[Daikaijuman54]

Well, you read the title, let's gush!

My first gateway to Tokusatsu growing up, was Godzilla, which will always hold a special place in my heart. I loved seeing those suits wreck miniature cities and fight each other, but there was more than just me being a weird child who enjoyed destruction. There was the effort, the wonder, and spectacle put into these movies, the care put into the miniatures to make it look real. The music, the special effects, and when I learned more, the stuff the actors went through to bring us this. Whether they went with stop motion or this, I wouldn't have cared, it was something that never ceases to amaze me.

When I began my trek into more things like Godzilla, I found Ultraman, and was instantly won over. I did watch Power Ranger in my childhood, though I couldn't tell you which one since it's been so long. The best I could tell you was that it was likely one of the Disney produced seasons.

Anyway, back on track, the more Ultraman shows I watched, I always found it hard to dislike anything in the shows, as I was so absorbed in the wonder it presented, and seeing the newer shows where they were shorter and more accessible, they still made something I would remember fondly. Though my first completed Showa series was not the Original Ultraman (I did eventually own it and watched it, and loved it), it was actually Leo. When I initially watched these shows on Crunchyroll, I watched the New Generation shows and one Showa show simultaneously, it was something special to see how far these shows have come, and it was all worth it. No matter what they bring out, I always look forward and enjoy each new season.

Kamen Rider was more enigmatic to me. I had heard of it, been curious about it, saw some of the openings, where I saw the original opening, then whoever caught my eye, and that was Wizard. Though I never found episodes for any Kamen Rider season, I eventually saw Build get revealed, and I was absolutely won over by his suit, that I went to find a site to watch these shows at last. I found the first episode of the original, then half of Amazon, and eventually Decade became my first completed Rider season, movies included.

Which brings me to where I am now, I could talk more about my journey through Tokusatsu, but I should probably stop right now. But I'll leave off with this: Even if we're going into a time where CGI is taking over, practical effects will always have a timeless, almost magical charm to it, and I will never get tired of it.