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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!

under General Tokusatsu News, Kamen Rider

The people at Shout! Factory have teamed up with the minds at Pluto TV to create an exclusive new streaming channel for tokusatsu projects!

Titled TokoSHOUTsu this new platform will allow a variety of shows to viewers- including the legendary 1971 Kamen Rider series available for the first time in the US!

In addition, TokuSHOUTsu will produce ORIGINAL content- including a weekly series known as Let’s Talk Toku hosted by Squall Charlson that will feature Power Rangers alumni Jason Narvey in a guest spot for some episodes.

TokuSHOUTsu officially launches at 12AM Tuesday March 17 2020 and will be available on Channel 681 via Pluto TV- which can be accessed from a variety of streaming devices including Roku, Amazon Fire & Apple TV.

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Clearly no longer content with being the second best purveyor of tokusatsu toys in all of Japan, Evolution Toy have announced the latest classic hero to be joining their growing Hero Action Figure line. Out for vengeance with his howling whip, it’s the extraordinary Zubat!

The 1977 creation of Shotaro Ishinomori will be joining the line later this year in July, with a price of 9860 yen. Preorders are now open, and listings confirm that the figure will come packaged with four additional hands as well as his signature whip.

Will Zubat be joining your collection? Check out the full set of images and discuss!

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Arrow Films have now opened preorders for their forthcoming Gamera: The Complete Collection blu-ray set, and with that have finally revealed this full contents of this premium package.

In total the set includes all 12 Gamera films across 8 Blu-ray Discs, including 4k restorations of the Heisei era trilogy (Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera 2: Attack of Legion and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris). Also included are audio commentaries, cast and crew interviews and the worldwide premiere of Gammera the Invincible – the American version of the original 1965 film.

Physical extras include a hardback 120-page comic which includes a full-colour reprint of the four-issue 1996 Dark Horse comic book series, as well as as the first ever English language reprint of prequel comic The Last Hope by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh. There is also a perfect-bound 80-page book including a retrospective on the Gamera series, kaiju X-ray illustrations and much more!

Gamera: The Complete Collection will retail for $180 in the US and £149.99 in the UK. Early-bird preorders are available from Arrow and wherever you buy your blu-rays!

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Winter Wonderfest 2020 has just happened in Japan, and while the event usually strays towards the anime figure side of things there are usually a few tokusatsu-related surprises as well. Among Good Smile Company’s reveals this year is the announcement of HAGANE WORKS Thunder Gridman, based on the combined from of Gridman and the three Assist Machines from the original 1993 series.

The HAGANE WORKS line is still relatively new, and with only this combined form prototype image at the moment it’s uncomfirmed whether this figure will be able to split into its individual components or whether the Assist Machines will also be able to combine into God Zenon. However based on descriptions for previous entries in the line, it’s safe to assume that the figure will at least feature some die cast content.

Stay tuned to Tokunation for more news on the figure as it comes!