If you’re part of the laser sword wielding, saturday fun machine watching, lego-building, mighty-kid wearing generation, you undoubtedly know who the Star Rangers were. They were the most famous Super Sentai (literally “task force”) of our childhood. In Japan they were known as the Gorangers.I happened to chance upon action figures of the Star Rangers one day at Toy Kingdom. I felt so guilty blowing thousands of pesos on an unfulfilled childhood fantasy so I just bought one of five (which happened to be my favorite, Aoranger-Star2).

Segueway to my four year old kid who has graduated from Barney- the hypnotic dinosaur and Blues Clues with Joe and Steve (can you say stoners?). Here’s his reaction upon seeing his current idols - the Power Rangers, “live and in person” in Shang Mall two weeks back:

Everything comes full circle no? I explain to him that back in the day we didn’t have the Power Rangers (or the multi-billion dollar toy industry designed to milk the parents for all their worth). We had other stuff like Great Mazinger, the Planetarium in Roxas Boulevard and of course the Star Rangers. And he nods appreciatively, albeit chuckling deep down, laughing at how lame the cape was.

I tell him how everything was so much cooler (better, less expensive) when I was kid. That my friends is the sure sign of getting older. And it ain’t that bad at all. Especially when you have your own kid to shop with for your own toys.