WMAC Masters on TJ TV

 

Image via Wikipedia

 

I wish that were a network I was talking about. In my articles on 4Kids Entertainment, I’ve brought up one show as a defense, WMAC Masters as proof that when they did their own work it was very good. Anime fans only seem them as bad dubbers, but this show kicked major butt.

I’ve been thinking of doing a series of articles about shows I miss, and will do so in the future. However, getting clips isn’t easy (it’s only recently that I’ve even seen anything on YouTube past a foreign-dubbed opening and 4Kids doesn’t host it officially anywhere) and I have a better solution. Video reviewer Tyler James, who has been in the Saturday Night Showcase—twice!–agreed to let me post his most recent TJ TV episode, where he takes a look at the “world’s greatest martial artists”. It’s so on the mark that I only have a few comments to make afterward.

Three things I wish to add:

1. Shannon Lee, the daughter of Bruce Lee and obviously sister of Brandon Lee, played herself as the show announcer, and one episode even involved Tsunami having a crush on her. Sadly, she was taken out of season 2. I guess acting like the matches were the actual TV show and the audience “didn’t know” about what was happening in the locker room didn’t mesh with the Jukido storyline or something.
2. I disagree with Tyler on one point. I agree that a subplot might have been of benefit, although they were going for martial arts infomercial if you ask me. (One episode even showed the son of one competitor, “Bam”, reaching the next stage of their discipline and the ceremony involved.) However, I liked the show just fine when it was just a series of martial arts competitions. Maybe because I was a wrestling fan and accepted that this wasn’t ongoing but seasonal.
3. Tsunami was my favorite of the Masters, and I was disappointed when the series ended because the cliffhanger had him as the inside man. I also would like to think that he was actually a spy FOR the World Martial Arts Council instead of against them.
4. BONUS: Having seen Tyler’s reviews of Kamen Rider role-play toys from Japan, I’m more surprised that he owns a belt that doesn’t pretend to transform him into a superhero. 🙂

So that’s WMAC Masters. In looking into the show, I found out that one of the Masters would go from Power Ranger stuntman to Power Ranger, but I’ll bring that up (if I remember) when we get into Lightspeed Rescue. (And by “we” I mean me, as Linkara’s already that far and past. 🙂 ) I really hope that if someone does by 4Kids that they decide to finally get this out of the vaults and onto DVD. It was a good show and I wouldn’t mind seeing it return to TV in the future.

If you want to see it for yourself, check out the unofficial website, which does have the episodes. Hopefully, 4Kids will realize there is money to be made by airing it on TV/online or releasing the series on DVD.