Battle Fever J

television series

Battle Fever J is a Japanese television series. It is the 3rd in Toei's Super Sentai series. Battle Fever J was a co-production of Toei Company and Marvel Comics. A total of 52 episodes aired on TV Asahi between February 3, 1978 and January 26, 1980.

Battle Fever J
GenreTokusatsu
Superhero fiction
Science fiction
Created byToei Company
Marvel Comics
Developed bySusumu Takaku
Shozo Uehara
Directed byKoichi Takemoto
StarringHironoki Tanioka
Yukio Itou
Narimitsu Kurachi
Kenji Ohba
Diane Martin
Nahomi Hagi
Daisuke Ban
Narrated byToru Ohira
ComposerMichiaki Watanabe
Country of originJapan
No. of episodes52
Production
ProducersTetsuo Kanno
Kanetake Ochiai
Itaru Orita
Susumu Yoshikawa
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesToei Company
Marvel Comics
Original release
NetworkTV Asahi
ReleaseFebruary 3, 1979 (1979-02-03) –
January 26, 1980 (1980-01-26)

Codenames change

The team have codenames named for countries around the world, also respectively named in their theme song: Battle France, Battle Cossack (Soviet Union), Battle Kenya, Miss America (United States) and Battle Japan.

Robots change

This was the first series in the Super Sentai franchise where the heroes must control giant robots to defeat a monster who itself has grown to a gigantic size.

Black Ranger change

Battle Fever J also marks the first appearance of a Black Ranger in the franchise.

Other new things change

Toei's tokusatsu adaptation of Spider-Man was the first to introduce this format and was also the inspiration for this series. The series was also partially inspired by the Marvel Comics character Captain America.

Battle Fever J was also the first series to use the term Super Sentai (unlike the previous two who were just called Sentai, without the "Super") until Toei announced in 1995 that its predecessors Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai were also part of the Super Sentai series, when Chouriki Sentai Ohranger was announced as the 19th Super Sentai team.

Plot change

General Kurama assembles four young agents who had been dispatched around the world for training. They are joined by FBI investigator Diane Martin, whose father was murdered by Egos. The five don powered suits to become the Battle Fever team. The Battle Fever team's trump card is the Battle Fever Robo. Egos tries to stop the construction of the Robot. Although the monsters they send to perform this task are defeated one by one by the Fever team. Egos then unleashes the "younger brother" of the Buffalo Monster, a giant robot replica of its "older brother". The Robot, fortunately, is finished in time. Aboard it, the Fever team defeats the Buffalo Monster and its successors. The Fever team never stops, even when is lost two of its members (the original Miss America and Battle Cossack). With new members, the team defeats Hedder, now the Hedder Monster, and breaks into Egos' headquarters, where they are fed into the Egos Monster Making Machine so that they may be used as material for a Battle Fever Monster. The team destroys the machine and slays the mysterious deity Satan Egos himself with the Lightning Sword Rocketter sword-throwing move.

Characters change

Battle Fever change

Actor Name Rangers
Hironoki Tanioka Masao Den Battle Japan
Yukio Itou Kensaku Shiraishi Battle Cossack
Daisuke Ban Makoto Jin
Narimitsu Kurachi Kyosuke Shida Battle France
Kenji Ohba Shirou Akebono Battle Kenya
Diane Martin Diane Martin Miss America
Naomi Hagi Maria Nagisa

Cast change

Guest Stars change

  • Boiser Martin (Diane's father) (1 & 24): David Friedman
  • Black Tiger Mari (16): Mitchi Love
  • Mitsuru Okiyama (16): Naoya Uchida
  • Sayuri Kurihara (25): Lisa Komaki
  • Car Owner (34): Kin'ya Sugi

Songs change

Opening theme
  • "Battle Fever J"
    • Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa
    • Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
    • Artist: MoJo with the Columbia Yurikago-Kai
  • "Battle Fever J (Alternate Opening)"
    • Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa
    • Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
    • Artist: MoJo, the Columbia Yurikago-Kai, Feeling Free
Ending theme
  • "Yūshu ga Yuku" ("Brave Men Go")
    • Lyrics: Saburō Yatsude
    • Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
    • Artist: MoJo