The Super Robot Red Baron

[Godzilla63]

Hi everybody! I was in Shopko today, and saw a box set on the shelf for $6.99 called "The Super Robot Red Baron". I thought this looks right up my alley, and Shopko is also where I picked up my Ultraman Compilation set for, once again, $6.99. So I'm three episodes in, and I love it! It's extremly campy, but the effects are amazing! On the box it says it's in the style of Godzilla(well Godzilla vs Megalon....lol not that campy though!) and the Ultraman team made it. The evil Dr.Deviler if I'm not mistaken is Dr.Mafune from Terror of Mechagodzilla! I'm not sure if Toho made it though, for it does not say on the back of the box and there is no Toho logo before every episode, but I'm not sure because the Ultraman team made it, it also says the team was behind Iron King, which I HAVE to check out now! Has anyone else seen this show? Anyone here who hasn't really needs to, it was made at the height of the Tokusatsu boom and it's a delightful show! (But people who want Kaiju as in say Red King from Ultraman could be disappointed, because unlike Ultraman, all the Kaiju are robots! No....(Biological?)Monsters found here!)

[SuperSaiyan4Godzilla]

I believe Toho didn't make this series.

[August]

The series was produced by Senkosha (now Senko Kikaku), who produced lots of television series, and some great tokusatsu stuff. Many of the people who worked on RED BARON worked on ULTRAMAN and on the Toho films. I worked heavily on this release, including writing all of the subtitle scripts, the 20-page booklet (which isn't including in this version), and the ad copy on the packaging. By saying, "In the tradition in Godzilla", we obviously mean giants smashing cities — because that's what would be referenced in general public's mind (we don't write ad copy for the few hundreds of hardcore Godzilla fans in the US, who would be the only ones to get any such minor references).

Dr. Deviler is not played by Akihiko Hirata, who played Dr. Mafune in TERROR OF MECHAGODZILLA, although some minor Toho actors who appear in several episodes of RED BARON.

If you would like a PDF copy of the 20-page booklet, PM me your e-mail address, Godzilla63, and I will send you a copy. The booklet contains the history on the show, from concept to broadcast, as well as information on the actors, and a complete run-down of the guest stars, who appear in each episode.

[darthzilla99]

I have both Iron King and Red Baron and enjoy both of them. (Hey August, am I correct to assume that the companie is not getting enough demands for Silver Mask?)

[TokyoVigilante]

Friggin' love this show. Just pure excitment the whole way.

[Tyler]

I know this might sound silly, but how many tokusatsu shows like Ultraman are there? I keep hearing about so many.

[Inferno Rodan]

Not a fan, really. But then again, I dislike the vast majority of shows like this that follow the standard "Monster appears. Hero fights monster for a couple minutes. Hero kills monster with signature move" formula. It gets old after a few episodes.

[August]

I have both Iron King and Red Baron and enjoy both of them. (Hey August, am I correct to assume that the companie is not getting enough demands for Silver Mask?)

No, the original company I was working for BCI, went out of business. The subs for FIGHT! DRAGON were already done, which is why Mill Creek released it, after their acquired BCI's holdings. No work was done on SILVER MASK, so its currently in limbo.

Friggin' love this show. Just pure excitment the whole way.

Glad you enjoyed it — I really recommended this and IRON KING to BCI, and I'm glad we could get them out on the North American market for the first time!

I know this might sound silly, but how many tokusatsu shows like Ultraman are there? I keep hearing about so many.

While 99.9% of all Japanese superheroes are masked and suited, they are not all like Ultraman; there are probably more human-sized superheroes than there are Ultraman-sized. But, to give you an understanding of just how popular and long-lasting and ingrained these tokusatsu shows are in the Japanese psyche — between 1971 and 1979, over 63 (that's right, sixty-three!) such shows were produced and broadcast on Japanese television. That might give you a basic idea.

Not a fan, really. But then again, I dislike the vast majority of shows like this that follow the standard "Monster appears. Hero fights monster for a couple minutes. Hero kills monster with signature move" formula. It gets old after a few episodes.

Kind of like Godzilla movies, eh, Inferno Rodan? I mean, Godzilla, Gamera, Guilala, Gappa, etc. — they're all the same. You've seen on giant monster trampling on a city, and you've seen them all, right? How could you have seen the "vast majority" of these shows? You couldn't have. You're simply assuming. Anyhow, I would imagine that you've also not seen RED BARON, because anyone who had, can see that it doesn't fit that stereotyped pattern you seeming imply that all of these shows adhere to. At any rate, RED BARON is pretty much wall-to-wall action, and since it's all giant robots, they don't have to come out only at the end of the show — there are fights in the beginning, middle, and end of some episodes (if you don't have the climatic battle, why stick around watching until the end?).

[Inferno Rodan]

Kind of like Godzilla movies, eh, Inferno Rodan? I mean, Godzilla, Gamera, Guilala, Gappa, etc. — they're all the same. You've seen on giant monster trampling on a city, and you've seen them all, right? How could you have seen the "vast majority" of these shows? You couldn't have. You're simply assuming. Anyhow, I would imagine that you've also not seen RED BARON, because anyone who had, can see that it doesn't fit that stereotyped pattern you seeming imply that all of these shows adhere to. At any rate, RED BARON is pretty much wall-to-wall action, and since it's all giant robots, they don't have to come out only at the end of the show — there are fights in the beginning, middle, and end of some episodes (if you don't have the climatic battle, why stick around watching until the end?).

Y'know August, your holier-than-thou attitude is getting immensely irritating. It's really unbecoming of someone that's such a respected member of the fandom as yourself.

First of all, Godzilla, Gamera, Guilala, Gappa, etc. are movies. They stretch over the course of 90 minutes or so. I don't generally sit down and watch several of them in a row, and even when I do their duration makes their similarity considerably less noticable and much more tolerable. When you watch five 25 minute episodes in a row, and every one of them is basically exactly the same, it gets really boring.

Second, the formula I mentioned isn't limited to tokusatsu. It's extremely common in Super Robot anime as well. Of course I haven't seen them all. I never said had, frankly. Nor did I say that all tokusatsu shows followed the formula. I said I dislike the vast majority of shows that follow the formula. I can say that with a fair amount of confidence, regardless of whether I've seen every series that follows the formula, because I dislike the formula itself.

As for me not seeing Red Baron:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q54/ ... 0693-1.jpg

Now get off your high horse.

[August]

Inferno Rodan (because I don't know you're real name, while I stand behind what I say using my real name), I'm sorry that you're reading something into what I posted, which is not there. You seem to be putting a negative voice in there, that I never intended. Now, when someone makes blanket statements -- on a public forum -- you should be aware that its up for responses. Sorry if you took it so personally. For that, I apologize -- not that I need to.

Also, I never made a personal statement against you, while you did that very thing ("Now get off your high horse"), but I'll overlook it. Likewise, I'll drop the discussion with you now, because I don't want to further offend you with contrary statements or other counter-information which may enrage you.

Respectfully,

[The_Olden_Thing]

Also, I never made a personal statement against you,

Kind of like Godzilla movies, eh, Inferno Rodan?

You've seen on giant monster trampling on a city, and you've seen them all, right? How could you have seen the "vast majority" of these shows? You couldn't have. You're simply assuming. Anyhow, I would imagine that you've also not seen RED BARON...

[August]

The_Olden_Thing,

"Also, I never made a personal statement against you" — I never said anything against him; I gave him some pointed questions, which he must have taken umbrage to, considering his response.

"Kind of like Godzilla movies, eh, Inferno Rodan?" is not a personal attack — it's a pointed question.

"You've seen one giant monster trampling on a city, and you've seen them all, right? How could you have seen the "vast majority" of these shows? You couldn't have. You're simply assuming. Anyhow, I would imagine that you've also not seen RED BARON..." again, these are pointed questions — not a personal defamation. It depends on how one reads these statements, with their own internal voice, is how they are perceived.

Meanwhile, "Y'know August, your holier-than-thou attitude" and "Now get off your high horse" are direct, personal defamations. Not that I care; just pointing out the difference.

[The_Olden_Thing]

The abuse of the word "you" completely and utterly renders that invalid.

[August]

According to whom, you? (Sorry, I couldn't resist). Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar folks! That goes for you, you, you, you, you... and especially YOU!

[Stuckey]

Hey guys, shall we talk about this thing called The Super Robot Red Baron?

I just added this show to my Netflix queue.
For some reason I get the feeling that I had it rented before. Is there a show where the main guy is sorta like a cowboy?

[The_Olden_Thing]

According to whom, you? (Sorry, I couldn't resist). Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar folks! That goes for you, you, you, you, you... and especially YOU!

And I rest my case.

Oh, its not personal! How dare you say it is!

Dude, you of all people should know better than that. And I thought the regulars around here could be childish.

[August]

"Childish"? Don't try to even turn it around on me — I'm making light of the whole thing, because people are getting heated over NOTHING. Molehill or Mountain, you (a general term, meaning everyone) decide! (No "emoticon" so this response is not labeled "childish".)

I guess that this thread will never get back on track...

Hey guys, shall we talk about this thing called The Super Robot Red Baron?

I would hope so.

I just added this show to my Netflix queue. For some reason I get the feeling that I had it rented before. Is there a show where the main guy is sorta like a cowboy?

Actually, you're thinking of IRON KING, made the previous year, by the same company, Senkosha. If anyone wants PDFs of the 20-page booklets I put together for these releases, just send me your e-mail address via PM.

[The_Olden_Thing]

I really do think this is something to genuinely get heated over. A respectable expert on kaiju and henshin genres, and tokusatsu in general, like yourself, has no reason to come onto threads and go after another member in the manner that you did. The fact that you're claiming its not personal and you're just making light of it clearly indicates a level of self-pompous superiority and arrogance even the regulars around here don't have. Don't wag your superiority around like some biggus dickus. It just smells of compensating for something.

[KaneLocke]

Let it go. This is what August does. Let the thread get back on track and ignore him.

[ThunderScore]

I liked IRON KING a bit more than RED BARON... I am more curious about MACH BARON... I remember seeing a Spanish dubbed feature compilation that tried to pass it off as MAZINGER Z(!) - I am sorry that BCI didn't get the chance to release SILVER KAMEN, tho... that I REALLY wanted to see!