| Yatterman | |
| Ja Kanji: | ヤッターマン |
| Ja Romaji: | Yattāman |
| Genre: | Comedy, fantasy, science fiction |
| Type: | TV series |
| Director: | Hiroshi Sasagawa |
| Producer: | Ippei Kuri |
| Music: | Masaaki Jinbo |
| Studio: | Tatsunoko Production |
| Network: | FNS (Fuji TV) |
| First: | January 1, 1977 |
| Last: | January 27, 1979 |
| Episodes: | 108[1] |
| Type: | TV series |
| Yattermen! | |
| Director: | Hiroshi Sasagawa |
| Producer: | Michihiko Suwa Shuichirō Tanaka |
| Music: | Masaaki Jinbo |
| Studio: | Tatsunoko Production |
| Network: | NNS (ytv) |
| First: | January 14, 2008 |
| Last: | September 27, 2009 |
| Episodes: | 60 |
| Episode List: | List of Yatterman episodes (2008) |
| Type: | Film |
| Director: | Masakazu Hishida |
| Producer: | Yoshikazu Tochihira |
| Music: | Masaaki Jinbo |
| Studio: | Tatsunoko Production |
| Released: | August 22, 2009 |
is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from January 1, 1977 to January 27, 1979, comprising 108 episodes. It is the second and longest show in the Time Bokan series by Tatsunoko Productions. The series succeeded Time Bokan and preceded Zenderman. It was also the final series to be produced by company founder Tatsuo Yoshida prior to his death.
A remake of Yatterman aired on NTV and Yomiuri TV from January 14, 2008 through September 27, 2009, with the original voice actors for the Doronbo gang. A live-action adaptation was released theatrically in March 2009. Another entry in the franchise, Yatterman Night, began airing in January 2015 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Time Bokan franchise.[2]
Fragments of a mysterious stone known as the are scattered across the globe. Once all four pieces are assembled, the location to the world's largest deposit of gold will be revealed. The villainous gang are searching for the Skull Stone. Standing in their way are Gan and Ai, who become the masked heroes Yatterman-1 and Yatterman-2, respectively. The two are aided in their adventures by a large mechanical dog, Yatterwan.
Unlike previous series in the Time Bokan franchise, Yatterman does not cover any specific time/space travel. Instead, the places where the heroes travel to and the individuals they encounter are either a homage or parody. The fictional characters or places are usually represented by purposely misspelled names or familiar actions. For example, a revolution leader is named "Yashington", in homage to George Washington; and a place resembling ancient Japan is named "Yametai" ("(I) want to stop"), as a spoof of Yamatai.
The shape and function of their mechas is fully dependent on the theme of the scam they are running at the beginning of each episode. Their machines usually feature a familiar interior, with Boyacky and Tonzura sitting at the sides, and Doronjo sitting in the middle, bossing them. The villains' machines are often seen packing a lot of weaponry and usually temporarily defeat Yatterman mechas at the beginning of each fight. Later in the show, the villains start to deploy their own armies of miniature robots to counter those of Yatterman.
The original series aired on Fuji TV between January 1, 1977 and January 27, 1979, running for 108 episodes. For episodes 1-58, the opening theme is by Masayuki Yamamoto, whilst the ending theme is by Noriko Ohara, Jōji Yanami, and Kazuya Tatekabe. For episodes 59-108, the opening theme is by Yamamoto, whilst the ending theme is by Ohara, Yanami, and Tatekabe. The series also aired in Spain, Italy, and Poland.
See also: List of Yatterman episodes (2008). Nearly 31 years following the previous series, a remake of the series, called, aired on YTV between January 14, 2008 and September 27, 2009, running for 60 episodes. The story is a retelling of the original series, with more modern references to suit current tastes. The opening themes are variations of "Yatterman's Theme", sung by (in order), Saemon Onyakichi, ET-KING, Yuki Nishio, Nakano-Bujo Sisters, and Toshihiko Takamizawa, with the final episode using the original version by Yamamoto. The ending themes in order are "diverge" by mihimaru GT, by Juleps, by Manami Kurose, by ET-KING, "Give Me Up" by Nami Tamaki, by Nakano-Bujo Sisters, and by Wakaba. The series, along with the original show, was streamed in North America via Yomiura Group's Anime Sols video service, as of spring 2013,[3] [4] but due to an unsuccessful campaign to crowd-fund the series' DVD release, the series was removed from the site, with the possibility of a new crowd-funding opportunity in the future.
An anime film based on the 2008 television series was released in Japan on August 22, 2009.[5] Titled and directed by Masakazu Hishida, the film opened at #10 with US$702,155 on 210 screens.[6]
See main article: Yatterman Night. A 2015 television series, Yatterman Night, began airing in Japan on January 11, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Time Bokan franchise. The series takes place several years in the future and follows the descendants of the Doronbo Gang as they fight against the Yattermen, who have become corrupt. The series is licensed in North America by Funimation, who simulcasted the series as it aired.[7]
See main article: Yatterman (film). Nikkatsu Corporation produced live-action film based on Yatterman.[8] The film was directed by Takashi Miike, and character and mechanical designs were handled by Katsuya Terada, who worked on and Cutie Honey. The film opened on March 7, 2009, and became Japan's top film at the box office in its first week.[9] [10] Video label Eureka released the film on DVD and Blu-ray in the United Kingdom on May 21, 2012. Discotek Media released the film in North America in 2013.[11]
A live action drama loosely based on Yatterman's character aired in 2022.[12] It focuses on the backstory of Dorokawa Nao, an up and coming boxer who would later become "Doronjo", as well as her relationship with another boxer, Hijirakawa Aika. The series is much more grounded to reality compared to the original series, as well as having a much more serious tone.
Several video games have been released based on the series. was released for Super Famicom on March 22, 1996. A mobile game was released in 2003, developed by Hudson Soft. Two Nintendo DS titles based on the 2008 series, and, were released in April and October 2008, respectively, followed by a Wii title,, released on December 11, 2008.
Yatterman-1 and Doronjo (assisted by Boyacky and Tonzura) appear as playable characters in the crossover fighting game, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes, released by Capcom for the Wii in Japan in 2008. An updated version, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars, released internationally in 2010, adds Yatterman-2 as a playable character. Doronjo, Boyacky, and Tonzura's voice actors reprise their respective roles, whilst Yatterman-1 and Yatterman-2 are voiced by Eri Kitamura and Emiri Katō, respectively.
The Akihabara Accept skin for the AUG in Counter Strike: Global Offensive reads "Yatta!" at the end of its description.
Yatterman also makes an appearance in the third episode of Sket Dance as a playable character.
Japanese pro wrestling fed Michinoku Pro is currently running a Yatterman tribute gimmick, with wrestlers Hercules Senga, Tsutomu Oosugi, and Misaki Ohata as "Yapper Man #1", "Yapper Man #2", and "Yapper Man #3". #1 and #2 have been Tohoku Tag Team Champions.[13]
Dead or Alive 5 Last Round features character costumes for Phase-4, Kasumi, and Nyotengu, based on Yatterman-1, Yatterman-2, and Doronjo, respectively, appearing as part of the "Tatsunoko Mashup Set" downloadable content pack.
Ai Kaminari debuted as a Virtual YouTuber on October 19, 2018, with the character's visuals designed by Fly, who is known as the illustrator for the Kemono Friends manga, Kemono Friends: Welcome to Japari Park!.[14] She was later joined by Boyacky.[15]