Ike! Godman

(Go! Godman in North America) is a tokusatsu tv series by Toho. It ran from October 5,1972 to April 10,1973. This was Toho's first Kyodai Hero. It was pulled from reruns on September 28,1973 and it was replaced by Ike! Greenman.

While on air Monday through Saturday, with only one or two episodes per week, each episode was five minutes long and consisted of six parts each. The entire series ran for twenty-six episodes.

On every Monday (or Thursday), a monster appeared in a field outside of town. Children cried for help from Godman who then came from sky. He fought with the monster and he won on Saturday. There was no story at all, and wrestling between the rubber monsters and Godman was the only element of the show.

The content of the show was mostly ambient. Today, "Ike! Godman" is seen as "one of the all-time dumbest tokusatsu shows" by Japanese net users around Youtube, 2ch, or Nico Nico Douga.

List of monsters

The following is a list of the monsters from the series:

Toho Monsters

*2. Gabara from All Monsters Attack
*6. "Gorosaurus" [http://www.tohokingdom.com/kaiju/tv/images/gorosaurus72.htm] from King Kong Escapes
*10. Kamoebas from Space Amoeba
*16. Sanda from War of the Gargantuas
*17. Gaira from War of the Gargantuas
*20. Bat People from Latitude Zero

Other Monsters

*1. Kinga
*3. Gosuton
*4. Yasugon and Tsunoterah
*5. Tsunoshirba
*7. Madaran
*8. Giandorah
*9. Momondarah
*10. Forugun
*11. Borupes
*12. Imgoras
*13. Bullman
*14. Dongorah
*15. Skeleton Man No.1 and No.2
*18. Tolanka and Hosuta
*19. Green Mask and Funtorah
*20. Katsubarge
*21. Tieboras and Osutotamu
*22. Tsunsuras and Elephanter
*23. "Totsutosaurus" and Tsuras
*24. Wolfrah and Getsurba
*25. Torilon and Ibogirah
*26. Sutegozuras and Akumon

Movie Monster Changes

The Toho movie monsters that appear in this series are not related to their theatrical counterparts in terms of continuity. The suits were changed since their appearance in the original movies.

*Gabara, the Gargantuas, Tieborasu, Tsunzaurasu, "Totosaurus", Akumon, and Tsurazuu later appeared in Ike! Greenman.
*Gabara's suit is green instead of blue. He was also green in Greenman.
*Some of the Toho suits were in really bad shape. The Gargantuas suits appear to be rotting (especially Gaira), despite the fact that both suits were repainted. They are also wearing new masks (with wigs).
*The "Gorosaurus" costume is in such poor shape that the inner support seems to be deteriorating. It makes "Gorosaurus"' torso look like its caving in.
*Kamoebas had a flatter head and darker color.

Theme Songs

These are the theme songs from the show:

*"Ike! Godman" ("Go Forth! Godman")
**Sung by: Yamamoto Ichiro
**Lyrics by: Fuji Konosuke
**Music by: Yamashita Takeo
**Arrangement by: Hirose Masakazu

-Note: "Ichiro Yamamoto" is another professional name of Ichirou Mizuki.This song plays during the shows opening. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOk16BOCnpE]

*"Bokura No Godman" ("Everyone’s Godman")
**Sung by: Yamamoto Ichiro & ‘Green Peace’
**Lyrics by: Fuji Konosuke
**Music by: Yamashita Takeo
**Arrangement by: Hirose Masakazu