81-482: Kyodai Hero ( 巨大ヒーロー , Kyodai Hīrō , lit. ' Giant Hero ' ) is a television subgenre in tokusatsu that involves Japanese superheroes or robots either with the ability to grow to immense heights to fight giant monsters or who are originally giant as a part of their lives. The Kyodai Hero is the mainstream superhero genre that is widely popular in Japan. One of the earliest and most famous Kyodai heroes
162-513: A Japanese term for live-action films or television programs that make heavy use of practical special effects . Credited to special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya , tokusatsu mainly refers to science fiction , war , fantasy , or horror media featuring such technology but is also occasionally dubbed a genre itself. Its contemporary use originated in the Japanese mass media around 1958 to explain special effects in an easy-to-understand manner and
243-484: A computer-controlled camera rig called the "Dykstraflex" that allowed precise repetition of camera motion, greatly facilitating travelling-matte compositing. Degradation of film images during compositing was minimised by other innovations: the Dykstraflex used VistaVision cameras that photographed widescreen images horizontally along stock, using far more of the film per frame, and thinner-emulsion filmstocks were used in
324-400: A human (either a host to the hero, or simply a human form) who transforms into the eponymous hero, usually an organic cyborg, android, or robot, and changes to an enormous size to battle a giant monster or aliens. The special effect techniques usually use suitmation and scale models . Tokusatsu Tokusatsu ( 特撮 （ とくさつ ） , lit. ' special filming ' ) is
405-414: A human actor in a costume to play a giant monster—combined with the use of miniatures and scaled-down city sets. Godzilla changed the landscape of Japanese cinema , science fiction and fantasy, and kickstarted the kaiju genre in Japan called the "Monster Boom", which remained extremely popular for several decades, with characters such as the aforementioned Godzilla , Gamera and King Ghidorah leading
486-553: A landmark in special effects). During the 1950s and 1960s numerous new special effects were developed which would dramatically increase the level of realism achievable in science fiction films . Sci-fi special effects milestones in the 1950s included the Godzilla films , The Day the Earth Stood Still (featuring Klaatu ), and 3-D films . The tokusatsu genre of Japanese science fiction film and television, which includes
567-893: A mature late-night tokusatsu drama, was released, starting a franchise composed of several television series and films. Other mature late-night series followed, including a revival of Lion-Maru in Lion-Maru G , the Daimajin Kanon television series (based on the Daimajin film series), and Shougeki Gouraigan!! (also created by Amemiya). Various movies classified as tokusatsu can include disaster movies and science fiction films . These include Warning from Space ( 宇宙人東京に現わる , Uchūjin Tōkyō ni arawaru , Spacemen Appear in Tokyo) (1956), The Three Treasures ( 日本誕生 , Nippon Tanjō ) , Invasion of
648-447: A motion picture, and referred to as the "stop trick". Georges Méliès , an early motion picture pioneer, accidentally discovered the same "stop trick." According to Méliès, his camera jammed while filming a street scene in Paris. When he screened the film, he found that the "stop trick" had caused a truck to turn into a hearse, pedestrians to change direction, and men to turn into women. Méliès,
729-491: A non-human creature. Optical effects (also called photographic effects) are the techniques in which images or film frames are created photographically, either "in-camera" using multiple exposure , mattes or the Schüfftan process or in post-production using an optical printer . An optical effect might be used to place actors or sets against a different background. Since the 1990s, computer-generated imagery (CGI) has come to
810-500: A shift in popularity that favored masked heroes over giant monsters called the "Henshin Boom" started by Kamen Rider in 1971, though giant monsters, aliens and humanoid creatures dubbed lit. ' strange person" ' or ' 怪人 ' or ' kaijin ' remained an integral part of the genre. Along with the anime Astro Boy , the Super Giant serials had a profound effect on
891-466: A single image, making a montaged combination print . In 1895, Alfred Clark created what is commonly accepted as the first-ever motion picture special effect. While filming a reenactment of the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots , Clark instructed an actor to step up to the block in Mary's costume. As the executioner brought the axe above his head, Clark stopped the camera, had all of the actors freeze, and had
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#1732847561807972-428: A steady diet of cinematic junk food of which Rodan and Godzilla are only the best-known examples." In 1998, a Brazilian webcomic inspired by both Power Rangers and Super Sentai entitled Combo Rangers was published on the internet, created by Japanese-Brazilian author Fábio Yabu. The webcomic's popularity allowed the webcomic to become a print comic book until 2004 and having a reboot through Graphic Novels in
1053-405: A striking resemblance to Ultraman. In March 2024, Oxford English Dictionary included the word Tokusatsu as a loanword along with others from Japanese culture . Special effect Special effects (often abbreviated as F/X or simply FX ) are illusions or visual tricks used in the theatre , film , television , video game , amusement park and simulator industries to simulate
1134-762: A tentacle formed from water in The Abyss , the T-1000 Terminator in Terminator 2: Judgment Day , hordes and armies of robots and fantastic creatures in the Star Wars (prequel) and The Lord of the Rings trilogies, and the planet, Pandora, in Avatar . Although most visual effects work is completed during post-production , it must be carefully planned and choreographed in pre-production and production . A visual effects supervisor
1215-511: Is Ultraman who made his debut in 1966. Since then, Ultraman has helped spawn the Kyodai hero genre with countless shows, franchises and films such as Go! Godman and Iron King . The inception of the Kyodai hero genre initially began with Godzilla in the film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster . Godzilla is portrayed as a personified natural disaster at first but over the course of
1296-508: Is impossible due to the destructive nature of the effect. Live special effects are effects that are used in front of a live audience, such as in theatre, sporting generation genre, concerts and corporate shows. Types of effects that are commonly used include: flying effects, laser lighting , theatrical smoke and fog , CO 2 effects , and pyrotechnics . Other atmospheric effects can include flame, confetti , bubbles, and snow. One notable example of live special effects in theatre production
1377-565: Is in the Bregenz Festival with its use of a large, intricate stage that moves to supplement what's being acted on stage. Mechanical effects encompass the use of mechanical engineering to a greater degree. Cars being flipped and hauled over buildings are usually an effect built on specialised rigs and gimbals . Usually a team of engineers or freelance film companies provide these effects to producers . Camera workers, stunt artists or doubles, directors and engineers collaborate to produce
1458-469: Is recognized for its heavy use of miniature sets, especially in the Kyodai Hero subgenre. Miniatures are placed from the camera's perspective to create the illusion that the characters are larger than they are. Suitmation ( スーツメーション , Sūtsumēshon ) is the term used to describe the process in tokusatsu movies and television programs used to portray a monster using suit acting. The exact origin of
1539-463: Is usually involved with the production from an early stage to work closely with the Director and all related personnel to achieve the desired effects. Practical effects also require significant pre-planning and co-ordination with performers and production teams. The live nature of the effects can result in situations where resetting due to an error, mistake, or safety concern incurs significant expense, or
1620-514: The Gamera series, the Daimajin series, and films such as Mothra , The War of the Gargantuas , and The X from Outer Space ( 宇宙大怪獣ギララ , Uchu Daikaijū Girara ) . Kaijin ( 怪人 , literally "mysterious person") productions primarily feature supervillains as their central character. This includes films such as The Invisible Avenger , Half Human , The H-Man , The Secret of
1701-799: The Super Sentai series. Tokusatsu is one of the most popular forms of Japanese entertainment, but only a small proportion of tokusatsu films and television programs are widely known outside of Japan. Nevertheless, certain properties have attained popularity outside of Japan; Godzilla is featured in popular American-made movies, and the Super Sentai Series was adapted into the Power Rangers series and broadcast internationally beginning in 1993. Tokusatsu has origins in early Japanese theater , specifically in kabuki (with its action and fight scenes) and in bunraku , which utilized some of
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#17328475618071782-405: The kaiju sub-genre of monster films , rose to prominence in the 1950s. The special-effects director Eiji Tsuburaya and the director Ishirō Honda became the driving forces behind the original Godzilla (1954). Taking inspiration from King Kong (1933), Tsuburaya formulated many of the techniques that would become staples of the tokusatsu genre, such as so-called suitmation —the use of
1863-530: The Philippines ' Zaido: Pulis Pangkalawakan (itself a sanctioned spinoff of Toei's Space Sheriff Shaider ) in 2007; China 's Armor Hero ( Chinese : 铠甲勇士 ; pinyin : Kǎi Jiǎ Yǒng Shì ) in 2008, Battle Strike Team: Giant Saver ( Chinese : 巨神战击队 ; pinyin : Jùshén zhàn jí duì ) in 2012, Metal Kaiser ( Chinese : 五龙奇剑士 ; pinyin : Wǔ Lóng Qí Jiàn Shì ); and Indonesia 's Bima Satria Garuda which began in 2013. On July
1944-558: The "Cinemagician." His most famous film, Le Voyage dans la lune (1902), a whimsical parody of Jules Verne 's From the Earth to the Moon , featured a combination of live action and animation , and also incorporated extensive miniature and matte painting work. From 1910 to 1920, the main innovations in special effects were the improvements on the matte shot by Norman Dawn . With the original matte shot, pieces of cardboard were placed to block
2025-429: The 1960s. In the 1990s, Haim Saban acquired the distribution rights for the Super Sentai series from Toei Company and combined the original Japanese action footage with new footage featuring American actors, resulting in the Power Rangers franchise which has continued since then into sequel TV series (with Power Rangers Beast Morphers premiering in 2019 and Power Rangers Cosmic Fury premiered in 2023;
2106-607: The 1st, 2019, Vietnam 's Transform Studio co-operating with Dive Into Eden announced their own original tokusatsu series, Mighty Guardian ( Vietnamese : Chiến Thần ). The first season in the series is Mighty Guardian: Lost Avian ( Vietnamese : Chiến Thần Lạc Hồng ), using Vietnamese Mythologies as the main concept. Kaiju and tokusatsu films, notably Warning from Space (1956), sparked Stanley Kubrick 's interest in science fiction films and influenced 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). According to his biographer John Baxter , despite their "clumsy model sequences,
2187-570: The 2010s. In 2001, Buki X-1 Productions, a French fan-based production company, produced its own series, Jushi Sentai France Five (now called Shin Kenjushi France Five ), a tribute to Toei's long running Super Sentai series. The low-budget television series Kaiju Big Battel directly parodies monster and Kyodai Hero films and series by immersing their own costumed characters in professional wrestling matches among cardboard buildings. In 2006, Mighty Moshin' Emo Rangers premiered on
2268-564: The American film King Kong , formulated many of the techniques that would become staples of the genre, such as so-called suitmation —the use of a human actor in a costume to play a giant monster—combined with the use of miniatures and scaled-down city sets. Godzilla forever changed the landscape of Japanese science fiction, fantasy, and cinema by creating a uniquely Japanese vision in a genre typically dominated by American cinema. This film also helped Tsuburaya's employer Toho establish itself as
2349-591: The Godzilla-style film, Gorgo , which used the same situation technique as the Godzilla films. That same year, Saga Studios in Denmark made another Godzilla-style giant monster film, Reptilicus , bringing its monster to life using a marionette on a miniature set. In 1967, South Korea produced its monster movie titled Yonggary . In 1975, Shaw Brothers produced a superhero film called The Super Inframan , based on
2430-1598: The Neptune Men ( 宇宙快速船 , Uchū Kaisokusen , High Speed Spaceship) , The Last War ( 世界大戦争 , Sekai Daisensō , The Great World War) , The Green Slime ( ガンマー第3号 宇宙大作戦 , Ganmā daisan gō: uchū daisakusen , Ganma 3 Space Mission) , Submersion of Japan ( 日本沈没 , Nihon Chinbotsu , Japan Sinks) , The War in Space ( 惑星大戦争 , Wakusei Daisensō , War of the Planets) , Virus ( 復活の日 , Fukkatsu no Hi , Day of Resurrection) , Bye-Bye Jupiter ( さよならジュピター , Sayonara Jupitā ) , and Samurai Commando: Mission 1549 ( 戦国自衛隊1549 , Sengoku Jieitai 1549 , Sengoku Self-Defense Forces 1549) . Non-traditional tokusatsu films and television programs may not use conventional special effects or may not star human actors. Though suitmation typifies tokusatsu , some productions may use stop-motion to animate their monsters instead, for example Majin Hunter Mitsurugi in 1973. TV shows may use traditional tokusatsu techniques, but are cast with puppets or marionettes: Uchuusen Silica (1960); Ginga Shonen Tai (1963); Kuchuu Toshi 008 (1969); and Go Nagai 's X Bomber (1980). Some tokusatsu may employ animation in addition to its live-action components: Tsuburaya Productions ' Dinosaur Expedition Team Bornfree (1976), Dinosaur War Izenborg (1977) and Pro-Wrestling Star Aztekaiser (1976). As
2511-765: The Syndicated Big Wolf on Campus and Nickelodeon's Animorphs are also described as "American Tokusatsu" due to the techniques they employed. Fujiyama Ichiban is a 2013 web series shot in Los Angeles . All the other Tokusatsu shows in YTV's Monster Warriors were shot in Barrie , Ontario , Canada. They used CGI for the monsters. In the 2000s, production companies in other East Asian countries began producing their own original tokusatsu -inspired television series: Thailand 's Sport Ranger and South Korea 's Erexion in 2006;
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2592-715: The Telegian , and The Human Vapor . Since about 1960, several long-running television series have combined various other themes. Tsuburaya Productions has had the Ultraman Series starting with Ultra Q and Ultraman in 1966. P Productions began their foray into tokusatsu in 1966 with the series Ambassador Magma . They also had involvement in the Lion-Maru series which concluded in November 2006. Toei Company has several series that fall under their Toei Superheroes category of programming, starting in 1958 with
2673-772: The challenge of simulating spectacle in motion encouraged the development of the use of miniatures. Animation , creating the illusion of motion, was accomplished with drawings (most notably by Winsor McCay in Gertie the Dinosaur ) and with three-dimensional models (most notably by Willis O'Brien in The Lost World and King Kong ). Naval battles could be depicted with models in studio. Tanks and aeroplanes could be flown (and crashed) without risk of life and limb. Most impressively, miniatures and matte paintings could be used to depict worlds that never existed. Fritz Lang 's film Metropolis
2754-584: The compositing process. The effects crew assembled by Lucas was dubbed Industrial Light & Magic , and since 1977 has spearheaded many effects innovations. That same year, Steven Spielberg 's film Close Encounters of the Third Kind boasted a finale with impressive special effects by 2001 veteran Douglas Trumbull. In addition to developing his own motion-control system, Trumbull also developed techniques for creating intentional " lens flare " (the shapes created by light reflecting in camera lenses) to provide
2835-511: The design and use of the optical printer, effects shots were accomplished as in-camera effects . Dunn demonstrating that it could be used to combine images in novel ways and create new illusions. One early showcase for Dunn was Orson Welles ' Citizen Kane , where such locations as Xanadu (and some of Gregg Toland 's famous ' deep focus ' shots) were essentially created by Dunn's optical printer. The development of color photography required greater refinement of effects techniques. Color enabled
2916-413: The development of computer-generated imagery (CGI), which has changed nearly every aspect of motion picture special effects. Digital compositing allows far more control and creative freedom than optical compositing, and does not degrade the image as with analogue (optical) processes. Digital imagery has enabled technicians to create detailed models, matte "paintings," and even fully realised characters with
2997-485: The development of such travelling matte techniques as bluescreen and the sodium vapour process . Many films became landmarks in special-effects accomplishments: Forbidden Planet used matte paintings, animation, and miniature work to create spectacular alien environments. In The Ten Commandments , Paramount's John P. Fulton , A.S.C., multiplied the crowds of extras in the Exodus scenes with careful compositing, depicted
3078-525: The earliest forms of special effects, specifically puppetry . Japanese cinema pioneer Shōzō Makino is credited as the founding father of tokusatsu techniques, having directed several jidaigeki films starring Matsunosuke Onoe that featured special effects . Makino's effects work inspired filmmaker Yoshirō Edamasa to employ such technology in his own movies, notably Journey to the West (1917) and The Great Buddha Arrival (1934). After researching
3159-427: The exposure of the film, which would be exposed later. Dawn combined this technique with the "glass shot." Rather than using cardboard to block certain areas of the film exposure, Dawn simply painted certain areas black to prevent any light from exposing the film. From the partially exposed film, a single frame is then projected onto an easel, where the matte is then drawn. By creating the matte from an image directly from
3240-455: The film Godzilla vs. Megalon , and introduced numerous other Tokusatsu heroes throughout the 1970's, including Godman , Megaloman and Greenman . In Hong Kong, Shaw Brothers Studio produced its own Henshin/Kyodai hero as well with The Super Inframan . Though stylistically more akin to Kamen Rider , Inframan mixed Kyodai Hero elements into its formula, allowing the titular hero to grow to gigantic size. The Kyodai Hero genre usually involves
3321-402: The film franchise's many monster battles, he is gradually put into the position of protector of the human race, a key trope of the Kyodai Hero genre. Though Godzilla established the minor concept of the Kyodai Hero, the genre technically began with P-Productions' live action adaptation of Osamu Tezuka's Ambassador Magma which predated the popular Ultraman franchise, by six days. Ultraman
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3402-624: The film series, Moonlight Mask . Then, they produced several other long-running series, starting with Shotaro Ishinomori 's Kamen Rider Series in 1971, the Super Sentai series in 1975, the Metal Hero Series in 1982, and the Toei Fushigi Comedy Series in 1981. Toei also produced several other television series based on Ishinomori's works, including Android Kikaider and Kikaider 01 , Robot Detective , Inazuman and Inazuman Flash , and Kaiketsu Zubat . Toei
3483-416: The film's undefinable shapes of flying saucers. The success of these films, and others since, has prompted massive studio investment in effects-heavy science-fiction films. This has fuelled the establishment of many independent effects houses, a tremendous degree of refinement of existing techniques, and the development of new techniques such as computer-generated imagery (CGI). It has also encouraged within
3564-425: The film, it became incredibly easy to paint an image with proper respect to scale and perspective (the main flaw of the glass shot). Dawn's technique became the textbook for matte shots due to the natural images it created. During the 1920s and 1930s, special effects techniques were improved and refined by the motion picture industry. Many techniques—such as the Schüfftan process —were modifications of illusions from
3645-489: The films were often well-photographed in colour ... and their dismal dialogue was delivered in well-designed and well-lit sets." Steven Spielberg cited Godzilla as an inspiration for Jurassic Park (1993), specifically Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), which he grew up watching. During its production, Spielberg described Godzilla as "the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it
3726-451: The first Daytime Emmy for "Outstanding Stunt Coordination" for its original scenes. In 2023, GMA Network released Voltes V: Legacy , an adaptation of the original Voltes V , which has used special effects and CGI heavily reminiscent of those found in traditional tokusatsu shows, with some western influences added. In 2006, YTV Monster Warriors used CGI for the monsters with humor in the show. In 1961, England-based filmmakers produced
3807-491: The first color-television tokusatsu series, Ambassador Magma and Ultraman , which heralded the Kyodai Hero subgenre, wherein a regular-sized protagonist grows to larger proportions to fight equally large monsters. Popular tokusatsu superhero shows in the 1970s included Kamen Rider (1971), Warrior of Love Rainbowman (1972), Super Sentai (1975, trademarked in 1979) and Spider-Man (1978). Tokusatsu
3888-419: The forefront of special effects technologies. It gives filmmakers greater control, and allows many effects to be accomplished more safely and convincingly and—as technology improves—at lower costs. As a result, many optical and mechanical effects techniques have been superseded by CGI. In 1857, Oscar Rejlander created the world's first "special effects" image by combining different sections of 32 negatives into
3969-429: The franchise is rebooted in 2025), comic books, video games, and three feature films, with a further cinematic universe planned. Following from the success of Power Rangers , Saban acquired the rights to more of Toei's library, creating VR Troopers and Big Bad Beetleborgs from several Metal Hero Series shows and Masked Rider from Kamen Rider Series footage. DIC Entertainment joined this boom by acquiring
4050-482: The genre, in that the hero mainly fought aliens and their monster subordinates throughout the show. Ultraseven was the final Tokusatsu Kyodai hero show produced by Eiji Tsuburaya before his death in 1970. Since then, the increase in Ultraman' s popularity was so great that Tsuburaya Productions decided to revive the franchise in 1970 with The Return of Ultraman , thus creating a series of Ultraman shows which continues to
4131-525: The huge success of Ultraman and Kamen Rider there. The film starred Danny Lee in the title role. Although there were several similar superhero productions in Hong Kong, The Super Inframan came first. With help from Japanese special effects artists under Sadamasa Arikawa, they also produced a Japanese-styled monster movie, The Mighty Peking Man , in 1977. Concurrent with their work on Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad , DIC attempted an original concept based on
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#17328475618074212-590: The imagined events in a story or virtual world . It is sometimes abbreviated as SFX , but this may also refer to sound effects . Special effects are traditionally divided into the categories of mechanical effects and optical effects . With the emergence of digital film-making a distinction between special effects and visual effects has grown, with the latter referring to digital post-production and optical effects, while "special effects" refers to mechanical effects. Mechanical effects (also called practical or physical effects ) are usually accomplished during
4293-441: The industry a greater distinction between special effects and visual effects ; the latter is used to characterise post-production and optical work, while "special effects" refers more often to on-set and mechanical effects. The use of computer animation in film dates back to the early 1980s, with the films Tron (1982) and Golgo 13: The Professional (1983). Since the 1990s, a profound innovation in special effects has been
4374-603: The internet as a Power Rangers spoof, but was quickly picked up by MTV UK for broadcast. The popularity of tokusatsus in Brazil in the 90s provided many fans in the country who even tried to make indie series, the most notable being Insector Sun (a low-budget tribute to Kamen Rider ) and TimerMan . Peyton Reed , the director of the Ant-Man films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe , said that Ant-Man 's costume design
4455-587: The late 1960s and early 1970s, many studios closed down their in-house effects houses. Technicians became freelancers or founded their own effects companies, sometimes specialising on particular techniques (opticals, animation, etc.). The second was precipitated by the blockbuster success of two science-fiction and fantasy films in 1977. George Lucas 's Star Wars ushered in an era of science-fiction films with expensive and impressive special effects. Effects supervisor John Dykstra , A.S.C. and crew developed many improvements in existing effects technology. They created
4536-420: The live-action shooting. This includes the use of mechanised props , scenery, scale models , animatronics , pyrotechnics and atmospheric effects: creating physical wind, rain, fog, snow, clouds, making a car appear to drive by itself and blowing up a building, etc. Mechanical effects are also often incorporated into set design and make-up. For example, prosthetic make-up can be used to make an actor look like
4617-445: The malleability of computer software. Arguably the biggest and most "spectacular" use of CGI is in the creation of photo-realistic images of science-fiction/fantasy characters, settings and objects. Images can be created in a computer using the techniques of animated cartoons and model animation. The Last Starfighter (1984) used computer generated spaceships instead of physical scale models . In 1993, stop-motion animators working on
4698-554: The market. Tokusatsu films, notably Warning from Space (1956), sparked Stanley Kubrick 's interest in science fiction films; according to his biographer John Baxter , despite their "clumsy model sequences, the films were often well-photographed in colour ... and their dismal dialogue was delivered in well-designed and well-lit sets." In 1968, Stanley Kubrick assembled his own effects team ( Douglas Trumbull , Tom Howard , Con Pederson and Wally Veevers) rather than use an in-house effects unit for 2001: A Space Odyssey . In this film,
4779-501: The massive constructions of Rameses with models, and split the Red Sea in a still-impressive combination of travelling mattes and water tanks. Ray Harryhausen extended the art of stop-motion animation with his special techniques of compositing to create spectacular fantasy adventures such as Jason and the Argonauts (whose climax, a sword battle with seven animated skeletons, is considered
4860-408: The most successful effects company in the world. Godzilla kickstarted the kaiju genre in Japan, creating the "Monster Boom", which remained extremely popular for several decades, with characters such as the aforementioned Godzilla, Gamera and King Ghidorah leading the market. However, in 1957 Shintoho produced the first film serial featuring the superhero character Super Giant , signaling
4941-402: The person playing Mary step off the set. He placed a Mary dummy in the actor's place, restarted filming, and allowed the executioner to bring the axe down, severing the dummy's head. Techniques like these would dominate the production of special effects for a century. It wasn't only the first use of trickery in cinema, it was also the first type of photographic trickery that was only possible in
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#17328475618075022-682: The popularity of tokusatsu increased in Japan, several fan film projects have been produced over the years. Hideaki Anno , Yoshiyuki Sadamoto , Takami Akai , and Shinji Higuchi set up a fan-based group called Daicon Film, which they renamed Gainax in 1985 and turned into an animation studio. Besides anime sequences, they also produced a series of tokusatsu shorts parodying monster movies and superhero shows. These productions include Swift Hero Noutenki (1982), Patriotic Squadron Dai-Nippon (1983), Return of Ultraman (1983) and The Eight-Headed Giant Serpent Strikes Back (1985). Tokusatsu techniques have spread outside Japan due to
5103-536: The popularity of Godzilla films. Godzilla, King of the Monsters! first appeared in English in 1956. Rather than a simple dub of the Japanese-language original, this work represented an entirely re-edited version that restructured the plot to incorporate a new character played by a native English-speaking actor, Raymond Burr . Ultraman gained popularity when United Artists dubbed it for American audiences in
5184-479: The popularity of Power Rangers in 1994's Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills . In 1998, a video from an attempted Power Rangers -styled adaptation of Sailor Moon surfaced, combining original footage of American actresses with original animated sequences. Saban also attempted to make their own unique tokusatsu series entitled Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog , set in medieval Ireland and featured four, later five knights who transform using
5265-550: The power of the elements (for the most part) at they protected their kingdom from evil. Saban had also produced the live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation , which was known in the turtles' fandom for introducing a female turtle exclusive to that series called Venus de Milo and eliminating the fact that the other turtles were brothers. The show mostly featured actors in costumes, but featured similar choreographed fights like other tokusatsu shows. Also, like other Tokusatsu Productions,
5346-720: The present day, referred to as the Ultra Series . The 1970s saw the uprising of Tokusatsu and Kyodai hero shows, which coexisted with and helped shape kaiju films of the era. Tsuburaya Productions restarted the Ultraman series with The Return of Ultraman . This reignited high interest in studios to produce their own tokusatsu shows. Many of the tokusatsu shows from the 70s era mainly featured Kyodai heroes such as Spectreman and Super Robot Red Baron . By 1975, Tokusatsu shows were highly popular in Asia. Toho Studios even invented its own Kyodai hero to fight alongside Godzilla, Jet Jaguar in
5427-539: The realistic dinosaurs of Steven Spielberg 's Jurassic Park were retrained in the use of computer input devices. By 1995, films such as Toy Story underscored the fact that the distinction between live-action films and animated films was no longer clear. Other landmark examples include a character made up of broken pieces of a stained-glass window in Young Sherlock Holmes , a shape-shifting character in Willow ,
5508-579: The rights to Gridman the Hyper Agent and turning it into Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad . In 2002, 4Kids Entertainment bought the rights to Ultraman Tiga , but simply produced a dub of the Japanese footage, broadcast on the FoxBox . And in 2009, Adness Entertainment took 2002's Kamen Rider Ryuki and turned it into Kamen Rider: Dragon Knight , which began broadcast on The CW4Kids in 2009. It won
5589-507: The spaceship miniatures were highly detailed and carefully photographed for a realistic depth of field . The shots of spaceships were combined through hand-drawn rotoscoping and careful motion-control work, ensuring that the elements were precisely combined in the camera—a surprising throwback to the silent era, but with spectacular results. Backgrounds of the African vistas in the "Dawn of Man" sequence were combined with soundstage photography via
5670-503: The special effects featured in King Kong (1933), Eiji Tsuburaya began to develop tokusatsu and had his breakthrough on Princess Kaguya (1935) and The Daughter of the Samurai (1937). Modern tokusatsu , however, did not begin to take shape until the late 1940s. Tsuburaya and the director Ishirō Honda became the driving forces behind 1954's Godzilla . Tsuburaya, inspired by
5751-483: The stage manager at the Theatre Robert-Houdin, was inspired to develop a series of more than 500 short films between 1896 and 1914, in the process developing or inventing such techniques as multiple exposures , time-lapse photography , dissolves , and hand painted colour. Because of his ability to seemingly manipulate and transform reality with the cinematograph , the prolific Méliès is sometimes referred to as
5832-427: The term remains unknown. At the least, it was used to promote the Godzilla suit from The Return of Godzilla . The many productions of tokusatsu series have general themes common throughout different groups. Kaiju ( 怪獣 , kaijū , literally "mysterious beast") productions primarily feature monsters, or giant monsters ( 大怪獣 , daikaijū ) . Such series include Ultraman , the Godzilla film series,
5913-652: The theatre (such as pepper's ghost ) and still photography (such as double exposure and matte compositing). Rear projection was a refinement of the use of painted backgrounds in the theatre, substituting moving pictures to create moving backgrounds. Lifecasting of faces was imported from traditional maskmaking. Along with make-up advances, fantastic masks could be created which fit the actor perfectly. As material science advanced, horror film maskmaking followed closely. Many studios established in-house "special effects" departments, which were responsible for nearly all optical and mechanical aspects of motion-picture trickery. Also,
5994-416: The then-new front projection technique. Scenes set in zero-gravity environments were staged with hidden wires, mirror shots, and large-scale rotating sets. The finale, a voyage through hallucinogenic scenery, was created by Douglas Trumbull using a new technique termed slit-scan . The 1970s provided two profound changes in the special effects trade. The first was economic: during the industry's recession in
6075-431: The world of tokusatsu . The following year, Moonlight Mask premiered, the first of numerous televised superhero dramas that would make up one of the most popular tokusatsu subgenres. Created by Kōhan Kawauchi , he followed up its success with the tokusatsu superhero shows Seven Color Mask (1959) and Messenger of Allah (1960), both starring a young Sonny Chiba . These original productions preceded
6156-681: Was also involved in the Spider-Man television series, which influenced their subsequent Super Sentai series. In 2003, TV Asahi began broadcasting the Super Sentai and Kamen Rider series in a one-hour block airing each week known as Super Hero Time . Toho , the creators of Godzilla , also had their hands in creating the Chouseishin Series of programs from 2003 to 2006 and the Zone Fighter franchise. In 2006, Keita Amemiya 's Garo ,
6237-465: Was an early special effects spectacular, with innovative use of miniatures, matte paintings, the Schüfftan process, and complex compositing. An important innovation in special-effects photography was the development of the optical printer . Essentially, an optical printer is a projector aiming into a camera lens, and it was developed to make copies of films for distribution. Until Linwood G. Dunn refined
6318-454: Was created by the Godzilla films' Special Effects Director and Supervisor Eiji Tsuburaya . Ultraman - a sequel series to the previous Tokusatsu kaiju series Ultra Q - quickly became very popular in its initial run, to the point that Tsuburaya Productions produced sequel show Ultraseven , the second Kyodai Hero show ever produced - this series introduced another trope characteristic of
6399-443: Was influenced by two tokusatsu superheroes, Ultraman and Inframan . In 2015, Brazilian indie game studio, Behold Studios, developed a Power Ranger and Super Sentai inspired game, Chroma Squad . Tokusatsu has also had a large influence on western animation. Artist Thomas Perkins has delved into work that makes reference to tokusatsu. This is most notable in the design of the character Way Big from Ben 10 , who bears
6480-750: Was popularized during the " first monster boom " (1966–1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as tokushu gijutsu ( 特殊技術 , lit. ' special technology ' ) or shortened tokugi ( 特技 , lit. ' special technique ' ) . Subgenres of tokusatsu include kaiju such as the Godzilla and Gamera series; superhero such as the Kamen Rider and Metal Hero series; Kyodai Hero like Ultraman , and Denkou Choujin Gridman ; and mecha like Giant Robo and Super Robot Red Baron . Some tokusatsu television programs combine several of these subgenres, for example,
6561-504: Was really happening." Godzilla also influenced the Spielberg film Jaws (1975). Japanese tokusatsu movies also influenced one of the first video games , Spacewar! (1961), inspiring its science fiction theme. According to the game's programmer Martin Graetz, "we would be off to one of Boston 's seedier cinemas to view the latest trash from Toho " as Japanese studios "churned out
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