Android Kikaider


Android Kikaider, also known as Kikaida, is a tokusatsu superhero TV series and the first to feature the superhero Kikaider. Created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori, the show was produced by Toei Company Ltd., and was broadcast in Japan on NET from July 8, 1972, to May 5, 1973, with a total of 43 episodes.
This series was also one of the first tokusatsu to air in the United States, as Kikaider, Android of Justice.

Story

Dr. Kohmyoji is a scientist and an expert in robotics, who is being kept prisoner by the evil organization DARK. Dr. Kohmyoji creates Kikaider in order to protect his children from Professor Gill, the head of DARK. When Gill learns about this, he sends his androids to deal with Dr. Kohmyoji. Jiro is able to rescue Dr. Kohmyoji's daughter, Mitsuko, but a fire separates him from Dr. Kohmyoji. Jiro is able to destroy Gray Rhino King, but is unable to locate Dr. Kohmyoji, who is wandering away with amnesia.
The series mainly deals with the constant battle between Kikaider and the Destructroids. DARK pursues Dr. Kohmyoji and his children, Mitsuko and Masuru. Hanpei Hattori, a detective who provides comedy relief, helps them. During some battles, Professor Gill uses his evil flute to stop Jiro from becoming Kikaider. Jiro manages to find a way to drown out or block the sound of the flute. Dr. Kohmyoji 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. Kohmyoji manages to fix him, without quite knowing what he is doing.
Later in the series, Jiro is nearly overcome by Professor Gill's flute, and he attacks Dr. Kohmyoji. DARK captures Dr. Kohmyoji and makes it seem that Jiro killed him. Jiro is damaged and unable to speak and unable to defend himself. He is also pursued by the police. A new character appears, Hakaider. DARK forced Dr. Kohmyoji to build him and to place his own brain in the machine, under control of an evil circuit, the opposite of Kikaider's conscience circuit. Kikaider fights the robot and is almost destroyed, when Hakaider leaves suddenly. When Jiro finds out that Dr. Kohmyoji's brain is in Hakaider's body, he realizes that he will not be able to fight Hakaider.
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. Kohmyoji and that his job is to destroy Jiro, who he believes is now evil. Masaru allies himself with Saburo. Out of sight of Mitsuko and Masaru, Saburo reveals that he is actually Hakaider. He and Masaru pursue Jiro but realize he's still good when he surrenders.
The DARK androids capture Dr. Kohmyoji's children. Red Mine Toad destroys Kikaider, using a mine that is built into his body. Hattori 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 DARK. Hattori has found Mitsuko and Masaru and gives them the pieces of Kikaider. Mitsuko reassembles Kikaider. Gill convinces Hakaider to kill Dr. Kohmyoji, instead of attacking DARK. Hakaider locates Dr. Kohmyoji'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 into Kikaider, but he decides to lure Hakaider away to protect Dr. Kohmyoji and Kohmyoji's children.
Professor Gill sends White Bone Flying Squirrel against Hakaider and Hakaider loses the battle. Jiro gives the body of Hakaider to Mitsuko, who puts Dr. Kohmyoji's brain back into his body. Dr. Kohmyoji recovers, and is able to fix Jiro's change circuit. The Kohmyojis are again captured by DARK, but are rescued by Kikaider. Kikaider destroys White Bone Flying Squirrel, while Professor Gill, rather than be captured, destroys himself and the DARK base.
Dr. Kohmyoji leaves Japan and takes his kids with him, while Jiro decides to stay in Japan to work on improving himself.

Characters

Heroes

  1. "The Terrifying Grey Rhino King is a Messenger of Hell"
  2. "The Mysterious Green Mantis is a Homicidal Fiend"
  3. "The Accursed Orange Ant's Deadly Challenge"
  4. "The Evil Blue Buffalo Sets a Trap"
  5. "Yellow Jaguar's Demonic Hands Draw Near"
  6. "Black Horse Waits in the Execution Zone"
  7. "Monster Blue Kong's Great Rage"
  8. "Carmine Spider Laughs Eerily"
  9. "Agonizing Death! Calamity Bird Red Condor"
  10. "Scorpion Brown's Maddened by the Human Bombs"
  11. "Gold Wolf Howls in Hell"
  12. "The Cruel Witch Silver Cat"
  13. "Pink Tiger Attacks the Amusement Park"
  14. "Great Devil Silver Turtle Summons 3 Monsters"
  15. "The Shadow of the Golden Bat's Curse"
  16. "The Woman Crimson Jellyfish Calls to the River Styx"
  17. "Red Hornet's Terrifying Prisoner Plan"
  18. "Black Chameleon's Phantom Heist Strategy"
  19. "The Grim Reaper Beast Horseshoe Crab Rouge Appears!"
  20. "The Ruthless Green Waterbug's Poison Plan!!"
  21. "Brutality! Purple Rat's Poisonous Fangs"
  22. "White Sawshark's 12-Hour Nightmare"
  23. "The Three Yellow Antlion Brothers Meeting!"
  24. "Devilish Woman?? Pink Armadillo"
  25. "Bitter-Orange Snail's Murderous Whistle"
  26. "Green Mammoth's Earth-Freezing Strategy!!"
  27. "Violet Turban Shell's Evil Love"
  28. "Red Devil Stingfish Makes Babies Cry!"
  29. "Sponge Green Lives Thrice"
  30. "Red Squid Targets the Beautiful College Student"
  31. "Octopus Gold Calls for Jiro's Death"
  32. "Blue Electric Eel's Evil Arms Glow"
  33. "The Fiendish Demonface Crab Red's Cursed Law"
  34. "The Child-Taking Monster Black Echidna"
  35. "The End of Jiro's Electromagnetic End!"
  36. "Crazed Jiro Attacks Kohmyōji"
  37. "Jiro's Younger Brother: The Formidable Enemy Hakaider!"
  38. "Hakaider Kills Jiro!"
  39. "National Dragnet for Our Father's Enemy Jiro"
  40. "Look Out, Jiro! Complete Functional Shutdown!!"
  41. "Heroic Jiro Disintegrates in Midair!"
  42. "Transformation Impossible!? Hakaider's Great Treachery!"
  43. "The End of Jiro, or the Annihilation of Dark!?"

    Cast

;Opening theme
;Ending theme

Films

Flying At 'Ya, Android Kikaider was a 33 minute 3-D film that was released on March 17, 1973. It was titled The Kikaida 3D Movie in Hawaii. 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.
Mechanical Violator Hakaider was a 77-minute film produced by Bandai and Toei featuring the deadly rival of Kikaider and anti-hero, Hakaider.
Kikaider Reboot, a 2014 film retelling of the original series, was released on May 24, 2014. The film featured redesigned versions of Kikaider and Hakaider. These characters made guest appearances in the 30th episode of Kamen Rider Gaim, in a manner similar to Uchuu Keiji Gavan in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, to promote the film.

''Kamen Rider'' 40th Anniversary film

Kikaider, along with Kikaider 01, Inazuman, and Zubat made an appearance in OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders in commemoration of the Toei Company's 60th Anniversary in 2011. This brief appearance saw the four heroes destroy the Kamen Rider Stronger villain, General Shadow.

Manga

A manga series of the same name by Shotaro Ishinomori was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Sunday alongside the tokusatsu series from August 1972 and ended in June 1973.
A remake of the original manga called Kikaider Code 02 showing more detailed illustrations compared to the simple design of the original manga was released with a total of 7 volumes. The story was written and illustrated by Meimu. The manga was licensed by CMX Manga for the English version.
Another remake illustrated by Meimu is Inazuman vs Kikaider: The End of Kikaider 02. The manga serves as a sequel to Kikaider Code 02. The manga was based on Inazuman chapter "The Boy with the Guitar" and follows mainly Inazuman's story.

Anime

An anime adaptation called was released on October 16, 2000, and ended on January 8, 2001. The anime has various differences from the original version and it is more faithful to the original manga by Shotaro Ishinomori.

Sequel

A direct sequel to the first tokusatsu series called Kikaider 01 was released on May 12, 1973, and ended March 30, 1974. It introduced the new titular character Kikaider 01 along with the return of Hakaider under the control of Professor Gill.