| Genre: | Tokusatsu Superhero fiction Science fiction Action/Adventure |
| Runtime: | 25 minutes |
| Creator: | Daiji Kazumine, Tomio Sagisu |
| Producer: | P-Productions |
| Country: | Japan |
| Network: | Fuji Television Network |
| Num Episodes: | 63 |
is a tokusatsu science fiction superhero television series. Produced by P Productions and created by producer Souji Ushio, the series aired on Fuji TV in Japan from January 2, 1971 to March 25, 1972 with a total of 63 episodes (divided into three segments), not counting the pre-series pilot episode. This was the first major Japanese superhero show of the 1970s.
Banished from the peaceful and highly advanced simian Planet E in the Geisty Solar System, the mutant mad scientist Dr. Gori and his brutish gorilla-like assistant Karras (Ra in the Japanese version) search for a new world to rule after Gori's plot to conquer Planet E had been foiled by its government. Traveling to Earth in their flying saucer, the blond alien apeman is captivated by its beauty but appalled by its inhabitants' misuse of its environment, leading to severe pollution (a huge topic back when this series was made, since Tokyo in Japan was the most polluted city in the world at the time), so humankind must be quickly conquered if this planet is to remain habitable. Gori therefore plots, rather ironically, to use the pollution that is plaguing Earth to create horrible, giant, rampaging monsters to wipe out and/or enslave humankind.
Hope comes in the form of the Nebula 71 Star, an artificial satellite resembling twin planet Saturns joined together that observes Earth incognito. Fearing that Gori may eventually make Earth uninhabitable, they dispatch Spectreman, their super-cyborg agent, to battle the menace of the mad apeman. Spectreman disguises himself as a Japanese man named Jôji Gamô to walk among the humans and scout out Gori's weekly menace for the Nebula 71 Star. He works with a government-run group called the Pollution G-Men, run by Chief Kurata. This group investigates phenomena involving pollution, but they do not (until late in the show's run) have the facilities to handle giant monsters, so unbeknownst to them, their comical-yet-mysterious teammate Jòji disappears on them, only to help them as Spectreman![1]
As the series comes to a conclusion, Dr. Gori's subordinates - and even Ra - are largely defeated, forcing the mad scientist to face Spectreman by himself in the last episode. While the hero tries to convince him that his remarkable intelligence should be put at the service of good rather than be used for destruction and tyranny, Gori commits suicide after replying that he would rather die than live with such an inferior and self-destructive race as the humans.
Disguised as a human being (Jôji "George" Gamô), Spectreman requests his transformation from the unseen stern but benevolent Overlord of the Nebula Star, or is ordered by same to do so. Saying "Ryōkai" (了解 - Japanese for "Roger"), or "Ready" in the US version, he raises his right hand towards the Nebula Star, which shoots a beam at him, transforming into Spectreman, a super-powered cyborg in a gold-and-copper cuirass, with a fin-topped full helmet with an angular metal face somewhat resembling the Rocketeer's signature headgear. Before transforming back into a human, however, he simply faints.[1]
Spectreman starts out as human-sized and can increase his size at will.
In addition to superhuman strength and agility and the ability to fly, Spectreman's weapons included:
While Spectreman is virtually invincible, he can still be damaged. In one episode, when injured in the leg by an opposing monster, he bled green blood. He bled one other time, when bitten in the neck by a space vampire. Notably, his blood color had changed to bright yellow.
The entire 63-episode Spectreman series was dubbed into English and syndicated to television stations across North America, including Superstation TBS, starting in the fall of 1978 (more than seven years after the Japanese premiere). The English dubbing was co-written and performed by character actor Mel Welles, who is best known for his performance in the original film version of The Little Shop of Horrors. While the U.S. version is faithful to the original show for the most part, the most notable change is the new theme song created by a song writing team using the song "The First Day of Forever" from the album Awakening by the Mystic Moods Orchestra.[2] The instrumental version was used as a substitute for the Japanese language theme song and was played over action scenes. The instrumental version of the Japanese theme song was usually left alone. Other changes were edits to remove some of the violence considered too intense for a U.S. children's show at the time. The dialogue was sometimes altered to add some of Mr. Welles' offbeat humor. While once available on VHS, the U.S. version has not been released on DVD or Blu-ray.
Tuyama made a Spectreman Bowling Pump water gun in 1971. It resembled a bowling pin with an SD Spectreman sticker.[4]
Spectreman was parodied in the Franco-Belgian series Télechat as Leguman. Rather than being made of machinery, Leguman was made of vegetables with carrots for arms, pea pods for legs, a jack o'lantern pumpkin for a head, and a radish chest emblem on his leotard, and he engaged in brief inane low budget live action battles with bizarre robot monsters based on everyday items (vacuum cleaners, juicers, etc.) in mundane urban settings, all while a male voice chanted his repetitive Spectreman-inspired theme song.[5]
Spectreman is shown in the graphic novel The Arab of the Future by Riad Sattouf, as a Japanese TV show that the protagonist, as a kid, watches in Libya. The protagonist's father makes racist remarks, comparing ape-like villains with Africans, but the protagonist notices similitudes between Dr. Gori and his father.
The antagonist of the series Space Dandy, Dr. Gel, was inspired partially by Dr. Gori.
The hand gestures of the Powerpuff Girls character Mojo Jojo are clearly a tribute to Dr. Gori.
In Thailand, the series aired in 1972, leading to a large number of makers of toy products related to Spectreman, including a play money known as Bank Gamô (according Spectreman's human form name) and is still popularly known to this day.[6]
Dr. Gori and Rah make guest appearances in the 2005 film Cromartie High – The Movie based on the manga Cromartie High School.