Tokusatsu Anime are Strangely Rare - Though Two Franchises May Change That
Tokusatsu is usually reserved for live-action and not anime, though that may change with two popular manga, one of which is getting an anime.
Anime is one of Japan's biggest cultural exports, but it's not the only form of media that the country is known for. Though some aren't as aware of the actual term, "tokusatsu" has also left Japan and gone to other countries in other forms. Known for brightly colored heroes and monsters of varying sizes, this genre showcases the Japanese take on superheroes. Strangely enough, however, it's not very common to see tokusatsu anime.
That may finally change with two manga franchises, one of which is soon to receive an anime adaptation. Incorporating elements of current trends in both superhero fiction and anime/manga, Go! Go! Loser Ranger and The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World are some of the most blatant takes on animated tokusatsu in modern times. Given how successful one in particular has become, it may see the subgenre as a whole find a new home within the anime medium.
What is Tokusatsu?
Usually involving live-action works, tokusatsu translates as "special photography," reflecting the genre's emphasis on special effects. Said effects are used to bring numerous exciting concepts to life, be it the heroes of the story or the monsters they fight. The first form that tokusatsu took was that of giant monster movies featuring gargantuan "kaiju," or "strange beasts." Examples include the iconic Godzilla franchise, as well as similar monsters such as Mothra, Rodan, Gamera and even the American King Kong. The 1970s gave rise to tokusatsu superhero TV shows, with normal humans donning colorful or armored costumes in order to face legions of monsters or other threats. The heroes might employ special attacks, incredible gadgets or other techniques to defeat enemies, usually resulting in all manner of sparks and explosions.
The progenitor of this subgenre was Shotaro Ishinomori's Kamen Rider series, which featured insect-themed cyborgs that rode motorcycles in pursuit of justice. Many of the genre's staples were created by this franchise, including characters using some sort of pose and activation code to become heroes. Fusions of the mecha genre and tokusatsu are somewhat common, and these can include anime franchises like Giant Robo or the series Gridman, which began as a live-action series before being brought back years later as an anime. Some tokusatsu works like Ultraman or the Super Sentai series combined these ideas, with the heroes either growing gigantic to fight larger monsters or summoning large robots to fight them with. Besides Godzilla and his immense ilk, Super Sentai is the most well-known form of tokusatsu, though not under that name. The many entries in the franchise were brought to other countries and regions under different names, with the most popular and iconic adaptation being the American Power Rangers franchise.
Why Isn't Tokusatsu Common in Anime?
Despite being an almost exclusively Japanese endeavor, there isn't much in way of tokusatsu anime. Some of the few exceptions are the aforementioned Giant Robo, though many anime fans might merely associate this with the Super Robot anime genre. When it comes to brightly colored, spandex suit wearing heroes like Kamen Rider or the Super Sentai Rangers, they're a noticeable rarity. Exceptions to this rule include the superhero series Tiger & Bunny, and arguably even the Magical Girl anime genre through properties such as Sailor Moon, which can be seen as a more female-focused version of tokusatsu.
The main reason that these works aren't commonly seen in anime form is in the name. The special effects showcased in tokusatsu lose their luster if not applied in live-action, which is the whole draw of seeing them. Though it may nowadays look dated and even laughable, the original Godzilla movie was harrowing at the time for how realistic its scenes of destruction looked. Simply animated these sequences might not have been nearly as effective, which is why these stories aren't commonly translated to manga and anime form.
There's also the fact that the main live-action renditions of these franchises are enough, and that Japanese audiences simply might not be interested in more of them, animated or otherwise. After all, there are several tokusatsu properties there, whereas America is really only familiar with Power Rangers, which has a unique place in pop culture. A Power Rangers animated series or comic book are thus a lot more unique in the West than in Japan. Thankfully for those who can't get enough of these special effects-laden heroes, they're finally being combined with some of the biggest trends and tropes in anime.
One Upcoming Anime Combines Tokusatsu With the Biggest Anime Trend
Running for almost three years, The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World (referred to as Red Ranger Isekai by fans) is exactly what it sounds like. The manga focuses on Tougou Asagaki, who can transform into Kizuna Red, a Super Sentai-esque hero. Unfortunately, a recent misadventure traps him into an alternate fantasy world, though he still has access to his powers and gadgetry. Assisting newfound allies as part of an adventuring group, he regularly amazes or shocks his new world due to the nature of his powers and gaudy personality. The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World is perhaps the first tokusatsu take on the ubiquitous and creative isekai genre, and it plays up the concept to great effect. Unlike many isekai, it actually employs its basic premise beyond the first few chapters, showcasing just how out of place a tokusatsu hero might be in a medieval world.
Another increasingly popular manga series is Go! Go! Loser Ranger, which also wears its inspirations on its sleeve. The series focuses on a mere foot soldier, the likes of whom would normally be beaten early in a tokusatsu series episode. After his evil forces were defeated by the heroic Dragon Keepers, they've been forced to live as veritable slaves and reenact battles – their worst losses – for the entertainment of others. No longer content with being a bit player, Footsoldier D sets out to make his mark on the world and the heroes who essentially run it. Loser Ranger is in some ways a deconstruction of tokusatsu, much in the same way that The Boys functions toward Western superhero stories.
By offering twists on the genre, these manga are able to take a familiar concept and make it unique again. It helps that they employ elements (a medieval fantasy setting, for instance) that might not be as easy to handle as a live-action series in Japan. Though running for almost a year less than Red Ranger Isekai, Go! Go! Loser Ranger already has six more collected manga volumes worth of content. Likewise, an anime adaptation from Yostar Pictures has already been announced, showing how popular and successful it's become. Given the growing isekai trend, the other current tokusatsu manga is likely not far behind. Thus, through the popularity of anime as a whole, tokusatsu can find new life and a legion of new fans, even if it involves slightly reconfiguring the genre.