Inazuman

Inazuman (イナズマン) is a fictional character created by Shotaro Ishinomori. First appearing in the tokusatsu series of the same name, the mutant superhero has gone on to appear in manga and anime.

Inazuman Specs
Inazuman is, in reality, young college student Goro Watari (渡 五郎), a mutant. He lost his mother as a child and had other dark moments in his childhood (he had a childhood girlfriend named Teresa who was taken away by an American soldier during the US occupation of Japan). But when the Neo-Human Empire (新人類帝国) begins its attacks on mankind with its Fantom Army foot soldiers and mutated monsters, he puts his psionic powers to the test.

First, he performs a henshin pose (crossing his arms in front of his chest) and uttering the phrase, "Gōriki Shōrai!" (剛力招来), he is wrapped in a blue cocoon, which bursts, revealing the creature Sanagiman. He resembles an armored brown larva mutant with a white belt which has a biomechanical power meter on it.

Sanagiman is able to absorb the kinetic energy of any attack used against him, and when he gathers enough energy into his belt, he crosses his fists in front of his chest, uttering the phrase, "Chōriki Shōrai!" (超力招来), and spreads them aside, with his chest emitting a swirl of colorful energy. Sanagiman's exterior then explodes to pieces, and in his place is Inazuman He is a moth-like mutant wearing the same power belt as Sanagiman and resembles a blue humanoid with huge colorful oval eyes, prominent lightning-shaped antennas, black gloves & boots, yellow lightning-shaped marks that stream down his body, and a yellow scarf he can transform into various weapons, including a whip-like chain.

As both Sanagiman and Inazuman, his kiai fighting cry is "Chest!" (チェスト！), which originates from the Japanese island of Kyūshū where the main character, Goro Watari, hails.

Goro is a member of the Youth League, a Science Patrol-style group of similarly psychic-powered young people, and has a telepathic link with the sentient flying car Raijingo which can fire missiles and bite bad guys with the teeth built into its mouth-like grill ("Raijin" is the Japanese god of thunder).

Manga
In the manga adaptation by creator Shotaro Ishinomori, Goro Watari is named Saburo Kazeda (風田 サブロウ), and is nicknamed "Sabu" (サブ). The character first appeared in Ishinomori's manga "Mutant Sabu".

Inazuman appeared somewhat different than in the live action tokusatsu version, and was created when the series was in development as an animated series, provisionally titled "Mutant Z". In these versions, the character appeared to be naked, with a curled probiscis stemming from his forehead), and was even able to sprout moth wings from his back. The manga version of Sanagiman was also slightly different from the tokusatsu version.

1973 Tokusatsu Series
Inazuman (イナズマン) was produced by Toei Company Ltd. and broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from October 2, 1973 to March 26, 1974, with a total of 25 episodes. It was followed by a sequel series, Inazuman Flash. The series starred Daisuke Ban (as "Naoya Ban") of Kikaider fame in the title role. In the following series, the main enemy is the Führer Geisel (ガイゼル総統), which was derived from the name of the Brazilian dictator of that time, Ernesto Geisel.

The entire 48-episode series was broadcast (with English subtitles) on KIKU-TV in Honolulu, Hawaii in the mid-1970s, during the height of the popularity of tokusatsu programs ignited by the success of Kikaider in 1974.


 * 1) Horror of the Neo-Human Race: The Challenge of Bamba!!
 * 2) Youth League, Beware! The Cursed Water!!
 * 3) Fantom Hell Beckons the Black Death!
 * 4) The Japanese Archipelago Explodes!!
 * 5) Epic Dogfight! Raijingo Bites!!
 * 6) Bizarre Snow Bambara's Neo-Human Surgery!!
 * 7) Weird! A Flying Eye!?
 * 8) Terrifying Sandstorm! Major Airport Engulfed!!
 * 9) The Glowing Mold Stalks the Night!!
 * 10) Terror of the Carnivorous Gas!!
 * 11) Rose Bambara is Inazuman's Mother
 * 12) Mother's Enemy: Bamba vs. Inazuman
 * 13) Inazuman Wounded
 * 14) The Fury of Raijingo: Great Dogfight!!
 * 15) A Mother's Shadow Devoured
 * 16) Race to Fulfill a Promise!
 * 17) Puzzling Confrontation! Two Goro Watais!!
 * 18) A Lightning Strike for Friendship!!
 * 19) The Mysterious Deadly Boxer: Mirror X?
 * 20) Chase the Star Saucer! Raijingo!!
 * 21) Watari Goro: Inazuman Dies!?
 * 22) The Walking Clay Doll: Terror of the Cracking Earth!!
 * 23) The Cursed Paint That Melts Humans
 * 24) The Mysterious Robot Warrior?
 * 25) Majestic! The Last of Emperor Bamba!!

Inazuman Flash
Inazuman Flash (イナズマンF（フラッシュ）) was produced by Toei Company Ltd. and broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from April 9, 1974 to September 24, 1974, with a total of 23 episodes. A direct and darker continuation of the first series, after the defeat of Emperor Bamba and his mutant minions Inazuman goes on to fight the evil robots of the Despar Army with the help of cynical cyborg Interpol agent Arai Makoto and the new ability to hurl lightning bolts.


 * 1) Terror of Fuhrer Geisel and Riddle of the Despar Army
 * 2) Terrifying Safari!! Epic Battle at Sea
 * 3) 500 Hydron Bomb!! Ground Base Great Battle
 * 4) Riddle of the Airship to Space
 * 5) DES Missle, Great Mid-air Battle
 * 6) Geisel's Great Fort
 * 7) Great Battle!! Udespar vs Inazuman
 * 8) Udespar Siblings! Cross Hurricane
 * 9) Boys Circus and March Epic Battle
 * 10) Udespar Siblings' Defiant Shape
 * 11) Beautiful Cyborg! Morning Alter Ego
 * 12) Phantom Town, Despar City
 * 13) White Darkness!! Witch Sings the Babysitter Song
 * 14) Great Arial Battle!! Combine Udespar Tactical Squad
 * 15) Big Flood Operation!!
 * 16) Riddle of the Woman Whose Name is Despar's Secret Search
 * 17) Blue Pupils of the Invader
 * 18) Ballad of Red Queen Assasination
 * 19) Inazuman Joins the Despar Army!!
 * 20) Butterfly and Guillotine Flower Hell Operation
 * 21) The Deceased Squad - Route 047
 * 22) Kill the Burdensome One, Geisel's Supereme Command
 * 23) Farewell Inazuman, Geisel's Death Ray

Anime Appearances
Inazuman finally appeared in anime form in the 2002 OVA special, The Boy Who Carried a Guitar: Kikaider vs. Inazuman, based on an issue from the Inazuman manga that teamed the insectoid mutant superhero with Ishinomori's android superhero, Kikaider.

Pop-Culture References
In the Teen Titans animated series, the teen superhero Killowat superficially resembled Inazuman.