[Shin Densetsu]

The Asahi Shimbun has posted a a series of articles which focuses on none other than Tokusatsu! While the title of the series is "Where are Ultraman and Godzilla?", the 2nd article(posted today) is actually about how Tokusatsu toys ensure a steady stream of revenue for their respective series. Toy sales are a vital reason for the Tokusatsu genre to have lasted for 45 years:

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Explaining the company's 45-year history in the genre, Toei's senior managing director, Takeyuki Suzuki, said: "It's because we have a business model in which royalties from toy sales are plowed back into production funds.

For example, a toy belt modeled after the one worn by Kamen Rider Fourze, which the protagonist uses to transform himself into a masked crusader, is a hot-selling item. Priced at 6,825 yen ($87), sales are expected to reach 800,000 units.

And then there are all sorts of "Astroswitch" gadgets that can be inserted into the belt. Sales of these products have already topped 30 million units.

Each year, the market is flooded with 6,000 related items--books, fashion accessories and so on--aimed at children.

Interestingly enough, the article also states that Toei spends about 7 months(or more) to develop character settings and designs for the action hero. In addition, a new robot is introduced in 3 month intervals after the show airs.

Also mentioned is the fact that Toei wanted Heisei rider series to have riders that "looked cooler than the fathers of the children who watch the shows". It's not just dads that Toei is targeting as moms come into play too:

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The company also realized it would have more luck promoting the toys if the shows drew good viewer ratings from the children's mothers. After all, it is the mothers who hold the purse strings.

Who would've thought?

It also turns out that tokusatsu series and films are Toei's mainstay revenue source:

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The bottom line is all about whether the profits from toy sales and other merchandise can cover pricey the production costs for tokusatsu special effects, such as miniature sets and costumes.

Speaking of miniature sets/props, they do contribute a special "something" to Toku series:

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"To be honest, it is a bit of a luxury being able to create miniature sets and props because it requires so many staff members and hours and hours to shoot scenes," Suzuki said. "But creating scenes that appear to really exist is what gives tokusatsu that special something. And that is very important."

Tokusatsu director Hiroshi Butsuda put it this way: "Think of when children are having fun crashing toy blocks. I think scenes where miniature towns are destroyed will always attract people."

From crashing toy blocks as a child, to crushing miniature sets and props on the set of any given Toku series, the circle of life is renewed so to speak!