A. Yoshi Opinion Piece: Should Super Sentai take a rest?

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I admit, Sentai has never been at this much of an all time low before (at least in terms of popularity),Toy sales for Ninninger have been the worst at least since Timeranger, ratings for Zyuohger are getting lower with each new episode, Rumors of budget cuts on TV Tropes are prevalent, not even Fiveman did as much damage to the Sentai Brand as these past few years. So Sentai has a choice to make, either change their marketing strategy, or take a break for a while.... What do I think? well...




I think they could take the quitters way out by re introducing the Metal Hero series or a brand new hero for 2018 after Kyuuranger, Expect a pre release episode of the A. Yoshi Show for that. but it's going to have to rebuild momentum after Sentai has been a yearly Japanese tradition for almost 4 decades now going up and down for all that time. It is easy way out, since kamen rider has been on and off for 45 years and the Heisei era has been enjoying massive popularity unseen in the Showa era. Hell, Ultraman, the arguably longest running and consistently popular henshin hero series has had few year bursts of popularity for half a century. Who's to say it can't work for Sentai, think of Sentai in this scenario as the first star trek series, it may've been over but the movies and specials kept it alive until the next generation.



I could just say use my Beetenger idea, but that's rather selfish of me. The best idea by far is having a better social media presence, going digital, and bringing the series worldwide, maybe I'm crazy, but seriously it's a 3 step Process...



Step #1: Talk to western licensors like Crunchyroll and Funimation to release subtitled versions of sentai for western audiences:


Come on, Americans could only take so much Ultraman and Godzilla before wanting more. and you could give them such. Americans can pirate Sentai series, but that's if they know Sentai's a thing. You know, products sell better when you advertise them. Sentai seems to do well in those DVD sets shout factory has been releasing, why not take it further, release 2-5 episode of older XSentai a week, and simulcast Sentai as it airs in Japan. I know Sentai survives on toy sales, but you can totally market Sentai toys in America. Just make them a premium online option...



Step #2: Increase your social media presence:


Have hashtags for super hero time, the current Super Sentai series, and talk to your fans. Sentai was popular in the parts of Latin America, Europe and Southeast Asia for a while in the 1980s, why not have a Toei Channel for dubbed/subbed anime and subbed tokusatsu. Remember #BringBackToonami? why not have a hashtag for #BringSentaiWorldwide?



Step #3: Go Digital:

The Toei Tokusatsu Fan Club was the right idea, but why not expand upon it, see #1. It'll do tremendous good to put Sentai on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime, or even NicoNico, It worked for Kamen Rider Amazons, and Sailor Moon Crystal It Could work for Mainstream Toei Tokusatsu too...



Send this to any Toei people who'll be willing to listen, because Kyuuranger is more than likely Sentai's last chance to show it's not irrelevant in a generation of Yo-Kai Watch, which is struggling in the US...