Android Kikaider | |||||
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Japanese name | |||||
Kanji | 人造人間キカイダー | ||||
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Genre | Action Adventure Superhero fiction | ||||
Based on | Kikaider manga by Shotaro Ishinomori | ||||
Developed by | Masaru Igami | ||||
Screenplay by | Masaru Igami Shūkei Nagasaka Shoji Shimazu Masayuki Shimada | ||||
Directed by | Hidetoshi Kitamura | ||||
Starring | Daisuke Ban Hajime Izu Jun Mizunoe Masahiro Kamiya Shun Ueda | ||||
Narrated by | Masaaki Okabe | ||||
Opening theme | "Go, Go, Kikaider!" by Yuki Hide | ||||
Ending theme | "Tatakae, Jinzō Ningen" by Yuki Hide | ||||
Composer | Michiaki Watanabe | ||||
Country of origin | Japan | ||||
Original language | Japanese | ||||
No. of episodes | 43 (+1 special) | ||||
Production | |||||
Producer | Tōru Hirayama | ||||
Production companies | Toei Company Ishimori Productions | ||||
Original release | |||||
Network | TV Asahi | ||||
Release | 8 July 1972 5 May 1973 | –||||
Related | |||||
Kikaider 01 (1973) |
Android Kikaider (人造人間キカイダー, Jinzō Ningen Kikaidā) is a tokusatsu television series based on the superhero manga Kikaider by Shotaro Ishinomori. The show was produced by Toei Company and Ishimori Productions, and was broadcast in Japan on NET (now TV Asahi) from July 8, 1972, to May 5, 1973, with a total of 43 episodes.
This series was also one of the first tokusatsus to air in the United States (notably Hawaii), as Kikaida: Android of Justice, on KIKU-TV.
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 (Kikaider) 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 (wandering with amnesia) 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 the 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.
Flying At 'Ya, Android Kikaider (飛び出す人造人間キカイダー, Tobidasu Jinzô Ningen Kikaidâ) 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 the Destructoids that Kikaider had destroyed. Kikaider is forced to destroy them all once again. On October 21, 2022, It was released via Toei Tokusatsu World Official on YouTube to commemorate the channel's 400k subscribers and the series' 50th anniversary with English sub (albeit lacking 3D) for the first time until December 28.
Mechanical Violator Hakaider (人造人間ハカイダー, Jinzō Ningen Hakaidā) 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 Space Sheriff Gavan in Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters, to promote the film.
Main article: OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders |
Kikaider, along with Kikaider 01, Inazuman, and Zubat made an appearance in OOO, Den-O, All Riders: Let's Go Kamen Riders (オーズ・電王・オールライダー レッツゴー仮面ライダー, Ōzu Den'ō Ōru Raidā: Rettsu Gō Kamen Raidā) 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.
An anime adaptation called Android Kikaider: The Animation (人造人間キカイダー THE ANIMATION, Jinzō Ningen Kikaidā Ji Animēshon) was released on October 16, 2000, and ended on January 8, 2001. The anime has differences from the original version and it is more faithful to the original manga by Shotaro Ishinomori.
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.
The show was released on DVD in Hawaii by JN Productions/Generation Kikaida in 2003 and 2004.