Battle Fever J

**Battle Fever J** (バトルフィーバーJ, *Batoru Fībā Jei*?) is the third entry of the *Super Sentai* series. Battle Fever J was co-produced by Toei Company and TV Asahi. A total of 52 episodes aired on TV Asahi between February 3, 1979 and January 26, 1980.

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.

It was also 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. 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.

## The first Super Sentai?

*Battle Fever J* was the first series to use the term Super Sentai (unlike the previous two who were just called Sentai, without the “Super”). For a long time, *Battle Fever J* was considered the first entry in the Super Sentai series, as seen in first episode of *Turboranger* that honors the past 10 Sentai (the other 9 being *Denziman*, *Sun Vulcan*, *Goggle V*, *Dynaman*, *Bioman*, *Changeman*, *Flashman*, *Maskman* and *Liveman*) until Toei announced in 1994 that its predecessors *Gorenger* and *J.A.K.Q.* were also part of the Super Sentai series, when Chouriki Sentai Ohranger was announced as the 19th Super Sentai team.

## Plot

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, but 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 it 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

### Allies

#### National Defense Ministry

* General Kurama Tetsuzan
* Keiko Nakahara
* Tomoko Ueda
* Kyutaro

#### Other Allies

* Masaru Nakahara
* Yuki Ueda (27, 46)
* Mitsuru Okiyama (16)
* Black Tiger Mari (16)
* Mechanical Doll Monster (41)
* Tsuyoshi Takeuchi (Jackal) (43)

### Secret Society Egos

* Satan Egos
* Commander Hedder
* Salomé
* Cutmen
* Egos Fighters
* Egos Monsters
	+ Umbrella Monster (1)
	+ Fang Lion Monster (1, 2)
	+ Death Mask Monster (3)
	+ Bengal Tiger/Psychokinesis Monster (4)
	+ Buffalo Monster (5)
	+ Doguu Monster (6)
	+ Fireball Monster (7)
	+ Sports Monster (8)
	+ Icicle Monster (9)
	+ Nauman Monster (10)
	+ Cobra Monster (11)
	+ Monster Roselinka (12)
	+ Egg Monster (13)
	+ Galaxy Monster (14)
	+ Snail Monster (15)
	+ Hand-to-Hand Combat Monster (16)
	+ Blue Vein Monster (17)
	+ Magnet Monster (18)
	+ Notch Tooth Monster (20)
	+ Dinosaur Monster (21-22)
	+ Ghost Monster (23)
	+ Dracula Monster (24)
	+ Magic Monster (25)
	+ Bandage Monster (26)
	+ Black Mask Monster (27)
	+ Jellyfish Urchin Monster (28)
	+ Mouthcut Monster (29)
	+ Strange Food Monster (30)
	+ Money Violence Monster (31)
	+ Earthworm Monster (32)
	+ Eagle Monster (33)
	+ Cicada Killer Monster (34)
	+ Ancient Fish Monster (35)
	+ Bomb Monster (36)
	+ Four Faced Monster (37)
	+ Skull Mushroom Monster (38)
	+ Dr. Sekine/Hyde Monster (39)
	+ Study Monster (40)
	+ Mechanical Doll Monster (41)
	+ Electric Monster (42)
	+ Rolling Monster (43)
	+ Monshiro Ocho/Illusion Monster (44)
	+ Heart Monster (45)
	+ Curse Monster (46)
	+ Left Hand Monster (47)
	+ Great Thief Monster (48)
	+ Fly Trap Monster (49)
	+ Ogre Beard Monster (50)
	+ Hedder Monster (51)

## Arsenal

### Team Blaster and Weapons

* Command Bats/Penta Force cannon/boomerang
	+ Spear **◆**
	+ Sais **◆**
	+ Fencing Sword **◆**
	+ Whip **◆**
	+ Throwing Knives **◆**
	+ Nunchaku

### Vehicles

* Battle Fever Car ◆◆
* Three Machines ◆◆◆

## Mecha

*Legend*:✶ team-piloted mecha, ➲ carrier mecha
* Big Baser ➲
	+ Battle Shark ➲
* Battle Fever Robo ✶

## Episodes

*Main article: Battle Fever J Episodes*
1. Ep. 1: Assault!! Run to the Ballpark (突撃!! 球場へ走れ, *Totsugeki!! Kyūjō e Hashire*?)
2. Ep. 2: Egos' Monster-Making Method (エゴス怪人製造法, *Egosu Kaijin Seizō Hō*?)
3. Ep. 3: Search for the Spy! (スパイを探せ!, *Supai o Sagase!*?)
4. Ep. 4: It's a Super-Powered Trap! (超魔力の罠だ!, *Chōriki no Wana da!*?)
5. Ep. 5: The Great Robot Dogfight (ロボット大空中戦, *Robotto Dai Kūchūsen*?)
6. Ep. 6: Launch the Multipurpose Battleship (万能戦艦発進せよ, *Bannō Senkan Hasshin Seyo*?)
7. Ep. 7: The House Burns!! (お家が燃える!!, *O-ie ga Moeru!!*?)
8. Ep. 8: The Riddle of the Strongarm Ace (鉄腕エースの謎, *Tetsuwan Ēsu no Nazo*?)
9. Ep. 9: The Woman from the Land of Ice (氷の国の女, *Kōri no Kuni no Onna*?)
10. Ep. 10: I Saw the Naumann Elephant (ナウマン象を見た, *Nauman-zō o Mita*?)
11. Ep. 11: The Great Case of the Pet Kidnapping (ペット誘拐大事件, *Petto Yūkai Dai Jiken*?)
12. Ep. 12: The Cursed Killing Method, Rose Snowstorm (呪い殺法バラ吹雪, *Noroi Satsu Hō Bara Fubuki*?)
13. Ep. 13: Golden Eggs and Sunny-Side-Up Eggs (金の卵と目玉焼き, *Kin no Tamago to Medamayaki*?)
14. Ep. 14: Marriage of the Beauty and the Beast (美女と野獣の結婚, *Bijo to Yajū no Kekkon*?)
15. Ep. 15: Egos' Hellish Cooking (エゴスの地獄料理, *Egosu no Jigoku Ryōri*?)
16. Ep. 16: Unarmed-Combat! The Queen of Darkness (格闘技! 闇の女王, *Kakutōgi! Yami no Joou*?)
17. Ep. 17: Steal the Monster Machine (怪物マシンを奪え, *Kaibutsu Mashin o Ubae*?)
18. Ep. 18: Pigeon! Hurry to the Nest of Evil (鳩よ悪の巣へ急げ, *Hato yo Aku no Su e Isoge*?)
19. Ep. 19: The World's Strongest Beauty!! (世界最強の美女!!, *Sekai Saidai Kyō no Bijo*?)
20. Ep. 20: Hazardous Ghost Hunting (危険な幽霊狩り, *Kiken na Yūrei Kari*?)
21. Ep. 21: Assault the Dinosaur Peninsula!! (恐竜半島へ突撃!!, *Kyōryū Hantō e Totsugeki*?)
22. Ep. 22: The Female Spy Team's Counterattack (女スパイ団の逆襲, *Onna Supai Dan no Gyakushū*?)
23. Ep. 23: Decisive Battle!! All Monsters Appear (決戦!! 怪人総登場, *Kessen!! Kaijin Sō Tōjō*?)
24. Ep. 24: Tears! Diane Falls (涙! ダイアン倒る, *Namida! Daian Taoru*?)
25. Ep. 25: The Film Studio is a Strange Haunt (撮影所は怪奇魔境, *Satsueijo wa Kaiki Makyū*?)
26. Ep. 26: The Bandage Man's Masked Report (包帯男の仮面報告, *Hōtai Otoko no Kamen Hōkoku*?)
27. Ep. 27: Be Careful of the First Love Thief (初恋泥棒にご用心, *Hatsukoi Dorobō ni Goyō Kokoro*?)
28. Ep. 28: Chase the Mysterious Boat (謎のボートを追え, *Nazo no Bōto o Oe*?)
29. Ep. 29: Did You See Her!? The Kuchisake-Onna (見たか!? 口裂け女, *Mita ka!? Kōretsuke Onna*?)
30. Ep. 30: The Villainous, Omnivorous Head Chef (悪漢雑食の料理長, *Akkan Zasshoku no Ryōrichō*?)
31. Ep. 31: Violent Dash Truck Siblings (激走トラック兄妹, *Gekisō Torakku Kyōdai*?)
32. Ep. 32: Hometown Homicide Village (ふるさと殺人村, *Furusato Satsujin Mura*?)
33. Ep. 33: Cossack Dies for Love (コサック愛に死す, *Kosakku Ai ni Shisu*?)
34. Ep. 34: The Dark General Who Laughs at Hell (地獄で笑う闇将軍, *Jigoku de Warau Yami Shōgun*?)
35. Ep. 35: The Great Starvation Panic (腹ペコ大パニック, *Harapeko Dai Panikku*?)
36. Ep. 36: The Blown-Up Wedding (爆破された結婚式, *Bakuhasareta Kekkonshiki*?)
37. Ep. 37: Lightning Sword vs. Pinwheel Sword (電光剣対風車剣, *Denkōken Tai Kazegurumaken*?)
38. Ep. 38: Bizarre! The Costume Party (怪奇! 仮装行列, *Kaiki! Kasōgyōretsu*?)
39. Ep. 39: The Friend Who Became a Demon (悪魔になった友, *Akuma ni Natta Tomo*?)
40. Ep. 40: The Beautiful Teacher, in the Nick of Time (美人先生危機一髪, *Bijin Sensei Kikiippatsu*?)
41. Ep. 41: A Big Counterattack on the Verge of Explosion (爆破寸前の大逆転, *Bakuha Sunzen no Dai Gyakushū*?)
42. Ep. 42: Electric Humans: The Fireworks of Love (電気人間愛の花火, *Denki Ningen-Ai no Hanabi*?)
43. Ep. 43: Assassin Jackal (暗殺者ジャッカル, *Ansatsusha Jakkaru*?)
44. Ep. 44: The Moonlight Clan of Hell Valley (地獄谷の月影一族, *Jigoku Tani no Getsuei Ichizoku*?)
45. Ep. 45: Five Minutes Before the Heart Stops! (心臓停止五分前!, *Shinzō Teishi Gofun Mae!*?)
46. Ep. 46: The Cursed Straw Doll (呪いのワラ人形, *Noroi no Wara Ningyō*?)
47. Ep. 47: A Mystery! Strategic Grass-Lot Baseball (怪! 謀略の草野球, *Kai! Bōryaku no Kusayakyū*?)
48. Ep. 48: The Great Thief and the Robber Boy (大盗賊と泥棒少年, *Dai Tōzoku to Dorobō Shōnen*?)
49. Ep. 49: The Rebel Army of Class 2-5 (2年5組の反乱軍, *Ninen Gokumi no Hanrangun*?)
50. Ep. 50: The Masked Demon Who Aims for the General (将軍を狙う覆面鬼, *Shōgun o Nerau Fukumen Oni*?)
51. Ep. 51: Egos' Revival Ceremony (エゴス復活の儀式, *Egosu Fukkatsu no Kishiki*?)
52. Final Ep.: The Symphony of the Heroes (英雄たちの交響曲, *Eiyūtachi no Kōkyōkyoku*?)

**Movies**

1. *Battle Fever J Movie* (バトルフィーバーJ, *Batoru Fībā Jei*?)

## Cast

* Masao Den (伝正夫, *Den Masao*?): Hironori Tanioka (谷岡弘規, *Tanioka Hironori*?)
* Kyousuke Shida (志田京介, *Shida Kyōsuke*?): Yuuhei Kurachi (倉地雄平, *Kurachi Yūhei*?)
* Kensaku Shiraishi (白石謙作, *Shiraishi Kensaku*?): Yukio Itou (伊藤武史, *Itō Yuiko*?)
* Makoto Jin (神誠, *Jin Makoto*?): Naoya Ban (伴直弥, *Ban Naoya*?)
* Shirou Akebono (曙四郎, *Akebono Shirō*?): Kenji Ohba (大葉健二, *Ōba Kenji*?)
* Diane Martin (ダイアン・マーチン, *Daian Māchin*?), Fake Diane Martin: Diane Martin (ダイアン・マーチン, *Daian Māchin*?)
* Maria Nagisa (汀マリア, *Nagisa Maria*?): Naomi Hagi (萩奈穂美, *Hagi Naomi*?)
* General Tetsuzan Kurama (倉間鉄山将軍, *Kurama Tetsuzan Shōgun*?): Chiyonosuke Azuma (東千代之介, *Azuma Chiyonosuke*?)
* Keiko Nakahara (中原ケイコ, *Nakahara Keiko*?): Noriko Ito (伊東範子, *Itō Noriko*?)
* Tomoko Ueno (上野トモコ, *Ueno Tomoko*?): Keiko Kanno (菅野啓子, *Kanno Keiko*?)
* Masaru Nakahara (中原マサル, *Nakahara Masaru*?): Takumi Sato (佐藤たくみ, *Satō Takumi*?)
* Yuki Ueno (上野ユキ, *Ueno Yuki*?): Michiyo Sato (佐藤三千代, *Satō Michiyo*?)
* Commander Hedder (ヘッダー指揮官, *Heddā Shikikan*?): Kenji Ushio (潮建志, *Ushio Kenji*?) (1, 3, 5, 7), Masashi Ishibashi (石橋雅史, *Ishibashi Masashi*?) (4, 6, 8-51)
* Salomé (サロメ, *Sarome*?), Ayako Ichijoji: Maki Ueda (マキ上田, *Maki Ueda*?) (19-52)
* Narrator: Toru Ohira (大平 透, *Ōhira Tōru*?)

### Guest cast

* Akio Hamamura: Shin'ichi Yoshimiya (吉宮慎一, *Yoshimiya Shin'ichi*?)
* Shigeo Aoki: Seiji Suzuki (鈴木誠司, *Suzuki Seiji*?)
* Boiser Martin (Diane's father) (1, 24): David Friedman
* Fake Diane Martin (Umbrella Monster's Human Form): Eri Kanuma
* Hikaru Amano (2): Maki Tachibana
* Miyoko Akiyama (2): Sumiko Kakizaki
* Hidemi (2): Ako Kami
* Editor In Chief Azuma (3): Machiko Soga
* Member Of Scientific Journal (3): Kenzo Arai
* Bengal Tiger (4): Masashi Ishibashi
* Sambo Segawa (4): Teiji Omiwa
* Sagaguchi Family (5)
	+ Director Sakaguchi: Nobuyuki Katsube
	+ Yoko Sakaguchi: Yukiko Ebina
	+ Kenichi Sakaguchi: Yoichi Hirose
* Ken (6): Seiichi Ando
* Hideo Toyota (7): Minoru Takeuchi
* Nurse (7): Ritsuko Fujiyama
* Fireman (7): Satoshi Kurihara
* Policeman (7): Toshimichi Takahashi
* Dr. Yoneyama (8): Yoshikazu Sugi
* Koji Matsui (8): Kazuhito Ando
* Katayama Family (9)
	+ Shinichiro Katayama: Shun Domon
	+ Mitsuko Katayama: Junko Mihara
* Master Of Dealer Gun (9): Koji Sekiyama
* Teacher Moriyama (10): Kei Sunaga
* Teacher (11): Junko Asashina
* Xinyi Fukuda (11): Nobuyoshi Fukuda
* Junko Nogata (12): Mariko Jun
* Suzumoto Family (13)
	+ Yuzo Suzumoto: Masaya Taki
	+ Yaeko Suzumoto: Ai Komachi
	+ Yuichi Suzumoto: Masami Zaizen
	+ Yuichi's Sister: Tsuneko Kikuchi
* Rumi (13): Akemi Watanabe
* Yohei Oyama (14): Hiroshi Kusajiki
* Mizusawa Family (14)
	+ Kumiko Mizusawa: Rika Miura
	+ Miyoko Mizusawa: Michiyo Sato
* Cuttman (14): Hiro Kawarazaki
* Catherine (15): Tomomi Umeda
* Raita (15): Mirai Takeshi Sekiguchi
* Black Tiger Mari (16): Mitchi Love
* Mitsuru Okiyama (16): Naoya Uchida
* Black Snake (16): Jaguar Yokota (as Rimi Yokota)
* Daisuke Torishima/Dr. Taichi Torishima: Akira Oizumi
* Kuroda (17): Eiji Karasawa
* Racing Driver (17): Yojiro Terada
* Iwamoto Family (18)
	+ Director Iwamoto: Takashi Tabata
	+ Kazuki Iwamoto: Hajime Nakamura
	+ Grandmother Iwamoto: Toyoko Takechi
* Ryoko (20): Sayoko Tanimoto
* Spy Women (21-22)
	+ Zero One: Yukie Kagawa
	+ Zero Two: Rie Mikawa
* Arishima Family (21-22)
	+ Senzo Arishima: Genji Kawai
	+ Shinobu Arishima: Kaoru Asakawa
* Old Woman (24): Keiko Orihara
* Catherine Martin (24): Louise Phillipe
* Sayuri Kurihara (25): Lisa Komaki
* Director (25): Gozo Soma
* Charmain Yumeno (25): Takeshi Yamamoto

### Voice actors

* Kyutaro (九太郎, *Kyūtarō*?): Hisako Kyoda (京田尚子, *Kyōda Hisako*?)
* Miss America: Lisa Komaki (小牧リサ, *Komaki Risa*?) (1-14, 17-24), Keiko Yokozawa (横沢啓子, *Yokozawa Keiko*?) (15-16)
* Satan Egos (サタンエゴス, *Satan Egosu*?): Shozo Iizuka (飯塚昭三, *Īzuka Shōzō*?)

### Suit actors

* Battle Japan: Kazuo Niibori
* Battle Cossack: Hiroshi Atsum and Hirohumi Koga
* Battle France: Haruhiko Hashimoto and Tetsuo Mashita
* Battle Kenya: Kenji Ohba and Tsutomu Kitagawa
* Miss America: Lisa Komaki, Eiko Onodera and Tsutomu Kitagawa

## Songs

Opening theme
* "Battle Fever J" (バトルフィーバーJ, *Batoru Fībā Jei*?)
	+ Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa (山川 啓介, *Yamakawa Keisuke*?)
	+ Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe (渡辺 宙明, *Watanabe Michiaki*?)
	+ Artist: MoJo with the Columbia Yurikago-Kai
* "Battle Fever J (Alternate Opening)" (, *"Battle Fever J (Alternate Opening)"*?)
	+ Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa
	+ Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
	+ Artist: MoJo, Columbia Yurikago-Kai, Feeling Free

Ending theme
* "Yusha ga Yuku" (勇者が行く, *"Yusha ga Yuku"*? Brave Men Go)
	+ Lyrics: Saburo Yatsude
	+ Composition and Arrangement: Michiaki Watanabe
	+ Artist: MoJo

Insert theme
* Battle Fever Daishutsugeki
* Ashita no Senshi-tachi

## International broadcasts

*Battle Fever J* was especially popular in Hawaii, along with *Gorenger*, *Kikaider*, *Kamen Rider V3*, and *Ultraman*; all of which were shown in the original Japanese dialogue and subtitled by JN Productions on then KIKU Channel 13. The show was also broadcasted in Thailand late in the mid-1990s under the name of *Ranger J* on MCOT Channel 9.

## Notes

* The first Sentai series to have a Giant Robo (Battle Fever Robo).
* The first Sentai series to feature a Black Ranger (Battle Kenya), as well as the only one with a recurring Orange Ranger (Battle Cossack). *SPD* was the first Power Rangers series to have an Orange Ranger, Boom, although he was not an official Ranger.
* Battle Fever J was the first Sentai series to feature lips sculpted onto the heroes' helmets, and currently the only one to feature noses. Though X1 Mask, the unofficial Sixth Ranger of *Hikari Sentai Maskman*, had a nose sculpted onto his helmet, the rest of his team didn't.
* Battle Fever J was originally going to be called Captain Japan, and would have been mainly a show about one hero who would team up with other heroes in the show.
* The first Sentai series to feature video games.
* The first Sentai series to feature a regular female villain (Salomé).
* Battle Fever J has had the most power transfers in the Sentai series as two heroes had been replaced.
* Oddly, the Battle Fever team was not called "Battle Fever J" within the show; that is the name of the show itself, not the team. In-show, the writing reference the rangers as simply "Team Battle Fever".
	+ However, the team are later referred to as "Battle Fever J" in post-show references to the team, such as the *Turboranger* special, *The Great Gathering of 11 Sentai: The Glorious Opening Collection*, and *Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger.*
	+ Likewise, their team is one of four without "Sentai" in their name and the only Sentai team to have it's entire series and team name in another language that isn't Japanese.
* Battle Fever J holds a TV show rating of 12%. [1]
* This series is designated as Earth-79203 of the Marvel multiverse, making it an alternate reality of Marvel Comics.

* The original designs for the Rangers were drawn by Shuuhou Itahashi and Yuuji Kaida, although the final designs are very different from the originals.
	+ The concept art itself emulates the style of artist John Byrne, who was one of the pencilers of Marvel's *X-Men* comics.

## References

1. ↑ http://risingsuntokusatsu.com/?p=1568
2. ↑ http://themsfightinwords.blogspot.com/2013/04/dance-party-bfj.html

## External links

* *Battle Fever J* at super-sentai.net
* *Battle Fever J* at Wikipedia
* *Battle Fever J* at Japanese Wikipedia