the case of Hannibal who used elephants in his war against Rome or the use of rhinoceros in India or using of insects as biological weapons. With this in mind, animals became a staple in SS and other genres of Tokusatsu.

The fifth and most obvious theme used in SS are the warrior types like ninjas, samurais, and in modern times policemen. This one is self explanatory.

Now, it is time to address the other questions. The first one is related to the robots. Why is there a need for these? Again, the answer to this is the very core of SS which is warfare. The use of robots is very much the same to the use of fighter planes, tanks, helicopters, warships and others in terms of war. Giant robots were advanced artillery which are used to deal with enemies. And as we all know, robot related anime is a staple in Japan.

The second question is related to the color of the main leader which is red. Aside from red being a color related to love and courage, red is also a color of royalty. Red is the color symbolizing the emperor of Japan, much like red is also the color used by the emperors of the Roman Empire.

Did i miss any points? Feel free to comment.