Torashi (franchise)

The Torashi (トラシ) franchise is a Yamataian media franchise created and owned by Gojūnotō (五重塔), centred on the fictional character Torashi. It is one of the longest-running film franchises in the world, having been in ongoing production from 1954, with several hiatuses of varying lengths. The film franchise consists of 36 films; 32 produced by Gojunoto and four produced in Gyunghwa, where the films are extremely popular.

The first film, Torashi, was directed by Onda Ichiro and released by Gojunoto in 1954. It became an influential classic of the genre. It featured political and social undertones relevant to Yamatai at the time. The original introduced an acclaimed music score by Ifukube Akira, reused in many later films. The 1954 film and its special effects director Tsuburaya Eiji are largely credited for establishing the template for tokusatsu, a technique of practical special effects filmmaking that would become essential in Yamatai's film industry. For its Gyunghwan release, the film was localized in 1956 as Toraji, King of the Monsters!. It featured new footage with Kim Sang-ok edited together with the original Yamataian footage.

The popularity of the films has led to the franchise expanding to other media, such as television, music, literature and video games. Torashi has become one of the most recognizable symbols in Yamataian pop culture worldwide and remains a well-known facet of Yamataian films and was one of the first examples of the popular kaiju and tokusatsu subgenres in Yamataian entertainment.

The tone and themes vary per film. Several of the films have political themes, others have dark tones, complex internal mythology, or are simple action movies featuring aliens or other monsters, while others have simpler themes accessible to children. Torashi's role varies from purely a destructive force to an ally of humans, or a protector of Yamataian values, or a hero to children.

History
Torashi's name is a portmanteau of the Yashiman words for "east" (tou) and "storm" (arashi), intended to imply that he is a dangerous force of nature arriving from the east. Torashi was originally a representation of the threat posed to Yamatai by Arshavat, East Kuiju, Liang, and other collectivist states. This is why Torashi is often depicted as having caused major destruction in Chisei before heading to Yamatai, and is often portrayed as having hatched from an underground cavern in Kuiju. It has become something of a stereotype and running joke that Torashi's favourite cities to attack are Wanshu and Niihama, even though he has only been depicted attacking Wanshu in three films.