Kidou Keiji Jiban

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Kidou Keiji Jiban
Image:Jiban Badge.jpg
Genre Metal Hero action/adventure
Running time 30 minutes (per episode)
Creator(s) Keita Amemiya
Starring Shouhei Kusaka, Michiko Enokida, Hajime Izu and Shozo Izuka
Country of origin Japan
Original channel TV Asahi
Original run January 29, 1989–January 28, 1990
No. of episodes 52
IMDb profile

Kidou Keiji Jiban (機動刑事ジバン Kidō Keiji Jiban?), translated into English as Mobile Detective Jiban, is a Japanese tokusatsu television series produced by Toei, aired by TV Asahi in Japan from January 29, 1989 to January 28, 1990 with 52 episodes and a feature movie. It was also translated as Mobile Sheriff Jiban. According to Toei's International Sales & Promotion Department, the serie's English title can be localized as Jiban.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Tamura Naoto, a new detective in Central City was killed by a Bioron agent in the line of duty. Dr. Kenzou Igarashi, a man whose experiments had been responsible for the Bioron syndicate's existence, brought the man back to life as a robot detective, Jiban. Eventually Mad Garbo and Rhinonoid killed Jiban,who returned to life again as Perfect Jiban (basically the same design as the original,but with a blue-colored metal body and three new weapons). In the finale, Bioron destroyed Jiban's base and transformed Mad Garbo into false Jiban. Jiban defeated his duplicate and ultimately Kibanoid, the true form of Bioron's leader Doctor Kiba. The victorious Jiban then learned that Igarashi Mayumi, the one civilian that knew his secret, had been his missing younger sister all along.

[edit] Characters

Jiban, holding up his badge.
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Jiban, holding up his badge.
  • (Perfect) Jiban/Naoto Tamura: A human revived as a cyborg by Dr. Igarashi to fight Bioron. He is capable of reverting to his human identity at will. holds the rank of police commissioner (as a robot) and detective (as human). Jiban's programming enables him to follow these directives:
  1. Arrest criminals in any circumstance without a warrant.
  2. Punish criminals on his own judgment if they happen to be members of Bioron.
  3. Use lethal force depending on the circumstances.
  • Igarashi Mayumi : The only civilian who knew Jiban's secret identity. She lost her memory in battle. She called Naoto her 'older brother,' only to find that she was really his lost sister in the finale.
  • Igarashi Shun'ichi and Shizue : Mayumi's parents, relocated as witnesses to bioron.
  • Doctor Igarashi Kenzou : (11,52; Izu Hajime, Kikaider's Doctor Komyouji) Started the Jiban's project to counter the bioron, the results of his biological experrimentation. He died when Jiban was built.
  • Katagiri Youko : A female detective of Central City. Naoto's senior. Manly sharpshooter who could not figure out that Naoto was Jiban.
  • Muramatsu Kiyoshirou : Elite detective of Central City with a liking for Youko.
  • Yanagida Seiichi : The head of the Police Department. He cooperated with Doctor Igarashi in the Jiban Project two years earlier. He collaborated with Jiban after Igarashi's death. He died when Jiban's base was destroyed.
  • Section Chief Bandou Takeko : The Central City Section Chief of Detectives. Got headaches trying to keep the peace in jurisdictions where strange events occurred, no thanks to Bioron.
  • Matsumoto Michiyo : A tea server of the Detectives' Section of Central City Police Department. He is always cheerful and encouraging.
  • Boy/Harry Boy: Jiban's robotic assistant. He stays at his secret base. Originally he was simply Boy, an immobile camera-like robot who had to give instructions to Mayumi to operate the control center, but then his computer was transferred to panda-like "Harry" (a robot devised by another student of Dr. Igarashi's) and began substituting for the amnesiac Mayumi. He died when Jiban's base was destroyed.

[edit] Equipment

[edit] Vehicles

  • Rezon: Jiban's patrol car, a Pontiac Firebird with a sixth generation computer and hence a will of its own,and it was destroyed by Doctor Kiba in his true form.
  • Bikan: Jiban's motorcycle with a sixth generation computer and hence a will of its own,and it was destroyed by Doctor Kiba in his true form.
  • Spyrus: Jiban's stealth fighter plane with a will of its own,and it was destroyed by Doctor Kiba.

[edit] Weapons

Jiban holding Maximillian Type 3 in pistol mode.
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Jiban holding Maximillian Type 3 in pistol mode.
  • Maximillian Type 3: Jiban's personal weapon. Concealed in a collapsable holster located on his right leg, it can transform into the following modes:
  1. Pistol
  2. Stick
  3. Sword

Maximillian Type 3 can also perform the following moves and techniques:

  1. Disclose Shock - used in stick mode, essentially a stun gun.
  2. Last Shooting/Search Buster - used in pistol mode, firing laser shots.
  3. Jiban End (Energy Sword) - used in sword mode, splits enemies in half.
  • Daedalus : Jiban's personal cannon.

Daedalus can also perform the following moves and techniques:

  1. Capable of Flight - used in backpack mode to fly short distances.
  1. Daedalus Bombard technique - used in cannon mode to finish off foes.
Perfect Jiban equipped with Powerbreaker Claw and Autoderringer Rifle.
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Perfect Jiban equipped with Powerbreaker Claw and Autoderringer Rifle.
  • Autoderringer Rifle: Jiban's personal rifle. Acquired it after being resurrected as Perfect Jiban. Has a machine gun mode and a bazooka mode. Machine gun mode is used to stun and set up the enemy; after an "Energy Charge" in which the bazooka is charged, it fires a powerful shot to finish off the enemy, and it was destroyed by Doctor Kiba in his true form.
  • Powerbreaker Claw: A left arm attachment. Can be used to attack enemies. Acquired it after being resurrected as Perfect Jiban.
  • Needricker Drill: A right arm attachment. Can be used to drill into areas that cannot be accessed through physical means (e.g. doors). Acquired it after being resurrected as Perfect Jiban.

[edit] Criminal Syndicate Bioron

An armed force organized by the mysterious scientist Doctor Kiba intending to take over Japan by means of narrow attacks rather than large-scale destruction. Their theme/weapon is biochemistry.

  • Doctor Kiba: Brown-haired, beared human-looking leader and founder of Bioron. Actually non-humanoid Kibanoid, a biomonster born by accident from the chemical waste of Dr. Igarashi's National Science Academy Bio Laboratory. He assumed his true form in the series finale, only to be killed by Jiban.
  • Marsha & Karsha: The first biolifeforms created by Kiba. His secretaries and intemediaries between him and his Bionoid agents. They can transform into small spiders (for spying on people), and assume their inhuman "Battle" forms (Battle Marsha and Battle Karsha). They died in the series finale.
  • Bubi and the Mukus: Cute and not so-cute creatures living in bioron's base.
  • Mad Garbo (17-): A Jiban Killer Cyborg created by Kiba as an counter to Jiban. Using power from Queen Cosmo, she and Rhinonoid are able to kill Jiban in Episode 34, but he is resurrected as Perfect Jiban. He later assumes his total appearance to frame him.
  • Queen Cosmo (28-46) :A lunar lifeform resembling a human woman (but actually a floating rocklike starfish with a long tail) intent on conquering Earth to establish an all-woman empire. In her own words, made of space garbage. More powerful than the other Biorons, she allies with them to destroy Jiban.
  • Masques: Mass-produced grunt life forms armed with knives and machine guns. Can disguise themselves as humans and regenerate lost limbs.

[edit] Bionoids

Monsters of the week. Can disguise themselves as humans.

[edit] Soundtrack

On March 27, 2004, a limited edition soundtrack of Mobile Detective Jiban has been released. It contains all the songs of the series from the opening and ending themes to the background music.

The soundtrack has been digitally remastered by Kisaburo Suzuki and Chumei Watanabe.

Tracklisting:

  1. The Mobile Cop (Kidou Keiji) Jiban (TV Size)
  2. Huan eno Jyokyoku
  3. Baioron no Inbou
  4. Baionoido Hunter
  5. Monster Dream
  6. Central City Sho no Seishun
  7. Midnight Patrol
  8. Baionoido no Anyoku
  9. Machikado no Kanashimi
  10. Matenrou Hyoryu
  11. City Chaser
  12. Shuto Koubo
  13. Mukaeutsu Jiban
  14. Emergency
  15. The Mobile Cop (Kidou Keiji) Jiban (Karaoke version)
  16. Rejin Shutsugeki!
  17. Gayjyshu no Jiban
  18. Hisatsu! Maximilian Sword
  19. Mayumi to Naoto
  20. Mirai Yoho wa Itsumo Hare (TV Size)

[edit] Foreign Broadcast

Jiban has also been broadcasted in other countries, dubbed in their national language.

[edit] Cast

  • Naoto Tamura/Kidou Keiji Jiban: Shouhei Kusaka
  • Doctor Kenzo Igarashi: Hajime Izu
  • Doctor Kiba: Leo Meneghetti
  • Mayumi Igarashi: Konomi Mashita
  • Youko Katagiri: Michiko Enokida
  • Yanagida: Akira Ishihama
  • Marsha: Ami Kawai
  • Karsha: Akemi Kogawa
  • Seishiro Muramatsu: Kunio Konishi
  • Mad Garbo: Kazuko Yanaga
  • Queen Cosmos: Yoko Asakura

[edit] Media

Jiban's episodes and movie has been released in Japan in several VHS tapes. Though it had been obscure for a long time with the rest of the other metal hero tv shows, there has been sightings of a DVD release. It is most likely subtitled in other languages such as Portuguese in bootlegged form as there has been no word from Toei officials if Jiban would receive an official release in Japanese or licensed release in foreign subtitled languages such as English.

[edit] Trivia

  • Though the emblem on Jiban's head is the crest of the Japanese National Police Agency, the emblem on his chest resembles an American sheriff star.
  • Jiban was influenced by the success of the movie Robocop. Jiban's three main directives with the location of his Maximillian Type 3 sidearm and collapsable holster has been copied from the Robocop android. The series was also influenced by Robotto Keiji.
  • Doctor Kiba is played by Italian actor Leo Meneghetti, however, the actor is dubbed by seiyuu Shozo Izuka.
  • Jiban sort-of breaks tradition by using an American car (a cosmetically modified Pontiac Firebird 1983 model police car) as his four-wheel transport. Toei usually uses cars from Mazda and/or Suzuki.

[edit] Sources

Metal Heroes
1980s: Gavan | Sharivan | Shaider | Juspion | Spielban | Metalder | Jiraiya | Jiban
1990s: Winspector | Solbrain | Exceedraft | Janperson | Blue SWAT | Juukou B-Fighter | B-Fighter Kabuto | B-Robo Kabutack
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