Kagaku Sentai Dynaman

**Kagaku Sentai Dynaman** (科学戦隊ダイナマン, *Kagaku Sentai Dainaman*?, translated as **Scientific Squadron Dynaman**) is the seventh entry of the *Super Sentai* series. It aired on TV Asahi from February 5, 1983, to January 28, 1984, with a total of 51 episodes.

Six episodes of the series were shown in the United States on the USA Network's *Night Flight* and alternately Nickelodeon's Special Delivery Throughout 1988 as a dubbed parody, simply titled *Dynaman*.

## Production

The original name of the series was "Yakyuu Sentai V-Leaguer" (Baseball Sentai V-Leaguer), with the motif of the team being that they were a baseball-based team (possibly to ride on *Goggle V's* success with rhythmic gymnastics) and with development made to the point of the baseball motif being rather prominent in the season. However, it was judged through the development of the uniform that the appropriate "coolness" was not achieved in it and thus the concept was scrapped. It was ultimately switched to "Dynaman" due to the concept of the heroes having an "explosion of spirit" similar to the explosion of dynamite.

However even with the sudden change in motif, many aspects of the "baseball" image ultimately remained in Dynaman: the suits still remained with the "baseball" look even with some slight differences, certain poses still looked more appropriate to baseball and DynaRobo's fusion term was "Grand Slam"; while the "clang" within the opening theme holds a similarity of a ball being hit by a metal bat.

Other major evolutions and developments with Dynaman occurred with the evolution of the villains of the season in the Jashinka Empire. Initially, Jashinka was to have a "beautiful villain" by way of Prince Megiddo, who was modeled off various similar "bishonen male villains" of giant robot anime. However when the Sentai producers realized that the level of beauty they needed was impossible in live action compared to anime, Megiddo was eventually "changed" only to return near the end as the mysterious Dark Knight. It was as the Dark Knight that Megiddo made a greater impact, becoming the first Sentai "Dark Hero". Jashinka likewise experienced developments that would impact storytelling in Sentai, including character development and, with the successful return of the "mid-season upgrade" in Goggle V, the first true "villain upgrade" in Sentai for their side.

Possibly the greatest "change" that Dynaman held in Sentai's evolution was unintentional but important: due to the increase in time of a Japanese news program, the Sentai timeslot was suddenly reduced from 30 minutes to 25, which included opening, ending and preview. This reduction ended up forcing a tightening of action and story and less time with stock footage, ultimately improving the franchise in the long run.

## Plot

The Jashinka Empire rises from the depths of the Earth to conquer the world. To stop them, Dr. Kyutaro Yumeno assembles five inventors to his laboratory, Yumeno Invention Laboratory and gives them the power to become Dynamen. Each member has their own goal, but as the Kagaku Sentai Dynaman, they are united to stop the Jashinka Empire in their tracks.

## Characters

### Allies

#### Yumeno Invention Center/Dyna Station

* Dr. Kyutaro Yumeno
* Kendo Robo
* Invention Center Kids (Yutaka, Aiko, Takao, Satoshi, Emi)

### Tailed-People Clan Jashinka Empire

* Emperor Aton
* General Kar

* Gira and Geel (1-8)
* Princess Chimera (8-51)
* General Zenobia (37-50)
	+ Bilgis
* Tail Soldiers
* Gizmosquito
* Evolution Beasts
	+ Crab Evo (1)
	+ Rhino Evo (2)
	+ Bat Evo (3)
	+ Trilobite Evo (4)
	+ Tapir Evo (5)
	+ Spider Evo (Movie, 32)
	+ Snake Evo (6)
	+ Sponge Evo (7)
	+ Butterfly Evo (8)
	+ Scorpion Evo (9)
	+ Octopus Evo (10)
	+ Dolphin Evo (11)
	+ Flea Evo (12)
	+ Frog Evo (13)
	+ Diving Beetle Evo (14)
	+ Gecko Evo (15)
	+ Archaeopteryx Evo (16)
	+ Dinosaur Evo (17)
	+ Stingray Evo (18)
	+ Porcupine Evo (19)
	+ Squid Evo (20)
	+ Crocodile Evo (21)
	+ Cat Evo (22)
	+ Slug Evo (23)
	+ Fox Evo (24)
	+ Bee Evo (25)
	+ Starfish Evo (26)
	+ Cicada Evo (27)
	+ Striped Mosquito Evo (28)
	+ Cactus Evo (29)
	+ Thorn Ant Evo (30)
	+ Mantis Evo (31)
	+ Mammoth Evo (33)
* Mechaevolution Beasts
	+ Missile Crayfish (34)
	+ Guillotine Lizard (35)
	+ Machinegun Jaguar (36)
	+ Electric Eel (37)
	+ Armor Rose (38)
	+ Laser Hawk (39)
	+ Word Processor Armadillo (40)
	+ Drill Horse (Pegasus) (41)
	+ Axe Bear (42)
	+ Rocket Tiger (43)
	+ Shovel Kong (44)
	+ Rainbow Chameleon (45)
	+ Jet Flying Squirrel (46)
	+ Poison Gas Weasel (47)
	+ Boomerang Jackal (48)
	+ Computer Dragon (49)
	+ Fire Sphinx (50-51)

## Arsenal

### Individual Weapons

* Dyna Swords ◆
* Cross Cutter ◆
* Battle Tector ◆
* Strong Shower ◆
* Blue Frisbees ◆
* Jet Surfin' ◆
* Attack Board ◆
* Chain Crushers ◆
* Yellow Bomber ◆
* Rose Saber ◆
* Flower Shield ◆
* Rose Finale ◆

### Vehicles

* Dyna Falcon ◆
* Dyna Machine ◆◆◆◆
* Surf Jet ◆

## Mecha

*Legend*:◆ 1-person mecha,  2-person mecha, ➲ carrier mecha
* Dyjupiter ➲
* DynaRobo ◆
	+ Dyna Mach ◆
	+ Dyna Mobile 
	+ Dyna Garry 

## Episodes

*Main article: Kagaku Sentai Dynaman Episodes*
1. Ep. 1: The Tailed-People Clan's Challenge (有尾人一族の挑戦, *Yūbijin Ichizoku no Chōsen*?)
2. Ep. 2: Warriors Who Chase Dreams (夢を追う戦士たち, *Yume o Ō Senshitachi*?)
3. Ep. 3: Bat Hell Flight (コウモリ地獄飛行, *Kōmori Jigoku Hikō*?)
4. Ep. 4: The Rumbling Fossil-Human (ゴロゴロ化石人間, *Gorogoro Kaseki Ningen*?)
5. Ep. 5: The Evolution Beast's Scary Dream (進化獣のこわい夢, *Shinkajū no Kowai Yume*?)
6. Ep. 6: Fight to the Death! The Haunts of a Poisonous Snake (死闘! 毒蛇の魔境, *Shitō! Dokuja no Makyō*?)
7. Ep. 7: Operation Tokyo Sea of Fire! (東京火の海作戦!, *Tōkyō Hi no Umi Sakusen*?)
8. Ep. 8: Evil Flower Princess Chimera (悪の花王女キメラ, *Aku no Kaō Onna Kimera*?)
9. Ep. 9: The Do-or-Die Bomb Race (決死の爆弾レース, *Kesshi no Bakudan Rēsu*?)
10. Ep. 10: The Intruder From Outer Space (宇宙からの侵入者, *Uchū Kara no Shinnyūsha*?)
11. Ep. 11: The Day Fish Attack Humans (魚が人間を襲う日, *Sakana ga Ningen o Ozō Hi*?)
12. Ep. 12: The Targeted Blood Bank (狙われた血液銀行, *Nerareta Ketsueki Ginkō*?)
13. Ep. 13: The Kidnapped Brides (さらわれた花嫁, *Sarawareta Hanayome*?)
14. Ep. 14: Assault, Choroppo Soldier (突撃チョロッポ兵, *Totsugeki Choroppo Tsuwamono*?)
15. Ep. 15: Ninjutsu vs. Chimera Witchcraft (忍術対キメラ妖術, *Ninjutsu Tai Kimera Yōutsu*?)
16. Ep. 16: The Big Mt. Aso Explosion Operation (阿蘇山大爆発作戦, *Asosan Dai Bakuhatsu Sakusen*?)
17. Ep. 17: Fear! Kyushu Major Earthquake (恐怖! 九州大地震, *Kyōfu! Kyūshū Daijishin*?)
18. Ep. 18: The Big Tsunami That Attacks Tokyo (東京を襲う大津波, *Tōkyō o Osō Ōtsunami*?)
19. Ep. 19: The Fuse is a Red Toxic Flower (導火線は赤い毒花, *Dōkasen wa Akai Doku Hana*?)
20. Ep. 20: Chase! The Amakusa Sun (追え! 天草の太陽, *Oe! Amakusa no Taiyō*?)
21. Ep. 21: Angry Hokuto's Deadly Sword (怒りの北斗必殺剣, *Ikari no Hokuto Hissatsu Ken*?)
22. Ep. 22: The Great Prank War (いたずら大戦争!, *Itazura Dai Sensō*?)
23. Ep. 23: Operation Human Slug (人間ナメクジ作戦, *Ningen Namekuji Sakusen*?)
24. Ep. 24: The Dreadful Comet's Great Approach (恐怖の彗星大接近, *Kyōfu no Suisei Dai Sekkin*?)
25. Ep. 25: The Mysterious Guffaw Hell (謎のゲラゲラ地獄, *Nazo no Geragera Jigoku*?)
26. Ep. 26: Intense Fighting! The Solar Lighthouse (激闘! 太陽の灯台, *Gekitō! Taiyō no Tōdai*?)
27. Ep. 27: Chirping Cicada: The Sound of Death (死の音セミシグレ, *Shi no Oto Semishigure*?)
28. Ep. 28: Rescue the Doll-Humans! (人形人間を救え!, *Ningyō Ningen o Sukue!*?)
29. Ep. 29: Chimera's Cursed Clothes (キメラの呪いの服, *Kimera no Noroi no Fuku*?)
30. Ep. 30: The Enemy is a Geek Evolution Beast (敵はガリ勉進化獣, *Teki wa Gariben Shinkajū*?)
31. Ep. 31: The Spy Tailed-Person's Trap (スパイ有尾人の罠, *Supai Yūbijin no Wana*?)
32. Ep. 32: The Missing Power Gun (消えたパワーガン, *Kieta Pawā Gan*?)
33. Ep. 33: I Can't Become Red (レッドになれない, *Reddo ni Narenai*?)
34. Ep. 34: Formidable Enemy! Mechavolution (強敵! メカシンカ, *Kyōteki! Mekashinka*?)
35. Ep. 35: Seeking a New Finishing Move (新必殺技を求めて, *Shin Hissatsu-waza o Motomete*?)
36. Ep. 36: It Came Forth!! The Finishing Move (出たぞ! 必殺技!, *Deta zo! Hissatsu-waza*?)
37. Ep. 37: Female General Zenobia (女将軍ゼノビア, *Onna Shōgun Zenobia*?)
38. Ep. 38: Rejuvenate! Genius Brain (若返れ! 天才頭脳, *Wakagaere! Tensai Zonō*?)
39. Ep. 39: Hold it! The Egg of the Tailed-People (抱け! 有尾人の卵, *Idake! Yūbijin no Tamago*?)
40. Ep. 40: Explosion! Silent Anger (爆発! 無言の怒り, *Bakuhatsu! Mugon no Ikari*?)
41. Ep. 41: The Biker Gang Who Disappeared in the Darkness (闇に消えた暴走族, *Yami ni Kieta Bōsōzoku*?)
42. Ep. 42: Challenge: The Dark Knight (挑戦ダークナイト, *Chōsen Dāku Naito*?)
43. Ep. 43: Shima! You're Blue Lightning (島! 君は青い稲妻, *Shima! Kimi wa Aoi Inazuma*?)
44. Ep. 44: Explosion! Magma Bomb (爆発! マグマ爆弾, *Bakuhatsu! Maguma Bakudan*?)
45. Ep. 45: Mama is Zenobia? (ママはゼノビア?, *Mama wa Zenobia?*?)
46. Ep. 46: The Saber That Runs Love Through (愛を貫くサーベル, *Ai o Tsuranuku Sāberu*?)
47. Ep. 47: An Evil Wish, Ten Tails (悪の願い十本尻尾, *Aku no Negai Juppon Shippo*?)
48. Ep. 48: Doctor Yumeno's Big Secret (夢野博士の大秘密, *Yumeno-hakase no Dai Himitsu*?)
49. Ep. 49: The End of General Kar (カー将軍の最期, *Kā Shōgun no Saigo*?)
50. Ep. 50: The Revived Formidable Enemy (よみがえった強敵, *Yomigaetta Kyōteki*?)
51. Final Ep.: The Fight That Flew Through Tomorrow (明日をかけた戦い, *Ashita o Kaketa Tatakai*?)

***Night Flight* parody episodes**

1. Pilot Episode 1 (Cy Steinberg)
2. Pilot Episode 2 (Rhinoman)
3. Day of the Dolphin: Flipper's Revenge
4. Lizard of Oz
5. Seven Loves of Lucky Pierre
6. The Last Adventure of Spunky the Wonder Squid
7. Convention Episode
8. Convention Episode

**Movies**

1. *Kagaku Sentai Dynaman Movie* (科学戦隊ダイナマン, *Kagaku Sentai Dainaman*?)

## Cast

* Hokuto Dan (弾 北斗, *Dan Hokuto*?): Satoshi Okita (沖田 さとし, *Okita Satoshi*?)
* Ryuu Hoshikawa (星川 竜, *Hoshikawa Ryū*?): Jun'ichi Haruta (春田 純一, *Haruta Jun'ichi*?)
* Yousuke Shima (島 洋介, *Shima Yōsuke*?): Kouji Unogi (卯木 浩二, *Unogi Kōji*?)
* Kousaku Nangou (南郷 耕作, *Nangō Kōsaku*?): Yuu Tokita (時田 優, *Tokita Yū*?)
* Rei Tachibana (立花 レイ, *Tachibana Rei*?): Sayoko Hagiwara (萩原 佐代子, *Hagiwara Sayoko*?)
* Dr. Kyutaro Yumeno (夢野久太郎, *Yumeno Kyūtarō*?): Junji Shimada (島田順二, *Shimada Junji*?)
* Emperor Aton (帝王アトン, *Teiō Aton*?, Voice): Takeshi Watabe (渡部 猛, *Watabe Takeshi*?)
* Prince Megiddo (メギド王子, *Megido Ōji*?): Takeki Hayashi (林健樹, *Hayashi Takeki*?)
	+ Dark Knight: Michiro Ida (飯田 道朗, *Ida Michiro*?)
* General Kar (カー将軍, *Kā Shōgun*?): Masashi Ishibashi (石橋 雅史, *Ishibashi Masashi*?)
* Princess Chimera (王女キメラ, *Ōjo Kimera*?): Mari Kouno (河野マリ, *Kōno Mari*?)
* General Zenobia (ゼノビア将軍, *Zenobia Shōgun*?): Ritsuko Fujiyama (藤山律子, *Fujiyama Ritsuko*?)

## Songs

Opening theme
* "Kagaku Sentai Dynaman" (科学戦隊ダイナマン, *Kagaku Sentai Dainaman*?)
	+ Lyrics: Kazuo Koike
	+ Composition & Arrangement: Kensuke Kyo (京 建輔, *Kyō Kensuke*?)
	+ Artist: MoJo, (Chorus) Koorogi '73

Ending theme
* "Yume o Kanaete Dynaman" (夢をかなえてダイナマン, *Yume o Kanaete Dainaman*?, Dynaman Fulfills our Dreams)
	+ Lyrics: Kazuo Koike
	+ Composition & Arrangement: Kensuke Kyo
	+ Artist: MoJo

Insert theme
* Go Go Dyna Robo
* Matte Ita n da Dynaman
* Honoo no Senshi ~Fire Crew~
* Ore no Heart wa Yumejikake
* Mahiru no Arashi ~Bomber Twist~
* Super Dynamite
* Endless Way

## Notes

* Dynaman is the last of a set of series where the three "main colors" (Red, Blue and Yellow) were all males. An all male trio would not occur with these colors again until *Kousoku Sentai Turboranger*.
* In *Kamen Rider x Super Sentai: Super Hero Taihen – Who’s the culprit?!*, we learn that DynaYellow was originally going to be orange.
* This is the first Sentai where the heroes wore suits made of spandex, the material that would become synonymous with both *Super Sentai* and its adaptation *Power Rangers*. Spandex would be used for all future Sentai teams until *Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters*, a span of nearly three decades, although the proceeding series, *Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger*, returned to using spandex.
* This season shares concepts and ideas of the classic Sentai-influencing anime "Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman" (Science Ninja Squadron Gatchaman), speaking of the responsibility of science while fighting inhuman villains and even using the "Kagaku" of the Gatchaman name for their own name.
	+ *Jetman* likewise is influenced by Gatchaman in the usage of a "bird team".
* *Dynaman* has also been marketed as *Dynaman The Commando*.
* This series was originally called *Baseball Sentai V-Leaguer*.
* Their official counterparts in *Super Megaforce* are given the name Batallion.

## References

1. ↑ http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2013/03/01/toei-official-english-title-list/
2. ↑ http://risingsuntokusatsu.com/?p=1568

## External links

* *Kagaku Sentai Dynaman* at super-sentai.net
* *Kagaku Sentai Dynaman* at Wikipedia
* *Kagaku Sentai Dynaman* at Japanese Wikipedia