If you're looking for something new to get into this year, and have a mind for supernatural mayhem with a twist, look no further than The Returners, the new book from up-and-coming author Lee T. Davis. Sporting heavy inspirations from the world of Japanese anime, live-action special effects, high-flying Hong Kong action, and Hollywood sci-fi,…
As we get ready to pile into movie theaters for the new Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film, we return to an old gem in the annals of live-action special effects TV, with the strange anomaly that was 1978's Spider-Man. A rare Japanese-produced adaptation from an original Marvel Comics creation, this Spidey bears some similarities to…
Pudgy Pig's not the only one with the munchies. At least that's what the people at Funko are hoping as they unveil their new Mighty Morphin Power Rangers breakfast cereal. Popularized by their collectible toy line of Funko Pop figures, which the Power Rangers franchise has been selling items through like hotcakes, the company is…
Not content to pass up the opportunity for a little cross-promotion, Toei Animation is having some fun with two of the big names among its fleet of mega-franchises. Sadly, this crossover is only here as a marketing tool for two separate releases, which have basically nothing to do with each other except they both involve…
HurricaneYellow isn't out of the monster-fighting biz just yet. Actor Yamamoto Kohei, known to many Super Sentai fanatics as super-ninja Bito Kota on Ninpu Sentai Hurricanger, is hard at work on a new project for Toei Company. The developing TV series will feature a new hero not affiliated with the likes of Toei's usual suspects…
Recording artist and tokusatsu fan Ricardo Cruz is back again, with another offering of musical splendor for fellow devotees of all things loud and explodey. This time, he jumps from one end of the global entertainment pond to the other. Instead of tackling hits from Japanese action titles like Kamen Rider and Space Sheriff, he's…
Welcome to the second installment of Scholars Talking Toku's interview with Seth Kim; Assistant Professor in the Program of Cinema and Media Arts and Asian Studies at Vanderbilt University. Kim is the author of several essays on Japanese superheroes and tokusatsu including “Kamen Rider vs. Spider-Man and Bat-Man” which appeared in the book Giant Creatures…
Welcome to a brand new installment of Scholars Talking Toku. My name is Justin Mullis and I’m a scholar working in the academic field of religious studies who also happens to harbor a life long love of Japanese pop-culture. Last year an essay I wrote, “Notes from the Land of Light: Observations on Religious Elements…
As we wait to see what shape the Power Rangers television franchise takes next, it might be fun to have a look back on one of the brand's recent offerings. The title about a group of young heroes tasked with defending the world from evil in multi-colored outfits has been molded onto many grafts over…
... Okay, maybe that title was a little over-the-top, but I just couldn't help myself. Part of me has dreaded tackling this review. As a longtime fan of the Power Rangers franchise, it's not always easy to bring tough criticism to this thing I've loved for years, a huge influence on my life and how…