Flint the Time Detective


Flint the Time Detective, known in Japan as Jikū Tantei Genshi-kun, is an animated Japanese television series directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. It was based on a manga by Hideki Sonoda and Akira Yamauchi and was published by Bros. Comics in Japan. A second manga by Bom Bom Comics was also produced and was released as a special promo for the anime. The anime aired from 1998 to 1999 in Japan and ran for 39 episodes.
In the United States, Flint the Time Detective aired from 5 March to 5 November 2000 on Fox Kids. Reruns were also seen on Fox Family Channel, as part of the channel's Sunday morning block, "Made in Japan Sundays" from 2000 to 2001, right before Disney acquired the Fox Kids Worldwide franchise in summer 2001. The series also aired in the Philippines via GMA 7 and dubbed in Filipino language which runs from late 2000 until mid-2001.
Sanrio, the company perhaps best known for creating Hello Kitty, holds the license to Flint the Time Detective in Japan.

Plot

The series is centered around the adventures of Flint Hammerhead, a boy from the prehistoric era who was resurrected from his fossil prison and became a Time Detective, although his competency as a detective is dubious. Much like Inspector Gadget, much of the heavy thinking is done by Flint's friends Sarah and Tony Goodman who accompany him on his adventures. Flint, however, pulled his weight in battle when he would fight with the aid of his father Rocky Hammerhead whose partial resurrection left him a sentient talking rock with a face. Rocky, fashioned into a stone axe for Flint, served Flint as both sturdy weapon and adviser, the latter both in and out of battle. Flint's job as a Time Detective was to go back in time and convince time-shifters, cute, collectible creatures to ally with him to protect the timeline.
Usually, he fought against Petra Fina and her cronies Dino and Mite, servants of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord himself sought to use the time-shifters' powers to invade the Land of Time, the creatures' home realm from whence he had scattered them. Similar to Pokémon or Digimon, time-shifters originate as small, cute creatures who can "shape-shift" into much stronger forms for a time before reverting. This usually took two forms: an evil form induced by the Dark Lord's magic, called a Con form and a good one brought forth by Flint and his team, called a Master form.

Characters

Heroes

; Genshi / Flint Hammerhead
; Sora Yamato / Sarah Goodman
; Tokio Yamato / Tony Goodman
; Professor Yamato / Dr. Bernard Goodman
; Dad-tan / Rocky Hammerhead
; Ptera / Puu / Pterry
; Rei Jinguji / Jillian Gray
; Kyoichiro Narugami / Merlock Holmes
; Time-G / Old Timer
; Z•Z

Villains

; Dark Lord
; Hitomi Aino, also known as Time Pilfer Lady or T.P. Lady / Petra Fina Dagmar / Ms. Iknow
; Mr. Dino / Dino Fishman
; Head teacher

Great Four

The Great Four are Dark Lord's own Time-Shifters, created from flowers. Just like the regular Time Shifters, all four can transform, in the Japanese dub this form is called "Super" despite being a form of bad transformation, whereas the English dub changes it to "kon" to match the other Shifters bad transformations. In the finale, the four decided to revert to their original selves on their own.
; Super Ninja
; Uglinator
; Nascal
; Ominito

Time Shifters

Time Shifters are creatures that help the Old Timer to run the Land of Time until the Dark Lord came and scattered most of them across time and space. Each one has its own special powers and can transform into Con forms or Master forms. Most of the Time Shifters' Master forms have a humanoid appearance, whereas their Con forms have a demonic appearance.
; Getalong
; Jitterbug
; Eldora
; Talen
; Mosbee
; Coconaut
; Bubblegum
; Lynx
; Artie
; Batterball
; Bindi
; Elfin
; Cardians
; Plumella
; Wing
; Moah
; Elekin
; Muscles
; Unita
; Raldo
; Leafy
; Monk
; Nightcap
; Musey
; Change
; Bugsy
; Dipper
; Knuckle
; Doron
; Shadow
; Orbit
; Wolfen
; Haniwani
; Hanasaka
; Funga
; Dollymon

Episodes

English adaptation

licensed & did the English adaptation for Flint, which is very different from the original Japanese version.
All the original Japanese music score is replaced with a new American-made soundtrack; all the sound effects are changed as well. The series was Americanized, with characters names and some places being altered, Flint explains in episode 6 that they come from the USA instead of Japan. Many characters, such as Pterry, changed genders. Parts of each episode were cut and some filler scenes were added. Art edits were only minor, with Dr. Bernard Goodman's lab receiving one of the few noticeable changes.

Manga

Bros. Comics

The original manga was released over the course of 3 volumes. It features many prototype ideas and concepts that never featured in the anime.

Bom Bom comics

A 6 chapter manga was produced as a promotion for the anime. It features a slightly different approach to the storyline.

Openings

  1. Power Nakimochi

    Endings

  2. Moshimo...
  3. Kirakira
  4. Boku no Shirushi

  5. Cast

Japanese cast

English Crew