Q: What is "sentai?"
A: According to Ben Dunn, editor of Antartic Press' now-defunct magazine,
"Sentai," Sentai is Japanese for "task force." The formula involves an
evil group (demons, monsters, "space aliens," or whatever) who want to
conquer the Earth. A group of teens or young adults, who also happen
to be skilled in the martial arts, is empowered to stop them. They get
their clocks cleaned, see their nemesis-of-the-show grow, and summon
the obligatory giant robot, which destroys the evil monster. For
example, the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers is a sentai show
(obviously).
. Sentai can also be used as a catch-all term to refer to any Asian
live-action SF/Fantasy show.