Tokusatsu

Tokusatsu (??) (sometimes just called "Toku") is the Japanese term for special effects and often used to classify Japanese live-action sci-fi/fantasy/horror movie/TV productions.

Perception of Tokusatsu in America

The United States has seen almost every Godzilla and Gamera film, as well as many Japanese kaiju films up to the early 1970s, but mainstream America does not look at these films very favorably.

Related Topics:
United States - Godzilla - Gamera - Kaiju - 1970s

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Even only a handful of Japanese superhero shows such as Ultraman (the most recognized Japanese superhero in America, of course), The Space Giants and Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot made it here, as well as Spectreman, which was the last major superhero production to be seen in the States, whereas ironically, it was just the beginning (in that exact same period, Kamen Rider, a low-budget TV series, began the "Henshin Craze" in Japan).

Related Topics:
Ultraman - The Space Giants - Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot - Spectreman - Kamen Rider

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Of the American populace, Hawaii (and, to a lesser degree, San Francisco) was more familiar with the superhero shows made since the "Henshin Craze", and these shows were very successful there. Shows like Emergency Command 10-4-10-10 (the first tokusatsu series to be subtitled in English), Rainbowman, Android Kikaider/Jinzo Ningen Kikaida (perhaps the most popular show there), Kamen Rider V3 and Secret Task Force Goranger, as well as 1967's Ultra Seven (which, in 1975, became the first Japanese program to be dubbed in English there). The last tokusatsu series to be subtitled in English was 1979's Battle Fever J (the first "Super Sentai" series). But sadly, the rest of America has missed out on this milestone period of tokusatsu history (shows like 1983's Science Task Force Dynaman, which was comically dubbed, are a very rare exception).

Related Topics:
Hawaii - San Francisco - Emergency Command 10-4-10-10 - Rainbowman - ''Android Kikaider''/''Jinzo Ningen Kikaida'' - Kamen Rider V3 - Secret Task Force Goranger - 1967 - Ultra Seven - 1975 - 1979 - Battle Fever J - Super Sentai - 1983 - Science Task Force Dynaman

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This perception of tokusatsu in America can be chalked down to a few things:

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Realism

One of the things that Japanese live-action fantasy is usually criticized for by non-fans in America is that these productions don't look "realistic". Back in the 1950s, some people criticized the special effects in Godzilla movies, comparing them to Ray Harryhausen's stop-motion techniques (Ray was hurt by this, and instead started making fantasy films). When Star Wars was released in 1977 and made science fiction mainstream, a cynical American society began to forget the past and focus on the future. Even when some Japanese companies use their tried and true techniques for sentimental reasons (combined with Hollywood-style effects), Americans continued to label these films as "cheap", "cheesy" and/or "campy". In fact, many old Japanese special effects fantasies, no matter what regard they were held in Japan, were pretty much considered B-movie material by a cynical American public that raises itself on big-budget Hollywood films, nowadays strictly using CGI effects. That perception is also based on watching faded, worn-out fullscreen prints of these classic films.

Related Topics:
1950s - Godzilla - Ray Harryhausen - Stop-motion - Star Wars - 1977 - Science fiction - Hollywood - B-movie - CGI

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However, American fans like August Ragone and reporter Steve Ryfle have enlightened a skeptical media on this subject countless times, and people were profounded. According to Ryfle, even classic Japanese special effects fantasies were not neccesarily trying to look "realistic", they were trying to make something that's colorful and spectacular. These were fantasies. Godzilla is not a "realistic" monster, because he's not a real animal. He is a fantasy creature, basically a god (not unlike the beasts from Chinese and Japanese mythology, like the Chinese dragon). This goes for many of the Japanese kaiju of the type. Rodan, Varan, Mothra, Gamera, etc. These hand-crafted fantasy monsters looked "real" to some fans. Some even say that, unlike stop-motion, these monsters looked very real, because they were filmed real.

Related Topics:
Chinese - Japanese mythology - Chinese dragon - Kaiju - Rodan - Varan - Mothra - Gamera

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Even the equally criticized Japanese live-action superhero shows (aimed mainly at children) achieved what American productions usually could not when making adaptations of comic books; A colorful, fantastic sense of wonder. After the original "campy" 1966 Batman TV series, superhero fans, even the American public, started to take their fantasies for granted, because color and fantasy became "silly", "stupid" and thus equated with "camp". Thus, superheroes became dark, grim and "realistic." These were no longer the comic-books kids grew up with, they were more "adult" and "cynical." Japanese superheroes, on the other hand, retain that colorful "comic-book" feel. Yes, some of these superheroes are altruistic, like Super Giant, Moonlight Mask, and Ultraman, yet others (of the Henshin variety, for example, like Kamen Rider) take their powers for granted, but the hero still must make do with their powers to help the innocent, even get along with children (who usually idolize these heroes). They have even long before experimented with "grim" and "ironic" concepts that would finally be utilized in American superhero comics by the late 1980s. And the villains in these shows included the kind of threats depicted in American comics that American movie & TV adaptations usually exclude; an evil empire, an alien race, a mad scientist and a weekly monster. Some would argue that Japanese superhero movies & shows, despite their "limited" special effects, are much better at emulating the style of American comic-books than the TV shows and Hollywood movies that are based on them.

Related Topics:
Adaptation - Comic book - Campy - Batman - Super Giant - Moonlight Mask - Ultraman - Henshin - Kamen Rider - 1980s - Hollywood

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Furthermore, it also has to do with conservative budget reasons. Japanese studios, unlike those of Hollywood, are not union-based. Some Japanese studios still allow a notoriously tight budget and schedule, while others are liberally taking a chance on things. And actors/staff are paid a smaller salary, yet they work together like a family.

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Union

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Violence

As is evident since the 70s, Japanese superhero movies & TV shows became increasingly violent. Even as kid shows in Japan, American audiences were overly concerned over violence in America, and by the 70s, censorship against violence on American childrens' television had grown more and more strict. This mainly includes Japanese superhero TV productions, many of which were very dark and violent, and had grim and ironic stories. This goes for anime shows as well. Superheroes like Kamen Rider were created surgically by the villains, and turn against them. Superheroes like the title team of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (an anime series) ruthlessly beat villains to a pulp. Superheroes like Mirrorman chop the monsters' heads off. Shows like Android Kikaider and Robot Detective had the monster of the week demonstrating their powers by slaying an innocent victim (an expendable character) at the beginning of each episode (not unlike the victims of the weekly monsters and alien threats featured in Star Trek). Needless to say, even Godzilla movies had followed suit in the same period.

Related Topics:
Anime - Kamen Rider - Science Ninja Team Gatchaman - Mirrorman - Android Kikaider - Robot Detective - Star Trek - Godzilla

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In the 1990s, Power Rangers, which was Americanized from the Super Sentai series, made the shows more palatable to American TV standards by removing the excessive violence, and it differed dramatically from its original version. This is still a highly debated topic even among fans.

Related Topics:
1990s - Power Rangers - Americanized - Super Sentai

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Lack of Cultural Identification

Because American audiences did not readily identify with the appearance and culture of east Asian characters, elements were introduced to increase a sense of familiarity. For example, to make the original 1954 Godzilla more palatable to American audiences, actor Raymond Burr was added to help the audience accept the Japanese characters from the original version. In the mid-1960s, Hollywood actors like Nick Adams and Russ Tamblyn actually appeared in some of these films alongside the Japanese actors (thanks to the collaboration between Toho and UPA, best known for their animated movies & TV shows like Mr. Magoo). The Gamera films, aimed at children, started to include Caucasian children alongside the Japanese children to appeal to the American market, upon the success of the first Gamera film there. In order to reach the Australian market and particularly the North American market, Tsuburaya Productions co-produced two Ultraman shows starring a multiracial cast. Tsuburaya has been trying to penetrate the North American market for a long time. Later shows such as Power Rangers were completely Westernized to fit mainstream tastes.

Related Topics:
1954 - Godzilla - Raymond Burr - 1960s - Hollywood - Nick Adams - Russ Tamblyn - Toho - UPA - Mr. Magoo - Gamera - Caucasian - Japan - Australia - North America - Tsuburaya Productions - Ultraman - Power Rangers - Westernized

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A Growing Fandom

Thanks to the Internet, tokusatsu fandom and acceptance in the United States is growing, slowly but surely. For years, tokusatsu has had fanclubs all across the world, as well as countless dealers and collectors selling merchandise directly from Japan. Even imports and illegal bootlegs of Japanese movies & TV shows have become all the rage. Because of this steadfast phenomenon, the American mainstream has finally started to take notice, especially companies like Sony, Media Blasters and ADV. Although it may not yet have the same level as anime or manga, tokusatsu is just as important and influential to Japanese culture, as well as all of pop culture.

Related Topics:
Internet - Collectors - Merchandise - Imports - Bootlegs - Sony - Media Blasters - ADV - Anime - Manga - Pop culture

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