Toku: Difference between revisions

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{{trope}}
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{{quote|''"I know I should be excited and scared and all but I--all I think of is sweaty Japanese guys..."''|'''Tom Servo''', ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' [[Mystery Science Theater 3000/Recap/S02 E12 Godzilla vs. Megalon|episode 212]] ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]''}}
{{quote|''"I know I should be excited and scared and all but I--all I think of is sweaty Japanese guys..."''|'''Tom Servo''', ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' [[Mystery Science Theater 3000/Recap/S02/E12 Godzilla vs. Megalon|episode 212]] ''[[Godzilla vs. Megalon]]''}}


"Tokusatsu", often shortened to just "Toku", is the Japanese live-action effects genre. Though the overlap is not total, it can, at least casually, be considered the live-action analogue to [[Anime]] (at least, to the subset of anime best known to casual viewers in the west).
"Tokusatsu", often shortened to just "Toku", is the Japanese live-action effects genre. Though the overlap is not total, it can, at least casually, be considered the live-action analogue to [[Anime]] (at least, to the subset of anime best known to casual viewers in the west).
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* ''[[Kaiju Big Battel]]'' - An American [[Affectionate Parody]] of this [[X Meets Y|combined with]] [[Professional Wrestling]].
* ''[[Kaiju Big Battel]]'' - An American [[Affectionate Parody]] of this [[X Meets Y|combined with]] [[Professional Wrestling]].
* ''[[Kaiketsu Zubat]]'' - Take a [[Superhero]] toku show, [[Mix and Match|stir in a helping of]] [[New Old West]], and then cast [[Hiroshi Miyauchi]], [[Hey, It's That Guy!|a veteran actor who already had multiple leading roles in toku]] as the title character.
* ''[[Kaiketsu Zubat]]'' - Take a [[Superhero]] toku show, [[Mix and Match|stir in a helping of]] [[New Old West]], and then cast [[Hiroshi Miyauchi]], [[Hey, It's That Guy!|a veteran actor who already had multiple leading roles in toku]] as the title character.
* ''[[Kaiketsu Lion Maru]]'' - 70's [[Superhero]] toku show about a man in feudal Japan who can turn into a swordsman with lion head. No links with Zubat despite the title. Spawned the immediate sequel ''[[Fuun Lion Maru]]''.
* ''[[Kaiketsu Lion Maru]]'' - 70's [[Superhero]] toku show about a man in feudal Japan who can turn into a swordsman with lion head. No links with Zubat despite the title. Spawned the immediate sequel ''[[Fuun Lion Maru]]''.
** ''[[Lion Maru G]]'' - over 30 years after the last Lion Maru comes this [[George Lucas Throwback]] from the makers of ''Garo''.
** ''[[Lion Maru G]]'' - over 30 years after the last Lion Maru comes this [[George Lucas Throwback]] from the makers of ''Garo''.
* ''[[Kamen no Ninja Akakage]]''
* ''[[Kamen no Ninja Akakage]]''
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* ''[[Sport Ranger]]'' - A Thai production created in the same vein as [[Super Sentai]].
* ''[[Sport Ranger]]'' - A Thai production created in the same vein as [[Super Sentai]].
* ''[[Star Kid]]'' - Taking a lot of inspiration from [[Guyver]] and [[Kikaider]], this 1997 film is a rare, non-Saban original American take on the genre. Fortunately, it has since been [[Vindicated by Cable]] after it flopped at the box office.
* ''[[Star Kid]]'' - Taking a lot of inspiration from [[Guyver]] and [[Kikaider]], this 1997 film is a rare, non-Saban original American take on the genre. Fortunately, it has since been [[Vindicated by Cable]] after it flopped at the box office.
* ''[[Super Robot Red Baron]]'' - An early-[[The Seventies|70s]] example of [[Mecha]] in toku, intentionally done in the style of [[Mazinger Z]]. Its popularity later resulted in a few successor series and a 90s anime revival.
* ''[[Super Robot Red Baron]]'' - An early-[[The Seventies|70s]] example of [[Mecha]] in toku, intentionally done in the style of [[Mazinger Z]]. Its popularity later resulted in a few successor series and a 90s anime revival.
* ''[[Super Sentai]]''
* ''[[Super Sentai]]''
* ''[[Tomica Hero Rescue Force]]'' and ''[[Tomica Hero Rescue Fire]]'' have more of a [[Rescue]] slant to them than a "fight the bad guys, save the world" one, but they're both toku series nonetheless.
* ''[[Tomica Hero Rescue Force]]'' and ''[[Tomica Hero Rescue Fire]]'' have more of a [[Rescue]] slant to them than a "fight the bad guys, save the world" one, but they're both toku series nonetheless.

Revision as of 07:34, 31 December 2014
"I know I should be excited and scared and all but I--all I think of is sweaty Japanese guys..."
—Tom Servo, Mystery Science Theater 3000 episode 212 Godzilla vs. Megalon

"Tokusatsu", often shortened to just "Toku", is the Japanese live-action effects genre. Though the overlap is not total, it can, at least casually, be considered the live-action analogue to Anime (at least, to the subset of anime best known to casual viewers in the west).

Originally, Toku differentiated itself from western visual effects genres by its preference for "live" effects (ie. People in Rubber Suits) over the equally phony special effects created during editing (at the time of the genre's birth, specifically the stop-motion techniques pioneered by Ray Harryhausen, now CGI). Modern Toku uses both forms of effect, but "live" effects are still preferred. Toku is closely identified with Wire Fu.

Far and away, the most popular early example of Toku is the Godzilla film franchise, which exemplifies many of the genre's tropes: people in rubber suits smashing scale model cities, and an abundance of squibs.

Most of the examples of Toku series are actually franchises of the Sentai and Henshin Hero variety, producing many separate but related series. Notable Toku series and franchises include:



Super Sentai, Metal Heroes and Kamen Rider franchises on this list were adapted, with varying degrees of success, by Haim Saban to produce the U.S. series Power Rangers, VR Troopers, Big Bad Beetleborgs and Masked Rider. Kamen Rider Ryuki was later adapted into Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, which considered better than Masked Rider. Toku series use many of the same tropes often associated with Anime, though have become synonymous with others.

Interestingly, a number of Western television programs are considered Toku by the Japanese due to their use of special effects and certain themes; this list includes such names as Smallville, Stargate SG-1, Doctor Who, Knight Rider, and Red Dwarf. This list also includes shows that use puppetry, like Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation series Thunderbirds and Terrahawks, and even Thomas the Tank Engine.

Tropes common to this genre include:

Names To Know In Tokusatsu:

Major Companies producing Tokusatsu:

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