特撮tokusatsu
Quick definition:Tokusatsu is a Japanese term for live-action film and television that relies on special effects, usually featuring costumed heroes, giant monsters and miniature cities.
Meaning
Tokusatsu, often shortened to toku, means special filming. It covers live-action shows and films that use practical effects such as costumes, miniature sets, pyrotechnics and wires. The best-known examples are monster films and shows about costumed heroes who fight villains, often with a transformation sequence and a team.
Tokusatsu differs from anime because it uses real actors and physical sets, though the two share fans, creators and ideas. Many tokusatsu series run every week for a year, with a new monster each episode and a final battle. Anime and manga often reference or parody them.
Children are an important audience, and toys such as belts, masks and figures are a large part of the business. Some series have continued for decades with a new cast every year or two, building a loyal following of long-time fans.
Origin:Tokusatsu is a Japanese word made from toku, meaning special, and satsu, short for satsuei, meaning filming or photography. It was used in the film industry for special effects work and came to name a whole genre after the success of monster films and costumed hero shows in the 1950s and 1960s.
Example:Kamen Rider, about a masked hero who rides a motorbike and fights an evil organisation, is a long-running tokusatsu franchise. Super Sentai, in which a colour-coded team of heroes battles a threat to the world, is another, and it provided the basis for the American Power Rangers.
Did you know?The moment when a hero changes into costume is called henshin, meaning transformation, and many series give it a special pose, sound effect and toy belt so that children can copy it at home. The pose is often the most recognisable image from the whole show.
