Inazuman

Inazuman aired October 2, 1973 - March 26, 1974 (25 episodes & 1 movie)

Sanagiman Inazuman

Created by Ishimori, Shotaro
Produced by Hirayama, Tôru
Music by Watanabe, Michiaki

Character Actor
Watari, Goro Ban, Daisuke
Sanagiman Nakamura, Bunya
Inazuman Nakamura, Bunya &Nakamura, Yu
Emperor Bamba (voice) Îzuka, Shôzô
Emperor Bamba Ikeda, Rikiya
Marume, Gosaku Kitamura, Koichi
Ogi, Satoko Sakurai, Mari
Ogi, Katsumi Yamada, Yoshikazu
Tomikawa, Kaoru Fukawa, Fusayo
Narrator Murakoshi, Ichiro


Youth Corps Watari, Goro in Youth Corps Uniform

Watari, Goro joins the Youth Corp, an organization founded to battle the evil mutants of Shin Jin Rui (New Human Order). When Goro is tested he's revealed to be a powerful mutant himself. Chaneling electricity through his body he becomes the "Champion of Justice", Inazuman (Lightningman).


henshin to Sanagiman henshin to Inazuman





Watari, Goro has to henshin into Sanagiman before he can become Inazuman.

"Gôriki Shôrai!" (Gain Herculean Strength)

Sanagiman's body absorbs every attack used against him, storing the kenetic energy to charge the henshin belt. When Sanagiman's belt is fully charged he can become Inazuman.

"Chôriki Shôrai!" (Gain Super Strength)

Inazuman is a moth. Watari, Goro is like the caterpillar stage, Sanagiman is the cocoon. In the early episodes Sanagiman explodes as Inazuman breaks out of his shell.








RaijingoRaijingo

Watari, Goro and Inazuman both drive the flying car Raijingo. Raijingo is psionically linked to Inazuman so it comes to him whe he calls "Go Raijingo". In one episode it senses he's in distress and comes to his rescue on its own, So Raijingo is in some sense alive/

Raijingo

Raijingo could fly and could fire missiles out of it's mouth.

Inazuman


Inazuman's yellow scarf could be transformed into various objects, the most common is "Muffler LIghtning Runner", a giant yellow chain which he uses to safe buildings the monster of the week is trying to knock over.. It can also turn into "Muffler Concrete Bond", a device that sprays quick drying cement (used against Suna-Bambara (Sand) in episode 8, "Muffler Lightning Cutter", a spinning blade, used against Kabi-Bambara (Mold) in episode 9, "Lightning Muffler Sprinkler" is used against Tsuchi-Bambara (Tsuchi=earth OR soil) in episode 22.


Supreme Lightning Strik

Inazuman's main killing blow is "Supreme Lightning Strike" in which he shoots red bolts of energy at the monster, usually followed up with a punch.


Ogi, Katsumi and Ogi, Satoko Ogi, Satoko and Ogi, Katsumi

Ogi, Katsumi and Ogi, Satoko brother and sister members of the Youth Corp (or League) introduce Watari, Goro to the orignization and along with Satako's best friend Tomikawa, Kaoru are its main operatives throughout the series. After episode 11 the series takes a darker turn and little is seen of the Youth Corp except for these three members in the later episodes. Satoko, Katsumi and Kaoru like all Youth Corp members are supposed to be mutants, yet they never use any special powers (other than the power to instantatly change into their uniforms). Other mutant children in the series have special powers which make them a target of the New Human Order, but these three leaders of the Youth Corp never show any sign they actual have psionic abilaties.

Gosaku

Marume, Gosaku, Goro's college roommate means well but he's usless in a fight. He either faints or gets hit on the head and passes out. Even when the Youth Corp does not appear he is usually there beside his friend. He is the only main character who is not a mutant.


motherBara-BambaraaInazuman cries

In episide 11 Watari, Goro is reuinited with his mother whom he believed had died 15 years before. He quickly learns a terrible secret which breaks his heart. (This episode was directed by Inazuman creator Ishimori, Shotaro). In episode 12, filled with hatred for Teiou Bamba [Emperor Bamba], Watari, Goro infiltrates a New Human Order base in an attempt to assassinate the Emperor. This nearly costs him his life as he finds himself temporarily unable to transform into Sanagiman. This episode does not to have any of the other regular cast members, only characters specific to this episode. For the rest of the series Inazuman's battle against the New Human Empire is personal. Its also around this point in the series that Watari, Goro and the other Youth Corps members stop wearing those uniforms and just wear normal clothes.

Arisa

In episode 14 Watari, Goro falls in love with Arisa, a young woman who is of course a New Human Order operative sent to destroy him.

Watari, Goro are the only seres regulars in episode 15.

After an appearance by Marume, Gosaku at the beginning of episode 16 the episode has no main characters other than Watari, Goro/Sanagiman/Inazuman for the remainder of the episode (except briefly Emperor Bamba).

Two Goro's

Ogi, Katsumi: Ogi, Satoko and Tomikawa, Kaoru along with Marume, Gosaku return for episode 17 to watch Watari, Goro fight an evil duplicate of himself.

Episode 18 is free of the Youth Corp and has very little of Gosaku.

Gosaku and the Youth Corp trio return in episode 19 as two of Goro's other (never seen before) friends are targeted by the New Human Order because they are his friends.

Episode 20 begins with Watari, Goro playing soccer, something we haven't seen him do since the first episode. We see Marume, Gosaku back in the dorm as well. The Youth Corp are absent.

In episode 21 Ogi, Katsumi: Ogi, Satoko and Marume, Gosaku arrive in a strange village just as the villagers are completing a funeral for Watari, Goro. Tomikawa, Kaoru was left behind in Tokyo.again.

Gosaku appears briefly in episode 22, as Inazuman fights to save a boy's life. No Youth Corp.

After several episodes in which the New Human Order concentrate on trying to kill Watari, Goro/Inazuman, they finally return to trying to conquer the world (or at least Japan) as paintings attack innocent humans, in episode 23. However, its too little too late as the New Human Order is soon to learn Inazuman is not their only foe or the most dangerous. Goro meets a boy named Masaru (no its not that Masaru, he's in Switzerland remember). [I wonder what Ban, Daisuke thought when he saw that name in a script again.] This boy is mutant with precognition,. In one of the most disturbing scenes of the series, Watari, Goro looks down at the budies of murdered children he was too late to save. The Youth Corp trio and Gosaku do appear (briefly) in this episode. And for Tomikawa, Kaoru it's the last time.

The 3D movie Jumping Out, Inazuman released on March 16, 1974. ten days before Inazuman the TV series ended had the same basic story line as the final two episodes of the series but with extra plot lines not used in the series. In effect the movie was a spoiler for the TV series.

Episode 24 begins with a motorcycle riding robot, armed with a machine gun and a missile launcher, wiping out a small contingent of New Human Order soldiers and destroying their supply of missiles. Watari, Goro hearing the explosion investigates and encounters the last of Emperor Bamba's mutant monsters who naturally assumes Inazuman killed his men. Marume, Gosaku working to pay his tuition is captured along with other dock workers to be forced to build the New Human Order's missile base. Ogi, Satoko and Ogi, Katsumi: are also is this episode. Inazuman's scarf has gotten thicker and turned orange. (Must have been a cold winter in 1974).

Teiou BambaKasai-Fighter

In the final episode the mysterious warrior and traitorius New Human Order soldiers either convert New Human Order soldiers to their cause or executive them slowly but surely taking over Emperor Bamba's army. When Emperor Bamba and Watari, Goro are taken prisoner and nearly executed they escape and form an uneasy alliance, which of course Emperor Bamba violates, as nothing will stop him from destroying Japan. He apparently believes that sinking Japan with a massive eartquake and tsaunami will destroy his new enemies as well as the hated humans. Needing more energy to escape Emperor Bamba's last tramp Inazuman uses parts of his body to creathe psionic power emplifer Saber, which will allow him to call down actual lightning bolts. As the five minute countdown to the end of Japan begins, Inazuman battles Emperor Bamba who reveals his true form, Kasai-Fighter (Kasai=fire). All main cast members except Tomikawa, Kaoru are in this episode.

After the death of Emperor Bamba the mysterious robot reveals itself as Udespar, and introduces Watari, Goro to Gaiseru Soutou [President Geisel] leader of the Despâ Gundan (Despar Army). Gaiseru Soutou does speak (guess they hadn't hired Andô, Mitsuo yet), And Watari, Goro realizes that an even greater threat has arisen.


Inazuman Episode Titles

Inazuman Songs


After the colapse of the Shin Jin Rui (New Human Order) and the death of Teiou Bamba (Emperor Bamba) the story continues in Inazuman Flash. While Inazuman Flash is treated like its own series, with its own opening and ending theme songs, its own seperate cast, it actually picks up where Inazuman" episode 25 left off. And the finale episode of Inazuman" doesn't end with the Japanense for "The End" on the screen but "To Be Continued". So the two could be treated as a single 48 episode series (as at least one Japanese book does) rather than a 25 episode series followed by a 23 episode sequel,


In a 2002 Anime DVD titled "The Boy Who Carried a Guitar: Kikaida vs. Inazuman" (Guitar wo Motta Shounen - Kikaida tai Inazuman), Inazuman meets Kikaida.


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Last modified Tuesday, January 28, 2020


Inazuman © 1973 Ishimori Productions and Toei Co., Ltd.
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