Daisuke Ban
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese actor. He was born on May 5, 1947 in Saitama prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
, north of Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. He is best known for his role as Jiro in Android Kikaider.
Ban attended Saitama-Ken High School. While in college, Ban performed in a theater group that performed the works of French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
playwrights. He held a small job at a teahouse during college. Though he considered becoming a salaryman
Salaryman
refers to someone whose income is salary based; particularly those working for corporations. Its frequent use by Japanese corporations, and its prevalence in Japanese manga and anime has gradually led to its acceptance in English-speaking countries as a noun for a Japanese white-collar...
, ultimately he turned to acting. His first role was Oumuto Ni Watori, in 1971. He did not, however, audition for his breakout role in Kikaider. His photo was one of many sent in to NET
TV Asahi
, also known as EX and , is a Japanese television network headquartered in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The company writes its name in lower-case letters, tv asahi, in its logo and public-image materials. The company also owns All-Nippon News Network....
while they were casting the programme—Ban was one of several finalists, and the producer's wife reportedly looked at his photo and said, "He's the one!". He was then cast in the title role. According to Ban in an interview in Otaku USA
Otaku USA
Otaku USA is a bimonthly magazine, published by Sovereign Media, which covers various elements of the "otaku" lifestyle from an American perspective...
magazine, his casting was fairly typical, with him meeting Toei
Toei Company
is a Japanese film, television production, and distribution corporation. Based in Tokyo, Toei owns and operates thirty-four movie theaters across Japan, a modest vertically-integrated studio system by the standards of the 1930s United States; operates studios at Tokyo and Kyoto; and is a...
executives.
Ban appeared in all 43 episodes of the original Kikaider, and also appeared in several episodes of the sequel series Kikaider 01
Kikaider 01
, is a tokusatsu superhero TV series, and a sequel series to Android Kikaider. Produced by Toei Company Ltd., it was broadcast on NET from May 12, 1973 to March 30, 1974, with a total of 46 episodes. Its title in Hawaii is Kikaida 01 .-Plot synopsis:The noted robotics expert Dr...
. According to Ban, Kikaider was very much like a typical television drama, and not significantly different despite the subject matter and formula of the show. He felt that the strength of the series lay in the story and characters, even though the action scenes are those most typically highlighted. He has described Kikaider
Shotaro Ishinomori
was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and tokusatsu, creating several immensely popular long-running series such as Cyborg 009 and Himitsu Sentai Goranger, what would go on to become part of the Super Sentai series, and the Kamen Rider Series...
, once.
He played the title character on Inazuman
Inazuman
is a fictional character created by Shotaro Ishinomori. First appearing in the tokusatsu series of the same name, the mutant superhero has gone on to appear in manga and anime.-Inazuman Specs:Inazuman is, in reality, young college student , a mutant...
, Ban was also a regular on Ninja Captor
Ninja Captor
' is a Japanese tokusatsu TV series aired from April 7, 1976 to January 26, 1977 on TV Tokyo 12 Channel, produced by Toei Company, Ltd.-Story:...
, Denkou Choujin Gridman
Denkou Choujin Gridman
, translated into English as Lightning Superman Gridman, is a Japanese tokusatsu "Giant Hero" series by Tsuburaya Productions, the producers of Ultraman. The show ran from 1993 to 1994. It was the inspiration and source material for DiC Entertainment's Superhuman Samurai Syber-Squad...
, and Blood of the Samurai. Later in life, he starred in Ring
Ring (film)
is a 1998 Japanese horror film by Hideo Nakata, adapted from the novel Ring by Kōji Suzuki, which in turn draws on the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki. The film stars Nanako Matsushima, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rikiya Ōtaka as members of a divorced family...
, Ring 2
Ring 2
, directed by Hideo Nakata, is the sequel to the Japanese horror film, Ring.Ring was originally a novel written by Koji Suzuki; its sequel, Rasen , was also adapted into a movie as the Ring movie's sequel...
, and Ring 0: Birthday
Ring 0: Birthday
Ring 0: Birthday is a 2000 Japanese film. It's the prequel to the film Ring. It was directed by Norio Tsuruta, based on a screenplay by Hiroshi Takahashi. The film's screenplay is based on the short story Lemonheart from the Birthday anthology by Koji Suzuki. There is also a manga adaptation...
, renewing some of his cult popularity. He also starred in television advertisements
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
for Ajinomoto
Ajinomoto
Ajinomoto Co. Inc. , is a Japanese food and chemical corporation which produces seasonings, cooking oils, TV dinners, sweeteners, amino acids and pharmaceuticals...
and Marui Department stores. He took over Yukio Itô's role as Battle Cossack in the Super Sentai
Super Sentai
The is the name given to the long-running Japanese superhero team genre of shows produced by Toei Co., Ltd., Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi...
series, Battle Fever J
Battle Fever J
is a Japanese TV series, being the third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise. It was co-produced by Toei Company and TV Asahi and aired on TV Asahi on February 3, 1979 - January 26, 1980 with a total of 52 episodes...
. Despite the iconic nature of his tokusatsu performances, he has said that he doesn't believe modern henshin
Henshin
is the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
hero shows have the same positive spirit as they once did, and that they are not able to excite children the way they used to.
Ban, along with the star of Kikaider 01
Kikaider 01
, is a tokusatsu superhero TV series, and a sequel series to Android Kikaider. Produced by Toei Company Ltd., it was broadcast on NET from May 12, 1973 to March 30, 1974, with a total of 46 episodes. Its title in Hawaii is Kikaida 01 .-Plot synopsis:The noted robotics expert Dr...
, Shunsuke Ikeda
Shunsuke Ikeda
was a Japanese actor and model.- Acting career :Born ', he was best known to tokusatsu fans as the android Ichiro in the Kikaider 01 series . Ikeda's interest in acting came at an early age from his father, respected swordfight choreographer Tatsuo Ouchi. He also had a black belt in judo and karate...
, has gained cult popularity in both Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
due to Kikaider being broadcast there. Both of them attribute this to the flawed nature of the characters, the vibrant colors of the show, and the power of the good-vs-evil story.
Though he is best remembered for his performances in tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
programs, he has appeared in numerous different television series' of varying genres. Most recently, Ban appeared in the short film House of the Restless Spirits, released as part of the compilation Scary True Stories produced by horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
magazine Fangoria
Fangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
.
Ban currently resides in Nagasaki, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and his autobiography, Jinzo Ningen Kikaidā: Jiro Tabi no Tochu de ("Super Android Kikaider: In The Midst of Jiro's Journey"), was published in August 2001 by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
.
External links
- Ban Daisuke official website
- Index of tokusatsu appearances - features several images.