Tokusatsu

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See also: J-Drama
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Tokusatsu (特撮; sometimes shortened to toku in English) is a genre of live action Japanese media. The term means "special filming" or "special effects" and as a genre often features superheroes, giant monsters, and/or mecha.

Godzilla and Super Sentai (the franchise whose action sequences have been repurposed for Power Rangers) are probably the two examples most widely known in the West. Other well-known tokusatsu franchises include Kamen Rider (a sister franchise to Super Sentai), GARO, Space Sheriff Gavan, Ultraman, and Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, a tokusatsu spin-off of Sailor Moon.