Spider-Man (Japanese TV series)

Spider-Man
Series logo
Genre	Superhero
Created by	Toei Company Marvel Comics
Based on	Spider-Man by Stan Lee Steve Ditko
Written by	Shozo Uehara Susumu Takaku
Directed by	Koichi Takemoto
Starring	Shinji Tōdō Rika Miura Mitsuo Andō Yukie Kagawa Izumi Ōyama Yoshiharu Yabuki
Narrated by	Tōru Ōhira
Opening theme	"Kakero! Spider-Man" by Yuki Hide
Ending theme	"Chikai no Ballad" by Yuki Hide
Composer	Michiaki Watanabe
Country of origin	Japan
No. of episodes	41 (+ 1 film)
Production
Running time	24 minutes
Production companies	Toei Company Toei Advertising Tokyo Channel 12
Original release
Network	Tokyo Channel 12
Release	May 17, 1978 (1978-05-17) – March 14, 1979 (1979-03-14)
Related
The Amazing Spider-Man (TV series) Spider-Man (1981 TV series) Super Sentai (Power Rangers)

Spider-Man (Japanese: スパイダーマン, Hepburn: Supaidāman), also referred to as Japanese Spider-Man or Toei Spider-Man, is a Japanese live-action tokusatsu superhero television series produced by Toei Company, loosely based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name through a contract negotiated by producer Gene Pelc.^[1][2][3] The series aired for 41 episodes on Tokyo Channel 12 from May 17, 1978, to March 14, 1979. A theatrical episode aired at the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. From March 5 to December 24, 2009, Marvel uploaded English subtitled versions of the episodes to their website.^[4]

While Toei's version of the character, Takuya Yamashiro/Spider-Man (portrayed by Kōsuke Kayama (Shinji Tōdō)), wore the same costume as his Marvel Comics counterpart and had similar powers, the series' storyline and the origin of his powers differed from the source material. In addition to fighting, he piloted the giant mecha Leopardon, which he would summon to fight off enlarged versions of the show's monsters; the giant robot concept would later be used in Toei's Super Sentai franchise. Yamashiro later appeared in the comic storylines Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon.

Motorcycle racer Takuya Yamashiro witnesses a UFO fall to Earth, a space warship called the Marveller. Takuya's father Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro, a space archaeologist, investigates the case, but is killed upon finding the spaceship. The incident attracts the attention of Professor Monster and the evil Iron Cross Army (鉄十字団, Tetsu Jūji Dan), an alien group that seeks to rule the universe.

Takuya follows Hiroshi to the Marveller and discovers Garia, the last surviving warrior of Planet Spider, which was destroyed by Professor Monster and the Iron Cross Army, and was hunting Professor Monster. However, he needs someone to take up the fight and injects Takuya with some of his blood, giving him spider-like powers. He also gives him a bracelet that activates his spider protector costume, shoots web-lines, and controls the Marveller, which can also transform into the giant mecha Leopardon. Using his powers, Takuya fights Professor Monster and the Iron Cross Army as well as other threats to Earth under the name Spider-Man.

In the series, Spider-Man's civilian identity is 22-year-old motocross racer Takuya Yamashiro (山城 拓也, Yamashiro Takuya). He has the ability to sense threats from the Iron Cross Army with his spider-senses and fights them in order to avenge the death of his father Hiroshi. To hide his superhero identity, Takuya acts weak in front of his friends and is often made fun of for running away from danger and compared unfavorably to Spider-Man. As well, his financial income as a motorcycle racer decreases after becoming Spider-Man because he has less time to race, forcing him to help Hitomi with her job to make money.

Takuya assumes the identity of Spider-Man when he dons the protective suit called the Spider-Protector. He is genetically altered as a result of the Spider-Extract that Garia injected into his body, giving him enhanced physical strength and spider-like abilities, such as being able to stick to and climb up walls and sense the activities of nearby enemies with his Spider-Senses. However, he also has some weaknesses of spiders, such as sensitivity to cold temperatures.

Spider-Man keeps his true identity a secret from the public, though is well known as a defender of justice. Only Juzo Mamiya and the staff of the Interpol Secret Intelligence Division know of his true identity, beginning with the movie and episode 11, and aid him in stopping the schemes of the Iron Cross Army.

Spider-Man spends most of the series fighting off Ninders, the foot soldiers of the Iron Cross Army, as well as the Machine BEMs, which he usually cannot fight alone due to their ability to grow in size, forcing him to summon Leopardon to fight them.

When Spider-Man confronts an enemy, he introduces himself while striking a pose and a version of the show's theme song plays as he begins to fight. Due to budget issues, he rarely uses his web shooter to swing between buildings, instead using a car called the Spider Machine GP-7 and the Marveller for transportation. His web shooter shoots rope instead of webbing, which he attaches to surfaces to swing from.

Spider Protector (スパイダープロテクター, Supaidā Purotekutā)

Takuya's Spider-Man costume. Unlike his Marvel counterpart, Takuya stores the costume in the Spider Bracelet and only wears it when changing identities. When Takuya releases the Spider Protector from the Spider Bracelet, it instantly wraps around his body, allowing him to change into it quickly. It is a modified version of the costume used in the show's American counterpart, The Amazing Spider-Man, but with slanted lens rather than circular lens.

Spider Bracelet (スパイダーブレスレット, Supaidā Buresuretto)

A bracelet worn around Spider-Man's left wrist that can shoot webbing and is used to store the Spider Protector when Takuya is not wearing it.^[5] The Spider Bracelet's webbing takes the form of nets and strings made from Spider Fluid, which is stored in it. It is also equipped with a homing device that allows Spider-Man to summon the GP-7 and the Marveller. A lighter version of the Spider Bracelet was built specifically for action scenes, as the one used in close-up shots was too heavy for the suit actor to wear during stunts.^{[citation needed]}

Spider Strings (スパイダーストリングス, Supaidā Sutoringusu)

A rope made of spider webbing shot from the Spider Bracelet, which can pull heavy objects.

Spider Net (スパイダーネット, Supaidā Netto)

A net made of spider webbing shot from the Spider Bracelet, which can capture enemies.

The Spider Machine GP-7 (スパイダーマシンGP-7, Supaidā Mashin Jī Pī Sebun)

Spider-Man's flying car, which is equipped with machine guns and missile launchers in its hood and is usually stored inside the Marveller.^[5] The name GP-7 is a reference to producer Gene Pelc.^{[1][circular reference][2]}

The Marveller (マーベラー, Māberā)

The spacecraft in which Garia arrived to Earth. It is 45 meters (approx 150 feet) tall and weighs over 25,000 tons. It is usually stored underground and emerges when Spider-Man summons it. Its bridge is shaped like a leopard's head, which is where Leopardon's head is stored, and cracks left and right when transforming into robot mode. Because the Marveller is usually transformed into Leopardon when Spider-Man boards it, it is rarely seen in spacecraft mode, but can be used for transportation and is capable of flying to outer space at the speed of light. The Marveller is equipped with cannons on its bow, which can destroy most Machine BEMs.

Leopardon (レオパルドン, Reoparudon) is a giant robot that the Marveller can transform into. It is over 60 meters (200 ft) tall and weighs over 25,000 tons.

Only the first few episodes of the series featured actual fight scenes between Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMs. As the series progressed, it focused more on drama and fight scenes were shortened to keep up with the runtime, with some episodes not featuring Leopardon.

Leopardon and the giant-sized Machine BEMS rarely appeared together in the same shots; most giant-sized battles involved Leopardon in one shot and the Machine BEM in another launching. This was because the large Leopardon model was often bigger than the stuntmen in the Machine BEM suits.^{[citation needed]} Due to structural problems, the Leopardon suit was difficult for the stuntman to move in and, over the course of the series, was damaged and later lost.^{[citation needed]} As a result, future fight scenes with Leopardon could only be done using stock footage from previous fights.^{[citation needed]}

Hitomi Sakuma (佐久間 ひとみ, Sakuma Hitomi)

Takuya's girlfriend, a 20-year-old freelance photographer.

Shinko Yamashiro (山城 新子, Yamashiro Shinko)

Takuya's 18-year-old younger sister, who takes care of household chores for the Yamashiro residence.

Takuji Yamashiro (山城 拓次, Yamashiro Takuji)

Takuya's 7-year-old younger brother.

Dr. Yamashiro (山城博士, Yamashiro-hakase)

Takuya's father. An astronomer who is killed during after his research leads to the discovery of the Iron Cross Army.

Garia (ガリア)

An alien from Planet Spider. 400 years prior to the events of the series, he pursued the Iron Cross Army seeking revenge after they destroyed his homeworld, but crash-landed on Earth and was imprisoned in a cave for centuries. After Takuya finds him and the Marveller, he injects him with the Spider Extract and gives him his powers, tasking him with continuing his fight before dying.

Juzo Mamiya (間宮 重三, Mamiya Jūzō)

An investigator in charge of Interpol's Secret Intelligence Division, who learns that Spider-Man is Takuya and asks for his assistance in their battle against the Iron Cross Army. After agreeing to help him, he gives Takuya a radio transmitter, allowing him and Interpol to communicate.

The Iron Cross Army (鉄十字団, Tetsu Jūji Dan) are the main villains of the series. They are an alien army that has destroyed numerous galaxies in their path of conquest.

Professor Monster (モンスター教授, Monsutā-kyōju)

The leader of the Iron Cross Army, who was responsible for the destruction of Planet Spider 400 years ago and now seeks to conquer Earth. The blood of other lifeforms is the source of his immortality. In the final episode, he transforms into "Big Monster", but is defeated by Leopardon.

Amazoness (アマゾネス, Amazonesu)

The female commander of the Iron Cross Army, who is in charge of espionage and planning attacks. From the beginning of the series, she assumes the identity of Saeko Yoshida (吉田 冴子, Yoshida Saeko), the editor of Weekly Woman (週刊ウーマン, Shūkan-ūman) magazine. After Spider-Man sees through Saeko's true identity, she disappears from her job and Weekly Woman is discontinued soon afterward. Although she suspects that Takuya is Spider-Man, she is unable to prove this until the final episode.

Bella and Rita (ベラ＆リタ, Bera to Rita)

Ancient female warriors from an uncharted region of the Amazons whose mummified bodies are resurrected by Professor Monster. Bella wields a bow with poisoned arrows, while Rita wields a machine gun.

Ninders (ニンダー, Nindā, subtitled as Iron Cross Army henchmen on Marvel website)

The foot soldiers of the Iron Cross Army. They disguise themselves as humans while conducting undercover missions in public, but are identifiable by the exposed circuits behind their ears and their metallic hands.

Machine BEMs (マシーンベム, Mashīn Bemu)

Biological weapons created by the Iron Cross Army to carry out their plans or serve as bodyguards, which have the ability to change size at will. Their origins are not fully clarified, although some, such as Samson, are genetically modified humans, while others, such as the Monster Cat, are resurrected apparitions.

• Takuya Yamashiro / Spider-Man: Shinji Tōdō
• Hitomi Sakuma: Rika Miura (episodes 1-12, 14, 15, 17, 18 & 20-41)
• Shinko Yamashiro: Izumi Ōyama (episodes 1-39 & 41)
• Takuji Yamashiro: Yoshiharu Yabuki (ep. 1-16, 18-24, 26, 27, 29-33, 35-39 & 41)
• Professor Monster: Mitsuo Andō (all episodes)
• Amazoness: Yukie Kagawa (all episodes)
• Garia: Toshiaki Nishizawa (episodes 1 & 2)
• Dr. Hiroshi Yamashiro: Fuyuki Murakami (episode 1)
• Jūzō Mamiya: Noboru Nakaya (episodes 11, 12 & 14 & Movie)
• Rita: Rie Rinehart (episodes 35-41)
• Bella: Tina Margo (episodes 35-38) Wanita Somaborudo (episodes 39-41)
• Narrator: Tōru Ōhira
• Spider-Man's suit actor: Hirofumi Koga (all episodes), Ryusuke Sakitsu (episodes 17 & 18)
• Voice of various Machine BEMs: Shōzō Iizuka (episodes 1-7, 13-21, 26 & 28-38 & Movie)
• Voice of various Machine BEMs: Hisako Kyōda (episodes 8 & 23)
• Voice of various Machine BEMs: Shin Aomori (episodes 24 & 25)

The show was the result of a three-year licensing agreement when publisher Gene Pelc visited Japan on the behalf of Marvel that allowed both to use each other's properties in any way they wanted. Toei initially planned to use Spider-Man as a supporting character for an unmade television series starring a fictionalized version of Yamato Takeru who was sent to the present via a time warp. The character who would've appeared on this show was intended to be identical to the Marvel version.^[5] However, Toei decided to make Spider-Man the protagonist instead and the character of Yamato Takeru was revised into Garia, an alien who gives Spider-Man his powers. The resulting show deviated from the source material completely, outside of Spider-Man's costume and some of his superpowers and gadgets.^[5] Other productions by Toei as a result of this licensing deal included Battle Fever J (a show originally conceived about a Japanese counterpart of Captain America)^[6] and an animated television film based on the comic book Tomb of Dracula. Marvel would use the main robots from two of Toei's anime programs, Wakusei Robo Danguard Ace and Chōdenji Robo Combattler V, in their comic book adaptation of the Shogun Warriors toyline. A toy version of Leopardon, Spider-Man's robot from the Toei series, was also sold in the United States as part of the Godaikin line.

Although the show's story was criticized by some for bearing almost no resemblance to the Marvel version, the staff at Marvel Comics, including Spider-Man's co-creator Stan Lee, praised the show for its special effects and stunt work, especially the spider-like movement of the character himself.^[7] While it is said that Marvel initially opposed the addition of Leopardon, the robot was viewed as a necessary gimmick to attract younger viewers and was ultimately kept. The show's mechanical designer, Katsushi Murakami (a toy designer at the time), expressed concern about Toei's capability to market Spider-Man to Japanese audiences and was given permission by producer Yoshinori Watanabe to take whatever liberties he deemed necessary. Murakami came up with the idea of giving Spider-Man an extraterrestrial origin, as well as a spider-like spacecraft that could transform into a giant robot (due to the popularity of the giant robot shows in Japan at the time).

The action figure version of Leopardon was initially sold as a part of the Chogokin toyline and became an unprecedented success in the market, which contributed to the TV series' popularity as well.^[8] The success of the show made Toei introduce the giant robot concept to their Super Sentai franchise in Battle Fever J (a show which they also co-produced with Marvel) and contributed to Spider-Man's popularity when Marvel began to export more of their properties to Japan during later years.

The head writer of the series was Shozo Uehara (Gorenger, JAKQ, The Return of Ultraman), who wrote 15 episodes, while Uehara's Sentai collaborator Susumu Takaku (who was head writer of the show alongside Uehara) wrote 15 episodes and the movie. There were many episodes in which the "monster of the week" (usually a "Machine BEM" created by the villain) was not relevant to the plot, as well as two episodes (ep. 12 and ep. 27) which featured no monsters at all. The show also featured a story arc in which the female antagonist Amazoness tries to uncover Spider-Man's secret identity.

Rather infamously, after the first 12 episodes of the series, every time Spider-Man's giant robot finished a monster, it always used the exact same shot only with a new monster composited in, but due to the nature of the splice, the very first monster of the series was always visible very briefly before exploding. Rumors persisted that the Leopardon suit had been stolen from the set and was the reason for the switch to stock footage. However, according to an account from Gene Pelc's son who had been on set, the suit had not been stolen and the switch the stock footage had been a budgetary measure. The Leopardon suit was later repurposed into Daidenzin, the main robot from Denshi Sentai Denjiman.^[9]

A theatrical version of Spider-Man was shown on the Toei Manga Matsuri film festival on July 22, 1978. It was directed by series director Kōichi Takemoto and written by Susumu Takaku. The film was the first appearance of the character of Juzo Mamiya, who subsequently appeared in three episodes of the series (11, 12 and 14). Because of this, the film takes place between episodes 10 and 11.^{[citation needed]}

• Producer: Susumu Yoshikawa (Toei), Hiroshi Ishikawa (Tokyo Channel 12), Gene Pelc^{[1][circular reference][2]}
• Creator: Saburo Yatsude (based on the Marvel Comics character Spider-Man created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko)
• Music composer: Michiaki Watanabe
  • Music producer: Andante
  • Music performers: Colombia Percussion Ensemble (catalog number: Columbia Record CQ-7010)
• Character designer: Kikakusha 104, Muneo Kubo
• Costume production: Ekisu Production
• Screenplays: Shōzō Uehara, Susumu Takaku, Kuniaki Oshikawa, Hirohisa Soda, Mikio Matsushita
• Directors: Kōichi Takemoto, Katsuhiko Taguchi, Takaharu Saeki, Kimio Hirayama, Hideo Tanaka, Yoshiaki Kobayashi
• Stunt Coordinators: Osamu Kaneda, Junji Yamaoka (Japan Action Club)
• Special Effects Director: Nobuo Yajima (uncredited in the show)
• Assistant Directors: Masao Minowa and others
• Producing Companies: Toei, Toei Advertising, Tokyo Channel 12

Opening theme

• "Kakero! Spider-Man" (駆けろ！スパイダーマン, Kakero! Supaidāman, Run! Spider-Man)
  • Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
  • Composition & Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe (listed as Chumei Watanabe)
  • Artist: Yuki Hide

Ending theme

• "Chikai no Ballade" (誓いのバラード, Chikai no Barādo, The Oath's Ballade)
  • Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
  • Composition & Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe (listed as Chumei Watanabe)
  • Artist: Yuki Hide

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Because Spider-Man is a Marvel property, Toei was not allowed to rerun the series or use publicity stills of Spider-Man from the show without paying licensing fees to Marvel. Original characters and other elements exclusive to Toei's television series (such as the villains and the giant robot Leopardon) were exempt from these licensing issues, as these were creations of Toei.

As a result, only a single VHS collection of episodes (which featured episodes 1 and 31, and the movie) was released in Japan during the 1980s, and reprints of the official soundtrack had the original cover on the jacket replaced with an image of Leopardon. The rest of the series was unavailable on home video for many years. The 1995 superhero guidebook Chōjin Gahō (超人画報, The Super Heroes Chronicle) (published by Takeshobo) was the last time Toei was allowed to publish a photograph of Spider-Man. Every retrospective coverage of Toei's Spider-Man published since then was done without using photographs of the Spider-Man character himself.

In 2004, Toei began renegotiating with Marvel for the rights to release the series on DVD in Japan. The Region 2 DVD box set was released on December 9, 2005, and includes all 41 episodes and the movie on seven discs, as well as a 148-page booklet which features every publicity still of Spider-Man shot for the series.^[10] In July 2006, Bandai released a series of toys related to the Toei's Spider-Man TV series, such as the Soul of Chogokin GX-33 Leopardon toy robot (with a Spider-Man figure included), the "Soul of Soft Vinyl" Spider-Man action figure, and a Popynica Spider-Machine GP-7 toy car.

On March 5, 2009, Marvel began broadcasting the series to an international audience for the first time on their video streaming website. A different episode (including the movie version) was uploaded every week until the entire series was available on December 17 of the same year.^[4] These episodes were shown in their original Japanese audio with English subtitles. The episodes were later taken down.^{[when?][citation needed]}

Spider-Man: The Animated Series (Spider-Man TAS), which ran from 1994 to 1998, drew some influence from Japanese Spider-Man. The writer of Spider-Man TAS, John Semper, found Japanese Spider-Man to be the only previous Spider-Man adaptation that impressed him, as he thought it was a "great" show and "goofy fun". Japanese Spider-Man's giant robot influenced the final multi-part parallel universe arc where Spider-Man's wealthy alter-ego has a robot.^[11]

The massive success of the show and the sales for the Leopardon toys inspired Toei to integrate a Giant Robot to their Super Sentai series, which would not only lead it to become one of the most popular Tokusatsu franchises in Japan but also led to the success of Power Rangers.

Apart from the costume and powers of the main character, this TV series is unrelated to Ryoichi Ikegami's earlier manga adaptation of Spider-Man or the original Spider-Man comics. However, several manga adaptations of the Toei version were published by different magazines, such as TV Land, Tanoshī Yōchien, TV Magazine, and Bōken'ō.^[12]

Takuya Yamashiro and Leopardon appeared in several issues of the 2014 and 2018 comic book events Spider-Verse and Spider-Geddon, alongside other alternate universe versions of Spider-Man such as Miles Morales and Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099), thereby allowing Yamashiro to interact with his fellow Spider-Men for the first time in Marvel canon.^[13]

A version of Spider-Man's giant robot, Leopardon, appears in Ernest Cline's novel Ready Player One.

• Spider-Man: The Manga
• Spider-Man J

• Supaidâman at IMDb
• Spider-Man movie hub at Marvel.com
• Toei website (archived 17 September 2008)