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Mashin Hero Wataru

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This article is about the anime series. For the Turbografx-16 game, see Keith Courage in Alpha Zones.
Mashin Hero Wataru
魔神英雄伝ワタル
(Mashin Eiyūden Wataru)
GenreMecha, Fantasy, Adventure
Anime television series
Directed byShūji Iuchi
Produced byTakayuki Yoshii
Yuko Sagawa
Hibiki Ito
Written byYoshimasa Takahashi
Music byJun'ichi Kanezaki
Satoshi Kadokura
StudioSunrise
Original networkNippon TV, Bandai Channel
Original run April 15, 1988 – March 31, 1989
Episodes45 (List of episodes)
Original video animation
Wataru Majinzan
Directed byShuji Iuchi
Yutaka Kagawa
Written byShuji Iuchi
Music byJun'ichi Kanezaki
Kohei Tanaka (composer)
Satoshi Kadokura
StudioSunrise
Released August 5, 1989 – September 5, 1989
Episodes2
Anime television series
Mashin Hero Wataru 2
Directed byShuji Iuchi
Produced byTakayuki Yoshii
Yuko Sagawa
Hibiki Ito
Written byTakao Koyama
Yoshimasa Takahashi
Music byHayato Kanbayashi
Jun'ichi Kanezaki
Satoshi Kadokura
StudioSunrise
Original networkNippon TV, Bandai Channel
Original run March 3, 1990 – March 8, 1991
Episodes46 (List of episodes)
Original video animation
Mashin Hero Wataru: Warinaki Toki no Monogatari
Directed byShūji Iuchi
Written byShūji Iuchi
Music byMichiru Ōshima
StudioSunrise
Released October 1, 1993 – February 1, 1994
Episodes3
Anime television series
Cho Mashin Hero Wataru
Directed byShūji Iuchi
Written byAkira Okeya
Shuji Iuchi
Yoshimasa Takahashi
Music byTomoyuki Asakawa
Toshihiko Sahashi
StudioSunrise
Original networkTV Tokyo
Original run October 2, 1997 – September 24, 1998
Episodes51 (List of episodes)

Mashin Hero Wataru (魔神英雄伝ワタル, Mashin Eiyūden Wataru) is an Adventure Super Robot multimedia franchise originally created by Sunrise and Red Entertainment. The first series 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.[1] 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.

Story

The story is about a 9-year-old boy named Wataru Ikusabe (戦部 ワタル, Ikusabe Wataru) who is magically transported to a magical realm by a dragon. This realm is called Soukaizan (創界山, Sōkaizan), 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.

Cast

  • Mayumi Tanaka as Wataru Ikusabe (戦部 ワタル Ikusabe Wataru) (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, he is known as Keith Courage)
  • Megumi Hayashibara as Himiko Shinobibe (忍部 ヒミコ Shinobibe Himiko) (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, she is known as Nurse Nancy)
  • Tomomichi Nishimura as Shibaraku Tsurugibe (剣部 シバラク Tsurugibe Shibaraku) (In Keith Courage in Alpha Zones, he is known as the Weapons Master)
  • Kōichi Yamadera as Kurama Wataribe (渡部 クラマ Wataribe Kurama)
  • Kenichi Ogata as Genryūsai Shinobibe (忍部 幻龍斎 Shinobibe Genryūsai)
  • Tesshō Genda as Ryūjinmaru
  • Kazue Ikura as Toraoh (虎王 Toraō)
  • Urara Takano as Umihiko

Episode list

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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 Madō King Granzort TV series.[citation needed]

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 Hāto de" (ひとつのハートで, 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

References

  1. ^ "Majin Hero Wataru Archived 2009-08-12 at the Wayback Machine" [sic]. Sunrise Animation. Retrieved on January 20, 2009.
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