ÅŒgon Bat

ÅŒgon Bat (Japanese: 黄金 ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ Hepburn: ÅŒgon Batto, lit. "Golden Bat") is a Japanese superhero created by Takeo Nagamatsu in 1931.[2] ÅŒgon Bat is considered to be the first Japanese superhero.[3] Originally debuting in kamishibai (paper theater), Ogon Bat is considered 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

ÅŒgon Bat debuted in a kamishibai, a type of traveling show in which a sequence of pictures is 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 and anime form.
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 a 1967 52-episode anime series.
Character description
ÅŒgon 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] ÅŒgon Bat has an evil counterpart known as Kurayami Bat (æš—é—‡ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ Dark Bat). His main enemy is Dr. Erich NazÅ (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
ÅŒgon 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 ÅŒgon Bat was released theatrically by Toei in Japan on December 21, 1966 starring Sonny Chiba as Dr. Yamatone (ヤマトãƒåšå£« 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 later taken captive by "Gorgo", agent of the evil Dr. Erich NazŠ(ナゾー) (also known as Dr Zero), the Professor's daughter Mari, pleads for "the god of justice" to save her father. Beginning to cry, her tears fall into the ancient tomb, reviving Ogon Bat, who comes to her help. 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ãƒåšå£« 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
- KÅsaku Okano as agent Nakamura
- Kouji Sekiyama as Space killer NazÅ
- Youichi Numada as Keroido
- Keiko Kuni as Perania
- Keiichi Kitakawa as Jackal
- Yukio Aoshima as police officer
Anime
ÅŒgon Bat | |
黄金ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ (ÅŒgon Batto) | |
---|---|
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Noboru Ishiguro |
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[4]
- The Birth of Golden Bat (黄金ãƒãƒƒãƒˆèª•ç”Ÿ)
- Mammoth Killer (マンモスã‚ラー)
- Ge-Georg (ゲーゲオルグ)
- Crisis (å±æ©Ÿä¸€ç™º)
- Man Eating Plants (人食ã„æ¤ç‰©)
- In Pursuit of the Melon Bombs (メãƒãƒ³çˆ†å¼¾å¤§è¿½è·¡)
- Monster Sand Beronya (怪ç£ã‚µãƒ³ãƒ‰ãƒ™ãƒãƒ‹ãƒ¤)
- Space Monster Alligon (宇宙怪ç£ã‚¢ãƒªã‚´ãƒ³)
- Worm Monster Gaigon (怪物ガイゴン)
- The Battle of Uranium Island (ウラン島大決戦)
- The Mystery of Finkhamen (謎ã®ãƒ•ã‚£ãƒ³ã‚«ãƒ¼ãƒ¡ãƒ³)
- Dr. Jinger's Poison Mushrooms (ジンガーã®æ¯’ã‚ノコ)
- Mutant 5 (ミュータント5)
- Atomic Black Gyatt (原åブラックギャット)
- Nero the Destructor (ç ´å£Šé”ãƒãƒ)
- Ghilton, the Stone Man (岩人ギルトン)
- Galgar the Monster Bird (怪鳥ガルガー)
- The Star of Polynesia (ãƒãƒªãƒã‚·ã‚¢ã®æ˜Ÿ)
- Bat vs. Bat (ãƒãƒƒãƒˆå¯¾ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ)
- The Land of the Blue Flame (é’ã„ç‚Žã®å›½)
- The Queen of Root Sigma (ルートシグマã®å¥³çŽ‹)
- The Mystery of Volcano Peron (謎ã®ãƒšãƒãƒ³ç«å±±)
- Black Mask the Thief (怪盗ブラック仮é¢)
- The Devil's Ruby (悪é”ã®ãƒ«ãƒ“ー)
- The Robot City (ãƒãƒœãƒƒãƒˆéƒ½å¸‚)
- Rayman Boldo (光線人間ボルド)
- The Eye of Tarangé (タランゲーã®çœ¼)
- Sword of the Queen Axis (ã‚¢ã‚シスã®å‰£)
- Mystery of the Space Bat (宇宙コウモリã®è¬Ž)
- Superpowered Cyborgs (è¶…èƒ½åŠ›æ”¹é€ äººé–“)
- The Ghost Tower (ゆã†ã‚Œã„å¡”)
- The Devil's Giant Statue (悪é”ã®å·¨åƒ)
- The Invisible Monster Glassgon (é€æ˜Žæ€ªç£ã‚°ãƒ©ã‚¹ã‚´ãƒ³)
- The Great World Flood (世界大洪水)
- Underground Monster Mogurah (地底怪ç£ãƒ¢ã‚°ãƒ©ãƒ¼)
- The Great Explosion (地çƒå¤§çˆ†ç™º)
- Two-Headed Monster Gegera (åŒé 怪ç£ã‚²ã‚²ãƒ©)
- The Dinosaur Trap (æç«œã®ç½ )
- The Skeleton's Pilotage (骸骨ã®æ°´å…ˆæ¡ˆå†…)
- The Day of Darkness (地çƒæš—é»’ã®æ—¥)
- The Indian Princess (インドã®å¥³çŽ‹)
- The Witch and Monster Hiidoro (妖婆ã®æ€ªç£ãƒ’ードãƒ)
- The Cyclops in the Mine (廃å‘ã®ä¸€ã¤ç›®æ€ªç£)
- Revenge of the Liger Man (ライガーマンã®é€†è¥²)
- The Death-bringing Woman (æ»ã‚’呼ã¶å¥³)
- The Bat Hag and the Monster Shelgon (ã“ã†ã‚‚ã‚Šè€å¥³ã¨æ€ªç£ã‚·ã‚§ãƒ«ã‚´ãƒ³)
- The Mysterious Gerontium 90 (å¹»ã®ã‚²ãƒãƒ³ãƒãƒ¥ãƒ¼ãƒ 90)
- The Little Assassins (å°ã•ã„暗殺者)
- The Bat Man (怪人ã“ã†ã‚‚ã‚Šç”·)
- Circus Monster Gablar (サーカス怪ç£ã‚¬ãƒ–ラー)
- The Resurrection of Dark Bat (よã¿ãŒãˆã‚‹æš—é—‡ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ)
- The Crumbling of the NazÅ Empire (ã²ã³ã‚れるナゾーå¸å›½)
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.
- ↑ "黄金ãƒãƒƒãƒˆ". Marumegane.com. 1968-03-23. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
External links
- ÅŒgon 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