The Tokusatsu Fanbase: You Know It's Growing Bigger Right?

[ClimaxHeroDen-O]

While it's true that it is expanding, the problem is that outside of japan the mainstream media hasn't caught on, so tokusatsu still remains obscure to many

 

[ReD-X]

to be fair, here in the north east of the UK if your a 22 year old man, and openly say you like tokusatsu they will be just like WTF, then if you describe it you would proberbly get 1 of 2 responses depending on what the person your talking to is like.

"so u lyk pwr rngurz then m8rt? ... grab im, i get iz wallet" - most likley from the chav kind

or

"power rangers ftw" either from the alternative people or anime fans

 

[musashi03]

I don't care about any fanbase. Most fandoms suck over all anyway.

:rofl2:

 

[ClimaxHeroDen-O]

to be fair, here in the north east of the UK if your a 22 year old man, and openly say you like tokusatsu they will be just like WTF, then if you describe it you would proberbly get 1 of 2 responses depending on what the person your talking to is like.

"so u lyk pwr rngurz then m8rt? ... grab im, i get iz wallet" - most likley from the chav kind

or

"power rangers ftw" either from the alternative people or anime fans

though, honestly, I think I can tell a bit why it still rather niche and hasn't caught on quite yet. whereas things like anime and manga caught on internationally since they're essentially Japan's equivalent to cartoons and comic books, tokusatsu isn't a medium that has much equivalence in other places, since most kids shows that have lots of action are animated and the live-action stuff for kids is usually more like sitcoms.

Power Rangers is really the only foreign toku equivalent that's had any real staying power, as every other attempt at non-japanese toku has been short-lived, and even as far as PR goes, it's mostly the older fans outside the target demographic who actually know of the source material and the genre.

I think this can be attributed to how outside of the Godzilla and Ultraman dubs, most forms of non-japanese toku are adaptations that rarely refer to the source material(and it doesn't help that some of the times where super sentai has been dubbed over in other countries, it's been labeled as "Power Rangers"), though I'd imagine that since Kamen Rider Dragon Knight kept the Kamen Rider name of its origin, if it had been more successful and continued on to other series being adapted, it could have broken the barrier between obscure and mainstream for tokusatsu. but alas, it ended up as a one-shot like Saban's Masked Rider, but not for the same reasons.

We can only hope that one day something will allow Tokusatsu to become more widely known and break the outsider mindset of tokusatsu=power rangers

 

[Scissors]

Apart from the US which had PR, the only places in the world where Tokusatsu has fanbases, are in countries like France, Spain, Brazil etc. where dubbed Toku shows have been shown on Tv.
Ask any french above the age of 20 about Bioman, and they will most likely know what it is.

However, I have yet to see any large toku fanbase in Scandinavia or Eastern Europe.
In my country, most people barely know PR, and those who do are not aware of the fact that the show actually had a third season (!)

 

[Fox-Chan]

The thing people are being fans about, in this case toku, is great. The way the fandom acts as a whole... Not so great. This is why I stay in my little corner, and try not to get to involved.

The way I see it, a fandom has its good points and its bad points. The tokusatsu community is no exception.

Arguing about the best show, subtitles, panicking that your favorite franchise is ruined forever and what have you...that's the bad side. Actually discussing shows, attending real-life meetups (actually did this once, it was really nice), and expressing your love for the medium with like-minded people...that's the good side.

I guess my point is, it's not all good but it's not all bad either.

 

[Herman the German]

Apart from the US which had PR, the only places in the world where Tokusatsu has fanbases, are in countries like France, Spain, Brazil etc. where dubbed Toku shows have been shown on Tv.

Well, Power Rangers itself was also dubbed in various places, including Germany. Or was, anyway.
I've seen a reasonably sized German Super Sentai community a while back while Googling around. :v

But generally, Toku ain't mainstream, but the fans it's got can be quite dedicated.
The real bad side to the fandom I see are all the ones who shoot down adaptations simply 'cuz they're adaptations, though. <.<;

 

[Scissors]

Which is very ironic, considering the fact that most people here got interested in tokusatsu because of PR.

The european fanbase can be quite funny at times. Especially those not too familiar with the whole toku thing.
My french friend once refused to watch any Kamen Rider show because he thought it was a cheap Bioman copy.
I even heard fans there who thought that PR was an american adaption of Bioman.

 

[Dark Rider]

Power Rangers is really the only foreign toku equivalent that's had any real staying power, as every other attempt at non-japanese toku has been short-lived, and even as far as PR goes, it's mostly the older fans outside the target demographic who actually know of the source material and the genre.

Power Ranger had success because they were something new back then.

We can only hope that one day something will allow Tokusatsu to become more widely known and break the outsider mindset of tokusatsu=power rangers

One of the way of breaking is comparing to some anime adaptations. Like "Power Rangers compared to tokusatsu is like Tsukihime anime compared to original".

However, I have yet to see any large toku fanbase in Scandinavia or Eastern Europe.

We Russians have a tokusatsu-thematic forum (tokuboard.ru), but there are some fans that don't visit it.

 

[Bigdog]

It's expanding, but it's not to the point where it'll be able to compete with the anime fanbase.

It HAS adopted some traits of the anime fandom, possibly due to anime fans getting into tokusatsu one way or another. I was a fan of the Kikaider and Cyborg 009 anime series' before checking out Ishinomori's live action work. Before then my only exposure to tokusatsu was through Ultraman, Power Rangers, and the occasional Godzilla movie.

Personally, I don't think it'll ever attract an English-speaking fanbase quite as large as the anime fanbase. Not until people cut it out with the extensive editing.

I loved the Cyborg 009 2001 anime, Guyver and whatever was on Toonami. :Eyes Gundam series and grins: if not Digimon or Pokemon. Kenshin and Dragonball too. :anime:

The Godzilla films and Power Rangers got me interested of the whole dynamic. Even Masked Rider in comic form was cool.

If they cut the editing from toku, it will explode no doubt. Because I don't want GARO being brought here as a kid's show.

Plus if anime had good luck in spawning Avatar :TLA, maybe Toku will have its equivalent. For that , I call shotgun.

I dont really see it getting to big in the UK, hell look how many anime fans there are here and still no decent TV station and overly priced DVD's.

But yer wiki, youtube and word of mouth seem to be helping spread the word, ive had a few of my friends who have children that are into power rangers ask about where to get the next series toys early (the japanese counterparts lol)

Don't you guys have the Anime Network?

I don't believe Youtube got me into it , but it helped. Because i 2003 and 2004 I downloaded the intros and went on the defunct TokuTv to watch the first episodes of Zyuranger and B-Fighter Kabuto. B-Fighter was the hugest mindfuck of them all being adults and crimefighters and not kids in a mansion.

I have a friend who knows of Kamen Rider, but I'm not sure if he saw it .

Doing it because you can? You know what they call people like that? Politicians.




The thing people are being fans about, in this case toku, is great. The way the fandom acts as a whole... Not so great. This is why I stay in my little corner, and try not to get to involved.

I know how it is . That's why I stay out of the Transformers fandom because they are too hostile like piranhas. And don't get me started on Twilight...:laugh:

The one way to break the mindset is to release a very off the wall Toku series in the states like GARO or Hibiki. Those both are very different and if dubbed/adpated well would do wonders.

I still want a Guyver Toku series done in America.:disappoin