Natsume Maya is reporting that a new Gigantor anime series ('Tetsujin 28' in Japanese, literally 'Iron Man 28') will air in Japan in 2004.   Created by manga artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama in the late 1950s, the needle-nosed robot inspired an 83-episode anime series, which ran from 1963-1965.  American Fred Ladd renamed the property 'Gigantor' and adapted 52 of the 83 Japanese episodes for the American market.  Two additional Tetsujin 28 anime series followed, including a 51-episode color series, produced in Japan in 1980-1981 and broadcast in the US by the Sci-Fi Channel from 1993-1997 under the title The New Adventures of Gigantor.  Thus the new series in Japan is actually the fourth Tetsujin 28 anime. 

 

In addition to the new anime series, a live action Tetsujin 28 feature film is set to debut in Japan in the fall of 2004.  There was a live action Tetsujin 'kaiju' TV series, but the new film is the big guy's first feature film.  Tetsujin 28 joins a host of anime properties in making a recent move to live action including Cutey Honey, Initial D, Evangelion, Akira, Lupin III, and Sailor Moon (TV series) just to name a few of the most prominent.

 

With the new Gigantor anime series set for a January debut on TV Tokyo, American fans can expect a US release by 2005, and the live action feature should, in all likelihood, also be available in the States by the end of 2005.  The Tetsujin anime series and feature film should spawn a number of new toys and figures in Japan, at least some of which will eventually find their way to the US.  This property has inspired some classic toys and figures, which have stirred considerable interest among collectors.  Until a new wave of Tetsujin 28/Gigantor merchandise arrives retailers will have to make do with Rhino's excellent Gigantor Box Sets (Part #1 and Part #2), each of which contains half (26-episodes) of the original black-and-white Gigantor series adapted by Fred Ladd.  The four-disk Rhino Gigantor DVD Box Sets have a suggested retail price of $59.95.