Ōgon Bat
Ōgon Bat (Japanese: 黄金 バット Hepburn: Ōgon Batto, literally "Golden Bat") is a Japanese superhero created by Takeo Nagamatsu in 1931 who debuted originally in the kamishibai (paper theater).[2] Ōgon Bat is considered to be the first Japanese superhero[3] and is a precursor to later superhero characters such as the Japanese kamishibai character, Prince of Gamma (debuted early 1930s), and the American comic book characters Superman (debuted 1938) and Batman (debuted 1939).[2]
History
Ōgon Bat debuted in a kamishibai, a type of traveling show in which a sequence of pictures are shown, narrated by a storyteller.[2][3] The character was popular enough to survive the decline of kamishibai following World War II and was eventually translated into manga, including one by Osamu Tezuka, and in anime form.[4]
The character features in three live-action movies: Ôgon Bat: Matenrô no Kaijin, 1950; Ôgon Batto, 1966; and, the comedy biopic Ôgon Batto ga Yattekuru, 1972. He also appears in the 1967, 52-episode anime series on Nippon TV.[4]
Character description
Ōgon Bat has a golden, skull-shaped head, wears a green and white costume with a high-collared red cape, and carries a rapier. He lives in a fortress in the Japanese Alps. His superpowers include superhuman strength, invulnerability, and the ability to fly.[2][3] Ōgon Bat has an evil counterpart known as Kurayami Bat (暗闇バット "Dark Bat"). His main enemy is Dr. Erich Nazō (ナゾー), the leader of a crime syndicate bent on world domination, who wears a black costume and mask with bat-like ears.
Film
| Ōgon Bat | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Hajime Sato |
| Written by | Susumu Takaku |
| Starring | Sonny Chiba |
| Distributed by | Toei Company (Japan) |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 73 minutes |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
A live-action film version of Ōgon Bat was released theatrically by Toei in Japan on December 21, 1966 starring Sonny Chiba as Dr. Yamatone (ヤマトネ博士 Yamatone Hakase).
Plot
Professor Yamatone and his family visit present day Egypt, and discover an ancient tomb belonging to a god of justice, (and) protector of the weak. When the Professor is taken captive later by Gorgo, agent of the evil Dr. Erich Nazō (ナゾー) (also known as Dr Zero), his daughter Mari pleads for the god of justice to save her father. As she starts to cry, her tears fall into the ancient tomb, reviving Ogon Bat, who comes to her aid. From then on, the little girl calls on the Ogon Bat to fight against evil - usually in the form of Doctor Zero.
Cast
- Sonny Chiba as Dr. Yamatone (ヤマトネ博士 Yamatone Hakase)
- Wataru Yamakawa as Akira Kazahaya
- Hisako Tsukuba as Naomi Akiyama
- Emiri Takami as Emiry Beard
- Andrew Hughes as Dr. Parl
- Hirohisa Nakada as agent Shimizu
- Kōsaku Okano as agent Nakamura
- Kouji Sekiyama as Space killer Nazō
- Youichi Numada as Keroido
- Keiko Kuni as Perania
- Keiichi Kitakawa as Jackal
- Yukio Aoshima as police officer
Anime
| Ōgon Bat | |
| 黄金バット (Ōgon Batto) | |
|---|---|
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
Noboru Ishiguro, Kujiro Yanagida, Seiji Sasaki, Tadao Wakabayashi [4] |
| Produced by |
Daiichi Yomiuri TV (Nippon TV) |
| Written by | Mitsuhide Shimauchi |
| Music by | Tanaka Masashi |
| Studio | Daichi Doga |
| Network | Yomiuri TV, Nippon TV |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 1, 1967 – March 23, 1968 |
| Episodes | 52 |
List of anime episodes[5]
| Episode Name | Premiere Date | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Birth of Golden Bat" (黄金バット誕生) | April 1st, 1967 |
| 2 | "Mammoth Killer" (マンモスキラー) | April 8th, 1967 |
| 3 | "Ge-Georg" (ゲーゲオルグ) | April 15th, 1967 |
| 4 | "Crisis" (危機一発) | April 22nd, 1967 |
| 5 | "Man Eating Plants" (人食い植物) | April 29th, 1967 |
| 6 | "In Pursuit of the Melon Bombs" (メロン爆弾大追跡) | May 6th, 1967 |
| 7 | "Monster Sand Beronya" (怪獣サンドベロニヤ) | May 13th, 1967 |
| 8 | "Space Monster Alligon" (宇宙怪獣アリゴン) | May 20th, 1967 |
| 9 | "Worm Monster Gaigon" (怪物ガイゴン) | May 27th, 1967 |
| 10 | "The Battle of Uranium Island" (ウラン島大決戦) | June 3rd, 1967 |
| 11 | "The Mystery of Finkhamen" (謎のフィンカーメン) | June 10th, 1967 |
| 12 | "Dr. Jinger's Poison Mushrooms" (ジンガーの毒キノコ) | June 17th, 1967 |
| 13 | "Mutant 5" (ミュータント5) | June 24th, 1967 |
| 14 | "Atomic Black Gyatt" (原子ブラックギャット) | July 1st, 1967 |
| 15 | "Nero the Destructor" (破壊魔ネロ) | July 8th, 1967 |
| 16 | "Ghilton, the Stone Man" (岩人ギルトン) | July 15th, 1967 |
| 17 | "Galgar the Monster Bird" (怪鳥ガルガー) | July 22nd, 1967 |
| 18 | "The Star of Polynesia" (ポリネシアの星) | July 29th, 1967 |
| 19 | "Bat vs. Bat" (バット対バット) | August 5th, 1967 |
| 20 | "The Land of the Blue Flame" (青い炎の国) | August 12th, 1967 |
| 21 | "The Queen of Root Sigma" (ルートシグマの女王) | August 19th, 1967 |
| 22 | "The Mystery of Volcano Peron" (謎のペロン火山) | August 26th, 1967 |
| 23 | "Black Mask the Thief" (怪盗ブラック仮面) | September 2nd, 1967 |
| 24 | "The Devil's Ruby" (悪魔のルビー) | September 9th 1967 |
| 25 | "The Robot City" (ロボット都市) | September 16th, 1967 |
| 26 | "Rayman Boldo" (光線人間ボルド) | September 23rd, 1967 |
| 27 | "The Eye of Tarangé" (タランゲーの眼) | September 30th, 1967 |
| 28 | "Sword of the Queen Axis" (アキシスの剣) | October 7th, 1967 |
| 29 | "Mystery of the Space Bat" (宇宙コウモリの謎) | October 14th, 1967 |
| 30 | "Superpowered Cyborgs" (超能力改造人間) | October 21st, 1967 |
| 31 | "The Ghost Tower" (ゆうれい塔) | October 28th, 1967 |
| 32 | "The Devil's Giant Statue" (悪魔の巨像) | November 4th, 1967 |
| 33 | "The Invisible Monster Glassgon" (透明怪獣グラスゴン) | November 11th, 1967 |
| 34 | "The Great World Flood" (世界大洪水) | November 18th, 1967 |
| 35 | "Underground Monster Mogurah" (地底怪獣モグラー) | November 25th, 1967 |
| 36 | "The Great Explosion" (地球大爆発) | December 2nd, 1967 |
| 37 | "Two-Headed Monster Gegera" (双頭怪獣ゲゲラ) | December 9th, 1967 |
| 38 | "The Dinosaur Trap" (恐竜の罠) | December 16th, 1967 |
| 39 | "The Skeleton's Pilotage" (骸骨の水先案内) | December 23rd, 1967 |
| 40 | "The Day of Darkness" (地球暗黒の日) | December 30th, 1967 |
| 41 | "The Indian Princess" (インドの女王) | January 6th, 1968 |
| 42 | "The Witch and Monster Hiidoro" (妖婆の怪獣ヒードロ) | January 13th, 1968 |
| 43 | "The Cyclops in the Mine" (廃坑の一つ目怪獣) | January 20th, 1968 |
| 44 | "Revenge of the Liger Man" (ライガーマンの逆襲) | January 27th, 1968 |
| 45 | "The Death-bringing Woman" (死を呼ぶ女) | February 3rd, 1968 |
| 46 | "The Bat Hag and the Monster Shelgon" (こうもり老女と怪獣シェルゴン) | February 10th, 1968 |
| 47 | "The Mysterious Gerontium 90" (幻のゲロンチューム90) | February 17th, 1968 |
| 48 | "The Little Assassins" (小さい暗殺者) | February 24th, 1968 |
| 49 | "The Bat Man" (怪人こうもり男) | March 2nd, 1968 |
| 50 | "Circus Monster Gablar" (サーカス怪獣ガブラー) | March 9th, 1968 |
| 51 | "The Resurrection of Dark Bat" (よみがえる暗闇バット) | March 16th, 1968 |
| 52 | "The Crumbling of the Nazō Empire" (ひびわれるナゾー帝国) | March 23rd, 1968 |
References
- ↑ lorZ, Acciai. "Segreti di Pulcinella - rivista di letteratura e cultura varia". Segretidipulcinella.it. Retrieved 2015-08-11.
- 1 2 3 4 Liesl Bradner (2009-11-29). "The superheroes of Japan who predated Superman and Batman | Hero Complex – movies, comics, pop culture – Los Angeles Times". Herocomplex.latimes.com. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
- 1 2 3 Liesl Bradner (2009-11-27). "Origins of manga and anime | Culture Monster | Los Angeles Times". Latimesblogs.latimes.com. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
- 1 2 3 Clements, Jonathan and McCarthy, Helen. The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation. Berkeley, California.: Stone Bridge Press / Google Books. pp. Unpaginated. ISBN 978-1611720181.
- ↑ "黄金バット". Marumegane.com. 1968-03-23. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
External links
- Ōgon Bat (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- Ôgon bat: Matenrô no kaijin at the Internet Movie Database
- Ôgon batto at the Internet Movie Database
- Ôgon Batto ga yattekuru at the Internet Movie Database
- The First Superhero – The Golden Bat? at Comics Bulletin