Wataru
Encyclopedia
is a comedy/adventure Super Robot
multimedia franchise originally consisting of 45 episode anime
series created by Sunrise
first aired on April 15, 1988. Sunrise credited "Hajime Yatate
" for the storyline and Shuji Iuchi
directed the series. The series employs a kinetic visual gag style, often employing characters running with their feet over their shoulders derived from Sunrise's previous Super Robot anime series Choriki Robo Galatt.
for "demon" and "god", "mashin" is also the Japanese word for "machine."
Wataru and his friends Shibaraku and Himiko each represent different elements of ancient Japan: Wataru with his magatama
and association with dragons represents the pre-Yamato
Watari clan. Shibaraku represents samurai
. Himiko represents ninja
.
series was a huge hit in Japan, later being imported into Taiwan and Mainland China. Chinese translations were provided. The show became one of the most famous Japanese anime shows in China during the mid 1990s. Even today, on popular Chinese websites like Baidu.com, one can still find very active forums discussing the show.
for the TurboGrafx-16
.
Wataru's success prompted Bandai to copy the super-deformed mecha and multi-tiered world concepts in a science fiction setting with Bandai's 1989 Mado King Granzort TV series.
In the premise of the Japanese anime, Brave Story
is a novel
created more than a decade later featuring a young boy named Wataru, who is transported to an RPG-like mystical realm. However that novel is not based or to be confused with this series.
Additional Directors: Michio Fukuda, Masamitsu Hidaka, Nobuhiro Kondo, Katsuoshi Yatabe, Yutaka Kagawa
Screenwriter: Yoshiaki Takahashi, Ryosuke Takahashi
, Hiroyuki Kawasaki, Takao Koyama
, Hiroko Naka
Design: Toyoo Ashida, Kazunori Nakazawa
Animator: Toyoo Ashida
Music: Junichi Kanezaki, Satoshi Kadokura
Opening: "Step" by achi-achi
Ending: "Achi-achi Adventure" by achi-achi
Wataru 2:
Opening 1: "Step by Step" by Takahashi Yumiko
Ending 1: "Kimi ni Tomaranai - MY GIRL, MY LOVE" by Takahashi Yumiko
Opening 2: "Fight" by Takahashi Yumiko
Ending 2: "Niji no Kanata" by Takahashi Yumiko
Wataru (3rd TV Series: Super Demon Warrior)
Opening 1: "Hitotsu no Haato de; With One Heart" by Hitomi Mieno
Ending 1: "BOYS BE AMBITIOUS" by Hitomi Mieno
Opening 2: "POWER OF DREAM" by Hitomi Mieno
Ending 2: "Ganbatte" by Hitomi Mieno
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,...
multimedia franchise originally consisting of 45 episode 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 created by Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
first aired on April 15, 1988. Sunrise credited "Hajime Yatate
Hajime Yatate
is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Sunrise animation staff.-Name:"Hajime Yatate" is considered named after a quote of Matsuo Bashō's Oku no Hosomichi:-Credited series:...
" for the storyline and Shuji Iuchi
Shuji Iuchi
is a director of anime series. Iuchi directed Crush Gear Turbo, Mashin Hero Wataru, Mashin Hero Wataru 2, Cho Mashin Hero Wataru, and several other series.-External links:...
directed the series. The series employs a kinetic visual gag style, often employing characters running with their feet over their shoulders derived from Sunrise's previous Super Robot anime series Choriki Robo Galatt.
Story
The story is about a 9-year old boy named who is magically transported to a magical realm of the gods called , which he is supposed to save from an evil, demonic ruler. The series incorporates many elements of RPG games including dungeon levels and quests for mystical objects. Soukaizan itself is represented as a series of tiered platforms each floating above the one beneath it in a rough pyramid shape. In order to progress to the next tier where he will meet the series' ultimate villain, the show's heroes must complete some task on the one beneath. In his quest to save the realm, Wataru manages to transform a clay sculpture into a somewhat autonomous (and small) Super Robot. He also befriends many of the Soukaizan natives, and forms some very strong friendship bonds. The term Sou-kai-zan can be broken down to its 3 parts: Sou (creation), Kai (realm, space, world, or universe), and Zan (hill or mountain), representing the pyramid shape of the world's level.Interpretations
The title of the show is a pun. The super-formed mecha of the series are called "mashin." While written with the kanjiKanji
Kanji are the adopted logographic Chinese characters hanzi that are used in the modern Japanese writing system along with hiragana , katakana , Indo Arabic numerals, and the occasional use of the Latin alphabet...
for "demon" and "god", "mashin" is also the Japanese word for "machine."
Wataru and his friends Shibaraku and Himiko each represent different elements of ancient Japan: Wataru with his magatama
Magatama
Magatama , are curved beads which first appeared in Japan during the Jōmon period.They are often found inhumed in mounded tumulus graves as offerings to deities . They continued to be popular with the ruling elites throughout the Kofun Period of Japan, and are often romanticised as indicative of...
and association with dragons represents the pre-Yamato
Yamato
Yamato was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan. Later the term was used as the name of the province and also as an ancient name of Japan...
Watari clan. Shibaraku represents samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
. Himiko represents ninja
Ninja
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...
.
Cultural impact
The animeAnime
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 was a huge hit in Japan, later being imported into Taiwan and Mainland China. Chinese translations were provided. The show became one of the most famous Japanese anime shows in China during the mid 1990s. Even today, on popular Chinese websites like Baidu.com, one can still find very active forums discussing the show.
Cast
- Mayumi TanakaMayumi Tanakais a Japanese voice actress from Tokyo currently affiliated with Aoni Production.She is best known for the roles of Ryuunosuke Fujinami in Urusei Yatsura, Pazu in Laputa: Castle in the Sky, Monkey D. Luffy in One Piece, Krillin, Yajirobe and Uranai Baba in Dragon Ball...
as Wataru Ikusabe (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones he is known as Keith Courage) - Megumi HayashibaraMegumi Hayashibarais a Japanese voice actress, singer, radio personality, and lyricist from Tokyo. She is currently affiliated with Aksent. Her nicknames include: Megu-san, Megu-nee, Bara-san, Kakka, and Daijin...
as Himiko Shinobibe (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones she is known as Nurse Nancy) - Tomomichi NishimuraTomomichi Nishimurais a Japanese voice actor who works for Arts Vision. He is most known for the roles of the narrator of YuYu Hakusho, Anzai-sensei , Shibaraku Tsurugibe , and Jamitov Hymem...
as Shibaraku Tsurugibe (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones he is known as Weapons Master) - Kōichi YamaderaKoichi Yamaderais a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...
as Kurama Wataribe - Kenichi Ogata as Genryūsai Shinobibe
- Tesshō GendaTessho Gendais a Japanese voice actor. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce. When he debuted, he used his real name, . as artist name. Because he had experience with ballet, he was known by the nickname "Pirouette Genda."...
as Ryūjinmaru - Kazue IkuraKazue Ikurais a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production. She worked under the name from 1991 to 1995. She was previously affiliated with theater groups/production companies 劇舎燐, 俳協, Production Baobab and NABEYA....
as Tora-Oh - Urara TakanoUrara Takanois a Japanese voice actress from Togane, Chiba. Takano runs the talent agency Remax, although she was originally affiliated with Ken Production. She is the mother of actress Anna Kirie. Her real name, as well as her former stage name, is , in addition, she and Jennifer Tilly both does Celia...
as Umihiko
Spinoffs
The franchise has spawned three TV series (Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru 2, Chou Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru), four radio shows, five OVAs, five novels, five video games, and assorted other merchandise. The most notable video game was renamed in the U.S as Keith Courage in Alpha ZonesKeith Courage in Alpha Zones
Keith Courage in Alpha Zones is multiplatform video game by Hudson Soft that was released for the TurboGrafx-16 and the Nintendo Entertainment System...
for the TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
.
Wataru's success prompted Bandai to copy the super-deformed mecha and multi-tiered world concepts in a science fiction setting with Bandai's 1989 Mado King Granzort TV series.
In the premise of the Japanese anime, Brave Story
Brave Story
is a Japanese fantasy novel written by Miyuki Miyabe. It was serialized in various regional newspapers between the November 11, 1999 and February 13, 2001 before being published in two hardcover volumes by Kadokawa Shoten in March 2003...
is a novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
created more than a decade later featuring a young boy named Wataru, who is transported to an RPG-like mystical realm. However that novel is not based or to be confused with this series.
Staff
Director: Hideharu IuchiAdditional Directors: Michio Fukuda, Masamitsu Hidaka, Nobuhiro Kondo, Katsuoshi Yatabe, Yutaka Kagawa
Screenwriter: Yoshiaki Takahashi, Ryosuke Takahashi
Ryosuke Takahashi
is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, and producer. He is among Sunrise's most renowned and noted directors, with his work epitomizing much of Sunrise's work in the 1980s, pioneering the real robot genre, with such noted works as Armored Trooper Votoms, Fang of the Sun Dougram and several...
, Hiroyuki Kawasaki, Takao Koyama
Takao Koyama
Takao Koyama is a Japanese screenwriter and novelist focusing on anime productions. He was active as 小山 高男 until 1987.-Career:...
, Hiroko Naka
Design: Toyoo Ashida, Kazunori Nakazawa
Animator: Toyoo Ashida
Music: Junichi Kanezaki, Satoshi Kadokura
Soundtrack
WataruOpening: "Step" by achi-achi
Ending: "Achi-achi Adventure" by achi-achi
Wataru 2:
Opening 1: "Step by Step" by Takahashi Yumiko
Ending 1: "Kimi ni Tomaranai - MY GIRL, MY LOVE" by Takahashi Yumiko
Opening 2: "Fight" by Takahashi Yumiko
Ending 2: "Niji no Kanata" by Takahashi Yumiko
Wataru (3rd TV Series: Super Demon Warrior)
Opening 1: "Hitotsu no Haato de; With One Heart" by Hitomi Mieno
Ending 1: "BOYS BE AMBITIOUS" by Hitomi Mieno
Opening 2: "POWER OF DREAM" by Hitomi Mieno
Ending 2: "Ganbatte" by Hitomi Mieno