The Kagestar (ザ・カゲスター, Za Kagesutā) is a 1976-77 Toei live action tokusatsu television series in which young shadow puppeteer turned salaryman Kageoh Sugata (Naoki Tachibana) gained, thanks to an electric shock received while rescuing his wealthy boss's daughter from kidnappers, the ability to merge with his shadow and transform into Kagestar ("kage" is Japanese for "shadow).
On April 2020, Kagestar became one of the 70 shows to stream on the Toei Tokusatsu World Youtube channel.
Plot[]
An Evel Knievel-inspired red, white and blue-clad, manga-eyed helmet-masked superhero with a swirling star-spangled striped cape he could use like a weapon, he rode a winged white motorcycle called the KageroCar he kept housed in a big and quite bizarre-looking anthropomorphic aircraft called the Kageboosee which he summoned with his flashlight-gun.
Originally fighting American comics-style costumed crooks, in later episodes his foes became Kamen Rider-style mutated monsters created by his archenemy Dr. Satan (Goro Naya), a former Nazi scientist turned megalomaniacal mastermind also identified in some English language sources as Dr. Saturn.
Kagestar was assisted his similarly empowered white-skirted partner Bellestar (Emi Hayakawa) who rode a motorcycle of her own called the BelleCar and had a small bell on her bracelet that rang to warn her of danger.
Characters[]
Kagestar | Kageoh Sugata |
Bellestar | Suzuko Kazamura |
Allies[]
- Kazamura Konzern
- President Kazamura
- Daikichi Kaminari
- Makiko Kazamura
- Inspector Tonda
- Detective Nakihara
- Takeshi Tonda
- Chiaki
Villains[]
Independent[]
- White Wax Magician
- Gold Warlock
- Scarlet Gecko
- Jin Doumon
- Baron Spider
- Frog Monster
- Phantom Trooper
- Combatman Leader
- Mouse Monster
- Mohegan
- Batman
- Gorillaman
- Chameleon Man
- Poison Phantom Ageha
- Owl Monster
- Wolf Monster
- Wolfman
- Leopard Woman
Satan Empire[]
- Doctor Satan
- Satan Empire Combatants
- Satan Empire Monsters
- Kiba Inoshishi
- Kamakira
- Zariganian
- Mukaderiya
- Haedobura
- Arijigoku Monster
- Sangoras
- Bear Kong
- Gori Oliver
- Kinokonga
- Kanigabura
- Baracular
- Dokugaruda
- Yamaraashisu
- Tonbogira
- Namekujiga
- Karasuga
- Buffalogyu
- Kamikira
- Kazuragon
- Oumurada
- Todogirasu
Episodes[]
- Kageboshi Rainbow Operation!
- The Gold Warlock and Operation Mole!
- Phantom Thief Crimson Gecko Pursuit Operation!
- The Vaccine of Terror: Operation Poisonous Spiders!
- Frog Monster Operation Diamond!
- Frozen Rat Monster Operation!
- Bat Man's Treasure Hunt Operation!
- Chameleon Man's Disguise Operation!
- The Great Magic Operation of Poison Swallowtail!
- Owl Monster Night Operation!
- The Evil Werewolf Tracking Operation!
- Leopard Woman's Tokyo Jungle Strategy!
- Doctor Satan's World Conquest Operation!!
- Kamakira's Puppet Operation!
- Junior Satan Corps Operation Zariganian!
- Monster Mukaderiya's Tokyo Sand Hell Operation!
- The Terrifying Murderer Haedobura's Operation!
- Arijigoku Tokyo Destruction Operation!
- Monster Sangoras Fossil Battle!
- Villainous Monster Bear Kong's Copy Operation!
- Gorilla Monster Great Rampage Operation!
- The Poison Demon Kinokonga's Kidnapping Operation!
- Monster Kanigabura's Head-Hunting Operation!
- Monster Baracular's Extermination Operation!
- Dokugaruda's Man-Eating Operation!
- Monster Porcupine's Death Ray Operation!
- Fearful Tonbogira's Money-Tied Operation!
- Monster Namekujiga's Manipulative Operation!
- Karasuga Four-Dimensional Operation of Death!
- Fierce Bull Monster's Kagestar Poisoning Operation!
- Monster Kamikira's Fire Hell Operation!
- Blood-Sucking Kazura's Operation to Kidnap Children!
- Parrot Monster's Poison Operation!
- Death Fight!! Fierce Fight!! The Last Day of the Satan Empire!
Cast[]
- Kageoh Sugata (姿影夫, Sugata Kageo): Naoki Tachibana (立花直樹, Tachibana Naoki)
- Suzuko Kazamura (風村鈴子, Kazamura Suzuko): Emi Hayakawa (早川絵美, Hayakawa Emi)
- Inspector Tonda (屯田警部, Tonda Keibu): Akiji Kobayashi (小林昭二, Kobayashi Akiji)
- Detective Narihira (業平刑事, Narihira Keiji):Sumio Hoshi (星純夫, Hoshi Sumio)
- President Kazamura (風村社長, Kazamura Shachō): Shiro Amakusa (天草四郎, Amakusa Shirō)
- Makiko Kazamura (風村牧子, Kazamura Makiko): Yuko Hamada (浜田ゆう子, Hamada Yūko)
- Doctor Satan (ドクターサタン, Dokutā Satan): Goro Naya (納谷 悟朗, Naya Gorō)
Notes[]
- The Kagestar provided the inspiration for American cartoon The Powerpuff Girls character Mojo Jojo's distinctive white and purple-striped hat design. The character's another inspiration is Dr. Gori from Spectreman.
External Links[]
- to be added