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Iron King Senkosha (now Senko Planning), and aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 8, 1972 to April 8, 1973, with a total of 26 episodes.
is a tokusatsu superhero TV series about a giant cyborg. The series was produced by Nippon Gendai andPlot description
The Shiranui Clan have planned for 2000 years to conquer Japan in retaliation for their nomadic ancestors being banished from the country by the Yamato Clan (who eventually became known as the Japanese people). Each armored ninja-like member of the clan controls a gigantic robot warrior in order to overthrow the "Yamato Government," as they call it.
In response to this terrorist threat, Japan's National Security Organization sends agent Gentaro Shizuka (pop star Shoji Ishibashi), disguised as what can best described as a spaghetti western version of a singing cowboy, to stop their plans with the assistance of the comical Goro Kirishima (Mitsuo Hamada). In an unusual direction for such tokusatsu programs, it is not the heroic but often surprisingly ruthless Gentaro but the bumbling, bespectacled Goro who has the power to become the giant cyborg superhero Iron King by touching the medals on the sides of his unique red Turning Hat and shouting "Iron Shock!" when danger threatens.
However, often Iron King is unable to defeat the clan's giant robots without help from Gentaro, who wields a weapon called the Iron Belt that can become a slender rapier-like sword or an infinitely extendable metal whip capable of hurting giant monsters. In addition, transforming into the hydrogen oxide-powered Iron King quickly dehydrates Goro, and he can only remain as Iron King for a short period of time. Strangely, although Gentaro knows Iron King's time limit comes from using up his water supply he never manages to connect it with Goro's omnipresent thirst until the final episode.
In the tenth episode the Shiranui Clan is destroyed but their place is taken by the skull-symboled Phantom Militia (A.K.A. the Phantom Opposition Party) who also use giant robots to enact their revolution against the Japanese government, although rather than being humanoid in shape their's take the form of dinosaur like kaiju.
From the nineteenth episode to the end of the series Gentaro and Goro battle black cloak and Puritan hat-clad white-masked aliens called Titanians who have various inhuman powers such as flight, possession, mind control and the ability to enlarge themselves to giant size. Upon doing the latter they are then able to assume their true, insect-like monster forms.
Theme Song
Episode List
# | Title[1] | Guest cast | Director | First aired |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Secret Messenger of the Morning Wind
朝風の密使 |
Shinzo Hotta
Kiro Abe Fudeko Tanaka Kinji Takinami Hiroshi Ikaida |
Shozo Tamura | 1972-10-08 |
2. | The Swan in the Ruins
廃墟の白鳥 |
Shinzo Hotta
Hiroshi Ikaida |
Shozo Tamura | 1972-10-15 |
3. | The Warrior's Smile
戦士の微笑 |
Shinzo Hotta
Hiroshi Ikaida |
Shozo Tamura | 1972-10-22 |
4. | Gentaro Travels Alone
弦太郎孤独旅 |
Shinzo Hotta
Yosuke Akimoto |
Toru Sotoyama | 1972-10-29 |
5. | The Duel in the Autumn Wind
秋風の中の決斗 |
Shinzo Hotta
Shogo Hanagi |
Toru Sotoyama | 1972-11-05 |
6. | Lullaby for a Warrior
戦士の子守唄 |
Shinzo Hotta
Seishiro Kuno Masayuki Tobuyo |
Shozo Tamura
Kiyoshi Suzuki |
1972-11-12 |
7. | Those That Fly the Skies
大空を征く者 |
Shinzo Hotta
Kaori Seki Hisashi Kato |
Shozo Tamura
Kiyoshi Suzuki |
1972-11-19 |
8. | The Shadow Area
影の地帯 |
Shinzo Hotta
Mitsuko Hoshi Yoshinori Furukawa Shinobu Miura |
Noriaki Yuasa
Kiyoshi Suzuki |
1972-11-26 |
9. | Gentaro in a Close Shave
弦太郎危機一髪! |
Shinzo Hotta
Yuki Ikazaki |
Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-03 |
10. | A Kiss for the Dead
死者へのくちづけ |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Shima Mizue Kiyoshi Tokugawa Gin Minemura |
Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1972-12-10 |
11. | Tokyo Is Burning
東京は燃えている |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Kiyoshi Tokugawa Gin Minemura |
Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-17 |
12. | State of Emergency in Tokyo
東京非常事態宣言 |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Teresa Noda Junko Natsu Wataru Mitsui Ikuo Kosaka |
Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-24 |
13. | Attacking the Underground Fortress
地下要塞攻撃命令 |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Junko Natsu Wataru Mitsui Isamu Matsuzawa |
Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-31 |
14. | Secret of the Brainwave Robot
脳波ロボットの秘密 |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Hijiri Matsuki Teppei Takasugi Kazuo Arai |
Hiromu Edagawa | 1973-01-14 |
15. | Marathon Monster Capri-Gon
マラソン怪獣カプリゴン |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Masahiro Takashina Harue Kyo |
Hiromu Edagawa | 1973-01-21 |
16. | Destroy Tora-Girasu!
トラギラスを倒せ! |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Yumi Mizusawa |
Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-01-28 |
17. | The Order to Assassinate Iron King
アイアンキング殺害命令 |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Chidori Tashiro Koetsu Omiya |
Toru Sotoyama | 1973-02-04 |
18. | Monster Robot Annihilation
ロボット怪獣全滅作戦 |
Katsumi Muramatsu
Eiko Ogawa |
Toru Sotoyama | 1973-02-11 |
19. | The Giant Bug Kabutoron Appears
大虫人カブトロン出現 |
Chiaki Ukyo
Hajime Izu |
Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-02-18 |
20. | The Titanians Strike Back
宇虫人タイタニアンの逆襲 |
Chiaki Ukyo | Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-02-25 |
21. | Kama Guras Wants Lethal Gas!
カマギュラス殺人ガスを狙う |
Chiaki Ukyo
Mari Sakurai Tetsuya Sano |
Toru Sotoyama | 1973-03-04 |
22. | Terrifying Titanian Underworld
恐怖のタイタニアン地獄 |
Chiaki Ukyo
Fumio Ikeda |
Toru Sotoyama | 1973-03-11 |
23. | The Insect Humanoid Masquerades as a Woman
女に化けた虫人 |
Chiaki Ukyo
Ryoko Sakaguchi Hideo Saito |
Shozo Tamura | 1973-03-18 |
24. | Tokyo Assault Frontline Base
東京攻撃前線基地 |
Chiaki Ukyo
Yoku Shioya |
Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-03-25 |
25. | Iron King in a Panic!
アイアンキング大ピンチ! |
Chiaki Ukyo | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-04-01 |
26. | The Great Tokyo War
東京大戦争 |
Chiaki Ukyo
Hajime Izu |
Toru Sotoyama |
1973-04-08 |
DVD releases
[1][2]Cover to the 2007 DVD release On November 6, 2007, BCI Eclipse released the complete series on DVD in Region 1.[2] As of 2009, this release is now out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations.
On March 9, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the entire series on DVD in Region 1.[3]
Notes
- ^ Ragone, August (2007). The Super Hero Samurai Spaghetti Western. Ronin Entertainment.
- ^ "Iron King - The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Iron-King-Various/dp/B00310PSTY
References
- Ragone, August (2007). The Super Hero Samurai Spaghetti Western. Ronin Entertainment. (From the Iron King liner notes booklet)
- "10/12/2007: "BCI brings Iron King to DVD"". animated-news.com. 2007-10-12. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
- "Aian kingu" (1972) at the Internet Movie Database
External links
- Iron King at the Internet Movie Database
- Watch Iron King at DramaFever