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io9Books & ComicsThe Original Super Sentai Manga Is a Fascinating Tale of 2 Tones
Shotaro Ishinomori is one of the grandfathers of Tokusatsu as we know it—the legend behind Kamen Rider and Super Sentai. Without him, Japanese superheroes would be in a very different space today. But Ishinomori is equally remembered as a mangaka king: and when he combined the two, there were some truly remarkable results. Before he … Continued
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io9The New Super Sentai‘s Best Hero Is Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers‘ Himbo Megazord
Super Sentai, the Japanese superhero seriesthat ultimately gave the West its own legion of superheroes in the Power Rangers franchise, turns 45 this year. It’s celebrating in suitably zany style, with a new series that sees its heroes take inspiration from past teams. Or, more accurately for some of them, their giant robots, including one … Continued
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io9TelevisionHappy 30th Birthday to Jetman, the Secret Savior of Power Rangers
30 years ago, Super Sentai was in dire straights. A period of decline in the 1980s, even as potential outside interest from Western parties to adapt the superhero franchise beyond Japanese shores, meant that the series was facing cancellation. But one final effort to shake the longrunning series out of its slump revitalized it—and without … Continued
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io9MoviesThese Costumes From the Original Power Rangers Movie Are Up for Auction
The original Power Rangers movie was a fully Americanized production based on Japanese sentai, and it went a little hog wild with it. Now, some of its most distinctive—and possibly controversial—props are up for auction: the costumes. Yes, those costumes, which trade out the comfy-looking padded tracksuits of the original outfits for more complicated, armored, … Continued
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io9Books & ComicsThe Team Behind Radiant Black Talk Bringing Power Rangers Vibes to Older Heroes
The Power Rangers are teens with attitudes for a reason. Like all young superheroes, as they come into unimaginable power, their youth paints a fascinating contrast to the responsibility of growing into young adults. But what happens when someone who’s already done their growing up gets that power? That’s where Radiant Black comes in. Written … Continued
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io9Books & ComicsThe Indie Team Behind Beast Heart! Strikers Tells Us About Bringing the Tokusatsu Spirit to Comics
Tokusatsu is, by its very nature, a practical medium. It’s people in Spandex and rubbery monster suits, it’s special effects, it’s models of cities being blown the hell up by Kaiju. But despite being a genre ripe with superheroic figures—from Super Sentai teams, to Kamen Riders, to Ultraman—it’s never really been a form that’s had … Continued
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io9Get Limber Enough to Punch Giant Monsters With This Super Sentai Aerobics Video
The importance of warming up before pummeling the Dimensional War Party Vyram cannot be understated. Maybe your lockdown exercise routine could use a suitably superheroic shakeup. Just in case it does, please enjoy this very silly video of the cast of Chojin Sentai Jetman—the series that is often credited with saving the esteemed Tokusatsu franchise … Continued
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io9What a Superhero Show Looks Like During Covid-19
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier isn’t coming out next month. The CW’s DC shows won’t be back until next year. As the coronavirus pandemic continues onwards, studios have had to reckon with what shooting a superhero show in the age of social distancing even looks like. But we actually already have an example. While … Continued
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io9GamesThe Wonderful 101‘s Enduring Superpower Is Its Focus on Teamwork and Community
In the world of The Wonderful 101, the recently remastered and re-released action-adventure game that originally launched in 2013 for the Nintendo Wii U, the planet’s best line of defense against an invading army of aliens is a massive squad of sentai-like superheroes who, in addition to having a variety of powers, are able to … Continued
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io9TelevisionI Can’t Stop Scrolling Through This Collection of Incredible Suits From Japanese Superhero Shows
Superheroes: they’re a fancy lot. But if a decade of the apex of cinematic superheroic shenanigans has taught us anything, our live-action heroes are barely just beginning to embrace the showy, colourful aesthetics of the comics, in favor of “realistic” design. So let this Twitter account remind you that at least some live-action superheroes are … Continued
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io9A Guide to Kamen Rider, the Masked Marvels of Japanese Superhero TV
If you love Power Rangers, you are probably at least aware of Super Sentai, the Spandex-clad Tokusatsu series it borrows its costumes, mechs, and action footage from. But Toei, the makers of Super Sentai, are also behind another of Japan’s most iconic superhero franchises: the legendary Henshin Heroes of Kamen Rider. Last week, Toei announced … Continued
