Kamen no Ninja Akakage
{{short description|Fictional Japanese superhero}}
{{redirect|Red Shadow}}
{{more citations needed|date=December 2015}}
{{Infobox animanga/Header
| name = Kamen no Ninja Akakage
| image = Kamen no Ninja Akakage Volume 1.jpg
| caption = Cover of the first manga volume.
| ja_kanji = 仮面の忍者 赤影
| ja_romaji =
| genre =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print
| type = manga
| title =
| author = Mitsuteru Yokoyama
| illustrator =
| publisher = Shogakukan
| publisher_en =
| demographic = Shōnen
| imprint =
| magazine = Weekly Shōnen Sunday
| published =
| first = 1966
| last = 1967
| volumes =3
| volume_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = Drama
| title =
| director =
| producer =
| writer =
| music =
| studio = Kansai Telecasting Corporation
Toei Company
| network = Kansai TV, Fuji TV
| first = April 5, 1967
| last = March 27, 1968
| episodes = 52
| episode_list =
}}{{Collapsed infobox section begin}}{{Infobox animanga/Video|type=live film|title=Tobidasu Bouken Eiga: Akakage|director=Junji Kurata|music=Hirooki Ogawa|writer=Masaru Igami|released=July 20, 1969|studio=Toei|runtime=52 minutes}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print|magazine=Weekly Shonen Champion|publisher=Akita Shoten|author=Mitsuteru Yokoyama|imprint=Shonen Champion Comics|demographic=Shonen|first=September 18, 1987|last=April 15, 1988|volumes=3|title=Shin Kamen no Ninja Akakage}}{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = TV series
| director = Susumu Ishizaki
| producer =
| writer = Toshiki Inoue
Yoshiyuki Suga
| music = Shunsuke Kikuchi
| studio = Toei Animation
| network = Nippon TV
| first = 13 October 1987
| last = 22 March 1988
| episodes = 23
| episode_list =
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Game
|title =
|developer = Shouei
|publisher = Toei Animation
|genre = Action
|platforms = Famicom
|released = May 20, 1988
}}
{{Infobox animanga/Video
| type = live film
| title = Red Shadow
| director = Hiroyuki Nakano
| producer =
| writer =
| music =Toshiyuki Kishi
| studio =Toei
| released = August 11, 2001
| runtime =108 minutes
|gross=¥700 million}}
{{Infobox animanga/Print|title=Kamen no Ninja Akakage Remains|author=Masaomi Kanzaki|publisher=Akita Shoten|imprint=Play Comic Series|magazine=Play Comic|first=May 25, 2012|last=May 25, 2014|volumes=4|demographic=Seinen}}{{Collapsed infobox section end}}{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}
{{nihongo|Kamen no Ninja Akakage|仮面の忍者 赤影|4="Masked Ninja Red Shadow"}} is a Japanese manga series written and Illustrated by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It was originally serialized in Shogakukan's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Sunday from 1966 to 1967.
The manga was adapted into a 52-episode tokusatsu series by Toei and was broadcast on Kansai TV and Fuji TV from April 1967 to March 1968, followed by a film adaptation in 1969. A 26-episode anime adaptation by Toei Animation was broadcast on Nippon TV from October 1987 to March 1988. A second live-action film that serves as a loose adaptation, titled Red Shadow was released in 2001.
Plot
The story is set in the late sixteenth century when Japan was in the midst of a long period of civil wars. While some seek to unite Japan in order to bring peace, there are others who encourage conflict in order to bring more power to themselves. Akakage, Aokage, and Shirokage are all good ninjas working for those who seek peace and unity across Japan. The ninjas use their superhuman fighting powers and high-tech gadgets to battle against evil warlords and their daikaiju (giant monsters).
Characters
= Akakage =
Portrayed by: Yuzaburo Sakaguchi (1967 TV Series and 1969 Film), Masanobu Ando (Red Shadow)
Voiced by: Toshio Furukawa (1987 Anime)
{{Nihongo|Akakage|赤影|4="Red Shadow"}} is a ninja who wears a red-and-black costume and a stylized red mask. He is the best swordsman of the three and a master of disguise. The crystal in his mask fires an energy beam. Akakage appears on the scene proclaiming "Akakage Sanjō!"
= Aokage =
Portrayed by: Yoshinobu Kaneko (1967 TV Series and 1969 Film), Jun Murakami (Red Shadow)
Voiced by: Masako Nozawa (1987 Anime)
{{nihongo|Aokage|青影|"Blue Shadow"|}} is a young boy who plays with explosives and uses a chain weapon.
= Shirokage =
Portrayed by: Fuyukichi Maki (1967 TV Series and 1969 Film), Naoto Takenaka (Red Shadow)
Voiced by: Tesshō Genda (1987 Anime)
{{nihongo|Shirokage|白影||"White Shadow"}} is an old man who is armed with a pole weapon and flies using a large kite.
Media
= 1967 Tokusatsu series =
{{nihongo|Kamen no Ninja Akakage|仮面の忍者 赤影|Masked Ninja Akakage}}, was produced by Toei Company Ltd., and aired on KTV and Fuji TV from April 5, 1967, to March 27, 1968, with a total of 52 episodes (divided into four segments). Akakage was played by Yuzaburo Sakaguchi, Aokage was played by Yoshinobu Kaneko and Shirokage was played by Fuyukichi Maki.
== Development ==
This was Toei's first color tokusatsu superhero show and Japan's first color live-action ninja TV series.[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0185088/ Kamen no ninja Aka-Kage (1967)] Aokage's footage from the series was used to create several Watari films with the titles like Watari the Conqueror (not to be confused with the unrelated 1966 film Watari, Ninja Boy).[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0203665/ The Magic Sword of Watari (1970)]
= 1987 anime series =
File:Kamen-no-ninja-akakage-dvd-box.jpg
{{nihongo|Kamen no Ninja Akakage|仮面の忍者赤影|Masked Ninja Akakage}} is the anime adaptation produced by Toei that aired on Nippon Television from October 13, 1987, to March 22, 1988, with a total of 23 episodes. The complete series was released on DVD by Toei Video on June 10, 2015.
== Video game ==
A video game was created based on the anime version. It was released in 1988, by Toei, for the Famicom.{{cite web|url=http://syuriken.com/ninja_content/ninja-games-fc.htm |script-title=ja:忍者ゲーム 【ファミコン】 |accessdate=2011-07-05 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225120959/http://syuriken.com/ninja_content/ninja-games-fc.htm |archivedate=2009-02-25 |language=ja}} The game music was composed by J-Walk.File:Kamen no Ninja - Akakage game scnsht.png
= 2001 live-action film =
{{main|Red Shadow (film)}}
{{nihongo|Red Shadow|RED SHADOW 赤影|Reddo Shadō Akakage}} is a loose adaptation of the original Kamen no Ninja Akakage series. It was released in 2001 and was directed by Hiroyuki Nakano. It stars Masanobu Andō in the title role. The story, characters, and their costumes were, however, re-designed from scratch.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web|url=http://cscentrl.com/watari-akakage |title=watari-akakage |accessdate=2010-07-25 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100325080803/http://cscentrl.com/watari-akakage |archivedate=2010-03-25 }}
- [http://vintageninja.net/?tag=akakage Akakage] at Vintage Ninja
- {{anime News Network|manga|5909}}
{{Weekly Shōnen Sunday - 1959–1969}}
{{Toei Animation}}
Category:1967 Japanese television series debuts
Category:1987 anime television series debuts
Category:Japanese action films
Category:Japanese drama television series
Category:Japan-exclusive video games
Category:Live-action films based on manga
Category:Ninja in anime and manga
Category:Ninja television series
Category:Fuji Television original programming
Category:Nippon Television original programming
Category:Video games about ninja
Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Shogakukan franchises
Category:Superhero television shows