Icons of tokusatsu in the late 1970s: Spider-Man, Kamen Rider Stronger, Kamen Rider V3, Battle Fever J, Ultraman Jonias (appearing in an animated series), as well as the manga and anime icon Doraemon

Tokusatsu (特撮, Tokusatsu^?) is a Japanese word that literally means "special effects. The Japanese Tokusatsu version of Spider-Man was a Television series produced by Toei Company in 1978, based on is a Japanese Tokusatsu television series The fifth programme to be created as part of the Kamen Rider Series, the series was broadcast on TBS and Masked Rider V3 or Masked Rider Version 3 in English, is a Japanese Tokusatsu Television series is a Japanese TV series being the third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise. is an Anime Superhero series and the first-ever animated version of the famous superhero Ultraman. ˈmɑŋgə is the Japanese word for Comics (sometimes called komikku コミック and print Cartoons In their modern form manga date from shortly (anime in Japanese, is a Japanese Manga series created by Fujiko F Fujio (the pen name of Hiroshi Fujimoto which later became an Anime series and Asian is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities The illusions used in the Film, Television, Theater, or Entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called " It is primarily used to refer to live-action Japanese film and television dramas that make use of special effects. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. also called dorama (ドラマ are a staple of Japanese television and are broadcast daily

The term "tokusatsu" is a contraction of the Japanese phrase tokushu satsuei (特殊撮影 ^?, "special photography") In production, the special effects director is given the title of tokushu gijutsu (特殊技術 ^?, "special techniques") or tokusatsu kantoku (特撮監督 ^?, "special effects director").

Tokusatsu entertainment is often science fiction, fantasy, or horror, but movies and TV shows in other genres can sometimes be classified as tokusatsu as well. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Horror films are Movies that strive to elicit Fear, Horror and terror responses from viewers A genre (ˈʒɑːnrə also /ˈdʒɑːnrə/ from French "kind" or "sort" from Latin: genus (stem gener-) is a loose set The most popular types of tokusatsu are kaiju monster movies (the Godzilla and Gamera film series), superhero TV serials (the Kamen Rider and Metal Heroes series), and mecha dramas (Giant Robo). is a Japanese word that means "strange beast" but often translated in English as " Monster. is a series of giant monster films starring Godzilla, a Japanese creation usually portrayed by a man in a rubber suit Appearance Gamera's size rivals that of Toho 's own Kaiju, Godzilla. A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do The is the overall name of a franchise of Japanese Tokusatsu. The is a genre of Tokusatsu Superhero TV series produced by Toei for Japanese television Word origin and usage The term "mecha" is derived from the Japanese abbreviation for the English word " mechanical " is a Manga and Tokusatsu series created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. Some tokusatsu television programs combine several of these subgenres (the Ultraman and Super Sentai series). The is the collective name for all the shows produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren and the myriad Ultra Monsters. The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd

Tokusatsu is one of the most popular forms of Japanese entertainment, but most tokusatsu movies and television programs are not widely known outside Asia. In recent years, however, tokusatsu has begun to develop a small but loyal and growing fanbase outside of Japan.

History

Tokusatsu has its most distant origins in early Japanese theater, specifically kabuki, with its action and fight scenes, and bunraku, which utilized some of the earliest forms of special effects, specifically puppetry. Traditional Japanese Theatre includes Kabuki, Noh and Bunraku. is a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate Make-up worn by some of its performers also known as Ningyō jōruri (ja 人形浄瑠璃 is a form of traditional Japanese Puppet theater founded in Osaka in 1684 Puppetry is a form of Theatre or Performance which involves the Manipulation of Puppets. Modern tokusatsu, however, did not begin to take shape until the early 1950s, with the conceptual and creative birth of Godzilla, one of the most famous kaiju (monsters) of all time. Etymology Name "Godzilla" is a combination of two Japanese words and. is a Japanese word that means "strange beast" but often translated in English as " Monster.

The driving forces behind 1954's Godzilla were special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya and director Ishiro Honda. Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) is a successful landmark 1954 Japanese Science fiction film directed and co-written by Ishiro Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya (born on July 7, 1901 &ndash died January 25, 1970, in Sukagawa Fukushima) was the Japanese Special effects director Ishirō Honda (本多 猪四郎 Honda Ishirō) sometimes miscredited in foreign releases as "Inoshiro Honda" ( May 7 1911 in Yamagata Prefecture Tsuburaya, inspired by the American film King Kong, formulated many of the techniques that would become staples of the genre, such as so-called suitmation — the use of a human actor in a costume to play a giant monster — combined with the use of miniatures and scaled-down city sets. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the King Kong is the name of a fictional giant ape from the fictional Skull Island, who has appeared in several works since 1933 is a term originally used in Japan for a Tokusatsu ( Special effects) technique to portray a daikaiju (giant monster using an actor in a monster suit Godzilla forever changed the landscape of Japanese science fiction & fantasy, and cinema, by creating a uniquely Japanese vision in a genre typically dominated by American cinema. United States cinema has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century ^[1]

Godzilla kickstarted the kaiju genre in Japan, which remained extremely popular for several decades, with characters such as the aforementioned Godzilla, Gamera, and King Ghidorah leading the market. is a Japanese word that means "strange beast" but often translated in English as " Monster. Etymology Name "Godzilla" is a combination of two Japanese words and. Appearance Gamera's size rivals that of Toho 's own Kaiju, Godzilla. Showa Initially King Ghidorah was said to have come from outer space an ancient evil responsible for destroying the civilizations of many planets including Venus ^[2] However, in 1957, the first film serial featuring the superhero character Super Giant was released,^[3] signaling a shift in popularity that favored masked heroes over giant monsters. The year 1957 in film involved some significant events Events October 21 - The movie Jailhouse Rock Serials, more specifically known as Movie serials or Film serials, were Short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a Feature A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do This article is about the Japanese super hero For the life cycle stage of a star see Supergiant. Along with the anime Astro Boy (Tetsuwan Atom), the Super Giant serials had a profound effect on the world of tokusatsu. (anime in Japanese, is a Japanese Manga series and Television program first broadcast in Japan from 1963 to 1966 The following year, in 1958, Moonlight Mask (月光仮面, Gekkō Kamen^?) premiered,^[4] the first of numerous televised superhero dramas that would make up one of the most popular tokusatsu subgenres. The year 1958 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1958. is a fictional Superhero that has appeared in Japanese Tokusatsu and Anime TV shows and movies since ^[5]

Superheroes remained a viable and popular staple of entertainment during the 1960s, but were largely staid, with few of the programs distinguishing themselves from the rest of the lineup. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 This changed in 1966, with Ambassador Magma (マグマ大使, Maguma Taishi^?, aired in the US as The Space Giants)^[6] and Ultraman^[7] creating the Kyodai Hero genre, wherein a regular sized protagonist grows to larger proportions to fight equally large monsters. The year 1966 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1966. is the title and protagonist of a Manga and Tokusatsu TV series created by famous Mangaka Osamu Tezuka. is a Fictional character featured in Tokusatsu, or "special effects" television programs in Japan Kyodai Heroes (巨大ヒーロー is the subgenre of Japanese Tokusatsu superhero TV shows that feature giant-sized superheroes similar in many ways to Ultraman. ^[8]

Techniques

Suitmation technology

Main article: Suitmation

Suitmation (スーツメーション, Sūtsumēshon^?) is the term used in Japan to describe the process in tokusatsu movies and television programs used to portray a monster using suit acting. is a term originally used in Japan for a Tokusatsu ( Special effects) technique to portray a daikaiju (giant monster using an actor in a monster suit It is not known exactly where the term originated from; the term may have been used to differentiate the suit work from Ray Harryhausen's celebrated dynamation (stop-motion) technique. Ray Harryhausen (born Raymond Frederick Harryhausen on June 29, 1920 in Los Angeles California) is an Academy Award -winning Dynamation is the name of the technique conceived by Ray Harryhausen used to combine Stop-motion footage with live action by means of split-screen and Stop motion (or frame-by-frame) animation is an Animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own At the least, it was used to promote the Godzilla suit from The Return of Godzilla. The Return of Godzilla, released as in Japan and edited into Godzilla 1985 in America is a 1984 daikaiju Eiga (Japanese

Franchises and productions

The many productions of tokusatsu series have general themes that are common throughout groups.

Kaiju

Main article: Kaiju

Kaiju (怪獣, kaijū^?, literally "mysterious beast") productions primarily feature monsters, or giant monsters (大怪獣, daikaijū^?). is a Japanese word that means "strange beast" but often translated in English as " Monster. Such series include Ultra Q, the Godzilla film series, the Gamera series, the Daimajin series, and films such as Frankenstein Conquers the World, War of the Gargantuas, and The X from Outer Space (宇宙大怪獣ギララ, Uchu Daikaijū Girara^?). is a Tokusatsu SF / Kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho 's many Tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films is a series of giant monster films starring Godzilla, a Japanese creation usually portrayed by a man in a rubber suit Appearance Gamera's size rivals that of Toho 's own Kaiju, Godzilla. The Daimajin (大魔神 (or Majin) is a daikaiju (giant monster from the Daimajin Trilogy created by Daiei. Frankenstein Conquers the World, released in Japan as and Toho's official English title is Frankenstein vs The X from Outer Space ( 1967) is a Japanese Science fiction film, released by the studio Shochiku Kinema Kenkyu-jo, in response

Kaijin

Kaijin (怪人, Kaijin^? literally "mysterious person") productions primarily feature Supervillains as the central character. This includes films such as Secret of the Telegian, The Human Vapor, The H-Man, Half Human, and Tomei Ningen. The Secret of the Telegian, released in Japan as, is a 1960 Tokusatsu sci-fi / horror / mystery film The Human Vapor, known in Japan as, is a Tokusatsu Film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1960 is a Tokusatsu Film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1958 Half Human, originally released in Japan as, is a Tokusatsu Film produced and released by Toho Film Productions Ltd is a Japanese action / horror film originally released in 1954.

Yōkai

Main article: Yōkai

Productions that feature yōkai (妖怪, yōkai^?) feature central characters that can be called "apparitions", "spirits", or "demons" the Yokai Monsters series of films were a popular series of yōkai series. are a class of Obake, creatures in Japanese folklore ranging from the evil oni to the mischievous Kitsune or snow The English word " spirit " comes from the Latin " spiritus " (breath Yokai Monsters is a series of Japanese children's movies created in the 1960s

Popular franchises

Over the past half-century, there have been long running television series that are often a combination of several other themes. Tsuburaya Productions has had the Ultra Series starting with Ultra Q and Ultraman in 1966. is the production company founded by the late Special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and is The is the collective name for all the shows produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren and the myriad Ultra Monsters. is a Tokusatsu SF / Kaiju series made in the tradition of Toho 's many Tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films is a Fictional character featured in Tokusatsu, or "special effects" television programs in Japan P Productions began their foray into tokusatasu in 1966 with the series Ambassador Magma. is a Japanese production company which has produced Anime and Tokusatsu programs with minor work in motion pictures is the title and protagonist of a Manga and Tokusatsu TV series created by famous Mangaka Osamu Tezuka. They have also been behind the Lion-Maru trilogy which concluded recently. is a Japanese Tokusatsu television franchise that began in 1972 by P Productions as Kaiketsu Lion-Maru. The Toei Company also has several series that fall under their Toei Superheroes category of programming, starting in 1961 with the single series, Moonlight Mask. () is a Japanese film and Television production and distribution Corporation. Toei Superheroes are superhero shows produced by Toei Company Ltd is a fictional Superhero that has appeared in Japanese Tokusatsu and Anime TV shows and movies since Then, they produced several other longrunning series, starting with the Kamen Rider Series in 1971, the Super Sentai Series in 1975, the Metal Heroes Series in 1982, and several Mysterious Comedy series (不思議コメディーシリーズ, Fushigi Comedī Shīrizu^?). The is the overall name of a franchise of Japanese Tokusatsu. The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd The is a genre of Tokusatsu Superhero TV series produced by Toei for Japanese television Toho, the creators of Godzilla, also had their hands in creating the Chouseishin Series of programs from 2003 to 2006. is a large Japanese Independent film Studio. It is headquartered in Chiyoda Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group The, translated as Super Star God Series, is the name of a Tokusatsu Superhero TV franchise which debuted in Japan from 2003 through

Tokusatsu movies

There are also various movies that are classified as tokusatsu but are generalized science fiction films. These include Warning from Space (宇宙人東京に現わる, Uchūjin Tokyo ni arawaru^?, Spacemen Appear in Tokyo), Invasion of the Neptune Men (宇宙快速船, Uchū Kaisokusen^?, Space Hypership), The Green Slime (ガンマー第3号 宇宙大作戦, Ganmā daisan gō: uchū daisakusen^?), The Birth of Japan (日本誕生, Nippon Tanjō^?), The Last War (世界大戦争, Sekai daisenso^?), Japan Sinks (日本沈没, Nihon Chinbotsu^?), Virus (復活の日, Fukkatsu no hi^?), Sayonara Jupiter (さよならジュピター, Sayonara Jupitā^?), The War in Space (惑星大戦争, Wakusei daisenso^?), and Sengoku Jieitai 1549 (戦国自衛隊1549, Sengoku Jieitai 1549^?). is a 1956 Science fiction Tokusatsu film produced by Daiei, and the first Japanese science-fiction film produced in color is a Tokusatsu SF / Superhero film produced by Toei Company Ltd is a 1968 Science-fiction film directed by Kinji Fukasaku. It was co-produced by the Toei Company in Japan and MGM in the "The Three Treasures" can also refer to a collection of short stories by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, The Three Treasures (1951. The Last War, known in Japan as, is a Tokusatsu Film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1961. is a disaster novel written by Sakyo Komatsu in 1973. A film based on the novel was made the same year directed by Shiro Moritani and a remake is a 1980 post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie directed by Kinji Fukasaku and starring Masao Kusakari, George Kennedy, is a 1984 Japanese Science fiction film directed by Koji Hashimoto and produced by Toho. The War in Space, released in Japan as, is a Tokusatsu Science fiction Film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1977 or Samurai Commando Mission 1549 is a feature-length film and Manga series focusing on the adventures of a modern day Japan Ground Self-Defense Force or Samurai Commando Mission 1549 is a feature-length film and Manga series focusing on the adventures of a modern day Japan Ground Self-Defense Force

Original Video Productions

• Ginga-roid Cosmo X (ja:銀河ロイドコスモX)
• Evolver (ja:イヴォルバー -EVOLVER-)
• Gynoids: SAD Story (ja:ガイノイド GYNOIDS-SADSTORY-)
• Moeyo! Dragon Girls (ja:萌えよ!ドラゴンガールズ)
• SFX Giant Legend: Line

Similar productions

Non-traditional tokusatsu productions

Non-traditional tokusatsu films and television programs may not use the conventional special effects or may not star human actors. titled Line the Barbarian in English is an independent OVT series created in 1991 by veteran director/producer Yutaka Arai with a total of 13 episodes Suitmation is characteristic of tokusatsu; however, some productions may use stop-motion instead to animate its monsters (e. Stop motion (or frame-by-frame) animation is an Animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own g. Majin Hunter Mitsurugi (1973)). "Puppet shows" may use traditional tokusatsu techniques, but are cast with puppets or marionettes (e. A puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a Puppeteer. A marionette is a Puppet controlled from above using strings a marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. g. Uchuusen Silica (1960), Ginga Shonen Tai (1963) and Kuchuu Toshi 008 (1969); Go Nagai's X Bomber (1980)). is a Japanese manga creator and an important innovator of several genres within Anime and Manga. is a Marionette Tokusatsu TV series. Created by Manga master Go Nagai, the show produced by Cosmo Productions and Jin Productions aired Some tokusatsu may employ animation in addition to its live-action components (e. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames g. Tsuburaya Productions' Dinosaur Expedition Team Bornfree (1976) and Dinosaur War Aizenborg (1977); Pro-Wrestling Star Aztekaiser (1976)). is the production company founded by the late Special effects wizard Eiji Tsuburaya and is was a Japanese television program produced by Tsuburaya Productions that aired between 1977 to 1978

Japanese fan films

As popular culture fandom in Japan grew in the 1980s, a fan-based group called Daicon Film (now called Gainax) was created by Hideaki Anno, Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Takami Akai, and Shinji Higuchi. Fandom (from the noun fan and the affix -dom, as in kingdom, dukedom, etc is a Japanese Anime studio famous for productions such as The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia The Secret of Blue Water, born 22 May 1960 in Ube Yamaguchi, Japan, is a Japanese animation and film director. (born January 29 1962, in Tokuyama (now Shunan) Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan is a Japanese character designer Mangaka, and is an Illustrator, game creator character designer and animator born on November 21, 1961 in Yonago, Tottori Prefecture, is a storyboard artist (especially in Anime) and is one of the top Special effects wizards in Japan, best known Besides anime sequences, they also produced a series of tokusatsu shorts parodying monster movies and superhero shows which has gained much media coverage. These productions include Patriotic Squadron Dai-Nippon (1983), Swift Hero Noutenki (1982), Return of Ultraman (1983) and The Eight-Headed Giant Serpent Strikes Back (1985). is a series of Tokusatsu Fan film parodies produced by Daicon Films (now Gainax) is a Tokusatsu Kaiju Fan film shot on 16mm by Daicon Films (now Gainax.

In the turn of the new millennium, comedian Shinpei Hayashiya produced a number of tokusatsu fan films. A fan film is a Film or Video inspired by a Film, Television program, Comic book or a similar source created by fans These include Godzilla Vs. Seadora and Gamera 4: Truth (2004). In 2005, he completed his upcoming first original effort, Deep Sea Beast Reigo. is a 2005 independent Tokusatsu film by comedian/fan Shinpei Hayashiya.

Tokusatsu-influenced productions outside Japan

Tokusatsu technique has been replicated outside of Japan due to the popularity of Godzilla films. In 1961, England made its own Godzilla-style film, Gorgo, which used the same suitmation technique as the Godzilla films. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland That same year, Saga Studios in Denmark made another Godzilla-style giant monster film, Reptilicus. Saga Studios was a Film production company in Denmark. They produced many films up to the late 60s many of their films starred Danish Comedian The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Reptilicus, a giant monster film about a fictional prehistoric Reptile, is a Danish - American co-production produced by American International This film's monster was brought to life using a marionette on a miniature set. A marionette is a Puppet controlled from above using strings a marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. In 1967, South Korea produced its own kaiju movie titled Taekoesu Yonggary. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː is a Japanese word that means "strange beast" but often translated in English as " Monster. Yonggary or Yongary ( 대괴수 용가리 - Taekoesu Yonggary lit In 1975, Shaw Brothers produced a superhero film called The Super Inframan, based on the huge success of Ultraman and Kamen Rider there. The Shaw Brothers Studio ( Chinese 邵氏片場 owned by Shaw Brothers (HK Ltd A superhero (sometimes rendered super-hero or super hero) is a Fictional character "of unprecedented physical prowess dedicated to acts of derring-do The Super Inframan (中國超人 is a Hong Kong Tokusatsu -style Superhero movie produced by Shaw Brothers Studio in 1975 is a Fictional character featured in Tokusatsu, or "special effects" television programs in Japan translated as Masked Rider, is a weekly Sci-fi story created by renowned Japanese Mangaka. The film starred Danny Lee in the title role. Danny Lee may refer to Danny Lee (American filmmaker (born 1978 American film director writer and editor Danny Lee (rugby league, Although there were several other similar superhero productions in Hong Kong, The Super Inframan is the first. With help from Japanese SPFX artists under Sadamasa Arikawa, they also produced a Japanese-styled monster movie, The Mighty Peking Man, in 1977. The illusions used in the Film, Television, Theater, or Entertainment industries to simulate the imagined events in a story are traditionally called The Mighty Peking Man (猩猩王 (Mandarin Hsing Hsing Wang, Cantonese Sing Sing Wong - literally "Orangutan King" is a film produced Also 1977 (album by Ash. Year 1977 ( MCMLXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays In 2001, Buki X-1 Productions, a French fan-based production company, produced its own series, Jushi Sentai France Five (now called Shin Kenjushi France Five), a tribute to Toei's long running Super Sentai series. later known as, is a French series produced by Buki X-1 Productions in 2000s The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd In 2004, Peter Tatara (with his company Experimental Amateur Hero Productions) produced a low-budget superhero video series called Johnny Robo, which is a tribute/deconstruction/parody of Kamen Rider and the Henshin Hero genre. The is the overall name of a franchise of Japanese Tokusatsu. is the Japanese word for " Transformation," literally meaning "to change or transform the body The low-budget television series Kaiju Big Battel directly parodies kaiju and Kyodai Hero films and series by immersing their own costumed characters in professional wrestling matches among cardboard buildings. Studio Kaiju is an American Performance Entertainment troupe based in Boston Massachusetts created by Rand Borden and David Borden is a Japanese word that means "strange beast" but often translated in English as " Monster. Kyodai Heroes (巨大ヒーロー is the subgenre of Japanese Tokusatsu superhero TV shows that feature giant-sized superheroes similar in many ways to Ultraman. Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is a non-competitive professional Sport, where all matches are scripted by the promotion's booking staff In 2006, the South Korean series Erexion premiered as a "children's special effects drama;" its style is reminiscent of tokusatsu techniques. South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː SFX Drama Erexion ( is a South Korean " children's Special effects drama " that premiered on November 24 2006 In 2006, Mighty Moshin' Emo Rangers premiered on the internet as a Power Rangers spoof, but was quickly picked up by MTV UK for broadcast. Mighty Moshin' Emo Rangers is a television show on MTV UK. The show is a parody of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, and it also pokes fun at the Emo stereotype Power Rangers is a long-running American Children's television series adapted from the Japanese Tokusatsu Super Sentai Series, though it MTV One is part of MTV Networks Europe. The channel is broadcast in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. In 2006, Insector Sun, a low-budget tribute to Kamen Rider was produced by Brazilian fans. In addition, a Thai Sentai-style series Sport Ranger began broadcasting on August 2006. The Kingdom of Thailand (ˈtaɪlænd ราชอาณาจักรไทย, râːtɕʰa-ʔaːnaːtɕɑ̀k-tʰɑj Squadron Sport Ranger (Thai ขบวนการ สปอร์ตเรนเจอร์ - Kà-buan Gaan Sà-bpordtà Renje) was a Thai Live-action August 2006 was a month with thirty-one days On August 10, an alleged plot to detonate ten Airliners over the Atlantic Ocean was revealed to

Adaptations

Godzilla, King of the Monsters! was first released in English in 1956 (Rather than simply being dubbed, this was an entirely re-edited version of the Japanese original which restructured the plot to incorporate a new character played by American actor Raymond Burr). Godzilla King of the Monsters! is a 1956 American black-and-white Science fiction Film adapted from the 1954 English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Year 1956 ( MCMLVI) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Raymond William Stacey Burr ( May 21, 1917 &ndash September 12, 1993) was a Canadian Emmy -winning Actor and Ultraman gained popularity when it too was dubbed for American audiences in the 1960s. is a Fictional character featured in Tokusatsu, or "special effects" television programs in Japan

The primary influx of tokusatsu adaptations came in the 1990s, starting in 1993 with Saban Entertainment's purchase of footage from Toei's sixteenth installment of their long-running Super Sentai series, Kyōryū Sentai Zyuranger to become Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and start the popular Power Rangers franchise. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Saban Entertainment was an independent television production company formed in 1983 by music and television producers Haim Saban and Shuki Levy (who The is the name given to the long running Japanese Superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Company Ltd translated into English as Dinosaur Squadron Zyuranger is a Japanese Tokusatsu Television series and the sixteenth entry in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (often abbreviated by fans as MMPR) is an American Live-action Television series, created Power Rangers is a long-running American Children's television series adapted from the Japanese Tokusatsu Super Sentai Series, though it An adaptation of footage from Choujinki Metalder, Jikuu Senshi Spielban, and Uchuu Keiji Shaider, several series in the Metal Heroes series, became VR Troopers in 1994. roughly translated as Super Human Robot Metalder was Toei 's first robot hero TV series since Uchuu Tetsujin Kyodain, the failed replacement show for Kamen Rider translated as Spacetime Warrior Spielban is a Japanese Tokusatsu Television series part of the Metal Heroes franchise created by translated into English as Space Sheriff Shaider, is the third part of the Metal Heroes genre the last of the Space Sheriff Trilogy The is a genre of Tokusatsu Superhero TV series produced by Toei for Japanese television VR Troopers (Virtual Reality Troopers was a syndicated Live action show produced by Saban (creators of the similar Mighty Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) This was followed by an adaptation of the ninth series in the Kamen Rider, Kamen Rider BLACK RX, into Saban's Masked Rider. The is the overall name of a franchise of Japanese Tokusatsu. shortened by some to Kamen Rider RX, is a Japanese Tokusatsu Superhero Television series produced as part of the Kamen Rider Series Masked Rider is an American Adaptation of the Japanese television series Kamen Rider BLACK RX, the ninth in a line of series In 1996 and 1997, Juukou B-Fighter and its sequel B-Fighter Kabuto became Big Bad Beetleborgs and its sequel Beetleborgs Metallix. Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar was a 1995 Japanese Tokusatsu television series B-Fighter is short for "Beetle Fighter" is a Japanese television series. It is the sequel to Juukou B-Fighter taking place 10 years after the preceding B-Fighter series and aired from 1996 to 1997 Big Bad Beetleborgs ' (and later Beetleborgs Metallix, see below is an American Television series produced by Saban DiC Entertainment, in 1994, purchased the footage for Denkou Choujin Gridman to become Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad. translated into English as Lightning Superman Gridman, is a Japanese Tokusatsu " Giant Hero " series by Tsuburaya Productions, the producers of Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad was an American Television series. Most recently, there are plans to adapt the twelfth Kamen Rider series, Kamen Rider Ryuki, into Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, which is to be broadcast in 2009. is a Japanese Tokusatsu television series It was the twelfth installment in the Kamen Rider Series of tokusatsu shows This article is about the year For the film see 2009 Lost Memories.

Original American productions

American production companies also had a hand in creating what are termed by fans as "American Tokusatsu. " The syndicated series Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills was a low budget attempt at competing with the Power Rangers. Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters From Beverly Hills is an original live-action series which was released by DiC Entertainment and aired on USA Network from Saban's The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog was an original production by Saban to emulate their own Power Rangers series. The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog was a Television series set in a Fantasy version of ancient Ireland, created by Saban Entertainment The syndicated Big Wolf on Campus and Nickelodeon's Animorphs are also described as "American Tokusatsu" due to the techniques they employed. Big Wolf on Campus is a TV series created by Peter Knight and Christopher Briggs Nickelodeon (commonly referred to as Nick) is an American Cable television network owned by Viacom International, founded in 1977 as Pinwheel Animorphs (also known under the promotional title AniTV and the working title The Changelings

Foreign productions as tokusatsu

In Japan, several English language live action series are dubbed into Japanese and considered tokusatsu programs. English language television programs such as Thunderbirds, Doctor Who, Lost in Space, Smallville, Wonder Woman, MacGyver, Stargate SG-1, Battlestar Galactica, Red Dwarf, The Greatest American Hero, Knight Rider, and even Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends are considered as tokusatsu for the special effects techniques and themes that they utilize. Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of Puppetry Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. Lost in Space is a Science fiction TV series created and produced by Irwin Allen, produced by 20th Century Fox Television, and MacGyver is an American Adventure Television series, produced in the United States and Canada, about the laid-back Battlestar Galactica is a franchise of Science fiction Films and television series, the first of which was produced in 1978 According to the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram, a red dwarf star is a small and relatively cool Star, of the Main sequence, either late K The Greatest American Hero is an American Television series which aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Knight Rider is an American Television series that originally ran from September 26 1982 to August 8 1986 ^[9]

References

Footnotes

External links

• Henshin! Online - Specializes in updates/articles on tokusatsu and anime.
• Sci-Fi Japan
• Japan Hero - Everything you wanted to know about superheroes in Japan!
• Dans l'univers de la SF japonaise... - French fansite with photos of several Tokusatsu series
• Henshin Hall of Fame - Large information source about Tokusatsu, focused mainly on the Henshin Heroes genre