tokusatsu
Sign in to savethumb|250px|Protagonists of popular franchises mostly of the late 1970s (from back to front, left to right): The Ultraman|Ultraman Joneus ([[Ultra Series), Battle Fever J (Super Sentai), Kamen Rider Stronger and Kamen Rider V3 (Kamen Rider Series), and Spider-Man. The photo also features manga character Doraemon on the far left.]] is 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, superhero, fantasy, or horror media featuring such tech
Article
22 sectionsContents
- History
- 1908–1933: Early development
- 1933–1945: Influence from ''King Kong'' and wartime efforts
- 1954–present: Widespread recognition
- Techniques
- Miniatures
- Suitmation
- Franchises and productions
- ''Kaiju''
- {{Transliteration|ja|Kaijin}}
- Popular franchises
- {{Transliteration|ja|Tokusatsu}} movies
- Similar productions
- Non-traditional {{Transliteration|ja|tokusatsu}} productions
- Japanese fan films
- Outside of Japan
- Adaptations
- Original productions
- Influence
- Homage and parody
- References
- Bibliography
thumb|250px|Protagonists of popular franchises mostly of the late 1970s (from back to front, left to right): The Ultraman|Ultraman Joneus ([[Ultra Series), Battle Fever J (Super Sentai), Kamen Rider Stronger and Kamen Rider V3 (Kamen Rider Series), and Spider-Man. The photo also features manga character Doraemon on the far left.]] is 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, superhero, 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 was popularized during the "" (1966–1968). Prior to the monster boom, it was known in Japan as or shortened .
Subgenres of 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 television programs combine several of these subgenres, for example, the Super Sentai series.