Heroman
Encyclopedia
is a manga
and anime
produced by Bones
and created by Marvel
's Stan Lee
. The manga is published in Monthly Shōnen Gangan
and began serialization in September 2009, while the anime series premiered on April 1, 2010, on TV Tokyo
and related stations. Stan Lee came up with the series' basic plot, referring to the series and character as "a new hero for the 21st century".
Broadcast of Heroman in the United States is currently being planned by Lee and producer Masahiko Minami
.
city of , while going to school. Upon hearing of a new toy robot called the Heybo, Joey believes that getting one will make his life better, turning him into a hero to protect his friends and family. However, he cannot afford to buy it on his meager salary. His luck changes when he picks up a broken down Heybo abandoned by a school bully. He tries to fix it, naming it Heroman, but does not have any luck in getting it to work. However, when it gets struck by a bolt of strange lightning, it transforms into a giant robot
, just in time to save his friend Lina from impending danger. Now, Joey and Heroman are Earth's only defense against the evil insectoid aliens, unknowingly summoned to Earth by Joey's science teacher.
There are some differences in story between the anime and manga series.
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-like aliens, led by Gogorr, who travel to Earth in order to invade it after being inadvertently contacted by Denton. They have powerful armor that can withstand the majority of Earth's weaponry. Their own arsenal includes laser pistols, as well as powerful shoulder cannons that convert air into a powerful energy blast. Besides the strength Heroman is capable of, they are also weakened by high pitched noises due to their manner of communication.
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MR-1: The MR-1 is Generas Industry's experimental giant robot, originally built to fight the Skrugg until Heroman beat it to the punch and was used as a dump truck
instead in the reconstruction of Center City. The robot is later used by Minami to act out his grudge against Heroman.
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: Ezzi is a powerful Skrugg forged from the DNA of a praying mantis. As well as having command over other praying mantises, using them to spy on Joey and his friends, Ezzi also wields powerful mantis-like scythes on his arms, which are strong enough to seriously damage Heroman's armor.
: Brito is a powerful Skrugg forged from the DNA of a pill-bug
.
: Paua is a powerful Skrugg forged from the DNA of a rhinoceros beetle
and stag beetle
.
and illustrated by Tamon Ohta began publication in Square-Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
from August 12, 2009. The first tankōbon
volume was released in Japan on March 20, 2010.
, POW! Entertainment and Wowmax Media spawned 26 episodes, and aired on TV Tokyo
and related stations between April 1, 2010 and September 23, 2010. It was also streamed on Crunchyroll
. The series' music is composed by Metalchicks
and Music Heroes. For episodes 1-12, the opening theme is "Roulette" performed by Tetsuya of L'Arc-en-Ciel while the ending theme is "Calling" performed by Flow
. An insert song by Tatsuyuki Hashimoto featuring ACO
on vocals titled was featured in episode 11. From episode 13 onwards, the opening theme is "Missing" by Kylee
while the ending theme is by Mass Alert
. A promotional video released prior to the premiere of the series featured a song performed by Hajime Uchiyama with Slavomir Kowalewski on vocals, eventually revealed to be titled "Joey and Heroman" when it was included on the series' soundtrack.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
and anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
produced by Bones
Bones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
and created by Marvel
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
's Stan Lee
Stan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
. The manga is published in Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
and began serialization in September 2009, while the anime series premiered on April 1, 2010, on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
and related stations. Stan Lee came up with the series' basic plot, referring to the series and character as "a new hero for the 21st century".
Broadcast of Heroman in the United States is currently being planned by Lee and producer Masahiko Minami
Masahiko Minami
is a Japanese anime producer and president of Bones.-Career:A graduate of the Osaka University of Arts's department of arts, Minami began his career with noted anime studio Sunrise as one of its producers...
.
Story
Orphaned American boy Joey lives with his grandmother, working at a restaurant in the West CoastWest Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
city of , while going to school. Upon hearing of a new toy robot called the Heybo, Joey believes that getting one will make his life better, turning him into a hero to protect his friends and family. However, he cannot afford to buy it on his meager salary. His luck changes when he picks up a broken down Heybo abandoned by a school bully. He tries to fix it, naming it Heroman, but does not have any luck in getting it to work. However, when it gets struck by a bolt of strange lightning, it transforms into a giant robot
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
, just in time to save his friend Lina from impending danger. Now, Joey and Heroman are Earth's only defense against the evil insectoid aliens, unknowingly summoned to Earth by Joey's science teacher.
There are some differences in story between the anime and manga series.
Main characters
:- Joey is an orphaned boy living with his grandmother, working at a restaurant to make ends meet. His life changes when he fixes the Heybo that he names Heroman. He is able to issue commands to Heroman via a controller that forms a gauntlet around his left hand. This controller also gives Joey his own powers, such as super speed and the ability to create force fields.
- The name "Joey Jones" was chosen by Minami at the behest of Stan Lee to choose a name that had identical initials, much like various other Marvel protagonists such as Peter Parker.
- Komatsu was chosen to voice Joey because of her boyish voice and the difficulty in finding a young man that had the voice the production team wanted.
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- Originally a broken down toy robot called the Heybo, Heroman is brought to life by a strange bolt of lightning and turns into a giant robot (in the anime, this lightning is caused by the Skrugg fleet heading towards Earth). He uses his powerful fists and electrical powers to protect Earth from the Skrugg and other threats. Although unable to speak, he is able to sense Joey's feelings and use his powers accordingly. Due to his origins, Heroman is literally born from lightning, as such any form of electric energy, man-made or coming from storms, can be used to replenish his strength. Conversely, absorbing electric energy from his body weakens him greatly. Heroman has various modes that can be activated, including "Blast", which powers him up, "Augment", which causes him to grow several meters high, and "O Spark", which allows him to fire a massive blast of energy from the red ring on his body. Near the end of the series, the NIA outfits Heroman with special armor with an attached glider and heads-up display. Heroman's face bears a striking resemblance to that of Joey's deceased father.
- Heroman's design is based on that of the robot Leopardon from the 1978 tokusatsuTokusatsuis a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
version of Spider-ManSpider-Man (tokusatsu)is a Japanese live-action television series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on Marvel's Spider-Man character. The series lasted 41 episodes, which aired on the Wednesday 19:30 JST time slot of Tokyo Channel 12 from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979. A theatrical episode was also shown in the...
.
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- Psy is Joey's best friend and classmate. He uses crutches to help him walk after a serious accident during a football game in the past left him injured, an accident to which Will, at that time captain of their football team and harboring a deep rivalry with Psy, still feels the blame. However, he also has a G-wheel, a motorized skateboard that helps him get around quickly. He also uses a guitar built by Denton that uses high pitched sound to stun Skrugg.
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- Lina is one of Joey's classmates and is a cheerleader at Center City Middle School. She is from a wealthy family who fears that because Joey is poor and uncultured, he is a bad influence on her, but she likes him anyway. She's the little sister of Will, and despite the obvious disdain, hostility and bullying shown by Will towards Joey, she's overtly protective of both of them.
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- Denton is Joey's science teacher and an alienExtraterrestrial lifeExtraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
otakuOtakuis a Japanese term used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga or video games.- Etymology :Otaku is derived from a Japanese term for another's house or family , which is also used as an honorific second-person pronoun...
. It is his experiments with extraterrestrial communication that drive the Skrugg to invade Earth. This guilt motivates him to help Joey and Heroman whenever possible, even if it endangers himself.
Center City residents
:- Will is Lina's older brother and an American footballAmerican footballAmerican football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player at CCMS. He bullies Joey to keep him away from Lina and puts himself at risk in order to prove himself a better hero than him. In the anime, he is captured by the Skrugg and turned into one himself, with strength comparable to Heroman. However, thanks to the efforts of Joey and Lina, he breaks free from his brainwashing. After the Skrugg's base is destroyed, Will disappears to parts unknown as he knows he cannot live among humans anymore due to his Skrugg condition. However, Will resurfaces to destroy any remaining evidence of the Skrugg while warning Joey that something is coming. Later on in the anime, Will is seen with his Skrugg mutation progressed even further, now covered in chitinChitinChitin n is a long-chain polymer of a N-acetylglucosamine, a derivative of glucose, and is found in many places throughout the natural world...
ous armor. He helps Joey and Heroman with their assault on the resurrected Gogorr.
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- Nick is Will's best friend and also bullies Joey. The Heybo that becomes Heroman originally belonged to Nick, but he threw it away after it got hit by a car and he decided that buying a new one would be easier than fixing the broken one. In the anime, he is also captured and turned into a Skrugg. However, unlike Will who tries to fight the brainwashing, Nick revels in the new power, having always been weak. However, during a battle with Joey, he becomes trapped under falling debris, and his current fate is unknown.
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- Vera is Joey's mathematics and homeroom teacher. She inadvertently discovers Heroman when she is trying to keep Denton, Joey, and Psy out of trouble. She keeps the secret of Joey's involvement with Heroman, until it is outed on TV.
- Naomi Shindō also acts as the show's narrator.
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- Hilly owns the café where Joey works part time.
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- This caricature of Stan LeeStan LeeStan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
appears multiple times in the anime and manga. He is primarily seen as a patron of Hilly's, often demanding more coffee from Joey.
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- Lina and Will's Father who runs a multitude of businesses. He is somewhat distrustful of Joey, as he tends to take Will's word over Lina's. After the Skrugg attack, he spends his time and money helping with the reconstruction of the city. He's one of the several civilians, along with his wife, to follow Keisha's report of the battle between Joey and Gogorr, gaining some more respect of the youngsters. Furthermore, when a distressed Lina escapes from home, Lina's father enlists Joey help, acknowledging that, despite their differences, Joey cares for her daughter at least as he does.
Joey's family
:- Virginia is Joey's and Holly's paternal grandmother who has been caring for them since their parents died. She enjoys listening to classic rockClassic rockClassic rock is a radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format features music ranging generally from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, primarily focusing on the hard rock genre that peaked in popularity in the...
from the 60s and 70s.
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- Holly is Joey's older sister who has been touring with her rock bandRock BandRock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
on the East CoastEast Coast of the United StatesThe East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
until she hears about the Skrugg invasion and returns home to Center City, three months late. When she accidentally sees Heroman, she decides to stay in Center City. While she generally teases Joey any opportunity she gets, she worries whenever she thinks Joey might be in danger. Holly was named after her grandmother.
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- Brian is the deceased father of Joey and Holly who died in a coal mining accident after he saved everyone else trapped in the mine with him. The only thing that the rescue parties could find of him was his helmet, within which he kept a photo of his family to motivate him. This gave him the odd habit of tapping his helmet with a finger whenever he put it on, a reminder of the picture underneath.
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- Catherine is the deceased mother of Joey and Holly. After Brian died, she raised Joey and Holly on her own until she died at a young age. Up until her death, she always had a smile on her face due to how proud she was of her husband.
Skrugg
The are an evil race of cockroachCockroach
Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
-like aliens, led by Gogorr, who travel to Earth in order to invade it after being inadvertently contacted by Denton. They have powerful armor that can withstand the majority of Earth's weaponry. Their own arsenal includes laser pistols, as well as powerful shoulder cannons that convert air into a powerful energy blast. Besides the strength Heroman is capable of, they are also weakened by high pitched noises due to their manner of communication.
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- Gogorr is the cockroachCockroachCockroaches are insects of the order Blattaria or Blattodea, of which about 30 species out of 4,500 total are associated with human habitations...
-like leader of the Skrugg who leads his kind to Earth to strip it of its natural resources. Much larger than ordinary Skrugg, Gogorr can mutate his body in different forms, each one with special traits. His normal form permits him to attack with his antenna to hit enemies from a distance, while one of his alternate forms is stronger in hand to hand combat and the other has wings that allow him to fly at great speed. He is destroyed when Heroman defeats him and blows up his base, but the remaining Skrugg much later manage to track down one of the power crystals held in Gogorr's chest, now held in a government facility, and resurrect him in a more powerful, cannibalistic form, able to dish out grievous damage to Heroman before being stopped by the combined efforts of Joey and his friends.
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Generas Industry
:- Doctor Minami is a scientist who heads the weapon developing company, a front for the robotics research laboratory MRL. He is first seen approaching the President with a plan to confront the Skrugg, take possession of their advanced technology in the process, and show MRL's advancements in robotics to win the U.S. government's favor. However, his plans are foiled when Joey and co. manage to defeat the Skrugg by themselves before he and his team take action, and since he finds out about Heroman, he makes use of his resources and influence to prove the superiority of his inventions by defeating it in combat before ending up in jail. At the end of episode 26, he and his subordinates are freed from prison by Veronica, leaving open the possibility of a second series.
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- Amanorich is one of MRL's top researchers. Even though he is a nihilistNihilismNihilism is the philosophical doctrine suggesting the negation of one or more putatively meaningful aspects of life. Most commonly, nihilism is presented in the form of existential nihilism which argues that life is without objective meaning, purpose, or intrinsic value...
, he wears 3-D glasses to see the world in a different color.
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- Stallion is one of MRL's top researchers. He is always seen wearing thick machinist gloves.
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- Veronica is Doctor Minami's exclusive secretary. Not much is known about her.
MR-1: The MR-1 is Generas Industry's experimental giant robot, originally built to fight the Skrugg until Heroman beat it to the punch and was used as a dump truck
Dump truck
A dump truck is a truck used for transporting loose material for construction. A typical dump truck is equipped with a hydraulically operated open-box bed hinged at the rear, the front of which can be lifted up to allow the contents to be deposited on the ground behind the truck at the site of...
instead in the reconstruction of Center City. The robot is later used by Minami to act out his grudge against Heroman.
American government
:- Hughes is an agent of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a group that reports directly to the President. He is sent to Center City to investigate the mysterious events following the Skrugg's defeat, particularly Heroman, who the government has code named . He later comes to understand Joey and becomes his ally.
:
- The President of the United StatesPresident of the United StatesThe President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
. He is reluctant in using nuclear weapons to combat the Skrugg, until Dr. Minami comes with an alternative.
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- Watkins is an aide to the President.
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- Elmer Howard is an NIA agent working under Hughes.
All American Network
The All American Network (AAN) is a television station based in Center City.:
- Keisha is a reporter for the AAN (All American Network) news. When she sees that her coverage of the fight between the Ghost (Heroman) and the MR-1 is altered, she started to follow closely the developments regarding Heroman and the U.S. government looking for a scoop. During the last stand against Gogorr, she inadvertently discovers, and outs to the entire world, the relation between Joey and Heroman, eliciting the world sympathy for the youngster.
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- Leo is a cameraman for AAN. Like Keisha, he also becomes upset when his footage of the fight is altered, as he wants to get the truth out to the public.
Manga-exclusive characters
: Grudge is a spirit possessing an ancient suit of armor. He feeds off the grudges of people and possesses them in order to carry them out. He possesses the owner of an antique store which was being threatened with being closed down by Lina's father due to a lack of business. He kidnaps Lina in the hopes of a large ransom, but is defeated by the appearance of Heroman.: Ezzi is a powerful Skrugg forged from the DNA of a praying mantis. As well as having command over other praying mantises, using them to spy on Joey and his friends, Ezzi also wields powerful mantis-like scythes on his arms, which are strong enough to seriously damage Heroman's armor.
: Brito is a powerful Skrugg forged from the DNA of a pill-bug
Armadillidium vulgare
Armadillidium vulgare, the pill-bug or pill woodlouse, is a widespread European species of woodlouse. It is the most extensively investigated terrestrial isopod species.-Description:...
.
: Paua is a powerful Skrugg forged from the DNA of a rhinoceros beetle
Rhinoceros beetle
The Rhinoceros Beetles or Rhino Beetles are a subfamily of the scarab beetle family . Other common names – some for particular groups of rhino beetles – are for example Hercules beetles, unicorn beetles or horn beetles...
and stag beetle
Stag beetle
Stag beetles are a group of about 1,200 species of beetle in the family Lucanidae, presently classified in four subfamilies Some species grow up to over 12 cm , but most are about 5 cm .-Overview:...
.
Manga
The manga series, written by Stan LeeStan Lee
Stan Lee is an American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics....
and illustrated by Tamon Ohta began publication in Square-Enix's Monthly Shōnen Gangan
Monthly Shonen Gangan
is a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
from August 12, 2009. The first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volume was released in Japan on March 20, 2010.
Anime
The anime series, produced by BonesBones (studio)
is a Japanese anime studio. It has produced numerous series, including RahXephon, Wolf's Rain, Scrapped Princess, Eureka Seven, Angelic Layer, Darker than Black, Soul Eater, Ouran High School Host Club and two adaptions of the Fullmetal Alchemist manga along with Star Driver: Kagayaki no Takuto and...
, POW! Entertainment and Wowmax Media spawned 26 episodes, and aired on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
and related stations between April 1, 2010 and September 23, 2010. It was also streamed on Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American website and international online community focused on streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing content...
. The series' music is composed by Metalchicks
Metalchicks
Metalchicks are a Japanese rock duo supergroup. Their second album, St. Wonder was also the soundtrack to the movie Warau Michael. They play regularly in Japan, and also played at SXSW 2007.-Members:*Sugar Yoshinaga - guitar...
and Music Heroes. For episodes 1-12, the opening theme is "Roulette" performed by Tetsuya of L'Arc-en-Ciel while the ending theme is "Calling" performed by Flow
Flow (band)
Flow is a Japanese rock band, that formed in 1998 and signed on to Sony Music Japan's Ki/oon Records label. Flow is a five-piece band made up of two vocalists, a drummer, a bassist and a guitarist...
. An insert song by Tatsuyuki Hashimoto featuring ACO
ACO (musician)
Aco is a female Japanese singer. She made her debut in 1995 with the pop single Fuan nano . She is a part of Sony Music Japan. She explores different musical styles, with the albums absolute ego and material displaying Electronica influences...
on vocals titled was featured in episode 11. From episode 13 onwards, the opening theme is "Missing" by Kylee
Kylee (singer)
Kylee Saunders , better known mononymously as Kylee, is a Japanese American singer. She is signed onto Sony Music Japan's DefStar Records label.- Biography :...
while the ending theme is by Mass Alert
Mass Alert
is a Japanese musician from Nagasaki. He debuted in 2009 with the song "Comoesta" featuring Massattack from Spontania. He gained prominence in Japan after he provided an opening theme for Naruto: Shōnen Hen, and then the second ending theme for Heroman. He describes himself as the postman singer,...
. A promotional video released prior to the premiere of the series featured a song performed by Hajime Uchiyama with Slavomir Kowalewski on vocals, eventually revealed to be titled "Joey and Heroman" when it was included on the series' soundtrack.
External links
- Heroman at Square EnixSquare Enixis a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
's Monthly Shōnen GanganMonthly Shonen Ganganis a manga imprint of Square Enix . It publishes manga in several magazines aimed at different reader demographic groups in the Japanese market. Its magazines are home to some popular manga series which were adapted into anime series, like Fullmetal Alchemist, Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit,...
- Heroman at TV TokyoTV Tokyois a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
- Heroman official anime website