Saturday, June 5, 2010

Tokusatsu or The Return of Kamen Rider Cider

The Kamen Rider series of ciders taps the nostalgia of retro pop culture alongside the recent resurrection in popularity of Japanese cider that presents an 'old hometown' taste. Cider, in this context, refers to a clear Japanese carbonated soft drink created in the late 1800's with a tart citrus flavor. I spotted my first can back in March and recently on a late night coin-based-convenience binge decided to get another. Tokusatsu, literally special effects, is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of people in rubber monster costumes. The most popular types of tokusatsu are kaiju monster movies like Godzilla, superhero TV serials like Kamen Rider and Metal Hero Series like Himitsu Sentai Goranger (Power Rangers). Tokusatsu remains a popular form of entertainment in Japan inspiring a rabid fan-base that, alongside anime, has spawned all manner of toys, collectibles, fans and cosplay. The cider itself is quite tasty and refreshing, but sadly it is non-alcoholic, it can be a bit heavy on the sugar - one can really satisfies the sweet-tooth.

3 comments:

  1. did you see the ultraman cola? I think I saw three different types of these drinks in a vending machine.

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  2. It's funny I walk past those vending machine everyday and it was not until I read your comment that I bothered to go out and read the can - I previously thought they were all the same. I will try the ultraman cider or cola in the near future. Thanks!

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