Chōjin Sentai Jetman
Chōjin Sentai Jetman is a Japanese tokusatsu television series produced by Toei Company and Bandai. It is the fifteenth entry of the Super Sentai metaseries, following the previous series Chikyu Sentai Fiveman. The series aired on TV Asahi on February 15, 1991 to February 14, 1992, with a total of 51 episodes. It is the last Sentai series until Ressha Sentai ToQger to not get adapted into a Power Rangers series.
Shout! Factory released Jetman in North America on September 25, 2018. This is the 10th Super Sentai to be released in North America and the only one that is non-Power Rangers adapted.
Plot
This series takes place in 199X. On the Earth Ship, the command center of a defence agency called Sky Force, the guardians of peace on Earth, scientists have developed "Birdonic Waves", a newly developed technology which gives the subject superhuman abilities. Experiments called "J-Project" were successful. Aya Odagiri, the director of the project, chooses five elite Sky Force officials from Earth to use this technology. Ryuu Tendou, one of the Sky Force officers, is successfully exposed to the Birdonic Waves, making him the first Jetman, the Red Hawk.However, the Earth Ship is suddenly attacked by Vyram, an evil outer-dimensional organization bent on inter-dimensional domination. They successfully destroy the ship, apparently killing Ryuu's lover and fellow candidate member Rie. In the chaos, the remaining Birdonic Waves for the other four officials become scattered on Earth, hitting four civilians. Odagiri and Tendou successfully escape and begin searching on Earth for the four remaining Jetmen, training them to aid them in stopping Vyram's plans of conquering their dimension.
The series later follows the tribulations of Ryuu as he learns of Rie's survival and enlistment in the Vyram forces, as well as a love triangle between Gai, Ryuu, and Kaori.
Production
Chōjin Sentai Jetman is the first Sentai series that paid homage to another show, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. Developed before the ending of Chikyuu Sentai Fiveman, Toei chose Keita Amemiya to be the series' director. During its development, the series is once called "Chōjin Sentai Birdman", and searched for actors who would play the main characters. One of them were Toshihide Wakamatsu who would go on to play Gai Yuuki/Black Condor. Before the series, the members were all referred to by their color but both Amemiya and Suzuki said that "this unnatural" and decided the characters to refer each other by their names instead of their colors. Episodes without the characters transforming and fighting were also proposed, but seriously opposed by Bandai until the later half of the series.The more mature themes such as drama, romantic love triangles and tragedy were in the series' after Takeyuki Suzuki watched Tosho Daimos, and wanted to capture its "high romance". Both the comedy and dramatic tones influenced the series' overall popularity and had become its defining part.
Characters
Earth Defence Force Sky Force
Earth Defence Force Sky Force is the military organization the Jetmen belong to.Jetmen
Based at the Sky Camp, a high-tech base provided by the Sky Force, the Jetman team is formed by five persons who gain superhuman strength through exposure to Birdonic Waves. Each Jetman is equipped with a wingsuit uniform called the Birdonic Suit that allows them to glide in the air, a right-hand gauntlet called Wing Gauntlet, a combat sword called "Bringer Sword", and a handgun called "Bird Blaster".Ryuu Tendou
Ryuu Tendou/Red Hawk: Born at May 10, 1965. He is 25 years old at the beginning of the series, but turns 26 in episode 13. He is originally a Sky Force soldier codenamed "W6" and leader of the Jetmen. Being the only member of the Jetman team who is actually of military background, his policy is to be always professional and never let feelings affect himself in battle, and he expects the same from his teammates. This leads to a conflict when he discovers that his beloved Rie has become Maria, eventually coming to terms with the revelation as he resolves to save Rie from the Vyram control. However, Rie's death at the hands of his nemesis Radiguet proves to be the last straw, causing him to challenge Radiguet alone before Kaori consoles Ryuu and encourages him to stay true to his own belief in justice rather than revenge. Three years later, Ryuu marries Kaori and the two have a son, whom they name after their late teammate, Gai.- Attacks: Wing Punch
Kaori Rokumeikan
Kaori Rokumeikan/White Swan: The 22-year-old heiress of the Rokumeikan Enterprises empire. She is taken care of by her butler, Jiiya, since her parents live in New York City. She joined the Jetmen to escape the boredom of her heiress life. She is good at Kendo and is the best shot in Jetman. Kaori was in the middle of a love triangle with Ryuu and Gai, learning through hardships brought on by her new profession what a spoiled rich girl she was and what are truly important to herself. She was once engaged to a wealthy businessman named Soichiro Kitaoji and was close to marrying him, but she quickly ended their relationship when she saw his selfishness in contrast to her team's selfless determination as warriors of justice. She does sometimes use her wealth to help the team, like when she purchased a large amount of diamonds and other jewels to try and snap Ako out of the curse of the dimensional monster Diamond Dimension. At the end of the series, she marries Ryuu and they have a son named after their late teammate, Gai.- Attacks: Storm Wing, Swany Attack, Double Kick.
Raita Ooishi
Raita Ooishi/Yellow Owl: A 22-year-old large-framed, eyeglasses-wearing nature lover who enjoys vegetables, Raita hates Vyram for their destruction of nature. He was raised by his grandmother, Kiyo Ooishi, because Raita's parents were busy developing a career running a restaurant. He harbors a crush for Kaori, vowing to be there for her even if he has no chance with her, although eventually his ultimate subject of affection turns out to be his childhood friend, Satsuki. As Yellow Owl, he specializes in raw strength techniques like head butts, body blows, sumo-based techniques, and hurling boulders. Three years after Vyram is defeated, he runs a farm with Satsuki and later takes their business to the next level via the internet.- Attacks: Rock Drop, Deadly Thrust, Condor Owl Howling Attack, Double Kick.
Ako Hayasaka
Ako Hayasaka/Blue Swallow: An 18-year-old senior student at Miharakita High School, Ako was a bright and cheerful girl who wants to marry a rich man. She first thought of being a Jetman as just a high-paying job, but her first battle helps her sense of justice take hold and made her realize that she must use her newfound power to protect Earth. She is best friends with her classmate, Kyoko, who learned of her true identity during the Voice Dimension incident. From the Trash Dimension incident, the monster being her childhood toy Teddy, Ako learns of how wasteful humans can be. She debuts as an idol singer three years after the fall of Vyram.- Attacks: Swallow Dash.
Gai Yuuki
Gai Yuuki/Black Condor: The 26-year-old second-in-command of the Jetmen, a loner who hates being told what to do. Gai loves challenges and risks, and is a womanizer and an avid if occasional gambler. Gai's fighting styles are street fighting and mixed martial arts: his combat skills match Ryuu's, though he fights dirty and hits below the belt sometimes. He initially clashes with the straight-laced Ryuu when drafted against his will but eventually comes to respect Ryuu's largely-principled disposition, ultimately becoming friends with him. He loves Kaori and often tries to flirt with her, leading to much frustration due to his initially-unreciprocated feelings. When she finally accepts him, they frequently have problems in their relationship as they are too different. He later develops a rivalry with Vyram general Grey. He defeated Grey in their final encounter, in which a part of his helmet was damaged. Three years after the defeat of Vyram, while buying a bouquet for Ryuu and Kaori's wedding, Gai intervenes in a robbery and is stabbed in the stomach for the trouble. He makes it to the church after the wedding and talks to Ryuu before he dies of his wound, passing it off as a hangover, satisfied that everyone he cares for has found happiness. Ryuu and Kaori name their son after him.- Attacks: Condor Finish, Condor Owl Howling Attack.
Arsenal
- Cross Changer: The transformation bracelet, worn on the right wrist. They transform by shouting the device's name and pressing a bird shaped button on the bracelet.
- Corresponder: The communication device for the team. It contains an icon representing each member's respective bird which can be placed in the "Bird Lock" on the control console of the Jetmen's mecha to form Jet Ícarus. It is worn on the left wrist.
- Jet Hand Cannons: A combination of the Bird Blaster and Bringer Sword. With it, the Jetmen can execute the Bird Bomber team attack.
- *Bird Blasters: Standard sidearm weapons.
- *Bringer Swords: Longswords used by the Jetmen.
- Beak Smashers: Advanced guns armed with the Motion Chaser function.
- Smash Bombers: A combination of the Bird Blaster and Beak Smasher. With it, the Jetmen can execute a team attack of the same name.
- Wing Gauntlet: Gauntlets equipped with electrowaves, used to perform Wing Punch. It can also fire Wing Beams.
Vehicles
- Jet Striker: Red Hawk's buggy, transforms into Fire Bazooka. Its maximum speed is 500 kilometers per hour.
- Jet Bouncer: A Toyota Hilux four-wheel drive used by Yellow Owl and White Swan. Its maximum speed is 400 kilometers per hour.
- Jet Speeders: Black Condor and Blue Swallow's motorcycles. Its maximum speed is 360 kilometers per hour.
Mecha
- Jet Icarus: A giant robo formed with all five Jet Machine fighter jets by the command "Fusion! Scramble Wing". It destroys monsters using the Birdonic Saber. Its other weapons are the Shot Puncher, Icarus Crusher, Icarus Axe, Icarus Magna, Jet Lancer, Jet Dagger, and the Wing Shield. It can reform into the Icarus Haken when the command of "Fusion! Jet Scramble" is given, and its ultimate attack is the Jet Phoenix.
- *Jet Hawk: Red Hawk's individual Jet Machine. It forms the frontal section of the Icarus Haken, the head and chest of the Jet Icarus, and the head and the center of the chest of the Great Icarus. Despite it being somewhat destroyed, it appears again in Gaoranger vs Super Sentai.
- *Jet Condor: Black Condor's individual Jet Machine. It forms the right rudder of the Icarus Haken, the left leg of the Jet Icarus, and the left upper leg of the Great Icarus.
- **It was repainted and renamed Jet Eagle after Green Eagle replaced the slain Black Condor in the manga.
- *Jet Owl: Yellow Owl's individual Jet Machine. It forms the right wing of the Icarus Haken, the right arm of the Jet Icarus, and the right upper arm of the Great Icarus.
- *Jet Swan: White Swan's individual Jet Machine. It forms the left rudder of the Icarus Haken, the right leg of the Jet Icarus, and the right upper leg of the Great Icarus.
- *Jet Swallow: Blue Swallow's individual Jet Machine. It forms the left wing of the Icarus Haken, the left arm of the Jet Icaros and the Wing Shield from its Wing Cutter, and the left upper arm of the Great Icaros.
- Jet Garuda: Jetman's second robot that transforms from an airship called the Bird Garuda. Actually an alien spaceship built and manned by the three survivors of the Reverse Dimension, one of the many dimensional planes conquered by Vyram. When the command "Transform! Jet Garuda" is given, the cockpit of the Bird Garuda forms the head, the tailfins become the back, the rear intakes become the feet, and the forward engines are the shoulders. It forms the headdress, body, forearms, and lower legs of the Great Icarus and attaches to the rear of the Icarus Haken to form the Hyper Haken. It is armed with the Diamond Blizzard, Wing Slasher, Garud Searcher and the Garuda Burst. Its finishing attack is the Garuda Claw. It was made by Dimensia Fighters Ray, Kanna and Dan. It was destroyed in the final battle, but is shown rebuilt in the sequel manga.
- Great Icarus: The combination of the Jet Icarus and the Jet Garuda into a powerful robot, formed from the command "Combine! Great Scramble", and armed with Great Beam. It destroys monsters with its ultimate finishing attack, the Bird Maser. When the command "Combine! Haken Scramble" is given, it can reform into the Hyper Haken. It is armed with the Hyper Buster and its finishing attack is the Hyper G Attack. It was first used to destroy the monster Semimaru.
- Tetraboy: An AI-gifted robot specialized in quick movements and boxing attacks. It can transform into the Tetra Buster cannon, used by the Jet Icarus or the Jet Garuda. It is rendered useless by Raguem after he tears off Tetraboy's arms in the final battle.
Allies
Aya Odagiri
Commander Aya Odagiri: The first female commander in the Super Sentai franchise. She is good at martial arts, and the inventor of the team vehicles. She is both caring and stern to the Jetmen, and she is not above fighting alongside those under her charge and even personally covering their maneuvers if necessary. As befitting to her status as the Jetman team's commanding officer, her subordinates call her simply "Commander". She is also an able pilot, having flown Sky Force aircraft and even Jet Garuda on two occasions.Commander Aya Odagiri is portrayed by Mikiko Miki.
Supreme Commander Ichijou
Supreme Commander Ichijou : A Sky Force officer who cares only for himself and bears a grudge against Commander Odagiri for being the commanding officer in the Jetmen project, which fell to civilians. With his Neo Jetmen, Ichijou gains appointment to assume command of Sky Camp base, bent on making Odagiri suffer while removing her Jetmen from the picture. However, he subsequently proves himself to be utterly incompetent in his new capacity when Bio-Dimension Beast Meteor BEM infiltrates and wreaks havoc within Sky Camp, being instantly demoralized at the first sign of Meteor BEM gaining the upper hand, refusing to even defend himself when offered the option to do so, and trapping his own Neo Jetmen team with the monster in a futile act of desperation. It is implied at the end of Episode 41 that Sky Force has since removed Ichijou from command and reinstated Odagiri in the aftermath of the attack.Neo Jetmen
- Neo Jetmen : J1 through J5, team created by Supreme Commander Ichijou to replace the Jetmen, having Birdonic Reactors implanted in bodies, bypassing the need for regular exposure to Birdonic Waves. J1 is armed with the Neo Sword, J2 is armed with the Neo Stinger scythe, and J4 is armed with the Neo Slicer boomerang. All five wield Neo Shooter guns and Neo Mine grenades, and their group attack is the Flare Buster twin cannon. They eventually give the Birdonic energies to the original Jetmen in order to restore their powers.
Others
- Reverse Dimension Soldiers : The last three warriors of Dimensia, a realm in the Reverse Dimension destroyed by Vyram. The group composed of Ray, his lover Kanna, and the youthful Dan, they chased Vyram to Earth with the Bird Garuda. While Ray and Kanna working with the Jetmen in their fight against Semimaru, Dan becomes romantically interested at Ako when they meet, causing him to express his feelings in a comical fashion. After Ray and Kanna are killed by Radiguet when he hijacks Jet Garuda, Dan assumes his fighting form and is mortally wounded taking the robot back from Radiguet. He dies soon after Ako expresses her feelings about him.
- Reverse Dimension Berserker Soldiers : The two warriors from the Berserk region, destroyed by Vyram force under Radiguet whose people can change anything they hold into weapons, though they can give up that very power to save a life instead. Arriving to Earth, while Duran is cared for by the Jetmen, Ru attempts to kill Radiguet. However, after Ru realizes the error of her ways and Duran is saved from the control of the monster Armor Snake, the two leave Earth to find a world they can find peace in.
Enemies
Dimensional War Party Vyram
The Dimensional War Party Vyram appears as a clan of outer-dimensional nobles, who conquered many worlds in the Reverse Dimension, and are now moving on to Front Dimension, ours. They boast about having achieved godhood, while they despise humans and see them as stupid and worthless. Their base of operations is the Vylock, a brain-shaped castle capable of traversing dimensions and sending its forces to Earth due to its Dimensional Transfer Machine. After their leader got lost in the Reverse Dimension, its four leading members compete in a game to defeat the Jetmen with the prize being full-leadership. Tran eventually becomes powerful enough to assume command, but is deposed by Radiguet, who leads Vyram up to its destruction.Radiguet
Radiguet: A cold-hearted officer who is the nearest presence to a leader of the Vyram, refusing to acknowledge anyone above and will do anything to accomplish his goals including being the one who kills the Jetmen. In battle, Radiguet wields the Demon Sword Bloody Gate and can transform into his true form when enraged. When Juuza returned to power, Radiguet attempts to kill her and ends being punished for his treachery by living as a human with no memory of his life in Vyram. Cared for by Saki, a girl on the verge of death, Radiguet unconsciously saves her life with his power. But though he wanted nothing to do with his past, Radiguet eventually regains his memories and helps the Jetmen in fighting Juuza. After killing Juuza to acquire Semimaru, Radiguet kills Saki to discard his humanity before nurturing Semimaru to assume its adult form though it was destroyed by the Great Icarus. Radiguet later attempt to bring the Demons under his control, managing to succeed with Ramon when he absorbed Gorg. When Tranza takes over the Vyram throne, Radiguet attempts to kill him, only to be made an example of by the stronger opponent and forced into humbling himself before Tranza. Baring a terrible grudge against Tranza since then, Radiguet allied himself with Maria and Grey to summon the meteor used to create Meteor BEM to take out the Jetmen, enraged to find Tranza used his plan as a springboard from his own scheme. Attempting to sabotage Veronica, Radiguet is hooked up to have his life force sucked out. However, instead of having the life sucked out of him, Radiguet drains Veronica's power. Later, after using the Jetmen to do his dirty work, Radiquet tortures Tranza before breaking his mind and leaving him powerless, becoming Vyram's leader. Ultimately, the side effects of his power boost manifest in his newly gained giant form, the armored Raguem. After killing Rie so Red Hawk could not have her, Radiguet battles him until the other Jetmen arrive. After the five Jetmen defeat him, Radiguet assumes his Raguem form which not even the Great Icarus is a match for until the Tetraboy punches the weak point Rie made. To counter their advantage over him, Raguem assimilates the Vylock into armor that he uses to overpower Tetraboy. The Great Icarus separates and Ryuu uses the Jet Garuda to rip the armor off and the others destroy both the Jet Garuda and Raguem. Radiguet says that his soul will continue to curse the Jetmen for eternity from the Reverse Dimension before he explodes.Radiguet is portrayed by Masaki Tachi.
Tran
Tran / Tranza : A psychokinetic child who suggested a game to settle who would be Vyram's new leader. He specialized into creating toy-ish monsters to satisfy his fun desires, and thought both enemy or ally fatalities as "just part of the fun". Being the youngest of the Vyram was a big complex to him until his failed attempt to take out the Jetmen during their retreat to the Yamada Ranch was the last straw. The constant anger became unbearable to the point of Tran using it to accelerate his growth. With his new-found power and maturity, Tranza easily defeats both his comrades and the Jetmen for underestimating him before seizing leadership of Vyram. In addition to his psychokinetic powers from his gauntlet, and new-found arrogant nature, he can now assume disguises and wields the Boltranza blade. After his giant robot Veronica was ruined by Radiguet, and after completing his new Bio Gun, Tranza heads out to hunt both him and the Jetmen down. Fighting the entire Jetman team on his own, Tranza uses his Bio Gun to turn each Jetman member into a rock plate until only Ryuu remained. However, with Radiguet aiding Red Hawk before betraying him, the Bio Gun is destroyed by Red Hawk's charged Bringer Sword and the others are freed with the destruction of Tranza's gauntlet as they use the Fire Bazooka on Tranza. Though he survives the attacks, Radiguet tortures Tranza before sparring him to live with a severe brain injury at the Joutou Neurosurgery Hospital.Tran is portrayed by Miku Kuga. Tranza is portrayed by Yutaka Hirose.
Maria
Maria : She was formerly known as Rie Aoi, ranked Sky Forcer W3, a love interest of Ryuu's who plays the piano. Though originally to be a Jetman, Vyram's attack on the Earth Ship resulted with Rie being sucked into space. However, Rie is saved by Radiguet, who brainwashed her to be devoid of her memories as a human and made an official of Vyram. However, though he loved her and tells her that she is his, Maria defies Radiguet to suit her own agenda to be leader of Vyram. She loves to battle, and her methods are cruel and cold. She is armed with the Necrod, which has sword, gun, and whip modes. The monsters created by her were often motivated by envy, and attacked mainly women. Since the Camera Dimension incident, unconsciously playing the piano, Maria develops a relationship with Grey. Since then, she played piano music for Grey despite not knowing why, until her identity was found out and the relationship got difficult. Grey was willing to let her go if it made her happy. During the Demons incident, Maria momentarily reverted to Rie until Radiguet forced her back to her Vyram persona with a vendetta against Red Hawk. Eventually forfeiting their contest, Maria accepts Radiguet's proposal of ruling by his side in return of becoming even stronger than she is now. As a result, Maria is infected by a cell born from Radiguet's blood that turns her into a vampiric beast as she targets men, though unaware that she would transform into mindless puppet overtime. While fighting Ryuu, Maria assumes her monstrous form as she battles Red Hawk before assuming Rie's appearance to catch him off guard as the cell transfers itself to Ryuu in order to have him take out the Jetmen. While Ryuu manages to return to normal, Maria is in the final stage of her transformation as she defeats the other Jetmen before Ryuu arrives and manages to reach Rie, causing Maria to remember her true self as she reverts to her true form. When Radiguet comes to reclaim her, Rie pretends that she will go with him, only to stab him in the back before he mortally wounds her. Before her death, Rie asks Ryuu to leave her out of it before being spirited away by Grey. Her ghost later appeared in the finale, saying farewell to Ryuu after his marriage to Kaori.Maria is portrayed by Maho Maruyama.
Grey
Grey : A robot who ironically was always the most reasoning member of the Vyram. He is armed with the Grey Cannon, Mulshot Gun, and Hand Greyzer. Despite being a robot, he showed human feelings, especially love for wine, music, cigars, and particularly Maria, learning to play the piano from example. As a result, Grey supports Maria in shielding her when fighting Jetman, seeing Gai Yuuki as an ideal rival. Learning of Radiguet's plan for her, Grey attempts to talk Maria out of it to no avail. This forces Grey to ask the Jetmen to save Maria. However, he instead takes her dying body away as he takes her death hard. With nothing to live for other than his code as a soldier, Grey calls the Jetmen out in a final match, with Gai wanting to fight him alone. Eventually, Grey is mortally damaged as Gai lit one last cigar for him as a sign of acknowledgment as a worthy rival before Grey shuts down.Grey is portrayed by Hideaki Kusaka.
Empress Juuza
Empress Juuza: The true leader of Vyram, referring to herself as mother of all creation, Juuza along her underlings Radiguet, Grey, and Tran had conquered many dimensions. While able to teleport, fire lasers from her hook use telekinesis, being intangible, and breathe fire in her human form, Juuza can become Demon Beast Juuza where she fires a beam from her eyes, bullets from her fingers, and shock-waves and beams from her mouth, as well as become an intangible head. Thought to be killed during the Reverse Dimension Invasion War, she actually went under a long sleep after acquiring the Semimaru and incubating it, and came to Earth via a meteorite. She makes her presence known by causing a momentary blackout across the city. By the time the Jetmen investigate, finding Radiguet as he was about to kill her while asleep, Juuza emerges and resumes control of Vyram. She then proceeds to use the humans' pain and suffering from crystals sprouting from their bodies before becoming crystals themselves to feed Semimaru. The Jetmen nearly lose to her as Gai is affected by Juuza's crystal beam while shielding Kaori from it. After punishing Radiguet to live as a human for his treachery, Juuza resumes her attack as the Jetmen battle her before Gai succumbs to Juuza's spell and dies. With some unexpected assistance from Radiguet, White Swan destroys her forehead crystal after asking for Gai's strength in order to revive everyone she turned into crystals. Enraged that her face is hurt, Juuza assumes her Demon Beast Juuza form as the rest of Vyram and Black Condor join the fight against her as the Jetmen use the Fire Bazooka to defeat her. Near death, she is killed by Radiguet when he throws his sword into her throat just before Semimaru hatched.Grinam soldiers
Grinam soldiers: The black-skinned grunts born from Grinam seeds. They are armed with axes and capable of launching explosive shells from their hands. The group were later summoned by Zaigan during Super Sentai World.Monsters
Dimension Beasts
The Dimension Beasts are monsters born through the fusion of a baby Dimensional Bug parasite, which assimulates with any material it comes in contact with. The resulting creature would often possess supernatural powers and / or weapons reminiscent of the object. Even if the Beast is destroyed, if the Dimensional Bug survives, it can revive and enlarge it.- Fighter Dimension : This giant Dimension Beast was originally the Commander's jet that she used to search for the two remaining Jetman but Radiguet interferes with the mission and plants a Dimensional Bug on the jet, starting its transformation into a monster. Though it tried to devour the Commander inside the cockpit, she managed to break free and parachute off the jet. It later went against the Jet Hawk in a dogfight before it grabs Gai Yuuki to use as a hostage. But once Gai is freed and saved, the Fighter crashes and assume full Dimension Beast form, able to fire orbs from its mouth. However, Red Hawk manages to destroy Fighter Dimension by shooting at the exposed gas pipe.
- Faucet Dimension : Originally a faucet implanted with Tran's Dimensional Bug, this Dimension Beast uses its pipes to wrap around its victims' necks, strangling them. Faucet Dimension later attacks Ryuu while he was trying to convince Gai to join their group as the others come to his aid, getting all four in a corner until Gai returns. After being thrashed by Black Condor, Faucet Dimension is destroyed by the Jetmen.
- Road Dimension : Originally a traffic light infused with Radiguet's Dimensional Bug on its thigh, this Dimension Beast caused trouble by disrupting the traffic from traffic light malfunction to ripping the road in order to show itself. Though it overpowered the Jetman, Road Dimension is defeated once White Swan arrives at the nick of time. But once enlarged, Road is wounded during the fight with the Jet Machines. Once fully healed, Road Dimension resumes its attack and was the first Dimension Beast destroyed by the Icarus Haken.
- House Dimension : Originally an apartment building infused with Radiguet's Dimensional Bug on its forehead, this Dimension Beast managed to devour many people before the Jetmen meddled in its feeding affairs, forcing House Dimension to reveal itself and attack the city. This was the first Dimension Beast destroyed by the Jet Icarus.
- Mirror Dimension : Originally a mirror infused with Maria's Dimensional Bug on its right breast, this Dimension Beast can enter any mirror, taking advantage of humans' vanity to trap them in the mirror realm within its body should they look into their reflections, using them as hostages. The Jetman were at a disadvantage at first until Ryuu's grandmother uses her mirror to deflect the beam and trap Maria in her own Dimension Beast, forcing it to release all its hostages. After the Jetman use a physical attack to shatter the Dimension Beast's mirror chest, this monster was shattered by the Bird Bomber. Though regenerated by its Dimensional Bug, Mirror Dimension was destroyed by the Jet Icarus.
- Diamond Dimension : The result of Maria's Dimensional Bug fusing into the Bloody Diamond, a 2 billion yen jewel said to be cursed, Diamond Dimension is used to inflict people under its curse with insane greed-filled rage. Once in full Dimension Beast form, Diamond Dimension uses its curse to turn Ako Hayasaka into a crazed psycho, forcing the male members of the team to attack the monster without her and Kaori, who tends to Ako before later, breaking the curse with every diamond in Tokyo and a slap to bring Ako back to her senses. Once the female members arrives, duo attack Diamond Dimension before hitting its Dimensional Bug, then use the Icarus Haken's Jet Phoenix to crack the Dimension Beast, breaking its curse.
- Fashion Dimension : Originally a sewing machine infused with Tran's Dimensional Bug on his left shoulder, Fashion Dimension can create Vyram Fashion clothing that can force people into acting according to the nature of the attire. When this Dimension Beast uses its Vyram Fashion to turn Satsuki into a sniper, Raita manages to free his childhood friend by reminding her of their childhood before helping his team defeat the monster with several boulders. Though it was enlarged, Fashion Dimension is destroyed by the Jet Icarus.
- Noodle Dimension : Originally cup noodles infused with a Dimensional Bug from Tran, this Dimension Beast assumes the guise of God Ramen to trick Ako's classmate, Tatsuta, into creating the Happy Ako brand of cup noodles using his special noodle lifeforms, which would make any who eat them extremely impatient after hearing Noodle Dimension play his piccolo, only able to wait one minute. Once Tasuta learns the truth from the news, the Dimension Beast attempts to kill him when Ako arrives to aid her friend. Though the Beast overpowers her, Tatsuta uses Noodle Dimension's dependence on hot water against him, holding him off until the Jetman arrive with an impatient Yellow Owl, having ate the ramen prior, and Blue Swallow leading the attack. Once Jet Icarus is formed, it destroys the Dimension Beast and breaks his spell.
- Vending Dimension : Originally a gym vending machine infused with Grey's Dimensional Bug on his right breast armor, this Dimension Beast can use his Coin Bombs and Can Bombs. Using his basis as a guise, with the Jetmen drinking his juice that hyper-magnifies minor personality traits of the drinker whenever they hiccup. He later attacks Raita, with the others arriving to his aid. Confident that the Jetmen have become useless in battle, Vending Dimension goes on the attack with only Gai able to fight him as his minor personality trait is being a lonesome nice guy. With Ryuu lazily supporting him, Gai managed to hurt Vending Dimension as the team hiccup, reverting to their usual personalities and they all kill the Dimension Beast with the Bird Bombers. Though revived by the Dimensional Bug, Vending Dimension is easily destroyed by Jet Icarus.
- Bus Dimension : Originally a public transportation bus infused with Tran's Dimensional Bug, Bus Dimension uses his guise to take people and digest them one by one whenever in a tunnel, leaving only foaming remnants of its prey. Kaori and Raita happen to be on the bus, believing that someone on the bus was killing the passengers. The truth is revealed by the time the driver, revealed to be a fugitive named Ken'ichi Ota, is digested. By then, the bus begins to assume its true giant form as the passengers escape. White Swan risks her life for Yellow Owl to get the others to run off before the others arrive in the Jet Machines. Forming Jet Icarus, the Jetmen battle Bus Dimension before using the Birdonic Saber to destroy it.
- Camera Dimension : Originally a camera infused with Maria's Dimensional Bug, Camera Dimension uses his Lens Beam on whomever he takes a picture of would be transported into Maria's photo album. Once assuming his Dimension Beast form, he is able to also use the explosive Flash Beam and shoot a mist from his left forearm. Camera Dimension later supports Maria in attacking Gai and Kaori before the other Jetmen arrive. However, Camera Dimension captures Kaori before targeting every young woman in the city. After they find out his weakness, exposed while using his Lens Beam, the Jetmen attempt to destroy the beast from within when Grey arrives to help Camera Dimension, with Raita and Ako taken as a result. Ryuu completes the Fire Bazooka just in time and uses it to free his team and everyone else Camera Dimension took before the Jetmen use the weapon to kill the Dimension Beast before it is easily destroyed by the Jet Phoenix.
- Voice Dimension : Originally a megaphone infused with Maria's Dimensional Bug, Voice Dimension feeds on women's voices, giving them deep-sounding ones in exchange, as part of Maria's plan to use the stolen voices to turn them into Voice Dimension's Ultrasonic Soundwaves. Among the victims was Ako's classmate Kyouko, with Ako going after him at the risk of exposing herself as a Jetman and later, risking her own voice. Once the team figures out that Voice Dimension targeted only women, Ako plans for Raita pretend to be a geisha to trick the Dimension Beast into feeding on his voice, losing all the voices he stole as a result. With Kyouko's support after finding out her secret, Blue Swallow defeats Voice Dimension before he is killed by the Fire Bazooka. Though revived by his Dimensional Bug, Voice Dimension is destroyed by Jet Icarus when Blue Swallow uses the Birdonic Saber.
- Paper Dimension : Originally origami infused with Tran's Dimensional Bug on its left shoulder, Paper Dimension has the power to bring images and sheets of paper to life and have them attack people. Stopping the Jetmen from transforming, Paper Dimension overpowers them until he runs off as he couldn't tolerate the music of the ocarina played by one of the images he brought to life, the model from a painting by artist Shuuichirou Mabuki of his late daughter Shizuko. Because she was created with his love, Shizuko was invincible to Paper Dimension's power as it is sent after her upon being considered a threat by Tran until Ryuu comes to Shizuko's aid, with the others covering their escape. After leaving Shizuko by her father's bedside to play her ocarina, Red Hawk returns to the fight with Paper Dimension regaining the upper hand until Shizuko holds the Dimension Beast at bay with her music until he eliminates her to stop it, which causes an enraged Red Hawk goes wild on Paper Dimension before using the Fire Bazooka to kill him. Though revived by his Dimensional Bug, Paper Dimension is destroyed by Jet Icarus.
- Divination Dimension : Originally a fortune telling machine infused with Maria's Dimensional Bug on her left breast, Divination Dimension has the power of illusion and uses tarot cards as her weapon. Posing as a fortune teller named Lilika Lu Inoue, Divination Dimension targets Kaori with coincidental predictions that drive her crazy before giving her a tragic illusion of her future where she is killed by Maria at the Bay Bridge. She later traps the other Jetman in another dimension when they fight at the same location where she uses her illusions to torture them until throwing one of her tarot cards at them until Kaori stops her before the attack is carried out, overcoming her fear of the future with Jiiya's help. White Swan battles Divination Dimension before the Jetmen use the Fire Bazooka to kill the Dimension Beast and destroy her Dimensional Bug in the process.
- Vacuum Cleaner Dimension : Originally a vacuum infused with Tran's Dimensional Bug on the right side of his head, Vacuum Cleaner Dimension can use his vacuum hose to suck or blow or as a whip. He is sent to suck the passionate love out of brides in order to keep humans from marrying and having descendants. One such victim was Sakiko, the older sister of Michiru who pursued the Dimension Beast to get to the bottom of it and meets Gai, who eventually figures it out. Though he overpowered the untransformed Jetmen, they trap him with a fake wedding between Gai and Ako before Michiru blows the trap believing he was actually getting married with Vacuum Cleaner Dimension sucked her love for him out while running off. This in turn infuriates Gai, finding Vacuum Cleaner Dimension as Black Condor kills him with extreme prejudice. Though revived by his Dimensional Bug, Gai fights the giant Vacuum Cleaner Dimension on his own before the Dimension Beast is destroyed by Jet Icarus with the Icarus Crusher, restoring his victims to normal.
- Trash Dimension : Originally a pile of garbage infused with Maria's Dimensional Bug after Tran took it from her, Trash Dimension's will is provided by Ako's Teddy. Though a good natured Dimension Beast with the power to fix things, Trash Dimension is the victim of prejudice before he found by Maria who attempts to discipline him before Ako arrives. Recognizing Ako as his "Mama" because of her bell, Trash Dimension follows Ako everywhere she goes before she leaves the hungry Dimension Beast at the dump so he can make a living eat garbage. However, after an attempt on his life from traders throwing away their unsold goods earlier that day, angering him, Trash Dimension is soon found by Maria who turns him into a giant rage-filled Dimension Beast with his original beam now able to destroy things. After Ako attempts to reason with the help of a garbage worker, she joins the other Jetman in fighting Trash Dimension in Jet Icarus herself until she saves a little girl, with Trash Dimension regaining himself and returning to his normal size, upon hearing the child cry for her mama and her teddy bear's bell, in order to save Blue Swallow. However, Maria kills Trash Dimension with a saddened Ako later making a memorial to him at the dump he worked at.
- Dryer Dimension : Originally a dryer infused with Tran's Dimensional Bug, Dryer Dimension calls himself the "Original Dimension Beast." In response to being called outdated thanks to the Bio-Dimension Beasts, this Dimension Beast unsuccessfully tries to prove itself by gathering madcap Grinam soldiers who share his plight to take out the Jetmen with. However, when it was about to finish them off, this Dimension Beast is revealed to be a nice guy to everyone's shock as his Grinam soldiers are beaten by the Jetmen while he helps an old lady; the soldiers later ditch him during a second attempt after a dog is shown not to be scared of him. After an attempt to take two school girls hostage only to end up coming to terms with his goodness, this Dimension Beast helps the Jetmen against Tran before leaving the scene at their request for his own safety. Soon after, he takes up a job in a small barbershop with the Jetmen getting a card from him. Dryer Dimension was the only Dimension Beast in this series to not be destroyed at all.
Bio-Dimension Beasts
- Light Armadillo : The result of Maria's Bio-Dimensional Bug imbued with armadillo DNA fused with a Baseball field light post, this Bio-Dimension Beast can roll itself into a ball while using its light bring shadows to life while the target becomes weakened over time as their life force transfers into the shadow. When attacked by the Jetmen minus Gai, it creates the Shadow Jetmen
Other Vyram Monsters
- Dimensional Bug : An alien monster sent to Earth by Radiguet to drain people of their lifeforce with his tongue and convert into energy for his babies in her abdomen. He was the first opponent the Jetman fought at half-strength, mortally wounded by Red Hawk before Radiguet saves him. After detaching himself from his egg sack, this Dimensional Bug is sent to attack the Jetman, only to be destroyed by all five.
- Demon Beast Semimaru : The demon king of destruction; an insectoid who is legendary for his destructive power. Juuza acquired such a monster and brought it to Earth while as an egg, feeding him enough human suffering to mature. Though she succeeds in her plan, Juuza is killed by Radiguet who raises Semimaru from his green larval form to a red armored human-sized form. Once he emerges, the matured Semimaru enlarges himself as it goes on a rampage across the city while defeating Jet Icarus until the Bird Garuda intervenes and freezes the monster. However, once the monster breaks out of the Diamond Blizzard, he defeats Jet Garuda before leaving to tend to his wounds until Semimaru meets his end fighting the newly formed Great Icarus.
- Demon Mu : A servant of Ramon and Gorg, Mu was put to sleep along with his two masters since ancient times. Accidentally released from his urn by two lost travelers, Mu goes to find an ideal warrior to use in a blood sacrifice to free his masters. Arriving to the scene of the Jetmen's fight with Radigam, Mu attacks them to pick out a suitable sacrifice and abducts Kaori to begin the ritual. Gai attempts to save Kaori and offers his blood in her place. Then, the other Jetmen intervene and battle Mu as they use the Fire Bazooka on him which he endured while Radiguet offers his blood to complete the demons' revival. Finding his masters revived, Mu was killed by Gorg for getting wounded.
- Demon Ramon and Demon Gorg : The natural predators of humanity, who turn humans into human fruits for consumption. Sealed during ancient times, they could only be released by the blood of a warrior, with Radiguet giving them his in return for their loyalty. However, the two claim they have no interest in eliminating humanity and see Radiguet as their enemy before they start to feed until the Jetmen intervene. Enlarging, Gorg battles Jet Icarus and Jet Garuda until the Tetraboy arrives and defeats the demon. With Gorg mortally wounded by Jet Icarus with the Tetra Buster, Ramon attempts to absorb him before Radiguet and Grey spirit away the dying Gorg and feed him Bio-Dimensional Bugs before Ramon finds him where he previously lay, succeeding in gaining control of the fused demon deity. Yet even with Gorg's power fusing with his own, Ramon is defeated by the Jetmen and then destroyed by the Hyper-Haken.
- Hell Medusa : An internal defense mechanism designed to hunt down any intruders, it attacks Ryuu when he infiltrates the Vylock. Enlarging to stop Great Icarus from destroying Vyram's dimension transport device, Grey commands it to drain the giant robot's energy completely to explode with the Jetmen until Tetraboy intervenes and holds the monster long enough for Great Icarus to destroy Hell Medusa.
- G2 : A yellow robot created by Tranza as a trial platform for technologies meant for his Veronica project, G2 malfunctioned after serving its purpose and was relegated to being a training target for the Grinam soldiers while its onboard AI developed a childlike mind. Escaping to Earth, G2 finds itself in the middle of Grey and Maria's hunt for Gai and Kaori. After being given a replacement power source by Grey, G2 attempts to win his love by bringing Maria, who was in Red Hawk's custody at the time, to him. Unfortunately, the process is plagued with freak accidents as well as continued combat between Gray and the Jetmen, leaving G2 fatally-damaged while protecting Maria and Grey. Laying abandoned and unrecognized, G2 plays Maria's tune before self-destructing.
- Veronica : The ultimate giant robot built by Tranza, it required human life energy as a power source. Upon appearing on Earth, piloted by Tranza and the other Vyram officers, Veronica wreaks havoc on the city as it defeats Jet Icarus and Jet Garuda while stopping them from initiating Great Icarus, yet before Veronica could finish them off, it is damaged as a result of Radiguet's attempt to take the main controls from Tranza to deal the final blow. After Grey finishes repairs, Veronica resumes its attack as Tetraboy arrives to hold the robot off until the Great Icarus arrives. However, Veronica damages the giant robot after it reveals its power source with Tranza invading the robot. By the time Veronica returns, now powered by three of the Jetman, it overpowers Great Icarus until Radiguet's sabotage manifests. With Grey piloting Veronica as Tranza deals with Red Hawk after doing away with Radiguet, who completely drains Veronica's energy as the Jetmen fall back with the other captives to Great Icarus, which uses its Bird Maser to launch Tetraboy and destroy Veronica.
- Great Tomato King : The result of an outer dimensional entity called Metamol assuming the form of a nightmare from Raita's childhood when he was afraid of tomatoes, the Great Tomato King possesses the power to turn people into tomatoes based on Raita's innermost fear and enhancing it. Because it was created from Raita's fear, this monster overpowers the Jetmen as Tranza enlarges it. However, once Raita manages to overcome his childhood fear after seeing his sick plant grow one tomato, this monster loses his power as Raita eats his head via his tomatoes. This monster was destroyed by Jet Garuda.
Episodes
Related media
Novels
Following the conclusion of the TV series, the series main screenwriter, Toshiki Inoue, wrote a trilogy of Jetman novels from 1992 to 1995 that retold the events of the TV series. The novels were written specifically for adult fans of the TV series and included mature content, such as detailed descriptions of sexual intercourse between Ryuu and Rie, Gai and Kaori, and Radiguet and Maria. Empress Jūza, a one-off villain in the series, had an extended role while the Dimensional Beasts and giant robots were eliminated, with the Jetmen fighting humans subjected to the Vyram's experiments instead.Manga
A manga sequel to Jetman was published in 1996 authored by Akiko Fujii, in cooperation with the series' writing team. It was titled Chōjin Sentai Jetman: Toki o Kakete. Set five years after the series, it shows the four remaining Jetmen rejoining to battle a revived Radiguet, who had possessed Tranza's broken body. Radiguet kidnaps Ryuu and Kaori's one-year-old daughter Aya Tendou and, much in the same way he turned Rie into Maria before, he accelerates her growth and brainwashes her into becoming Ruma, whom he considers a daughter. Meanwhile, Gai's empty spot in the team is filled by a young rock guitarist called Jeffrey "Jeff" Kenzaki, who is empowered by Birdonic Waves after a meteorite crashes next to him, and becomes Green Eagle whose suit is Green instead of Black. In this manga series, the Jetmen uniform is slightly different, with the helmets more closely resembling those of Gatchaman.Video game
A video game version of Chōjin Sentai Jetman was released for the Famicom on December 21, 1991. The game was published by Angel and developed by Natsume. It is a single-player side-scrolling action game where the player assumes role one of the Jetmen members as they fight against the forces of Vyram. The player can choose which Jetman they want to control at the start of each stage, each having their own weapon and maximum hit points:- Red Hawk and Black Condor: Bringer Sword, 8 hit points
- Yellow Owl: Wing Gauntlet, 7 hit points
- Blue Swallow and White Swan: Bird Blasters, 6 hit points
The following is a list of bosses in the game and the stages where they appear:
- Mirror Dimension
- Camera Dimension
- Bus Dimension
- Light Armadillo
- Dimensional Mammoth
- Destruction Beast Semimaru
Cast
- Ryuu Tendou:
- Gai Yuuki: Toshihide Wakamatsu
- Commander Aya Odagiri: Mikiko Miki
- Jiiya: Yuuzo Hayakawa
- Rie Aoi/Maria: Maho Maruyama
- Radiguet: Daisuke Tachi
- Tran: Miku Kuga
- Emperor Tranza : Yutaka Hirose
- Grey: Hideaki Kusaka
- Narrator: Tsutomu Tareki
Songs
- "Chōjin Sentai Jetman"
- *Lyrics: Toyohisa Araki
- *Composition and Arrangement: Gōji Tsuno
- *Artist: Hironobu Kageyama
- "Your Heart is an Egg"
- *Lyrics: Toyohisa Araki
- *Composition: Kōji Tsuno
- *Arrangement: Kenji Yamamoto
- *Artist: Hironobu Kageyama
Reception
In the end, total revenue from the series greatly exceeded 15 billion yen.
Jetman was originally going to be adapted into the first season of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, but Saban chose its successor, Kyoryu Sentai Zyuranger to be the first instead.