Yusei Kamen: The epic adventure and moving story of a space hero

The full story and appeal of Yuuseikamen

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

Broadcast every Friday from 19:00 to 19:30 from June 3, 1966 to February 21, 1967. * Broadcast every Tuesday from 19:30 to 20:00 until December 30, 1966 #31. * January 30, 1967 #32 onwards

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV Network

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 39

■Original Story

Nobuo Nitta

■ Production

TCJ (now Aiken)

■Works

© Aiken

■ Story

It's the 21st century. Earth has built a good relationship with the people of the planet Pineron, which lies on the other side of the sun. However, due to an unfortunate accident, war breaks out between the two planets. Suddenly, a masked boy called "Planet Mask" appears and fights the Pineron army, struggling to put an end to the conflict. But what is the true identity of Planet Mask...?

■Explanation

This series became popular due to its catchphrase, "People call me Planet Mask!" The profound and epic storyline, which includes the chaos that occurs when war breaks out between two planets, a mixed race child who is discriminated against and placed in an orphanage, the conflict between the Defense Forces that protect the Earth and Planet Mask, and the hero's true identity not being revealed to viewers until the final episode, has captivated both children and adults. This series was broadcast in 1966, when animation was still called "TV Manga," but it is noteworthy that it was already ahead of its time in conveying the stupidity and horror of war through animation.

■Cast

・Peter/Toshiko Fujita・Socraten/Kazuo Harada・Linda/Yoko Kuri・Dr. Imon/Ryuji Kuwabara・Hygens/Goro Naya・Pike/Takayoshi Toyama・Mac/Yo Fujimoto・Robert (father)/Kiyoshi Kobayashi・Maria (mother)/Kyoko Emi・Atlanta/Ryo Ishihara

■ Main staff

・Original story, planning: Nobuo Nitta ・Key animation (character design): Koji Kusunoki ・Direction: Yonehiko Watanabe, Isao Yamamoto, Isao Kawachi ・Script: Akira Adachi ・Animation: Tomoki Fujishima and others ・Art: Shunroku Hoshi and others ・Music: Toriro Miki, Hidehiko Arashi, Hayashikoba (TV Kobo)

■ Main Characters

- Planet Mask: He fights the Pineron Army using a small rocket called the Rocket Rider. He uses a throwing weapon called a Shooter that he pulls out from his belt.
-Peter acts as Planet Mask in order to end the interplanetary war.
Socraton: An Earthling scientist who has taken in Peter and is raising him.
Linda Socraton's granddaughter (actually an orphan). She is good friends with Peter.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・"Planet Mask"
Lyrics by Keiro Miki, Music by Keiro Miki, Sung by the Duke Aces and Yoshiko Fujita

■Detailed story and episodes

The story of Yusei Kamen unfolds against the backdrop of a war between Earth and a planet called Pineron in the 21st century. Earth and Pineron have had a long history of friendly relations, but one day, a new energy device developed by a scientist on Pineron goes out of control, causing an accident that causes great damage to Earth. This accident leads to rising tensions between the two planets, eventually starting a war.

In the midst of this chaos, "Planet Mask" suddenly appears. He is a mysterious masked boy who drives a small rocket called "Rocket Rider" and fights the Pineron Army. Planet Mask's true identity is a boy named Peter, who decides to fight to restore peace between Earth and Pineron. Peter is an orphan who was taken in and raised by a scientist named Socraton, and his fight begins not out of personal revenge, but out of a desire for peace.

The story depicts Peter's battle against the Pineron Army as Planet Mask, his feud with the Earth's defense forces, and the tragedy of mixed-race children housed in an orphanage. In particular, Peter's best friend Linda is said to be Professor Socraton's granddaughter, but is actually an orphan, and her presence is an important factor supporting Peter's battle.

Each episode depicts Peter facing new attacks and plots by the Pineron Army. For example, there are tense scenes, such as a spy sent by the Pineron Army to Earth, and the Earth's defense forces mistakenly attacking Peter as an enemy. In addition to fighting as Planet Mask, Peter's daily life as Peter and his interactions with his friends are also depicted, and the storytelling is distinctive in that it allows viewers to understand his humanity more deeply.

■ Deeper character development

Peter, also known as "Planet Mask," is a brave boy with a strong sense of justice, but the tragedy of war and the suffering of being an orphan are deeply engraved in his heart. Peter's fight is not just the actions of a hero, but also a strong desire for peace and a fight to save orphans in the same situation as himself. His character is praised for dealing with deep themes, even though it is a children's animation.

Socraton is a scientist who adopted and raised Peter, and his knowledge and skills are important factors supporting Peter's battle. Socraton understands the stupidity of war and fully supports Peter's actions, but he also has conflicts with the Earth's defense forces. Socraton's character is portrayed as a person who combines the knowledge of a scientist with the warmth of a human being.

Linda is Peter's best friend and is said to be Professor Socraton's granddaughter, but she is actually an orphan. Her presence not only supports Peter's fight, but also symbolizes the family and friendship torn apart by the war. Linda's character provides a perspective on the victims of war and plays a role in evoking deep sympathy from the viewer.

■ Background and influences

"Yusei Kamen" is an animation that was broadcast in 1966, at a time when it was still called "TV Manga". However, this work deeply moved not only children but also adults by depicting the stupidity and horror of war. In particular, the method of not revealing the hero's true identity until the final episode was an important element in drawing viewers in.

The production staff was made up of experienced creators, including Nobuo Nitta, who created a profound and epic story. In particular, the unique touch of character designer Takaharu Kusunoki and the music by Toriro Miki played a key role in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. Additionally, the skillful storytelling of screenwriter Akira Adachi was also an important element in drawing the audience into the story.

Yusei Kamen had a huge influence on subsequent animation works. In particular, it can be said that the importance of hiding the protagonist's true identity and dealing with the theme of war in superhero works was learned from this work. Also, although it was a children's animation, it was praised for dealing with deep themes and making the viewer think, and it influenced the direction of subsequent animation works.

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Yusei Kamen" was a cutting-edge animation work for 1966, and it deeply moved viewers by depicting the stupidity and horror of war. In particular, the technique of not revealing the hero's true identity until the final episode was an important element in drawing viewers in. The clever character design, music, and script were also highly praised, and it had a major influence on later animation works.

This work is enjoyable for both children and adults, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes works that deal with themes of war. It is also recommended for those who like hero works and those looking for animation works that deal with deep themes. Yusei Kamen is a work that fascinates many people with its profound and epic story and deep themes that make the viewer think.

■ Related works and recommendation list

Here are some works related to Yusei Kamen or that deal with the same theme. These works also deeply move the viewer by depicting the stupidity and horror of war.

• "Space Battleship Yamato" - A science fiction animation that deals with the theme of war. It depicts the battle to save the Earth.
• "Mobile Suit Gundam" - A robot animation that depicts the tragedy of war and human drama. It is highly regarded for dealing with deep themes.
• "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" - An animated film depicting politics and human relationships against the backdrop of a space war. It makes the viewer think by depicting the stupidity of war.

■ Summary

Yusei Kamen was a cutting-edge animation work for 1966, and deeply moved viewers by depicting the stupidity and horror of war. In particular, the technique of not revealing the hero's true identity until the final episode was an important element in drawing viewers in. The clever character design, music, and script were also praised, and it had a major influence on later animation works. This work is enjoyable for both children and adults, and I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes works that deal with the theme of war. It is also recommended for people who like hero works and those looking for animation works that deal with deep themes. Yusei Kamen is a work that fascinates many people with its profound and epic story and deep themes that make the viewer think.