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under General Tokusatsu News, Ultraman

An exciting new season of Studio Trigger’s popular SSSS.Gridman anime series is looming over the horizon. Following the brief teaser that we got last year, a key visual was just released revealing that this season will have a new cast of players involved.

In addition, the anime’s staff was recently announced, and that staff is as follows:

  • Director: Akira Amemiya
    Screenplay: Keiichi Hasegawa
    Character Design: Masaru Sakamoto
    Studio: TRIGGER
    Cast:
    Daiki Hamano
    Junya Enoki
    Shion Wakayama
    Yuuichirou Umehara
    Chika Anzai

Further details involving plot and air date have yet to be disclosed. Stay tuned, and we’ll be sure to update you once more info is released.

under General Tokusatsu News

Bad news for import collectors-

JapanPost has announced that all EMS and AirMail shipments to the United States will be suspended beginning April 24, 2020 due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns. SAL shipments were previously suspended for the same reason.

Any shipments sent out via EMS prior to the suspension will likely experience delays.

We encourage everyone to remain safe & healthy in these trying times, and we look forward to the return of normal shipping processes.

under General Tokusatsu News

The organization behind the mega-convention San Diego Comic Con has unfortunately decided to cancel the 2020 event, previously scheduled for July 23-26 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The SDCC leadership released the following statement regarding cancellation-


“For the first time in its 50-year history San Diego Comic Convention (SDCC), the organizers behind the annual pop culture celebration, announced today with deep regret, that there will be no Comic-Con in 2020. The event will instead return to the San Diego Convention Center from July 22-25, 2021. Recognizing that countless attendees save and plan for its conventions each year, and how many exhibitors and stakeholders rely upon its events for a major portion of their livelihood, they had hoped to delay this decision in anticipation that COVID-19 concerns might lessen by summer. Continuous monitoring of health advisories and recent statements by the Governor of California have made it clear that it would not be safe to move forward with plans for this year.”

Generally, SDCC has been the site for major product reveals from Hasbro and other producers. While many have speculated that traditional SDCC presentations could switch to an online debut format, nothing has been confirmed at time of writing.

Stay tuned to TokuNation for further details!

under General Tokusatsu News, Kamen Rider, Metal Heroes

For those of us that are just tuning in, Toei announced a new global streaming platform on YouTube titled Toei Tokusatsu World Official, a streaming service that would feature a treasure trove of classic Toku shows that will launch globally on April 6th, 2020, complete with English subtitles!

As of this writing, the channel is now live. The catch is that while Toei does plan on releasing more episodes, these episodes will only be in Japanese and Toei will be leaving it to fans to translate these episodes in their native language. None of the less, the long list of shows now available is as follows:  

  • Space Cop Gavan
    Juspion
    Space Cop Sharivan
    Captain Ultra
    Dear! Robottie (Robocon)
    Message From Space
    Poitrine
    Chanzerion
    Daltanious
    Daimos
    National Kid
    Voltes V
    Suki! Suki!! Majo Sensei
    Robot 8-chan
    Hard Gumi
    Magical Chinese Girl Pai Pai!
    Winspector
    Combattler V
    Space Ironman Kyodain
    Laserion
    Jiraiya
    Go! Robottie (Robocon)
    Robot Detective
    Ninja Captor
    Henshin Ninja Arashi
    Kamitaman
    Kabutack
    Hard Gumi
    Janperson
    Jiban
    Bicrosser
    Robot 110-Ban
    Solbrain
    Guruguru Medaman
    Akumaizer 3
    Inazuman
    Inazuman F
    Exceedraft
    Magical Girl Chukanpaipai
    Gambare! Red Vickies
    Yojutso Bugeicho
    Nemulin
    Kaiketsu Zubat
    Machineman
    The Kagestar
    Kikaider
    Kikaider 01
    Albegas
    Kamen Rider Shin
    Robotack
    Chojin Bibyun
    Pettonton
    Thutmose
    Magical Girl Chukana Ipanema
    Blue Swat
    Guy Slugger
    Marin Gumi
    Batten Robomaru
    Utau! Dairyugujou
    God Sigma
    5 Nen 3 Kumi Mahougumi
    Daitetsujin 17

under General Tokusatsu News, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai

If you’ve been keeping up with recent events, then you may know about coronavirus or COVID-19 and the impact that this awful disease has had on not just the world, but some of our general interests as well. It has just come to our attention that one of the lead actors of Mashin Sentai Kiramager, Rio Komiya aka Kiramei Red contracted the virus and Toei Studios has shut down as a result.

Fortunately, a good chunk of episodes up till the middle of May have been shot but filming was put on halt last weekend, and at this time we have no further information on what sort of delays this will cause.

We at TokuNation wish Rio and anyone else that may have contracted this virus a speedy recovery. We’ll be sure to update you as soon as more information becomes available so stay tuned for future updates.   

 

UPDATE April 3rd, 2020:

An official statement was released from Toei earlier today. A translation reveals that Toei Studios did not, in fact, shut down operations that day and was misinformation spread by the Japanese press.

under General Tokusatsu News

We have sadly been informed of the death of a tokusatsu voice veteran.

Voice actor Hiroshi Masuoka passed away on March 21 2020 due to rectal cancer. Masuoka performed a number of villain roles in tokusatsu but may be best known as the narrator for Hyakuju Sentai GaoRanger (where he also performed the supporting role of GaoGod).

Outside of toku, Masuoka was a prominent voice in the anime world- he may be most recognizable as the second voice of Master Roshi in DragonBall related projects.

Our thoughts are with Hiroshi Masuokas’ family & friends in this difficult time.

under General Tokusatsu News

Because two announcements of new Toei Spider-Man product isn’t enough for one day – here’s a third!

Figsoku.net has posted up preview images of an upcoming Super Minipla Leopardon.  For those uneducated on what Leopardon was – it was the mecha that accompanied the Toei Spider-Man character and has become quite a cult classic favorite.  A drawing was even seen in the background of the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse animated feature from 2019 and the Toei Spider-Man is heavily rumored to appear in the sequel to the film.

Here’s the rough, Google-translated version of the product details.

Commercialized Leopardon that appeared in “Spider-Man Toei TV Series” from Super Minipla!
You can transform from Marveler to Leopardon.
In addition to the Sword Vicker and Spider Protector, effect parts that reproduce the scene of storing the Spider Machine GP-7, the scene of throwing the Sword Vicker, and the scene of launching the arm rocket are also included.
It is a volume kit with a special pedestal that can decorate the marveler in flight.

Super Minipla Leopardon is set to release in August 2020 for 4,950 yen and should be available to pre-order soon.

under General Tokusatsu News

Change, Leopardon!

What would a Toei Spider-Man release be without his trusty giant robot to go with it? Lo and behold, Soul of Chogokin Leopardon will be reissued alongside the Figuarts release, bearing a brand new GX-33R designation and a rather interesting accessory.

Rather than the vinyl figure that was included with the original release, this version of Leopardon will instead include a full-sized Spider Bracelet that plays BGM from the show! Such a great extra doesn’t come cheap though, with this reissue due for release in September and priced 20,000 yen.

under General Tokusatsu News

The Emissary of Hell, Spider-Man!

Big news from Bandai Tamashii Nations as a recent magazine reveals the production of an S.H. Figuarts Toei Spider-Man! Star of the 1978 TV series that helped introduce mecha to the Super Sentai franchise, Spider-Man is due for release in August for the price of 6500 yen. Like Bandai’s other Spider-Man Figuarts he will come loaded with a number of web effect parts, as well as an opening Spider Bracelet!

But that might not be all! If you check out the image attached you’ll also see that the magazine features images of the 2006 Soul of Chogokin Leopardon figure. Could a reissue also be on the way to coincide with this surprise release? Stay tuned to Tokunation for more news as it comes!

under General Tokusatsu News

Continuing the milestones for Western tokusatsu streaming this month, Toei themselves have also announced a brand new venture – the TOEI TOKUSATSUWORLD OFFICIAL channel.

This YouTube service will feature 70 series from the 1960s to the 1990s, including (but not limited to) Himitsu Sentai Goranger, Space Sheriff Gavan, Megabeast Investigator Juspion, Message from Space, Changerion, Poitrine and Shin Kamen Rider: Prologue.

The channel will launch GLOBALLY on 6th April 2020, with the first two episodes of all 70 shows being made available (licensing restrictions may apply to certain shows in certain territories) subtitled in a number of languages. Further episodes will be available in Japanese, with Toei planning to make a “public call” for subtitles in any language.

More information can be found via the official press release or the images attached to the story!