Tetsujin 28-go
Encyclopedia
is a 1956 manga
written and illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama
, who also created Giant Robo
. The series centred on the adventures of a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda, who controlled a giant robot named Tetsujin 28, built by his late father.
The manga was later adapted into four anime
TV series, the first in 1963. It was the first Japanese series to feature a giant robot. The 1963 series was later released in America as Gigantor
. A live action motion picture with heavy use of computer generated graphics was produced in Japan in 2005.
intended to help save the Japanese Empire. After twenty-seven failed attempts, Dr. Kaneda completes a three-stories high, remote-controlled robot. The robot is officially named Tetsujin 28-go. The war, however, is already over, and Dr. Kaneda dies of heart failure shortly after completing Tetsujin 28. Rather than becoming the military's key weapon, Tetsujin 28 is given to Dr. Kaneda's ten-year-old son, Shotaro. Under Shotaro's control, Tetsujin is put to work stopping criminals and enemy robots.
's Shōnen Magazine from July 1956 to May 1966, for a total of 97 chapters. The series was collected into 12 tankōbon
volumes, which are re-released every ten years.
's Astro Boy, was influenced by the artist's wartime experiences. In Yokoyama's case, this was through the bombing of Kobe in World War II
.
As he had written in Ushio magazine in 1995, "When I was a fifth-grader, the war ended and I returned home from Tottori Prefecture
, where I had been evacuated. The city of Kobe had been totally flattened, reduced to ashes. People said it was because of the B-29 bombers...as a child, I was astonished by their terrifying, destructive power." Another influence on Tetsujin's creation was the Vergeltungswaffen, a set of wonder weapons
designed for long-range strategic bombing during World War II, and the idea that Nazi Germany possessed an "ace in the hole to reverse [its] waning fortunes". The third work to inspire Yokoyama's creation was the 1931 film Frankenstein
, which shaped Yokoyama's belief that the monster itself is neither good or evil.
and the TMS animation studio converted the series into The New Adventures of Gigantor and had it broadcast on America's Sci-Fi Channel
from September 9, 1993 to June 30, 1997.
, the 2004 remake takes place ten years after World War II
, approximately the same time as the manga debuted. The new TV series has been released in the United States under its original name Tetsujin-28 by Geneon
and in the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment
, the first time a Tetsujin-28 property has not been localized to "Gigantor" in America or other English speaking nations. The television series focused mainly on Shotaro's pursuit to control and fully understand Tetsujin's capabilities, all the while encountering previous creations and scientists from the Tetsujin Project. While not fully based on the original manga, it followed an extremely different storyline than in the 1960s series.
On March 31, 2007, a feature length film, entitled "Tetsujin 28-go: Hakuchu no Zangetsu" (which translates as "Tetsujin #28: The Daytime Moon") was released in Japanese theaters. The film used the same character designs and scenery as the 2004 TV series, albeit the movie remade the series from the beginning. Among the changes, a new character "Shoutarou" debuted, Shotaro's older half-brother who was in the same airforce troop as Ryuusaku Murasame. As well, a character named Tsuki, with a heavily-bandaged body, attempts to murder Shotaro. There are currently no announced plans to release the film in other countries, despite the film's large success in Asia.
, revealed screenshots from a computer-animated teaser video featuring Black Ox and Tetsujin. On January 9, 2009, the Japanese animation company Hikari Productions and IMAGI launched the project's website. The teaser features Dr. Franken with nearly the same name that he had in the 2005 movie, him also being the leader of a terrorist organization, and Shotaro being designed to look more like Daisaku from Giant Robo: The Animation. The movie has not yet been finalized, as its further production depends on worldwide success of the Astro Boy movie
. Idlewild director Bryan Barber recently expressed interest in pitching a Hollywood film version of Gigantor, and allegedly has the merchandising rights to the property.
, all of the character names were changed, and the wartime setting removed. Mainly, Shotaro Kaneda became Jimmy Sparks, Dr. Shikishima became Dr. Bob Brilliant, Inspector Otsuka became Inspector Ignatz J. Blooper, and Kenji Murasame became Dick Strong. The series' time period was pushed forward to be in the year 2000. The 1980 TV series was also exported to America in 1993, retitled as The New Adventures of Gigantor, with most of Fred Ladd's names intact. The 2004 TV series, released on by Geneon
, retained all of its original names.
series that was based on many of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's works. Kenji Murasame appears as an immortal special agent in Paris. In the manga Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Burned
, Chief Otsuka, Ryusaku and Kenji Murasame appear throughout the battles. In one of the Giant Robo parodic spin-off OVAs, the "Ginrei Special", a version of the original Tetsujin appears under the name "Jintetsu." As well, in the third OVA, there is a Shotaro lookalike named Ruudo who lives in the desert.
In both the anime and manga of Akira
, the main character is named Shotaro Kaneda, and there is also a Colonel Shikishima. Tetsuo is also the name of Kaneda's friend and eventual nemesis in Akira.
The anime was also spoofed on an Saturday Night Live
parody from TV Funhouse
called Torboto, in which there is a Tetsujin lookalike that is fitted with torture devices. Torboto ends up torturing at Guantanamo Bay, and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney appear drawn in a style very close to Yokoyama's.
Tetsujin 28 gets a mention in 20th Century Boys
.
Toys of the robot are featured in the original Macross
and episode 22 of Dirty Pair
.
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...
written and illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama
Mitsuteru Yokoyama
was a Japanese manga artist born in Suma-ku, Kobe-shi, Hyogo. His personal name was originally spelled , with the same pronunciation. His works include Tetsujin 28-go, Giant Robo, Akakage, Babel II, Sally, the Witch, Princess Comet, and adaptations of the Chinese classics Outlaws of the Marsh and...
, who also created Giant Robo
Giant Robo
is an original video animation series written and directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa , and inspired by Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga series of the same name....
. The series centred on the adventures of a young boy named Shotaro Kaneda, who controlled a giant robot named Tetsujin 28, built by his late father.
The manga was later adapted into four 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....
TV series, the first in 1963. It was the first Japanese series to feature a giant robot. The 1963 series was later released in America as Gigantor
Gigantor
Gigantor is an American adaptation of the anime version of Tetsujin 28-go, a manga by Mitsuteru Yokoyama released in 1956. It debuted on U.S. television in 1964. As with Speed Racer, the characters' original names were altered and the original series' violence was toned down for American viewers...
. A live action motion picture with heavy use of computer generated graphics was produced in Japan in 2005.
Plot
During the final days of World War II, the Japanese military is secretly developing a superweaponSuperweapon
A superweapon is an extremely powerful weapon by the standards of its time and its scale. Examples include the Tsar Bomba , various superguns and other various weapons employed to give a decisive advantage over opposing countries or forces. The given advantage is usually based on intimidation and...
intended to help save the Japanese Empire. After twenty-seven failed attempts, Dr. Kaneda completes a three-stories high, remote-controlled robot. The robot is officially named Tetsujin 28-go. The war, however, is already over, and Dr. Kaneda dies of heart failure shortly after completing Tetsujin 28. Rather than becoming the military's key weapon, Tetsujin 28 is given to Dr. Kaneda's ten-year-old son, Shotaro. Under Shotaro's control, Tetsujin is put to work stopping criminals and enemy robots.
Characters
: The ten-year-old son of Dr. Kaneda. He is Tetsujin's assigned controller, with a deep emotional attachment to the robot. Shotaro is a boy detective famous throughout Tokyo, and in the manga, 1963 series, and 2004 series, can be seen frequently driving a car.: Dr. Kaneda's assistant, later Shotaro's mentor and guardian. He is caring and very dedicated to his work, but usually looks serious and deadpan. He is married, and has a son named Tetsuo.: The Chief of Tokyo Police. He is warm in personality and very enthusiastic, which isn't to say he doesn't take his job seriously. He is very close to Shikishima and also takes care of Shotaro, even acting as a surrogate father in the 2004 series.: A former intelligence officer who begins to help Otsuka and Shotaro's work. His appearances in the 1960s and 2004 series are startkly different; he is immediately Shotaro's ally in the 1960s, but in the 2004 series, his brothers Ryuusaku and Tatsu are killed during Tetsujin's revival, causing him to seek revenge for several episodes. In the original manga, he and Ryuusaku are the leaders of a criminal organization.: A reclusive mad scientist who created the robot Black Ox. He is calm and very knowledgeable, but unfortunately uses his talents to create dangerous robots. In the original version of the 1960s series, his name is Dr. Black Dog.: An American man who volunteered himself to be turned into an android as part of a wartime experiment. As a result, his body is entirely robotic with the exception of his brain, and is often covered in bandages. In the 2004 series, he steals his brother Johnson's identity in order to kill the doctor that made him this way.Publication
Tetsujin 28-go was serialized in KobunshaKobunsha
Kobunsha is a Japanese publishing company. It publishes literature, manga novels, and women's magazines.Kobunsha was first established on October 1, 1945 and belongs to the Kodansha group....
's Shōnen Magazine from July 1956 to May 1966, for a total of 97 chapters. The series was collected into 12 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...
volumes, which are re-released every ten years.
Design
Yokoyama's Tetsujin, much like Osamu TezukaOsamu Tezuka
was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, activist and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion and Black Jack...
's Astro Boy, was influenced by the artist's wartime experiences. In Yokoyama's case, this was through the bombing of Kobe in World War II
Bombing of Kobe in World War II
On March 17, 1945, 331 American B-29 bombers launched a firebombing attack against the city of Kobe, Japan. Of the city's residents, 8,841 were confirmed to have been killed in the resulting firestorms, which destroyed an area of three square miles and included 21% of Kobe's urban area. At the...
.
As he had written in Ushio magazine in 1995, "When I was a fifth-grader, the war ended and I returned home from Tottori Prefecture
Tottori Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region. The capital is the city of Tottori. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan.- History :Before the Meiji Restoration, Tottori encompassed the old provinces of Hōki and Inaba...
, where I had been evacuated. The city of Kobe had been totally flattened, reduced to ashes. People said it was because of the B-29 bombers...as a child, I was astonished by their terrifying, destructive power." Another influence on Tetsujin's creation was the Vergeltungswaffen, a set of wonder weapons
Wunderwaffe
Wunderwaffe is German for "wonder-weapon" and was a term assigned during World War II by the German propaganda ministry to a few revolutionary "superweapons". Most of these weapons however remained more or less feasible prototypes, or reached the combat theatre too late, and in too insignificant...
designed for long-range strategic bombing during World War II, and the idea that Nazi Germany possessed an "ace in the hole to reverse [its] waning fortunes". The third work to inspire Yokoyama's creation was the 1931 film Frankenstein
Frankenstein (1931 film)
Frankenstein is a 1931 Pre-Code Horror Monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and adapted from the play by Peggy Webling which in turn is based on the novel of the same name by Mary Shelley. The film stars Colin Clive, Mae Clarke, John Boles and Boris Karloff, and features...
, which shaped Yokoyama's belief that the monster itself is neither good or evil.
1963 TV series
The 1963 TV incarnation of Tetsujin 28-go aired on Fuji TV from 20 October 1963 to 25 May 1966. The series initially ended with 84 episodes, but then returned for 13 more, for a total of 97 episodes. The series had mostly short plots that never took up more than three episodes, but was generally more light-hearted than the anime that would succeed it. Shotaro, Otsuka, Shikishima and Murasame functioned as a team in this version. Only 52 episodes were ever dubbed for the English broadcast.1980 TV series
The 1980-81 Shin Tetsujin 28-go (New Tetsujin 28) series was created with 51 color episodes based on a modernized take upon the original concept art. In 1993, Fred LaddFred Ladd
Fred Ladd , is an American television and film writer and producer. He is notable as one of the first to introduce Japanese animated cartoons to North America....
and the TMS animation studio converted the series into The New Adventures of Gigantor and had it broadcast on America's Sci-Fi Channel
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
from September 9, 1993 to June 30, 1997.
Tetsujin 28 FX
Rather than a remake like the 1980 series, Tetsujin 28 FX was a sequel to the original series. The show follows Shotaro's son Masato, who controlled a new edition of Tetsujin and worked at a detective agency with other children. Among them were Shiori Nishina, granddaughter of Chief Otsuka. The Tetsujin FX (The Iron Hero 28 Future X) was controlled by a remote control gun, which had to be fired at the robot for it to take its commands. The series aired on Nihon TV from April 5, 1992 to March 30, 1993, totaling 47 episodes. It has been brought over to Latin America, but never released in English-speaking countries.2004 TV series
Written and directed by Yasuhiro ImagawaYasuhiro Imagawa
is a Japanese anime director and screenwriter.-Selected works:*Mister Ajikko *Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still *Gin Rei...
, the 2004 remake takes place ten years after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, approximately the same time as the manga debuted. The new TV series has been released in the United States under its original name Tetsujin-28 by Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
and in the United Kingdom by Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment
Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...
, the first time a Tetsujin-28 property has not been localized to "Gigantor" in America or other English speaking nations. The television series focused mainly on Shotaro's pursuit to control and fully understand Tetsujin's capabilities, all the while encountering previous creations and scientists from the Tetsujin Project. While not fully based on the original manga, it followed an extremely different storyline than in the 1960s series.
On March 31, 2007, a feature length film, entitled "Tetsujin 28-go: Hakuchu no Zangetsu" (which translates as "Tetsujin #28: The Daytime Moon") was released in Japanese theaters. The film used the same character designs and scenery as the 2004 TV series, albeit the movie remade the series from the beginning. Among the changes, a new character "Shoutarou" debuted, Shotaro's older half-brother who was in the same airforce troop as Ryuusaku Murasame. As well, a character named Tsuki, with a heavily-bandaged body, attempts to murder Shotaro. There are currently no announced plans to release the film in other countries, despite the film's large success in Asia.
2005 live-action film
The live action movie was released in the US on DVD by Geneon Entertainment in 2006 and has been licensed for a UK release by Manga Entertainment. The movie centers on Shotaro, who is living in the modern age with his widowed mother. Tetsujin 28 is accidentally discovered, and Shotaro's mother explains that it was left for Shotaro. He, with the help of Chief Otsuka and an older female classmate, learns to control Tetsujin. In the meantime, a Dr. Reiji Takumi activates Black Ox and plans to attack Tetsujin.Further projects
On December 26, 2008, Felix Ip, the creative director of Imagi Animation StudiosImagi Animation Studios
Imagi Animation Studios is an animation studio that was established in 2000 by Imagi International Holdings Limited , a listed company on the main board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.-Background:...
, revealed screenshots from a computer-animated teaser video featuring Black Ox and Tetsujin. On January 9, 2009, the Japanese animation company Hikari Productions and IMAGI launched the project's website. The teaser features Dr. Franken with nearly the same name that he had in the 2005 movie, him also being the leader of a terrorist organization, and Shotaro being designed to look more like Daisaku from Giant Robo: The Animation. The movie has not yet been finalized, as its further production depends on worldwide success of the Astro Boy movie
Astro Boy (film)
Astro Boy, also called in Japan, is a 2009 computer-animated film loosely based on the long-running Japanese series of the same name by Osamu Tezuka. It was produced by Imagi Animation Studios, the animation production company of TMNT. The studio announced the project in September 2006...
. Idlewild director Bryan Barber recently expressed interest in pitching a Hollywood film version of Gigantor, and allegedly has the merchandising rights to the property.
Americanization
In the Americanization of the 1963 Tetsujin 28 series, which was done by Fred LaddFred Ladd
Fred Ladd , is an American television and film writer and producer. He is notable as one of the first to introduce Japanese animated cartoons to North America....
, all of the character names were changed, and the wartime setting removed. Mainly, Shotaro Kaneda became Jimmy Sparks, Dr. Shikishima became Dr. Bob Brilliant, Inspector Otsuka became Inspector Ignatz J. Blooper, and Kenji Murasame became Dick Strong. The series' time period was pushed forward to be in the year 2000. The 1980 TV series was also exported to America in 1993, retitled as The New Adventures of Gigantor, with most of Fred Ladd's names intact. The 2004 TV series, released on by Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
, retained all of its original names.
Appearances in other media
A number of characters and robots from the Tetsujin 28 series appeared in Giant Robo: The Animation, an original video animationOriginal video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
series that was based on many of Mitsuteru Yokoyama's works. Kenji Murasame appears as an immortal special agent in Paris. In the manga Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Burned
Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Burned
is a manga scripted by Yasuhiro Imagawa and illustrated by Yasunari Toda...
, Chief Otsuka, Ryusaku and Kenji Murasame appear throughout the battles. In one of the Giant Robo parodic spin-off OVAs, the "Ginrei Special", a version of the original Tetsujin appears under the name "Jintetsu." As well, in the third OVA, there is a Shotaro lookalike named Ruudo who lives in the desert.
In both the anime and manga of Akira
Akira (manga)
is a manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo. Set in a post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, the work uses conventions of the cyberpunk genre to detail a saga of turmoil. Initially serialized in the pages of Young Magazine from 1982 until 1990, the work was collected in six volumes by Japanese publisher Kodansha...
, the main character is named Shotaro Kaneda, and there is also a Colonel Shikishima. Tetsuo is also the name of Kaneda's friend and eventual nemesis in Akira.
The anime was also spoofed on an Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
parody from TV Funhouse
TV Funhouse
Saturday TV Funhouse is the title of a recurring skit on NBC's Saturday Night Live featuring cartoons created by longtime SNL writer Robert Smigel as well as a short-lived spinoff series TV Funhouse that ran on Comedy Central...
called Torboto, in which there is a Tetsujin lookalike that is fitted with torture devices. Torboto ends up torturing at Guantanamo Bay, and George W. Bush and Dick Cheney appear drawn in a style very close to Yokoyama's.
Tetsujin 28 gets a mention in 20th Century Boys
20th Century Boys
is a science fiction-mystery manga created by Naoki Urasawa. It won the 2001 Kodansha Manga Award in the General category, an Excellence Prize at the 2002 Japan Media Arts Festival, and the 2003 Shogakukan Manga Award in the General category. The last two volumes of the story were serialized under...
.
Toys of the robot are featured in the original Macross
Macross
is a series of science fiction mecha anime, directed by Shōji Kawamori of Studio Nue in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth/Humanity after the year 1999. It consists of three TV series, four movies, six OVAs, one light novel and five manga series, all sponsored by Big West...
and episode 22 of Dirty Pair
Dirty Pair
is a series of sci-fi comedy light novels written by Haruka Takachiho and illustrated by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko that was later adapted into anime and manga versions....
.
External links
- Tetsujin 28 robot toy (1980 TV series) toy pictures and details
- Tetsujin 28 (2004 TV series) at Manga UK's website