Friday, March 11, 2016

Kinnikuman Retrospective: 2nd Era of Kaiju Fighting/Bibinba/Planet Rakka Arc

56k Beware and Spoilers Ahead


As 1980 was coming to an end, Kinnikuman was gaining some serious ground, Even going to be in the top 3 along with Shonen Jump's New Golden Boy Dr. Slump and other Shonen Jump titles several times throughout the 1980s, but a new year brought new big plans for Kinnikuman, Like reverting back to it's Ultraman roots. It went as well as you'd expect, did anyone in 1980 go "This story's good, but you know what'd be AWESOME? If it reverted back to it's goofy episodic nature..." Yeah, me neither, and I was -15 years old that year...



Read this if you haven't already...


Before you correct me on this, yes, I'm aware that this isn't all episodic filler, but very little of his arc really amounts to anything, and it's not surprising that the anime made this arc even more filler than it already was by turning it into a couple movies covering different aspects of the arc. But at any rate here's the whatever happens arc of Kinnikuman...



Kinnikuman's enjoying a relaxing day in Guam when he hears a news report of a Kaiju attacking Tokyo known as Bullgoras. He's attacking kids and destroying Tokyo. The Defense Force tries to stop him, but fail. Kinnikuman shows complete apathy towards Japan and Meat tells him to help. Kinnikuman has to enter a new match to protect his title, but he chooses to go back to Japan. Once in Japan, Kinnikuman uses his Garlic to power up. He has to beat the monster and head back to America in 30 minutes or he loses his title. Kinnikuman's Kinniku Flash doesn't work, but he does fart near the Kaiju. He falls and needs more garlic because his Fart timer is out. He saves Japan, but he didn't make it back in time, making he victory bittersweet. Is it just me, or was this a half assed attempt to reset the status quo to have Kinnikuman fight monsters again. i honestly don't know if Yudetamago knew what to do with Kinnikuman. There's this mini plot with Kinnikuman competing against this Kaiju Fighting group known as the Tanokin Trio but it goes pretty much nowhere.



Kinnikuman heads back to Planet Kinniku for New Year's. he heads home with a Championship Belt...


OUT OF PAPER MACHE (OHHHHH, HE'S SO GROUNDED!!!!!!!!!!)!!!!

Kinnikuman is here because he wants to cry about his losses essentially. Bibinba of the Hormon clan is training with her Father, when her father gets a report that Kinnikuman has Returned. Bibinba prepares to kill Kinnikuman, but she trips over a rock injuring herself. Kinnikuman uses Meat's cape as a bandage for Bibinba. Hormon-Yaaki tells her not to trust Kinnikuman, and takes Meat. They Fight and..


Since when did this turn into Mortal Kombat?

Bibinba is having doubts about Killing Kinnikuman, So he stops her. He wins the fight and gets Meat's cape back. Hormon uses Shishkeboo of the Barbeque clan to stop Kinnikuman. Shishkeboo is Bibinba's Husband. Bibinba doesn't approve of Suguru being killed, but She can't speak out. Kinnikuman takes his Meat mark off his head, but Meat puts it back on. Kinnikuman is about to leave, but Team Hormon stops him. They have a Space Race, a Gyudon Eating Contest, a Tower Building Contest. all of which go in Shishkeboo's favor with the last one kneading in a fight with counter attacks up the ass. Suguru seems to have lost, but Bibinba admits her feelings for Kinnikuman and Shishkeboo admits defeat. The 3 of them head back to earth. After a kaiju fight, Bibinba Joins the Earth Defense Corp, and destroys all the kaiju. One question, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?! Is it just so you can transition back to wrestling? NO! JUST NO!!!!! You had the Kaiju angle for all but 6 chapters, and you ditch it never to come back to it again? WHAT IS THE MAIN POINT OF THE ARC?!?!



None of this'll matter because we're at a new story this time... A Planet known as Planet Rakka is being attacked by the Space Samurai. Beansman and the Rakka Elder try to escape but the Elder gets struck by n arrow, and is dying. Before breathing his last, He sends the Beansman to get Chojin from Earth. He gets Terryman by summoning a monster. He beats the monster, and is reluctant to join the fight,.but joins anyway. Beansman gets Ramenman from China, who just beat a guy in a fight. Kinnikuman also decides to join in. Meat tells him not to, but he follows the 3 Chojin. He catches up and eats their food. At South Africa, They recruit Puyo Puyo. Kinnikuman calls him a pig, and Puyo Puyo turns into a fist, and hits him. At Antarctica, They recruit Crystalman. At Germany, Brocken Jr. (who I should talk about the elephant in the room in a future part) is recruited. Brocken Jr. and his army attack Ramenman for killing his father., He decides to kill Ramenman later. but Our 7 Chojin are now recruited...


3 Already established Chojin, 1 we won't get a proper introduction until later, and 3 we've never heard of before and will probably never see again...
..
The Chojin fly to Planet Rakka, but Kinnikuman Follows them, and Puyo Puyo Transforms into a Space Coaster. They Leave Kinnikuman behind, but he catches up. Kinnikuman goofs off until A Space Samurai supposedly appear. It turns out to be just a villager. They get to a fort, and the Villager reveals himself to be the elder. Kinnikuman gets hungry, and realizes the food there isn't that great. After that, The Space Samurai have come. Brocken uses a Red Rain of Berlin on one of them. He gets attacked himself, and The Space Samurai Leader Attacks the Elder, and the other Chojin get their revenge. They keep regenerating, and even merge into 1 monster.The chojin attack, but he tuns out to be too powerful for them. They all attack at once defeating them... Kinnikuman drives everyone back home, but gets caught by the Space Police because he doesn't have a license, ending the arc...



One question, WHAT EVEN WAS THIS ARC? I'm serious, there was literally no point to having a whole arc to this manga dedicated to introducing new characters... I admit that Bibinba was a badass and would get more interesting as the series goes on, but Shishkeboo was essentially nothing more than a character of the day, Heck Hormon-Yaaki was not much better. The Kaiju fighting angle was interesting, until they threw it out never to return again in any Kinnikuman Manga series. The only reason this arc really exists is to be a transition arc, from World Champion, to having to regain the title, but not before exploring Kinnikuman's Sex life (much Like he Garlic Jr Saga did for Krillin in Dragon Ball Z), and introducing characters in which only 2 of whom will be important beyond this arc. Planet Rakka was Pointless. Remember all those Naruto Fillers Toonami aired for 1 hour every Saturday from 2005-2008, This is the Kinnikuman Version of that. This has no attention span, I doubt I can call this a single arc, Because there's no consistency, at least the first Kaiju Fighting Arc had episodic stories to build the story around, but this, yeah... It's probably not a secret anymore that I didn't like this arc, but what are it's good points? well the new one time Characters are interestingly designed, and the Arc combines the regular Superhero stuff of arc 1, with the ongoing Story of arcs 2 and 3, however well it works... Anything else, not really, there's not much redeeming about this arc. Sorry if this Segment was short, but there wasn't that much to talk about, that being said, This arc does have importance. so I recommend reading this more than the First Kaiju Fighting Arc if you want to read Kinnikuman just to read Kinnikuman...


Now onto ratings, It's obvious that this arc goes to the bottom, No significance other than New Characters, and resetting the story back to zero. Yeah, here's the ratings...

  • 20th Chojin Olympics Arc
  • American Tour Arc
  • Kaiju Fighting Days Arc
  • 2nd Era of Kaiju Fighting/Bibinba/Planet Rakka Arc

Next Time, we Celebrate world cultures again with the power of pro wrestling in the 21st Chojin Olympics arc, See you then...






A. Yoshi's Carranger Review, a goofy sentai series, reviewed. Racing to the finish April 1st, only on anonymousyoshi007.blogspot.com. GO, GO!!!!!! CARRANGER, CARRANGER!!!!!

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