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Japanese tokusatsu television series (1978-79) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spider-Man (Japanese: スパイダーマン, Hepburn: Supaidāman), also referred to as Japanese Spider-Man or Toei Spider-Man, is a Japanese live-action tokusatsu superhero television series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name through a contract negotiated by producer Gene Pelc.[1][2][3] The series aired for 41 episodes on Tokyo Channel 12 from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979. A theatrical episode aired at the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. From March 5 to December 24, 2009, Marvel uploaded English subtitled versions of the episodes to their website.[4]
| Spider-Man | |
|---|---|
Series logo | |
| Genre | Superhero |
| Created by | Toei Company Marvel Comics |
| Based on | |
| Written by | Shozo Uehara Susumu Takaku |
| Directed by | Koichi Takemoto |
| Starring | Shinji Tōdō Rika Miura Mitsuo Andō Yukie Kagawa Izumi Ōyama Yoshiharu Yabuki |
| Narrated by | Tōru Ōhira |
| Opening theme | "Kakero! Spider-Man" by Yuki Hide |
| Ending theme | "Chikai no Ballad" by Yuki Hide |
| Composer | Michiaki Watanabe |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| No. of episodes | 41 (+ 1 film) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 minutes |
| Production companies | Toei Company Toei Advertising Tokyo Channel 12 |
| Original release | |
| Network | Tokyo Channel 12 |
| Release | May 17, 1978 – March 14, 1979 |
| Related | |
While Toei's version of the character, Takuya Yamashiro/Spider-Man (portrayed by Kōsuke Kayama (Shinji Tōdō)), wore the same costume as his Marvel Comics counterpart and had similar powers, the series' storyline and the origin of his powers differed from the source material. In addition to fighting, he piloted the giant mecha Leopardon, which he would summon to fight off enlarged versions of the show's monsters; the giant robot concept would later be used in Toei's Super Sentai franchise. Yamashiro later appeared in the comic storylines Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon.
Motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro witnesses a UFO fall to Earth, a space warship called the Marveller. Takuya's father Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro, a space archaeologist, investigates the case, but is killed upon finding the spaceship. The incident attracts the attention of Professor Monster and the evil Iron Cross Army (鉄十字団, Tetsu Jūji Dan), an alien group that seeks to rule the universe.
Takuya follows Hiroshi to the Marveller and discovers Garia, the last surviving warrior of Planet Spider, which was destroyed by Professor Monster and the Iron Cross Army, and was hunting Professor Monster. However, he needs someone to take up the fight and injects Takuya with some of his blood, giving him spider-like powers. He also gives him a bracelet that activates his spider protector costume, shoots web-lines, and controls the Marveller, which can also transform into the giant mecha Leopardon. Using his powers, Takuya fights Professor Monster and the Iron Cross Army as well as other threats to Earth under the name Spider-Man.
In the series, Spider-Man's civilian identity is 22-year-old motocross racer Takuya Yamashiro (山城 拓也, Yamashiro Takuya). He has the ability to sense threats from the Iron Cross Army with his spider-senses and fights them in order to avenge the death of his father Hiroshi. To hide his superhero identity, Takuya acts weak in front of his friends and is often made fun of for running away from danger and compared unfavorably to Spider-Man. As well, his financial income as a motorcycle racer decreases after becoming Spider-Man because he has less time to race, forcing him to help Hitomi with her job to make money.
Takuya assumes the identity of Spider-Man when he dons the protective suit called the Spider-Protector. He is genetically altered as a result of the Spider-Extract that Garia injected into his body, giving him enhanced physical strength and spider-like abilities, such as being able to stick to and climb up walls and sense the activities of nearby enemies with his Spider-Senses. However, he also has some weaknesses of spiders, such as sensitivity to cold temperatures.
Spider-Man keeps his true identity a secret from the public, though is well known as a defender of justice. Only Juzo Mamiya and the staff of the Interpol Secret Intelligence Division know of his true identity, beginning with the movie and episode 11, and aid him in stopping the schemes of the Iron Cross Army.
Spider-Man spends most of the series fighting off Ninders, the foot soldiers of the Iron Cross Army, as well as the Machine BEMs, which he usually cannot fight alone due to their ability to grow in size, forcing him to summon Leopardon to fight them.
When Spider-Man confronts an enemy, he introduces himself while striking a pose and a version of the show's theme song plays as he begins to fight. Due to budget issues, he rarely uses his web shooter to swing between buildings, instead using a car called the Spider Machine GP-7 and the Marveller for transportation. His web shooter shoots rope instead of webbing, which he attaches to surfaces to swing from.
Leopardon (レオパルドン, Reoparudon) is a giant robot that the Marveller can transform into. It is over 60 meters (200 ft) tall and weighs over 25,000 tons.
Only the first few episodes of the series featured actual fight scenes between Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMs. As the series progressed, it focused more on drama and fight scenes were shortened to keep up with the runtime, with some episodes not featuring Leopardon.
Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMS rarely appeared together in the same shots; most giant-sized battles involved Leopardon in one shot and the Machine BEM in another launching. This was because the large Leopardon model was often bigger than the stuntmen in the Machine BEM suits.[citation needed] Due to structural problems, the Leopardon suit was difficult for the stuntman to move in and, over the course of the series, was damaged and later lost.[citation needed] As a result, future fight scenes with Leopardon could only be done using stock footage from previous fights.[citation needed]
The Iron Cross Army (鉄十字団, Tetsu Jūji Dan) are the main villains of the series. They are an alien army that has destroyed numerous galaxies in their path of conquest.
| Ep# | Translated title/Dub title | Director | Writer | Japanese Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Time of Revenge Has Come! Beat Down Iron Cross Group!!" "Fukushū no Toki wa Kitareri! Ute Tetsu Jūji Dan!!" (復讐の時は来たれり! 撃て鉄十字団!!) | Kōichi Takemoto | Shōzō Uehara | May 17, 1978 |
| 2 | "Mysterious World! The Man Who Follows His Fate" "Kaiki no Sekai! Shukumei ni Ikiru Otoko" (怪奇の世界! 宿命に生きる男) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | May 24, 1978 |
| 3 | "Phantom Thief 001 VS. Spider-Man" "Kaitō Daburu-Ō Wan Tai Kumo-Otoko" (怪盗001vsくも男) | Katsuhiko Taguchi | Susumu Takaku | May 31, 1978 |
| 4 | "The Terrifying Half Merman! The Miracle-Calling Silver Thread" "Kyōfu no Hangyojin! Kiseki o Yobu Gin no Ito" (恐怖の半魚人! 奇蹟を呼ぶ銀の糸) | Katsuhiko Taguchi | Shōzō Uehara | June 7, 1978 |
| 5 | "Crash Machine GP-7! The Oath Siblings" "Gekitotsu Mashin Jī-Pī-Sebun! Kyōdai no Chikai" (激突マシンGP-7! 兄弟の誓い) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | June 14, 1978 |
| 6 | "Shuddering Laboratory! Devilish Professor Monster" "Senritsu no Jikkenshitsu! Akuma no Monsutā Kyōju" (戦慄の実験室! 悪魔のモンスター教授) | Kōichi Takemoto | Shōzō Uehara | June 21, 1978 |
| 7 | "Fearful Hit Tune! Song Dancing Murder Rock" "Osoroshiki Hitto-Kyoku! Utatte Odoru Satsujin Rokku" (恐ろしきヒット曲! 歌って踊る殺人ロック) | Katsuhiko Taguchi | Shōzō Uehara | June 28, 1978 |
| 8 | "A Very Mysterious Folktale: The Cursed Cat Mound" "Yo ni mo Fushigi na Mukashi-Banashi Noroi no Neko-Zuka" (世にも不思議な昔ばなし 呪いの猫塚) | Katsuhiko Taguchi | Susumu Takaku | July 5, 1978 |
| 9 | "Motion Accessory Is a Loveful Beetle Insect Spy" "Ugoku Akusesarī wa Koi no Kabutomushi Supai" (動くアクセサリーは恋のカブト虫スパイ) | Takaharu Saeki | Shōzō Uehara | July 12, 1978 |
| 10 | "To the Flaming Hell: See the Tears of the Snake Woman" "Honō Jigoku ni Hebi-Onna no Namida o Mita" (炎地獄にへび女の涙を見た) | Takaharu Saeki | Shōzō Uehara | July 19, 1978 |
| Movie | "Spider-Man" "Supaidāman" (スパイダーマン) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | July 22, 1978 |
| 11 | "Professor Monster's Ultra Poisoning" "Monsutā Kyōju no Urutora Dokusatsu" (モンスター教授のウルトラ毒殺) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | July 26, 1978 |
| 12 | "Becoming Splendid: To the Murderous Machine of Transformation" "Karei Naru Satsujin Mashīn e no Henshin" (華麗なる殺人マシーンへの変身) | Kōichi Takemoto | Shōzō Uehara | August 2, 1978 |
| 13 | "The Skull Group VS. The Devilish Hearse" "Dokuro Dan Tai Akuma no Reikyūsha" (ドクロ団対悪魔の霊柩車) | Kimio Hirayama | Susumu Takaku | August 9, 1978 |
| 14 | "Dedicate to My Father the Song of a Brave Man Who Cannot Fight" "Chichi ni Sasageyo Tatakaenu Yūsha no Uta o" (父に捧げよ 戦えぬ勇者の歌を) | Kimio Hirayama | Shōzō Uehara | August 16, 1978 |
| 15 | "The Promise of Our Lives" "Bokutachi no Inochi no Yakusoku" (ぼくたちの命の約束) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | August 23, 1978 |
| 16 | "Famous Dog, Run Back to Father!" "Meiken yo Chichi no Moto e Hashire" (名犬よ 父のもとへ走れ) | Kōichi Takemoto | Shōzō Uehara | August 30, 1978 |
| 17 | "Pro Wrestler Samson's Tears" "Puro Resurā Samuson no Namida" (プロレスラー サムソンの涙) | Takaharu Saeki | Susumu Takaku | September 6, 1978 |
| 18 | "In the Mother's Chest: Resurrect the Young Boys" "Haha no Mune ni Yomigaeru Shōnen" (母の胸に甦る少年) | Takaharu Saeki | Kuniaki Oshikawa | September 13, 1978 |
| 19 | "The Boy Phantom: To the Villageless Map" "Maboroshi no Shōnen Chizu ni Nai Mura" (まぼろしの少年 地図にない村) | Kōichi Takemoto | Shōzō Uehara | September 20, 1978 |
| 20 | "Riddle: Calling the Riddle of My Secret Birth" "Nazo ga Nazo o Yobu Watashi no Shuushō no Himitsu" (謎が謎を呼ぶ私の出生の秘密) | Kōichi Takemoto | Hirohisa Soda | September 27, 1978 |
| 21 | "Fall to the Great Skies: Father's Love" "Ōzora ni Chiru Chichi no Ai" (大空に散る父の愛) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | October 4, 1978 |
| 22 | "Shedding Tears to the Dark Fate: Father and Child" "Kurai Unmei ni Nake Chichi to Ko" (暗い運命に泣け 父と子) | Takaharu Saeki | Susumu Takaku | October 11, 1978 |
| 23 | "To the Love Academy of the Homeless Children" "Ie Naki Ko tachi ni Ai no Gakuen o" (家なき子たちに愛の学園を) | Takaharu Saeki | Hirohisa Soda | October 18, 1978 |
| 24 | "Cockroach Boy: Great War" "Gokiburi Shōnen Dai Sensō" (ゴキブリ少年大戦争) | Hideo Tanaka | Susumu Takaku | October 25, 1978 |
| 25 | "Treasure, Dog, and Double Grow Human" "Hihō to Inu to Fukusei-Ningen" (秘宝と犬と複成人間) | Hideo Tanaka | Mikio Matsushita | November 1, 1978 |
| 26 | "To the Absolute Crisis: The Imitation Hero" "Zettai Pinchi no Nisemono Hīrō" (絶対ピンチのにせものヒーロー) | Kōichi Takemoto | Kuniaki Oshikawa | November 8, 1978 |
| 27 | "Farewell War Buddy: Beloved German Shepherd" "Saraba Sen'yū Itoshi no Sepādo" (さらば戦友 愛しのセパード) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | November 15, 1978 |
| 28 | "The Front of the Alley: Boys' Detective Group" "Ekimae Yokochō no Shōnen Tantei Dan" (駅前横町の少年探偵団) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Mikio Matsushita | November 22, 1978 |
| 29 | "Hurry, GP-7: Time of Stop Sign" "Isoge Jī-Pī-Sebun Jikan yo Tomare" (急げGP-7 時間よ止まれ) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Shōzō Uehara | November 29, 1978 |
| 30 | "Good Luck, Beautiful Police Officer" "Ganbare Bijin Omawarisan" (ガンバレ美人おまわりさん) | Takaharu Saeki | Hirohisa Soda | December 6, 1978 |
| 31 | "There Is No Child-Taking Detective Tomorrow" "Ashita Naki Kozure Keiji" (明日なき子連れ刑事) | Kōichi Takemoto | Shōzō Uehara | December 13, 1978 |
| 32 | "Sweet Whispering Enchantress" "Amaku Sasayaku Yōjo" (甘くささやく妖女) | Takaharu Saeki | Mikio Matsushita | December 20, 1978 |
| 33 | "The Boy Teases the Horrible Wild Girl" "Otokonoko o Ibiru Yasei no Sugoi Shōjo" (男の子をイビる野性の凄い少女) | Kōichi Takemoto | Susumu Takaku | December 27, 1978 |
| 34 | "Surprising Camera: Murderous Event" "Bikkuri Kamera Satsujin Jiken" (びっくりカメラ殺人事件) | Kōichi Takemoto | Hirohisa Soda | January 10, 1979 |
| 35 | "From the Unexplored Amazon: Here Comes the Mummified Beautiful Woman" "Hikyō Amazon kara Kita Mīra Bijo" (秘境アマゾンから来たミイラ美女) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Susumu Takaku | January 17, 1979 |
| 36 | "The Onion Silver Mask and the Boys' Detective Group" "Tamanegi Tekkamen to Shōnen Tantei Dan" (たまねぎ鉄仮面と少年探偵団) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Shōzō Uehara | January 31, 1979 |
| 37 | "From the Secret Messenger of Hell: Great King Enma" "Jigoku kara no Misshi Enma Daiō" (地獄からの密使 えん魔大王) | Takaharu Saeki | Susumu Takaku | February 7, 1979 |
| 38 | "The First Tin Plate Evening Star and the Boys' Detective Group" "Buriki no Ichibanboshi to Shōnen Tantei Dan" (ブリキの一番星と少年探偵団) | Takaharu Saeki | Hirohisa Soda | February 14, 1979 |
| 39 | "Sports World: One Great Meeting" "Kakutōgi Sekai-Ichi Taikai" (格闘技世界一大会) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Shōzō Uehara | February 21, 1979 |
| 40 | "Farewell Zero Battle Tricks" "Saraba Zero-Sen no Nazo" (さらばゼロ戦の謎) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Mikio Matsushita | March 7, 1979 |
| 41 | "The Hero's Shining Hot Blood" "Kagayake Nekketsu no Yūsha" (輝け熱血の勇者) | Yoshiaki Kobayashi | Shōzō Uehara | March 14, 1979 |
The show was the result of a three-year licensing agreement when publisher Gene Pelc visited Japan on the behalf of Marvel that allowed both to use each other's properties in any way they wanted. Toei initially planned to use Spider-Man as a supporting character for an unmade television series starring a fictionalized version of Yamato Takeru who was sent to the present via a time warp. The character who would've appeared on this show was intended to be identical to the Marvel version.[5] However, Toei decided to make Spider-Man the protagonist instead and the character of Yamato Takeru was revised into Garia, an alien who gives Spider-Man his powers. The resulting show deviated from the source material completely, outside of Spider-Man's costume and some of his superpowers and gadgets.[5] Other productions by Toei as a result of this licensing deal included Battle Fever J (a show originally conceived about a Japanese counterpart of Captain America)[6] and an animated television film based on the comic book Tomb of Dracula. Marvel would use the main robots from two of Toei's anime programs, Wakusei Robo Danguard Ace and Chōdenji Robo Combattler V, in their comic book adaptation of the Shogun Warriors toyline. A toy version of Leopardon, Spider-Man's robot from the Toei series, was also sold in the United States as part of the Godaikin line.
Although the show's story was criticized by some for bearing almost no resemblance to the Marvel version, the staff at Marvel Comics, including Spider-Man's co-creator Stan Lee, praised the show for its special effects and stunt work, especially the spider-like movement of the character himself.[7] While it is said that Marvel initially opposed the addition of Leopardon, the robot was viewed as a necessary gimmick to attract younger viewers and was ultimately kept. The show's mechanical designer, Katsushi Murakami (a toy designer at the time), expressed concern about Toei's capability to market Spider-Man to Japanese audiences and was given permission by producer Yoshinori Watanabe to take whatever liberties he deemed necessary. Murakami came up with the idea of giving Spider-Man an extraterrestrial origin, as well as a spider-like spacecraft that could transform into a giant robot (due to the popularity of the giant robot shows in Japan at the time).
The action figure version of Leopardon was initially sold as a part of the Chogokin toyline and became an unprecedented success in the market, which contributed to the TV series' popularity as well.[8] The success of the show made Toei introduce the giant robot concept to their Super Sentai franchise in Battle Fever J (a show which they also co-produced with Marvel) and contributed to Spider-Man's popularity when Marvel began to export more of their properties to Japan during later years.
The head writer of the series was Shozo Uehara (Gorenger, JAKQ, The Return of Ultraman), who wrote 15 episodes, while Uehara's Sentai collaborator Susumu Takaku (who was head writer of the show alongside Uehara) wrote 15 episodes and the movie. There were many episodes in which the "monster of the week" (usually a "Machine BEM" created by the villain) was not relevant to the plot, as well as two episodes (ep. 12 and ep. 27) which featured no monsters at all. The show also featured a story arc in which the female antagonist Amazoness tries to uncover Spider-Man's secret identity.
Rather infamously, after the first 12 episodes of the series, every time Spider-Man's giant robot finished a monster, it always used the exact same shot only with a new monster composited in, but due to the nature of the splice, the very first monster of the series was always visible very briefly before exploding. Rumors persisted that the Leopardon suit had been stolen from the set and was the reason for the switch to stock footage. However, according to an account from Gene Pelc's son who had been on set, the suit had not been stolen and the switch the stock footage had been a budgetary measure. The Leopardon suit was later repurposed into Daidenzin, the main robot from Denshi Sentai Denjiman.[9]
A theatrical version of Spider-Man was shown on the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. It was directed by series director Kōichi Takemoto and written by Susumu Takaku. The film was the first appearance of the character of Juzo Mamiya, who subsequently appeared in three episodes of the series (11, 12 and 14). Because of this, the film takes place between episodes 10 and 11.[citation needed]
 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (August 2016) |
Because Spider-Man is a Marvel property, Toei was not allowed to rerun the series or use publicity stills of Spider-Man from the show without paying licensing fees to Marvel. Original characters and other elements exclusive to Toei's television series (such as the villains and the giant robot Leopardon) were exempt from these licensing issues, as these were creations of Toei.
As a result, only a single VHS collection of episodes (which featured episodes 1 and 31, and the movie) was released in Japan during the 1980s, and reprints of the official soundtrack had the original cover on the jacket replaced with an image of Leopardon. The rest of the series was unavailable on home video for many years. The 1995 superhero guidebook Chōjin Gahō (超人画報, The Super Heroes Chronicle) (published by Takeshobo) was the last time Toei was allowed to publish a photograph of Spider-Man. Every retrospective coverage of Toei's Spider-Man published since then was done without using photographs of the Spider-Man character himself.
In 2004, Toei began renegotiating with Marvel for the rights to release the series on DVD in Japan. The Region 2 DVD box set was released on December 9, 2005, and includes all 41 episodes and the movie on seven discs, as well as a 148-page booklet which features every publicity still of Spider-Man shot for the series.[10] In July 2006, Bandai released a series of toys related to the Toei's Spider-Man TV series, such as the Soul of Chogokin GX-33 Leopardon toy robot (with a Spider-Man figure included), the "Soul of Soft Vinyl" Spider-Man action figure, and a Popynica Spider-Machine GP-7 toy car.
On March 5, 2009, Marvel began broadcasting the series to an international audience for the first time on their video streaming website. A different episode (including the movie version) was uploaded every week until the entire series was available on December 17 of the same year.[4] These episodes were shown in their original Japanese audio with English subtitles. The episodes were later taken down.[when?][citation needed]
Spider-Man: The Animated Series (Spider-Man TAS), which ran from 1994 to 1998, drew some influence from Japanese Spider-Man. The writer of Spider-Man TAS, John Semper, found Japanese Spider-Man to be the only previous Spider-Man adaptation that impressed him, as he thought it was a "great" show and "goofy fun". Japanese Spider-Man's giant robot influenced the final multi-part parallel universe arc where Spider-Man's wealthy alter-ego has a robot.[11]
The massive success of the show and the sales for the Leopardon toys inspired Toei to integrate a Giant Robot to their Super Sentai series, which would not only lead it to become one of the most popular Tokusatsu franchises in Japan but also led to the success of Power Rangers.
Apart from the costume and powers of the main character, this TV series is unrelated to Ryoichi Ikegami's earlier manga adaptation of Spider-Man or the original Spider-Man comics. However, several manga adaptations of the Toei version were published by different magazines, such as TV Land, Tanoshī Yōchien, TV Magazine, and Bōken'ō.[12]
Takuya Yamashiro and Leopardon appeared in several issues of the 2014 and 2018 comic book events Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon, alongside other alternate universe versions of Spider-Man such as Miles Morales and Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099), thereby allowing Yamashiro to interact with his fellow Spider-Men for the first time in Marvel canon.[13]
A version of Spider-Man's giant robot, Leopardon, appears in Ernest Cline's novel Ready Player One.
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