Japanese TV shows that inspired 'Power Rangers' are coming to YouTube

Many millennials grew up watching Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers and the similar shows that followed in its popularity, but they most likely have never seen the source material from Japan that was used to create the action-heavy battle scenes. TOEI -- the studio behind many of those shows -- wants to change that. The company will upload subtitled versions of classic special effects shows to its new YouTube channel, TOEI Tokusatsu World Official, starting on April 6th. The channel will feature tokusatsu -- sci-fi shows that rely on miniature models, special effects shots and over-the-top costumes -- that were adapted by western studios, such as Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and Space Cop Gavan, as well as other classics like National Kid and Combattler V.

TOEI will launch the first two episodes of each series on April 6th. After that, each day of the week will see the addition of new episodes for certain shows. The company made sure to include prime examples of tokusatsu from each decade, from the 1960s through the '90s. A few anime shows will also hit the channel, such as Toshi Daimos. TOEI says that not all of its uploads will be subtitled, but it will enable the option on YouTube that allows users to submit their own subtitle suggestions.

It's been an oddly good week for tokusatsu fans. Not only has TOEI announced its new YouTube channel, but Shout! Factory also launched its own tokusatsu channel on Pluto TV. The free, ad-supported channel will be home to the first US release of the original Kamen Rider, which was turned into the US show Masked Rider, as well as various iterations of Super Sentai, which were the foundation of the Power Rangers series. It's an ideal time to be able to watch all of these shows, since so many people are stuck at home. Fans of series from the '90s like Power Rangers and VR Troopers will likely get a kick out of seeing their origins. Whether they've aged well is another matter.