Mashin Hero Wataru (????????, Mashin Eiy?den Wataru) is a comedy/adventure Super Robot multimedia franchise originally consisting of 45 episode anime series created by Sunrise first aired on April 15, 1988, replacing the 17:00-17:30 timeslot used for Transformers: The Headmasters. Sunrise credited "Hajime Yatate" for the storyline and Shuji Iuchi directed the series. The series employs a kinetic visual gag style, often employing characters running with their feet over their shoulders derived from Sunrise's previous Super Robot anime series Choriki Robo Galatt.
Video Mashin Hero Wataru
Story
The story is about a 9-year-old boy named Wataru Ikusabe (?? ???, Ikusabe Wataru) who is magically transported to a magical realm by a dragon. This realm is called Soukaizan (???, S?kaizan), which he is supposed to save from an evil, demonic ruler.
The series incorporates many elements of RPG games including dungeon levels and quests for mystical objects. Soukaizan itself is represented as a series of tiered platforms each floating above the one beneath it in a rough pyramid shape. In order to progress to the next tier where he will meet the series' ultimate villain, the show's heroes must complete some task on the one beneath. In addition to these, he has to defeat the ruler of each level along with his many henchmen. Each level he completes, rejuvenates one color of the gray rainbow over Soukaizan.
In his quest to save the realm, Wataru manages to transform a clay sculpture into a somewhat autonomous and small Super Robot. He also befriends many of the Soukaizan natives, and forms some very strong friendship bonds. The term Sou-kai-zan can be broken down to its three parts: "Sou" (creation), "Kai" (realm, space, world, or universe), and "Zan" (hill or mountain), representing the pyramid shape of the world's level.
Maps Mashin Hero Wataru
Cast
- Mayumi Tanaka as Wataru Ikusabe (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, he is known as Keith Courage)
- Megumi Hayashibara as Himiko Shinobibe (?? ??? Shinobibe Himiko) (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, she is known as Nurse Nancy)
- Tomomichi Nishimura as Shibaraku Tsurugibe (?? ???? Tsurugibe Shibaraku) (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, he is known as the Weapons Master)
- K?ichi Yamadera as Kurama Wataribe (?? ??? Wataribe Kurama)
- Kenichi Ogata as Genry?sai Shinobibe (?? ??? Shinobibe Genry?sai)
- Tessh? Genda as Ry?jinmaru
- Kazue Ikura as Toraoh (?? Tora?)
- Urara Takano as Umihiko
Episode list
Interpretations
The title of the show is a pun. The super-deformed mecha of the series are called "mashin". While written with the kanji for "demon" and "god", "mashin" is also a Japanese loanword for "machine".
Wataru and his friends Shibaraku and Himiko each represent different elements of ancient Japan: Wataru with his magatama and association with dragons represents the pre-Yamato Watari clan. Shibaraku represents samurai. Himiko represents ninja.
Cultural impact
The anime series was a huge hit in Japan, later being imported into Taiwan, Mainland China, and Hong Kong (the latter was shown on TVB Jade). Chinese translations were provided. The show became one of the most famous Japanese anime shows in China during the mid-1990s.
Spinoffs
The franchise has spawned three TV series (Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru, Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru 2, Chou Mashin Eiyuuden Wataru), four radio shows, five OVAs, five novels, five video games, and assorted other merchandise. One of the video games was the original pack-in game for the TurboGrafx-16, and was renamed in the U.S as Keith Courage in Alpha Zones.
Wataru's success prompted Bandai to copy the super-deformed mecha and multi-tiered world concepts in a science fiction setting with Sunrise's 1989 Mad? King Granzort TV series.
In the premise of the Japanese anime, Brave Story is a novel created more than a decade later featuring a young boy named Wataru, who is transported to an RPG-like mystical realm. However that novel is not based on nor to be confused with this series.
Staff
Director: Hideharu Iuchi
Additional Directors: Michio Fukuda, Masamitsu Hidaka, Nobuhiro Kondo, Katsuoshi Yatabe, Yutaka Kagawa
Screenwriter: Yoshiaki Takahashi, Ryosuke Takahashi, Hiroyuki Kawasaki, Takao Koyama, Hiroko Naka
Design: Toyoo Ashida, Kazunori Nakazawa
Animator: Toyoo Ashida
Music: Junichi Kanezaki, Satoshi Kadokura
Music
Wataru
- Opening: "Step" by achi-achi
- Ending: "Achi-achi Adventure" by achi-achi
Wataru 2
- Opening 1: "Step by Step" by Takahashi Yumiko
- Ending 1: "Kimi ni Tomaranai - MY GIRL, MY LOVE" by Takahashi Yumiko
- Opening 2: "Fight" by Takahashi Yumiko
- Ending 2: "Niji no Kanata" by Takahashi Yumiko
Cho Mashin Hero Wataru
- Opening 1: "Hitotsu no H?to de" (????????, lit. "With One Heart") by Hitomi Mieno
- Ending 1: "BOYS BE AMBITIOUS" by Hitomi Mieno
- Opening 2: "POWER OF DREAM" by Hitomi Mieno
- Ending 2: "Ganbatte" by Hitomi Mieno
![ROBOT SPIRITS [SIDE MASHIN] Dragon Hoshimaru (japan import ...](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_t1eX66qvtiECdF1kyfeeZLyUs8B3rNr-fPRx60d0QePiFFffxdYLZv7vhdH25Ec8U98qtTyLbN8REh74wqucURt1ZSpRTSrPidhoqC8dRG_8ZvhC98Ye4WRu3LkM0aHVVm7r-QdkGTXba1wWk=s0-d "ROBOT SPIRITS [SIDE MASHIN] Dragon Hoshimaru (japan import ...")
References
External links
- Sunrise (Archive)
- Bandai Channel (Archive)
- Wataru Livejournal Community
- VAP
- VICTOR
- Mashin Hero Wataru (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- WATARU RAINBOW ISLAND
- WATARU IN CHINA/????? (Archive)
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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