The Wonderful World of Tokusatsu

Television, Movies Games and Books Other Science Fiction
#1

In a world that seems to be mad for Anime, I’d like to talk to you all today about another form of entertainment from Japan. Live action hero shows, or Tokusatsu, as it’s called.

For many of you, the only exposure you’ve had to this form of Japanese TV is from the countless Power Rangers shows that have come out over the years. That’s how I was exposed to it as well, before I discovered just how different…and in many ways, much more interesting the Japanese versions of these shows are. They all have something that seems to be lost in the translation for American audiences. (Kamen Rider Dragon Knight was the latest failed attempt). Yes, they’re made to sell toys for the most part, but the good ones give you a great story to follow along with that.

One DVD set I have coming my way is a series from 1987 called Cho Jinki Metalder. Some of you who may recall VR Troopers saw bits and pieces of this series, but as with the other shows, the American version really didn’t do it any justice.

Somone on Youtube managed to sub the entire first episode. I strongly urge you to check it out, and see what I mean. :smiley:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laJcEj-Ki-U Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0wmX11A3rs Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuqkYdA5cnk Part 3

#2

Welcome aboard, Spielvan.

Yeah, I remembered seeing the Power Rangers (or Go Rangers as they were titled at the time) in the early seventies on a UHF station. I’m not even sure if it was translated.

#3

I hadn’t heard of that occuring in the 70’s. Goranger was the first Sentai (task force) series though. The first Sentai show of the Tokusatsu genre to be turned into a power rangers show was 1992’s Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger. That one had an interesting story involving four princes and one princess from tribes that existed alongside the dinosaurs, kept in suspended animation until they were once more needed.

Anyway, it was a fairly common practice in the early 80’s to take these shows, give them new language dubs, and send them to foreign countries like France, Brazil, and the Philippines, just like with Anime. They briefly tried that here in the US with Ultraman Tiga some years back, but that didn’t work out too well.

#4

According to Wikipedia it was broadcast on some Japanese language stations. That’s not where I saw it, but it sounds like it might indeed have been untranslated.

#5

Interesting…I’ll have to look into that at some point.

On the same note, the Metalder DVD’s I’ll be getting also have no subtitles, but I’ve read a lot of the plot synopsis anyway. This is a very hard series to find on video, so I’m not gonna be choosey about it.

Plus, I already know little bits of japanese from all the Tokusatsu and Anime I’ve watched in the past. :smiley:

#6

Here is a funny Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Video-

//youtu.be/3WX28L5jdUs

#7

I feel guilty for laughing at this.

#8

I think my favorite part was- ‘POWER SOMBRERO!’:smiley:

#9

Ohhhh that was funny :smiley:

It wasn’t terribly obvious to me when I was younger, but now that I look back…a black guy is the black ranger, an asian is the yellow ranger…and the Green Ranger had an Irish name. Pretty obvious racism from Saban, hehe.

Another bit of trivia, the yellow Ranger in Zyuranger, the Japanese series that the original MMPR took footage from, is actually a man. In fact, male yellow rangers are fairly common in Sentai shows in Japan.

#10

Well, yeah. The Yellow Ranger’s “package” was very noticeable sometimes even if you weren’t trying to notice.