Tokusou Robo Janperson
Appearance
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Tokusou Robo Janperson | |
---|---|
Created by | Toei |
Starring | Yuichi Komine |
Narrated by | Takeshi Kuwabara (桑原 たけし, Kuwabara Takeshi) |
Country of origin | Japan |
No. of episodes | 50 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes (per episode) |
Original release | |
Network | TV Asahi |
Release | January 31, 1993 – January 23, 1994 |
Tokusou Robo Janperson (特捜ロボ ジャンパーソン, Tokusō Robo Janpāson) was the 1993 installment in Toei Company Limited's Metal Hero Series. The series revolved around Janperson, a robotic detective who patrolled the streets of Tokyo and fought against three different underworld organizations who used super technology to subjugate the masses. Unlike most Metal Heroes, a monster-of-the-week was rarely shown and most of the villains are criminals akin to television police dramas. The name given to this series by Toei for international distribution is Jumperson.[1]
Characters
Main
- Special Investigations Robot Janperson (特捜ロボ ジャンパーソン, Tokusō Robo Janpāson)
- A purple & silver android robot who works as a detective. He was once a prototype combat robot known as MX-A1, driven berserk by the command to "Destroy Evil," which led to his deactivation. He was later stripped of most weaponry and reprogrammed with human emotions by the young female scientist Kaoru Saegusa. Like RoboCop, he upholds the law but he is purely mechanical. He is seen to be the kind of police officer who never gives up that easily. He also has problems dealing with his former life as MX-A1 when he is forced to destroy evil easily.
- Gun Gibson (ガンギブソン, Gan Gibuson)
- A grey, heavy-armed android created by the Gang Guards to destroy Janperson, he later switched sides and became Janperson's android partner. Armed with two guns - one with an aiming bullet and the other a dumb bullet. He was later armed with a powerful bazooka which he used in battle and had a motorcycle that he uses during battles. Although thought to have been destroyed by Bill Goldy near the finale, he was shown to have survived well enough and joined in the final battle. He had an android-girlfriend named Kai who was also made by the Gang Guards and was killed by the Gang Guards during their first battle with Janperson. Kai was revived by Kaoru at the end of the series, only to be killed again.
- Kaoru Saegusa (三枝 かおる, Saegusa Kaoru)
- A young female scientist who is one of Janperson's creators. She reactivated and reprogrammed Janperson after it was shut down the first time by placing human emotions inside it. She gets and gives information to Janperson about his nemesis during the series. She somewhat betrayed Janperson towards the end of the series by destroying their headquarters and reviving Gun Gibson's android-girlfriend Carol. It was found out that these are only just her undercover strategies to get the confidence of Tatewaki/Bill Goldy and find a way to help Janperson to defeat him.
Weapons
- Janperson Cards
- JP Card
- Warning Card
- Destroy Card
- Guilty Card
- Contact Card
- Jandetic
- Jack Cannon
- Knee Kick Missile
- Bucket Controller
- Janstick
- Jan Blader
- Jan Vulcan
- Dual Laser
- Wire Punch
- Break Knuckle
- Ark Fire
Vehicle
- Dark Jaycar
- A modified Chevrolet Corvette C3. It contains a detachable helicopter called Sky Jaycar. The Dark Jaycar and the Sky Jaycar have a maximum speed of respectively 700 kilometers per hour and 1,800 kilometers per hour. As for the arsenal, the car is equipped with a cannon called Land Jaycar.
Villains
Guild
- Ben Fujinami (ベン藤波, Ben Fujinami): The cyborg boss of Guild. He is George Makabe's elder brother. Although he holds an intense hatred for humans, later in the show, it has been revealed that the cause is the same as George. He wields a baton, and laser equipment that shoots mysterious light rays from the arms to attack. In the final episode, he is defeated with a Search Laser from the Jandetick and the Guild Headquarters were destroyed by self-destruction.
Takewaki Konzern
- Ryuzaburo Tatewaki/Bill Goldy (帯刀龍三郎/ビルゴルディ, Tatewaki Ryuzaburō/Birugorudi)
- An evil cyborg duplicate of Janperson, originally a human, he is a lunatic and the president of a company known as Tatewaki Konzern. He is usually seen licking a lollipop while watching Janperson fights his assassins. He later became a cyborg, via an operation, from the blue prints of how Janperson was made. He usually executes silly plans at first, but later on became serious with his schemes. He tried to frame Janperson, by impersonating his identity through his alter ego, as Bill Goldy, and used his name, in vain, but ingeniously failed. In the end, Janperson and Gun Gibson killed him once and for all, as the only means to save the world, as he was already far too dangerous. He was stabbed by Janperson, at the heart, with the Jan Blade. His final words before his destruction were, "I'll be back." Bill Goldy was later revived in the Juukou B-Fighter finale special by Jagul, who used him as a pawn before absorbing him into her body. Enraged for this act, Bill Goldy personally dragged her to Hell with him.
Neo Guild
- George Makabe (ジョージ真壁, Jōji Makabe)
- The head of the renegade robot organization the Neo Guild. He is actually a human, but Janperson thought that he was a cyborg like his elder brother, Ben Fujinami. He vowed to mechanize the world, after he and his elder brother Ben lost their first android assistant, when they were kids. When Ben (as a cyborg) was "killed" by Janperson in the early part of the series, he reformed the Neo Guild into a stronger organization, vowing to destroy Janperson and rule the planet. Near the end of the series, he was revealed to be just a human with mechanical implants (unlike his elder brother Ben who became a full cyborg). Rather than submit to death, at the hands of the heroes, he chose to commit suicide.
Super Science Network
- Reiko Ayanokouji (綾小路 麗子, Ayanokōji Reiko)
- The diabolical head of SS-N (Super Science Network), a biological underworld organization. She turns out to actually have plans to restore the Earth to beauty, acting as more of a villain with noble intentions. Her intentions are a result of her childhood, growing up on a Space Station with her parents, raising endangered plants and flowers where she saw how beautiful the Earth could be without humanity destroying it. The Space Station got damaged and as it exploded her father put her in an Escape Pod and sent her to Earth. Determined to fulfill her parents wishes to make the Earth beautiful she undergoes a Bio Transformation, near the end of the series, and tried to turn all of humanity into fertilizers, hoping to restart the Earth as she saw fit. The Human Fertilizer capable of reviving dead plant life, her master plan to get rid of humans and become the God of Earth. She eventually died, after receiving heavy injury from Janperson's Flash Cannon, watching an old Film reel of her time on the Space Station. She turned into a shower of beautiful white petals. She was later absorbed by Jagul in the B-Fighter finale special though she only made a cameo.
Episodes
- The Mysterious New Hero (謎の新英雄! Nazo no New Hero!) (Original Airdate: January 31, 1993)
- I Am Justice! (俺が正義だ!! Ore ga Seigi da!!) (Original Airdate: February 7, 1993)
- The Robo Hunters Arrive! (参上!ロボ狩人 Sanjou! Robo Hunter) (Original Airdate: February 14, 1993)
- The Strongest Army Bares its Fangs (牙むく最強軍団 Kiba Muku Saikyou Gundan) (Original Airdate: February 21, 1993)
- Fly into my Heart (飛べ俺の胸に! Tobe Ore no Mune ni!) (Original Airdate: February 28, 1993)
- The Wandering Iceman (さまよう冷凍男 Samayou Ice Man) (Original Airdate: March 7, 1993)
- I'm a Girl? (Boku wa Onna no Ko?) (Original Airdate: March 14, 1993)
- Behold the New Hero's Face! (Original Airdate: March 21, 1993)
- My Dad is a Monster! (Original Airdate: March 28, 1993)
- Beware the God of Luck (Original Airdate: April 4, 1993)
- Smile of the Weakling Warrior (Original Airdate: April 11, 1993)
- Revolt of the Delivery Robots (Original Airdate: April 18, 1993)
- The Secret of Janperson, Super Ancient Soldier (Original Airdate: April 25, 1993)
- Friendship Before The Blasting Sun (Original Airdate: May 2, 1993)
- The Angel who threw away his Wings (Original Airdate: May 9, 1993)
- Mystery Of The Golden Bird (Original Airdate: May 16, 1993)
- First Opening - JP Base (Original Airdate: May 23, 1993)
- The Secret Story of Janperson's Birth (Original Airdate: May 30, 1993)
- Mysterious Thief - Electromagnetic Transmission (Original Airdate: June 6, 1993)
- Ninpo Deathmatch (Original Airdate: June 13, 1993)
- The History Upper Beginning - The Enemy Which Cannot Be Pushed Down (Original Airdate: June 20, 1993)
- Challenge - Gun Gibson, Carol and Neo Guild Hitman (Original Airdate: June 27, 1993)
- Clash! Janperson V.S. Gun Gibson (Original Airdate: July 4, 1993)
- To Die For Justice (Original Airdate: July 11, 1993)
- Battle Of The Quickest Gun Fighters - King Decisive Game (Original Airdate: July 18, 1993)
- A Fierce Car Battle (Original Airdate: July 25, 1993)
- The True Face Of A Large Leader (Original Airdate: August 1, 1993)
- Tree Of Life, Shadow Warrior (Original Airdate: August 8, 1993)
- Death For The Androids (Original Airdate: August 15, 1993)
- Rupture - Last Soul (Original Airdate: August 22, 1993)
- The Birth Of A New Janperson Model? (Original Airdate: August 29, 1993)
- The Labyrinth From Which It Can't Be Escaped (Original Airdate: September 5, 1993)
- Ardent Love Man Of Outer Space One (Original Airdate: September 12, 1993)
- Good Bye In Intense Fighting (Original Airdate: September 19, 1993)
- The Reckless Serafuku (Original Airdate: September 26, 1993)
- Life It Does Shortly, The Beauty Boy (Original Airdate: October 3, 1993)
- Justice Vs Love (Original Airdate: October 10, 1993)
- Gun Gibson Scattered About (Original Airdate: October 17, 1993)
- Beautiful Woman Secretary Of Hell (Original Airdate: October 24, 1993)
- Base In Danger - Changing Illusion Crime lord (Original Airdate: October 31, 1993)
- Decision Dead Sphere Of Thrust Trap (Original Airdate: November 14, 1993)
- In The Heat Of Battle (Original Airdate: November 21, 1993)
- The Last Super Fighter (Original Airdate: November 28, 1993)
- The Queen Who Burns! (Original Airdate: December 5, 1993)
- The Road To Death (Original Airdate: December 12, 1993)
- Neo Guild's Last Battle! (Original Airdate: December 19, 1993)
- Puzzle? Storm Of Betrayal (Original Airdate: December 26, 1993)
- JP Base's Destruction! (Original Airdate: January 9, 1994)
- When Gun Gibson Goes Out In Flames (Original Airdate: January 16, 1994)
- Janperson Forever (Original Airdate: January 23, 1994)
Cast
- Kaoru Saegusa (eps 17-50): Tomoko Kawashima
- Shuhei Saegusa (eps 17-50): Itsuki Hisashi Tomita
- Mie Shuhei: Makio Fujita
- Ryuzaburo Tatewaki (eps 3-50) : Shun Sugata
- Maya (eps 3-50): Hiromi Imai
- Cindy (eps 26-50): Akiko Yugawa
- George Makabe (eps 4-46): Kazuoki Takahashi
- Reiko Ayanokoji (eps 4-44): Atsuko Takahata
Guest Stars
- Ben Fujinami (eps 1-2, 4-5, 46) : Noboru Ichiyama
- Kojiro Komori (eps 1, 4, 8): Takahiko Ota
- Shiro Takaido (eps 1, 4, 8, 13) : Junichiro Katagiri
- Aya Wakabayashi (eps 1, 4, 6): Miwa Misaki
- Sarah (eps 3, 25, 39): Saori Iwama
Voice Actors
- Janperson: Yuichi Komine
- Gun Gibson (eps 21-50): Sho Tori
- R-G-Ko (eps 31-50): Hideki Ishikawa
- Narrator: Morio Bamba
Special
- Tokusou Robo Janperson: The Movie
- Toei Hero Daishugō
- Juukou B-Fighter episodes 52 & 53
Songs
- Opening theme
- "Tokusō Robo Janperson" (特捜ロボ ジャンパーソン, Tokusō Robo Janpāson)
- Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa
- Composition: Keisuke Hama (浜 圭介, Hama Keisuke)
- Arrangement: Kei Wakakusa (若草 恵, Wakakusa Kei)
- Artist: Susumu Ōya (大矢 晋, Ōya Susumu)
- Ending theme
- "Asayake no Lullaby" (朝焼けのララバイ, Asayake no Rarabai, "Morning Lullaby")
- Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa
- Composition: Keisuke Hama
- Arrangement: Kei Wakakusa
- Artist: Susumu Ōya
Big Bad Beetleborgs
Janperson, Gun Gibson, and Bill Goldy would make brief cameos in the "Convention Dimension" episode of Big Bad Beetleborgs as Karato, Silver Ray, and Goldex, respectively.
References
- ^ "Library -- English Titles -- TOEI TV Website". Retrieved 2007-12-28.