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YOTSUYA KAIDAN 四谷怪談 (1949) + NIJI OTOKO (THE RAINBOW MAN) 虹男 (1949)
YOTSUYA KAIDAN This is one of several film versions of Tsuruya Nanboku IV’s story, Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan. Nanboku wrote this tale...
KAMEN RIDER BLACK 25TH ANNIVERSARY
1987 was a special year for Japan’s Toei Company. The anime and tokusatsu giant had several defining television programs that year. The...
GOKETSU JIRAIYA
GOKETSU JIRAIYA 豪傑児雷也 (Jiraiya the Hero)(1921) This classic silent film is one of several versions of the legendary ninja folk hero, J...
SHONEN SARUTOBI SASUKE
Toei Doga’s 1959 theatrical film SHONEN SARUTOBI SASUKE 少年猿飛佐助 (SASUKE, THE YOUNG SARUTOBI)(MAGIC BOY), was the company’s second animated fe...
G-FEST IN CHICAGO TODAY
G-Fest was a blast today. My son Christian who is now 8 years old, was a maniac. It's funny how he's not really a Godzilla fan, but his…
UCHUJIN TOKYO NI ARAWARU: WARNING FROM SPACE
Daiei’s 1956 feature UCHUJIN TOKYO NI ARAWARU 宇宙人東京に現わる(SPACEMEN APPEAR IN TOKYO)(WARNING FROM SPACE, MYSTERIOUS SATTLELITE) was Japan’s fir...
MONOCHROME ANIME: AKANE-CHAN
Toei-Doga’s 1968, 26 episode, black and white, anime TV series AKANE-CHAN あかねちゃん (LITTLE AKANE) was one of the first programs just for girls...
Little Miss Akane, Tomorrow's Joe, Candy Candy (Movie), Candy Candy
SUPER GIANT
Shintoho’s SUPER GIANT (スーパージャイアンツ) (Starman) became Japan’s very first movie hero. With the success of the 1957 release of SUPER GIANT-KOTE...
GULLIVER NO UCHU RYOKO
In 1965 Toei Doga decided to do a new 80 minute animated sci-fi feature loosely based on Jonathan Swift’s GULLIVER’s TRAVEL’S titled GULLIVE...
SHONEN JET
Daiei-TV produced it’s first tokusatsu program SHONEN JET 少年ジェット (JET BOY) in 1959. Shonen Jet originally appeared in Bokura Magazine in man...
HAKUJADEN
1958 was a very important year in anime history. Animation studio Toei Doga released Japan’s very first color anime theatrical feature HAKU...
GEKKO KAMEN
In 1958 Senkosha Productions released Japan’s first TV super hero series, GEKKO KAMEN 月光仮面 (MOONLIGHT MASK). Created by Kohan Kawauchi (RAIN...
PRINCE PLANET: YUSEI SHONEN PAPII CANDY TOYS AND MORE
The 1965 classic anime, Yusei Shonen Papii 遊星少年パピイ (Planet Boy Papii) is the staple of my childhood memories known as none other than Prince...
OGON BAT
Originally appearing in pulp novels and kamishibai (storytelling using pictures on illustration boards) in the early 30’s, OGON BAT [黄金バット] ...
AMERICAN AND BRITISH SCI-FI THROUGH THE EYES AND EARS OF JAPAN.
One thing I've always dug over the years, was the Japanese versions of records (sonosheet) and models of American and British sci-fi. The co...
KAITEI SANMAN MILE: 30,000 MILES UNDER THE SEA
With the Kaiju-Boom (ULTRAMAN, GODZILLA) in full swing, it made sense to add giant monsters to animated features too. Toei Doga’s 1970 featu...
THE INVISIBLE MAN APPEARS/THE INVISIBLE MAN AND THE FLY MAN
Gamera is probably the second most popular monster from Japan. Aside from creating this iconic kaiju series beginning in 1965, Daiei Motion ...
MONOCHROME ANIME: MAHOTSUKAI SALLY
Manga artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama (GIGANTOR, JOHNNY SOKKO) was not just known for his boy’s comics. One of his most famous manga stories, was ...
IGA NO KAGEMARU
Manga artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama is best known for being the creator of TETSUJIN 28 (GIGANTOR). Familiar to fans for being the pioneer of the...
MONOCHROME ANIME: UCHU PATROL HOPPER
Toei Doga's 1965 space adventure UCHU PATROL HOPPER (Space Patrol Hopper) blends the hero elements of ASTRO BOY and sci-fi wonder. This 44 e...
CAPTAIN ULTRA
Toei’s 1967 Uchu Tokusatsu Series: CAPTAIN ULTRA, brought fans the excitement of FLASH GORDON crossed with the current kaiju boom of the 60’...
SORA TOBU YUREISEN: THE FLYING GHOST SHIP
Toei Doga’s 1969 “Manga Matsuri” featured one of the most cutting edge theatrical anime features to date. SORA TOBU YUREISEN (THE FLYING GHO...
GROWING UP A CHICAGO MONSTER KID: GODZILLA 1985
As many people know, GODZILLA: FINAL WARS (2004) will be the last Big “G” film for quite a while. When Toho finally revives everyone’s favor...
MONOCHROME ANIME: SHONEN NINJA KAZE FUJI-MARU
When it comes to manga based on ninjas, there is nobody more famous than Sanpei Shirato. Born in 1935, Sanpei Shurato set the standard for u...
KOUSOKU ESPER
Japanese electronics giant Toshiba, is the result of two major companies merging in 1939. The first was Tanaka Seizosho who manufactured tel...