Extraordinary Hero Lion-Maru (快傑ライオン丸, Kaiketsu Raionmaru, lit. The Extraordinary Lion Knight, also translated as The Vigilant Lion Knight and Swift Hero Lion Knight) was a Japanese
tokusatsu television series in the
Lion-Maru franchise that aired in 1972–1973, produced by
P Productions and set during Japan's
Sengoku period (the Age of Warring States).
Plot
During the late 16th century (September 1, 1567 to December 31, 1600), a trio of
ninja orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil by battling a
villain of the week in each episode, all of which are serving the devil known as Gousan. The main character, Shishimaru, has been granted the ability to transform into a
superpoweredanthropomorphic white
lion, usually wielding a
katana.
Characters
Shishimaru (獅子丸): A man who becomes Lion-Maru (ライオン丸, Raionmaru) by unsheathing the katana Kinsachi (キンサチ) and uttering the words "O Wind! O Light! Ninja Art: Lion Change!" (「風よ!光よ!忍法:獅子変化!」, Kaze yo! Hikari yo! Ninpō: Shishi-Henge!) to take on the power.[1]
Saori (沙織, Saori): An acrobatic female fighter who often becomes a
damsel in distress.[2]
Kosuke (小助, Kosuke): The young boy who uses his flute to summon the Pegasus known as Hikarimaru.
Gousan (豪山, Gōsan): The series' chief villain.
Tora Jōnosuke (虎 錠之介, Tora Jōnosuke) (episodes 27-30, 36-54): A man recruited by Gosun, given the mysterious sword Ginsachi (ギンサチ) to become Tiger Joe (タイガージョー, Taigā Jō).
Kashinkouji (家臣工事): The elderly mentor who adopted the three war orphans (Shishimaru, Saori, and Kosuke) and taught them everything they know. After perishing from an attack by Gousan's forces, his souls is reincarted as the Pegasus known as Hikarimaru.
Episodes
Emissary of Darkness Orochi (魔王の使者オロチ, Maō no shisha orochi)
Kōji Tonohiro as Tora Jōnosuke / Tiger Joe (voice) [episodes 27-30, 36-41]
Yoshitaka Fukushima as Tora Jōnosuke / Tiger Joe (voice) [episodes 42-54]
Daisaku Shinohara as Narrator
Music
Opening Theme
"Kaze yo Hikari yo" (風よ光よ, "Oh Wind, Oh Light") by
Yuuki Hide (秀夕木, Hide Yuuki) &
Young Fresh (ヤング・フレッシュ, Yangu Furesshu)
Ending Themes
"Lion-Maru ga yatte kuru" (ライオン丸がやってくる, "Lion-Maru is coming") by
Young Fresh (ヤング・フレッシュ, Yangu Furesshu)
International broadcasts and home video
The series was released in Japan on DVD on October 25, 2002 to commemorate the series' 30th anniversary broadcasting, via Volume 1. Then on December 25, 2002, Volume 2 of the series was broadcast. A DVD boxset that contains all 54 episodes of the series was released on March 26, 2008.
It was broadcast in
Thailand around 1974 every Sunday on
Channel 5 in Thai dubbed, as Nakak Sing (
Thai: หน้ากากสิงห์, lit. Lion Mask).[3]
The series was broadcast in
Italy in 1983, dubbed, as Ultralion.
The series was also dubbed into English, but only one episode (the first) surfaced in
North America, released on a
VHS tape in 1986 distributed by
Kids Klassics and also by
Remco through other copies, entitled Magic of the Ninja and sold through toy store chains such as
Toys R Us.
It was aired in
Brazil with a Brazilian Portuguese dub under the title Lion Man (or otherwise known as Lion Man Branco as he became known in the region) on
Rede Manchete in 1990, following the success of airing its sequel series Fuun Lion-Maru first. But unlike that, this series was reportedly a flop and it did not last long on the network, given that the sequel was more popular and that one actually aired first.
DVD release
In P Productions' publicity materials for the 2002
DVD release, Lion Maru was subtitled The Beast-Transformed Ninja Warrior.
Extraordinary Hero Lion-Maru (快傑ライオン丸, Kaiketsu Raionmaru, lit. The Extraordinary Lion Knight, also translated as The Vigilant Lion Knight and Swift Hero Lion Knight) was a Japanese
tokusatsu television series in the
Lion-Maru franchise that aired in 1972–1973, produced by
P Productions and set during Japan's
Sengoku period (the Age of Warring States).
Plot
During the late 16th century (September 1, 1567 to December 31, 1600), a trio of
ninja orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil by battling a
villain of the week in each episode, all of which are serving the devil known as Gousan. The main character, Shishimaru, has been granted the ability to transform into a
superpoweredanthropomorphic white
lion, usually wielding a
katana.
Characters
Shishimaru (獅子丸): A man who becomes Lion-Maru (ライオン丸, Raionmaru) by unsheathing the katana Kinsachi (キンサチ) and uttering the words "O Wind! O Light! Ninja Art: Lion Change!" (「風よ!光よ!忍法:獅子変化!」, Kaze yo! Hikari yo! Ninpō: Shishi-Henge!) to take on the power.[1]
Saori (沙織, Saori): An acrobatic female fighter who often becomes a
damsel in distress.[2]
Kosuke (小助, Kosuke): The young boy who uses his flute to summon the Pegasus known as Hikarimaru.
Gousan (豪山, Gōsan): The series' chief villain.
Tora Jōnosuke (虎 錠之介, Tora Jōnosuke) (episodes 27-30, 36-54): A man recruited by Gosun, given the mysterious sword Ginsachi (ギンサチ) to become Tiger Joe (タイガージョー, Taigā Jō).
Kashinkouji (家臣工事): The elderly mentor who adopted the three war orphans (Shishimaru, Saori, and Kosuke) and taught them everything they know. After perishing from an attack by Gousan's forces, his souls is reincarted as the Pegasus known as Hikarimaru.
Episodes
Emissary of Darkness Orochi (魔王の使者オロチ, Maō no shisha orochi)
Kōji Tonohiro as Tora Jōnosuke / Tiger Joe (voice) [episodes 27-30, 36-41]
Yoshitaka Fukushima as Tora Jōnosuke / Tiger Joe (voice) [episodes 42-54]
Daisaku Shinohara as Narrator
Music
Opening Theme
"Kaze yo Hikari yo" (風よ光よ, "Oh Wind, Oh Light") by
Yuuki Hide (秀夕木, Hide Yuuki) &
Young Fresh (ヤング・フレッシュ, Yangu Furesshu)
Ending Themes
"Lion-Maru ga yatte kuru" (ライオン丸がやってくる, "Lion-Maru is coming") by
Young Fresh (ヤング・フレッシュ, Yangu Furesshu)
International broadcasts and home video
The series was released in Japan on DVD on October 25, 2002 to commemorate the series' 30th anniversary broadcasting, via Volume 1. Then on December 25, 2002, Volume 2 of the series was broadcast. A DVD boxset that contains all 54 episodes of the series was released on March 26, 2008.
It was broadcast in
Thailand around 1974 every Sunday on
Channel 5 in Thai dubbed, as Nakak Sing (
Thai: หน้ากากสิงห์, lit. Lion Mask).[3]
The series was broadcast in
Italy in 1983, dubbed, as Ultralion.
The series was also dubbed into English, but only one episode (the first) surfaced in
North America, released on a
VHS tape in 1986 distributed by
Kids Klassics and also by
Remco through other copies, entitled Magic of the Ninja and sold through toy store chains such as
Toys R Us.
It was aired in
Brazil with a Brazilian Portuguese dub under the title Lion Man (or otherwise known as Lion Man Branco as he became known in the region) on
Rede Manchete in 1990, following the success of airing its sequel series Fuun Lion-Maru first. But unlike that, this series was reportedly a flop and it did not last long on the network, given that the sequel was more popular and that one actually aired first.
DVD release
In P Productions' publicity materials for the 2002
DVD release, Lion Maru was subtitled The Beast-Transformed Ninja Warrior.