Licensed Tokusatsu shows

It's more than just Kamen Rider and Sentai
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mobotropolis
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Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by mobotropolis »

Hey there, recently I was contemplating purchasing some of my favourite toku series from Japan when I remembered reading something about Kamen Rider V3 being licensed and subbed. So I looked into this and found a few other series and I was wondering if anyone else here knew what other series have been officially licensed and subbed in English that I could look at buying. (Note: I'm looking for Rider/Sentai/Ultra/similar kind of things, not Kaiju films or the like)

Currently I know about these:
  • Kamen Rider V3
  • Kamen Rider: The First
  • Cutie Honey (2004 film)
  • Android Kikaider (as Kikaida)
  • Kikaider 01 (as Kikaida 01)
  • Mechanical Violator Hakaider
  • Inazuman
  • Ultra Seven
And these have been suggested:
Azazel wrote:Ultraman The Next Movie
Daikaiju Battle - Ultra Ginga Densetsu the Movie (comes with Eng subs straight from Japan)
Original Ultraman series (probably on Amazon still for around $10)
Ultraman Tiga (youll be hardpressed to find these anymore)
Transformers Headmasters
Transformers Masterforce (pending DVD release)
Transformers Victory (pending DVD release)
Draiken wrote:Iron King
Super Robot Red Baron
Crimzonite wrote:Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light
Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna & Ultraman Gaia: Battle in Hyperspace
I was wondering if there were anymore around, I'm specifically looking at direct subs of these shows (i.e. Not things like Power Rangers/Borgs/Dragon Knight as I know about those already), dubs are fine too provided dual audio+sub combo is available with the Japanese audio track.

Thanks in advanced!

EDIT: Added suggestions others made as quotes.
EDIT 2: Ultra Seven added.
Last edited by mobotropolis on Sat Sep 08, 2012 11:56 pm, edited 6 times in total.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by XIII »

Ultraman The Next Movie
Daikaiju Battle - Ultra Ginga Densetsu the Movie (comes with Eng subs straight from Japan)
Original Ultraman series (probably on Amazon still for around $10)
Ultraman Tiga (youll be hardpressed to find these anymore)
Transformers Headmasters
Transformers Masterforce (pending DVD release)
Transformers Victory (pending DVD release)

I think thats it, its not a super extensive list, but its a start for something that really hasnt caught the mainstream eye of Europe and the USA
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mobotropolis
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by mobotropolis »

Awesome, thanks for the list and quick reply. Are there any shows you'd recommend (assuming you've watched some of them)?

I find it interesting that so much Asian cinema can make it to western shores in dramas/horrors/martial arts films and even Kaiju films whilst the scifi/action toku series have such a (seemingly) weak presence.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by XIII »

its mostly cost, if you look at the V3 set its between $100 and $200, which is pretty steep for a show

Movies will be considerably less cost intensive to bring over.

Ive only seen Transformers and The First out that list, I cant give any thoughts on the others, to be honest, none interest me much
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by mobotropolis »

I guess the price is a point, but you see shows coming out for $40-$50 per season which can range anywhere between 10-25 episodes so I feel that pricing per episode is roughly the same. Maybe it's also just too niche for that particular price?

Anyway, again thanks for the help, I'll give Ultraman a shot considering it's so cheap and probably pick up The First in spite of already having seen it.

I have to ask though, the Transformers series, I've only seen the original series when it was broadcast on morning television as a child, along with The Movie, Beast Wars and the Michael Bay trilogy. Having enjoyed most of the Transformers media I've come into contact with in some way or another, would it be safe in assuming that I'll enjoy the Japanese series also, or will my childhood be shattered when Optimus isn't voiced by Peter Cullen?
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by XIII »

there is no optimus in any of the takara series,

Headmasters is Japans answer to the end of the american G1, they tossed out the story the US got and wrote there own
Masterforce takes things abit more sideways in that Humans have the ability to become one with transformers through the use of God Bracelets
Victory dispands with that aspect and returns to the pure transformer state, but retains the typical struggle between autobots and destrons
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by mobotropolis »

Azazel wrote:there is no optimus in any of the takara series,

Headmasters is Japans answer to the end of the american G1, they tossed out the story the US got and wrote there own
Masterforce takes things abit more sideways in that Humans have the ability to become one with transformers through the use of God Bracelets
Victory dispands with that aspect and returns to the pure transformer state, but retains the typical struggle between autobots and destrons
Azazel wrote:there is no optimus in any of the takara series
Azazel wrote:no optimus
WUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUT!

But Masterforce definately sounds interesting, as does the whole "screw you US we're doing our own thing" just to see how it panned out.

I've got some thinking to do and money to spend it seems, thanks again for all your help.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by XIII »

to be fair you get a character similar to Optimus in Masterforce, but goes by the name of God Ginrai if memory serves me well
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by locuas »

Azazel wrote:to be fair you get a character similar to Optimus in Masterforce, but goes by the name of God Ginrai if memory serves me well
that's optimus. they can call him whatever they want, but it's obvious he is optimus
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by takenoko »

For more clarification:

In the Japanese dub of G1 Transformers Optimus Prime's name is Convoy, since that's what the name that of the original Japanese toy.

Convoy does show up in a few episodes of Headmasters, and he's the same character as America's G1 Transformer. God Jinrai is the same toy as Powermaster Optimus, but in Masterforce he's a totally different character.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by Draiken »

For other, less-known, licensed shows,

Iron King
Super Robot Red Baron

;)
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by mobotropolis »

Azazel wrote:to be fair you get a character similar to Optimus in Masterforce, but goes by the name of God Ginrai if memory serves me well
takenoko wrote:For more clarification:

In the Japanese dub of G1 Transformers Optimus Prime's name is Convoy, since that's what the name that of the original Japanese toy.

Convoy does show up in a few episodes of Headmasters, and he's the same character as America's G1 Transformer. God Jinrai is the same toy as Powermaster Optimus, but in Masterforce he's a totally different character.
Phew! It's actually not that big of a deal but also a small part of me can't think of Transformers without Optimus. It definately all seems interesting though, just to see what they did with the series and the direction they took it in.
Draiken wrote:For other, less-known, licensed shows,

Iron King
Super Robot Red Baron

;)
Thanks for this! Irong King definately sounds interesting, and they're both quite cheap on Amazon! Might have to look into these after I'm done with Ultraman.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by Crimzonite »

I realize how late this post is, but I think I can add two more entries to this list.

Back in 2002, Image Entertainment released two movies, "Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna: Warriors of the Star of Light" and "Ultraman Tiga & Ultraman Dyna & Ultraman Gaia: Battle in Hyperspace" on Region 1 DVD. Both DVDs have Japanese and English language tracks, optional English subs for the Japanese track, and an isolated score track.

I recall these DVDs being fairly big news in the tokusatsu fandom back in 2002, since officially subbed tokusatsu is extremely rare. They might be hard to track down, since they're around a decade old now.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by mobotropolis »

There's this now:
Shout! Factory is doing a fine job in getting people's attention lately with their Power Rangers DVD release, which leads up to a new surprise that not many people would've expected out of them. If you happen to be an Ultra series fan, then you will be happy to hear that they have decided to release Ultra Seven in one DVD set for North America.
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Re: Licensed Tokusatsu shows

Post by takenoko »

Apparently that is one DVD set you should not be supporting:

[15:33] <Magenta> is it really a good idea to be hyping up the '''official''' Ultraseven release when it's licensed from Chaiyo rather than Tsuburaya
[15:33] <Magenta> "Support legal... piracy?"
[15:33] <takenoko> chaiyo? weren't they sued into not releasing ultraman a while ago?
[15:34] <Magenta> everywhere except japan
[15:34] <Magenta> so they created a japanese front company, and used that to license it out
[15:34] <takenoko> oh damn, are we up to 28
[15:35] <takenoko> so they're selling the dvds in japan?
[15:35] <takenoko> I just woke up, so I haven't been following
[15:35] <Magenta> Shout is doing an American release, but they've licensed it from Chaiyo
[15:35] <takenoko> well that's not cool
[15:36] <Magenta> "This set is a real release and is scheduled for December. It is licensed from UM Inc., a Japanese company affiliated with the Thai company, Chaiyo, who has been in a legal dispute with Tsuburaya Pro over the rights to some of the early Ultra series. The legal battles have been fought in multiple countries with Tsuburaya winning in court... except in Japan."
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