Different people have different ideas of what an ideal hero is, and see something different in that idea. It may be someone close to them, someone from a fantasy world like Super Sentai, or maybe even themselves. There's not one thing that could be said to be everyone's ideal.
The character Sion expresses something close to my definition of an ideal hero.
That's my biggest reason for liking him, and what I most want to convey through starting this site.
He has a definite sense of values, the strength to not be influenced by others, and never wavers from that throughout the story.
However, he is not rigid, doesn't reject anyone, and doesn't force his values on anyone as definitely being correct.
He tries to convince people by accepting their weakness, and does his best to understand the justice of others.
He listens to what people have to say, at times sacrificing himself for the sake of another's justice,
which I think is the greatest expression of his heroism.
This shows that a hero does more than simply fight something defined as evil. For there to be good, there must be evil; they are mutually dependent. However, even if Sion can judge something as wrong, it doesn't seem like he defines evil as the opposite of his rightness. Sion acts like he understands that the best way to be right to oneself is to make that justice and one's values understood to others. Even without using force, sometimes the heart of someone with the opposite can be moved in this way.
That's the impression of Sion I got watching the show.
Other people who like Sion may have a different point of view, and I understand that not everyone may agree with me and that everyone doesn't need to share one point of view.
However, it's the Sion that I perceive to be portrayed that way that I like, and that is close to my definition of the ideal hero.
Also, I can't deny that my feeling strongly about him influences my perception, but it's important that it isn't possible to project one's ideals on just anyone.
I don't think there are many Super Sentai who can acheive justice without forcing it, like Sion does. I think one thing that makes him special is that Timeranger and it's characters are a little out of place among the Super Sentai series, which is made for children. The characters created by the screenwriter Kobayashi Yasuko show character and development beyond the reach of just one episode, and their characterization is such that they seem like real people with real lives, even to an adult viewer. That means that even if the motivation for Sion's sense of justice can be hard to understand since it is not expressed directly or aggressively, the viewers can understand that Sion had a life up to this point that led him to act in this way.
The realistic humanity of the characters wasn't profitable however, as it seemed like it was difficult for children to understand,
which is surely one reason for Timeranger having the lowest toys sales of all Super Sentai until 2018.
This led to a shift in direction for the Super Sentai series, and the tone of the show began to change after 2001, with the characters and story becoming more straightforward and easy to understand.
Simple character motivations also became more pronounced, and complex psychological depictions of Sentai became more difficult.
Human drama is still a factor in Super Sentai however, so that doesn't mean that complex psychological depictions have completely disappeared.
The concept of good and evil will continue to pain us humans eternally. No one is ever sure what choice to make, and there is always uncertainty regarding correct judgement.
For that reason, people look to heroes for guidance, helping us understand how to choose what's right, and in that way contributing to the order and stability of the world.
As I said above, I think it's important to see justice portrayed by Sion as something that is not just an imposition of force,
that rather than simply setting evil as its adversary instead embodies goodness in itself.
I had always lived without understanding what good and evil are, but now I feel like I understand what choices to make with my life.
Helping people understand the meaning of justice is the true job of a hero, and this is the definite reason I can say Sion is my ideal hero.
Putting it this way it seems like I'm over-glorifying Sion / Timegreen, but the depiction of the character in the show was enough to make me think this way.
Also, the more one lives the fewer things there are that one can glorify in this way.
I never expected watching the show again as an adult that it would have an influence on how I think,
but I think that Timeranger really does have that level of depth! In fact, I think that adults will better be able to understand its meaning.
From now on as well I would like to continue featuring Sion's sense of justice. Thank you for reading until the end.