Raven's Reviews
An Intro to Tokusatsu
Annabel Zeng
Tokusatsu, or Toku, is a form of media highly popular in Japan, as well as other countries. It uses special effects and props to make it look like there is damage being dealt, hence the name Tokusatsu, coming from 特, which means special, and 撮, which means effects. Some examples of tokusatsu are Kamen Rider, Super Sentai (footage used for Power Rangers), Ultraman, Godzilla, and more!
Toku is very influential in anime and manga, such as the legend himself, Hideaki Anno, being influenced by Ultraman to make Neon Genesis Evangelion. He would go on to write Shin Ultraman, as well as directing Shin Godzilla, and the upcoming Shin Kamen Rider. This is all mentioned in his wife’s manga, Insufficient Direction which I would highly recommend reading. Another example would be Gen Urobuchi, who, during the process of making Madoka Magica, watched Kamen Rider Ryuki and was inspired by it. He has also stated that he loved Kamen Rider Black RX when he was a high schooler. Urobuchi would later go on to write for Kamen Rider Gaim, a season praised in the Kamen Rider fandom.
Speaking of Tokusatsu writers, Yasuko Kobayashi, who has written for many Sentai and Rider seasons, particularly Kamen Rider Den-O and Kamen Rider OOO (Pronounced like Ozu), is the head writer for Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, Kakegurui and, apparently, the live action adaptation of Sailor Moon. (Just an interesting fact I wanted to share with you).
You’re probably wondering where you can watch Tokusatsu? You’re going to have to figure this out on your own, because I can’t tell you. But, I do know that you can buy Blu-Rays of Ultraman and Kamen Rider on Amazon. Plus, Toei and Tsuburaya have released some Tokusatsu episodes on their Youtube channel, so go check that out.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhJPRROhunI
(This is one of my favorite moments in Kamen Rider.)
Some recommendations I would make for a Tokusatsu watching list would be: Kamen Rider Gaim, for all the Madoka Magica fans out there, Ultraman Ginga and its sequel, Ultraman Ginga S, Ultraman Geed, Ultraman R/B (pronounced Rube), Tokumei Sentai Go Busters, Kamen Rider Ex-Aid, and Kamen Rider Zero One.
Next time, I'll do a review on a J drama about Tokusatsu, Tokusatsu Gagaga. Despite the name, it’s not a Tokusatsu. I wanted to write a short intro to Tokusatsu, because one, I don’t have the time to write a full review (by the time I’m writing this, the due date is in two days), and, two, I really want to tell you about my so-called “hobby”. So, see you next time.
Page layout by Fatema Lokhandwala