Fuun Lion-Maru
Fuun Lion-Maru (風雲ライオン丸, Fūun Raionmaru, lit. Storm Cloud Lion Maru), known as Lion-Man outside Japan, was a tokusatsu television series that aired on the Fuji Television Network in Japan in 1973. Produced by P Productions — the studio behind its previous tokusatsu series including Magma Taishi, Spectreman and Kaiketsu Lion-Maru, it was the second series in the Lion-Maru trilogy, and featured a third Maru-like character named Black Jaguar. It also reunites only two actors: Tetsuya Ushio as Shishimaru (Lion Maru) and Yoshitaka Fukushima as Jonosuke (Tiger Joe), since Akiko Kujo and Norihiko Umechi were not featured in the sequel series. This Lion-Maru is deemed "the Rolling Tempest Ninja Warrior."
| Fuun Lion-Maru | |
|---|---|
![]() Fuun Lion-Maru opening credits | |
| Genre | Tokusatsu Superhero fiction Action/Adventure Fantasy |
| Created by | Koji Bessho, Tomio Sagisu |
| Country of origin | Japan |
| No. of episodes | 25 |
| Production | |
| Producer | P Productions |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Fuji Television Network |
| Original release | April 14 – September 29, 1973 |
Story
The series has its context in Feudal Japan where, for any warrior, more important than life itself was to maintain his honor. It tells the story of Dan Shishimaru, a 22-year-old samurai who, after having his brother Dan Kage Noshin killed by Nezuma, a human monster allied with the evil group Mantle, goes into battle with a desire for revenge and justice.[1][2][3]
Cast[4]
- Shishimaru Dan/Lion Maru (voice): Tetsuya Ushio
- Shinobu: Ryoko Miyano
- Sankichi/Taro (ep 14): Tsunehiro Arai
- Hyoba Kurokage/Black Jaguar (voice) (2-11 & 25) : Masaki Hayasaki
- Jōnosuke Tora/Tiger Joe (voice): Yoshitaka Fukushima
- Nijino Nanairo (17-20, 22 & 24): Naoyuki Sugano
Voice Actors
- Mantle God: Kiyoshi Kobayashi
- Agdar: Tōru Ōhira (ep 1), Yoshiaki Yoda (2-23)
- Narrator/Monsters: Masaki Okabe
- Kaiketsu Lion Man (voice) (ep 9): Tetsuya Ushio
- Shizue (voice) (ep 17 & 18): Ryoko Miyano
Stunts
- Fuun Lion-Maru: Kanehiro Nomiyama
- Tiger Joe, Jr.: Kenzo Nakayama, Masami Yogawa
- Kaiketsu Lion Man: Kazuo Kamoshida
- Agdar: Hiroshi Mihara
- Monsters: Hajime Araki, Hiromi Hara
- Shizue (17 & 18): Noriko Egawa
Music
- Opening Theme
- "Yuke tomoyo Lion-Maru yo" (行け友よ ライオン丸よ) by George Hama (浜ジョージ, Hama Jōji) & Blue Angels (ブルーエンジェルス, Buruu Enjerusu)
- Ending Theme
- "Ikuzo! Lion-Maru" (行くぞ! ライオン丸) by Shouji Wada (和田昭治, Wada Shōji) & Young Echoes (ヤングエコーズ, Yangu Ekōzu)
International Broadcasts and Home Video
- The only region in the world besides Japan to air all 25 episodes of this series was in Brazil back in 1989,[5] where it was popularized. It aired on the now-defunct Rede Manchete under Lion-Man (but also Poderoso Lion Man as what the character is known there) with a Brazilian Portuguese dub and due to its success, it caused them to also air the first series Kaiketsu Lion-Maru, afterwards, as well as its followup Tetsujin Tiger Seven (where it aired under Tiger Mask there). The series was also released on home video by Top Tape.[6]
External links
- Fuun Lion-Maru DVD site
References
- IMDB. "Fuun Lion Maru". Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- Ivan de Souza. "Lion Man: saiba tudo sobre o herói que é uma dádiva dos ninjas!" (in Portuguese). Tokusatsu.blog.br. Retrieved August 20, 2020.
- Stuart, Fuun Lion Maru, archived from the original on November 16, 2006, retrieved August 20, 2020
- IMDB. "Fuun Lion Maru - Cast". Retrieved 20 August 2020.
- O Repórter (10 February 2019). "Cultura - Jiraiya completa 30 anos no Brasil; saiba 18 fatos e curiosidades sobre a série". Archived from the original on 13 July 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
- Larc Yasha. "Lion Man". www.jbox.com.br. Retrieved 6 March 2023.
