Inazuman


Inazuman was a television series starring a mutant fictional character of the same name created by Shotaro Ishinomori. The first television series ran from October 2, 1973 to March 26, 1974 with a total of 25 episodes. A sequel series named Inazuman Flash aired in 1974 from April 9 to September 24 with a total of 23 episodes.

Inazuman Specs

Inazuman is, in reality, young college student Goro Watari, a mutant. He lost his mother as a child and had other dark moments in his childhood. However, when the Neo-Human Empire Phantom Army begins its attacks on mankind with its Phantom Soldiers and Mutant Creatures, he puts his psionic powers to the test.
First, he performs a henshin pose and uttering the phrase, "Gōriki Shōrai", he is wrapped in a blue cocoon, which bursts, revealing the creature Sanagiman. He resembles an armored brown pupa mutant with a white belt which has a biomechanical power meter on it.
Sanagiman is able to absorb the kinetic energy of any attack used against him, and when he gathers enough energy into his belt, he crosses his fists in front of his chest, uttering the phrase, "Chōriki Shōrai", and spreads them aside, with his chest emitting a swirl of colorful energy. Sanagiman's exterior then explodes to pieces, and in his place is Inazuman. He is a moth-like mutant wearing the same power belt as Sanagiman and resembles a blue humanoid with huge colorful oval eyes, prominent lightning-shaped antennas, black gloves and boots, yellow lightning-shaped marks that stream down his body, and a yellow scarf he can transform into various weapons, including a whip-like chain.
As both Sanagiman and Inazuman, his kiai fighting cry is "Chest!", which originates from the Japanese island of Kyūshū where the main character, Goro Watari, hails.
Goro is a member of the Youth League, a Science Patrol-style group of similarly psychic-powered young people, and has a telepathic link with the sentient flying car Raijingo which can fire missiles and bite bad guys with the teeth built into its mouth-like grill.

Media

Manga

A manga adaptation by creator Shotaro Ishinomori was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1973 to 1974. In the manga adaptation, Goro Watari is a junior high school student named Saburo Kazeta, and is nicknamed "Sabu". The character first appeared in Ishinomori's manga "Mutant Sabu".
Inazuman appeared somewhat different than in the live action tokusatsu version, and was created when the series was in development as an animated series, provisionally titled "Mutant Z". In these versions, the character appeared to be naked, with a curled proboscis stemming from his forehead, and was even able to sprout moth wings from his back. The manga version of Sanagiman was also slightly different from the tokusatsu version. In the manga, Saburo has also a childhood girlfriend nicknamed "Miyoppe" who is usually the victim of Saburo's jokes with his psychic powers.

Tokusatsu Series

Inazuman was produced by Toei Company Ltd. and broadcast on NET from October 2, 1973 to March 26, 1974, with a total of 25 episodes. The series starred Daisuke Ban of Kikaider fame in the title role as he fights Emperor Banba and his mutant minions. The entire 48-episode series was broadcast on KIKU-TV in Honolulu, Hawaii in the mid-1970s, during the height of the popularity of tokusatsu programs ignited by the success of Kikaider in 1974. A new enemy emerges in the evil robots of the Despar Army led by Führer Geisel, named after Ernesto Geisel. Inazuman, gaining the ability to hurl lightning bolts, is joined by a cynical cyborg Interpol agent named Makoto Arai. The first 25 episodes are from the first Inazuman series, the remaining 23 are from its direct sequel series Inazuman Flash, once again produced by Toei and broadcast on NET/TV Asahi from April 9 to September 24, 1974.
  1. Horror of the Neo-Human Race: The Challenge of Banba!!
  2. Youth League, Beware! The Cursed Water!!
  3. Phantom Hell Beckons the Black Death!
  4. The Japanese Archipelago Explodes!!
  5. Epic Dogfight! Raijingo Bites!!
  6. Bizarre Snow Banbara's Neo-Human Surgery!!
  7. Weird! A Flying Eye!?
  8. Terrifying Sandstorm! Major Airport Engulfed!!
  9. The Glowing Mold Stalks the Night!!
  10. Terror of the Carnivorous Gas!!
  11. Rose Banbara is Inazuman's Mother
  12. Mother's Enemy: Banba vs. Inazuman
  13. Inazuman Wounded
  14. The Fury of Raijingo: Great Dogfight!!
  15. A Mother's Shadow Devoured
  16. Race to Fulfill a Promise!
  17. Puzzling Confrontation! Two Goro Wataris!!
  18. A Lightning Strike for Friendship!!
  19. The Mysterious Deadly Boxer: Mirror X?
  20. Chase the Star Saucer! Raijingo!!
  21. Watari Goro: Inazuman Dies!?
  22. The Walking Clay Doll: Terror of the Cracking Earth!!
  23. The Cursed Paint That Melts Humans
  24. The Mysterious Robot Warrior?
  25. Majestic! The End of Emperor Banba!!
  26. Inazuman 3D Movie Project
  27. Terror of Führer Geisel and the Mysterious Despar Army!
  28. Terrifying Safari!! Great Operation at Sea!!
  29. 500 Hydrogen Bombs!! Great Underground Battle!
  30. The Mysterious Airship? To Space!!
  31. DES Missiles: Great Aerial Battle!!
  32. Geisel's Great Fort
  33. Great Decisive Battle! Udespar vs. Inazuman!!
  34. Udespar Siblings! Cross Hurricane!!
  35. Boys Circus and Great Multi-Operation
  36. Udespar Siblings' Defiant Shape
  37. Beautiful Cyborg! The Alter-ego at Dawn!!
  38. Phantom City: Despar City
  39. White Darkness!! Witch Sings the Babysitter Song
  40. Great Aerial Battle!! Combine Udespar Tactical Squad
  41. Big Flood Operation!!
  42. The Mysterious Woman: Whose Name is the Despar Secret Agent
  43. Blue Pupils of the Invader
  44. Red Queen: Ballad of Assassination
  45. Inazuman: Joins the Despar Army!!
  46. Butterfly and Guillotine: Flower Hell Operation
  47. The Deceased Squad - Route 047
  48. Kill the Burdensome Ones: Geisel's Supereme Command
  49. Farewell Inazuman: Geisel's Last Day

    ''Kamen Rider'' series

Demon creatures were psionics converted into neo-humans, sometimes involuntarily, by the Neo-Human Empire led by Emperor Banba and the commanders of the Phantom Soldiers.
Serving as the enemies of Flash, Robot Fighters are robots created by the Despa Army and the leaders of Despa soldiers. These robots were designed to be stronger than the Mutant Creatures of the Banba Empire and were under the direct control of Udespa's various incarnations. Due to budget cuts in production some Robot Fighters had a second appearance with minimal modification in the second half of the series.