July Tokusatsu of the Month - Spider-Man

[Silvertooth]

Spiderman's shaping up to be an interesting watch, and an interesting bit in tokusatsu history. Considering it's 1978, the models and mecha are actually pretty neat. Wonder who did Marvel's subs, as some of them seem kinda weird, especially the "Emissary of Hell" declaration each time Spiderman arrives on the scene.

Anywho, watching this has me picturing what other traditional Spider-Man tropes would be like channeled through the tokusatsu lense. Norman Osborne going from suit wearing villian to armored madman ala Apollo Geist, or maybe Black Cat gadding about as a tweener or villianess lieutenant. I also recall this particular promo photo shoot...

Epic crossover is epic, but merely for ads, as Hiroshi Miyauchi does a couple guest spots later on

 

[Lynxara]

Marvel's translation seems pretty spot-on, the script is just periodically odd. I think the "emissary of hell" thing is in reference to how Takuya is supposed to be motivated by Garia's need for vengeance from beyond the grave. It just... seems sorta random in most episodes, since Takuya is not exactly an intense guy.

[HIDE]Episode 05 was mostly pretty dumb, but I did like the scene where Takuya is having to beg for money to replace the bike he wrecked being a superhero. It was a very Peter Parker sort of moment, for all that it had no real relevance to the rest of the story.

Episode 06 suggests that future episodes will turn the Iron Cross Army into an even bigger ripoff of Shocker, which is just... like, why? Did Toei have a big stack of unfilmed Rider scripts they wanted to recycle?

07 was kind of interesting in that it was not an unusual plot for 60s superheroes, but is typically more of a Superman plot than a Spider-Man plot. As goofy as this is in a TV show, this sort of thing usually works even more poorly in a comic. Quite a few Superman tropes have worked their way into the show, which feels fairly odd to me.

So by episode 08 the Iron Cross Army is reduced to... digging up ancient cat graves? If I hadn't seen the cat-flinging episode of B-Fighter earlier this year, I'd be inclined to say this is the craziest damned thing I've ever seen. [/HIDE]

 

[MetalSymphony]

13

-Villians back then sure relied alot on :science:
-It's the Hellcats!
-Ahh, late 70's betting machines...and Spiderman's playing the slots :laugh:
-He looks for a suspicious hearse in a equally suspicious car....Not that many loud colored flying sports cars in 1978 Tokyo.
-Padding....with the ED no less
-Damn, that ambulance got there fast
-Wait, can Takuya just ring up Interpol and ask about any mysterious vehicles in Tokyo?
-BAWHAHAHA! nice spitting effects tar Toei.
-I think they got the leg scene of Leopardon's transformation reversed.

14

-Does Spiderman do Interpol's dirty work now?
-We get POV shots now too?
-One of the eyes on the mask it totally bigger than the other
-It's a light! And again!
-Batman!
-1,000,000 yen....*check historical exchange rates* Damn
-So, the mooks are Modified Human bikers....so their Kamen Riders?
-Robo-Bat = Ratbat?
-Takuya's family are asses, he did try to help them, that deserves some props if he was successful or not.
-It's kind of funny watching Takuya act like a weak guy when he could kick all their asses easy

15

-Keep away with Groceries?
-Jesus, what is it with this Genre and Dead parents?
-BAD TOUCH SPIDERMAN!!!
-And Miazaki said kids don't climb trees anymore.
-Noticed Kauji is wearing a Yomuri Giants cap
-Fanservice work out :coolshades:

 

[Lynxara]

Caught up a little bit more, saw eps 09, 10, and 11 yesterday.

I am pretty sure the plot of episodes 09 and 10 were both used verbatim in Sailor Moon, just featuring recurring villains rather than monsters of the week.

Episode 11 was surprising and I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I really didn't expect to see the kid who got the blood transfusion ever again.

 

[MattComix]

As you can tell by my avatar I've been checking this out. The costume is pretty much in line with the classic comics (bulky webshooter aside) and the stunts involving wall-crawling or fighting are so much more dynamic than what we got here in the states with the Nicholas Hammond series in the 70's.

It kind of makes me imagine a series that never happened where you have the Japanese costume and stunt man but still with Hammond as Parker in a 70's show that is more in tune with the comics.

I still can't get into Leopardon though. Part of it is a visual disconnect with the idea of Spider-Man having a giant robot (even though I know this isn't the Marvel version) and the other is why does Spider-Man have a leopard robot? Especially since when it transforms there's the obvious web motif and everything. Why isn't it Spideron or something? I really do not get the spider/leopard connection.

 

[Igadevil]

Leopardon was designed by Murakami Katsushi, who was working as an industrial designer at Bandai (I believe 1978/79 is around the time they started getting more and more of a say in Tokusatsu series as part of the sponsorship deal. Not just for Toei, but Tsuburaya as well.) Leopardon, according to its designer, was supposed to be reminiscent of a sphinx when it's in the vehicle mode (Marveller) as the idea was that they'd reveal that the ancient spider-people came down from space and built the pyramids, or something like that. Hey, I never said the story made sense.

Also Leopardon is supposedly named after the German tank Leopard 1. Why not.

PS BUY IT NOW KIDS!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSULxsbXKw8"]YouTube - ‪???????????????DX????????? CM‬‏[/ame]

Anyway, I love this show. Episode 31 is one of my favorite single episodes of any Tokusatsu ever, and you gotta love how the actress playing Amazoness would go on to appear in Sun Vulcan as Amazon Killer. I think similar production teams might've had something to do with that.

 

[MetalSymphony]

Thats a good question Matt, i always wondered why Leopardon had a Animal head (That i always thought was a Dog's) on it....

16

-Ricky's so fine, he blows my mind...
-Ricky must be the Japanese Lassie
-"Whats that boy, some Mooks knocked him off a cliff?"
-Wait.....he isn't J-Lassie, he's the Littlest Hobo!
-AMAZ-i mean SPIDERMAN!
-Lucky guy, getting whipped by Amazoness costs some people alot of money
-Isamu must have peanut butter in his back for Ricky to help him up that much
-Hey! it's that Dam that's been in every toku ever
-"Next season, from the Creators of Tiger & Bunny, Dog & Spider!"
-HOLY **** MAN It's enough to shoot the dog, but then to fall down a Dam...
-See, he is the Littlest Hobo!
-And now the MOTW only shows up for the giant fight.

17

-Some Wrasslin'? Sweet
-Must have been his Hair.
-"Bonesaw is REEEEEDEY"
-Wait...Is Takuya opening working for Interpol now or what? How else could he tell Hitomi about the Editor being a Black Cross Member without saying he's Spiderman?
-Thats a good lead Amazoness
-Spiderman, fights crime and coaches failing wrestlers!

 

[Aoi Kurenai]

http://forums.henshinjustice.net/showthread.php?t=70182 dropping this here.

 

[MetalSymphony]

18

-So the hero almost kills a child, Bravo!
-Damn, i sould pick up random bags i find in the street
-Note, if a guys is trying to take a bag from you that you don't own, just give it to them
-I still say Spider Strings are non adhesive
-I wouldn't say five million yen is a small amount, that could be a few months rent to some people
-That monster really sucks...
-Iron Cross's plan sounds pretty insidious, plus they have been carrying it out for months. Kudos to them
-I have to question why Hitomi stays with Takuya if he's so apathetic and dismissive toward her (even thought it's to protect her from harm)
-Thats one MASSIVE spider tracer
-This was a nice Mother and child story


19

-Weird kid who appears out of thin air and knows things he should'nt, sounds like a horror story almost
-Woah! Drug trip time @_@
-What must Takuya's family think of him now
-Thats one hell of a way to ask for help kid
-I've hear of there being fairly isolated villiages up in japanes mountains, but one where they still practice human sacrifice?
-It's Galactica 1980 all over again!
-Alien's...with Earth guns?
-This one's weird...even for Toku. Mind you Spiderman's powers in this continuity are Extraterrestrially based, so in the context of the series it's not that out there.

 

[MetalSymphony]

22

-I guess doc didn't get his fix today
-Bahh! The Screaming Skull!
-As long as the Vampires don't sparkle...
-Shows how well Takuya's family listens.
-Master wipe out Takuya!
-Little Blind girl plot eh?
-Her fathers the skull driver, calling it.
-Spiderman's sunt drive mask still looks awful
-Yep, called it. score one!
-More dead Parents!

23

-Reminds me of the Daycare bits of Kuuga with Minori Godai
-Goro's ether a criminal or working for Iron Cross. Knowing this show the latter.
-Ahh, the time old vice of Gambling. Can't say i've ever been to a chick race.
-Spider fighting beats Dog fighting i guess.
-I love how it says "PUB CHAIN" in English
-Asking Spiderman for money has to be the funniest thing ever.
-Thats why you don't wager things you don't own
-Peter Parker's Spiderman would have caught Goro long before that chase got going
-I bet those passages smell like Poo-gas