I'm a big fan of Tokusatsu. If you don't know what that is, think "Power Rangers" and Godzilla. That's essentially what it is. Tokusatsu is a Japanese term, which roughly means "special effects". In the popular consciousness, it means seemingly low-budget TV shows involving transforming superheroes, men in rubber suits and general cheesiness. Of course, that's not to say Tokusatsu doesn't have its charms. A lot of fans like Tokusatsu for that very reason.
Famous Tokusatsu shows include "Kamen Rider", "Super Sentai" (translated in the west as "Power Rangers"), "Ultraman" and the "Metal Heroes" series, which became "Beetleborgs" in the States. And of course, everyone knows Godzilla. In Japan, the term Tokusatsu extends to shows like "Doctor Who" for their use of special effects. Watching the old "Doctor Who" it certainly gives that impression.
I'm saying this because I wish to introduce my own contributions to the Toku genre, which I call Galactic Knight Hyperman. This particular piece has a heck of an influence from the likes of "Star Wars", "Outlaw Star", "Cowboy Bebop" and other Space Operas. That's because it is one. Should I become an author, this is a piece I would like to submit to publishing companies. Consider this a proposal, if you will.
Set 500 years in the future, "Hyperman" starts on the colony planet "New Earth 2", or NE-2. Humans have branched out into the stars, thanks to First Contact happening some time in the 21st century and humans are given the technology to travel long distances in space. NE-2 is called so because it has a similar atmosphere, physical makeup, day & calendar length and location in its respective solar system to Earth.
NE-2 is part of what is known as the Terran Alliance, which is what the title says; it is an alliance made up of planets inhabited by Terran humans. NE-2 was settle by American, British, Japanese and German colonists, so the culture and language is derived from these cultures. Of course, there is interplanetary travel, so they're not the only ones. Unfortunately, NE-2 is not very prosperous. It's mostly working-class.
It's on this world that Tom Sauer is born. Yes, he is named after Tom Sawyer. A university student in the city of New Chicago, Tom is desperate to get off the planet. Unfortunately, he's stuck and it's most likely he'll never get off. His friends, Becky Thatcher and Huck Finn, try to keep him grounded.
Things change when Tom finds a box in a pawn shop and accidentally puts his hand inside, which puts a device on his wrist. At first unaware of its use, he finds out quickly what kind of power it holds when he uses it to transform into a costumed superhero and refers to himself Galactic Knight Hyperman. And then he has to leave NE-2.
So now Tom gets to leave the planet! The bad news is that he's essentially forced to leave because the Hyperman suit is a coveted weapon in the Milky Way galaxy. Some bad people would love to get their hands on it, and so Tom has the double duty of protecting the weak all over the galaxy while trying to stay away from the forces that mean harm to him.
Other species in the "Hyperman" 'verse include Galactic humans--humans who were taken off of Earth before the rise of the Sumerians and their descendants who are now a major faction in the galaxy; the Quenya, essentially Tolkien's Elves IN SPACE! Except there's two factions of Quenya; the Paleo-Quenya--your typical arrogant, high Elves and the Neo-Quenya, who are more human in their demeanor. There are also the Grondians, a pretty bestial warrior species.
I hope to see "Hyperman" published one day. I'm not sure if it will, but I think that it can be a hit. It will be an examination of humanity's place in the galaxy, that we're not bad people, just misguided and need to find our way. I hope you liked this introduction into "Galactic Knight Hyperman". So long!
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