Kikaida (TV series)
Android Kikaider (人造人"キカイダー -
Jinzô Ningen Kikaidâ) is a
tokusatsu superhero TV series, and the first to feature the superhero
Kikaider. Created by
mangaka Shotaro Ishinomori, the show was produced by
Toei Company Ltd., and was broadcast on
NET (now TV Asahi) from
July 8,
1972 to
May 5,
1973, with a total of 43 episodes.
This series is considered to be among the best of the
Toei Superhero shows, as well as being one of Ishinomori's best creations since
Cyborg 009 and
Kamen Rider (which started the
Henshin Hero genre).
This series has also been a phenomenal success in
Hawaii, where the show has broadcast since
1974. Known initially as
Kikaider, Android of Justice, it has since been referred to there simply by its Japanese title,
Jinzo Ningen Kikaida.
Most of the episodes of Kikaider have the same basic plot. A new DARK destructroid appears with a new plan for world conquest. Kikaider discovers the plan and fights the robot, but the battle is unresolved. The destructroid continues to execute his plan and Kikaider again fights it, this time with Kikaider winning by using his special ability,
Denji Endo.
The first episode: Gray Rhino King: Harbinger of Evil
A DARK destructroid,
Gray Rhino King tries to take control of a dam. A young man, Jiro, appears to fight the DARK destructroid. Jiro transforms into Kikaider, fights
Gray Rhino King, and departs.
Dr. Komyoji is now introduced. He is a brilliant scientist, an expert in robotics, who is being kept prisoner by the DARK. He is the creator of Kikaider. When Professor Gill, the head of the DARK learns about this, he sends his androids to deal with Dr. Komyoji. Jiro is able to rescue Dr. Komyoji's daughter, Mitsuko, but a fire separates him from Dr. Komyoji. Jiro is able to destroy
Gray Rhino King, but is unable to locate Dr. Komyoji, who is wandering away, with amnesia.
The body of the series
Most of the next episodes deal with the constant battle between Kikaider and the destructroids,generally one destructroid per episode. The DARK pursue Dr. Komyoji and his children, Mitsuko and Masuru. Hatori Hanpei, a detective who provides comedy relief, helps them. There is very little storyline development during this part of the series, but we do get to see pieces of the Komyojis' happier past.
Some common themes:
*During one or both battles, Professor Gill uses his evil flute to stop Jiro from becoming Kikaider. Jiro manages to find a way to drown out or to block the sound of the flute.
*Many episodes are set at well-known locations in Japan.
*Dr. Komyoji (wandering with amnesia) is usually a figure in the background. Mitsuko and Masuru often talk to people who have encountered him, but never manage to catch up with him. On occasion, when Kikaider is damaged, Dr. Komyoji manages to fix him, without quite knowing what he is doing.
Some notable episodes:
*
Gold Wolf: Tormented Howls from Hell: Gold Wolf is an android who has a conscience circuit, which was given to him by Dr. Komyoji. Unfortunately, the conscience circuit is even more incomplete than Jiro's. Jiro tries to save him, but is forced to destroy him. This is one of a few episodes in which Jiro feels remorse for destroying an enemy.
*
Pink Tiger: Terror at the Amusement Park:
Jinbei is an android clown who was built by Dr. Komyoji. He has information that DARK wants. Eventually, a destructroid,
Pink Tiger tortures and destroys him for the information. This episode is unusual because it focuses on the close bond between androids who were created by Dr. Komyoji.
*
Silver Tortoise: Destructoids Reborn: Professor Gill recreates all of the destructroids that Kikaider had destroyed. Kikaider is forced into a fight, when he must destroy the recreated destructroids.
*
Golden Bat: Cursed Shadow From the Past. Taro, Dr. Komyoji's oldest son appears. It was believed that he had been killed a long time ago. Jiro believes that there is something suspicious about Taro. Mitsuko and Masuru defend Taro and claim that Jiro is jealous. Taro turns out to be an imposter,
Golden Bat. This episode is significant, because it reveals some of the background of the Komyoji family. Note:
* In the
Android Kikaider The Animation series Golden Wolf never appears, and Golden Bat is the one with the incomplete conscience circuit.
*
Black Spiny Anteater: Destructoid with Child.
Black Spiny Anteater is a destructroid with a small assistant, who he thinks of as his little girl. This episode is unusual because it shows Kikaider from the destructroid perspective. They view him as a fearsome killer.
*
Black Crow: The End of "The End": Jiro fights
Black Crow. Professor Gill reveals his plans for a new, more powerful android: Hakaider.
Hakaider
The final episodes consist of a long story arc. Jiro is nearly overcome by Professor Gill's flute, and he attacks Dr. Komyoji. The DARK capture Dr. Komyoji and make it seem that Jiro killed him. Jiro is damaged and unable to speak, and is unuable to defend himself. He is pursued by the police for the remainder of the show. At first, only Mitsuko believes in his innocence.
A new character appears, Hakaider. The DARK forced Dr. Komyoji to build him, and placed his brain in the machine, under control of an evil curcuit, the opposite of Kikaider's conscience circuit. Kikaider fights the robot and is almost destroyed, when Hakaider leaves suddenly. Hakaider's weakness is that he needs periodic transfusions from Dr. Komyoji's body, or he will die. When Jiro finds out the Dr. Komyoji's brain is in Hakaider's body, he realized that he will not be able to fight Kikaider.
Mitsuko and Masaru see a leather-clad man walking down the side of the building. This man is actually an android, Saburo. He says that he is the creation of Dr. Komyoji, and that his job is to destroy Jiro, who he claims is now evil. Masaru allies himself with Saburo. Out of sight of Mitsuko and Masaru, Saburo reveals that he is actually Hakaider.
Masaru helps Saburo, using a device that Saburo gave him. Ultimately, he realizes that Jiro is still good, when Jiro surrenders to him.
The end of the series
The series ends with a three-episode arc:
Jiro Blows Apart!,
Hakaida Rebels, and
Jiro's End or Dark's Demise?!.
The DARK androids capture Dr. Komyoji's children.
Red Mine Toad destroys Kikaider, using a mine that is built into his body. Hatori collects the pieces of Kikaider's body. Hakaider goes crazy, because without Kikaider to fight, he has no reason to live. He destroys
Red Mine Toad and attacks the DARK. Hatori has found Mitsuko and Masaru and gives them the pieces of Kikaider. Mitsuko reassembles Kikaider. Gill convinces Hakaider to kill Dr. Komyoji, instead of attacking the DARK. Hakaider locates Dr. Komyoji's body, and finds the partially reassembled Kikaider. Hakaider refuses to fight a helpless enemy, and allows Mitsuko to finish reassembling him. A rebuilt Jiro is unable to change to Kikaider, but he decides to lure Hakaider away to protect Dr. Komyoji and Komyoji's children.
Professor Gill sends
Skeleton Flying Squirrel against Hakaider, and Hakaider loses the battle. Jiro gives the body of Hakaider to Mitsuko, who puts Dr. Komyoji's brain back into his body. Dr. Komyoji recovers, and is able to fix Jiro's change curcuit. The Komyojis are again captured by the DARK, but are rescued by Kikaider. Kikader destroys
Skeleton Flying Squirrel, and Prof. Gill, rather than be captured, destroys himself and the DARK base.
Dr. Komyoji leaves Japan, and takes his family with him. Jiro decides to stay in Japan to work on improving himself.
Androids
*
Jiro/Kikaider: An android created by Dr. Komyoji to stop DARK. He acts to protect Dr. Komyoji's children Mitsuko and Masaru. Since his conscience circuit is incomplete, Professor Gill's hypnotic flute causes him pain, and is ultimately able to control him. He defends himself by overpowering its influence (for example, using a louder sound to drown it out). Jiro has a guitar, which he uses to announce his presence and motorcycle, which is called Sidemachine
**Kikaider's name is a cross between
kikai (Japanese for "machine") and the English word "rider" (for he rides a motorcycle). Hakaider shares the same name game.
**"Jiro" - Japanese given name meaning "second son"
*
Saburo/Hakaider: Another android, considered as Jiro's "younger brother" as he was also made by Professor Komyoji . . . and, ironically,
is Professor Komyoji! While Jiro was made by Dr. Komyoji voluntarily, Saburo was one of the androids Komyoji was forced to make under the dominance of DARK to "correct" his mistake...by destroying Kikaider. Unlike the other DARK androids, Saburo is a cyborg -- Gill had Dr. Komyoji's brain transplanted into the very android he created, it was his trump card against Jiro. Hakaider almost succeeded in killing Kikaider, but he was forced to stop fighting because he needs periodic blood transfusions from Dr. Komoji's body. When
skeleton flying squirrel defeated Hakaider, Mitsuko was able to return Komyoji's brain to his body.
**In the sequel show,
Kikader 01, Professor Gill's brain somehow wound up in Hakaider, so that people who discuss the show sometimes refer to
Gill Hakaider, as distinguised from
Komyoji Hakaider. Regardless, on screen the character is simply called
Hakaider.
**"Saburo" - Japanese given name meaning "third son".
**Saburo announces his presence by whistling.
**Hakaider uses a gun as a weapon, but he feels that hand-to-hand combat is more honorable, unless his foe is either cowardly or defeated.
**Saburo uses a knife as a weapon.
Humans
*
Dr. Komyoji: The creator of Kikaider. A top robotics expert, he was captured by DARK to help them build an army of murderous robot monsters. Secretly built Kikaider to not only protect his two children Mitsuko and Masaru, but to save the world.
*
Mitsuko Komyoji: The daughter of Dr. Komyoji, the scientist who created Jiro. She develops feelings for Jiro and helps to repair him when he is damaged. Jiro tries to keep away from her to protect her feelings.
*
Masaru Komyoji: The spunky younger brother of Mitsuko.
*
Hanpei "Hanpen" Hattori: A hysterically comical private investigator who befriends and helps Kikaider and his companions. He is a descendant of the famous real-life ninja
Hanzō Hattori. Reminiscent of Shaggy from the
Scooby-Doo TV shows (but dressed up in
Sherlock Holmes-styled attire and other humorous clothing). Drives a
subaru 360 that constantly breaks down, and he has to use ninja "magic" and techniques to keep it holding together!
**Hanpei is derisively nicknamed "Hanpen" by his companions (
hanpen is Japanese for "pounded fish cake"). Even the usually very polite Jiro will sometimes use the name Hanpen.
*
Professor Gill: The leader of a terrorist organization called DARK. He kept Dr. Komyoji prisoner, and forced him to make destructive robots. Gill hates Kikaider, seeing him as a threat to his ambition, and wants to destroy him as a result. Gill used a flute that can control his Dark Androids (and partially affecting Kikaider as well).
Flying At 'Ya, Android Kikaider (飛び出す人造人"キカイダー -
Tobidasu Jinzô Ningen Kikaidâ), the 33-minute theatrical
3D episode, was released on
March 17,
1973. It was titled
The Kikaida 3D Movie in Hawaii.
Plot synopsis
Professor Gill has created a machine that lets him restore destroyed robots. This machine is used to recreate all of the destructroids that had been destroyed by Kikaider. Kikaider is forced to destroy them all once again.
*Jiro/Kikaider:
Daisuke Ban*Mitsuko Komyoji:
Jun Mizunoe*Masaru Komyoji:
Masahiro Kamiya*Hanpei "Hanpen" Hattori:
Shun Ueda*Professor Komyoji:
Hajime Izu*Professor Gill:
Mitsuo Ando*Saburo/Hakaider:
Kenji Mayama*Kikaider (Principal Suit Actor):
Toshiaki Kikuchi*Hakaider:
Shozo Iizuka (Voice)
*
Shotaro Ishinomori*
Kikaider*
Kikaider 01 (1973)*
Daisuke Ban also acted under the name
Naoya Ban. He appeared in several other tokusatsu series, including
Kikaider 01 (1973) (recreating the character of Jiro),
Inazuman,
Inazuman Flash, and
Battle Fever J.
*JN Productions (Hawaii) has the license to translate and distribute Kikaider in the United States. They have released a complete Kikaider DVD set, including the movie. Several volumes in the set include interviews with Daisuke Ban, where he talks about filming, fans, and his life in general.
*
Generation Kikaida - Official JN Productions (Hawaii) website for the classic tokusatsu (live-action) series.
