Garage Hero (ガレージヒーロー) is an independent film group, based in Tokyo, Japan that specializes in the production of low-budget tokusatsu, Jidaigeki, comedies, and dramas. They're known as the only group of foreigners in Japan ever to produce and market their own tokusatsu, usually aimed at a more older audience due to content depicting scenes of graphic violence, mature situations, and adult humor.
Because of their budget limitations, as well as Tokyo's strict regulations on film locations, they're usually forced to shoot in a "guerrilla" or "run-and-gun" style of film making, made famous by film director Robert Rodriguez. It is over the years of learning their way around the system that the crew of Garage Hero have become able to film in Tokyo more freely than even the biggest of Hollywood productions.
History[]
Garage Hero was founded in 2010 by Bueno, a Filipino Canadian living in Tokyo. While Bueno was an avid fan of Kamen Rider, he wasn't keen on the new direction the series was taking and decided to make his own tokusatsu, which would combine his piety for Heisei Kamen Rider, Hong Kong Action Films, and Bueno's favorite comedian, Ken Shimura . The result was Garage Hero's first film: Gun Caliber. The boys of Garage Hero also share their techniques of tokusatsu film making through their online tutorial web-series, Tokusatsu Film School. To this day, the group continues to make their own productions in Tokyo and sell them abroad.
Filmography[]
Gun Caliber (2010) - Film/Web-series
Tetsudon: Fools Japan, The ABCs of Tetsudon, Asakusa (2014) - Short film
Ayakashi Zamurai (2016) - Web-series (produced in co-operation with Toei and YouTube Tokyo)
Inzector Alpha (2016) - Web short
Suzaku (2017) - Web short
Red Sun (2017) - Web short
Futureman NEXT (2017) - Web short
Nevalion (2017) - Web short
Tokusatsu Film School (2017 - Ongoing) - Tutorial web series
Tetsudon: The Kaiju Dream Match, John and Ravolta (2017) - Short film
Strega (2019) - Film
The Temp Angel (2020) - Short Film starring Seiji Takaiwa
The Temp Angel 2 (2021) - Short Film
Houhou Shinken Widenger (2021) - Web series starring the members of Widen TAW, Seiji Takaiwa's action team.
The Temp Angel 3 (2022) - Short Film
Kung-Fu Delusion: Dino Mission (2022) - Short Film
The Temp Angel 4 (2023) - Short Film
Memorizer (2023) - Short Film
Gram Masalar: Stranger (2025) - Film
Members[]
Bueno - Founding member, actor, director, action director, VFX, editor, suit fabrication/sculpting/mold making, executive producer.
Fernando Ramos - Founding member, director, cameraman, 1st AD, translator, producer
Daryl Delosreyes - Founding member, AD
Joey Min - Founding member, action choreographer, stunt work, cameraman
Michael Anthony Kinder - Founding member, actor, stunts
Kouji Makita - Founding member, 2nd AD, driver
Raymond Allen Arcega - Cameraman
Daisuke Komatsu - Suit fabrication/sculpting/mold making/miniatures
Hiroyuki Taniguchi - Action coordinator, stunts, actor
Keisaku Kimura - Actor, acting coach
Joel Diaz - Narrator/voice actor, SNS manager
Gideon J Goh - Designs/illustrator
Past Members[]
Mike Dent - Founding member, VFX
Sean Nicol - Founding member, actor, production assistant
MB McClain - Production assistant
Max Ellis - Cameraman
Ryo Kumaou - Actor, writer, 1st AD
External Links[]
- Garage Hero Official Website
- Garage Hero YT - Garage Hero's YouTube channel
- Garage Hero Linktree