UFO Warrior Dai Apolon
Encyclopedia
was a Japan
ese anime
series aired from 1976 in Japan
. There were 47 episodes aired at 25 minutes each. It is also known as "UFO Senshi Dai Apolon", "UFO Soldier Dai Apolon", "UFO Robo Dai Apolon", "Dai Apolon", "Shadow World".
team at the Blue Sky orphanage
. One day the game is interrupted by a light in the sky. Takeshi discovers he is the son of the king of the planet Apolon, spirited away to Earth by his father's retainer Rabi to avoid death at the hands of General Dazaan. He turns out to have special energy abilities which can control UFO saucers and the robots that form Dai Apolon from a base under the ocean floor. His friends Miki, Matsuo and Goro also become pilots. They magically change into their uniforms every time they yell U! F! O!. With the robots they attempt to save the world.
"Shōnen King" by creator Tetsu Kariya and Shigeru Tsuchiyama. That manga featured a 15-year-old orphan called Akira. The story did not have the American football or UFO robot elements, and the enemies were demons. It was unusual for the football element to be added, since the sport was barely even recognized as an amateur sport in Japan in the mid 1970s. It may just be a coincidental blend to add variety to the super robot
genre. The robot also carries a football-shaped blade. The main robot is formed from the three components Edda (Head), Trangu (Trunk), Legga (Leg).
and the names of the protagonists were changed to American ones, although Dai Apolon and some of the villains kept their names. This movie was released on video in 1986.
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 anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series aired from 1976 in 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...
. There were 47 episodes aired at 25 minutes each. It is also known as "UFO Senshi Dai Apolon", "UFO Soldier Dai Apolon", "UFO Robo Dai Apolon", "Dai Apolon", "Shadow World".
Original story
The story is about 16 years old boy Takeshi who recently formed an American footballAmerican football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team at the Blue Sky orphanage
Orphanage
An orphanage is a residential institution devoted to the care of orphans – children whose parents are deceased or otherwise unable or unwilling to care for them...
. One day the game is interrupted by a light in the sky. Takeshi discovers he is the son of the king of the planet Apolon, spirited away to Earth by his father's retainer Rabi to avoid death at the hands of General Dazaan. He turns out to have special energy abilities which can control UFO saucers and the robots that form Dai Apolon from a base under the ocean floor. His friends Miki, Matsuo and Goro also become pilots. They magically change into their uniforms every time they yell U! F! O!. With the robots they attempt to save the world.
Concept
The story adds American football into the setting backdrop as an element. Though the original concept is derived from mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
"Shōnen King" by creator Tetsu Kariya and Shigeru Tsuchiyama. That manga featured a 15-year-old orphan called Akira. The story did not have the American football or UFO robot elements, and the enemies were demons. It was unusual for the football element to be added, since the sport was barely even recognized as an amateur sport in Japan in the mid 1970s. It may just be a coincidental blend to add variety to the super robot
Super Robot
is a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
genre. The robot also carries a football-shaped blade. The main robot is formed from the three components Edda (Head), Trangu (Trunk), Legga (Leg).
English release
Five episodes were combined and dubbed in English to create a re-edited movie called Shadow World. The setting was changed to CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and the names of the protagonists were changed to American ones, although Dai Apolon and some of the villains kept their names. This movie was released on video in 1986.
Voice Actors
- Narrator
Osamu Ichikawa - Takeshi
Akira MurayamaAkira Murayamais a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo. He is represented by Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society.-Anime:*Captain Tsubasa *Combat Mecha Xabungle *Gambalist! Shun... - Goro
Keisuke Yamashita - Miki
Kazue KomiyaKazue Komiyais a Japanese voice actress who is affiliated with Theater Echo.-TV anime:*Aim for the Ace! *Ashita no Nadja *Combat Mecha Xabungle *Fullmetal Alchemist *Hiatari Ryōkō!... - Matsuo
Sachiko ChijimatsuSachiko Chijimatsuis a female Japanese voice actres represented by Arts Vision.She is most known for the roles of Pyonkichi , Nobita's Mama , Kabu , Shippona , and 001/Ivan Whiskey .... - Hideki
Kiyoshi Komiyama - Principal
Miyoko Shoji - Giraniku
Shōzō IizukaShozo Iizukais a male Japanese voice actor from Fukushima Prefecture who is affiliated with Sigma Seven. He graduated from the fine arts department of Nihon University....
Staff
- Screenwriter
Takao KoyamaTakao KoyamaTakao Koyama is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist focusing on anime productions. He was active as 小山 高男 until 1987.-Career:...
Okihara Matsumoto
Noboru Shiroyama
Soji YoshikawaSoji Yoshikawais an animator, a scriptwriter, a director of anime, and a stage director. He has worked under the aliases , , and . He dropped out of senior high school, entered an Mushi Production, and became an animator...
Seiji Matsuoka
- Creator
Tetsu Kariya
- Design
Toyoo Ashida
- Animation
Keijiro Kimura
Takashi Kakuta
Konio Okoto
Toyoo Ashida
- Music
Masahisa Takeichi
Trivia
- The show was aired Tuesday 7:00pm to 7:30pm.
- Apolon has also been spelled "Apollon" interchangeably.
- The show aired at a time when major changes were occurring at TBS and halfway through the series the channels changed and what remained of DaiApolon is sometimes known as DaiApolon 2.