Japanese Superheroes in film: The early years

Japan’s first televised superhero was the “Moonlight Mask” (first aired Feb, 24th 1958), described as a cross between Batman and the Lone Ranger. He rode a bike, wears a turban, a pair of cool shades and reminds me a bit of Marvel Comic’s “Moon Knight”. The series was cancelled a little over a year later after the death of a boy who tried to imitate Mask's dangerous stunt's (the movies would continue and the series would return 13 years later). The show would lead to others, like the popular live action Astro Boy (59-60) and not very popular National Kid (1959 – which strangely became highly popular in Brazil) And later Ultraman.

Preceding them all in 1957 was “Super Giant”, which became the first big screen superhero. Known as Starman in the United States… the American release, "Atomic Rulers of the World", combines those first two Super Giant mini movies (Supah Jaianto, 1957) & "Super Giant Continues" (Zoku Supah Jaianto,1956) which ran about 50 minutes) while editing out 19 minutes of footage and changing some plot lines.

A sad practice that would continue with the 2 part hour long Planet Prince films (Planet Prince (Yusei Oji) and Planet Prince: The Terrifying Spaceship (Yusei Oji: Kyofu no Uchusen) both originally released in 1959, merged into a single 90 min film titled Prince of Space for U.S. release). Though considering how the Prince of Space feels like it goes on forever - what with the heroic Prince constantly warning the Earth invading Phantom Dictator of Krankor that his weapons are useless against him, and that the Phantom and his chicken faced men continuing to blast away regardless of how ineffectual the effort is… I’m not sure my poor brain could handle another 30 minutes of that monotony.

The film doesn’t offer any back-story as to who this Prince guy really is, where he acquired the power of invulnerability or how a poorly paid bootblack could afford his own space ship? His main weapon is a wand that looks like a grill lighter and it shoots out a laser that stings and annoys his foes, rather than causing any real damage. Out of costume he's known as Ken and he has adopted 2 orphans, who are friends with the son of the scientist that developed the fuel coveted by the Phantom. The kids are a constant presence, in the thick of the action and often getting in the way

Earth's foes are pretty goofy looking. Beak nosed, with lil' TV antennas perched atop their heads. The filmmakers also leave nothing to the imagination in regards to their groinacolagical area, which is common in these films. I’ve read that in Japan they wanted their super powered men to be well represented (according to one source, in the "Super Giant" series they even stuffed the front of the heroes underoos with cotton!)

The evil Phantom cackles often and in the American translation, refers to those who oppose him as scum and he's intent on stealing a secret fuel formula. This results in the same back and forth pissing match between Prince and Phantom. The tedium was wearying and even when it gets to the big finish it’s taxing. In the final act, Prince flies almost all the way to Krankor, but heads back to Earth to blacken some boots after he is feebly attacked. Aliens on our planet then uncover his secret identity, which forces him to return to Krankor where he fights a lumpy giant and, after yet another of exchange of "Ha, Ha, Ha, haven’t you learned your weapons are useless against me!", the Prince does what he should have done straight out and blows up the invaders.

Despite the silly costumes, the doll that poses as a jumping Phantom and that the string holding up the toy ships are sometime visible, the movie looks good, the cinematography is crisp and there is a nice contrast between shadow and light. Director Eijirô Wakabayashi looks to have put some thought behind the camera angles, movement and framing (in one scene the Prince's ship is shown reflected in a puddle of water). Still, the most enjoyable way to sit through this repetitive action is while watching the MST3K version.

Another Japanese superhero skewered on MST3K was Iron-Sharp, called Space Chief in the U.S. in a film titled "Invasion of the Neptune Men". The original film was released in 1961 and starred a young Sonny Chiba (only 22 and with an ample amount of puffy hair). This was the only Iron-Sharp movie ever made and the guy is hardly a presence in his own flick (much like Batman, in Batman Returns). We see him battle a small squad of bullet headed Neptunian’s, in full view of a gang of shorts wearing children. He then quickly drives off in his sooped up space car and disappears for most of the movie. In his place we get his alter ego, a scientist who is working to stop the Neptune invasion by operating a giant electric invisible shield that blankets the city, and aiding Doctor Tanigawa with the Alpha-Electron rocket. The real focus of the film? Are those kids and their parade of tiny upsetting shorts (they are the source of much mirth in the MST3K riffing).

Although the camera work isn't as interesting, the costumes are better than those seen in "Prince of Space". It isn't as light in tone as the older film - the aliens might start off as merry pranksters, cause things to run backwards - but they quickly move on to blowing up a nuclear reactor, killing many. Neptune is also laboriously strung out. The final battle -supplemented by actual World War II stock footage- drags on and on and on and on. As Mike Nelson laments in the riffing, Iron-Sharp (Space Chief) keeps shooting down the same 3 ships, no matter how many he blows up there’s always 3 of them! I thought the damn invasion would never end!

One bummer is that the American version leaves out a reported off key Iron Sharp theme song sung by the kids at the end of the film. Man I'd have loved to have heard that thing, I bet it's a hoot.

And with that we come to the first Japanese superhero of the modern age... The Golden Bat (Ōgon Bat), who made his début sometime in the 1930s. He wouldn’t make it to the movies until 1966 and I’ve reviewed this feature in full, here The Golden Bat