Yeah, it seems like Saint Seiya still has quite the active fandom decades later (despite the fact it went so long without an official English-language release), while Ronin Warriors has had zero cultural impact. ^^; Thank you for the background -- I guess now I know why I just mistakenly assumed [this show people frequently talked about] was the show I was familiar with on TV, when it wasn't.
I like your analysis of the dynamics in different-sized and even-/odd-sized teams. I think you're right -- five is a good number for starting to have a well-rounded team (while not having the cast get too unwieldy) and keeping the tension inherent in imbalanced sub-teams. And it is kind of interesting that there aren't really any prominent examples of 4-man bands in this style other than TMNT. Kind of makes me wonder why that one managed to work / why it departs from the formula. And yeah, Ducktales is technically 4 but does seem to have an imbalanced 1:3 split dynamic kind of built in. I'm a big fan of the trio dynamic as well -- some great trios out there.
The merchandising is also a great point! I definitely agree, that the Five-Man Band formula with its stable casts and distinctive-yet-also-quite-similar/interchangeable characters does lend itself to pushing toys/merch. I think you're right that, if a show was designed to be primarily a vehicle for toys, we might see a comeback in the Five-Man Band formula.
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I like your analysis of the dynamics in different-sized and even-/odd-sized teams. I think you're right -- five is a good number for starting to have a well-rounded team (while not having the cast get too unwieldy) and keeping the tension inherent in imbalanced sub-teams. And it is kind of interesting that there aren't really any prominent examples of 4-man bands in this style other than TMNT. Kind of makes me wonder why that one managed to work / why it departs from the formula. And yeah, Ducktales is technically 4 but does seem to have an imbalanced 1:3 split dynamic kind of built in. I'm a big fan of the trio dynamic as well -- some great trios out there.
The merchandising is also a great point! I definitely agree, that the Five-Man Band formula with its stable casts and distinctive-yet-also-quite-similar/interchangeable characters does lend itself to pushing toys/merch. I think you're right that, if a show was designed to be primarily a vehicle for toys, we might see a comeback in the Five-Man Band formula.