1984
KINNIKUMAN
JAPANESE CREDITS: © Toei Doga. 45 mins.
ORIGINS: Manga & TV series
POINTS OF INTEREST: Shared the Toei Manga Matsuri (Manga Festival) bill with The Pumpkin Wine: Nita's Love Story.
CATAGORIES: C, U
Also:
KINNIKUMAN - TRASH EVERYTHING! SUPERLAWGIVER
(Eng trans for KINNIKUMAN - OABARE! SEIGICHOJIN)
CREDITS: As above except: 48 mins.
ORIGINS, CATAGORIES: As above
This comic opera about pro wrestling features one of the masked men so popular in the grunt'n'groan ring as its clownish hero with a heart of gold and muscles or steel. But there's a vital differenc - this masked wrestler comes from outer space and has a wide range of super-powers, among them the ability to fly by super-farting. The series parodies both TV wrestling shows and American style spandex-costumed superheroes. As befits the sport, the action is pure slapstick throughout and the story and excuse for a series of increasingly improbably fights, a formula Akira Toriyama was to exploit successfully in his Dragonball series. **?
1985
KINNIKUMAN - COUNTERATTACK! THE SECRET SUPERMAN FROM SPACE (Eng trans for KINNIKUMAN - GYAKUSHU! UCHUKAKURECHOJIN)
JAPANESE CREDITS: © Toei Doga. 39 mins.
ORIGINS: Manga & TV series; 1984 movies
CATAGORIES: C, U
Also:
KINNIKUMAN - WHAT A GUY! THE SUPERLAWGIVER
(Eng trans for KINNIKUMAN - HARESUGATA! SEIGICHOJIN)
CREDITS, ORIGINS, CATAGORIES: As above except: 60 mins.
In both films the heroic masked wrestler from space faces terrible opposition, but things work out fine after much slamming to the mat for all parties. **?
1986
KINNIKUMAN - CRISIS IN NEW YORK (Eng translation for KINNIKUMAN - NEW YORK KIKI IPPATSU)
JAPANESE CREDITS: Prod: Toei Doga. 39 mins. © T. Yude, Shueisha, Toei Doga. 45 mins.
ORIGINS: Manga & TV series; 1984 &1985 movies
CATAGORIES: C, U
More slapstick adventures of the wrestling superstar and his friends and opponents, this time in new york, where our hero meets a baaaaad guy (boo! hiss!) in the form of The General. **?