Rainbowman, the warrior of love: A thorough analysis of the touching story and the appeal of its characters

Rainbowman, the warrior of love: The appeal and background of the 80s superhero anime

Introduction

"Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love," which aired from 1982 to 1983, is a work that evolved from a special effects drama to animation, and can be said to be a symbol of hero anime in the 1980s. In this article, we will take a detailed look at the appeal and background of Rainbowman, as well as its evaluation and recommendations.

Overview

■ Public Media: TV anime series
■ Original Media: Special Effects
■ Broadcast period: October 10, 1982 - March 27, 1983
October 10, 1982 - March 27, 1983 (Mainichi Broadcasting System's final episode was on April 9) Every Sunday 13:30-14:00
30 minutes, 22 videos in total
■Broadcasting station: Mainichi Broadcasting System
■Frequencies: half an hour
■ Number of Episodes: Episode 22
■Original Story: Yasunori Kawauchi
■ Director: Nobuhiro Okasako
■ Production: Mainichi Broadcasting System, Ai Planning Center

story

■ Story

The evil secret organization, Die Die Dan, is plotting to invade the Earth using Devil Mecha. Yamato Takeshi, who trained under the saint, Devadatta, and gained the power to become Rainbowman, fights alongside his friends.

Commentary

■Explanation

This is an animated version of the 1972 special effects drama "Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love." It started out as a double feature with "Super Dimension Fortress Macross" (produced by Tatsunoko Productions) in the "Sunday Anime Present" time slot. It was produced as a hero action anime, with a different feel from the live-action version, changing the design of Rainbowman and introducing a giant robot.
This anime adaptation offered fans of special effects dramas an opportunity to enjoy Rainbowman from a new perspective, and succeeded in appealing to an even wider audience. In particular, the introduction of giant robots added new appeal to the story while reflecting the trends of the time.

cast

■Cast

・Yamato Takeshi, Rainbowman / Mizushima Yutaka・Yamato Akiko / Muto Reiko・Yamato Jun / Nomura Hiroko・Omiya Yoko / Tsuru Hiromi・Dr. Omiya / Kishino Kazuhiko・Divadatta / Chiba Koichi・Mr. K / Kuwahara Takeshi・Emperor Dongoros / Iizuka Shozo

Main Staff

■ Main staff

・Original story by Yasunori Kawauchi・Producer: Osamu Hirooka・General director: Nobuhiro Okasako・Screenplay: Tsunehisa Ito・Director: Yoshihito Hata, Kazuhiro Ochi・Chief animation directors: Nobuhiro Okasako, Seiji Yamashita, Arata Fukuda, Kazuhiro Ochi・Art director: Masaru Tensui (also known as Katsumi Hando in other documents)
・Music: Jun Kitahara ・Sound Director: Sadayoshi Fujino ・Production Cooperation: Tsuchida Production ・Production: Mainichi Broadcasting System, Ai Kikaku Center ・OP1
・"Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love"
Lyrics: Yasunori Kawauchi; Composition: Jun Kitahara; Arrangement: Jinzo Kosugi; Singer: Yu Mizushima, Young Fresh

・ED1
"His name is Rainbowman"
Lyrics: Yasunori Kawauchi; Composition: Jun Kitahara; Arrangement: Jinzo Kosugi; Singer: Young Fresh, Royal Knights

Main Characters

■ Main Characters

Yamato Takeshi High School wrestling champion. With the power of Devadatta, he is reborn as Rainbowman and fights the Die Die Corps with the power of the seven incarnations.

・Rainbow Man Takeshi transforms into a legendary warrior. He can transform into seven different types of beings, using the powers of the moon, fire, water, wood, light, earth, and sun. After transforming, he needs to sleep in "yoga", and if he neglects this, he will not be able to transform again.

・Dr. Omiya A doctor who supports Takeshi in his battles. He creates Rainbow Seven.

A saint who lives deep in the mountains of India. He trains Takeshi and gives him the power to transform into Rainbowman. He also secretly has Dr. Omiya create the robot Rainbow Seven.

・Mr. K
Commander of the Die Die Corps. He unleashes the giant Devil Mecha robot to challenge Rainbowman.

Emperor Dongoros is actually an alien, and the emperor of the Die Die Corps.

Main Robot Items

■ Main robot items

Rainbow Seven: A giant mecha born when Rainbowman, who has split into seven incarnations, combines with a robot called "V Armor" created by Professor Omiya. He can use the techniques of all seven incarnations. His techniques include the Rainbow Sword, a sword of light, the Rainbow Barrier to protect people, and the Big Cross, a destructive ray that he fires by transforming himself into a giant cross.

subtitle

■Subtitle

Episode 1: A Fateful Encounter (10/10/1982)
Episode 2: Go! Warrior of Love (1982/10/17)
Episode 3: Fight! Rainbow Seven (1982/10/31)
Episode 4: The Scary Robot Factory (1982/11/07)
Episode 5: Rainbow Seven Explodes! (1982/11/14)
Episode 6: Revive!! Rainbow Seven (1982/11/21)
Episode 7: The Fearsome Dam Destruction Operation (1982/11/28)
Episode 8: The Omiya Laboratory is Targeted (1982/12/05)
Episode 9: Horror! Die, Die, Boy Scouts (1982/12/12)
Episode 10: The Devil's Onigasaki Coast (1982/12/19)
Episode 11: Rose Sees Her True Identity! (1982/12/26)
Episode 12: Tanker Destruction Operation! (1983/01/09)
Episode 13: The Secret of the Underground Cavern (1983/01/16)
Episode 14: The Stolen Town (1983/01/23)
Episode 15: The Desnoid Modified Machine (1983/01/30)
Episode 16: Takeshi Vanished in the Flames (1983/02/13)
Episode 17: Blow up Mount Fuji! (1983/02/20)
Episode 18: Disintegration and Disappearance!? Rainbow Seven (1983/02/27)
Episode 19: The Super Mechanism of V Armor (March 6, 1983)
Episode 20: The Secret of Emperor Dongoros (1983/03/13)
Episode 21: My Father, Ichiro, is Alive! (1983/03/20)
Episode 22: The End of Dongoros (1983/03/27)

Theme songs and music

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・"Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love"
Lyrics: Yasunori Kawauchi; Composition: Jun Kitahara; Arrangement: Jinzo Kosugi; Singer: Yu Mizushima, Young Fresh

・ED1
"His name is Rainbowman"
Lyrics: Yasunori Kawauchi; Composition: Jun Kitahara; Arrangement: Jinzo Kosugi; Singer: Young Fresh, Royal Knights

Appeal of the work

"Rainbowman, Warrior of Love" made a huge leap in its visual expressiveness by transitioning from a special effects drama to animation. In particular, the designs of Rainbowman's seven incarnations and the giant robot Rainbow Seven made a strong impression on children at the time. The story also unfolded in a more dynamic and speedy way, unlike special effects dramas. This allowed viewers to enjoy a new world of Rainbowman.

Character Appeal

The main character, Yamato Takeshi, begins as a wrestling champion, trains under Devadatta, and the process of transforming into Rainbowman is depicted. This coming-of-age story resonated with viewers, and made them root for Takeshi's battles. In addition, Rainbowman's seven incarnations each have different abilities, creating strategic battle scenes. Furthermore, supporting characters such as Devadatta and Dr. Omiya also added depth to the story and captured the hearts of viewers.

The appeal of music

The opening theme "Rainbowman, Warrior of Love" and the ending theme "His Name is Rainbowman" were written by Yasunori Kawauchi and composed by Jun Kitahara, leaving a strong impression of the worldview of the work. The opening theme in particular is still loved by many fans as an iconic song for hero anime. These songs played a role in elevating the emotions of viewers and deepening their immersion in the story.

Background

The anime adaptation of "Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love" was made following the success of the special effects drama. The production team aimed to maintain the fan base of special effects dramas while cultivating a new audience. To that end, they redesigned Rainbowman and incorporated elements that reflected the trends of the time, such as introducing a giant robot. In addition, the high quality of the animation was achieved through a joint production between Mainichi Broadcasting System and Ai Kikaku Center.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love" is highly regarded as a hero anime from the 80s. In particular, the seven incarnations of Rainbowman and the design of the giant robot Rainbow Seven had a strong visual impact and were loved by children. The development of the story and the growth of the characters also deeply moved viewers. The music also left a strong impression on the worldview of the work and played a role in elevating the emotions of the viewers.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

You can enjoy the evolution from special effects drama to animation.
The seven incarnations of Rainbowman and the giant robot designs are fascinating
The protagonist's story of growth resonates with viewers and increases their support
Music leaves a strong impression of the work's worldview and heightens the viewer's emotions.

"Rainbowman, the Warrior of Love" is a symbol of hero anime in the 80s, and its charm is still loved by many fans. It is highly recommended not only for fans of special effects dramas, but also for viewers who want to enjoy the evolution of animation and hero stories.

Conclusion

"Rainbowman, Warrior of Love" is a work that has evolved from a special effects drama to animation, and it fully brings out the charm of hero anime from the 1980s. The seven incarnations of Rainbowman, the giant robot design, the protagonist's growth story, and the appeal of the music all attracted viewers and deeply moved them. This work is highly recommended not only for fans of special effects dramas, but also for viewers who want to enjoy the evolution of animation and hero stories. Be sure to check out "Rainbowman, Warrior of Love," which is still loved by many fans as a symbol of hero anime from the 1980s.

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