WHEN THERE IS LIGHT, SHADOWS LURK AND FEAR REIGNS. YET BY THE BLADE OF KNIGHTS, MANKIND IS GIVEN HOPE.

Whenever you hear or see tokusatsu, you might think that the genre is targeted towards kids.

However, that is not the case.

You have shows targeted older audiences like Kamen Rider Amazons, Akibaranger, even the early Kamen Rider shows like Kuuga contained scenes that were too graphic for children to watch on their own.

There's even Indie tokusatsu targeted towards the adults, like Gun Caliber and Strega.

But the Mature Tokusatsu that I'll be explaining here...

Is GARO.

Now many anime fans know GARO from the anime series, but the live-action Tokusatsu series,

aired in 2005. The anime series aired in 2014. Yeah. A 9 year gap.

GARO was created by Keita Amemiya, who was familar with Tokusatsu earlier. He was most famously known as the director of Kamen Rider ZO and J.

His directing might be the best; the choreography, ambience, and interaction with actors felt great!

With GARO being targeted towards mature audiences, the studio had more freedom and creativity on what to put in GARO; ...including boobs. Yeah, every male would want that. Besides that, writers can create many elements that wouldn't be in a usual toku show for kids, like murder, blood, gore, a weird fish guy that was being raised in a fish tank in a basement. Yeah... Horror designs can be beautiful to outright hideous.

So here's the plot for the first GARO show (in my own words and wikipedia):

Kouga Saejima, assuming the title of the Makai Knight, protects humanity from evil beings known as Horrors. He encounters a young woman named Kaoru, who accidentally comes in contact with horror blood. Anyone who is stained Horror blood must be killed or else they will die in 100 days. Kouga decides to not kill her and instead finds a way to purify her before time expires.

Simple plot. It's really consistent as well. There is one filler episode, but it's a good filler because GARO ~Savior in the Dark~ is played at the end (and becomes the opening theme for the second half of episodes). Savior in the Dark is sang by JAM Project, which includes Hironobu Kageyama, famously known as the singer for Cha La Head Cha La.

https://youtu.be/OT7Oi2fyFow

What a great theme.

https://youtu.be/naEeu44RmKg

There's the also the first opening; Theme of GARO.

You know, I was confused and intrigued in the opening. For starters, the visuals are really stunning. The golden armor starts to form as well. There isn't any lyrics at all.

https://youtu.be/5C08AhXvUgQ

The second opening does the same visual formula, but adds more Garo and Zero in it.

Now here's the continuity order if you're planning on watching the Garo series in Chronologically order:

Now there are many spinoffs to the Garo franchise, so I'm gonna label the series.

Main Garo Timeline:

1. GARO (2005) [The only way to know if you're watching the original are the openings. The first episode should greet you with multiple hands or something.]

2. GARO Special: Beast of the Demon Night

3. GARO: Red Requiem

4. GARO: Makai Senki (You can either skip the special and Red Requiem or watch both of them. To me they didn't matter.)

5. GARO: Soukoku no Maryu (Demon Dragon of the Blue Skies; Serves as the epilogue to Makai Senki)

6. GARO: Makai no Hana

7. GARO: Moonbow Traveler

Yami o Terasu Mono Timeline:

This timeline takes place after the main Garo series, but in a different universe.

1. Garo: Yami o Terasu Mono

2. Garo: Gold Storm Sho (Watch both the film and TV series; the TV version is a follow up to the movie.)

3. Garo: Kami no Kiba

Zero Series:

A spinoff series featuring Makai Knight Zero as the main star of the show.

1. Zero: Black Blood

2. Zero: Dragon Blood

Spinoffs (misc.):

All the miscellaneous ones.

Garo Gaiden: Tougen no Fue

Bikuu

Garo: Makai Retsuden

Garo: Ashura

Kami no Kiba: Jinga

Anime Series Timeline:

Now this is a special one. An anime adaptation of GARO aired in October 2014 and was liked by anime fans and fans who knew about GARO.

Since the anime follows a timeline that is unrelated to the main Garo timeline, you can interchangeably watch both versions.

1. Garo: Honoo no Kokuin (Carved Seal of Flames)

2. Garo: Divine Flame (Film sequel to Honoo no Kokuin)

3. Garo: Crimson Moon

4. Garo: The Fleeting Cherry Blossom (film sequel to Crimson Moon)

5. Vanishing Line

So, swing that sword above you and let that golden armor form around your body as you begin to slay some Horrors!

...just be careful if you're too young to watch Garo. It might scare you.