The appeal and reviews of "Chargeman Ken!": A must-see masterpiece for anime fans!

Chargeman Ken! - A battle between the heroes of the future and the Juralians

Overview

"Chargeman Ken!" is a 130 episode TV anime series that aired on TBS in 1973. The original story was written by Tetsuhisa Suzuki, and animation was produced by NAC. The story is set on Earth in the near future, where science has made great strides, and depicts the fight to protect the Earth from the Juralians. The main character, Izumi Ken, dons a powered suit and stops the Juralians from invading.

■ Story

In the near future, Earth has made great strides in science, but the Juralians have started attacking it. The cause of this is that the seedlings planted by Earthlings on the planet Jural have destroyed the ecosystem, bringing the planet to the brink of extinction. To fight back against this attack, a young Earthling boy named Izumi Ken uses a powered suit made with the best of science and a variety of weapons to crush the Juralians' invasion attacks one after another. Ken transforms into Chargeman with the command "Charging, GO!" and rides the Skyrod to fight.

■Explanation

This is an action anime set in the future of the late 21st century, where a boy named Chargeman Ken, who is clad in a power suit, fights to protect the Earth from the Juralians. In the story, the protagonist's transformation into Chargeman is called a "disguise" rather than a transformation. This work was created to give courage and hope to children at the time. In addition to the battle against the Juralians, the film also depicts the bonds between Ken and his family and friends, making it a fun human drama.

■Cast

・Izumi Ken / Unknown ・Izumi Caron / Unknown ・Dad / Unknown ・Mom / Unknown ・Barikan / Unknown

■ Main staff

・Original story by Tetsuhisa Suzuki・Character design by Eiji Tanaka・Planning by Seiichi Nishino・Producer by Hiromichi Mogaki・Direction by Noboru Miura・Screenplay and composition by Masaaki Wakuda, Toyohiro Ando, ​​Yoshio Tamato・Storyboard by Yoshikata Nitta, Hisashi Sakaguchi, Fumio Ikeno, and others・Chief animation directors by Eiji Tanaka and Toji Mizumura・Art director by Kiyoshi Kato・Music by Kunio Miyauchi・Voice cast by Modern Theatre Company・Animation production cooperation by Tama Productions・Production by NAC

・Theme song・Opening theme
"Chargeman Ken!"
Lyrics: NAC Planning Department; Composition: Kunio Miyauchi; Arrangement: Kunio Miyauchi; Singer: Hibari Children's Choir

・IN
"Ken and Caron's Song"
Lyrics: NAC Planning Department; Composition: Kunio Miyauchi; Arrangement: Kunio Miyauchi; Singer: Osamu Minagawa, Hibari Children's Choir

■ Main Characters

・Izumi Ken The main character is a boy. When an incident caused by the Jellal aliens occurs, he transforms into Chargeman Ken. He rides on the Skyrod, which can travel on land, sea, and air, and confronts the Jellal aliens using the Alpha Gun, a ray gun attached to his left arm (which can also be used as a tranquilizer gun). His transformation cry is "Charging GO!"

・Izumi Caron Ken's younger sister. She always acts together with her older brother Ken. Because she is the younger sister of Chargeman, she often gets involved in incidents.

・Papa Ken's father and a doctor. He has many acquaintances among scientists and military personnel, and supports the activities of Chargeman Ken.

・Mama Ken's mother. She keeps a warm eye on Ken and Caron.

・The robot of the Izumi family. He is like a pet to Ken and Caron and often hangs out with them. He likes to play pranks.

Jural Alien An alien who hates Earth. Humanoid, but with tentacle-like limbs, it can shoot light beams from a single giant eye on its head. It can also take on the appearance of an Earthling with its limbs, but has the unique ability to become invisible through mirrors or camera lenses.

■ Main robot items

・An enhanced suit worn by the Spectral Arrow Research Group. It absorbs light energy and turns it into power.

Alpha Gun: A ray gun equipped on Chargeman Ken's left arm. It has enough power to destroy a target with one shot. It can also be used as a tranquilizer gun.

- Bijou Belt: A belt that Chargeman Ken wears around his waist, allowing him to unleash his psychic powers.

・Gadro Shoes Boots made by Chargeman Kenkyusho. Equipped with a cassette-type jet propulsion function. In addition to high-speed movement and short-term flight, it is also possible to move underwater.

・Skyrod Chargeman Laboratory's exclusive ride-on mecha. It can travel on land, sea, and air, and can even fly in space. The body is very sturdy and equipped with a powerful ray cannon.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Crisis!! Children's Space Station (1973/07/02)
・Episode 2: A Close Call!!
Episode 3: A swarm of butterflies dances Episode 4: A mysterious beautiful boy Episode 5: Horror! A mummy arrives in a carriage Episode 6: Mystery! Space Botanical Garden Episode 7: Ken, the Western man!
・Episode 8 / Jural Alien X-6 ・Episode 9 / Duralmons Appears ・Episode 10 / Clipper Rampage!
・Episode 11: Protect the Earth!
Episode 12: I can't eat vegetable salad Episode 13: Showdown! Undersea city Episode 14: The Great Buddha that disappeared in the dark Episode 15: The mystery of the museum!
・Episode 16/Murder Record: Melody of Terror ・Episode 17/Find Ken's Secret!
Episode 18: Prison Island Great Escape Episode 19: Bank Gang Caron in Danger Episode 20: I Got a Girlfriend Episode 21: A Gift for Caron Episode 22: Time Bomb Transmission Television Episode 23: Fear! Mental Hospital Episode 24: Invitation to the Robot Club Episode 25: Save Yuichi!
・Episode 26 / The Girl Who Lost Her Memory ・Episode 27 / The Burning Poisonous Mushroom House ・Episode 28 / Space Rocket Z9 ・Episode 29 / Get Rid of the Fashion Model!
Episode 30: Save Caron from the Tower!
・Episode 31 / Crisis! 1 second before the explosion ・Episode 32 / Master safecracker ・Episode 33 / Is my dad out of date?
Episode 34: Skyrod plunges into the ground!
・Episode 35/Dynamite in the Head ・Episode 36/Horror! Devil's Hospital ・Episode 37/Fight the Hijackers!
・Episode 38 / Jural's Fake Friendship Strategy ・Episode 39 / The Beautiful Robot is a Murderous Messenger ・Episode 40 / Dash! Murder Highway ・Episode 41 / Cinderella's Girl ・Episode 42 / The Air Force Base is Being Targeted!
Episode 43: Look through the camera viewfinder!
Episode 44: Defeat the Ken impostor!
・Episode 45/When the cuckoo clock strikes 3 o'clock・Episode 46/Horror! The White-haired Old Woman's House・Episode 47/Jural's Great Counterattack・Episode 48/Showdown on the Isolated Island!
Episode 49: The true identity of the delinquent boy!
Episode 50: Save the Orphan Center!
・Episode 51: Stray Dog Koro ・Episode 52: Blow up the undersea oil field!
Episode 53 / The Suspicious Bride Episode 54 / Mysterious! Wax Museum Episode 55 / The Person I Met in Egypt Episode 56 / Out of Control! Ken on Horseback Episode 57 / Antarctic Amusement Park Episode 58 / The Devil's Circus Episode 59 / The Forest of Terror Episode 60 / The Tsunami Attack Episode 61 / An Old Friend of Barbers Comes to Visit Episode 62 / The Crisis of the Agricultural Combinat /
Episode 63: Defeat the Murderous Boxer!
・Episode 64: Explosion! Mammoth Control Center ・Episode 65: Victory! Chargeman Lab

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・"Chargeman Ken!"
Lyrics: NAC Planning Department; Composition: Kunio Miyauchi; Arrangement: Kunio Miyauchi; Singer: Hibari Children's Choir

・IN1
・"Ken and Caron's Song"
Lyrics: NAC Planning Department; Composition: Kunio Miyauchi; Arrangement: Kunio Miyauchi; Singer: Osamu Minagawa, Hibari Children's Choir

■ Evaluation and impressions

"Chargeman Ken!" was broadcast in 1973, but its appeal has not faded even today. In particular, the main character, Izumi Ken, fighting against the Juralians gives courage and hope to children. Ken's bond with his family and friends is also depicted, making it a fun human drama to watch.

The appeal of this work is undoubtedly its action scenes. The sight of Chargeman Ken donning reinforced suits and fighting the Juralians aboard the Skyrod has the power to draw the viewer in. The design of the Juralians is also unique, stimulating children's imaginations.

Furthermore, the theme songs and insert songs are also memorable, especially the opening theme of "Chargeman Ken!", which many children must have hummed along to. The singing voices of the Hibari Children's Choir further enhance the worldview of the work.

However, this work also has some problems. First of all, because it was broadcast in a short time slot of just 10 minutes at the time, the story tended to develop quickly and lacked depth. Also, there were some inconsistencies in the design and settings of the Juralians, which may have made some viewers feel uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, "Chargeman Ken!" was a symbol of its time and was loved by many children. In particular, the main character, Izumi Ken, fighting the Juralians gave children courage and hope. Ken's bond with his family and friends is also depicted, making it an enjoyable human drama.

■Recommendation

"Chargeman Ken!" is a work that can be enjoyed by both children and adults. It is especially recommended for those who like hero and action anime. It is also an interesting work for those who want to know the history of Japanese TV anime in the 1970s.

This work can be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray. Some episodes are also available on the Internet, so you can enjoy it at your leisure. Please take a look at the heroic figure of Chargeman Ken.

■ Related works

Other works related to "Chargeman Ken!" include "Mazinger Z" and "Great Mazinger", both produced by NAC. These works are also recommended for those who like hero and action anime. The "Ultraman" series, which features enemy characters with designs similar to the Juralians, is also an interesting work.

■ Summary

"Chargeman Ken!" is a 130 episode TV anime series that was broadcast in 1973. Set on a near-future Earth where science has made great strides, it depicts the fight to protect the Earth from the Juralians. The main character, Izumi Ken, is depicted wearing a powered suit and preventing the Juralians from invading. This work can be enjoyed by children and adults alike, and is especially recommended for those who like hero and action anime. Please take a look at the heroic figure of Chargeman Ken.