Ninja Senshi Tobikage
Encyclopedia
, also known as Ninja Robot Tobikage and Ninja Robots, is a Japan
ese anime
television series, produced by Studio Pierrot
, which aired from 6 October 1985 to 13 July 1986 on the Nippon Television
network.
It was also broadcast across South Asia
, Southeast Asia
and Australia
(including Bangladesh
, Pakistan
, India
and Malaysia) by Cartoon Network
, it was dubbed & under the title "Ninja Robots" in 1988 in The United States
, across Russia
by Ren-TV
, across Ukraine
by Pershyi Natsionalnyi, across the Philippines
by Solar USA after Cartoon Network Philippines removed it from it airwaves, across France
by TF1
, under the title Tobikage, and across Chile
by TVN de Chile, Mexico
by Televisa Canal 5
and Peru
by América Televisión
4.
The Cartoon Network version was created approximately 10 years after it was originally aired in Japan. The dubbing directors also changed the opening theme, and made numerous significant changes to the characters and robots involved. For example, Tobikage's name in the English dub is Cybertron. The English dub was produced and recorded at Sonic III Studios in Miami. Main character actors included Omar Garcia as "Joe" and Kelly Parker as the princess of Planet Radorio. The English script was loosely translated from the original Japanese and adapted by the actors and interns on the day of recording.
and the Moon
. The Martian colony is a harsh environment where, like old Australia, all of the settlers are convicts. Given a choice between prison on Earth and helping to build and maintain the colony on Mars, they chose the latter... and soon came to realize they'd chosen poorly. The Martian colony is run by the military dictator Hazzard Pascha, who tests every settler to decide whether they should be part of the oppressive military or live a life of hard labor as a worker.
The story starts off on Mars and follows 16-year old Joe Maya, who lives with his father. Joe's biggest dream is to return to Earth. Joe has two best friends - his sworn brother Mike and a girl named Renny - who prove to be helpful allies since, like him, they later turn out have the unusual power to operate the series' three giant robots.
During a hair-raising escape from Martian military police, Joe and Mike stumble upon a crashed spaceship
- the Ellshanc, personal craft of the princess of planet Ladorio. The Ellshanc is targeted by another alien craft lurking in Martian orbit - a space fortress of the Zaboom army. The Zaboom base-ship sends out humanoid robots to attack the Ellshanc. Joe investigates and ends up being chased by one of the robots. Having no choice, he hides in the damaged Ellshanc.
Inside he encounters three human-looking aliens: the young Princess Romina (whom Joe instantly finds attractive), her willowy attendant Schaffe, and young red-headed general Yllbora Saro. Before the language barrier can be overcome, Joe's robot pursuer bursts in. The three aliens run away, and Joe scrambles to hide inside some unrecognizable machine. This machine turns out to be a humanoid robotic weapon. Joe quickly grasps the controls and fights the killer robot.
The battle leads outside the ship, where suddenly a mysterious robot ninja appears. This machine, Tobikage, wipes out several Zaboom robots before merging with Joe's super robot, changing it into a mechanical lion. The Zaboom attackers are eradicated by this new form, and Tobikage returns to wherever it came from.
After the attack, the visitors from Ladorio calibrate their auto-translators and persuade Joe, Renny, and Mike to help them. It seems only the three teenagers have the innate ability needed to operate the three super robots which are the Ellshancs cargo. Inevitably, our heroes' fate becomes entangled with that of the aliens; they agree to travel with Princess Romina to protect her and the Ellshanc from the Zaboom army during the long journey to reach Earth. Along the way, new friends are made, old wounds are opened, and the mystery of Tobikage itself looms ever in the background.
RENNY AI - -
MIKE COIL - - :
DAMIAN - - :.
RONIN SANADA - - :
KEGARE SANADA - -
HAZZARD PASCHA - - :
DOG TACK - - :
SCHAFFE - - :
YLLBORA SARO - -
GAMELLUN - - :
CHARME VEKER - -
ANNEX ZABOOM - - :
Kurojishi -
Houraioh -
Bakuryu -
Ellshanc -
C-Terahertz -
Excelento -
Shaman -
Vankes -
Skeleton -
Zerokage -
Ending theme
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese 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....
television series, produced by Studio Pierrot
Studio Pierrot
is a Japanese animation/animation studio, founded in 1979 by former employees of Tatsunoko Production. Its headquarters is located in Mitaka, Tokyo.The company has a simple logo of the face of a clown...
, which aired from 6 October 1985 to 13 July 1986 on the Nippon Television
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
network.
It was also broadcast across South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
(including Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Malaysia) by Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network is a name of television channels worldwide created by Turner Broadcasting which used to primarily show animated programming. The channel began broadcasting on October 1, 1992 in the United States....
, it was dubbed & under the title "Ninja Robots" in 1988 in The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, across Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
by Ren-TV
Ren-TV
REN TV is one of the largest private federal TV channels in Russia. Founded by Irena Lesnevskaya and her son, Dmitry Lesnevsky, who had been running REN TV as a production house for other national Russian television channels, it has broadcast since 1 January 1997. Its target audience is a young to...
, across Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
by Pershyi Natsionalnyi, across the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
by Solar USA after Cartoon Network Philippines removed it from it airwaves, across France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by TF1
TF1
TF1 is a national French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network...
, under the title Tobikage, and across Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
by TVN de Chile, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
by Televisa Canal 5
XHGC-TV
XHGC-TV is a TV station owned by Televisa, broadcasting from Mexico City, and is the flagship of the Canal 5 network.-History:XHGC signed on May 10, 1952, broadcasting a Mother's Day event organized by the Excélsior newspaper; but the regular programming began at August 18, 1952.The station was...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
by América Televisión
America Television
America Television , better known as America TV, is a Peruvian television network affiliated with Televisa of Mexico. It was founded on December 15, 1958 by Antonio Umbert F., Nicanor Gonzalez V., and Avelino Aramburu. The network belongs to the Plural TV group formed by the daily newspapers El...
4.
The Cartoon Network version was created approximately 10 years after it was originally aired in Japan. The dubbing directors also changed the opening theme, and made numerous significant changes to the characters and robots involved. For example, Tobikage's name in the English dub is Cybertron. The English dub was produced and recorded at Sonic III Studios in Miami. Main character actors included Omar Garcia as "Joe" and Kelly Parker as the princess of Planet Radorio. The English script was loosely translated from the original Japanese and adapted by the actors and interns on the day of recording.
Plot
The events of Ninja Senshi Tobikage take place in the 23rd century, an age when earthlings have colonized both MarsMars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
. The Martian colony is a harsh environment where, like old Australia, all of the settlers are convicts. Given a choice between prison on Earth and helping to build and maintain the colony on Mars, they chose the latter... and soon came to realize they'd chosen poorly. The Martian colony is run by the military dictator Hazzard Pascha, who tests every settler to decide whether they should be part of the oppressive military or live a life of hard labor as a worker.
The story starts off on Mars and follows 16-year old Joe Maya, who lives with his father. Joe's biggest dream is to return to Earth. Joe has two best friends - his sworn brother Mike and a girl named Renny - who prove to be helpful allies since, like him, they later turn out have the unusual power to operate the series' three giant robots.
During a hair-raising escape from Martian military police, Joe and Mike stumble upon a crashed spaceship
Spacecraft
A spacecraft or spaceship is a craft or machine designed for spaceflight. Spacecraft are used for a variety of purposes, including communications, earth observation, meteorology, navigation, planetary exploration and transportation of humans and cargo....
- the Ellshanc, personal craft of the princess of planet Ladorio. The Ellshanc is targeted by another alien craft lurking in Martian orbit - a space fortress of the Zaboom army. The Zaboom base-ship sends out humanoid robots to attack the Ellshanc. Joe investigates and ends up being chased by one of the robots. Having no choice, he hides in the damaged Ellshanc.
Inside he encounters three human-looking aliens: the young Princess Romina (whom Joe instantly finds attractive), her willowy attendant Schaffe, and young red-headed general Yllbora Saro. Before the language barrier can be overcome, Joe's robot pursuer bursts in. The three aliens run away, and Joe scrambles to hide inside some unrecognizable machine. This machine turns out to be a humanoid robotic weapon. Joe quickly grasps the controls and fights the killer robot.
The battle leads outside the ship, where suddenly a mysterious robot ninja appears. This machine, Tobikage, wipes out several Zaboom robots before merging with Joe's super robot, changing it into a mechanical lion. The Zaboom attackers are eradicated by this new form, and Tobikage returns to wherever it came from.
After the attack, the visitors from Ladorio calibrate their auto-translators and persuade Joe, Renny, and Mike to help them. It seems only the three teenagers have the innate ability needed to operate the three super robots which are the Ellshancs cargo. Inevitably, our heroes' fate becomes entangled with that of the aliens; they agree to travel with Princess Romina to protect her and the Ellshanc from the Zaboom army during the long journey to reach Earth. Along the way, new friends are made, old wounds are opened, and the mystery of Tobikage itself looms ever in the background.
Colonists and Earthlings
JOE MAYA - -- Age 15~16. A boy living with his father in the colony on Mars. His father is a calm, thoughtful figure, almost his opposite. He lost his mother when he was young but often reminisces about the fun he had on Earth. His rebellious and impulsive behaviour lands him in the adventure of his life. He is the first to discover and operate the robots on the Ellshanc, becoming the pilot of the Kurojishi.
- His best friend is Ronin, a long-lost childhood pal. Among his other friends are Renny and Mike. Joe and Mike refer to each other as "brother". At first Joe leaves his friends behind in order to defeat Hazzard but they carry on to help him later, especially when his father is kidnapped.
- He often teases Renny about his friends' interest in her. He also treats her like one of the guys. Joe shows romantic feelings for both Renny(Jenny) and the Princess. He is attracted to the Princess from the very first meeting and is willing to do anything to protect her, but during the last episode, he confesses his love for Renny (Jenny) (He only confesses in the english adaption of the anime, never in the original Japanese which has no conclusion to the love triangle.). He develops an enmity with Yllbora from the beginning due to his rude and rash behavior and his interest in the Princess. He is also very curious about the Tobikage, who continuously appears in battle to aid him.
RENNY AI - -
- Age 17. Renny ("Jenny" in the English version) is portrayed as a tomboy, but is actually a very sweet girl. However, like any girl, she also gets jealous. and is possessive about Joe. She is a good fighter and almost as daring as Joe, although she is extremely concerned about her family who stayed behind on Mars. She is the second to operate a robot, the Houraioh.
- She acts as a sister to Mike and helps him get the girl of his dreams - Schaffe. Local boy Kenji has a crush on Renny, which she doesn't reciprocate. She gets irritated when Joe teases her about him. When the princess hugs or flirts with Joe, Renny becomes upset and hurt. She believes Romina has feelings towards Joe, which is proved to be true later on. She asks Joe how he feels about her many times and even says that she loves him and just wants to be with him, even if he went to Ladorio. She is hopelessly in love with Joe, which later on he reciprocates her feelings for him.
MIKE COIL - - :
- Age 15. Mike is the pilot of the Bakuryu and is portrayed as a younger brother to Joe Maya. He is soft and reserved in contrast to Joe's character. He is in love with Schaffe, Romina's aide.
DAMIAN - - :.
- Age 18. Son of the Martian north pole's Guerilla leader, Damian first mistrusted Joe and the others but later ends up joining them. He is not very prominent during the early part of the series, but when Joe permanently takes control of Tobikage, Damian succeeds him as the pilot of the Kurojishi. He falls in love with a female ninja who was sent to trap his friends, but she sacrifices her life due to his love.
RONIN SANADA - - :
- Age 18. A childhood friend of Joe, Mike and Renny, Ronin is the son of an Earth military commander. He's always sincere with his friends and, through his father's connections, supports them by providing necessities and assisting in their struggle.
KEGARE SANADA - -
- Age ?. Ronin's father, an Earth military commander.
HAZZARD PASCHA - - :
- Age 46. Hazzard Pascha is one of the series' main antagonists. He was driven to Mars by the Earth's people and he became the commandant of the Mars colony. He is shown as power-hungry and opportunistic. During the first few battles on Mars he allies himself with the Zaboom army to gain greater power in his aim of conquering Earth. He is also shown to be very manipulative as he often took innocent people into his side by clever tactics. He is at last killed by the fearsome Houraioh when he tried to kill everyone aboard the Ellshanc. His rise and fall is highlighted well in the series. In fact he was the enemy of all.
DOG TACK - - :
- Age 35. Dog Tack is Hazzard Pascha's right-hand man and military assistant.
People of Lodario
ROMINA LADORIO - -- Age 15~16. Romina is the princess and future Empress of the planet Ladorio. She is very beautiful: a slender girl with sad blue eyes and a mane of silvery-lavender hair. Romina is modest and sincere. Her home planet of Ladorio was a peaceful planet until it was violently invaded by the Zaboom army. Her narrow escape is actually a mission given to her by her parents: to find 'ninjas' from Earth who would be able to pilot Ladorio's three super robots. She escaped the invaders in her ship, the Ellshanc, along with her two closest friends: Lady Scahffe and Lord Yllbora Saro. She cries over her lost parents, her world and eventually Yllbora. However in public Romina puts on a brave front.
- Romina is a person who is extremely loyal to the friends and expects the same loyalty from them. Joe falls in love with Romina, and Joe always cheers her up and tries to help her out. Although a Princess, she supports her new friend and even risks her life to save Joe. Slowly they understand each other as their romance blooms.
SCHAFFE - - :
- Age 18. Schaffe (or "Jade" in the English Version) is the constant companion and maid of Romina and initially didn't believe Joe was actually a ninja. She is always kind, considerate and understanding. She is shown to reciprocate Mike's feelings.
YLLBORA SARO - -
- Age 20. Yllbora ("Icelander" in English dubs) is a reserved, ambitious general who can be egotistic and aggressive, but noble and courageous at the same time. He's known as 'The Best Warrior of Ladorio'. He tends to look down on others, nevertheless he seems to be deeply in love with Romina and is determined to fight for her to the end. Although, she remains unaware of his love for her and her own feelings for the commander.
- He becomes very jealous of Romina's attention towards Joe. Both are "people of action" and this mutual antipathy ends up in open quarrels and endless fights - a very upsetting situation for Romina who wants to avoid aggression and violence. He is man of great ambition and he dreams of great power; when Zaboom general Grathan Gryn offers Ylldora power in exchange for princess Romina's life, for a moment Yllbora considers killing her. As a result, Yllbora leaves the Ellshanc for good, but cannot forget his own love for Romina and is racked with guilt.
- Yllbora finally obtain his own robot, Zerokage, and turns out to be a ninja too. But he never chose between absolute power and his love for Romina, no matter how he wanted to forget her in battles. In the end as he was seriously injured he decided to tell Romina about his feelings.
GAMELLUN - - :
- Age 19. Gamellun is the second in command of the ship Ellshanc, serving under Yllbora. He is shown to be loyal throughout and very protective of the princess. His ego lends towards his hatred of Joe and has sometimes tried to kill him. However in times of danger he has sided with Joe in order to protect the Princess.
Zaboom army
GRATHAN GRYN - - :- Age 40. Grathan was the first commander of the Zaboom army. He is referred to by Hazzard as a silly commander, and he is killed by Tobikage when he tries to kill Romina.
CHARME VEKER - -
- Age ??. Emperor Annex's devoted advisor, Charme is lovely and devious.
ANNEX ZABOOM - - :
- Age approximately 40. Emperor Annex, the ruler of planet Zaboom, seeks to become the master of the universe and thus tries to conquer Lodario, the home planet of Romina. He is the arch villain of the series and possesses a large fleet of spaceships and robots. He was killed by the time bomb explosion by Joe in the last part of the series.
Machines
Tobikage -- A small robotic ninja, Tobikage is wholly mysterious. Appearing whenever the Ninja Machines are low on power or are facing overwhelming odds, Tobikage comes to their aid and, at times, combines with one of them to form a more powerful beast mode. Tobikage is very formidable and incredibly fast by itself. In later episodes, it unites with Joe when he calls it. It is later found that the robot comes out from a secret chamber within Ellshanc. Its name means "Flying Shadow" (although it is known as "Cybertron" in the English version of the show). Height: 3.6m. Weight: 500kg.
Kurojishi -
- The "Black Lion" was the first Ninja Machine to be activated, once it responded to Joe. It is later piloted by Damian. It merges with Tobikage to form the Jyuuma ("Beast Demon") Kurojishi, which is a lion-type formation. The most agile and speedy of the combinations, it is the most frequently-used powered machine. It has an armored mane and shoots bullets from it. Height: 6.5m. Weight: 10t.
Houraioh -
- The "Phoenix Thunderhawk" is the Ninja Machine used by Renny, and has powers of fire. It merges with Tobikage to form the Kuuma ("Sky Demon") Houraioh, which is a phoenix-type formation. It possesses the power of flight, and can cast a flame from its wings across its wingspan. Height: 7.2m. Weight: 9.6t.
Bakuryu -
- The "Burst Dragon" is the Ninja Machine used by Mike. After it joins with the Tobikage it forms the dragon-type formation Kaima ("Sea Demon") Bakuryu, which is very powerful and capable of casting lighting but is slow and ungainly. It is incredibly large and strong, capable of wiping out entire robot armies with lightning storms, but has minimal mobility and appears only twice. Height: 8.3m. Weight: 12t.
Ellshanc -
- The mothership used by the aliens from Ladorio. In the English dubs, it is known as 'Xenos 5'. Length: 300m. Wingspan: 250m. Crew: 50 people.
C-Terahertz -
- The space fortress used by the Zaboom army. Height: 500m.
Excelento -
- Space fortress used by the Zaboom army.
Shaman -
- The Shamans (known as Shadow Bots in the English dub) are the generic battle mecha used by the Zaboom army. They are colored red and are small in size. Height: 3.6m. Weight: 750kg.
Vankes -
- The Vankes types (known as Stealth Destroyers in the English dub) are a more powerful model of battle mecha used by the Zaboom army. They're usually armed with naginata and are significantly larger than Shaman types (approximately 10m tall).
Skeleton -
- The Skeleton is the giant blue machine that Yllbora initially pilots when he joins the Zaboom army.
Zerokage -
- The "Null Shadow" (known as the Mantis in English) is a very agile, sentient robot skilled in ninja moves, which merges with Yllbora. It has clashed with Tobikage on several occasions and both the robots seem very equally matched. Height: 4m. Weight: 550kg.
Episode list
- The Open Door
- The Unknown World
- The Wounded Princess
- The Legendary Ninja
- Battle at Polar Cap
- The Terrestrials
- Return to the Planetoid
- The Wandering Warriors
- The Parting
- Two Souls
- Murmurs of the Devil
- Time to Leave
- Destiny's Torrent
- The Secret Disappearance
- So Far Away
- The Unwelcome Return
- Never-ending Relationship
- Old Soldiers Never Die
- Powerful Enemies
- Grathan's Gone
- The Shocked Universe
- Run Towards the Hope
- The Recorded Road Mark
- Dropping Wings In Dance
- A Short Meeting
- Heavy Quickening
- The Transform of Position
- New Arousal
- The Forgotten Agen of Seventeen
- The Closed Legend
- The Respective Confusion
- The Endless Fight
- The Walk by Oneself
- Women Ninja. Red Shadow
- Small Cranny
- Collapsed Authority
- The Expanding Ambition
- The Final Harmony
- The Final Battle of Defence
- End of Aggression
- Another Door
- Summary & Preface
- Limitless Milky Way
Theme songs
Opening theme- LOVE Survivor (LOVEサバイバー, LOVE Sabaibā?)
- Lyrics: Kumiko Aoki, composition and arrangement: Yūichirō Oda, performance: HIT BOY
Ending theme
- Ichi Seikime no Angel (一世紀めのエンジェル, Ichi Seikime no Enjeru?)
- Lyrics: Kumiko Aoki, composition and arrangement: Yūichirō Oda, performance: HIT BOY