Flying Saucer War Bankid (TV 1976–1977)
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Flying Saucer War Bankid (円盤戦争バンキッド Enban Sensō Bankiddo) is a Japanese tokusatsu science-fiction superhero series directed primarily by Takeji Hidaka and written primarily by Shukei Nagasaka from a story by Kunmei Takahashi, with special effects by Shinichi Kamisawa. Produced for Toho, Nippon TV, and Yomiko Advertising by an uncredited Nippon Eiga Shinsha, it aired on Nippon TV from October 3, 1976, to March 27, 1977.[1] The series follows a team of multicolored superheroes, similar to Super Sentai, who fight against invaders from the Planet Bukimi.
Plot
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To be added.
Episodes
Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
- Directed by Minoru Kanaya, Takeji Hidaka, Samaji Nonagase
- Written by Shukei Nagasaka, Takayuki Kase, Hikaru Yanase
- Based on a story by Kunmei Takahashi
- Produced by Akira Yasuda, Akio Takahashi, Koichi Noguchi, Takeo Takizawa, Tokio Yamamoto
- Associate producer Taizo Udagawa
- Music by Kenjiro Hirose
- Opening theme "Dash, Bankids" and ending theme "Friendship Flying in a Dream"
- Performed by Shozo Tenma, Arakawa Kinderchor
- Lyrics by Shukei Nagasaka (opening), Takeshi Nomaru (ending)
- Composed by Kenjiro Hirose
- Cinematography by Takahiko Nakamura, Kiyoshi Hasegawa, Hajime Koizumi
- Edited by Ume Takeda
- Production design by Tomi Suehiro
- First assistant director Norio Watanabe
- Directors of special effects Yoichi Manoda; Shinichi Kamisawa (uncredited)[a]
- First assistant director of special effects Shinichi Kamisawa
Cast
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
- Eiji Okuda as Noboru Tenma / Bankid Pegasus
- Tomohiro Tanabe as Ryuichi Uzaki / Bankid Dragon
- Tatsuyuki Tsuji as Ryuji Uzaki / Bankid Rabbit
- Akinori Umezu as Jiro Ushijima / Bankid Ox
- Yoshie Suzuki as Honoka Shiratori / Bankid Swan
- Hiroshi Yagyu as Hirohiko Uzaki
- Toki Shiozawa as Tokie Uzaki
- Masami Shimojo as Iwao Uzaki
- Akihiko Hirata as Commander Guzare
- Kiyoshi Kobayashi as Commander Guzare (voice)
- Ritsuo Sawa as Second Lieutenant Sgar (voice) / Lieutenant Wus (voice) / Major Ktabo (voice) / Colonel Dgel (voice)
- Tatsuyuki Jinnai as Lieutenant Vzun (voice)
- Takeshi Aono as Captain Zrus (voice)
- Shinji Ogawa as Captain Mzin (voice)
- Mahito Tsujimura as Lieutenant Yzer (voice) / Major Nval (voice) / Lieutenant Colonel Gdoh (voice)
- Keisuke Yamashita as Lieutenant Rvalen (voice) / Lieutenant Colonel Hdoba (voice)
- Tetsuya Kaji as Major Ubro (voice) / Colonel Qga (voice) / Lieutenant General Agalin (voice)
- Osamu Ichikawa as Major Xus (voice) / Captain Odakov (voice) / Lieutenant Colonel Fzoro (voice)
- Michihiro Ikemizu as Lieutenant Tfun (voice) / Major General Bgomess (voice)
- Tetsuya Osado as Captain Tvus (voice) / Captain Ibrun (voice)
- Eken Mine as Corporal Pgle (voice)
- Tadao Futami as Doctor Teron (voice)
- Isao Sakuma as Lieutenant Ldon (voice)
- Yoshinobu Kaneko as Sergeant Nupy (voice)
- Yuji Fujishiro as Major Jde (voice)
- Juntaro Mie as Colonel Eglan (voice)
- Goro Hanamaki as Pierron (voice)
- Shun Yashiro as Major General Cbess (voice)
- Ryo Kurosawa as narrator (voice)
Appearances
Heroes and monsters
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Weapons, vehicles, and races
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Development
Flying Saucer War Bankid was created amid the "UFO boom," an uptick in Japanese pop culture interest in unidentified flying objects, which occurred in the mid-to-late 1970s after breaking off from the earlier "occult boom".[3] The series was conceived of by Toho producer and former assistant director Kunmei Takahashi, who passed away early into pre-production.[4] Shukei Nagasaka was hired to develop the concept as its head writer, coming up with the final details and plot line. The different Bukimi Alien spacecraft featured throughout the series were inspired by real-life UFO sightings which are detailed in each episode's opening narration, an idea of Nagasaka's.[2]
Special effects production designer Kengo Kime initially doubled as the designer of the various alien enemies introduced each week, but beginning with episode 6, this role was filled by former Ultra Series production designer Tohl Narita, who Nippon TV managed to recruit through the relationship they formed on Assault! Human!! (1972). By episode 11, the aliens' designs increasingly relied on modifying and reusing the masks from previous costumes instead of building new ones from scratch. Kime was also involved in designing the Bukimi Alien UFOs.[2] It is unknown who designed the Bankids or their vehicles, but the latter were likely not created by any of the toy company sponsors.[4]
Production
Production work on the series was subcontracted to Toho's subsidiary Nippon Eiga Shinsha and made use of soundstages at Toho Built. Because Nippon Eiga Shinsha specialized in non-fiction content like documentaries and newsreels, and was inexperienced in dramatic production, several eccentricities arose in the way the show was made. One major deviation from most other tokusatsu series was that the Bankids' costumed forms were played by the same actors as their civilian forms, including fight choreography.[2] Stunt doubles were used on occasion, such as for Bankid Swan's jumps, but Bankid Rabbit, Ox, and Dragon used as few stuntmen as possible.[5]
Also atypical was the role of special effects director Yoichi Manoda, who reportedly worked in a manner similar to a line producer, liaising between the writers and the special effects unit instead of running the unit. Thus, Manoda's assistant director Shinichi Kamisawa was actually responsible for most of the special effects direction. The effects unit was extremely small, and little budget was devoted to them. The original plan was for them to only be given about two days of shooting time per episode and film all of the models in front of a cyclorama, but in reality they ended up building various miniature sets and spending up to a week on some episodes.[2]
Theatrical release
The series' fourth episode was released theatrically as part of the Toho Champion Festival on March 19, 1977.[1]
Notes
References
This is a list of references for Flying Saucer War Bankid. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
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Bibliography
- Ono, Koichiro; Iwahata, Toshiaki (10 October 2024). Godzilla and Toho Tokusatsu Official Mook. Vol. 34: Flying Saucer War Bankid/Guyferd. Kodansha. ISBN 978-4-06-531548-4.
|volume=has extra text (help)- Yo★Nakano. "Yo★Nakano's There's No Such Thing As Too Much Tokusatsu! No. 19: People Who Train – Flying Saucer War and Seven-Star Fighting God". In Ono & Iwahata (2024).
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