Kaiketsu Lion-Maru
Encyclopedia
, The Vigilant Lion Knight (or literally translated as Swift Hero Lion Maru), was a Japan
ese tokusatsu
television series in the Lion-Maru
franchise that aired in 1972-1973, produced by P Productions
and set during Japan's Sengoku period
(the Age of Warring States).
orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil by battling a villain of the week
in each episode.
The opening theme by Yuki Hide
with Young Fresh.
in the late 70s, dubbed as Ultralion, and in Brazil
under the title Lionman. The series was also dubbed into English, but only one episode (the first) surfaced in North America
, released on a VHS
tape in the 1980s, entitled Magic of the Ninja and sold through toy store chains such as Toys R Us.
release, Lion Maru was subtitled The Beast-Transformed Ninja Warrior.
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 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 ....
television series in the Lion-Maru
Lion-Maru
is a Japanese tokusatsu television franchise that began in 1972 by P Productions as Kaiketsu Lion-Maru. The basic premise of the series is that the main character has the ability to transform into a superpowered anthropomorphic lion, usually wielding a katana...
franchise that aired in 1972-1973, produced by P Productions
P Productions
is a Japanese production company, which has produced anime and tokusatsu programs, with minor work in motion pictures. It was founded by the late TV producer Tomio Sagisu. The company exists today as a stockholder...
and set during Japan's Sengoku period
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
(the Age of Warring States).
Plot
During the late 16th century, a trio of ninjaNinja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary of feudal Japan specializing in unorthodox arts of war. The functions of the ninja included espionage, sabotage, infiltration, and assassination, as well as open combat in certain situations...
orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil by battling a villain of the week
Villain of the week
"Villain of the week" is a term that describes the nature of one-use antagonists in episodic fiction, especially ongoing American genre-based television series...
in each episode.
Characters
- : A man who becomes by unsheathing the katana and uttering the words to take on the power.
- Saori: An acrobatic female fighter who often becomes a damsel in distressDamsel in distressThe subject of the damsel in distress, or persecuted maiden, is a classic theme in world literature, art, and film. She is usually a beautiful young woman placed in a dire predicament by a villain or monster and who requires a hero to achieve her rescue. She has become a stock character of fiction,...
. - Kosuke: The young boy who uses his flute to summon the pegasus Hikarimaru.
- : The series' chief villain.
- : A man recruited by Gosun, given the mysterious sword to become .
Cast
- Tetsuya Ushio as Shishimaru
- Akiko Kujō as Saori
- Norihiko Umechi as Kosuke
- Kazuo Kamoshida as Kaiketsu Lion Maru (suit actor)
- Shingo Fukushima as Tiger Joe (suit actor)
- Kiyoshi KobayashiKiyoshi Kobayashiis a Japanese actor, seiyū and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently attached to the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society...
as Akuma Gosun / Devil Gosuun (voice) - Kōji Tonohiro as Tora Jōnosuke [episodes 27-30, 36-41]
- Yoshitaka Fukushima as Tora Jōnosuke [episodes 42-51]
- Daisaku Shinohara as Narrator
The opening theme by Yuki Hide
Yuki Hide
often credited as Hideyuki or Yuuki Hide, was a singer best known for singing theme songs to anime and tokusatsu. He is best known for the theme of Spider-Man...
with Young Fresh.
Foreign releases
The series was broadcast in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in the late 70s, dubbed as Ultralion, and in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
under the title Lionman. The series was also dubbed into English, but only one episode (the first) surfaced in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, released on a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
tape in the 1980s, entitled Magic of the Ninja and sold through toy store chains such as Toys R Us.
DVD release
In P Productions' publicity materials for the 2002 DVDDVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
release, Lion Maru was subtitled The Beast-Transformed Ninja Warrior.