Kaiketsu Zubat


Kaiketsu Zubat, is a tokusatsu superhero series that aired in 1977. Created by Shotaro Ishinomori, this 32-episode series, harkens back to tokusatsu superhero shows of the 1950s, but with a late-1970s twist. The series was first released on DVD in 2008.

Story and other details

This series is popular with fans of creator Ishinomori, and unique as the title hero Zubat does not "henshin" like the other superheroes he created. Ken Hayakawa, a private detective dressed in black & red gringo cowboy attire, actually just puts on his red & black "Zubasuit", which looks no different from that of a Sentai hero:
Zubat drove a car called the Zubat Car. Zubat's name is based on the sound effect "zubatto," which is the sound of something being hit right on target.
The villains are also unusual, as there are no monsters, rather they originate from a large criminal organization named Dakker, which has a mysterious leader, and outlandishly-dressed criminals. Many episodes of this series even had a bizarre Japanese "wild west" setting.
An episode would generally have a single head criminal, and a yojimbo, somehow terrorizing a group of people. Ken Hayakawa would happen upon this, and meet the yojimbo, which would lead to a demonstration of the latter's preferred skill, only for Ken Hayakawa to show that he was much better.

Episode List

  1. Right After the Wandering Blast
  2. Migratory Birds Right in the Flames
  3. The Sorrow Solid-Golden Angel
  4. The Tearful Enemy Breaks Right Through
  5. The Flower Vendor Girl and the White Flour
  6. The Machine Gun Howls in the Sea
  7. The Nefarious Wind Blows Through the Seaport
  8. The Sorrowful Propane Blast
  9. Looking Back at the Tearful River
  10. The Baseball Opponent Flies to the Curb
  11. Don't Die, my Friends! Crisis One Second Back
  12. An Executioner 10 Seconds Ago
  13. The Boy Killer's Ballade
  14. The White-Feathered Arrow's Farewell Tears
  15. The Sorrowful Mother's Lullaby
  16. The Sorrowful Ken's Accused of Murder
  17. The Little Wailing Sister: Two Kens
  18. Look Out! The Soap Bubble's Love
  19. The Tragic Love Breaks the Love Letter
  20. The Female Dragon Vowed to Shed Tears
  21. Farewell, Eyelidded Mother
  22. The Young Boxer: Tearful Father
  23. The Okami Family Home: The Three Sisters and Ten'ichibo
  24. The Tearful Ken: The Unknown Town's Lover
  25. Kojin'yama's Tearful Farewell
  26. Forgive Me, My Child!
  27. Surprise! Is that the Perpetrator who killed Asuka?!
  28. And then, He Becomes Nobody
  29. Orphaned Children: Tearful Revenge
  30. Between the Sorrowful Life and Death
  31. Showdown! Leader L's the Real Culprit?
  32. The Day-to-Day Battle Bids Farewell, And then

    Cast

;Opening Theme
;Ending Theme
Zubat, along with Kikaider, Kikaider 01, and Inazuman 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.

Legacy

This series would also be parodied by Daicon Films in 1982, in a series of short films starring the superhero Kaiketsu Noutenki. Zubat's costume was also a basis for the video game superhero parody Viewtiful Joe.