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Tokusatsu

A Guide to Kaiju, Sentai, and Japanese Special Effects from Their Origins to the Present Day
By Marvin Ringard
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Brief Description
Explore the rich, decades-long history of all your favourite kaiju, super sentai, and more in this illustrated guide to the technical innovations, iconic aesthetics, and pop culture legacy of tokusatsu! Tokusatsu (which translates literally as “special filming”) is one of Japan’s most beloved art forms. From... Read More
Format: Hardback
$7999
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Explore the rich, decades-long history of all your favorite kaiju, super sentai, and more in this illustrated guide to the technical innovations, iconic aesthetics, and pop culture legacy of tokusatsu!

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Explore the rich, decades-long history of all your favourite kaiju, super sentai, and more in this illustrated guide to the technical innovations, iconic aesthetics, and pop culture legacy of tokusatsu!

Tokusatsu (which translates literally as “special filming”) is one of Japan’s most beloved art forms. From kaiju such as Godzilla and Mothra to super sentai including the Power Rangers and Ultraman, tokusatsu has brought countless fan-favourite characters to life with its distinctive and groundbreaking special effects.

Tokusatsu celebrates the medium’s long and colourful history with lavish illustrations showcasing the eye-catching visuals of the genre—from terrifying monsters to giant robots and Lycra-clad superheroes. It examines the interplay of evolving technologies and Japanese culture from the 1950s to today, and there are biographies of legendary, genre-defining directors including Eiji Tsuburaya, Sonny Chiba, and Tohl Narita.

Written by a passionate expert, this panoramic celebration has something special to offer die-hard tokusatsu fans, film and pop culture buffs, and the newly curious alike.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9798337401225

Publisher: Insight Editions

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 21 October 2025

Country: United States

Imprint: Insight Editions

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Romain Taszek

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 241.0mm

Height: 267.0mm

Weight: 1449g

Pages: 208

Collections

Arts & Culture Education & Reference Marvin Ringard Non-Fiction

About the Author

Marvin Ringard is passionate about tokusatsu and is a leading expert on the subject who has made it his mission to popularize the genre. This is his first book. 

Romain Taszek has worked on a variety of titles, mainly for children. His rich, colourful illustrative style lends itself particularly well to the representation of Japanese folklore and fantasy. His other titles include: 

• Abzu and Dagan: A choose-your-own adventure story set in Mesopotamia. The reader has to solve the book’s riddles to discover the treasure. 

• Night of the Yokai: Spend the night in a temple full of ghosts and use the magic glasses to discover the spectres hidden within the pages. 

• Lost in the Jungle: Two explorers’ destinies cross in the heart of the jungle. 

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