This is part 1 of the 5 part series of "So You Want to Be a Japanese Superhero". For the other sections, please check them out here:

• Part 2 - Choose a Clever Motif

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The world is in danger, young grasshopper. It's hard for you to stand still while all sorts of kaijin, -monsters- run rampant in your neighborhood. Something needs to be done! The people cry for a hero, and you feel it's your responsibility to answer that call.

"But where can I possibly start, Raymaru?!" you wonder to yourself.

Look no further. I, Raymaru of the Green Tea Galaxy Defenders, have been overseeing the work and merits of countless heroes for generations.

And by overseeing work, I mean experience of watching superhero TV-shows and movies. So trust these tips I am about to give you.

Now, you say you don't want to be just any spandex-wearing, big-chin having, muscle-flexing, caped crusader? Since you might feel uncomfortable walking in public with your underpants on the outside, then that means you want to be a hero in the Japanese style. Not a problem; Japanese heroes are the most effective when fighting kaijin.

So, in this series of 5 articles, I will prepare you for your journey to becoming a superhero in The Land of the Rising Sun. We will bring this adventure into the unknown with step number 1: the henshin!

1. Be Ready to Henshin

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The first step to becoming a Japanese hero is to select an outfit you can change into. Unlike some superheroes, you can't just walk around in street clothes. Those street clothes do nothing when fighting against the savageness of the monstrous kaijin. You will need armor.

That's right, you will need armor. No, not to protect you. Think out of the box. Armor has one purpose and one purpose only: it makes you look so bad ass that those monsters won't be sure whether they pick a fight with you or not. Take a look at the armor these guys chose to sport.

Pretty darn cool, huh? But, you can't tailor-make that kind of armor like Spider-Man did. And you can't find them in Halloween costume stores. In order to attain the power of these suits, you need to henshin. Henshin is made up of the characters: 変(hen/change) and 身(shin/body). I hope you remember Zordon's five teenagers with attitude, because those silly Power Rangers were trying to find the best translation for the word whenever they shouted "It's morphin' time!"

So where can you find a device that lets you henshin? Well, these devices take shape in a variety of ways. Some people use cards; some use accessories like bracelets and eyeglasses; and some even use cell phones. However, a very popular device used among heroes is the belt; plugging in the necessary add-ons, coins, cards, and what have you.

The one thing you would need to know about before even attempting to henshin is your magic word, or in some cases words. You just can't think "I want to change" and then *BOOM* successfully pull off a henshin. You need to let everyone, from your enemy, your friends, your henshin device, your mom, your dad, your dog, and every person about 2 miles away that you are going to change and things are about to get serious.

So what do you shout out?

Well, in the past, a lot of people have chosen just to shout out "Henshin!" while striking a pose.

However, a lot of heroes like to show some variety. Let's look at what veteran heroes have done. The big men of the Ultra family love to shout their own name. Each group of the Sentai variety has their own henshin phrase, ranging from "Start Up!" to "Beast On!" The too-cool-for-school Makai Knights don't say anything, and just swing their swords, summoning their armor through the tear in space they create. Are you still lost? Why not something like "STRONGER GET!"

Hey, it's Japan. It's OK to make silly English mistakes like that.

So now that you've found a way to henshin, you're on your way to becoming a real superhero.

However, a little word of advice to you, and I hope it won't be too much of a spoiler. Being able to henshin involves more than just being able to change from Joe Schmoe to Iron Destroyer. Just like you see in role playing games, with enough experience you can level up! That's right, with enough battle experience, and finding the key items to let you do so, you can change from Iron Destroyer to Iron Destroyer Level 2. Those good guys looking for Dragon Balls weren't just boring you to death with their hundreds of transformations and power-ups. They were educating the new age of superheroes.

However, why stop at just one level-up formation? It's important to have a 'form' for every situation. Take the legendary warrior Kamen Rider Kuuga, aka the man of 2,000 skills. He not only has his default form. He also has been able to upgrade into a variety of forms, including one which is useful against fast foes, one that's useful against foes that are hard to detect, and even one for foes with ridiculous amounts of strength and defense. It's best to be prepared for every situation. If you buff yourself up for only one situation, then you'll be opening up yourself to many weaknesses. It's like Pokemon.

So there you have it, the first step to becoming a full-fledged superhero. The last thing to mention on the topic of henshin is to make sure you develop your special pose. If your pose is memorable enough, who knows, you might build up a base of fans who copy you.

Next time, we'll cover what to do once you've unlocked your henshin. It will be useful information that will ultimately help you decide if looking like a bird or a gorilla is the right look for you.

Until next time, heroes.

For part 2, please click here.

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How to Henshin from the Masters Himself:

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