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The first episode of one of the most anticipated animes of Fall 2024, Dan Da Dan, has everything to be crowned as the premiere of the year and has surprised viewers with an excitingly weird premise based on the unusual coexistence between two paranormal phenomena, ghosts, and aliens. While episode 1 introduces two antagonists from the start, the inspiration behind Dan Da Dan's most disturbing villains shows that the anime not only stands out as the perfect option for fans of shnen with romantic comedies and paranormal series, but also for tokusatsu lovers.

Tokusatsu is a genre that has conquered Japan and Western fans by inspiring some of the biggest franchises of all time, like the MonsterVerse and the Power Rangers. Both franchises feature alien races in their plots, demonstrating the influence of these creatures on the genre. However, the Ultra series is the one that has developed the most imaginative creatures from outer space,...

The Japanese entertainment industry has lost a truly marvelous talent. On January 15th, 2023, versatile character actor Noboru Mitani passed away at the age of 90. On the website Yahoo! Japan, Kyodo News reports the cause of death being “due to acute exacerbation of chronic heart failure”( Kyodo News 1). Mitani worked with an array of filmmakers, frequently appearing in the works of Kinji Fukasaku and Juzo Itami. He was also quite active in television and theatre. Tokusatsu fans may recognize him for his appearances in “Return of Ultraman,” “Ultraman Taro,” and “Space Sheriff Gavan,” while anime enthusiasts may remember him for voice acting in the series “Princess Tutu.” His wide range, colorful personality, and how real he could make his characters feel made him stand out as an actor. He also was often able to convey so much through his facial expressions alone, even in moments without dialogue.

Noboru Mitani and Hiroyuki Kawase...