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{{trope}}
{{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).

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 [[Harryhausen Movie|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 [[Squib|squibs]].

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


* ''[[Aikoku Sentai Dai-Nippon]]'' A parody of Super Sentai.
* ''[[Ambassador Magma]]'' (first color toku)
* ''[[Armor Hero]]''
* ''[[Bio Planet Woo]]''
* ''[[Bishoujo Kamen Poitrine]]''
* ''[[Choujin Barom 1]]'' (One of Toei's most famous manga-to-live-action adaptations!)
* ''[[Choukou Senshi Changerion]]''
* ''[[Chou Sei Shin Series]]'' - Done by Toho, who made the original ''[[Godzilla]]'' movies.
* ''Daitetsujin-17'' - Shotaro Ishinomori and Toei's own take on a ''[[Giant Robo]]''-type series.
* ''[[Demon Hunter Mitsurugi]]'' - an early-70s [[Jidai Geki]] series, about a trio of [[Ninja|Ninjas]] who fight of alien invaders by [[Fusion Dance|fusing]] into a giant warrior. Notable for using [[Stop Motion]] puppetry to create its [[Kaiju]], rather than the standard [[People in Rubber Suits]].
* ''[[Denjin Zaboga]]''
* ''[[Denkou Choujin Gridman]]''
* ''[[Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop]]'' - Toho's late-[[The Eighties|80s]] entry in the genre. Essentially a mix between ''[[Metal Heroes]]'' and ''[[Super Sentai]]''.
* ''[[Dinosaur Prince]]''
* ''[[Fireman]]'' - Possibly the first "Giant Hero" made for adults in 1973.
* ''[[France Five]]'' - A French homage to Super Sentai.
* ''[[Gamera]]''
* ''[[Garo]]'' - A comparatively darker take on the genre.
* ''[[Giant Robo]]'' (aka ''Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot'')
* ''[[Godzilla]]''
** ''[[Godzilla 2000]]''
** ''[[Mothra]]'': A franchise that mostly overlaps with the Godzilla series, though has it's solo films.
* ''[[Henshin Heroes]]'' - Not technically a tokusatsu, more of a tokusatsu themed [[Play By Post Game]].
* ''[[Inframan]]'' - while Chinese rather than Japanese, it's an obvious effort by the Shaw Bros. to cash in on ''Ultraman'''s success.
* ''[[Japanese Spider-Man]]'' - Notable for being the spiritual predecessor to ''Super Sentai'''s [[Humongous Mecha]] elements.
* ''[[Jumborg Ace]]''
* ''[[The Kagestar]]''
* ''[[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 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''.
* ''[[Kamen no Ninja Akakage]]''
* ''[[Kamen Rider]]''
* ''[[Kankyou Choujin Ecogainder]]'' - A series by Japan's Ministry of the Environment to teach kids [[Green Aesop|Green Aesops]].
* ''[[Kodai Shoujo Dogu-chan]]'', a.k.a. ''[[The Ancient Dogoo Girl]]''
* ''[[K-tai Investigator 7]]'' - Officially counted as a toku show by its creators, but is more half-toku/half-drama.
* ''[[Lightspeed Esper]]''
* ''[[Madan Senki Ryukendo]]''
* ''[[Matango]]''
* ''[[Metal Heroes]]''
* ''[[Mighty Jack]]''
* ''[[Mirrorman]]''
* ''[[Moonlight Mask]]'' (The very first Toku show from 1958!)
* ''[[The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog]]'' - This show was notable for being an attempt by Saban to introduce American-original tokusatsu to television. Of course, it was also produced to feed off the success of the [[Power Rangers]] and [[Big Bad Beetleborgs]].
* ''[[Ninja Captor]]'' (a Sentai-esqe series that was apparently once classed as part of the ''[[Super Sentai]]'' franchise)
* ''[[Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon]]'', notable for being a [[Live Action Adaptation]] of [[Sailor Moon|an already immensely popular manga/anime.]]
* ''[[Robo Geisha]]''
* ''[[Robot Detective]]''- Take a police drama, throw in [[Isaac Asimov]]-style robotics and you've got this series
* ''[[Spectreman]]''
* ''[[Seiun Kamen Machineman]]''- Created by [[Shotaro Ishinomori]], aired in 1984. Mostly [[X Meets Y|Zorro meets Superman.]]
* ''[[Seven Star Fighting God Guyferd]]''- A fighting series made by Toho and Capcom taking inspirations from many different sources, including [[Guyver]], [[Kamen Rider]], and [[Street Fighter]].
* ''[[Silver Kamen]]''
* ''[[Space Ironmen Kyodain]]''
* ''[[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.
* ''[[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]]''
* ''[[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.
* ''[[Ultra Series]]''
* ''[[Warrior of Love Rainbowman]]''- Toho's first henshin hero and an [[Enhanced Remake]] of [[7-Color Mask]] from 1959. It was remade into a giant robot anime in 1982.
* ''[[Voicelugger]]'' - A Sentai series. The last production by Shotaro Ishinomori, godfather of ''[[Super Sentai]]'', released posthumously,


''[[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 [[Japanese Media Tropes|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:
* [[Attack of the 50-Foot Whatever]]
* [[By the Power of Grayskull]]
* [[Conservation of Ninjutsu]]
* [[Hour of Power]]
* [[In the Name of the Moon]]
* [[Japanese Beetle Brothers]]
* [[Merchandise-Driven]]
* [[Monster of the Week]]
* [[People in Rubber Suits]]
* [[Super Mode]]
* [[Stock Footage]]
* [[Technology Porn]]
* [[Theme Music Power-Up]]
* [[Transformation Sequence]]
* [[Wire Fu]]

Names To Know In Tokusatsu:
* [[Hiroshi Fujioka]]
* [[Hiroshi Miyauchi]]
* [[Machiko Soga]]
* [[Kenji Ohba]]
* [[Shotaro Ishinomori]]
* [[Tetsuo Kurata]]

Major Companies producing Tokusatsu:
* [[Toho]] ([[Godzilla]],[[Mothra]])
* [[Tsuburaya Productions]] ([[Ultra Series|Ultraman]])
* [[Toei Company]] ([[Kamen Rider]], [[Super Sentai]])

{{reflist}}
[[Category:Fiction]]
[[Category:The Seventies]]
[[Category:Show Genres]]
[[Category:Marvel Universe]]
[[Category:index]]
[[Category:Toku]]

Revision as of 03:12, 15 April 2015

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