Jungle King Tar-chan

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Jungle King Tar-chan


caption = Remix volume 12 of "Shin Jungle King Tar-Chan"
ja_name = ジャングルの王者 ターちゃん♡
ja_name_trans = Janguru no Ouja Tā-chan
genre = Adventure, Gag ComedyInfobox animanga/Manga
title =
author = Masaya Tokuhiro
publisher = Shueisha
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Weekly Shōnen Jump
first = 1988
last = 1990
volumes = 7Infobox animanga/Manga
title = New Jungle King Tar-chan
author = Masaya Tokuhiro
publisher = Shueisha
demographic = Shōnen
magazine = Weekly Shōnen Jump
first = 1990
last = 1995
volumes = 20Infobox animanga/Anime
director = Hitoshi Nanba
studio = Group TAC
network = TV Tokyo
first = October 14, 1993
last = September 29, 1994
episodes = 50Infobox animanga/Game
title =
publisher = Bandai
genre = Action
released = July 29, 1994Infobox animanga/Game
title = Great World Tour Brawl
publisher = Bandai
genre = Action
released = September 18, 1994

nihongo|"Jungle King Tar-chan"|ジャングルの王者ターちゃん|Janguru no Ouja Tā-chan is a manga and anime by Masaya Tokuhiro. Midway through serialization, its name was changed to nihongo|New Jungle King Tar-chan|新ジャングルの王者ターちゃん|Shin Janguru no Ouja Tā-chan.

Overview

The series ran in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1988 to 1990 as "Jungle King Tar-chan", and then from 1990 to 1995 as "New Jungle King Tar-chan". It first appeared as a short prototype story in the 1986 Autumn Special as "nihongo|Tar-san|ターサン".

At first, the series was a simple gag manga parodying Tarzan with single chapter adventures. At this time most chapters where only 7 pages long and were usually about Tar-chan protecting the peace of the jungle, Jane, and his animal friends with comedic results. This was more than likely because, at the time, Tokuhiro was also working on Fundoshi Detectives Ken-chan and Chako-chan in Super Jump. But after Tar-chan began Super Jump became a monthly publication, and Tokuhiro ended "Ken-chan and Chako-chan" in 1990.

Two years into serialization, the stories began to run 13-15 pages, "New" was added to the title, and the simple episodic gag premise were switched to a fighting manga premise. Although long battles and emotional development began to unfold, gags would still appear at nearly every point of the story. After the end of these battles, the series would return to its gag style and return to the fighting manga style with each battle.

The series would often use sexual humor, such as Tar-chan stretching his scrotum like a flying squirrel in order to fly through the air. This kind of humor is quite common in Tokuhiro's works.

An anime adaptation aired on TV Tokyo from 1993 to 1994.

Although the story is called "Jungle King Tar-chan", Tar-chan and his friends actually live in a savanna, and a jungle setting is never actually used.

Main characters

nihongo|Tar-chan|ターちゃん: anime voice|Gorō Kishitani:The main character of the series. A young man who was raised in the African wild. Height: 187 cm, Weight: 110 kg, Blood Type: B, Address: African Savanna, Three Trees 7-4-10.:His hobby is cooking, and his specialty dish is eggplant with mustard and misozuke. He is a dangerous drunk.:He is the Jungle King who loves nature and animals and protects animals from poachers. Because he was raised by animals he can speak the language and imitate the special abilities of various animals. With his superhuman reflexes and stength, he is a well-known fighter around the world, yet he is usually forced by his wife Jane to do the cleaning and supply the food. He does not seem interested in protecting his reputation as a grappler though, only in protecting the peace of the jungle.:When he first met Jane he could not speak the human language well. Afterwards he was able to learn how and also master submission holds after reading a fighting book for only one night, implying he might have a genius brain. However, he still lacks general common sense.:Although a brave man who cannot ignore those in danger, he is also an incredible pervert and has collected many pornographic magazines left behind by tourists as his treasure. However, he has said "To react to a beautiful girl is the instinct of the average man, the only one I truly love is Jane".:He has super human abilities and strength and typically fights with his bare hands, but there are times when he will use weapons such as a blow dart gun and boomerang. He also has superhuman recovery, and has been known to recover from injuries that take a normal man several weeks to recover from in mere hours or days. When he takes on too much damage, he powers up by defecating, known as nihongo|Poop Power Up|うんこひりパワーアップ|Unkohiri Pawā Appu.:His body is extremely felxible, and he can bend backwards to lick his own rear end. Additionally, he can stretch the skin of his scrotum to glide lick a Musasabi. :He was abandoned in the savanna as a baby and found and raised by Etekichi. Other than this his past is unknown. Though there are often many joke flashbacks to his past, whether or not any of them are true is unclear.

nihongo|Jane|ヂェーン: anime voice|Miki Narahashi:A former playmate and Tar-chan's wife. When she was 17 she traveled to Africa for a photo shoot and fell in love with Tar-chan. Both now and then she is the one Tar-chan loves the most, as evidenced when Chiko's love potion had no effect on him.:After marrying Tar-chan she became very comfortable with living in the wild that she eventually became fat. She is the brains of the Tar-chan Family, having taught the human language to Tar-chan and often taking part in planning fights. She can speak French, Russian, Chinese, and several other languages. She can also understand the Chimpanzee language and regularly communicates with Etekichi. She is capable of beating up Tar-chan and the others (as a gag), but is also shown to be strong enough to defned herself. She will do naything to make money and always bets on Tar-chan and Pedro during tournaments. It is believed she is a miser, but instead she is actually saving to open up a wildlife protection company.:She is a vegetarian, but because she can't get proper calorie supply from just vegetables, she also drinks milk. She is also seen eating candy and "manjū", implying she is not too picky with food. At one time she is given special pills from Renhou and becomes thin again, but becomes fat again after receiving medical treatment for a fatal injury. Afterwards she bears Tar-chan 12 children, 6 boys and 6 girls. She reappears in the short story "Jane's Fruit Diet".

nihongo|Etekichi|エテ吉: anime voice|Kappei Yamaguchi:A chimpanzee who found and raised Tar-chan as a step father and friend. At the beginning of the series Tar-chan refers to him as "father", but after it is discovered that he left his wife Eteko, he begins calling him by his actual name. Although he is a monkey he appears as more intelligent than some of the important human characters. He even occasionally speaks, but always as a gag. He likes masturbating and having intercourse with all types of female monkeys.:In the anime, episode titles were read by Kappei Yamaguchi in Etekichi's voice.

nihongo|Gori-san|ゴリさん:A mountain gorilla who taught Tar-chan how to fight. He is very gentle and kind, and like Etekichi is smarter than an ordinary gorilla, although unlike Etekichi he cannot talk.

nihongo|Anabebe|アナベベ: anime voice|Kōji Ishii:Tar-chan's best friend. Height: 197 cm, Weight: 130 kg, Hobby: Saving money. He is a member of Africa's strongest warrior clan, the Upopo Clan, and is the only person considered Tar-chan's equal. He at one time fought with Tar-chan over Jane, but gave up after seeing how fat she had become. His tribe later awarded him with the homely nihongo|Zubeta|ズベタ as a wife. :He is initially a stoic warrior, but after winning the Yunker Empire Tournament and receiving the prize money (finding a diamond mine in the anime), he becomes rich and more of a gag character. He even builds a mansion in the middle of the savanna. The mansion is heavily guarded with dobermans in the garden, and Anabebe says they are to keep lions and cheetahs from entering.:After winning the tournament, he began to show a cowardly heart and tried to run from strong opponents. But halfway through the China Arc he musters up courage and rejected the offer of an evil group and returned to the tournament site to assist with the battles. His abilities are quiet high, but he usually loses. The Upopo law forbids him from using weaopns or cowardly techniques.:Although the tribe law states he must take his own life if defeated he never does, and in fact competes in a lot of tournaments as maksed wrestlers. Eventually he goes bankrupt and returns to his poor warrior ways.

nihongo|Pedro Kazmaier|ペドロ・カズマイヤー: anime voice|Nobuyuki Hiyama:The French Karate Champion and Tar-chan's first apprentice. Height: 188 cm, Weight: 109 kg. His hobby is studying Karate, and his specialty attack is the Spinning Back Kick. He deeply respects Tar-chan from the bottom of his heart and is impressed with his every action. His catchphrase is nihongo|Osoreirimashita|おそれいりました|I'm Impressed. Initially he wishes to defeat Tar-chan in order to become famous, but he comes to respect his inhuman power and forcibly becomes his disciple. He was abandoned by a child at an orphanage and later adopted by a rich family who often sends him books and cognac. He is very serious and stubborn but a late bloomer when it comes to love.:In addition to Karate, he also knows Tae Kwan Do, Judo, and various other arts. His skill as a fighter is rather high, but according to Tar-chan he cannot handle people outside his weight class, and in fact usually looses against such opponents. He usually tends to hide slightly behind the strength of Tar-chan and Ryo-shihan, but his true strength and capability is displayed in the fight against the Seikaken 4. In the Vampire Arc, he briefly becomes a vampire but retains the increase in power after becoming human again.

nihongo|Ryou-shihan|梁師範|Master Ryou: anime voice|Kiyoyuki Yanada:A master of nihongo|Hakkaken|白華拳|White Flower Fist, one of the nihongo|Western School 32 Styles|西派32門派|Nishiha 32 Monha. He has a moustache and a scar on his face (he also has a scar on his abdomen and on his rear end). Age: 28. His hobby is mah jongg.:He is in love with the head, Renhou, and enters the Chinese tournament because the law of the 32 Western Schools forbids them from getting married unless he proves Hakkaken the most powerful style. After the tournament he joins Tar-chan's Family in order to marry her, saying now they are from different schools. Although reluctant, he travels to Africa. Of the main characters he is the most serious and a bit rude, but after his friendship with the Family is deepened he comes a kinder character. He also has the same level of pervertedness as Tar-chan.:Like Pedro, he briefly becomes a vampire in the Vampire Arc, and retains the power up after returning to human. He later marries Renhou and often returns to China to visit her. After their son is born he begins to show a doting parent side.:He has several ki based attacks, such as the Hyappo Shinken and the Ryuuenken. His skills as a fighter are top class, and he is one of few people capable of teaming up with Tar-chan in battle.

nihongo|Helen Noguchi|ヘレン野口|Heren Noguchi: anime voice|Mitsuishi Kotono:A 16 year old girl who is saved by Tar-chan from a crocodile. She is half Japanese and Half American. Initially she is a rather bold character who is searching for summer experience and plans to let Tar-chan take her virginity, but she later becomes friends with both him and Jane and even teaches them how to manage a rice field. She was Tar-chan's biggest fan, but instantly switched to Pedro after first seeing him. She stops appearing soon after "New Jungle King Tar-chan" began, but suddenyl reappears for the final story as a full grown woman. In the anime her love interest was Pedro, but in the manga she for some reason marries Chikou.

nihongo|Chikou|智光:After Ryou-shihan returns to China, Chikou is sent to protect the Tar-chan Family in his place. He is a pervert but also a master healer. He is also good at chinese cooking. His abnormal personality and love of cleanlisness clashes with Jane.

Anime

The TV anime was broadcasted on TV Tokyo from October 14, 1993 to September 29, 1994. Afterwards, 5 TV Specials were also aired in December 1994, March and August 1995, and January and October 1996.

In the anime version, some of the more extreme toilet humor of the manga was toned down, such as Tar-chan's Poop Power Up being changed into Pee-Pee Power-Up. However, male genitalia was still depicted, which quite rare in today's anime. Additionally, violent and cruel acts such as limbs being cut off were toned down, and characters who had died were later seen alive.

The story covered a few of the single chapter stories as well as the China Arc to the Clone Arc, and the final episode ended with Tar-chan and Jane's official wedding.

Tar-chan's voice was supplied by actor Gorō Kishitani rather than a regular seiyū, but his voice quality and performance was met with mixed feelings from fans.

Theme Songs

*Openings
**nihongo|Shape of the Heart|HEARTの形状|Hāto no Katachi by B∀G
**mama I Love You by B∀G

*Endings
**Virign Land by Ann Lewis
**Misty Heartbreak by access
**Jingle Jungle Dance by Ann Lewis

Episodes

# nihongo|It's the Jungle King|ジャングルの王者だの巻|Janguru no Ouja da no maki
# nihongo|Jungle Style Sumo|ジャングル流相撲の巻|Janguru-ryuu Sumou no maki
# nihongo|Super Powerful Tar-chan|超能力ターちゃんの巻|Chou Noruryoku Taa-chan no maki
# nihongo|Musasabi Flying Technique|ムササビ飛行術の巻|Musasabi Hikoujutsu no maki
# nihongo|Pedro's Introduction|ペドロ入門の巻|Pedora Nyuumon no maki
# nihongo|The Diamond is Who's|ダイヤモンドは誰の物の巻|Daiyamondo wa Dare no Mono no maki
# nihongo|Ambition of the Black Dragon Fist|黒龍拳の野望の巻|Kokuryuu Ken no Yabou no maki
# nihongo|The Dreadful Western Fist|恐るべき西派拳の巻|Osorubeki Nishi-ha Ken no maki
# nihongo|How Cruel! The Black Dragon Fist Trap|非道! 黒龍拳の罠の巻|Hidou! Kokuryuu Ken no Wana no maki
# nihongo|The Sad Law of the Western Fist|西派拳の悲しき掟の巻|Nishi-ha Ken no Kanashiki Okite no maki
# nihongo|The Life Risking Showdown|命を賭けた決戦の巻|Inochi wo Kaketa Kessen no maki
# nihongo|Fierce Attack! Black Dragon Fist|猛襲! 黒龍拳の巻|Moushuu! Kokuryuu Ken no maki
# nihongo|Jungle Power Explosion|ジャングルパワー爆発の巻|Janguru Pawaa Bakuhatsu no maki
# nihongo|At the End of the Battle|戦いの果てにの巻|Tatakai no Hate ni no maki
# nihongo|The Tar-chan Family Returns Home|帰ってきたターちゃん一家（ファミリー）の巻|Kaettekita Taa-chan Famirii no maki
# nihongo|The Beautiful Assassin|美しき殺し屋の巻|Utsukushiki Koroshiya no maki
# nihongo|Jane's Lover?|ヂェーンの恋人? の巻|Jeen no Koibito? no maki
# nihongo|Along Comes a Woman|やって来た女（ひと）の巻|Yattekuta Hito no maki
# nihongo|The Mysterious Corgan Family|謎のコーガンファミリーの巻|Nazo no Koogan Famirii no maki
# nihongo|The Emotional? Meeting|感動の? ご対面の巻|Kandou no? go-Taimen no maki
# nihongo|The Preliminary Tournament Begins|予選トーナメント開始の巻|Yosen Toonamento Kaishi no maki
# nihongo|The Arranged Battle!?|仕組まれた対戦!? の巻|Shikumareta Taisen!? no maki
# nihongo|The Battle Family's Gamble in Pride|格闘家の誇りに賭けての巻|Kakutou-ke no Hokori ni Kakete no maki
# nihongo|The Secret of Apollonia Mask|アポロニア仮面の秘密の巻|Aporonia Kamen no Himitsu no maki
# nihongo|Recover! Michael!!|立ち直れ! マイケル!! の巻|Tachinaore! Maikeru!! no maki
# nihongo|Killer Machine Nid|殺人機械（マシン）ニドの巻|Satsujin Mashin Nido no maki
# nihongo|Tar-chan Power Down!?|ターちゃんパワーダウン!? の巻|Taa-chan Pawaa Daun!? no maki
# nihongo|Michael's Do or Die Battle!|マイケル決死の戦い! の巻|Maikeru Kesshi no Tatakai! no maki
# nihongo|Fierce Fighting! Tar-chan vs Nid|激闘! ターちゃん VS ニドの巻|Gekitou! Taa-chan VS Nido no maki
# nihongo|The Final Battle! Tournament Finals|最後の戦い! 決勝戦の巻|Saigo no Tatakai! Kesshousen no maki
# nihongo|The Beautiful Challenger|美しき挑戦者の巻|Utsukushiki Chousensha no maki
# nihongo|The Terrible Vampire|恐怖のヴァンパイアの巻|Kyoufu no Banpaia no maki
# nihongo|The Tragic Vampire Hunter|悲劇のヴァンパイア戦士の巻|Higeki no Banpaia Senshi no maki
# nihongo|The Mysterious Organization Cerberus|謎の組織ケルベロスの巻|Nazo no Soshiki Keruberosu no maki
# nihongo|Great Enemy! Rose Fighter Mani|強敵! バラの拳士マニの巻|Kyouteki! Bara no Kenshi Mani no maki
# nihongo|The Tar-chan Family's Desperate Situation|ターちゃん一家（ファミリー）絶体絶命!の巻|Taa-chan Famirii Zettai Zetsumei! no maki
# nihongo|The True Idnetity of King Dan!?|ダン国王の正体!?の巻|Dan Kokuou no Shoutai!? no maki
# nihongo|The Strongest Vampire|最強のヴァンパイアの巻|Saikyou no Banpaia no maki
# nihongo|Hero's Rebirth!!|勇者復活!! の巻|Yuusha Fukkatsu!! no maki
# nihongo|The Ultimate Battle!!|究極のバトル!!の巻|Kyuukyoku no Batoru!! no maki
# nihongo|Premonition of a Strong Enemy|強敵の予感の巻|Kyouteki no Yokan no maki
# nihongo|The Demon Clone Man|悪魔のクローン人間 の巻|Akuma no Kuroon Ningen no maki
# nihongo|Win Through the Tournament!!|勝ち抜け!トーナメント!!の巻|Kachinuke! Toonamento!! no maki
# nihongo|The Foul Cerberus|卑劣なケルベロスの巻|Hiretsu na Keruberosu no maki
# nihongo|Ryoshihan vs. The Clone|梁師範対クローンの巻|Ryoushihan tai Kuroon no maki
# nihongo|Tar-chan is Worried?|ターちゃん悩む? の巻|Taa-chan Nayamu? no maki
# nihongo|Iron Mask's Tears|アイアンマスクの涙の巻|Aian Masuku no Namida no maki
# nihongo|Clone vs. Tar-chan|クローン対ターちゃんの巻|Kuroon tai Taa-chan no maki
# nihongo|Conclusion Time|決着の時の巻|Kecchaku no Toki no maki
# nihongo|The Great Tar-chan Family Gathering!!|ターちゃん一家（ファミリー）大集合!! の巻|Taa-chan Famirii Dai Shuugou!! no maki

Games

*Jungle King Tar-chan (Game Boy, July 29, 1994, Bandai)
*nihongo|Jungle King Tar-chan: The Great World Tour Brawl|ジャングルの王者ターちゃん 世界漫遊大格闘の巻|Janguru no Ouja Tā-chan: Sekai Manyuu Dai Kakutou no maki (Super Famicon, September 18, 1994, Bandai)

In addition, the series has been represented in two separate crossover video games for the magazine it is published in: the RPG Famicom game and the Nintendo DS fighting game Jump Ultimate Stars.

External links

* [http://www.g-tac.co.jp/ Group TAC main site]