It occurred to me a few weeks ago that talking tokusatsu is all well and good but what would be the best places to start for the uninitiated? Granted, I’m sure everyone has seen a Godzilla movie but the likes of Super Sentai, Kamen Rider, Garo and Ultraman are completely different beasts. Except maybe Ultraman… That’s pretty close to Godzilla.

So what kind of toku is suitable for newbies? Naturally, it depends on individual taste and thanks to nearly all of them being around for around 50 years, most franchises have more than one series that should appeal to you but for the sake of an article, here are my personal choices on the easiest toku to get into for noobs.

Kicking off with one of my top five Kamen Rider series; Kamen Rider Fourze. If you remember the article I previously wrote, you’ll remember that while its mostly presented as a kids show, it actually has a lot of valuable morals and stories to tell, especially for a young teenage audience. It has that fantastic distinction of being a fun kids show at heart but is unafraid to play with morality tropes and tell the kind of high school redemption stories we all love.

The enthusiastic protagonist is also such an endearing goof that you’ll love him in no time, much like the rest of the cast who are equally great to watch. If you want a space-fuelled adventure that dips its toes into adult themes, then this is the series for you!

On the other end of the spectrum, with a newer show that I covered earlier this year and another of my Top 5 Rider shows… Kamen Rider Amazons. This is a deeply flawed show, sadly, that was an exclusive to Amazon Prime Japan. This choice is more based on people maybe remembering the Guyver movies of the early 90’s or who have a fondness of Marvel’s Netflix shows. It’s a darker tale that is a nice contrast to the positivity of Fourze and is a much shorter watch at just 13 episodes.

When it comes to Super Sentai, there’s a common misconception that it will be of the same ‘quality’ as its adaptation, Power Rangers, and while there are cases like that, there are twice as many that aren’t and to showcase the best Super Sentai has to offer I recommend watching Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger!

Gokaiger is the 35th Anniversary series and is an unabashed celebration of the franchise up to that point and the best part about it? The Gokaigers aren’t even good guys! They are literally pirates who steal the powers of previous Sentai in pursuit of a grand treasure. It’s an absolute blast and a loving tribute to the franchise’s long history.

Now, since I’ve little to no experience with the two other big TV toku franchises, I’m going to leave you in the capable hands of Josh from CollectionDX and Alex from My Shiny Toy Robots. Take it away, boys!

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Ultraman X is a really solid place to start in terms of the Ultraman franchise. It carries the spirit of the original, easy to follow on its own and has some cameos from other Ultras should you feel like checking more out afterward. It’s definitely worth mentioning that Ultraman is pretty much the godfather of henshin heroes. He might not be the first or the most prominent any more, but I’d definitely go as far to say he’s probably the most iconic in Japan. The show really puts an emphasis on craft, with both the miniatures and suits a cut above what you see in other toku shows.

Personally, I’d say the real best place to start is definitely the original series (and with it so cheap on Amazon, there’s really no reason not to), but with a pretty sizeable back-catalogue on Crunchyroll now newcomers will be perfectly fine jumping in on any that take their fancy. Some will have crossovers with older Ultras, but it’s never done in a way that requires background knowledge beforehand so you can effectively jump in anywhere.

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“Where there is light, shadows lurk and fear reigns. Yet by the blade of Knights mankind was given hope.”

If the above quote sounds super weird and/or interesting, then you might be into Garo. Garo is the story of a bunch of dudes called Makai Knights who fight monsters called Horrors. In a nutshell, Horrors are from another dimension called the Makai, and can be born in our world from the malevolence of humans. At this point, there are three distinct timelines for Garo: the original, the anime, and Ryuga’s timeline.

The original, main timeline consists of the three series (1, 2 & 4), two movies and several TV specials. If that seems convoluted, don’t worry. After a single season of the show every single one of those things will make sense. This timeline is all about Kouga, the Golden Knight Garo. Well, at least in seasons 1 and 2. And two of the movies. In season 4, the story shifts and follows his son, Raiga, who has inherited the title of Garo. Season 4 is amazing.

The anime timeline is stupid and garbage. Don’t watch.

The Ryuga timeline consists of two more seasons (3 & 5) as well as the Goldstorm movie. The entire existence of the Ryuga timeline is confusing and incredibly offputting for some people. However, if you are well-versed in the lore already, the deviations make sense and the shows and movie are ridiculously fun. Just watch Ryuga’s transformation from the first episode of Season 3. You’ll get what I’m saying.

If any of what I said interests you, you should watch Garo. If nothing that I said interests you, you should definitely watch Garo. Now’s the best time, too, since the first season is being broadcast in an HD Remastered version (since the original came out in 2005 and is a bit dated).

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A massive, massive thank you to both Alex and Josh for the opinions of Ultraman and Garo, respectively, and for contributing to this article since I don’t know dick about those shows so this is a learning experience for me too! Please go check out their respective sites and follow them! If any of these shows have peaked your interest, there are certain avenues you can find to watch them subbed if you look so I’ll leave the choice to you and I’ll see you all next Toku Tuesday!

JJ and his amazing friend Jason barely get this podcast to you.(Man, the internet has just had it in for us lately) After a major Skype crash, Google+ hangouts came to the rescue and the episode is here, albeit with a few “unique” moments. Jason recalls his recent trip to Dallas, and toward the end, the pair talk Godzilla!

I think we are getting back to a more normal schedule. Hopefully the internet will play along!

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GODZILLA has always been one of my top movie monsters. Hell, GODZILLA has always been one of my favorite characters in anything; be it comics, cartoons, toys, and movies.
(And the new GODZILLA movie did not disappoint.)
So when I saw this photo from behind the scenes on one of the classic series I couldn’t help but wonder what it was like on set and how much fun it would be.

I have no doubt that it was much more difficult than I make it out to be. But I loved that old photo. To me it looked like GODZILLA himself, not a guy in a suit, was taking direction.
And that is due to the artistry of the actor in the suit, to not look like just a guy-in-a-suit.
So this new comic is based loosely (and quickly) on that classic photo.

(With respect to all the Kaiju actors and directors out there.)

This video is a fan-based non-profit review. Any and all materials used in this video are for critical and comedic purposes only and are protected under FAIR USE. Godzilla, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai and Ultraman are owned by Toho Company Ltd, Toei Company Ltd, and Tsuburaya Productions, respectively. Please support the official releases of all these properties.

The upcoming Godzilla remake is hotly anticipated by me and many other kaiju enthusiasts because of the teasers, concept art and production models we’ve seen thus far. The movie retells Godzilla’s origin and firmly re-establishes him as a terrifying, unstoppable force of nature rather than a friend of humanity.

Naturally, as second American-made Godzilla movie, this brings to mind the truly awful 1998 effort, Ferris Bueller’s Jurassic Park masquerading as a Monster Movie, but as all the material we’ve seen so far has shown us, this is being handled by people who know what the hell they’re doing, namely Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.

“Let’s take a look at the trailer!” is what I would be saying if any version of the leaked teaser trailer last more than 5 minutes on YouTube before being pulled by Warner Bros. but there’s plenty of screengrabs knocking around so we can take a look at those instead! If you’re resourceful enough, you can find it online somewhere

Supernatural Disaster

The atmosphere is heavy in this teaser, showing only the destruction left in the wake of the terrfiying titan stalking the land. The teaser has such a haunting, desolate tone accompanied by a sombre quote from Oppenheimer, an apt metaphor for Godzilla’s origins as a result of the Atomic Age. It’s a very stark portrayal.

Monster Mash

It’s been confirmed that the Big G will fight two other monsters in this movie. Who will they be? Only time will tell but we do get a glimpse of some other kaiju amidst the rubble, clearly incapacitated or dead. The look of the creature(s) doesn’t overtly hint at any of Godzilla’s usual opponents but whoever they are, I’m sure we’re in for a slobberknocker!

The Money Shot

Awwwwwww yeah. That’s the good stuff. There’s no better way to finish this teaser off than a shot of the Big G himself. The monster effects will rendered in CG but from what I’ve seen, match up to a suit actor’s bulk and movement style very effective but with just a little added flair.

I am extremely hyped! Just as hyped as I was for Pacific Rim! I freaking LOVE giant monster movies and this has whet my appetite just enough to last me til next year.

Godzilla is due for release May 16, 2014.

JJ and his amazing friend Jason play a quick game of “Who are we able to out think” to warm up for an odd ride. JJ asks Jason what the south did to anger the weather Gods to figure out why big chunks of the south have “Gone With The Wind”. (Ouch, did I just make that pun? I feel so…dirty) Then JJ settles into the yin and yang of cheezy cartoons.

Remember folks, you have one more week to enter to win a Sabertooth Vampire comic…you know you want it. Listen to find out the details.

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