Pāman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pāman | |
|---|---|
| パーマン (Pāman) |
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| Genre | Comedy, Kodomo |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Fujiko F. Fujio |
| Publisher | |
| Serialized in | Shonen Sunday |
| Original run | 1967 – 1968 |
| No. of volumes | |
| Manga | |
| Authored by | Fujiko F. Fujio |
| Publisher | |
| Serialized in | CoroCoro Comic |
| Original run | 1983 – 1986 |
| No. of volumes | |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | |
| Network | |
| Original run | 1967 – |
| No. of episodes | |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | |
| Network | |
| Original run | 1983 – 1986 |
| No. of episodes | |
| Movie | |
| Directed by | |
| Studio | |
| Released | 2003 |
| Runtime | |
| Movie | |
| Directed by | |
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| Released | 2004 |
| Runtime | |
Pāman (パーマン) by Fujiko F. Fujio, is a Japanese manga and anime about a clumsy boy, Mitsuo Suwa, who is chosen as an apprentice of Birdman. "Pāman", in Japanese, means an apprentice of Birdman and an imperfect Birdman.
The first series was serialized in Shonen Sunday and other magazines from 1967 to 1968, and the second was serialized in CoroCoro Comic from 1983 to 1986. The animated screen version was first produced in black and white in 1967. It was remade in color in 1983 and a film version was released in 2003 and 2004.
Contents |
[edit] Story
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
Birdman gives a clumsy human boy, Mitsuo Suwa, four items to help him as Pāman, Birdman's apprentice: A mask which increases physical strength 6600 times, a cape for flying in the sky at 119km/h, a badge which enables him to communicate with other Pāmen and breathe underwater, and a copy-robot which metamorphoses into his look-alike to help him keep his secret identity during Pāman missions; However, if his secret identity becomes known to others, his brain will be destroyed for betraying the secret of Pāman. This penalty becomes reduced to being turned into an animal in later chapters.
Mitsuo begins by rescuing people who are victims of crimes or disasters, so as Pāman he is admired; but he is often troubled by his dual life as a both brilliant superhero and an unrewarded ordinary boy. He wishes to abandon his role of Pāman; but he continues being Pa-man out of a desire to help people caught in disasters.
Soon, he meets other Pāmen and teams with them.
In the end, he achieves the status of Superman and leaves to a planet for Supermen to become a superhero.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Pāman and his fellows
- Mitsuo Suwa (須羽満夫 (ミツ夫, みつ夫) Suwa Mitsuo?) (aka Pāman1) - The main character in the series. Mitsuo is the 11-year-old boy chosen as the first Pa-man. Of the five known Pāman, he has the most close calls to having his secret identity blown. He hates studying, being yelled at by his mother, ghosts, and cockroaches (the insects were once used in a scheme by the ZenAkuRen). He is a big fan of the singer Sumire Hoshino.
- Booby (aka Pāman2) - Booby is not a man but a chimpanzee; however he is called "Pāman2". Although unable to talk, he is highly intelligent, often communicating by using objects to construct sentences. He is Mitsuo's favourite sidekick.
- Sumire Hoshino (星野スミレ Hoshino Sumire?) (aka Pāman3 or Pāko) - Although Sumire is a girl, she is officially addressed as "Pāman3", but she is often called "Pāko" by the other Pāman. Her secret identity, which she never reveals even to her teammates, is a famous idol. Sumire is always treated as a star everywhere she goes, so she feels isolated from other people except as Pāko. In her superhero guise, she is tomboyish and headstrong, quarreling with Mitsuo and sometimes with Michiko. But she later falls in love with Mitsuo, revealing herself only to him in the final chapter. Sumire, as an older actress, also makes significant cameo appearances in two chapters of Doraemon, telling Nobita and Doraemon about a faraway lover whose return she is waiting for.
- Hōzen Ōyama (大山法善 Ōyama Hōzen?) (aka Pāman4 or Pāyan) - The little Buddhist monk who lives in Osaka. He is very pragmatic and this sometimes brings him into opposition with other Pāmen. His pragmatic attitude saves the Pāmen from many of their tribulations.
- Kōichi Yamada (山田浩一 Yamada Kōichi?) (aka Pāman5 or Pābō (パー坊? "baby Pāman")) - Nicknamed "Kō-chan", he is the fifth and youngest member of the team. He saw Mitsuo as Pāman1 on one occasion, and was made a Pāman to preserve Mitsuo's secret identity. The first anime and manga series had several appearances by Kōichi, but he is nonexistent in the second versions of either series. In addition, all but one chapter in the current manga volumes (a Christmas special) with an appearance by him has been omitted.
- Superman(aka Birdman) - One of the Supermen, the guardians of the universe. His name is Superman in early series, but he is renamed Birdman in later series to avoid violating the copyright of DC. Despite this, his appearance completely differs from the original Superman.)
- Copy-robots - Androids which are given to Pāmen from Superman to help keep their secret. They can metamorphose into look-alikes of whoever pushes a button on their noses. The experiece that the copy robot has had during the double-life period can also be transferred to the original person by placing both foreheads against each other. In the first series, the robot had a black nose that remained visible even after the transformation, and they often were deactivated by well-meaning people trying to wipe their noses clean. The duplication procedure also copies whatever clothing or items that are on the activator's person, which landed Mitsuo in trouble on a few occasions for abusing this property.
[edit] Friends and family
- Michiko "Mitchan" Sawada (沢田ミチ子 Sawada Michiko?) - Mitsuo's classmate, who has a crush on his alter ego. She views Pāko as a rival, and at times clashes with her (with Mitsuo in the middle).
- Sabu (サブ?) - Mitsuo's short-statured classmate, often seen with Kabao.
- Kabao (カバ夫?) - Another of Mitsuo's classmates, he is the neighborhood bully. He often picks on Mitsuo, but is a big fan of Pāman, often begging him to make him the next member. Together with Sabu, he was tricked by a foreign scientist into stealing Mitsuo's Pāman equipment.
- Haruzō Mie (三重晴三 Mie Haruzō?) - Another of Mitsuo's classmates, from a wealthy family—in fact, his name can be read as "displaying vanity (見栄張るぞ?)". In one episode, he borrows the Pāman items from Mitsuo, only to have them stolen by a dangerous criminal.
- Mr. and Mrs. Mantarō Suwa (須羽満太郎 Suwa Mantarō?) - Mitsuo's parents (his mother is unnamed in the series). Mantarō is often seen as easygoing, but will discipline his son responsibly. His mother (often prompted by his sister Ganko) usually scolds Mitsuo for getting into trouble.
- Ganko Suwa (須羽がん子 Suwa Ganko?) - Ganko is Mitsuo's younger sister. As her given name can be read as "stubborn (頑固?)", Ganko is likewise headstrong and obstinate, although she is more known for tattling on Mitsuo to their mother.
[edit] Villains
- Senmensō (怪盗千面相 Kaitō Senmensō?) - A gentleman-thief who is an expert in disguise and jailbreak, and arguably Pāman's most cunning opponent. His skill in escaping is due to his love of the thrill of breaking out of prison, and a chapter in the early manga demonstrates that he can't stand the ease of escaping from minimum security. In his first appearance, he was ruthless enough to try to kill Mitsuo, however he later helped Pāman capture the man behind a rash of purse-snatchings, because the thief had robbed the owner of his favorite ramen restaurant. He is a lover of fine art, which Pāyan uses to his advantage in a museum heist.
- Japanese League of Evildoers (全日本悪者連盟 Zen Nippon Akusha Renmei?) (aka ZenAkuRen (全悪連?) ZenGyadoRen (全ギャド連?)) - The Japanese 'bad-man league', the guild which organizes thieves and burglars in Japan. Despite their schemes to destroy Pāman, they are always defeated.
- Don Ishikawa - The leader of the ZenGyadoRen.
- Saien Mado (魔土災炎 Mado Saien?) - An evil genius who is the science adviser of ZenGyadoRen and offers them many unusual technologies. As with Haruzō and Ganko, his name can be read in a different way; in his case, it sounds very similar to "mad scientist".
