ToyboxDX: Datafiles: Takatoku

	Akumaizer 3 - 10/7/75 - 6/29/76 "Akumaizer 3," yet another live-action series created by Ishimori Shotaro (who also created Kamen Rider, Robocon, and Goranger, among many others), was a sort of tokusatsu retelling of "The Three Musketeers." The three main characters, Zabitan, Evil, and Gabura, wielded fencing foils and could transform into various creatures and vehicles. Zabitan transformed into the spaceship-like Zaidabeck, Gabura into a big bird called the "Gaburacho," and Evil into....a bucket. No joke. Try and figure that one out, because we sure can't.
	Bankid - 10/3/76 - 3/27/77 The full title of this show is actually "Flying Saucer Battle Bankid," and it's basically a sentai show that features kids and teens as the heroes -- kind of like a tokusatsu version of "Menudo."
	Baxinger - 7/6/82 - 3/29/83 Baxinger was the second part of a broader storyline known as the "J9 series," and was a sort of animated science fiction re-telling of the famous story of the "Forty-Seven Ronin." Themes of betrayal and revenge figured prominently. The first J9 series show was "Bryger," and the third was called "Galactic Whirlwind Sasuraiger."
	Bibyun - 7/6/76 - 3/29/77 The full title of this show is "Bibyun, the Super God," and it was a continuation of the story laid out in "Akumaizer 3." Just as with its predecessor, it was created by the unstoppable Ishimori Shotaro.
	Bryger - 10/6/81 - 6/29/82 Bryger was the first of the "J9" series of shows. "J9" was the name of an outer-space rescue team that featured prominently in the show. It was a trmemdous hit and spawned two sequel-series, "Baxinger" and "Sasuraiger."
	Captain Harlock The world of "Space Pirate Captain Harlock" was created by Matsumoto Reiji, the man behind "Space Cruiser Yamato," "Galaxy Express 999," and many others. Captain Harlock was the star of both a television series and a film ("My Youth in Arcadia"), and also made guest appearances in several other Matsumoto creations. The character is one of the most popular and instantly recognizable Japanese animation heroes ever created.
	Condorman - 3/31/75 - 9/22/75 This somewhat obscure show only ran for around five months and twenty-four episodes, and was almost completely overshadowed by the smash-hit Sentai series "Goranger." When danger threatened, the hero could transform into Condorman, a giant bird called "Golden Condor," or a huge dragon called "Dragon Condor."
	Cyborg 009 - 3/6/79 - 3/25/80 Cyborg 009 was the story of nine individuals who had been rebuilt into bionic soldiers by a corrupt organization called "Black Ghost." The story chronicles their rise and battle against their creators. The popular comic book which started in the late '60's that spawned this series is also credited with popularizing the word "cyborg" among the Japanese.
	Daikengo ("Guardian of Space Daikengo") - 7/27/78 - 2/15/79 Daikengo was created by "Tori Productions," a company founded by an animator who spun-off his own production house from the famed Tatsunoko Productions. It featured a very samurai-looking giant robot that comprised four vehicles, two of which were piloted by humans and two of which were driven by cutesy-looking robots.
	Gaislugger ("Glacier Warrior Gaislugger") - 4/12/77 - 8/30/77, animated
	Gattaiger ("Cho Supercar Gattiger") - 10/4/77 - 3/28/78 The name of this show about five combining race-cars is a play off of a combination of the words "gattai" (combination) and "taiga" (tiger). It's also redundant: since "cho" means "super," the title translates into "Super Supercar Gattaiger." Super!
	Gokaizer - "Ryuuko Kyojin Gokaizer" ("Giants of the Dragon and Tiger: Gokiazer")
	Goshogun - 7/3/81 - 12/28/81 A very character-driven show that happened to include a giant robot, "Goshogun" chronicled the adventures of the "Good Thunder Team" as they battled the evil organization called "Dokuga." Although the robot design is popular among toy aficionados, as a character it was totally dropped from the Goshogun novelization and film.
	Hurricane Polimar ("Hurricane Polymar") - 10/4/74 - 3/28/75 "Hurricane Polimar" was created by Tatsunoko Productions, who were also responsible for "Gatchaman" ("Battle of the Planets") and "Tekkaman, the Space Night." It's a fairly generic superhero show, and was also the subject of an early-1990's animated remake by the same name. The show is mainly notable for the numerous variations in the translation of the name: "Polymer," "Polimar," "Polymar," "Polimer," etc., etc......
	Ippatsu Kanta-kun - 9/18/77 - 9/24/78 This minor show, which featured a baseball theme, was mildly popular with boys in the late 1970s.
	Ippatsuman ("Gyakuten Ippatsuman") - 2/13/82 - 3/26/83 Ippatsuman was the sixth (and next-to-last) installment in the continuum of time-adventure shows known as the "Time Bokan Series." The name roughly translates as "go-for-it-man."
	Itadakiman - 4/9/83 - 9/24/83 The seventh and final installment in the series of shows inspired by "Time Bokan," "Itadakiman" was the least successful of the group. It ended after only twenty episodes. The name roughly translates as "I-got-it-man."
	Adventure Family: Koko Wa Wakusei Zero Banchi ("This Is Planet Zero") - 9/6/77 - 1/24/78 This Toei live-action offering, besides being saddled with a mouthful of a name, was also cursed with an utterly lame plot that was a blatant ripoff of "Lost in Space." Mercifully, TV Asahi pulled the plug after only twenty epsiodes, preventing further actor debasement and viewer torment.
	Mach Go Go Go ("Speed Racer") - 4/2/67 - 3/31/68 The Japanese smash-hit "Mach Go Go Go" became an instant sensation and pop-culture fixture when it was translated and broadcast in the US as "Speed Racer." Although the show aired in the late 1960s, Takatoku didn't produce their diecast version of the hero until the mid-1970s.
	Machine Hiryu -10/5/77 - 3/29/78 The full title of this show, which attempted to ride the coattails of the success of "Time Bokan," is "Take Flight! Machine Hiryu." Although it never made it to the United States, there is an Italian translation of the show called "Flying Dragon."
	Medaman - 7/10/76 - 1/29/77 A cutsey live-action comedy that made it on TV through the influential success of "Robocon," "Guru Guru Medaman" chronicled the adventures of a group of young ghosts searching for a special neclace that will let them return to the spirit world. (The question of how these youngsters came to find themselves not only dead, but trapped inside insane-looking bodies, was helpfully skirted by the creators.) The series tanked after only a single season.
	Megaloman ("Honou No Kyojin Megaloman" - Giant Of Flame Megaloman) - 5/79 - 12/79 An obscure, nearly forgotten live-action show that aired at a time when giant live-action heroes were seen as passe by Japanese kids, the title character sported a look straight out of an early 80's hair-metal band. The show was created by Satoshi Kariya, who years later would go on to do a very popular food-oriented comic-book series called "Oi-Shinbo."
	Otasukeman - 2/2/79 - 1/31/81 "Otasukeman" was the fourth installment in the time-adventure comedy series of shows based on the wildly popular "Time Bokan." The name loosely translates as "Helper-man."
	Time Bokan - 10/4/75 - 12/25/76 "Time Bokan" was an incredibly popular comedy that featured a time-travel theme. The real strength of the show was its incredible cross-over appeal to both boys and girls. It spawned a whole series of sequels that lasted until the early 80's. The "Mekabuton" mecha from this show is one of the most fondly-remembered and desirable toys in the Japanese diecast kingdom, and a new version was recently produced by Uni-Five, a subsidiary of Bandai.
	Ultraman Leo - 4/12/74 - 3/28/75 "Ultraman Leo" aired scant days after the conclusion of its predecessor, "Ultraman Taro." It would be five years before another sequel came along ("Ultraman 80," to be exact.)
	X-Bomber - 10/4/80 - 3/21/81 Go Nagai created the robot for this nearly unwatchable live-action puppet series.
	Yattaman ("Time Bokan Series Yattaman") - 1/1/77 - 1/27/79 Yattaman was a sequel to the insanely popular Time Bokan series, and was almost as big a hit as Time Bokan itself. Although the characters were different, the story was roughly similar (more time-travelling wackiness), and the toys were bright, playful, and heavy. Uni-Five, a toy company subsidiary of Bandai, recently released an updated, re-done version of the "Yatta-Wan" toy and several sets of all-plastic enemy figures from this show. The name, which is often mistranslated as "Yatterman" even by the Japanese, translates roughly into "I-did-it!-man."
	Yattodettaman ("Time Bokan Series Yattodettaman") - 2/7/80 - 2/6/81 This show immediately followed "Zendaman," and the title roughly translates as "You-finally-made-it-man."
	Zendaman ("Time Bokan Series Zendaman") - 2/3/79 - 1/26/80 Zendaman was the third sequel to "Time Bokan." The title is derived from the term "zendama," which means "main character."
	Zubat - 2/2/77 - 9/28/77 A bizarre, highly individualistic live-action series produced by the legendary Ishimori Shotaro, "Zubat" took the paradigm of the transforming superhero to new heights. When groovy hero Hayakawa Ken straps on his special pleather outfit, he transforms into the superhero Zubat -- but the suit is so poweful that he's got to take it off after five minutes unless he wants it to grind his human body into a chewy, pulpy mess. Zubat's enemies took the form of ninjas, tennis pros, french chefs, and maniac trumpet players, among many others.

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