The Viewing Globe Interviews : The Lost Interviews (Not Really Lost)

[KingRed]

Here are a slew of earlier interviews that The Viewing Globe did earlier in the year. Enjoy.

The GreenNinja Interview (back in Late Feb/Early March)


Green Ninja Interview
Fans have been eating up both Horroranger and Musicranger. But now, both have come to an end. The Viewing Globe’s own editor-in-chief, Frankie Rodriguez (KingRed), interviews Green Ninja as we reflect on the end of two of his popular fics and look at the future of his works.

KingRed: Well, let's start out with the basics. For your fans out there, whereabouts are you from?

Green Ninja: Currently live in South Florida. It's pretty nice down here.

KingRed: What got you into writing? How long have you been writing?

Green Ninja: Writing was something I've always liked as sort of a hobby. Then, I started getting all these great ideas when I entered the PR fandom (sometime during Wild Force), and wrote them down. Knight Rangers was my first series I really wrote, and have been an internet writer since that. And I don't just do PR. I've also done two Teen Titans fanfics as well.

KingRed: What brought you into PR fandom? Why do you like it?

Green Ninja: I'd heard about it when I was younger, but never watched. Then one day, perhaps out of boredom, I typed "Power Rangers" in Google and came across the site we all know - Power Rangers Central. Looked around, discovered Sentai, and have been in ever since. I guess I like it because it's just fun - plus, superheroes, giant robots - love that stuff. I actually started watching the show with Ninja Storm continued. (Ninja Storm's premiere, and used BoPR to catch up. Been a fan ever since then.)

KingRed: What's your favorite season of PR or Sentai thus far? Why?

Green Ninja: I'd have to say that this one goes to Dekaranger for Sentai, and also what I've seen of SPD. They're just so...different from the usual stuff out there. I mean, if this is a show that has its coolest character be a big, blue, talking dog, it's gotta be doing something. Oh, and, of course, Jasmine, Umeko, Swan-san, Syd, Z, and Kat, too. ;-)

KingRed: You have completed 3 sentai fics to my knowledge. Most recently, you completed both Horroranger about a month and a half ago and Musicranger. What brought you the inspiration behind both of them?

Green Ninja: For Monster Sentai Horror Ranger, it was just an idea that somehow popped into my mind. Most ideas are like that. I came up with a rough version, and then put it away for a while. Then I decided to pick it up, polish it, and got it written within a month.
For Music Rangers, I'd always wanted to do a musically-themed series, and, again, changed it from a rough idea involving a school band to a professional one with a band on the road. Then I, again, polished it off and wrote it. Given that the month I wrote MSHR in was December, I had a lot of spare time, what with winter break and all.

KingRed: You seem to write Monster Ranger in Saga type format while Music Ranger was more free writing? What brought on that decision?

Green Ninja: All series kind of have sagas in a way. I just split MSHR up to make it a little easier for the fans to follow.

KingRed: What did you use in order to make up their powers? Why did you start out with four Rangers?

Green Ninja: This all draws back to my idea of what the series was to be based on - the four classic movie monsters - Vampire, Frankenstein, Werewolf, and Mummy. Also, starting off with four Rangers isn't done very often. The only Sentai series at the moment that did so is JAKQ, so, like the monster-based powers, it was another idea not seen very often in fanfiction.

KingRed: What was it like bringing in Blue Ghost then Silver Alien? Were there any particular movies you referenced in order to get a feel for the classic monsters?

Green Ninja: Blue Ghost and the Silver Alien had to be done just right - after all, need to achieve the quote of at least six Rangers. I didn't reference much for Rei's saga, although the song "Purple People Eater" did provide the inspiration for Frances, the main monster in the series. For Steven (Silver Alien), I made references to the Alien and Predator series of films. They seemed fitting for his saga. I meant "quota" above, not quote.

KingRed: How do you feel about the quota of Six Rangers and other standards when dealing with sentai/PR? Do you use them as guidelines for most of your fics?

Green Ninja: There are some things that you just have to do - and I respect those. Six Rangers is one of them, as is a Battlizer. That, and I also enjoy writing about cool power-ups like the Battlizers. So, I generally have the basic PR/Sentai format (team of about six heroes, villians, robots, grunts, etc.), but when I have my own ideas, I don't hesitate to throw them in. One reason my fics are so well-liked is their originality.
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KingRed: What do you use as a template for the personalities you develop in Horroranger? in Musicranger?

Green Ninja: For personalities, I generally go with what would mesh well. That's at least what I used in Horror Ranger. For Music Rangers, I partially based the character's personalities off of the pop-culture people they got their names from, but, once more, went with personalities that I thought would mesh well for good storytelling.

KingRed: Who were your favorite characters to write in Horroranger and Musicranger and why?

Green Ninja: In Music Rangers, this has to go to Nina, the wild-and-crazy backup dancer and the Orange Star Voca Ranger. Hasn't really been that many characters like her. The second would be Simon Prince, CEO of Diamond Dome Records. He had that, "I know what's going on" Jedi-master like mentality that was fun to do.
For Horror Ranger, this goes to Rei, who was just discovering her ghost powers and youngest member of the team. The second would have to be the coupling of Norm and Isis, as I developed their romance throughout the series.

KingRed: Do you do any major planning before you write your fics or do you do a lot of free writing?

Green Ninja: I do some planning - definitely. Basic ideas for Zords, powers, weapons, characters, etc. The free writing comes in when I write the episodes, where I have a basic plan for an episode, but any specifics usually happen in the writing process. Free writing is also where many subplots tend to happen.

KingRed: So Norm and Isis was a surprise to you as you wrote the series?

Green Ninja: That actually happened from a scene in Episode 3 featuring the two of them together, and then I just decided to go with them as a couple from there.

KingRed: so you looked at it and said "yeah! they are gonna be together?"

Green Ninja: I figured that it seemed like a natural direction to go in when I thought about it. Looking back, I see that Norm had the power of the moon, and Isis controlled the sun later on in the series - a classic "opposites attract" scenario.

KingRed: As for Musicranger . . . there seemed to be a nice progression with Members and storyline and seemed more tight knit. Is that because of the fact that it was more based on the concepts you had or was there particular inspirations that lead Musicranger to continuously grow?

Green Ninja: The first one. I made a basic episode guide for that one a long time before I started writing it, and wanted to get them in. That, and the plot had a simple progression to it - band on the road, villians chase them, standard PR stuff from then on. So, yes, many basic plot ideas were already planned. Yet some, such as the fire spirit inside Osborn and Tsathoggua being the end villian, came about out of inspiration. By "them," I mean those certain ideas.

KingRed: The color scheme also seemed out of the norm. Why?

Green Ninja: Well, Nina and Kelly came from the colors of the shows I drew the inspiration for their powers from. Kelly is the Blue Idol, and American Idol's color scheme is primarily blue. Nina comes from a short-lived show called WB's Superstar USA, and she is the Orange Star. Hence, the show, in logo and stage design, had a primarily orange color scheme. The final three, Platinum, Gold, and Diamond, came from the levels records get to when they sell alot of copies. For the core three, I went with a different scheme that somehow still blended together. My mind works in ways like that, I guess.

KingRed: Now that both have finished (even though you are gonna finish posting the rest of Music Ranger on RB) which one did you feel more satisfied with and which series will you miss more writing?

Green Ninja: I feel a little more satisfied with Music Rangers, as that one started when Knight Rangers was on its 20th episode, and took a long time to finish. That, and I wrote a five-part finale! But, with Horror Ranger, I will miss writing some of the characters that were particularly fun to work with, such as Igor. Personally, I feel that Igor was one of my greatest characters...

KingRed: Really? Why?

Green Ninja: He was a mentor to the team, and a cannon for them as well (as I said in his bio, like Murphy K-9/RIC), yet had a great sense of humor and laid-back attitude to leading the team. He was a different sort of mentor. That, and he was a talking gargoyle as well. Like I said, a character that was so out of the ordinary that he was just fun to write.

KingRed: Is there a chance for a Versus movie between Musicranger and Horroranger or Knightranger?

Green Ninja: Well, I am planning on a sort of final, Forever Red like thing once I fiinish Justice, and the series that follow it. (Wild West, Ancient Warriors, and Ocean Fleet). As far as team-up movies go, nothing planned for now.

KingRed: Knight Ranger, Music Rangers and Horroranger were more or less more sentai then Power Rangers. What made you decided to shift over to Power Rangers for your latest series, Power Rangers Justice?

Green Ninja: To me, that's just a title. All of my series have this distinct style to them, no matter what they are. Although, I guess, my reason to go with "Power Rangers _____" in the title came about because I wanted to try things out with a title more PR-like than Sentai-like.

KingRed: For readers out there who may have yet discovered, tell us a little about PR Justice.

Green Ninja: Well, I draw ideas from all sources, and one of those is the internet. In a thread on Rangerboard where people asked what they would like in a series, one of those was "The Red Ranger has to recruit the other members for his team" and the other was "A Ranger goes over to the evil side on his own free will." The last one is kind of a spoiler, but it is one of my inspirations. Also, I wanted to try my hand at an American-themed series, especially after Young Rocker did Angloman, based on England, where he lives.

KingRed: Yes. A kinda foil to Angloman. Will PR Justice be as long as your other series?

Green Ninja: My plans for my upcoming series are for PR Justice and PR Ancient Warriors to be 40 episodes, PR of the Wild West (coming right after Justice) to be 38, and PR Ocean Fleet will be 45 episodes.

KingRed: So . . . onto another topic. I wanted to briefly talk about your recent post about recruiting members for Clash of the Megazords. What brought this on?

Green Ninja: After reading a thread at Clash about the state of the board (very little activity except for a few people), I decided to take some action on the behalf of one of my favorite boards - the first PR board I ever joined. So I then remembered the Rangerboard ad forum, and remembering how many people were there, I figured at least someone could come through and join. Even if some at Rangerboard do consider Poweranimals (Clash's admin) a bit of a PR Snob. addendum: (remembering how many people were there) at Rangerboard...

KingRed: Clash of the Megazords sounds so near to your heart. Is there anything you wanted to say to the members that are there now? For anyone who wants to join?

Green Ninja: To the members, I say let's keep this board going! I may have only joined around PRNS's premiere, but there are a lot of great people I know there. To those who join, I say what I said in the ad forum - it's a great place, so feel free to join and add your input to the input of those there. After all, with message boards, in most cases, the more the better.

KingRed: Well, before we end our interview, was there anything you wanted to say to your readers?

Green Ninja: I want to say thank you for all your comments. Your feedback lets me know how well I'm doing, and I'm really glad that my work is being enjoyed by so many people. Finally, of course, may the power protect you. I'm glad that this interview could take place, and I await the first issue of The Viewing Globe.

KingRed: Thank you very much Green Ninja.

[KingRed]

Power Rangers: Mystic Destiny is a fanfic that everyone on RangerBoard has had the pleasure of reading. It has developed quite nicely, and Matt, the Chief Editor of “The Viewing Globe” had the opportunity to sit down with GeddonZord, the author of this great series, as he shares his opinion on his fics and Power Rangers/Sentai.

GeddonZord: So...what do we talk about?

os_orfan: Well, I have some questions prepared, so we'll start with those and then go from there. Sound good to you?

GeddonZord: Why not?

os_prfan: Ok, first off, when did you get into Power Rangers, and what was it about the series that got you interested?

GeddonZord: I first got into it I guess around the second season....I was in 5th grade. I just really liked it, can't really put it to words.

os_prfan: Fair enough. Do you have any favourite rangers or seasons in particular?

GeddonZord: Hmmm....I think the third season of MMPR and Zeo are my favorites, followed by Lost Galaxy. My favorite Ranger is the Gold Ranger...

os_prfan: Now let's move into your writing. How long have you been writing fics? And do you write anything else?

GeddonZord: I started writing PR fics around three years ago. I started writing fics altogether with Transformers.

os_prfan: What would you say is the fic that has gotten you the most feedback?

GeddonZord: I think the one I'm doing now, simply because I've been doing it for so long.

os_prfan: Would that be Mystic Destiny?

GeddonZord: Yeah, my only other series that I almost completed was PRiS: The Second Voyage, but I stopped doing that before the final episode, unfortunately.

os_prfan: Why did you stop?

GeddonZord: Well, back then I didn't have my episodes all in a single thread, and I saved them on a computer, unfortunately, the computer was erased.

os_prfan: That must have been a little frustrating for you.

GeddonZord: Yeah. It happened again with PR: Chrono, but with that, I at least have one episode, "The Sands of Egypt", so if I ever wanted to redo that series, I have one episode down for me...

os_prfan: Well, that's better than nothing, at any rate. Getting back to Mystic Destiny, for the benefit of readers who haven't had a chance to get a look at it, would you care to go over the basic plot and main characters? Without giving away too much, of course.

GeddonZord: Definitely. It starts in Angel Grove, where the original series began. Mankind is ignorant to the existence of aliens, rangers, and advanced technology like zords because of a powerful psychic wave which has spread over the planet. The only ones seemingly unaffected are 18-year old college student Justin Stewart, the former Blue Turbo Ranger, and a mysterious masked man dwelling in the Command Core, a rebuilt Power Chamber which serves as the last stronghold of the Power on Earth. The Masked Man teleports Justin to the Command Core, and Justin agrees to become the Red Mystic Ranger. The Masked Man reveals that the G.O.H, or Global Organization for Humanity, is responsible for the planet's mass amnesia. Justin's first mission is to recruit four young teens to become Mystic Rangers and protect the Command Core from the first GOH attack, when the organization sends its ranger-hunting Vector Robots to eliminate Justin, the last ranger on Earth. In summary, it involves a War between Lightspeed, and GOH, for the fate of Earth. The new Rangers must defeat GOH, or future generations of rangers will never exist, for the future itself hangs in the balance. Good summery?

os_prfan: Very good. How about briefly describing the ranger teens and villains?

GeddonZord: Ok, I'll do my best. The Heroes…

Justin: Since his last reunion with TJ, Justin grew up mostly alone, burying himself in his studies. Now, five years later, he is a young college student, on the fast track to success. However, his path crosses once again with ranger circles when the Masked Man shows him that the world is in danger, and his friends, Tommy, TJ, and everyone he once fought with long ago, will die unless he accepts the Red Mystic power.

Kevin: A young Asian teen with interests in sports and martial arts. He has the secret desire to help the world around him, but little does he know that he is about to get his wish.

Allison: A seemingly average American girl. She is into hanging with her friends, and shopping, but, like Kevin, her boyfriend, she also isn’t content with her life, and wishes for something more.

Samantha: A rebel among rebels, Samantha is a seeming oxymoron, a conservative, black republican. Her interests are politics and news, and she lets her friends know it daily.

Jack: Another oxymoron. The body of someone like Nick Caster, but the mind of a Trekkie. Jack is extremely bright, excelling in school, but he has a great secret that he shares with no one...

The Villains…

Gommora: Super Psyhic Mutant, the powerful Gommora is the Commander of American GOH, one of seven continental commanders.

Dr. Jonas Quey: Former Nazi scientist, kept young with unnatural science. Head Geneticist of G.O.H.

Agent Ancient: Agent Ancient is an enigmatic man shrouded in mystery. He is a field operative of G.O.H., reporting intelligence to his superiors. However, he reports ultimately to the supreme commander of all GOH.

Vestrogoth: Formerly a Hitler youth as a child, Vestrogoth was one of the first to join GOH after its formation after the Roswell crash. Vestrogoth now serves GOH as the European Continental Commander.

Lord Ares: A mystery demon who reports only to the Supreme Commander of GOH. He is a warrior and a sorcerer, and his talents are numerous

GeddonZord: Thats everyone methinks

os_prfan: Very good. Now, how do you feel about what you've written thus far, and what do you think of the reaction that it has gotten?

GeddonZord: I am proud of Mystic Destiny, and I think people on RangerBoard like it a lot. I have another series planned which will be the sequel to Mystic Destiny.

os_prfan: Do you have any favourite characters from your stories, and why?

GeddonZord: I like Gommora, Jack, Jermamy, my interpretation of Alex, and several other characters a lot.

os_prfan: Ok, let's get a little something about yourself....what other kinds of hobbies do you have, besides PR? Where do you live, country-wise, and how long have you been a part of RangerBoard?

GeddonZord: Other hobbies...hmm…Well, I like the game Civilization 3, I was into Fish, but currently I'm not as interested in that as I used to be. I live in the New England Area of the United States, and I've been a member of RB since sometime during 2002.

os_prfan: What other fics have you written, and what are you working on at the moment?

GeddonZord: I've written some Transformers fics that aren't very good, as well as PRiS: The Second Voyage and PRT: The Second Ride, both of which were never finished. I also wrote PR: Chrono and PR: Starlancers, two other series which I never finished. Currently, I'm still writing PR: Mystic Destiny

os_prfan: Are there any fics, either on RB or somewhere else, that you particularly enjoy reading?

GeddonZord: I enjoyed Gingared's Galaxy Force, as well as certain fics on a Power Rangers fic libruary that I read once
os_prfan: Any hopes for SPD, as well as the upcoming series?

GeddonZord: I haven't seen SPD yet, but I have been trying to download episodes and watch them, since that’s the only way I'll be able to see them currently. Man, do I miss the days when PR was on in the afternoon...

os_prfan: You and me both.

GeddonZord: I watched PR in the afternoon starting during the first season, all the way till Lightspeed. Then Time Force came...Another thing I miss about PR was the feel that it was a continuing saga. That stopped after Lost Galaxy ended

os_prfan: Yeah, I'm definitely with you on that one.

GeddonZord: I know people like Sentai, but I don't feel that PR and Sentai need to be the same. Besides, aren't Sentai fans on RangerBoard never satisfied how the "PR-ized" version turns out? When I discovered that Tommy would be on Dino Thunder, I was very excited, thinking that it was the first good move the series took since, well, in a LONG time.

os_prfan: On that note, are there any other former PR actors whom you'd like to see return for the series, perhaps in a one-shot appearance?

GeddonZord: Hmmm...Well, I'd like to see Billy brought back, perhaps Jason as well, maybe together. Most of the Rangers in my opinion have been cookie-cutter characters, but not Tommy, Jason, Billy, or Kim. Eric should also be added to that list

os_prfan: I would say that Andros begins to fall under that category as well.

GeddonZord: Yes, his background is very detailed, which is one of the requirements for me. Another character I liked a lot was the Magna Defender. Cool theme song, background, and even voice. Kind of hard to bring back old characters when the show is now filmed in New Zealand though…

os_prfan: Any hopes for the new series?

GeddonZord: Yes, I like the references to past seasons, the appearance of the Aquitians, for example, from what I've read. I don't like how the PR seasons seem to be getting shorter and shorter however…

os_prfan: Any predictions for Mystic Force?

GeddonZord: Is that the name of the new season or just a working title?

os_prfan: That's the official name. Disney announced it a little while ago.

GeddonZord: Darn...somebody has been stealing my ideas…again…lol. I'm going to have to put a disclaimor on my fic that states "This fic has nothing to do with the new PR season. In fact, the name was created over a year before Mystic Force's name was even announced.”

os_prfan: Indeed, though I'm sure that RB members will realize that.

GeddonZord: The long-timers will, but new people won't necessarily. Hopefully, I won't have this problem with my next fic. This newsletter is a really good idea, btw…I like how you’re creating a sprit of community within the community…lol

os_prfan: I'll pass along the compliment to the rest of the staff.

GeddonZord: Well...ever wonder how Lightspeed had working morphers? Or zords?

os_prfan: I have on a few occasions, actually.

GeddonZord: Early in Mystic Destiny, the "Masked Man" reveals that Lightspeed was originally formed by Zordon years ago. It started out as NASADA. That’s why the NASADA scientists knew of Zordon, and why the shuttle was compatible with the Astro Megaship

os_prfan: That's an intriguing hypothesis that you used. And it is possible, hypothetically.

GeddonZord: Zordon, it was reveiled by the "Masked Man" formed NASADA/Lightspeed to combat an evil he sensed, but couldn't identify. An evil he somehow sensed would be the possible doom of the Human race. Zordon had NASADA pick key people on earth, and sent them to outer space in the form of the KO35 colony. Also, he left plans for the Terra Venture Space Colony. But what if...Lightspeed/NASADA created a team of hidden Power Rangers that nobody, not even Mitchell, knew about?

os_prfan: That’s some pretty interesting speculation there.

GeddonZord: One thing I miss about PR was that the villains used to be personal. Remember how Goldar fought Jason while he wasn't morphed, and how he vowed revenge against him? Or how Zedd used to say the Rangers by name, and try to attack them in a way that would hurt them personally, like using the Ranger's fears against them for example. Later villains seem haphazard by comparison, with the possible exception of Diabolico, but he never had the chance to develop into a truly great villain.

os_prfan: Yeah, they replaced him with that chump Olympius. Although in his defense, he did kill four of the rangers in that time loop.

GeddonZord: Yeah, but nothing beats "I am Diabolico, ruler of the Dark Kingdom.” Another interesting thing about him was that he appeared and saved Ryan years before he was released from the tomb.

os_prfan: True, but that was only to use him later on.

GeddonZord: The problem was, that how could he do that if he was sealed away? It would make me think there was more to Diabolico than meets the eye.

os_prfan: Indeed. Unfortunately, no author has explored that yet, to my knowledge.

GeddonZord: Nope. Also, what Dark Kingdom was Diabolico speaking of, considering that he was subservient to Bansheera that entire time, and ruled nothing. Very interesting...Sometimes I love plot loopholes…

os_prfan: Yeah, they give writers so much room to extrapolate.

GeddonZord: But not on purpose..lol

os_prfan: Of course not.

GeddonZord: I may have to use Diabolico myself in a story someday.

os_prfan: I would look forward to reading that.

GeddonZord: It was great talking with you.

os_prfan: Yeah, definitely. Thanks for the interview buddy.

GeddonZord: No problemo. Take care of yourself.

os_prfan: You too.

[KingRed]

King Red aka Frankie Rodriguez, Editor in Chief of The Viewing Globe here with one of our featured interviews. Shoichi has taken time out of his busy schedule to sit down and chat with me about his Dekaranger OVA and his up-coming projects. And if you think the Dekaranger OVAs were good, wait till you see what he has planned for next. . .



KingRed: Hey . . . do you have a few minutes? I would like to do the interview I mentioned to you before. If that is cool?

Shoichi: sure thing.. I’m actually kinda free today. Won’t be tomorrow.

KingRed: Cool. Let's begin.

Shoichi: Sure

KingRed: For those people who don't know, where do you live?

Shoichi: Singapore...the eastern part. well i know SG isn't that big or what, but..well..i guess its some good trivia

KingRed: Yeah . So, what got you into writing? how long have you been writing?
Shoichi: Reading fanfics, and school compositions Let's see...should be around 5 years

KingRed: What got you into Sentai?

Shoichi: Choshinsei Flashman. honestly it was the bright lights and flashy costumes

KingRed: Really? You been watching sentai since?

Shoichi: erm...let me try to recall . . .1994.

KingRed: Which Sentai series has been your favorite?

Shoichi: Dekaranger

KingRed: I am not surprise. You take such care with each character. Giving them personalities and life.

Shoichi: =) I prefer to make things more realistic than just the colourful costumes and helmets

KingRed: I noticed that as I read. I have become a fan of your work Which gets to me asking this . . . what made you write the Dekaranger OVA?

Shoichi: i was watching dekaranger one afternoon, and after the episode ended. I switched to a local channel and this show called "Triple Nine" was on..it's a local cop show, which heavily focuses on characters' personal lives and how it intertwines with police work. So i thought, why not do that for Dekaranger. It turned out pretty well though.

KingRed: Cool. Now . . . what was the inspiration in your characters? their personalities?

Shoichi: every character in the story is real. Every character is just a manifestation of their real personalities.

KingRed: And the characters in the OVA are actually based off you and your friends?

Shoichi: yup

KingRed: Was it easier for you to base the Dekarangers off your friends than creating new characters?


Shoichi: Easier to base it off own friends. Cause i tried this Kamen Rider Warriors once with new characters. Didn't work out well...i had to start character personalities from scratch; whereas when i use my own friends their personalities are already there.



KingRed: Okay. You started the OVA very differently then the series. What was the inspiration behind your first Chapter?

Shoichi: Umm...episode 1 was very mafia-like.....trying to kill off witnesses and adversaries. Episode 2 was an inspiration from a local series called The Reunion...in the series, three friends who had been through army life together meet again, this time in totally different situations.

KingRed: Later on, you change things up by bringing in the Alienizers? Did you find it easier to bring them in or just keep using original characters?

Shoichi: It’s easier to bring them in! That's why *SPOILER* I’m doing a remake where the alienizers are there from the start.. a serial type remake

KingRed: Really? Will a lot of the story be different from the OVAs?

Shoichi: Mostly the same. Instead, the Alienizers will be main villains even before it starts

KingRed: You won an award for Deja Vu. Can you talk about that a little? How it came about?

Shoichi: I admit. I had this crazy dream about my girlfriend dying. lol.

KingRed: What else?

Shoichi: Nothing much really. The Fountain of Wealth as described in FOREVER. It was the first place we went for a date, kind of a well-known tourist location in Singapore.

KingRed: What about the original characters that showed up like Deka Aider? What was their inspiration?

Shoichi: The extra dekarangers. . .I always thought there could be dekarangers doing other things other than police work.

KingRed: Were they based off friends as well or completely original?

Shoichi: Friends..

KingRed: When you were coming up with the OVAs, did you take plots from Dekaranger or Triple Nine or did you come up with them yourself? And . . .how do you see each Episode play out in your mind?



Shoichi: Some plots, I create myself. Some plots are from Dekaranger. No episode plots were taken from Triple Nine, cause I can vaguely remember. I was watching the reruns but they've ended. Each episode is visualized by creating a problem...example, Sam’s outlandish brother in Fly to the Sky.


KingRed: Now that you are re-writing the OVAs, will there be any major changes? and if so, without spoiling too much, what are those changes?

Shoichi: The extra characters are omitted.

KingRed: Long or shorter episodes? longer story?

Shoichi: Shorter episodes, but longer story. It will be 55 episodes. The shorter episodes because it’s a series. OVA is well, direct-to-video.


KingRed: Who gave you the award and what exactly did you win it for?

Shoichi: Best Story (Sentai) . The competition was organized by Ninjan. It was from Japan Access. you can find a link to the thread here: http://www.freewebs.com/spdova

KingRed: Cool. So, what brought you to Ranger Board?

Shoichi: I was a member since its ezboard days.

KingRed: Was Dekaranger your first fanfic project or have there been others?

Shoichi: The Ultraseven beyond im posting now. It’s actually a remake. There's an original Ultraseven beyond I did in 2002. No, 2003.

KingRed: what's the storyline with Ultraseven beyond?

Shoichi: Nothing much. It’s just a continuation of the 2002 dvd series Ultraseven Evolution.

KingRed: For those readers not familiar, what is the story of Ultraseven Beyond?

Shoichi: Umm...mostly about the lives of the new, semi-inexperienced team of the Ultra Guard, who have been suddenly called to fight a slew of oncoming aliens and a new host for Ultraseven.

KingRed: How many episodes/chapters is Ultraseven Beyond slated to be?

Shoichi: 20 episodes.

KingRed: What is the reason behind the re-write of Dekaranger?

Shoichi: I felt the start of the OVA was a little rushed.

KingRed: Is it also being rewritten to fit along side a Kamen Rider fanfic a friend is writing?

Shoichi: Well, how do you know? Haha

KingRed: You told me about two weeks ago I think

Shoichi: Oh yes. I forgot.

KingRed: Kamen Rider Gale right?

Shoichi: Masked Rider Gale by Fujimiya. Yeah..the author is DekaMaster in my fic

KingRed: Really? How will Kamen Rider Gale affect the new Dekaranger series?

Shoichi: In no way at all. Just like how Kamen Rider Blade and Dekaranger promote together. That's all.

KingRed: Any spoilers for the new series at all?

Shoichi: nope..it'll just follow the deka storyline a little closer...but still will be distant from it

KingRed: What makes each character in Deka ranger important to each other?

Shoichi: Umm..friendship and trust

KingRed: Who is your favorite Dekaranger characters? Let me rephrase. From your OVA, which characters are your favorite?

Shoichi: I can’t say which is my favorite cos I like ‘em all.


KingRed: In the OVA, which Chapter was your favorite to write? Which was your least favorite?

Shoichi: Chapter 4 and 5 were fun. None was least favorite...cos I’m proud of my stories.

KingRed: Can we expect the same core Dekarangers for the series or will there be a cast change?

Shoichi: Core dekas yes

KingRed: Actually, did you want to talk a little about the upcoming Burning Heart?

Shoichi: Sure.. it will offer an insight on DekaVoyager and an upgrade for DekaRed...based on the DekaFire fanart.. Also...Basil and Rebecca will get promotion to a higher rank.

KingRed: Really? What's the plot?

Shoichi: Return of the Hell's Three

KingRed: So, did you plan on writing anything else beyond Ultraseven and Dekaranger?

Shoichi: Yes..A GoGoFive sequel to Dekaranger's series...A Blue Swat movie and an Ultraman Gaia! AU

KingRed: Blue Swat movie sounds pretty cool. In the GoGoFive series, will you be using Beast Hunter Zeke at all?

Shoichi: Yeah. He'd be a recurring character i suppose but he'd die anyway. Well I won’t call him Beast Hunter. It will be end year project. So not so soon. Maybe even next year. Although, I already have a story outline. 'Super Rescue Lab' will be started by an ex-Deka. From the 55 episode series.. The gogofive thing will hopefully be 40-50++ eps too.

KingRed: Wow! That is a lot but you do like to think on a grand scale.

Shoichi: Easier to do things..haha.. Ex-dekarangers (who will then be in other departments) will have cameos..out of costume...and also in costume more often towards the end.

KingRed: Cool. Will there be any other cameos?

Shoichi: Dunno. Won’t touch gogofive much for now. Have confirmed GoRed and GoPink..the others..i can't think of any other friends..haha

KingRed: lol. How about family members? cousins?

Shoichi: None will be related to the dekas..haha..they'll not be some rescue agents or what...They're ordinary people..with ordinary jobs.. Who have shown bravery and courage.....so they were picked

KingRed: So they will not all be siblings like in the sentai?

Shoichi: nope. In fact they'll have VERY ORDINARY jobs..lol


KingRed: Makes sense. Anything you wanted to say to your readers?

Shoichi: Thanks for reading the stories...and remember, Thursday march 17 is the release date of Special Police Dekaranger 2: Burning Heart. =)

KingRed: Thanks so much for the interview Bas.

Shoichi: Sure thing. Feel free to add follow up interviews...etc etc

KingRed: I am sure I will.

[KingRed]

Matt (os_prfan), Chief Editor, here again, with another great interview for your reading pleasure. This time, our featured author is T-Rexor Ranger, creator of “Power Rangers: Atlantis”, among other things. I was able to chat with him about his writing, and all things PR/Sentai. Enjoy.


os_prfan: You ready to do this?

T-Rexor Ranger: Sure.

os_prfan: Then let's begin. First, why don't you tell us a little something about yourself?

T-Rexor Ranger: Ok. Well, I'm a good person, very kind to my friends and family, and to mostly anyone, actually. Also I like fantasy, action, sci-fi, and horror-type stuff. Toku action series mainly (aka Power Rangers/Sentai/Kamen Rider). I know a form of martial arts, called Tyau-Ji. It is a form of kickboxing, karate, kung-fu and Tae Kwan Do mixed. I can draw pretty good, and I like writing stories, fanfics, etc. I have a lot of friends, who don't like PR unfortunately. Oh well what can you do, right? But I do have some others who understand why I like it, and they think it's cool how I'm passionate about it. Also, I am into filmmaking, action films, sci-fi, etc. I am currently writing a script for my own Toku idea at the moment, which my friend and I have come up with. That good enough?

os_prfan: Yep. Where do you live, country-wise?

T-Rexor Ranger: In the province of New Brunswick in Canada, if that helps any. It's a nice place to be, but sometimes the winters can be a pain.

os_prfan: How long have you been writing fanfics? Do you write anything else besides them?

T-Rexor Ranger: I've been writing them ever since I joined RangerBoard, and yes, I do write things other than just fanfics.

os_prfan: What else do you write, and when did you join RB?

T-Rexor Ranger: I write stories on many things, other then PR, PR is the fanfic stuff along with Kamen Rider. The other things I write are like Fantasy stories, or Adventure stories mainly. Sci-fi I have done sometimes, too. I joined RB in 2004.

os_prfan: What fanfics have you written?

T-Rexor Ranger: I've written a lot since I join RB, none of which I truly felt that I liked, though, the very first one I think I may have done was either Super Charge Power Rangers, or Power Rangers Trans-Squad. SCPR was supposed to be a short story based fic, and not to be very long, but it ended up being a 59-page story. I think Trans-Squad was the first one I did I think, since I do recall it being my first PR-related fic that I did more then just one or two episodes of. It wasn't great, though, but it was the first one I did. There were others after that too, and, well one, that probably would have done well was Power Rangers: Trans Force, which I used the Changeman suits and weapons like for Trans-Squad, but a completely different story. I may come back to it later on, but I didn't feel really passionate about it, so that’s the reason I stopped writing Trans Force. Now, finally, after all this time, I’ve found a fic I like writing, Power Rangers: ATLANTIS.

os_prfan: Why don't you tell us a little about how you got inspired to start writing Atlantis. What was going through your mind when you came up with the idea?

T-Rexor Ranger: Well, first I was writing another PR fic which was gonna start off a bunch of different seasons, which eventually led to Atlantis's birth, but when I first thought of it, it was not what it is now. It was a sketchy idea at first, but I felt that no one had ever done anything like this. Who would do a Power Rangers series on Atlantis? Really, who in their right mind would do it, was the first question to run through my mind. And so I thought, well I consider myself crazy (just kidding), so I decided it would be cool to do. It was a secluded type of fic that the Rangers who have tech powers, and not mystical like they have now, and the zords were all to be Terran made, and the Aquazords weren't even thought up then. Also, the villain of the story was not even considered to be this guy "Annubis", it was more of an underwater villain who hated humanity for living up above their home. That changed to what is now Annubis, but basically the inspiration for Atlantis is that it was different and unique. I wanted that in a series.

os_prfan: Does your Annubis have any relation to the Anubis of Dekaranger fame?

T-Rexor Ranger: No, he does not, I'm afraid. He is completely unrelated to Anubis "Doggy" Cruger.

os_prfan: For those of our readers who have never read Atlantis, why don't you give us a bit of a plot overview?

T-Rexor Ranger: Ok. Well, basically a human/SPD vessel (yes, SPD is somewhat in this, but not too much, I hope.) has a problem onboard and crash lands onto a water based planet, where they have to teleport all of the crew and people onto this large, contained object deep under water. They find out it is a city, and get it running smoothly. Meanwhile, an evil, evil entity named Annubis brews out in space. He has two generals: Valkon, who is an honorable fighter, but a brutal one, or at least tries to be brutal. and Psycondess, a woman who is not all up there, and has a very sick and twisted mind. She is also unrelenting in combat. Finally, we have Grandor, a small fellow, who is somewhat like the small alien villain on Divatox's crew in PR Turbo. He is not a general, though; he makes the monsters for Annubis to send down upon Atlantis to get rid of the humans in order for his plans to succeed. Now, after Annubis attacks the city of Atlantis after it's been risen from it's watery grave, five heroes are chosen to become the next team of Power Rangers in order to defend Atlantis at all costs. Although Annubis is testing them rather then trying to hunt them down and kill them, his purpose for doing so is much larger then I am willing to give out right now though. Up until now, the Rangers have been getting into scrapes with the villains and have been able to pull through just fine. Especially during episodes 5 and 6, those were rough ones for them, and with their new zords they are back on top of the food chain, but Annubis is now raising the stakes and amping up his tests for the Rangers, to see how far he can push them, and how far they are willing to go.

os_prfan: Very good. What fic would you say has gotten you the most recognition, or has gotten you the most comments?

T-Rexor Ranger: I'd have to say Atlantis has.

os_prfan: What has been your favourite fic to write, and why?

T-Rexor Ranger: Atlantis has to be my fav, because, well, I like making the story more dramatic, action packed, thrilling, and a mystery to the fans. I like the characters I have created, as well. I tried to make Jake more of a Dustin/Jason-type character, but now I find I'm making him more Jason-like, and well, like Angel (the vampire with a soul who has starred in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Angel”) now. He’s more like me in a way. And it's just fun to make these stories, and put my characters into these situations. It's just a lot a fun, really.

os_prfan: When did you first get into PR and/or Sentai?

T-Rexor Ranger: I got into PR on the first day it aired, and Sentai, well, I'd have to say when Abaranger began, but really after looking into Sentai’s history, I wish I could have seen them. Well, most of them, like Liveman and Changeman, but Liveman most of all since I heard really good things about it.

os_prfan: What's your favourite season? Favourite ranger? Favourite villain?

T-Rexor Ranger: My favorite season would have to be MMPR S1-3, actually. My favorite ranger is Jason. To me, he has always been, and always be, the leader of the original team. My favourite villain… well, it's a tie between Lord Zedd and Mesogog.

os_prfan: Why the tie?

T-Rexor Ranger: I dunno, I just found Lord Zedd to be a great villain, and Mesogog an awesome one, too. I believe that they played excellent villain parts in PR history.

os_prfan: How do you feel about the PR/Sentai fanfic community?

T-Rexor Ranger: I think it's great. I have no problem with it. Well, there can be some jerks on the boards sometimes, but other than that, I find it great. I like reading people's fanfictions of sentai, PR, KR. It doesn't matter, because some of the ones I've seen have been really good, like yours (Power Rangers: Generations), and my friend Zord Crazy's Fantasy Force; PR Tekno, which I wrote the theme song for; and GreenNinja has his HorrorRanger fic that I like reading too. And there many, many others.

os_prfan: What have been your favourite fics to read, and why?

T-Rexor Ranger: PR: Generations, because of the writing and how it allows me to picture exactly what's happening, along with the story. HorrorRanger had a good concept, with using Horror villains as the heroes of the fic. That was very cool. Fantasy Force was interesting, and very well done as well. I like the finale, when he had his Rangers face off against previous monsters they had fought against. That was great for the ending. And, umm, let's see what else, oh, Tekno! That's a good one and I recommend it to everyone. I'm being serious, PR: Tekno is a really good read, along with Generations.

os_prfan: Any plans for future fics?

T-Rexor Ranger: Yes. I have plans for about five more fics.

os_prfan: Care to give us some details?

T-Rexor Ranger: Well, the next season is gonna deal with three rangers to start off with, and it takes place on Mirinoi, and there will be a bit of a relationship to the quazar sabers. That's all I'm willing to say about that one at this point. For the next one, it will be taking place in the future, during the years when Time Force was just an idea on a piece of paper. And, well, let's see, the one following that one, is a Chinese-based series, with a hint of Zyuranger, sort of, as well as Go Go V in some aspect. I won't say what exactly, but it is gonna be an interesting series. After that, the follow series is going to be based off of my sentai fic that I kind of started, called Hikarisoku Sentai Seitouranger. It takes place in the same time line as Atlantis and it’s subsequent series’. The final series, I'm not gonna say much about, but it's magic based, and yes, I do mean magic based, but not the same as Magiranger. Just look for some recognizable faces in it.

os_prfan: Do I detect some former-ranger cameos in the works?

T-Rexor Ranger: I can not confirm nor deny that. lol

os_prfan: Heh, well said. If there was one moment in PR history that you could change, what would it be? And don't say not having Justin as the blue Turbo ranger, because that idea has been beaten into the ground.

T-Rexor Ranger: I agree about what ya said about the Justin thing. Well, I would say the very last episodes of MMPR. I did not like it that they lost their powers and didn't really defeat Rita, Lord Zedd, or Master Vile. I would have them at least take them down badly if they wanted to keep them for a future season (i.e. IN SPACE), but at least allow the Rangers to win against them, and lose to the Machine Empire, then they could go to Zeo. Because, personally, I liked it when Zeo happened, but the whole losing powers without a fight by Rito and Goldar was lame.

os_prfan: Any hopes for SPD or Mystic Force, or speculation about who Sky's father is, perhaps?

T-Rexor Ranger: Ah, for SPD I would like to see Boom actually turn out to be the Omega Ranger, but it's not gonna happen, since Disney did confirm that Omega was to be an alien life form, I think. And well, Mystic Force, I say it's gonna just rock. I've seen a little of Magiranger, but what I have seen of it looks to be one hell of a show. About Sky's father, I dunno, maybe it was Wes, years from when we last saw him, I dunno. Not much has been explained or even mentioned on him so I can't really say.

os_prfan: Well, that about wraps it up. Any parting words for our readers?

T-Rexor Ranger: "May the power protect ya." lol

T-Rexor Ranger: Oh, and check out Power Rangers: ATLANTIS. You won't regret it.

os_prfan: That's good enough for me. Thanks for your time, buddy

T-Rexor Ranger: No problem