Iron King

This article is about a show in the Tokusatsu Super Hero subgenre.

Iron King
Information
Number	N/A
Number of episodes	26
First episode	Secret Messenger of the Morning Wind

Iron King (アイアンキング, Aian Kingu) is a tokusatsu superhero TV series about a giant cyborg. The series was produced by Nippon Gendai and Senkosha (now Senko Planning), and aired on Tokyo Broadcasting System from October 8, 1972 to April 8, 1973, with a total of 26 episodes.

Plot

The Shiranui Clan have planned for 2000 years to conquer Japan in retaliation for their nomadic ancestors being banished from the country by the Yamato Clan (who eventually became known as the Japanese people). Each armored ninja-like member of the clan controls a gigantic robot warrior in order to overthrow the "Yamato Government," as they call it.

In response to this terrorist threat, Japan's National Security Organization send agent Gentaro Shizuka (pop star Shoji Ishibashi), disguised as what can best described as a Spaghetti Western version of a singing cowboy, to stop their plans with the assistance of comical, mountaineering-clad Goro Kirishima (Mitsuo Hamada). In an unusual direction for such tokusatsu (visual effects) programs, it is not the heroic but often surprisingly ruthless Gentaro but the bumbling, bespectacled Goro who has the power to become the giant cybernetic superhero Iron King by touching the medals on the sides of his funny red Turning Hat and shouting "Iron Shock!" when danger threatens.

However, often Iron King is unable to defeat the clan's giant robots without help from Gentaro, who wields a weapon called the Iron Belt that can become a slender rapier-like sword or an infinitely extendable metal whip capable of hurting giant monsters. In addition, transforming into the hydrogen oxide-powered Iron King quickly dehydrates Goro, and he can only remain as Iron King for a short period of time. Strangely, although Gentaro knows Iron King's time limit comes from using up his water supply he never manages to connect it with Goro's omnipresent thirst until the final episode.

In the tenth episode the Shiranui Clan is destroyed but their place is taken by the skull-symboled keffiyeh-clad Phantom Militia (aka the Phantom Opposition Party) who also use giant robots to enact their revolution against the Japanese government, although rather than being humanoid in shape their's take the form of dinosaur-like kaiju.

From the nineteenth episode to the end of the series Gentaro and Goro battle V For Vendetta-like black cloak and Puritan hat-clad white-masked aliens called Titanians who have various inhuman powers such as flight, body-possessing mind control and the ability to enlarge themselves to giant size. Upon doing the latter they are then able to assume insect-like monster forms.

Characters

Heroes

Iron King

Goro Kirishima

Allies

• Gentaro Shizuka
• To be added

Villains

• Shiranui Clan
• Phantom Militia

• Alien Titanian

Monster Robots

Shiranui Clan

• Vacmirror
• Jairages
• Double Satan
• Devil Tiger
• Monster Zero
• Black Knight
• Bronze Demon
• Monster Bird
• Silver Rider
• Gold Fire

Phantom Militia

• Zaira-Unicorn
• Tongasaurus
• Jurass-Don
• Capri-Gon
• Toragiras
• Dodzilla
• Kumagross

Alien Titanian

• Giant Titanian
• Kabutoron
• Kamagyrus
• Kirigirin
• Kangarole
• Cockroachasaur
• Cricketton
• Possessed Iron King

Supporting Characters

• to be added

Episodes

#	Title	Guest cast	Director	First aired
1.	Secret Messenger of the Morning Wind 朝風の密使	Shinzo Hotta Kiro Abe Fudeko Tanaka Kinji Takinami Hiroshi Ikaida	Shozo Tamura	1972-10-08
2.	The Swan in the Ruins 廃墟の白鳥	Shinzo Hotta Hiroshi Ikaida	Shozo Tamura	1972-10-15
3.	The Warrior's Smile 戦士の微笑	Shinzo Hotta Hiroshi Ikaida	Shozo Tamura	1972-10-22
4.	Gentaro Travels Alone 弦太郎孤独旅	Shinzo Hotta Yosuke Akimoto	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1972-10-29
5.	The Duel in the Autumn Wind 秋風の中の決斗	Shinzo Hotta Shogo Hanagi	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1972-11-05
6.	Lullaby for a Warrior 戦士の子守唄	Shinzo Hotta Seishiro Kuno Masayuki Tobuyo	Shozo Tamura	1972-11-12
7.	Those That Fly the Skies 大空を征く者	Shinzo Hotta Kaori Seki Hisashi Kato	Shozo Tamura	1972-11-19
8.	The Shadow Area 影の地帯	Shinzo Hotta Mitsuko Hoshi Yoshinori Furukawa Shinobu Miura	Noriaki Yuasa	1972-11-26
9.	Gentaro in a Close Shave 弦太郎危機一髪!	Shinzo Hotta Yuki Ikazaki	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1972-12-03
10.	A Kiss for the Dead 死者へのくちづけ	Katsumi Muramatsu Shima Mizue Kiyoshi Tokugawa Gin Minemura	Hiroshi Fukuhara	1972-12-10
11.	Tokyo Is Burning 東京は燃えている	Katsumi Muramatsu Kiyoshi Tokugawa Gin Minemura	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1972-12-17
12.	State of Emergency in Tokyo 東京非常事態宣言	Katsumi Muramatsu Teresa Noda Junko Natsu Wataru Mitsui Ikuo Kosaka	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1972-12-24
13.	Attacking the Underground Fortress 地下要塞攻撃命令	Katsumi Muramatsu Junko Natsu Wataru Mitsui Isamu Matsuzawa	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1972-12-31
14.	Secret of the Brainwave Robot 脳波ロボットの秘密	Katsumi Muramatsu Hijiri Matsuki Teppei Takasugi Kazuo Arai	Hiromu Edagawa	1973-01-14
15.	Marathon Monster Capri-Gon マラソン怪獣カプリゴン	Katsumi Muramatsu Masahiro Takashina Harue Kyo	Hiromu Edagawa	1973-01-21
16.	Destroy Tora-Girasu! トラギラスを倒せ!	Katsumi Muramatsu Yumi Mizusawa	Hiromu Edagawa	1973-01-28
17.	The Order to Assassinate Iron King アイアンキング殺害命令	Katsumi Muramatsu Chidori Tashiro Koetsu Omiya	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1973-02-04
18.	Monster Robot Annihilation ロボット怪獣全滅作戦	Katsumi Muramatsu Eiko Ogawa	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1973-02-11
19.	The Giant Bug Kabutoron Appears 大虫人カブトロン出現	Chiaki Ukyo Hajime Izu	Hiroshi Fukuhara	1973-02-18
20.	The Titanians Strike Back 宇虫人タイタニアンの逆襲	Chiaki Ukyo	Hiroshi Fukuhara	1973-02-25
21.	Kama Guras Wants Lethal Gas! カマギュラス殺人ガスを狙う	Chiaki Ukyo Mari Sakurai Tetsuya Sano	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1973-03-04
22.	Terrifying Titanian Underworld 恐怖のタイタニアン地獄	Chiaki Ukyo Fumio Ikeda	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1973-03-11
23.	The Insect Humanoid Masquerades as a Woman 女に化けた虫人	Chiaki Ukyo Ryoko Sakaguchi Hideo Saito	Shozo Tamura	1973-03-18
24.	Tokyo Assault Frontline Base 東京攻撃前線基地	Chiaki Ukyo Yoku Shioya	Hiroshi Fukuhara	1973-03-25
25.	Iron King in a Panic! アイアンキング大ピンチ!	Chiaki Ukyo	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1973-04-01
26.	The Great Tokyo War 東京大戦争	Chiaki Ukyo Hajime Izu	Tetsuro Sotoyama	1973-04-08

Cast

• to be added

Legacy

In 2023, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fukuoka Water Company, Iron King was luckly be invited as the special guest of the company's event. A new suit of Iron King was made and provided during promotional stages.

Notes

1. ^ Ragone, August (2007). The Super Hero Samurai Spaghetti Western. Ronin Entertainment.
2. ^ "Iron King - The Complete Series". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
3. ^ http://www.amazon.com/Iron-King-Various/dp/B00310PSTY

External Links

• Iron King at the Internet Movie Database
• Watch Iron King at DramaFever