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Spider-Man (tokusatsu)
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese 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 Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. From March 5 to December 24, 2009, Marvel uploaded English subtitled versions of all 41 episodes and the movie on their official website.
While Toei's version of the character wore the same costume as his Marvel counterpart, the show's storyline and the origin of the character's powers deviated completely from the source material. In addition to fighting by himself, this incarnation of Spider-Man also piloted a giant robot known as Leopardon, which he would summon to thwart off enlarged versions of the show's monsters. Toei would adopt the giant robot concept in subsequent incarnations of their own Super Sentai
franchise.
who was sent to the present via a time warp
. 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. 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
) and an animated television movie based on the comic book Tomb of Dracula
. In contrast, 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 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. 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. 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 Susumu Takaku (Key Hunter
, Mazinger Z
, G-Men '75
), who wrote 16 episodes and the movie, while former Tsuburaya writer Shōzō Uehara also wrote 15 episodes, including the first episode and the finale. 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.
, in fact a space warship named the "Marveller" from the planet "Spider". Takuya's father Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro, a space archaeologist, investigates the case, but is killed upon finding the spaceship. The incident also brings the attention of Professor Monster and his evil , an alien
group that plans to rule the universe.
Takuya follows his father to the Marveller and discovers the last survivor of Spider, who gives him a bracelet that gives him special spider-like powers and the ability to control the ship and transform it into a giant robot called "Leopardon" for battle. Using his powers, he fights Professor Monster's army and other threats to Earth under the name Spider-Man.
Takuya assumes the identity of Spider-Man when he dons the protective suit known as the Spider-Protector. He is genetically altered as a result of the Spider-Extract injected into his body by Garia, gaining spider-like abilities such as sticking and climbing into walls. Moreover, he can also detect the activities of nearby enemies with his Spider-Senses and his physical strength is greater than the average person. However, he has also inherited some of the same weaknesses actual spiders have, such as a strong sensitivity towards cold temperatures.
Spider-Man keeps his true identity a secret from the public, although his reputation among the public as a defender of justice is established early on. Spider-Man even gets a hit song named after him called the "Spider-Man Boogie". Only Juzo Mamiya and the staff of the Interpol Secret Intelligence Division become aware of Spider-Man's true identity, as they cooperate in various instances in order thwart the various schemes of the Iron Cross Army.
While Spider-Man spends most of the series fighting off Ninders (the Iron Cross Army's foot soldiers), he rarely finishes the Machine BEMs by himself, as they usually turn giant before Spider-Man has the chance to finish one off, forcing Spider-Man to summon Leopardon. Since he very rarely finishes an enemy by himself, always using Leopardon instead, Spider-Man occupies a peculiar position compared to other Japanese super-heroes, in which he has no finishing move or weapon to use such as Kamen Rider
's Rider Kick or Kikaider's Denji End.
When Spider-Man faces the enemy in each episode, he will introduce himself while performing a dramatic pose (a tradition also adapted in subsequent Super Sentai shows). The catch-phrase he uses to introduced also varies between episodes. Toei's version of Spider-Man rarely uses his web shooter to swing between buildings, as his main mode of transportation is a car called the Spider Machine GP-7, along with an aircraft called the Marveller (his web shooter instead shoots a rope which he latches onto things and he swings with it using both hands like Tarzan). There are also moments where Spider-Man doesn't use any of his vehicles and moves on foot instead. The scenes of Spider-Man walking in downtown Shinjuku in Episode 23 were shot guerrilla style, since the producers did not ask for a permit to film those scenes
: A bracelet wore around Spider-Man's left wrist, it substitutes the web shooters from his Marvel counterpart. It also used to store the Spider Protector when Takuya is not wearing it. Like the web shooters, the Spider Bracelet can shoot nets and Strings made from a special type of liquid called "Spider Fluid", which is stored within the bracelet and are produced infinitely. The bracelet is also equipped with a homing device that allows Spider-Man to summon the GP-7 or Marveller. No toy version of the Spider Bracelet was ever made during the run of the show's airing, while related products and manga adaptations omitted the bracelet altogether. Moreover, a lighter version of the Spider Bracelet prop was built specifically for action scenes, since the one used in close shots was too heavy for the suit actor to wear during stunts.
: A rope made of spider webbing shot from Spider-Man's Spider Bracelet. It can pull objects that weight more than a hundred tons.
: A net made of spider webbing also shot from Spider-Man's Spider Bracelet. It is used to capture a group of enemies at once.
Leopardon is equipped with the following types of weapons, which are used accordingly to the situation.
: A flying rocket punch capable of destroying walls with five feet of thickness.
: The decoration on Leopardon's head flies around like a boomerang. It emits a ray of light while flying.
: A rope that attaches into objects that is launched from its chest.
: A shield created from an energy panel emitted by both of Leopardon's lower legs, it takes the shape of a spider webbing. This shield is shown in promotional materials and stills, but was never actually used in the show.
: A sword attached to Leopardon's right leg, Leopardon never actually wields it in combat, throwing it instead for its finishing move against the Machine BEMs. It is a powerful weapon due to its capability of destroying most Machine BEMs in a single blow.
Leopardon is said to be the "mightiest instant killing giant robot in the history of tokusatsu programming" according to Toei's official site for the Japanese DVD release of the series.
In reality, only the first few episodes of the series featured actual battle scenes between Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMs, but as the series progressed the dramatic portions of the episodes were made longer, while battle scenes were made shorter in order to keep up with the running time. Because of this, there were numerous episodes in which Leopardon would immediately throw his sword immediately after transforming from Marveller, finishing off the Machine BEM in each episode in a single blow. In the end, Leopardon does not suffer any damages, not even during the final battle against the giant version of Professor Monster, who is finished off with the Sword Vigor throw like most of the previous Machine BEMs.
Moreover, Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMs rarely appeared together in the same shots, and most of the giant-sized battles involved Leopardon in one shot and the Machine BEM in another launching projectiles at each other. This was because the know-how on building a special effects costume imitating a giant robot was still rather primitive at the time and due to its large size, it often dwarfed the stuntmen in the Machine BEM suits. Due to structural problems, the Leopardon suit was difficulty for the stuntman to move in and during the course of the series, the suit was damaged and later lost. As a result, all future fight scenes with Leopardon could only be made using stock footage
of previous fights.
As a result, many of the later episodes had Leopardon finishing off each monster as a quickly as possible, making the robot look more powerful than the writers originally intended it to be. Toei's experience with Leopardon would later help them in filming the giant robot battles for their later Super Sentai
franchise.
Ending theme
Because of the aforementioned licensing deal between Toei and Marvel, Toei cannot use the Spider-Man character, nor reprint any photographs or illustrations of the character from the series without paying licensing fees to Marvel. On the other hand, characters and other elements exclusive to Toei's television series (such as the villains and the giant robot Leopardon), are exempt from these legal issues, as these were creations of Toei.
As a result, only a single VHS
collection of episodes (which featured episodes 1, 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 a long period. The 1995 superhero guidebook (published by Takeshobo) was the last time Toei was allowed to officially publish a photograph of Spider-Man. In every official book and source published afterward, Toei was allowed to cover their Spider-Man television series, but they were not allowed to republish photographs of Spider-Man 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 included all 41 episodes and the movie on seven discs, as well as a booklet which republished every publicity still Toei shot for the series that included Spider-Man. Later, on 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. However, Toei has advertised the DVD set as the first and last time they will re-release the series, and as a result Toei's Spider-Man movie was excluded in the Toei Tokusatsu Hero: The Movie Box set.
On March 5, 2009, Marvel began broadcasting the series to an international audience for the first time ever on their official video streaming website. A different episode (including the movie version) was uploaded every week until the entire was available on December 17 of the same year. These episodes are shown in their original Japanese audio with English subtitles.
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 live-action television series produced by Toei Company
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
, loosely based on 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 Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
character. The series lasted 41 episodes, which aired on the Wednesday 19:30 JST
Japan Standard Time
Japan Standard Time or JST is the standard timezone of Japan, and is 9 hours ahead of UTC. For example, when it is midnight in UTC, it is 09:00 in Japan Standard Time. There is no daylight saving time, though its introduction has been debated several times. Japan Standard Time is the same as...
time slot of Tokyo Channel 12 from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979. A theatrical episode was also shown in the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. From March 5 to December 24, 2009, Marvel uploaded English subtitled versions of all 41 episodes and the movie on their official website.
While Toei's version of the character wore the same costume as his Marvel counterpart, the show's storyline and the origin of the character's powers deviated completely from the source material. In addition to fighting by himself, this incarnation of Spider-Man also piloted a giant robot known as Leopardon, which he would summon to thwart off enlarged versions of the show's monsters. Toei would adopt the giant robot concept in subsequent incarnations of their own Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
franchise.
Production
The show was the result of a three-years licensing agreement with Marvel that allowed both to use each others' 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 TakeruYamato Takeru
, originally Prince Ousu was a Japanese legendary prince of the Yamato dynasty, son of Keikō of Yamato, a legendary monarch who is traditionally counted as the 12th Tennō or Emperor of Japan. The tragic tale of this impressive figure is told in the Japanese chronicles Kojiki and Nihon Shoki...
who was sent to the present via a time warp
Time warp
The terms time warp, space warp and time-space warp are commonly used in science fiction. They sometimes refer to Einstein's theory that time and space form a continuum which bends, folds or warps from the observer's point of view, relative to such factors as movement or gravitation, but are also...
. 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. Other productions by Toei as a result of this licensing deal included Battle Fever J
Battle Fever J
is a Japanese TV series, being the third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise. It was co-produced by Toei Company and TV Asahi and aired on TV Asahi on February 3, 1979 - January 26, 1980 with a total of 52 episodes...
(a show originally conceived about a Japanese counterpart of Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
) and an animated television movie based on the comic book Tomb of Dracula
Tomb of Dracula
The Tomb of Dracula is a horror comic book series published by Marvel Comics from April 1972 to August 1979. The 70-issue series featured a group of vampire hunters who fought Count Dracula and other supernatural menaces...
. In contrast, Marvel would use the main robots from two of Toei's anime programs, Wakusei Robo Danguard Ace
Wakusei Robo Danguard Ace
is a Japanese science fiction anime series created by Leiji Matsumoto with Dan Kobayashi. It was licensed by Jim Terry Productions as part of the Force Five promotion as simply "Danguard Ace"...
and Chōdenji Robo Combattler V, in their comic book adaptation of the Shogun Warriors
Shogun Warriors
The Shogun Warriors were the central characters of a line of toys licensed by Mattel Inc. during the late 1970s that consisted of a series of imported Japanese robots based on the then popular anime shows featuring giant robots...
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
Godaikin
Godaikin or GoDaiKin was a line of Super Robot toys released by Bandai America from 1982 to 1985, composed of figures from Popy series such as Chogokin and Popinika.-History:...
line.
Although the show's story was criticized for bearing almost no resemblance to the Marvel version, the staff at Marvel Comics, including Spider-Man's co-creator 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....
, praised the show for its special effects and stunt work, especially the spider-like movement of the character himself. 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
Chogokin
is Japanese for "Super Alloy" and is a fictitious material which first appeared in Go Nagai's Mazinger Z manga and anime. It was later adopted by Popy in 1972 as the name of a new line of die-cast metal robot and character toys sold in Japan...
toyline and became an unprecedented success in the market, which contributed to the TV series' popularity as well. The success of the show made Toei introduce the giant robot concept to their Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
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 Susumu Takaku (Key Hunter
Key Hunter
was a prime-time television detective series in Japan. It aired on Saturday nights in the 9:00–9:56 p.m. time slot on the Tokyo Broadcasting System network from April 6, 1968 to April 7, 1973...
, Mazinger Z
Mazinger Z
, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...
, G-Men '75
G-Men '75
was a long-running prime-time television detective series in Japan. It aired on Saturday nights in the 9:00–9:54 p.m. time slot on the Tokyo Broadcasting System network from May 24, 1975 to April 3, 1982. A sequel, G-Men '82, followed, as did various specials. With several updates and cast...
), who wrote 16 episodes and the movie, while former Tsuburaya writer Shōzō Uehara also wrote 15 episodes, including the first episode and the finale. 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.
Plot
Young motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro sees a UFO falling to earthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, in fact a space warship named the "Marveller" from the planet "Spider". Takuya's father Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro, a space archaeologist, investigates the case, but is killed upon finding the spaceship. The incident also brings the attention of Professor Monster and his evil , an alien
Extraterrestrial life in popular culture
In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...
group that plans to rule the universe.
Takuya follows his father to the Marveller and discovers the last survivor of Spider, who gives him a bracelet that gives him special spider-like powers and the ability to control the ship and transform it into a giant robot called "Leopardon" for battle. Using his powers, he fights Professor Monster's army and other threats to Earth under the name Spider-Man.
Spider-Man
In this series, Spider-Man's civilian identity is that of , a 22-year-old motocross racer. He has the ability to perceive threats from the Iron Cross Army with his Spider-senses. He fights the Iron Cross Army in order to avenge his father's death. To conceal his superhero identity, Takuya acts as a weakling in front of his friends on purpose. As a result, Takuya gets chastised by his friends whenever he runs away from danger and is often compared unfavorably to Spider-Man. Moreover, his financial income as a motorcycle racer decreases after becoming Spider-Man due to his reduced participation in races, forcing him to assist Hitomi in her job to pay for his expenses.Takuya assumes the identity of Spider-Man when he dons the protective suit known as the Spider-Protector. He is genetically altered as a result of the Spider-Extract injected into his body by Garia, gaining spider-like abilities such as sticking and climbing into walls. Moreover, he can also detect the activities of nearby enemies with his Spider-Senses and his physical strength is greater than the average person. However, he has also inherited some of the same weaknesses actual spiders have, such as a strong sensitivity towards cold temperatures.
Spider-Man keeps his true identity a secret from the public, although his reputation among the public as a defender of justice is established early on. Spider-Man even gets a hit song named after him called the "Spider-Man Boogie". Only Juzo Mamiya and the staff of the Interpol Secret Intelligence Division become aware of Spider-Man's true identity, as they cooperate in various instances in order thwart the various schemes of the Iron Cross Army.
While Spider-Man spends most of the series fighting off Ninders (the Iron Cross Army's foot soldiers), he rarely finishes the Machine BEMs by himself, as they usually turn giant before Spider-Man has the chance to finish one off, forcing Spider-Man to summon Leopardon. Since he very rarely finishes an enemy by himself, always using Leopardon instead, Spider-Man occupies a peculiar position compared to other Japanese super-heroes, in which he has no finishing move or weapon to use such as Kamen Rider
Kamen Rider
, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
's Rider Kick or Kikaider's Denji End.
When Spider-Man faces the enemy in each episode, he will introduce himself while performing a dramatic pose (a tradition also adapted in subsequent Super Sentai shows). The catch-phrase he uses to introduced also varies between episodes. Toei's version of Spider-Man rarely uses his web shooter to swing between buildings, as his main mode of transportation is a car called the Spider Machine GP-7, along with an aircraft called the Marveller (his web shooter instead shoots a rope which he latches onto things and he swings with it using both hands like Tarzan). There are also moments where Spider-Man doesn't use any of his vehicles and moves on foot instead. The scenes of Spider-Man walking in downtown Shinjuku in Episode 23 were shot guerrilla style, since the producers did not ask for a permit to film those scenes
Equipment
: The proper name of Takuya's Spider-Man costume in the show. Unlike his Marvel counterpart, Takuya keeps his outfit stored inside his Spider Bracelet and wears it only when changing identities. When Takuya releases it from his bracelet, it instantly wraps into his body, allowing Takuya to change into it easily. It is said that only one of the original suits used during the filming of the show has been preserved. The suit that was preserved was the same one that was used during the interview with Stan Lee on the DVD set of the series. When the Japanese Spider-Man suit was seen by American fans on the streets during a photo shoot, many of them were not used to the bracelet on his wrist and asked why Spider-Man was wearing a "silly-looking watch".: A bracelet wore around Spider-Man's left wrist, it substitutes the web shooters from his Marvel counterpart. It also used to store the Spider Protector when Takuya is not wearing it. Like the web shooters, the Spider Bracelet can shoot nets and Strings made from a special type of liquid called "Spider Fluid", which is stored within the bracelet and are produced infinitely. The bracelet is also equipped with a homing device that allows Spider-Man to summon the GP-7 or Marveller. No toy version of the Spider Bracelet was ever made during the run of the show's airing, while related products and manga adaptations omitted the bracelet altogether. Moreover, a lighter version of the Spider Bracelet prop was built specifically for action scenes, since the one used in close shots was too heavy for the suit actor to wear during stunts.
: A rope made of spider webbing shot from Spider-Man's Spider Bracelet. It can pull objects that weight more than a hundred tons.
: A net made of spider webbing also shot from Spider-Man's Spider Bracelet. It is used to capture a group of enemies at once.
Spider Machine GP-7
The is Spider-Man's flying car. The car is equipped with machine guns and missile launchers inside its bonnet. It is usually stored inside the Marveller aircraft and exits the ship from the rear side of its bridge.Marveller
The is the spacecraft that Garia came to Earth with. It is 45 meters tall and weights over 25,000 tons. It is usually stored underground and surfaces by cracking the ground whenever Spider-Man summons it. The ship's bridge is shaped like a leopard's head, which is where Leopardon's head is stored, and cracks left and right when transforming into robot mode (when it becomes Leopardon, the bridge is located inside its back). Although it's shape might not seem suitable to fly within the Earth's atmosphere, it has the capability of flying at a speed of Mach 15. It is capable of flying to outer space at the speed of light. Because Marveller is usually transformed immediately into Leopardon whenever Spider-Man boards it, it is rarely seen in spacecraft mode. The Marveller is primarily equipped with cannons on its bow, which are capable of destroying most Machine BEMs.Leopardon
is a giant robot that Marveller can transform into. It is over 60 meters tall and has a weight of over 25,000 tons. According to Murakami, the name may have been taken from the German battle tank Leopard.Weapons
Leopardon is equipped with the following types of weapons, which are used accordingly to the situation.
: A flying rocket punch capable of destroying walls with five feet of thickness.
: The decoration on Leopardon's head flies around like a boomerang. It emits a ray of light while flying.
: A rope that attaches into objects that is launched from its chest.
: A shield created from an energy panel emitted by both of Leopardon's lower legs, it takes the shape of a spider webbing. This shield is shown in promotional materials and stills, but was never actually used in the show.
: A sword attached to Leopardon's right leg, Leopardon never actually wields it in combat, throwing it instead for its finishing move against the Machine BEMs. It is a powerful weapon due to its capability of destroying most Machine BEMs in a single blow.
Apparent invincibility
Leopardon is said to be the "mightiest instant killing giant robot in the history of tokusatsu programming" according to Toei's official site for the Japanese DVD release of the series.
In reality, only the first few episodes of the series featured actual battle scenes between Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMs, but as the series progressed the dramatic portions of the episodes were made longer, while battle scenes were made shorter in order to keep up with the running time. Because of this, there were numerous episodes in which Leopardon would immediately throw his sword immediately after transforming from Marveller, finishing off the Machine BEM in each episode in a single blow. In the end, Leopardon does not suffer any damages, not even during the final battle against the giant version of Professor Monster, who is finished off with the Sword Vigor throw like most of the previous Machine BEMs.
Moreover, Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMs rarely appeared together in the same shots, and most of the giant-sized battles involved Leopardon in one shot and the Machine BEM in another launching projectiles at each other. This was because the know-how on building a special effects costume imitating a giant robot was still rather primitive at the time and due to its large size, it often dwarfed the stuntmen in the Machine BEM suits. Due to structural problems, the Leopardon suit was difficulty for the stuntman to move in and during the course of the series, the suit was damaged and later lost. As a result, all future fight scenes with Leopardon could only be made using stock footage
Stock footage
Stock footage, and similarly, archive footage, library pictures and file footage are film or video footage that may or may not be custom shot for use in a specific film or television program. Stock footage is of beneficial use to filmmakers as it is sometimes less expensive than shooting new...
of previous fights.
As a result, many of the later episodes had Leopardon finishing off each monster as a quickly as possible, making the robot look more powerful than the writers originally intended it to be. Toei's experience with Leopardon would later help them in filming the giant robot battles for their later Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
franchise.
Introductory catch-phrases
As described above, Spider-Man would stand before the enemy in a dramatic pose, while using a different catch-phrase depending on the situation (in the early episodes, he would often introduce himself as the "Messenger from Hell, Spider-Man" or the "Iron Cross Killer, Spider-Man"). After introducing himself, a version of show's theme song would play as background music as Spider-Man begins to fight. The same shot of Spider-Man conducting the pose would be used repeatedly a couple of times before battle.Allies
- Takuya's girlfriend, a 20-years-old freelance photographer. She is the only person besides Spider-Man to ride the Spider Machine GP-7.
- Takuya's 18-years-old younger sister, who takes care of the household chores for the Yamashiro residence.
- Takuya's 7-years-old younger brother.
- Takuya's father. An astronomer who is killed during the first episode after his research led to the discovery of the Iron Cross Army.
- An alien from Planet Spider. 400 years prior to the event of the first episode, he pursued the Iron Cross Army in search of vengeance after his homeworld was destroyed by them, but crash landed into the Earth and was imprisoned in an underground cave for centuries. He is the one injects the Spider Extract to Takuya.
- An investigator in charge of Interpol's Secret Intelligence Division. He manages to uncover the fact that Spider-Man is Takuya and asks for his assistance in their mutual battle against the Iron Cross Army. From that moment onward, Takuya receives a radio transmitter from him, which allows Spider-Man to rendezvous with Interpol and vice-versa.
Iron Cross Army
The are the main villains of the series. They are an alien army that has destroyed numerous galaxies in their path of conquest.- The leader of the Iron Cross Army. He was responsible for the destruction of Planet Spider and 400 years afterward, he seeks to conquer the Earth as well. The blood of other lifeforms serves as the source of his immortality. In the final episode, he enlarges himself and turns into "Big Monster", but is defeated by a single strike of Leopardon's "Sword Vicker" attack
- The female commander of the Iron Cross Army. She is in charge of espionage and the planning of attacks. Has the ability to assume numerous disguises. From the beginning of the series, she assumes the identity of , the editor of Weekly Woman magazine. After Spider-Man sees through Saeko's true identity, she disappears from her job and Weekly Woman is discontinued shortly afterward. Although she suspects that Takuya is really Spider-Man, she is unable to prove this without a doubt until the final episode. Her outfit changes throughout the course of the series: she wars a black leotard with her own natural hair for the first 18 episodes; a silver mini-skirt outfit and a red hairpiece for episodes 19 throughout 30 and 32; the same outfit but with a black hairpiece for episodes 31 and 33 to 38; and her original leotard outfit with a hairpiece for the final three episodes.
- Two ancient female warriors from an uncharted region of the Amazon whose mummified bodies were resurrected by Professor Monster. Bella uses with a bow with poisonous arrows, while Rita wields a machine-gun.
- Biological weapons created by the Iron Cross Army. A new Machine Bem is usually created for each plot, usually to carry out the Iron Cross Army's plans or to serve as a bodyguard. The origins of the Machine Bems are never fully clarified, although a few of them (like Samson) are actually genetically modified humans, while others (like the Monster Cat) were apparitions brought back to life. The Machine Bems have the ability to change size at will, changing not only to giant size, but also to small palm sizes as well (such as the case with Kabuton). Their ability to enlarge themselves is never actually explained.
- The foot soldiers of the Iron Cross Army. They disguise themselves as humans while conducting undercover missions in public, but are still identifiable by the exposed circuits behind their ears and their metallic hands.
Episode list
Movie
A theatrical version of Spider-Man was shown on the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1979. It was directed by series director Kōichi Takemoto and written by Susumu Takaku. The movie was the first appearance of the character of Juzo Mamiya, who subsequently appeared in three episodes of the series (episodes 11, 12 and 14). Because of this, the movie takes place between episodes 10 and 11. In Marvel's video site for the series, the movie is listed as "Episode 0".Cast
- Takuya Yamashiro: Shinji Todō (all episodes)
- Hitomi Sakuma: Rika MiuraRika Miurais a Japanese actress. She was born in Iwaizumi, Iwate and moved to Saitama Prefecture as a child. She graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Yoyogi High School....
(ep. 1-12, 14-15, 17-18, 20-41) - Shinko Yamashiro: Izumi Ōyama (ep. 1-39, 41)
- Takuji Yamashiro: Yoshiharu Yabuki (ep. 1-16, 18-24, 26-27, 29-33, 35-39, 41)
- Professor Monster: Mitsuo Andō (all episodes)
- Amazoness: Yukie Kagawa (all episodes)
- Garia:Toshiaki Nishizawa (ep. 1-2)
- Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro: Fuyuki Murakami (ep. 1)
- Jūzō Mamiya: Noboru Nakaya (Movie, ep. 11-12, 14)
- Rita: Rie Rinehart (ep. 35-41)
- Bella: Tina Margo (ep. 35-38), Wanita Somaborudo (ep. 39-41)
- Narrator: Tōru ŌhiraToru Ohirais a male Japanese narrator and voice actor from the Tokyo Metropolitan area. He is a representative of Ōhira Production.One of his most known roles is the dub voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars...
(all episodes) - Spider-Man's suit actor: Hirofumi Koga (all episodes), Ryusuke Sakitsu (ep. 17, 18)
- Voice of various Machine BEMs: Shōzō IizukaShozo Iizukais a male Japanese voice actor from Fukushima Prefecture who is affiliated with Sigma Seven. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University....
(ep. 1-7, 13-21, 26, 28-38, Movie) - Voice of various Machine BEMs: Hisako KyōdaHisako Kyodais a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo who, among other roles, voiced Slappy Squirrel in the Japanese dub of Animaniacs. She is most known for the roles of Genkai , Omusubiman , and Yukari Godai...
(ep. 8, 23) - Voice of various Machine BEMs: Shin AomoriShin Aomoriis a Japanese voice actor who works for Sigma Seven. His real name is . He lives in Aomori Prefecture. With his distinctive grim voice, he is best known as the Japanese voice of Doctor Drakken in Kim Possible and Kibit in Dragon Ball Z....
(ep. 24-25)
Staff
- Producer: Susumu Yoshikawa (Toei), Hiroshi Ishikawa (Tokyo Channel 12)
- Creator: Saburo YatsudeSaburo Yatsudeis a collective pen name used by Toei Company television producers when contributing to their various anime and tokusatsu series, whereas Izumi Todo is solely Toei Animation...
(based on the Marvel ComicsMarvel ComicsMarvel 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...
character Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
) - Manga adaptations serialized in: Terebi Magazine, Otomodachi, Tanoshii Yōchien, Terebi Land, Bōken-ō
- Music composer: Michiaki Watanabe
- Music producer: Andante
- Music performers: Colombia Percussion Ensemble (catalog number: Columbia Record CQ-7010)
- Character designer: Kikakusha 104, Muneo Kubo
- Costume production: Ekisu Production
- Screenplays: Shōzō Uehara, Susumu Takaku, Kuniaki Oshikawa, Hirohisa Soda, Mikio Matsushita
- Directors: Kōichi Takemoto, Katsuhiko Taguchi, Takaharu Saeki, Kimio Hirayama, Hideo Tanaka, Yoshiakia Kobayashi
- Stunt Coordinators: Osamu Kaneda, Junji Yamaoki (Japan Action Club)
- Special Effects Director: Nobuo Yajima (uncredited in the show)
- Assistant Directors: Masao Minowa and others
- Producing Companies: ToeiToei Companyis a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
, Toei Advertising, Tokyo Channel 12
Theme songs
Opening theme-
- Lyrics: Saburo YatsudeSaburo Yatsudeis a collective pen name used by Toei Company television producers when contributing to their various anime and tokusatsu series, whereas Izumi Todo is solely Toei Animation...
- Composition & Arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
- Artist: Yuki HideYuki Hideoften credited as Hideyuki or Yuuki Hide, was a singer best known for singing theme songs to anime and tokusatsu. He is best known for the theme of Spider-Man...
- Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
Ending theme
-
- Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
- Composition & Arrangement: Chumei Watanabe
- Artist: Yuki Hide
Availability
As a result, only a single VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
collection of episodes (which featured episodes 1, 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 a long period. The 1995 superhero guidebook (published by Takeshobo) was the last time Toei was allowed to officially publish a photograph of Spider-Man. In every official book and source published afterward, Toei was allowed to cover their Spider-Man television series, but they were not allowed to republish photographs of Spider-Man 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 included all 41 episodes and the movie on seven discs, as well as a booklet which republished every publicity still Toei shot for the series that included Spider-Man. Later, on July 2006, Bandai released a series of toys related to the Toei's Spider-Man TV series, such as the Soul of Chogokin
Soul of Chogokin
or "Soul of Super-alloy", is a popular line of adult collector's toys produced by the Japanese company Bandai.The line, which began in 1997, focuses almost exclusively on mecha taken from various 70's/80's anime series, although the line has diverged from this on a number of occasions, most...
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. However, Toei has advertised the DVD set as the first and last time they will re-release the series, and as a result Toei's Spider-Man movie was excluded in the Toei Tokusatsu Hero: The Movie Box set.
On March 5, 2009, Marvel began broadcasting the series to an international audience for the first time ever on their official video streaming website. A different episode (including the movie version) was uploaded every week until the entire was available on December 17 of the same year. These episodes are shown in their original Japanese audio with English subtitles.
Cultural references
- Apart from the costume and powers of the main character, this TV series is unrelated to Ryoichi IkegamiRyoichi Ikegamiis a manga artist. He was assistant to manga artist Shigeru Mizuki in 1966. In 2001, he won the Shogakukan Manga Award for general manga as the artist of Heat. He became a professor at Osaka University of Arts in 2005...
's earlier manga adaptation of Spider-ManSpider-Man: The MangaSpider-Man: The Manga is a Japanese manga illustrated by Ryoichi Ikegami which retold the story of Spider-Man in a Japanese setting. It was originally published in Japan from January 1970 to September 1971 in Monthly Shōnen Magazine....
or the original Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
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. - After the completion of Spider-Man, Toei began developed a new show with Marvel that would have starred a Japanese counterpart of Captain AmericaCaptain AmericaCaptain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
named Captain Japan. However, the show was retooled during developed and aired as Battle Fever JBattle Fever Jis a Japanese TV series, being the third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise. It was co-produced by Toei Company and TV Asahi and aired on TV Asahi on February 3, 1979 - January 26, 1980 with a total of 52 episodes...
, the third installment of Toei's Super SentaiSuper SentaiThe is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
series. - This was the second series to have a superhero (as opposed to a costumed pilot) ride a giant robot, the first being GanbaronGanbaronwas a 1977 Japanese tokusatsu live action television show featuring Japan's own version of American superhero Superman. It was the third in the Baron series, following Red Baron in 1973 and Mach Baron in 1974....
. 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. - 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). A new Leopardon toy was produced in 2006 under Bandai's Soul of ChogokinSoul of Chogokinor "Soul of Super-alloy", is a popular line of adult collector's toys produced by the Japanese company Bandai.The line, which began in 1997, focuses almost exclusively on mecha taken from various 70's/80's anime series, although the line has diverged from this on a number of occasions, most...
line. - One of the monsters in the show has a resemblance to Marvel's Ben Grimm, aka The ThingThing (comics)The Thing is a fictional character, a founding member of the superhero team known as the Fantastic Four in the Marvel Comics universe. He was created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in The Fantastic Four #1...
, having similar rock-like skin. - 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....
, 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 show was lampooned on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel LiveJimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...
, referencing the release of the Japanese Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
trailer. - The show was also lampooned on an episode of Late Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'BrienLate Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...
. - The series main villain, Professor Monster, resembles Dr. Doom.
External links
- Japanese Spider-Man Movie Hub at Marvel.com
- Stomp Tokyo Review
- Japan Hero's Information on the series
- Website for the 8 Disc DVD Boxset (Includes an interview with 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....
with Japanese subtitles.) - Information on the Leopardon toy.
- Pictures of the manga version by Mitsuru Sugaya (Japanese)
- Supaidâman / Spider-Man at the Henshin Hall Of Fame