Aremake ofYatterman aired onNTV andYomiuri 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 theTime Bokan franchise.[2]
Fragments of a mysterious stone known as the Skull Stone (ドクロストーン,Dokurosutōn) 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 Doronbo (ドロンボー,Doronbō) 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 theTime 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 ahomage orparody. 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 toGeorge Washington; and a place resembling ancient Japan is named "Yametai" ("(I) want to stop"), as a spoof ofYamatai.
Gan is a 13-year-old boy whose father is a famous toy designer who failed to complete the "Yatter-Wan", a dog-shaped all-terrain rescue robot. Gan is an expert mechanic, and he helps perfect his father's dream design. He forms a fighting team with his girlfriend, Ai, and names himself Yatterman-1. His weapon of choice is akendama, which he uses as aflail and grappling hook, as well as for his special zapping attack "Kenda-Magic".[3] He is shown to be much more careless in the 2008 version of the show and tends to frustrate Ai.
Ai is Gan's girlfriend, and the only daughter of a shopkeeper who sells electrical appliances. She is Gan's loyal follower, and is often seen constructing and modifying machines with him. She is Yatterman-2, and uses a telescopingbaton called "Electric Stick" to shock opponents with electric currents.[3] In the 2008 version of the show, she often refers to things as "100%" (for example, "We are in 100% of trouble").
Omotchama is Gan's robot, and serves as the mascot of his father's toy shop. He is shaped like a large dice, and is known for his catchphrase "-da-koron" at the end of each sentence. His name comes from "omoccha", the Japanese word for "toy".
Doronjo (real name Hiroko Sasagawa (ササッガワ・ヒロッコ,Sasaggawa Hirokko)[3]) is an attractive blonde who leads the Dorombo Gang in locating the Dokuro Stone. She is known for her vanity, intelligence, and leadership, just like her counterpart Marjo fromTime Bokan. Doronjo also has an iconic skull-shaped smoking pipe similar to Marjo's.
Boyacky is a tall, skinny man with a large nose and moustache, just like his counterpart Grocky inTime Bokan.[3] He is clever, lecherous, and largely responsible for the creation of the giantmechas used by the Dorombo Gang. He usually appears naked, according to his comicBogeboge Boyacky (ボゲボゲボヤッキー).
Tonzura is a short, muscular, squat man with a severe overbite and facial stubble, just like his counterpart Walsa inTime Bokan.[3] Tonzura is the strong man of the group and does most of the heavy lifting, though he's usually quick to run away when threatened. He speaks with akansai-ben accent.
Dokurobei is the elusive boss of the Dorombo Gang. He gives orders regarding the location of the Dokuro Stone to his subordinates in unusual ways, such as through a talking hamburger or the image of a red skull on a TV screen. Even when his leads are revealed to be inaccurate, Dokurobei is always quick to punish the Dorombo Gang for their failures.
A dog-shapedmecha robot, Yatterwan was designed by Gan's father as a prototype rescue robot. He is fitted with a siren and a bell, similar to other rescue vehicles, plus a joystick to control his other features. Yatterwan can fire iron pellets from his nostrils and carries two fire hoses on his back. A bone-shaped power pack, known as "Mecha-Tonic", is fed to him to allow a sudden outburst of strength in warding off deadly blows. Yatterwan's special attack is a large group of miniature robots, which exit from his mouth, and usually take the shape of land-based animals. The mini-robots use their weapons on their enemies, causing Doronbo's robots to explode and create a skull-shaped cloud.
Yatter-King (ヤッターキング,Yattā-Kingu)
Voiced by: Masaru Ikeda
Yatter-King was built using the damaged remains of Yatterwan. It is a much larger machine, and resembles a crossover of a fire engine with adachshund. It comes complete with a series of new features, including a tail that serves as a firehose, a projectile launcher on its rear, and a body which acts as a mecha-carrier for a series of smaller robots. In the 2008 version, it was formed by combining Yatterwan and Yatter-zero, which has a design with a more fighting ability and a "king"-like appearance.
Yatter-Pelican is a pelican robot who appeared in the 14th episode. He is constructed by Gan as an airborne mecha for the Yatterman duo. Yatter-Pelican has a braggard, loud-mouthed personality. He feeds on a fish-shaped Mecha-Tonic for a power boost, and the mini-robots he releases are shaped like various birds. In the 2008 version, he tends to speak in bits of English in certain sentences.
Yatter-Angler is agoosefish robot who appeared in the 27th episode. He is constructed as the only all-terrain mecha for the Yatterman duo, and is equipped with a cockpit for underwater travel. The Mecha-Tonic is in the shape of a fish roe, and releases mini-robots shaped like marine creatures. He has a funny, constantly-gurgling voice, as if one was talking underwater.
Yatter-Phant (ヤッターゾウ,Yattā-Zō)
Voiced by: Masaru Ikeda
Yatter-Phant is an elephant mecha, introduced in the 92nd episode as an alternate mecha-carrier alongside Yatter-King. Its most noticeable features are its ears, which flap in order to allow flight, and its trunk, which serves as a water-hose/flamethrower.
Yatter-Bull (ヤッターブル,Yattā-Buru)
Voiced by: Masaru Ikeda
Introduced in the 58th episode, Yatter-Bull is a bulldog robot, and serves as one of the three "Action Mechas" that are carried by Yatter-King.
Yatter-Dozilla (ヤッタードジラ,Yattā-Dojira)
Voiced by: Masaru Tanaka
Yatter-Dozilla is a dinosaur-shaped robot built by Gan, and has the ability to drill underground. His name is a reference toGodzilla.
Yatter-Panda (ヤッターパンダ,Yattā-Panda) & Little Panda (コパンダ,Ko-Panda)
Introduced in episode 36 of the 2008 series, Yatter-Jinbee (Yatter-Whashark) is awhale shark mecha and mecha-carrier, much like the original Yatter-King and Yatter-Phant.
Yatter-Mogura (ヤッターもぐら,Yattā-Mogura)
Voiced by: Kouichi Yamadera
Yatter-Mogura (Yatter-Mole) is a newTalpidae-based mecha in the 2008 version, first appearing in episode 39. Like Yatter-Dozilla, he specializes in underground work.
Yatter-Dragon (ヤッタードラゴン,Yattā-Doragon)
Voiced by: Kouichi Yamadera
Yatter-Dragon is an Asian dragon-based mecha, introduced in episode 50 of the 2008 version. It only seems to appear in a major crisis, often when the other robots aren't available or functional.
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 onFuji TV between January 1, 1977 and January 27, 1979, running for 108 episodes. For episodes 1-58, the opening theme is "Theme of Yatterman" (ヤッターマンの歌,Yattāman no Uta) by Masayuki Yamamoto, whilst the ending theme is "Genius Doronbo" (天才ドロンボー,Tensai Doronbō) byNoriko Ohara,Jōji Yanami, andKazuya Tatekabe. For episodes 59-108, the opening theme is "Yatterking" (ヤッターキング,Yattākingu) by Yamamoto, whilst the ending theme is "Dorobo's Shirake" (ドロンボーのシラーケッ,Doronbō no Shirāke) by Ohara, Yanami, and Tatekabe. The series also aired in Spain, Italy, and Poland.
Nearly 31 years following the previous series, a remake of the series, also titledYatterman (ヤッターマン,Yattāman), aired onYTV 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 actors who played the Doronbo Gang and Dokurobei all reprise their voice roles for the series. 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" bymihimaru GT, "Total Eclipse" (皆既日蝕,Kaiki Shitsushoku) by Juleps, "Like Love Song" (恋想曲,Rensōkyoku) byManami Kurose, "Now" (今,Ima) by ET-KING, "Give Me Up" byNami Tamaki, "I Win!" (勝つんだ!,Katsunda!) by Nakano-Bujo Sisters, and "A Story That Starts From ZERO" (ZEROからはじめるストーリー,Zero Kara Hajimeru Sutōrī) 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,[4][5] 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.[6] TitledYatterman: Shin Yatter Mecha Daishūgō! Omocha no Kuni de Daikessen da Koron! (ヤッターマン 新ヤッターメカ大集合!オモチャの国で大決戦だコロン!; lit. "Yatterman: All New YatterMechas Assembled! Great Decisive Battle in the Toy Kingdom!") and directed by Masakazu Hishida, the film opened at #10 with US$702,155 on 210 screens.[7]
A 2015 television series,Yatterman Night, began airing in Japan on January 11, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of theTime 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 byFunimation, who simulcasted the series as it aired.[8]
Nikkatsu produced live-action film based onYatterman.[9] The film was directed byTakashi Miike, and character and mechanical designs were handled byKatsuya Terada, who worked onBlood: The Last Vampire andCutie Honey. The film opened on March 7, 2009, and became Japan's top film at the box office in its first week.[10][11] 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.[12]
A live action drama adaptation titledDoronjo [ja] would air onWowow from October to December 2022.[13] 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.
Severalvideo games have been released based on the series.NEW Yatterman: Nandai Kandai Yajirobe (NEWヤッターマン 難題かんだいヤジロベエ) was released forSuper Famicom on March 22, 1996. A mobile game was released in 2003, developed by Hudson Soft. TwoNintendo DS titles based on the 2008 series,Yatterman DS: Bikkuri Dokkiri Daisakusen da Koron (ヤッターマンDS ビックリドッキリ大作戦だコロン,Yatterman DS: The Great Thrilling Operation) andYatterman DS2: Bikkuri Dokkiri Animal Daibōken (ヤッターマンDS2 ビックリドッキリアニマル大冒険,Yatterman DS2: The Great Thrilling Animal Adventure), were released in April and October 2008, respectively, followed by aWii title,Yatterman Wii: Bikkuri Dokkiri Machine de Takeshi Race da Koron (ヤッターマンWii ビックリドッキリマシンで猛レースだコロン,Yatterman Wii: The Thrilling Takeshi Machine Race), 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 byCapcom for theWii 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 byEri Kitamura andEmiri Katō, respectively.
Ai Kaminari debuted as aVirtual YouTuber on October 19, 2018, with the character's visuals designed by Fly, who is known as the illustrator for theKemono Friends manga,Kemono Friends: Welcome to Japari Park!.[15] She was later joined by Boyacky.[16]
