Tokusatsu has had a bit of a global breakout recently, with the stellar Shin series (Shin Godzilla | Shin Kamen Rider | Shin Ultraman) and Godzilla Minus One. What was once mostly corraled into Asia has now firmly breached containment and has asserted itself as 'serious' art. This obviously comes with some baggage. Godzilla has long been described as a silly rubber monster, even when in the same breath American movies with subpar practical effects were celebrated. There is a racism aspect, with 'weird Japan' being a perjorative term and tainting the view of many moviegoers. 'Men in rubber suits' are simply too silly, too facile, too breaking of suspense to be taken seriously. It is only when these heroes team up with American icons or are presented in CGI that international audiences at large pay attention. This is heartbreaking to me as a lover of all tokusatsu, including and especially the silly bits.
For the uninitiated, tokusatsu (lit: special effects) is a predominantly Japanese movie and show genre focusing on practical effects and superhero narratives. Godzilla, Ultraman, Kamen Rider and Super Sentai are big names in the genre. The production style of tokusatsu was hugely influenced by Tsuburaya Eiji, the 'father of tokusatsu' and co-creator of the Godzilla and Ultraman franchises. Eiji got his start making propaganda films, where the beginnings of the tokusatsu style were established. It has since grown into a massive business, with Toei and Tsuburaya studios the main players. Japan isn't the only maker of tokusatsu; The Super Inframan, Kamen Rider Dragon Knight, and Power Rangers are examples of tokusatsu made outside Japan.
While older Godzilla movies often do look quite silly, I've found the breaking of suspension of disbelief makes it easier to appreciate the immense amount of work and skill that goes into tokusatsu production. For example, Godzilla vs Destoroyah has some absolutely incredible feats of physical effects, which I was only able to appreciate fully because I could recognise it as physical effect work. CGI in the modern age is constantly trying to recoil into the shadows and make itself invisible; practical effects, on the other hand, are only enhanced by being brought into the limelight.
An aspect I appreciate about tokusatsu is the reusability it affords its main characters. When a traditional actor retires, you need a new face to play the character. Examples of this are Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Tokusatsu characters, however, face no such issue. Two full decades after the end of the show, Kamen Rider Kuuga continues to appear in new Kamen Rider crossover movies, and Godzilla has appeared in dozens of films. This allows a wonderful opportunity to see the same character in endless situations, and the chance to see how different directors and writers will interpret the character. Godzilla has been a parent, a ruffian, a force of nature, a metaphor for the bombing of Japan, and a protector of mother nature.
Being such a huge industry, tokusatsu has niches inside niches. Parodies such as He-Low satirise the trappings of the genre, while in the 80s hyperniche direct-to-VHS slop like Star Virgin showed a cheaper, more juvenile side. Tokusatsu has been dark and gritty (Garo, Kamen Rider Black Sun) and comedic (Guyver, Zeiram). I hope as time goes on, more people come to appreciate what tokusatsu of the past has to offer, especially the stuff that never makes it to Hollywood. It's a whole world out there and there's something to satisfy pretty much anyone.
