5. Space Sheriff Shaider
Space Sheriff Shaideris one of the Metal Hero series and is the last of the Space Sheriff series along withGavan(1982) andSharivan(1983). It was created by Toei for its Metal Hero series and aired from 1984 to 1985.
The series features Dai Sawamura, an archeologist who was trained to be a space sheriff to ward off aliens, particularly those of Fuuma’s army. Like his predecessors, he’s equipped with futuristic armor and weaponry.
His transformation scenes include the iconic pose while engulfed by a blue plasma energy, all happening in a millisecond as narrated in the story. Another iconic moment in the series is the Strange Realm, where he chases monsters inside with his cool Blue Hawk motorcycle.
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4. Ultraman
Ultra Q(1966) was the first of theUltraseries, butUltraman(1966) was more popular. It was created by Eiji Tsuburaya (Tsuburaya Productions), along with other Ultra in theUltraseries.
Ultramaninvolves giant humanoid beings with superpowers. They’re all silver and red in color, but some have different color combinations depending on the story and the specific character.
The story of the 1966Ultramanrevolves around Shin Hayata, who was given the power to transform into an Ultraman. Shin was part of a special force on Earth that provides support toward preventing alien invasions.
Along with the 1966Ultraman, theUltraseries includesUltraman Ace(1972),Ultraman Tiga(1996),Ultraman R/B(2018), andUltraman New Generation Chronicle(2019).
3. Guyferd
Shichisei Toshin Guyferdis a 1996 series made by Toho and Capcom. UnlikeShaiderandUltraman,Guyferdfeatures cooler fight scenes that actually involve martial arts and hand-to-hand combat.
It centers on the story of Gou Kazama, who gained extraordinary abilities after escaping an inhumane experiment. Along with his newfound powers, he uses a martial arts style called Ken’nou-Ryu to defeat his enemies.
2. Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider(also known asMasked Rider) is a media franchise that spawned tons of series, known for its main character who rides a motorcycle and fights villains and monsters. The first series aired in 1971 and was created by Shotaro Ishinomori, a manga artist.
Aside from its brilliant fight choreography and “henshin” moments, the costume design played a big role in the franchise’s popularity.
While the main character’s design includes grasshopper-like features (large eyes, horn-like antennas, etc), some series—especially the ones from 1990 and onwards—introduced minor tweaks in the design that made it more intricate and sometimes even dragon-like.
Whenever a rider appears in a scene and pushes a button on his belt (or sometimes inserts a key into his belt), expect an iconic transformation with cool special effects. The “henshin” moments became even better as years went by, thanks to improvements in CGI and video effects.
There are manyKamen Riderseries that are popular, from the originalKamen Rider(1971) andKamen Rider Kuuga(1999) to the more modernKamen Rider Revice(2021). There was evenSaban’s Masked Rider(1995), which was an American adaptation of the series.
1. Power Rangers
You know aboutPower Rangers, right? This global phenomenon was based on the concept of theSuper Sentaiseries, making it one of the rare examples of tokusatsu that came from outside of Japan.
Power Rangersfeatures a color-coded team of individuals who fight monsters and serve justice using a combination of their superhuman fighting skills, cool weapons, and huge mecha robots.
There have been differentPower Rangersshows over time, with some having minor tweaks like introducing new colored characters, replacing characters, or reducing the size of the squad.
The story and character designs also differ from series to series. In some, the rangers stick to an animal motif; in others, the rangers may have a dinosaur motif. The changes help keep the concept fresh.
Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers(1993) was the first of the series, followed by many more shows includingPower Rangers Wild Force(2002),Power Rangers Ninja Storm(2003), andPower Rangers Mystic Force(2006).
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