Lion guard Story Reviews

RPM, What The Lion Guard Could Have Been

Alright, so technically this ain't a fanfic review, but it is a critique on The Lion Guard in general, so just please read the whole thing. But overall this chapter is going to compare two shows made by Disney, and how one is better in tone, character, and storytelling than the other. So let's begin.

If you have followed me for a while, you might have heard me reference Power Rangers RPM a few times. Well there is a reason for that. RPM highlights everything that the Disney Era of Rangers does right.

In general the Disney-Era of power Rangers has a more edgy feeling to it, good character development, and is overall more engaging, than the crap seasons we have gotten ever since Samurai.

However RPM dials everything up to 11, and more. The season takes risks, it gives us a darker, but not a gritty tone for the season, and isn't afraid to be tragic when it needs to be.

From the first 10 seconds when the narrator is explaining the fall of humanity, you know this isn't you average ranger season.

This season has given us a setting that we don't get to see much in kids shows, and in the opening act of the first episode, the tone is already set for what we can expect from this season.

Seriously watch this, it doesn't even feel like its from Power Rangers

Next I want to talk about the big bad of the season, Venjix. Unlike other seasons where the villain tries to conquer the earth by for some reason focusing on one town and sending a monster of the week to cause chaos, this villain did what not even Loki, or even Ultron could have done, he conquered the Earth.

Venjix sends in a monster of the week not to take over the earth, he has already done that, but rather finish off humanity. The Rangers aren't trying to prevent total destruction, but rather give everyone a fighting chance to survive.

But the main highlight of the season, aside from its darker tone, is the characters. The main five rangers, and along with their mentor Doctor. K are some of the best characters in a kids show ever.

This show succeeds in the character department because of the time spent developing everyone. And we will circle back when we compare them to the five members of the Lion Guard.

But lets compare this season to The Lion Guard, and although I like this show, it could have been more. The concept of defenders of the Pridelands, going against a lion made out of fire could have worked. But stupid Disney Jr and partially Ford Riley ruined it.

The fact that this show is targeted towards preschoolers makes the show suffer from a storytelling and a tone perspective.

The characters in the main five that get some sort of development throughout the season are Kion, Fuli, and Ono (kinda).

Kion's arc (as I mentioned before) circles around his sense of self worth and the ability to prove himself to everyone around him, forcing him to become a more competent leader and fighter.

Fuli's arc centers around her becoming less introverted and more accepting of her friends as her new family.

And Ono's arc centers around confidence or something.

The only ones who get development outside of the core five are Rani, Janja and Jasiri.

As we all know Janja and Jasiri have a love hate dynamic that grows and whatnot while Rani's arc sees her overcoming her past and what she has suffered in order to see Kion for the person he really is and fall in love with him.

But this is an issue because when a character who shows up for half a season gets more development that those who have been around since the goddamn pilot, it's not good.

The writers could have done something with the fact that Bunga is an orphans and give reasoning to his idiotic behavior, or how Beshte's mother isn't around at all.

Kirara could have gone from a self conscious person, to a person more confident in her role as the future Queen, but not too confident so it could tie in with her arc in TLK2 where Kovu would be there and whatnot.

Simba and Nala could have gotten relationship problems because after all, they sent their son off into battle, and with Simba's overprotective attitude shown in TLK2 and Nala's more trusting attitude with her cubs, this could have caused issues in their marriage that would have made them a more well developed couple.

But instead we got fart jokes, dialogue so cringey that more recent seasons of Power Rangers sound cooler (yes even Ninja Steel), and villains who cant even kill anything, except for some gizelles in the pilot while off screen.

But also, this show could have been better from a tone perspective. RPM has shown us that having a dark yet lighthearted story is possible if done right. The concept this show was given could improve if it was put on a network with less restrictions and a more serious tone could have helped more people connect with the show, and improve the story and characters.

Now I want to compare two characters that serve the same role in each of their respective teams, Ziggy Grover and Bunga.

So these two are basically the comedic relief of their respective teams, except one is beloved by fans, and the other has mixed reception. We see Ziggy go from the LEAST capable person to be a Ranger, to someone who grows more confident in their fighting abilities and trains himself through his fighting with Venjex's forces to better himself. While Bunga stayed the same idiot throughout the whole season.

The point of this was to point out how the Lion Guard could have taken some inspiration from RPM regarding storytelling and tone.

I also would like to point out that a guy yelling "Power Rangers RPM Get in gear" as the theme song is WAY better than whatever the fuck "Call of the Guard" was supposed to be.