Iron King
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox television
| image = Iron King-title.jpg
| caption = Title card
| genre = Superhero
Tokusatsu
Kaiju
Kyodai Hero
| runtime = 24 minutes (per episode)
| country = Japan
| network = TBS
| num_episodes = 26
| creator = Mamoru Sasaki
| director = Noriaki Yuasa
| starring = Shōji Ishibashi
Mitsuo Hamada
| first_aired = {{start date|1972|10|8}}
| last_aired = {{end date|1973|4|8}}
}}
{{nihongo|Iron King|アイアンキング|Aian Kingu}} is a tokusatsu superhero TV series about a giant cyborg. The series was produced by Nippon Gendai and Senkosha (now Senko Planning), and aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 8, 1972, to April 8, 1973, with a total of 26 episodes.
Plot description
The Shiranui Clan have planned for 2000 years to conquer Japan in retaliation for their nomadic ancestors being banished from the country by the Yamato Clan (who eventually became known as the Japanese people). Each armored ninja-like member of the clan controls a gigantic robot warrior in order to overthrow the "Yamato Government," as they call it.
In response to this terrorist threat, Japan's National Security Organization send agent Gentaro Shizuka (Shoji Ishibashi), disguised as what can best described as a Spaghetti Western version of a singing cowboy, to stop their plans with the assistance of comical, mountaineering-clad Goro Kirishima (Mitsuo Hamada). In an unusual direction for such tokusatsu (visual effects) programs, it is not the heroic but often surprisingly ruthless Gentaro but the bumbling, bespectacled Goro who has the power to become the giant cybernetic superhero Iron King by touching the medals on the sides of his funny red Turning Hat and yelling "Iron Shock!" when danger threatens.
However, often Iron King is unable to defeat the clan's giant robots without help from Gentaro, who wields a weapon called the Iron Belt that can become a slender rapier-like sword or an infinitely extendable metal whip capable of hurting giant monsters. In addition, transforming into the hydrogen oxide-powered Iron King quickly dehydrates Goro, and he can only remain as Iron King for a short period of time. Strangely, although Gentaro knows Iron King's time limit comes from exhausting his water supply he never manages to connect it with Goro's omnipresent thirst until the final episode.
In the tenth episode the Shiranui Clan is wiped out, but their place is taken by the skull-symboled keffiyeh-clad Phantom Militia (A/K/A the Phantom Opposition Party) who to enact their revolution against the Japanese government, use monsters. Their monsters initially appear to be traditional kaiju, though they are revealed to all be robots, commanded by agents of the Militia remotely.
And from the nineteenth episode to the end of the series, Gentaro and Goro battle black cloak and Puritan hat-clad white-masked aliens called Titanians, who despite looking human, have various inhuman powers such as flight, body-possessing mind control, and the ability to enlarge themselves to giant size. Upon doing the latter they are then able to assume insect-like monster forms.
Episode list
| class="wikitable"
! # ! Guest cast ! Director ! First aired ! Monster appeared |
| 1.
| Secret Messenger of the Morning Wind | Shinzo Hotta | Shozo Tamura | 1972-10-08 | Vacumira |
| 2.
| The Swan in the Ruins | Shinzo Hotta | Shozo Tamura | 1972-10-15 | Jairogesu |
| 3.
| The Warrior's Smile | Shinzo Hotta | Shozo Tamura | 1972-10-22 | Double Satan |
| 4.
| Gentaro Travels Alone | Shinzo Hotta | Toru Sotoyama | 1972-10-29 | Devil Tiger |
| 5.
| The Duel in the Autumn Wind | Shinzo Hotta | Toru Sotoyama | 1972-11-05 | Black Knight, Bronze Demon, Monster Bird |
| 6.
| Lullaby for a Warrior | Shinzo Hotta | Shozo Tamura | 1972-11-12 | Monster Bird |
| 7.
| Those That Fly the Skies | Shinzo Hotta | Shozo Tamura | 1972-11-19 | Silver Rider |
| 8.
| The Shadow Area | Shinzo Hotta | Noriaki Yuasa | 1972-11-26 | Gold Fire |
| 9.
| Gentaro in a Close Shave | Shinzo Hotta | Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-03 | Gold Fire |
| 10.
| A Kiss for the Dead | Katsumi Muramatsu | Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1972-12-10 | Gold Fire, Zaira Unicorn |
| 11.
| Tokyo Is Burning | Katsumi Muramatsu | Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-17 | Zaira Unicorn |
| 12.
| State of Emergency in Tokyo | Katsumi Muramatsu | Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-24 | Tongazaurus |
| 13.
| Attacking the Underground Fortress | Katsumi Muramatsu | Toru Sotoyama | 1972-12-31 | Tongazaurus |
| 14.
| Secret of the Brainwave Robot | Katsumi Muramatsu | Hiromu Edagawa | 1973-01-14 | Jurass-Don |
| 15.
| Marathon Monster Capri-Gon | Katsumi Muramatsu | Hiromu Edagawa | 1973-01-21 | Capri-Gon |
| 16.
| Destroy Tora-Girasu! | Katsumi Muramatsu | Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-01-28 | Tora-Girasu |
| 17.
| The Order to Assassinate Iron King | Katsumi Muramatsu | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-02-04 | Dodzilla, Kumagross |
| 18.
| Monster Robot Annihilation | Katsumi Muramatsu | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-02-11 | Kumagross |
| 19.
| The Giant Bug Kabutoron Appears | Chiaki Ukyo | Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-02-18 | Kabutoron |
| 20.
| The Titanians Strike Back | Chiaki Ukyo | Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-02-25 | Kabutoron |
| 21.
| Kamagyrus Wants Lethal Gas! | Chiaki Ukyo | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-03-04 | Kamagyrus |
| 22.
| Terrifying Titanian Underworld | Chiaki Ukyo | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-03-11 | Kirigirin |
| 23.
| The Insect Humanoid Masquerades as a Woman | Chiaki Ukyo | Shozo Tamura | 1973-03-18 | Kangarole |
| 24.
| Tokyo Assault Frontline Base | Chiaki Ukyo | Hiroshi Fukuhara | 1973-03-25 | Cockroachaur |
| 25.
| Iron King in a Panic! | Chiaki Ukyo | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-04-01 | Cricketton, Possessed Iron King |
| 26.
| The Great Tokyo War | Chiaki Ukyo | Toru Sotoyama | 1973-04-08 | Cricketton, Possessed Iron King |
DVD releases
On November 6, 2007, BCI Eclipse Entertainment Company LLC released the complete series of Iron King on DVD in Region 1.{{cite web|url=http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Iron-King-Complete-Series/7223|title=Iron King - The Complete Series|accessdate=2007-11-28|publisher=TVShowsOnDVD.com|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201095440/http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/releases/Iron-King-Complete-Series/7223|archivedate=2007-12-01}} As of 2009, this release is now out of print as BCI Eclipse ceased operations.
On March 9, 2010, Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the entire series on DVD in Region 1.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Iron-King-Various/dp/B00310PSTY|title=Iron King: The Complete Series}}
Notes
{{reflist}}
References
- {{cite book |last=Ragone|first=August|title=The Super Hero Samurai Spaghetti Western|year=2007|publisher=Ronin Entertainment}} (From the Iron King liner notes booklet)
- {{cite web |url=http://www.animated-news.com/2007/bci-brings-iron-king-to-dvd/|title=10/12/2007: "BCI brings Iron King to DVD"|date=2007-10-12|accessdate=2007-11-28|website=www.animated-news.com]}}
- {{IMDb title|id=0299239|title="Aian kingu" (1972)}}