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Spider-Man (tokusatsu)
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The Japanese tokusatsu version of was a television series produced by Toei Company in 1978, based on Marvel's superhero of the same name.
This version of the famous web-slinging hero was part of a deal that Marvel made with Toei, namely that for a four-year period, Toei could use Marvel's characters in any way they saw fit. So in 1978, a Spider-Man tokusatsu series was produced for Japanese television by Toei Company Ltd. While Spider-Man's costume was certainly based on the original, the storyline had nothing to do with the Marvel character.
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Encyclopedia
The Japanese tokusatsu version of was a television series produced by Toei Company in 1978, based on Marvel's superhero of the same name.
This version of the famous web-slinging hero was part of a deal that Marvel made with Toei, namely that for a four-year period, Toei could use Marvel's characters in any way they saw fit. So in 1978, a Spider-Man tokusatsu series was produced for Japanese television by Toei Company Ltd. While Spider-Man's costume was certainly based on the original, the storyline had nothing to do with the Marvel character. The series had a major impact on other Japanese live-action (tokusatsu) shows, and in particular the Super Sentai series, by popularizing the use of piloted giant robots to destroy giant monsters. This series also introduced the formula of featuring monster battles on two scales in the same episode.
Plot
Young motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro sees a UFO falling to earth, in fact a combat spacecraft named the "Marveller". Takuya's father Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro, a space archaeologist, investigates the case. The incident also brings the attention of Professor Monster and his evil , an alien group that plans to rule the universe.
Cast
- Takuya Yamashiro/Spider-Man : Shinji Todo
- Professor Monster : Mitsuo Ando
- Niiko Yamashiro : Izumi Oyama
- Hitomi Sakuma : Rika Miura
- Amazone : Yukie Kagawa
- Narrator: Toru Ohira
Episode list
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Theme songs
Opening theme**Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
- Composition & Arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
- Artist: Yuki Hide
Ending theme**Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
- Composition & Arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
- Artist: Yuki Hide
DVD release
On December 9, 2005 Toei released the entire Spiderman series on a 7 disc DVD boxset in Japan.
Cultural references
- Apart from the costume and powers of the main character, this TV series has nothing to do with Ryoichi Ikegami's 1970 manga adaptation of Spider-Man or the original Spider-Man comics. Yet, was published by Akita Shoten in Bohken-Oh Magazine in 1978. This version was based on the TV series and included Leopardon and Marveller.
- This was the second series to have a superhero (as opposed to a costumed pilot) ride a giant robot, the first being Ganbaron. The success of this series led to the revival of the Sentai series as the "Super Sentai Series." "Battle Fever J" (1979), the third Sentai Series, was the first "Super Sentai," as the five heroes therein rode a giant robot. The first two Sentai shows Goranger and JAKQ were not official 'Super Sentai' shows until Toei decided to include them in the franchise in 1994.
- Spider-Man's transforming giant robot Leopardon (which transforms from the huge spacecraft Marveller, named in honor of the Marvel Comics Group) was featured in America in both Mattel's Shogun Warriors toy collection (only the 3" figure version, named "Leopardon") and Bandai America's Godaikin toy line (Bandai Japan's deluxe diecast toy with complete transforming features). However, only a few people in America knew that this robot was somehow tied with Spider-Man. A new Leopardon toy was produced in 2006 under Bandai's Soul of Chogokin line.
- One of the monsters in the show has a resemblance to Marvel's Ben Grimm, aka The Thing.
- Stan Lee, in an interview conducted by Toei, stated that he enjoyed the way Spider-Man was done, especially with Leopardon and the way that it was filmed. He also stated that he was invited by Toei to do a future sequel to Spider-Man with him doing the storyline.
- The series main villain resembles Dr. Doom.
English debut
Marvel has begun airing the series with English subtitles on its website, releasing an episode every Thursday, starting March 5, 2009.
Differences from the US Spider-Man
- In this version of the character, Spider-Man's costume was not worn under everyday street clothes. Instead, the super suit was released from a wrist device worn by the hero, Takuya. Upon activation, the costume would eject from the bracelet and spring through the air (much like the expanding costume for DC's The Flash when released by Barry Allen's ring), literally sweep down, and "cover" the young man from the top of his mask down to his feet. The scene would be quickly followed by a close shot of the hero zipping up the costume at the back at the neck, and then taking a heroic pose having transformed into the wall-crawler.
- Producers Tōru Hirayama and Susumu Yoshikawa originally wanted to make a series faithful to the famous web-slinger's origins, but Bandai, one of the sponsors, told the studio to add a giant robot (as giant robots were all the rage in Japan). Hirayama and Yoshikawa met their demand with complete incredulity, and they reluctantly rewrote Spidey's origins completely for the show.
Behind The Scenes
Toei's budget for special effects ran out by Episode 5, and after Episode 10, no more footage of Leopardon could be done. Rumor has it that someone had stolen the robot costume and thus the Leopardon was limited to stock footage, with new footage of the monster-of-the-week (reacting to and being destroyed by the "Swordvicker" attack) spliced in.
External links
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- (Includes an interview with Stan Lee with Japanese subtitles.)
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