Toei’s 1978 Spider-Man series made history, not just for Marvel’s adaptation ambitions but for how it went on to influence one of Japan’s most enduring tokusatsu franchises, Super Sentai. In the years since, Spider-Man has received a rightful reappraisal in the west, going from a kooky piece of Spidey history to a character that has been highlighted in […]
‘Super Sentai’ Just Lost Its First Female Black Ranger
The Super Sentai franchise has not been in a great place recently, with Japanese media swirling with reports that the beloved superhero franchise may be coming to an end in its current format after 50 years. But whether or not the current entry in the series, No.1 Sentai Gozyuger, heralds the end of the franchise or its […]
It’s Been 30 Years Since ‘Masked Rider’ Tried to Give ‘Kamen Rider’ Its ‘Power Rangers’ Moment
When audiences were in the grip of Power Rangers mania in the early ’90s, Saban Entertainment sought more ways it could leverage its relationship with Japanese studio Toei to turn even more Tokusatsu series into U.S. hits. Thirty years ago today, Saban debuted its take on one of the medium’s most legendary entries, Kamen Rider, hoping […]