 |
This article is about a/an manga adaptation of the Kikaider series. |
Android Kikaider
Android Kikaider (人造人間キカイダー, Jinzō Ningen Kikaidā) is a manga series created by the renowned Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. The story, which has become a classic in the realm of manga, revolves around the struggles of a humanoid android named Jiro, also known as Kikaider, as he grapples with the concept of good and evil.
The narrative delves into Jiro's journey as he battles against the forces of DARK, a malevolent organization that seeks to dominate humanity. Built with a Conscience Circuit by Dr. Komyoji, Jiro's internal conflict between his programmed loyalty and his sense of morality is a central theme that defines the character's depth and complexity.
Overview[]
The manga was serialized in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday from issue 30 in 1972 to issue 13 in 1974, as part of a collaborative effort with the tokusatsu television series. While it is often considered the original source material for the tokusatsu adaptation, this is not entirely accurate. The television project was developed first, with Shotaro Ishinomori brought on board as the creator. Key figures from Toei, including producers Toru Hirayama and Susumu Yoshikawa, also played significant roles in shaping the series[1].
Interestingly, in the initial promotional materials for new serials in publications like Weekly Shonen Sunday and Shogaku Ninensei, the title was announced as Android Zerodiver (人造人間ゼロダイバー, Jinzō Ningen Zerodaibā). The name was changed to Android Kikaider shortly before the series was officially launched.
The story primarily focuses on the battle between the evil organization DARK and the android Jiro, also known as Kikaider. Jiro, often compared to the character Pinocchio, struggles with his identity due to his "imperfect Conscience Circuit."
The manga's structure also reflects the influence of the Pinocchio story, as it is framed by references to the classic tale both at its beginning and end. The Conscience Circuit itself is even labeled with the name "Gemini," a nod to "Jiminy Cricket," the character from Disney's adaptation of Pinocchio, who serves as Pinocchio's moral guide.
Jiro's longing to become truly human remains unresolved even at the conclusion of the series. Instead of providing a definitive answer, the manga leaves readers with thought-provoking questions about the nature of humanity and what it truly means to possess a conscience.
While this adaptation shares its basic premise with the television version, the story's development takes a different direction. One of the key distinctions is the age of the protagonist, Jiro. In the TV series, Jiro is depicted as a young man in his early twenties, while in the manga, he is portrayed as a teenager in his late teens.
Additionally, while the television series introduced a sequel with a new protagonist, Kikaider 01, taking over the central role, the manga kept Jiro as the main character throughout its run. Despite the introduction of Kikaider 01 into the story, the title remained Android Kikaider, emphasizing Jiro's continued importance to the narrative. There was only one instance during the manga's serialization when the title briefly changed to Kikaider 01 (キカイダー01, Kikaidā Zero Wan), but it quickly reverted to focus back on Jiro's ongoing battle and personal evolution.
Towards the later stages of its serialization, the manga was published simultaneously with another of Shotaro Ishinomori's works, Inazuman. During this period, a significant portion of Ishinomori's allocated pages was devoted to Inazuman, leading to a drastic reduction in the number of pages available for Android Kikaider. As a result, the manga's weekly page count was reduced to just six pages.
The artwork for Android Kikaider was a collaborative effort involving four of Shotaro Ishinomori's disciples: Akira Hio, Yoshiki Tsuchiyama[2], Yuji Hosoi[3], and Goro Yamada. In the early stages of the manga, Morihiko Ishikawa also contributed to the artwork[3]. Ishinomori himself primarily handled the story planning and rough sketches, but he did not directly draw the final artwork. Once Yamada received Ishinomori's drafts, the four artists would divide the work and complete the illustrations within approximately two days.
Hosoi mentioned that each artist often chose the sections they wanted to work on individually, which led to noticeable variations in character designs across different pages. This collaborative approach resulted in a somewhat inconsistent art style, reflecting the unique touches of each artist.
Plot[]
Dr. Hiroshi Komyoji had completed a robot that would stand up to the heinous Professor Gill and DARK through a special Conscience Circuit. However, the Conscience Circuit was left incomplete as Dr. Komyoji was attacked. The robot was ejected and given the name Jiro also known as Kikaider. Taken in by Dr. Komyoji's children, Mitsuko and Masaru, Jiro fights against the robots sent by DARK while learning they were created by Dr. Komyoji as well. Eventually, he encounters the cyborg with Dr. Komyoji's brain Saburo also known as Hakaider. Jiro is brought to DARK's hideout where he manages to get their scientists to reintegrate Dr. Komyoji's brain back into his body while making the base blow up.
But Professor Gill and his scientists survived and became the Hakaider Squad. With the odds against Jiro, Dr. Komyoji directs him to a temple where Jiro meets his 'older brother' Ichiro a.k.a. Kikaider 01. The Kikaider brothers encounter a nurse named Rieko and Professor Gill's son Akira who has the plans for Gill's ultimate weapon along with his sister Rumi. They are being chased by both Hakaider and the mysterious SHADOW. Jiro and Ichiro fight against SHADOW eventually getting help from the android Mieko a.k.a. Bijinder and an android Jiro made called Rei. At the end, Hakaider takes the children and completes his weapon that wipes out SHADOW and later takes control of Jiro's group. Jiro however was not affected like the others and destroys his former friends and Hakaider, rescuing the children and walking away unhappy with the results
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ Kodansha. (1987). "TV Magazine Special Edition Visual Collection Android Kikaider". ISBN 4-06-178406-4.
- ↑ Kodansha. (2004). "KODANSHA Official File Magazine Kamen Rider" Vol.3 "Kamen Rider V3". p. 32, Koji Igarashi, "The Successor of Shotaro Ishinomori: Kamen Rider Manga Artists, Part 9: Yoshiki Tsuchiyama". ISBN 4-06-367088-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Kodansha. (2004). "KODANSHA Official File Magazine Kamen Rider" Vol.3 "Kamen Rider V3". p. 31, Koji Igarashi, "The Successor of Shotaro Ishinomori: Kamen Rider Manga Artists, Part 3: Yuji Hosoi". ISBN 4-06-367088-0.