Some Thoughts for This Morning
Mar. 18th, 2025 09:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mad_tea_party Good morning, guys. This morning, for the first time in a long time, I have woken up in no pain. It's making me very thankful, and so I want to shout out some people, and things for helping me through this incredibly difficult season of my life.
As you all know, I am still struggling with Fred's passing, but there has been, without a doubt, one franchise that's helped me. Well, two, technically. And you guys all know which two, I bet. Yes, Super Sentai, and Power Rangers. Since the end of 2022, I had started watching Power Rangers from start to finish. OF course there were two pauses. When Jason David Frank died and then again in 2023 when Fred died. In the Summer of 2024, I finished my first full Power Rangers season, RPM, in years. The first of those outside of the OG Mighty Morphin was Mystic Force, years before. After Power MorphiCon, I had been on a tear, and I'm nearly finished with my watch after relentless wekeends getting to know new teams (and in MOST cases, new muses). I am now on Dino Charge. I have decided to take a short break before finishing the last few seasons to focus on...
d
Super Sentai. I have a rather bittersweet history with this franchise, and it starts with Fred. When he would come over to my house, he'd have his laptop, and he'd be watching the "Japanese Power Rangers", as he explained it to me at the time. He'd hoped and even tried several times to get me to watch with him. But I was so afraid it would screw up my perception of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and thus taint what that show did for me, I stubbornly refused...until. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. I don't know if it was Joe, Doc, or Marvelous, but he'd shown me a picture of the group, and I was smitten, and thus got brave and tried it. BAM! It hit me in the face and emotions in ways I never expected. The subtitles meant nothing to me as I'd been watching anime subtitles for many years by then.
Then, the unthinkable happened. I was told we were moving away to Florida. I couldn't download the series myself. I have horrible luck with Torrents, and I always have. So Fred, on one of our last hang out days, transferred the files to my external hard drive, making me promise I would finish even he wasn't there. Besides, he'd be a text away if I wanted to talk.
My external hard drive died within two months of me being in Florida, and I lost the entire library he'd given me. (He'd also given me Avengers Disc Wars, and I loved it). A couple of years later, I bought Gokaiger on Ebay on DVD. I didn't touch it for a long time. I mean a LONG time. And then, something else happened that changed everything
I received news that Fred was dying of Bone Cancer. I will never forget that call. I cried so hard. And I had to contend with the lack of communication for a year before that, and then get handed that news. It hurt so badly, you guys. At the time, I'd already been planning for PowerMorphicon, and we'd all talked about going because I told him I really wanted him to be there to meet Walter Jones with me.
A year later, he was gone. It happened so fast, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd been thinking of forgoing the con all together. Between my Mom, my two friends in California, and Jonathan (Fred's brother), I managed to make myself go, and then....I get the news that Ryota Ozawa, aka Captain Mervelous himself, would be there. I knew meeting a Japanese actor would be very expensive. But I didn't care. I would meet him in Fred's honor, for Fred. He was such a nice guy.
I went home with a full and heavy heart, and right after that, I began rewatching Gokaiger from the beginning to get the full story. It took me a long while, and in the meantime, I'd also picked up where I left on my Power Rangers watch. Getting to the last episodes of Gokaiger was both a relief and sad. I had no one to really talk to about that series the way Fred and I would've talked about it. Especially on a specific reveal that I won't put here cause a friend of mine is now about to start trying to watch it.
Before Gokaiger was even over, I had ordered Magiranger (on a friend's insistence that I would like it, even if I still ended up liking Mystic Force better). I should also mention it wasn't just that friend's talking about it. I'd met Kai Ozu in Gokaiger, and was smitten with him. One episode was all it took. LOL. And I've found that Kai is not my only favorite in this series. I absolutely love Tsubasa and Houka too. Hikaru is...growing on me? But second to the Rangers, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Nai and Mea. They are the sentai counterpart to Necrolai in Mystic Force, and after meeting them, I do wish they'd found a way to make that work in Mystic Force, despiting loving LeeLee. And I am almost done with that series now.
Timeranger came next after accidentally "meeting" Trip's coutnerpart, Sion, on a Wiki while looking for info on Trip for my fanfic.
That same phenomenon is about to repeat itself with DekaRanger, but I'll talk more about that later.
These two Franchise are important to me, but more so, my friends have been so integral to my healing process. So here is my shout out to each of them:
First and foremost, Jonathan. You have been my little brother since they day we met. I always admired the closeness you and Fred had because I never had that with either of my brothers. I know how much his passing hurt you. But I am also really glad we have each other to talk to about him and the things the three of us all loved together in some cases. I don't think I would have made it through Power MorphiCon without, Jon. That was hardest damn weekend of my life since his passing (second only to the release of Wicked the Movie). Thank you for being there for me then, and even now.
Shane and Joe: For allowing me to be a part of our crazy RP family and allowing me to bring both Rangers and Sentai to the RP. Shane, you really have made enjoying these franchises in Fred's absence so much easier. You have no idea. <3 Joe, you are great just for listening. I appreciate you.
Alex and Lynn: Of course this came with the sadness of running of out steam for our own RP fandom, and I know you guys understand, but I still feel a bit bad about it. But I am also so greateful to have you both to talk to about things on the daily whether it's Sentai questions (thank you, Alex, for some of your insight on specific issues), or talking about OLDER fandoms (aka the Robas and Yu gi oh in general).
Brayan: He and I are still very close, and I can always count on his critiques for things even if I don't (more often than not) agree with his assessment. There have been interesting, deep conversations about the shows, and the behind the scenes stuff. Some of them get heated at times, but they do make me think, and I love you for bringing that level of perception to my beloved franchises.
Of course there are others that I don't think will ever read this, but I have to mention them, too. Clemente, Buffy, John and RPM Dan who I met at PowerMorphicon. I don't readily discuss Fred or anything else with them, but they're all aware, and they are there, and they just let me prattle on about Sentai, Power Rangers, characters, plots, whatever I feel like talking about that day. It's been great to get to know them, and I am hoping I will see them again. (Clemente, get your RangerStop ticket, damn it! You're in Florida, dude. LOL)
And two last people.
Greg Aronowitz (he worked a LOT on Power Rangers SPD and has been posting tons of BTS pictures for Year of SPD this year. I've been here for it.) He seems so nice and if he was ever at a Ranger con, I would be there in a heartbeat.
Jason Faunt: This dude...he hasn't interacted much, but he has interacted seemingly when it was needed most. He played Wes and Alex in Time Force (still one of my favorite series, and all due to one episode, but again, another time).
Daniel Ewing himself. Daniel played Dillon in RPM. And while I don't talk to him on Instagrarm messenger, he's been so supportive with comments, and Likes. It just makes me smile. I hope HE is at RangerStop becuase I do want to get a proper autograph to go with the selfie he gave me for free at PMC.
All of you whether you know it or not, have been so important in this time. Between grieving Fred, and dealing with my parents' varying health issues, having you all there has been a great blessing. And I will never be able to pay you back for any of it.
As you all know, I am still struggling with Fred's passing, but there has been, without a doubt, one franchise that's helped me. Well, two, technically. And you guys all know which two, I bet. Yes, Super Sentai, and Power Rangers. Since the end of 2022, I had started watching Power Rangers from start to finish. OF course there were two pauses. When Jason David Frank died and then again in 2023 when Fred died. In the Summer of 2024, I finished my first full Power Rangers season, RPM, in years. The first of those outside of the OG Mighty Morphin was Mystic Force, years before. After Power MorphiCon, I had been on a tear, and I'm nearly finished with my watch after relentless wekeends getting to know new teams (and in MOST cases, new muses). I am now on Dino Charge. I have decided to take a short break before finishing the last few seasons to focus on...
d
Super Sentai. I have a rather bittersweet history with this franchise, and it starts with Fred. When he would come over to my house, he'd have his laptop, and he'd be watching the "Japanese Power Rangers", as he explained it to me at the time. He'd hoped and even tried several times to get me to watch with him. But I was so afraid it would screw up my perception of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and thus taint what that show did for me, I stubbornly refused...until. Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger. I don't know if it was Joe, Doc, or Marvelous, but he'd shown me a picture of the group, and I was smitten, and thus got brave and tried it. BAM! It hit me in the face and emotions in ways I never expected. The subtitles meant nothing to me as I'd been watching anime subtitles for many years by then.
Then, the unthinkable happened. I was told we were moving away to Florida. I couldn't download the series myself. I have horrible luck with Torrents, and I always have. So Fred, on one of our last hang out days, transferred the files to my external hard drive, making me promise I would finish even he wasn't there. Besides, he'd be a text away if I wanted to talk.
My external hard drive died within two months of me being in Florida, and I lost the entire library he'd given me. (He'd also given me Avengers Disc Wars, and I loved it). A couple of years later, I bought Gokaiger on Ebay on DVD. I didn't touch it for a long time. I mean a LONG time. And then, something else happened that changed everything
I received news that Fred was dying of Bone Cancer. I will never forget that call. I cried so hard. And I had to contend with the lack of communication for a year before that, and then get handed that news. It hurt so badly, you guys. At the time, I'd already been planning for PowerMorphicon, and we'd all talked about going because I told him I really wanted him to be there to meet Walter Jones with me.
A year later, he was gone. It happened so fast, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd been thinking of forgoing the con all together. Between my Mom, my two friends in California, and Jonathan (Fred's brother), I managed to make myself go, and then....I get the news that Ryota Ozawa, aka Captain Mervelous himself, would be there. I knew meeting a Japanese actor would be very expensive. But I didn't care. I would meet him in Fred's honor, for Fred. He was such a nice guy.
I went home with a full and heavy heart, and right after that, I began rewatching Gokaiger from the beginning to get the full story. It took me a long while, and in the meantime, I'd also picked up where I left on my Power Rangers watch. Getting to the last episodes of Gokaiger was both a relief and sad. I had no one to really talk to about that series the way Fred and I would've talked about it. Especially on a specific reveal that I won't put here cause a friend of mine is now about to start trying to watch it.
Before Gokaiger was even over, I had ordered Magiranger (on a friend's insistence that I would like it, even if I still ended up liking Mystic Force better). I should also mention it wasn't just that friend's talking about it. I'd met Kai Ozu in Gokaiger, and was smitten with him. One episode was all it took. LOL. And I've found that Kai is not my only favorite in this series. I absolutely love Tsubasa and Houka too. Hikaru is...growing on me? But second to the Rangers, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Nai and Mea. They are the sentai counterpart to Necrolai in Mystic Force, and after meeting them, I do wish they'd found a way to make that work in Mystic Force, despiting loving LeeLee. And I am almost done with that series now.
Timeranger came next after accidentally "meeting" Trip's coutnerpart, Sion, on a Wiki while looking for info on Trip for my fanfic.
That same phenomenon is about to repeat itself with DekaRanger, but I'll talk more about that later.
These two Franchise are important to me, but more so, my friends have been so integral to my healing process. So here is my shout out to each of them:
First and foremost, Jonathan. You have been my little brother since they day we met. I always admired the closeness you and Fred had because I never had that with either of my brothers. I know how much his passing hurt you. But I am also really glad we have each other to talk to about him and the things the three of us all loved together in some cases. I don't think I would have made it through Power MorphiCon without, Jon. That was hardest damn weekend of my life since his passing (second only to the release of Wicked the Movie). Thank you for being there for me then, and even now.
Shane and Joe: For allowing me to be a part of our crazy RP family and allowing me to bring both Rangers and Sentai to the RP. Shane, you really have made enjoying these franchises in Fred's absence so much easier. You have no idea. <3 Joe, you are great just for listening. I appreciate you.
Alex and Lynn: Of course this came with the sadness of running of out steam for our own RP fandom, and I know you guys understand, but I still feel a bit bad about it. But I am also so greateful to have you both to talk to about things on the daily whether it's Sentai questions (thank you, Alex, for some of your insight on specific issues), or talking about OLDER fandoms (aka the Robas and Yu gi oh in general).
Brayan: He and I are still very close, and I can always count on his critiques for things even if I don't (more often than not) agree with his assessment. There have been interesting, deep conversations about the shows, and the behind the scenes stuff. Some of them get heated at times, but they do make me think, and I love you for bringing that level of perception to my beloved franchises.
Of course there are others that I don't think will ever read this, but I have to mention them, too. Clemente, Buffy, John and RPM Dan who I met at PowerMorphicon. I don't readily discuss Fred or anything else with them, but they're all aware, and they are there, and they just let me prattle on about Sentai, Power Rangers, characters, plots, whatever I feel like talking about that day. It's been great to get to know them, and I am hoping I will see them again. (Clemente, get your RangerStop ticket, damn it! You're in Florida, dude. LOL)
And two last people.
Greg Aronowitz (he worked a LOT on Power Rangers SPD and has been posting tons of BTS pictures for Year of SPD this year. I've been here for it.) He seems so nice and if he was ever at a Ranger con, I would be there in a heartbeat.
Jason Faunt: This dude...he hasn't interacted much, but he has interacted seemingly when it was needed most. He played Wes and Alex in Time Force (still one of my favorite series, and all due to one episode, but again, another time).
Daniel Ewing himself. Daniel played Dillon in RPM. And while I don't talk to him on Instagrarm messenger, he's been so supportive with comments, and Likes. It just makes me smile. I hope HE is at RangerStop becuase I do want to get a proper autograph to go with the selfie he gave me for free at PMC.
All of you whether you know it or not, have been so important in this time. Between grieving Fred, and dealing with my parents' varying health issues, having you all there has been a great blessing. And I will never be able to pay you back for any of it.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-18 02:26 pm (UTC)<3 You're welcome! So glad you're enjoying Magiranger, it was my first Japanese Sentai and Alex was right, it was brilliant. :D