In America, we have a habit of taking things and making them our own. At one time, we even tried to make Tokusatsu our own with a load of different shows based on Japanese TV shows. Sadly, the only one to stick was "Power Rangers," but there were a lot of interesting shows to come out of this time. Here are the remnants of what came out of it. I present to you five American Tokusatsu shows that time forgot.
1. Big Bad Beetleborgs
Okay let me give you the synopsis, three kids find a ghost trapped in an organ, who in turn makes them beetle themed superheroes. I know it sounds crazy, but this show was actually one of the better shows to come out of American Toku. I mostly enjoyed the ghost Flabber, and his ability to be funny and cringe-worthy at the same time.
2. Kamen Rider Dragon Knight
"Kamen Rider Dragon Knight" was America's attempt to take the popular Japanese show "Kamen Rider" and make an American version, but sadly it didn't go over well with viewers, leading it to fade into memories. If you liked the idea of armored riders fighting each other check out its Japanese counterpart "Kamen Rider Ryuki."
3. Mystic Knights of Tir na Nog
This show was one of my favorites of American Toku. It relied on rich character development rather than just fight a monster and be done. With that being said, I do wish the fights were more memorable, but props to them for using all its own footage. I love the setting, it gives the show its own feel and makes it stand out from the rest.
4. Super Human Samurai Syber Squad
No, I didn't spell the title wrong. They spelled Cyber with an S. This show oozed 90's, with its cool kid playing guitar who happens to have the ability to enter computers and fist fights computer Viruses. This show is a gem of its time and is worth a watch if only just to listen to the intro.
5. Masked Rider
First, all hail Ferbus. with that out of the way, I can say that this show was not good, but it was funny to an extent. In this show, Saban tried to make an American version of Kamen Rider Rx. It didn't turn out so well, leading many Toku fans to dislike and often joke about the series that was supposed to be an American Kamen Rider. It did give us the Ferbus meme, so for that I am thankful.
To conclude this list, I would like to say I'm thankful that "Power Rangers" took off. Without it we would most likely wouldn't have any successful Tokusatsu shows in America. I would also like to give credit to the shows mentioned on this list, because even though they didn't take off (like "Power Rangers") they all still tried and brought something new to the table. In the end, these shows may not be great, but they're still worth a watch if you want to see America's spin on Tokusatsu.
