Power Rangersbrings to mind a very specific image for most people: a group of teenagers with attitude in rainbow spandex fighting villains in rubber suits week-to-week while learning a lesson about why cheating is bad. However silly this set-up seems, it owes its existence to the Japanese film tradition of Tokusatsu (Toku for shot). Literally translating to “special effects,” Tokusatsu is a film tradition that has been central to Japanese sci-fi film and TV show for decades.
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Modern Tokusatsu began to take shape in the 1940s and finally solidified in 1954 with the release ofGodzilla. Tokusatsu has become so ubiquitous, that the genre has gone through many evolutions since the original days of a miniature city set being stomped on by a guy sweating profusely in a lizard suit. WhilePower Rangersin the United States is clearly written for a specific audience, there are plenty of options now for Tokusatsu fans to get their fill.
Kamen Rider
BeforeSuper Sentai, there wasKamen Rider. Created in 1970 byShotaro Ishinomori, most seasons ofKamen Riderare about heroes fighting against an evil that they derive their power from. This comes from the original Kamen Rider being about a university student kidnapped by Nazis and turned into a cyborg. The series celebrates its 50th anniversary this year withKamen Rider Revice.
LikeSuper SentaiandPower Rangers, Kamen Rider is also considered a “kids show” in Japan, but its legacy has led to many interpretations for different age groups.Kamen Rider The Firstis a full-length movie reinterpreting the original story in a mature tone.Kamen Rider Amazonzlikewise is a modern reimagining of an older series through a more serious lens.The upcomingShin Kamen Riderlooks to be in the same tone asThe Firstand is written byEvangelioncreatorHideki Anno.
Gatchaman Crowds
A reboot of the originalGatchaman,Gatchaman Crowdsfollows a group of heroes that protect the world in secret from alien invaders; the typical set-up for most of these shows. The main character, Hajime Ichinose, is the newest recruit to the team who looks at the world through the eyes of an artist. Instead of the typical “let’s beat up the bad guys,” Hajime tries to find alternative ways to deal with their enemies.
Gatchaman Crowdstakes the cliché Toku set-up and uses that to explore different social problems. The first season tackles the way social media can both connect people and tear them apart in the same keystroke. The second season,Insight, deals with how violent mob mentality can be when taken to extremes.
Tiger & Bunny
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It’s a bit ofX-Menmeets a less cynical version ofThe Boys. Despite the colorful animation and bright lights,Tiger & Bunnyexplores stories about identity, parenthood, and bigotry. The movie that bridges the gap between Seasons 1 and 2 has a particularly strong storyline about one of the heroes, Fire Emblem, dealing with their childhood trauma over their gender identity and sexuality.
Madoka Magica
The Magical Girl genre owes much to the Tokusatsu shows that came before it, and that goes doubly true for theMadoka Magicaseries. The series follows Madoka Kaname who finds herself thrust into the world of Magical Girls and the Witches they defend the public from. However, this series was originally written byGen Urobuchi, and anime fans know that means all is not as it seems in this world.
Urobuchi is known for his strong character work and dark stories, andMadoka Magicais no exception. The original series,Puella Magi Madoka Magica,is constantly listed as one of the best anime in recent decades for how it deconstructed the magical girl genre. Several spin-offs have been published, and they all carry the same weight of the world set up by the original show.
Super Sentai
Super Sentaiis the reasonPower Rangerseven exists in the first place. Created byShotaro Ishinomoriand first airing withHimitsu Sentai Gorangerin 1975,Super Sentaihas solidified itself as one of the major pillars of Japanese superhero canon. Still running to this day,Super Sentaijust recently celebrated their 45th anniversary withKikai Sentai Zenkaiger.
Despite still being considered a “kids show” in Japan,Sentaihas often tackled mature themes like war or bigotry in a more direct manner than its American counterpart. While there may still be saccharine moments and “lessons learned” at the end of the day,Super Sentaiis often what many long-term Power Rangers fans would point to for a “more mature” model.
My Hero Academia
One of the mostpopular series currently,My Hero Academiadraws much of its influence from superhero stories around the world. Thanks to the massive cast of characters, it’s easy to point to different parallels between characters like All-Might and Superman. The main character, Izuku Midoriya, is the perfect example of a traditional Tokusatsu hero: a strong sense of justice and a willingness to jump into danger at a moment’s notice.
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What starts out as a fun high school series eventually starts to take a darker turn as the machinations of the villains encroach on the characters and their world. However, the villains aren’t the only darkness in the world as writerKohei Horikoshiexplores the darker side of the heroes and the society they uphold.
Shougeki Gouraigan
One of the more comedic Tokusatsu shows,Shougeki Gouraiganfollows a young woman named Hitomi Kai as she works with a group of interdimensional misfits to prevent the destruction of the Earth. The show features several formerSuperSentaiandKamen Rideractors in major roles and is written byToshiki Inouewho is known for his prolific Toku work.
Shougeki Gouraiganis an outlier of a Tokusatsu show in that it was more of a slapstick comedy than a dramatic fight for the fate of humanity. It borrows a lot from Kyōgen, a form of Japanese theater used as comedic relief between the more serious Noh plays.
SSSS. Gridman
An anime sequel to the Ultraman seriesDenkou Choujin Gridmanand partially named for its American adaptationSuperhuman Samurai Syber Squad,theGridmananime follows a group of high school students who are tasked with defending their town from the giant monsters that seem to threaten it on a daily basis.
However, the town hides a dark secret. Whenever the sun rises the day after a monster attack, the town is mysteriously reset and any victims are wiped from the memory of the townsfolk. The series also delves into their “main villain” in a nuanced way that isn’t often explored in more traditional Toku shows.
Garois often lauded by hardcore Toku fans as the kind of “dar” show they’re looking for. The original series follows Kouga Saejima, a Makai Knight who is tasked with protecting the world from monsters known as “Horrors.” It follows a lot of the traditional Toku filming styles, but was aired in late-night time slots, so it was allowed to get away with much more mature themes and imagery.
Garohas several seasons, but each of them is mostly self-contained. Much likeSuper SentaiandKamen Rider,Garois an anthology series that viewers can drop into whichever season they want and not feel too lost. For anyone not a fan of live-action, there’s also an anime with three seasons and two movies.
Samurai Flamenco
In a similar set-up toKick-Ass,Samurai Flamencofollows the story of male model Masayoshi Hazama as he tries to fulfill his dream of being a superhero without powers or a special suit. He teams up with police officer Hidenori Gotō, and the two men learn their world is not as normal as it seems.
The series hits every aspect of the Toku and superhero world from a trio of idols who are secretly magical girls to an evil alien that claims to be Masayoshi’s twin brother.Samurai Flamencois a love-letter to all Tokusatsu by taking the well-known tropes and turning them completely on their heads.
