Henshin

Henshin (変身) is the Japanese phrase for "transformation." It is also a popular superhero genre prevalent in Japanese media, in both tokusatsu and anime.

In tokusatsu (special effects television programs)
In television, a henshin hero is a superhero with special powers used to fight evil and/or corruption. Most are produced by Toei Company Ltd.. The genre was created by the success of 1971's Japanese superhero Kamen Rider (Masked Rider) program in which the hero would strike a certain pose and shout a certain phrase -- usually "Henshin", Japanese for "transform". Many sequels and imitations followed, featuring heroes with trademark poses and catchphrases used before the hero would transform or attack. Some were created by Kamen Rider's creator Shotaro Ishinomori, such as Android Kikaider, Inazuman and Himitsu Sentai Goranger, the first of the "Sentai" Series. A (Super) Sentai is a superhero team of typically five members, sometimes with a mixed gender lineup.

Not all "henshin"-style superheros are produced by Toei. Some other "henshin"-style superheroes produced by other companies are Toho's Rainbowman, Viewtiful Joe, Meteor Man Zone and the more recent Sei Shin.

In much of Henshin drama, there is a group or syndicate of villains that create and send out monsters to fight the protagonists. The identity of the villains is sometimes known by the fighters, may be demons from another plane, or may even be total strangers to the protagonists.

Much henshin programming involves a transformation sequence, and among American otaku the terms are synonymous. This is a very special sequence in which the hero strikes a pose or series of poses and/or says a transformation word. Kamen Rider, for example, just says "henshin" while Viewtiful Joe says "Henshin a go-go, baby!", as well as "Henshin around!" in the first Viewtiful Joe game. This pose and recitation comes about mid-episode, and is crucial to the destruction of the monster. A special attack is commonly used. Sometimes the hero fights the enemy without transforming and transforms when he or she realizes the need for the super powers.

In anime and manga
In anime, henshin are often depicted with lavish (but ultimately money-saving) stock footage and lots of special effects. Usually the sequence is identical and is repeated every episode. Cutey Honey is thought to have established the infamous naked henshin sequence often depicted with magical girls, in particular. The 'naughty' tongue-in-cheek sexual humour of Cutey Honey is underlined by her use of the word 'kawaru wa yo' in place of the usual Henshin-formula.

Popular henshin manga include The Guyver which has seen life as two anime series and several live-action movies. Both manga and anime versions of the Kikaider series have also been created. Kamen Rider has seen various manga incarnations too.

Magical Girl manga, such as Sailor Moon and Tokyo Mew Mew, are related to the henshin genre, but adapted for female audiences.

In 2005, the first and only henshin hero webmanga known to exist, Deathfist Ninja GKaiser, was released after having failed its run as a print comic..

Western Adaptations of the Genre
Starting in the early 90s, Power Rangers became the American-ized adaptation of the Super Sentai series, produced by Saban. Due to the popularity of Power Rangers, Americanized versions of Ultraman and Masked Rider soon followed.

Of the many the Saban henshin series released in the US, VR Troopers is notable as having been created by combining old footage of 3 different "Metal Heroes" series : Super Machine Man Metalder, Dimensional Warrior Spielban, and ''Space Sheriff Shaider with new footage of American actors. After VR Troopers failed to catch on, Big Bad Beetleborgs was released that also used Metal Heroes footage, and it proved more succesful.

The Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog is notable as the only Saban henshin series based on original material created specifically for an American audience; however, it failed to catch on and was canceled in its first season.

An American version of The Guyver was also produced in the form of two live-action B-movies which saw modest home-video success, and are considered cult films.

Trivia

 * The video game Viewtiful Joe, released by Capcom in 2003, is a tribute to (and parody of) the genre.


 * Although some speculate that the "Henshin pose" originates from kabuki or cheerleading, the original inspiration is unclear.


 * Alternatives to "Henshin" include "Souchaku" (meaning equip) and "Chenji" (an Engrish pronunciation of change). "Henshin" is usually associated with Kamen Rider, while "Souchaku" is associated with the recent Chouseishin Series.