Kaiketsu Lion-Maru

Lion-Maru

Kaiketsu Lion-Maru (快傑ライオン丸, Kaiketsu Raionmaru), The Vigilant Lion Knight (or literally translated as Swift Hero Lion Maru), was a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Lion-Maru franchise that aired in 1972-1973, produced by P Productions and set during Japan's Sengoku period (the Age of Warring States).

Plot

During the late 16th century, a trio of ninja orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil by battling a villain of the week in each episode.

Characters

• Shishimaru (獅子丸): A man who becomes Lion-Maru (ライオン丸, Raionmaru) by unsheathing the katana Kinsachi (キンサチ) and uttering the words "O Wind! O Light! Ninja Art: Lion Change!" (「風よ！光よ！忍法：獅子変化ん！」, Kaze yo! Hikari yo! Ninpō: Shishi-Hengen!) to take on the power. ^[1]
• Saori (沙織, Saori): An acrobatic female fighter who often becomes a damsel in distress.^[2]
• Kosuke (小助, Kosuke): The young boy who uses his flute to summon the pegasus Hikarimaru.
• Gousan (豪山, Gōsan): The series' chief villain.
• Tora Jōnosuke (虎 錠之介, Tora Jōnosuke) (episodes 27-30, 36-41, 42-54): A man recruited by Gosun, given the mysterious sword Ginsachi (ギンサチ) to become Tiger Joe (タイガージョー, Taigā Jō).

Episodes

1. Maō no shisha orochi (魔王の使者オロチ)
2. Taose!! Kaijin yamawaro dōji (倒せ！！怪人ヤマワロ童子)
3. Ma no mori : wa kuran ba (魔の森 わくらんば)
4. Musasabian : bakuha sakusen!! (ムササビアン 爆破作戦！！)
5. Jigoku kara ki ta shinigami obo (地獄から来た死神オボ)
6. Jin gui hana furawandā (人食い花フラワンダー)
7. Noroware ta kanayama : ginzame (呪われた金山 ギンザメ)
8. Bunshin maō debonoba to kaijin iwageba (分身魔王デボノバと怪人イワゲバ)
9. Shi o yobu kyūketsu kaijin zonbī (死を呼ぶ吸血怪人ゾンビー)
10. Shi no mizu : doku imori (死の水 ドクイモリ)
11. Jigoku no ōkami kamakiri an! (地獄の狼カマキリアン！)
12. Kaijin girojī : umi no otoshiana (怪人ギロジー 海の落し穴)
13. Kaijin umikaburo to hito gui kai gyo (怪人ウミカブロと人食い怪魚)
14. Sasurai no kaijin nezuganda (さすらいの怪人ネズガンダ)
15. Eresandā : jigogudani no kettō (エレサンダー 地獄谷の決闘)
16. Shinobi yoru ma no te mereonga (忍びよる魔の手 メレオンガ)
17. Kaijin jeromo akuma no noro shi (怪人ジェロモ 悪魔のノロシ)
18. Kaijin muiodoro : esan no sakebi! (怪人ムイオドロ 恵山の叫び！)
19. Kozure kaijin : yūhi no taiketsu! (子連れ怪人 夕陽の対決！)
20. Goroshi no tsuiseki sha kumaoroji (殺しの追跡者クマオロジ)
21. Hannyarasu : haha koi komori uta (ハンニャラス 母恋い子守唄)
22. Nusumare ta fue : kaijin kibagirā (盗まれた笛 怪人キバギラー)
23. Hebi to sasori no kaijin dakatsu (蛇と蝎の怪人ダカツ)
24. Raion hikō kiri tai kaijin tobi musashi (ライオン飛行斬り対怪人トビムサシ)
25. Kage kari kaijin mosugaigā (影狩り怪人モスガイガー)
26. Saigo no shubi taichō kuwarugirubi (最後の守備隊長クワルギルビ)
27. Dai maō Gōsun okoru! (大魔王ゴースン怒る！)
28. Aku no kenshi Taigā Jō (悪の剣士タイガージョー)
29. Kage mittsu : kaijin dokuronga (影三つ 怪人ドクロンガ)
30. Kaijin matsuba raba : ipponmatsu no nazo (怪人マツバラバ 一本松の謎)
31. Urami no ma ken : orochijunia (怨みの魔剣 オロチジュニア)
32. Gamaurufu : oboe sho no himitsu (ガマウルフ 覚え書の秘密)
33. Hijō no tōzoku : gamemadara (非情の盗賊 ガメマダラ)
34. Goroshi no merodi : kaijin panda ran (殺しのメロディ 怪人パンダラン)
35. Chi ni warau kaijin arisazen (血に笑う怪人アリサゼン)
36. Ore ta yari : kaijin hachigaraga (折れた槍 怪人ハチガラガ)
37. Neraware ta otoko : kaijin todokazura (狙われた男 怪人トドカズラ)
38. Gōsun no himitsu : kaijin tatsudorodo (ゴースンの秘密 怪人タツドロド)
39. Kaijin kichiku : aku no nen hotoke (怪人キチク 悪の念佛)
40. Dai maō Gōsun : futatabi okoru! (大魔王ゴースン 再び怒る！)
41. Dai maō Gōsun : ano mune o nerae! (大魔王ゴースン あの胸を狙え！)
42. Goroshi no nagare sha : kirugoddo (殺しの流れ者 キルゴッド)
43. Uragiri no tōge : kaijin girara (裏切りの峠 怪人ギララ)
44. Kunoichi no namida : kaijin meganda (くの一の涙 怪人メガンダ)
45. Nuke nin ke mo no michi : kaijin hanzaki (抜け忍けもの道 怪人ハンザキ)
46. kurayami no biwa hōshi : kaijin no izā (暗闇の琵琶法師 怪人ノイザー)
47. Jigoku no kanoke : kaijin jenma (地獄の棺桶 怪人ジェンマ)
48. Kizu darake no koroshi ya : kaijin mafian (傷だらけの殺し屋 怪人マフィアン)
49. Osoreru beki tosatsu jin : kaijin ja mura (恐るべき屠殺人 怪人ジャムラ)
50. Raionmaru o tsuruse!! kaijin jūkaku (ライオン丸を吊るせ！！怪人ジュウカク)
51. Saigo no hachi nin shū : kaijin abutā (最後の八人衆 怪人アブター)
52. Haya uchi roku renpatsu : kaijin gonraddo (早射ち六連発 怪人ゴンラッド)
53. Kanashiki Taigā Jō no saigo! (悲しきタイガージョーの最期！)
54. Raionmaru : saigo no shitō (ライオン丸 最後の死闘)

Cast

• Tetsuya Ushio as Shishimaru
• Akiko Kujō as Saori
• Norihiko Umechi as Kosuke
• Kazuo Kamoshida as Kaiketsu Lion Maru (suit actor)
• Shingo Fukushima as Tiger Joe (suit actor)
• Kiyoshi Kobayashi as Akuma Gosun / Devil Gosuun (voice)
• Kōji Tonohiro as Tora Jōnosuke [episodes 27-30, 36-41]
• Yoshitaka Fukushima as Tora Jōnosuke [episodes 42-53]
• Daisaku Shinohara as Narrator

Music

Opening Theme

• "Kaze yo Hikari yo" (風よ光よ, "Oh Wind, Oh Light") by Yuuki Hide (秀夕木, Hide Yuuki) & Young Fresh (ヤング・フレッシュ, Yangu Furesshu)

Ending Themes

• "Lion-Maru ga yatte kuru" (ライオン丸がやってくる, "Lion-Maru is coming") by Young Fresh (ヤング・フレッシュ, Yangu Furesshu)

Foreign releases

The series was broadcast in Italy in 1983, dubbed as Ultralion, and in Brazil under the title Lionman. The series was also dubbed into English, but only one episode (the first) surfaced in North America, released on a VHS tape in the 1980s, entitled Magic of the Ninja and sold through toy store chains such as Toys R Us.

DVD release

In P Productions' publicity materials for the 2002 DVD release, Lion Maru was subtitled The Beast-Transformed Ninja Warrior.

References

External links

• Kaiketsu Lion-Maru DVD official website
• Lion Maru - Vintage Ninja