I had a sudden, but cathartic, revelation while finishing up my last Gavan piece. I’ve been “making content” (I shudder at the phrase) for more than half a decade now between writing and podcasting. Throughout those years, I’ve talked about comic book supervillains, The Incredible Hulk, Howard the Duck, The Predator film franchise, professional wrestling, the Toxic Crusaders, Count Dracula, and of course, Kaiju. I have loved doing it, and it’s brought me a great sense of accomplishment as well as allowed me to meet great people and forge lifelong friendships. However, after I sent in my last Gavan piece, I was having a conversation with Kaiju United’s EIC and it dawned me; in a strange, roundabout way, this Gavan series is my life’s work. A bold claim, I know, but I couldn’t help but feel the truth behind the words. I never thought writing about an eighties tokusatsu series would give me such a sense of purpose and pride, but here we are. Gavan has burrowed into my heart like few things have.
Gavan is a fixture in my life. I have a shelf of Gavan figures now, I hum the theme song all the time, and all that after only seeing essentially a fourth of the show. Maybe it’s because I’ve put my heart into these writings, maybe it’s because of the loss of Kenji Ohba, or maybe because outside of Japan and France, Gavan is an unknown. All those things have conspired to graft on to me. I’m no Gavan expert (yet) but I may be the biggest Gavan fan outside of those aforementioned countries? Regardless of the validity of that statement, I have enjoyed doing this column so much. Learning about this show in real time and sharing it with you, the readers, has warmed my soul. With all that melodrama out of the way, let’s dive back into GAVAN!
Episode 14: A Parting of Love and Sorrow, The Finishing Blow!!
This episode starts with a brief recap of Gavan’s previous battle with the fusion monster, an uncharacteristically serialized start for this show. With the indecisive battle in the rear view, Gavan needs to get stronger. Commander Qom and Marine travel to Earth to put Gavan through training. It’s the first time in the series we’ve seen Qom do anything remotely physical. Qom is portrayed by Toshiaki Nishizawa, who kaiju fans might recognize as Kubota (or rather the alien masquerading as Kubota) in Godzilla vs. Gigan. He has a training battle against Retsu and it’s really well choreographed, as most fights in this show are. It never feels phony or overtly acted. It has an air of realism.
Qom then helps Gavan analyze the Double Monster’s moves from their previous battle (don’t ask how they got the footage). They determine that the Double Monsters are three times as powerful as previous kaiju, and a weakness must be found. Mimi is, rightfully, worried but Gavan assures her…he will win. The monster was guarding the right side of its chest something fierce, telling our heroes that’s likely its weak point. We then cut to a gentlemen dressed like Dracula, specifically Bela Lugosi’s Dracula during his first night in London. Tuxedo, top hat, cane, and cape, he’s looking rather dapper. I guess he also bears a resemblance to Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, but this predates that by almost a decade. The dude is looking for Gavan, and then he says he smells his favorite food- cow. And then, the dude just straight up walks on water. Not the best effect the show has done. What he finds is not a cow, but rather Tsukiko giving two puppies (Gavan’s no doubt) some milk. Dracula man goes full creeper and asks the girl if she wants some tea OR a steak dripping with blood, you know a completely normal way to talk to women. She declines and flees in fear.
As soon as they’ve arrived, Qom and Marine are leaving back to planet Bird. Dracula man shows up at Makuu HQ and is soon revealed to be a human guise (played by longtime Toei Toku actor Kenji Ushio) for the Double Monster, Sai Doubler. Sai is also training for a rematch. He lays waste to a group of Crushers before satiating his hungry on some cows. Retsu arrives at work only for the boss to tell him to investigate the murdered cows at Hitotsugi Farm. When he arrives, he’s shocked to see that the only thing left of the livestock is bones. He quickly deduces this is the work of Sai Doubler.
Kojiro, our resident UFO enthusiast and comic relief, is wandering about at night (presumably also looking into the cow deaths, which is a staple of UFO culture). Well, he gets his wish, coming face to face with Sai after a meal. This scene is shot like such a classic monster movie, very reminiscent of 1941’s The Wolf Man starring Lon Chaney Jr. Despite being a Rhinoceros/Triceratops looking fellow, Sai definitely has a taste for meat. Kojiro runs in fear before coming across Retsu, who was on a stakeout. Retsu soon rushes to confront the beast. He doesn’t find a beast, per se, but the mysterious Dracula looking fellow. What transpires here is a pretty intense mobile stare down of the two. The score really sets the mood here, we as the audience know that’s Sai but to Retsu, he’s just a strange guy but with an incredibly powerful aura. Very nicely put together. They’re really setting the stage for a battle that feels like a pay-per-view fight. An unstoppable force meeting an immovable object.
Sai hits Gavan where it hurts by indirectly threatening a dog. The monster has attached a message to the dog’s collar, a summons for a confrontation in Onigamisaki. If Gavan refuses, the monster will destroy parts of Tokyo. This is Gavan’s most personal battle yet, and Ohba really sells it well. Before the battle, there’s a calm before the storm. A bit of tenderness between Mimi and Gavan, both flirtatious but also whelmed by the coming chaos. It gives the actor time to do some levity we normally don’t have time for in this show, and really shows how much Gavan and Mimi care for each other, at least in the confines of this toku show for children. The scene ends with a ballad insert song and Mimi praying to God to protect Gavan. It hits just right.
Gavan takes the kids of the ranch to a Zoo, and enjoys what may be his final farewell with them. The fun activities and good times overshadowed with the somber tune is also incredibly effective. He leaves the kids in the care of his co-workers and gives them a fat wad of cash, just in case he doesn’t make it. A hero through and through. He’s stopped by Mimi, who gives him a keepsake. Very emotional scene. Wakiko Kano, who portrays Mimi, is phenomenal in this episode. She has fantastic chemistry with Ohba, and they’re really shining in this one.
It’s time. Gavan vs. Sai round 2. They face off in human form before quickly transforming, it’s ELECTROPLATE TIME!!! We don’t even get the “double transformation” trope we typically get when Gavan transforms, there’s no time! It’s all about the fight. Because of the foundation laid out in the last episode, the stakes are at an all-time high here. Truly a climactic battle. Their clash begins on a very precarious looking rock beach (pretty sure the same one famously in the Toei theatrical logo), one wrong move could’ve sent these actors to their doom. Gavan tries to get at the right side of the chest, using double bombers and kicks but to no avail. They fight to a standstill before Don Horror unleashes Makuu Space on them.
Another first in this battle, not even Cyberian is enough to conquer Gavan’s foe as Sai topples the vehicle (with Gavan still on top). When Makuu fighters attempt to give Sai some interference, Dol is summoned. The dragon makes quick work of the intruders and the battle continues. They’re fighting over some pretty interesting matte paintings, including a shooting star. But they’re still evenly matched until Gavan finally exposes the weak point and finishes off Sai once and for all with the Gavan Dynamic. Don Horror still has a combiner machine though, and vows to finish Gavan soon.
Gavan is victorious and returns to the ranch to celebrate with his found family. The narrator makes sure we know that despite this time of peace, Makuu still haunts our nightmares. A phenomenal episode of the show, and a good end to a great two-parter. The tension in this one is really palpable and we get some genuine emotion from our characters. The insert songs are used to great effect as well. The fight could never live up to the build, but it served its purpose just fine. Overall, this ranks amongst my favorites so far. Toku often has a stigma in pop culture as being “silly” or “goofy”, or it is accused of being only about action and selling toys. Gavan proves the haters wrong and breaks that curse by delivering on an emotionally impactful episode full of gravitas that still brings the action in spades. The “Sai Saga” is a must see for this show.
EPISODE 15: Illusion? Shadow? The Makuu City!
It’s celebration time. The Makuu are preparing for the 26,000th anniversary of the Beast Planet Empire’s founding. Because of the milestone, they are preparing to offer up a special sacrifice to the Beast Planet God. What’s on the menu? Well, you guessed it, It’s Gavan. The Makuu forces then proceed to participate in what I can only describe as a G-rated orgy. Yep. I don’t know how else to describe it.
Meanwhile, Retsu is running errands for the ranch when he sees a young schoolgirl in distress. She looks exhausted and seemingly begins to pass out. Retsu runs to her aid. She can’t speak but she’s burning up with fever. Retsu delivers the child, who is named Chiyo, to her mother (how Retsu knew where the girl lived is beyond me). Retsu then races off to find a doctor but as he leaves, we see Hunter-Killer and a Doublewoman (in human guise) are looming about the apartment complex. And now, we start to get weird. And I mean that in a good way. I’ve watched a lot of Japanese media in my day, and let me tell you, there’s nothing quite like it when the Japanese decide to go experimental, metaphysical, and/or ethereal. We enter Chiyo’s mind and are immediately bombarded a trippy yet creepy song. If that wasn’t scary enough, when Retsu arrives at a hospital and tries to obtain help from the staff, he’s snatched up and forced on to a gurney.
There’s a droning sound effect throughout the next scene, and it only adds to the tension. Sound design is essential to setting a mood and this episode knows how to use it. A laughing doctor, whom we only see the silhouette of, laughs maniacally and approaches a helpless Retsu. Of course, the doctor reveals himself as Shamo Doubler, or Gamecock Doubler. Now I must admit, I had to google what a “gamecock” was and the results were wild. According to Merriam-Webster, a Gamecock is “a rooster of the domestic chicken trained for fighting”. That’s right, folks. Gavan’s next big bad is a Cock-Fighting Monster. In all seriousness, the design is pretty neat. It does bear a resemblance to a rooster, but the domed skull gives it characteristics of another avian breed, the vulture or buzzard. The gross looking neck adds to that comparison. It wears a collared pair of pauldrons, like he’s about to wrestle as part of the Road Warriors. The rest of its body is equally grotesque with yellowish gray skin and a malformed stomach with strange, ridged contusions protruding out. Yuck.
They’re torturing Retsu, although more so psychologically than physically. They have him strapped down on an operating table, with a bed of spikes slowly lowering closer toward him. Shamo taunts Retsu, caressing his face with a strange surgical blade. Ladies, gentlemen, people of all genders and identities, we then have one of the greatest escapes in the history of media. James Bond is in awe of this move. Batman could never. Houdini is wondering why he didn’t think of this. Retsu grabs the tool Shamo was holding WITH HIS TEETH and flings it into the control board, instantly releasing him from his bonds. 10/10. No notes. And it only gets more nuts.
Retsu escapes to the outside and does an INSANE Deadman’s fall of the side of a building. And there’s no mistaking Kenji Ohba is doing this stunt himself. It made my jaw drop while simultaneously causing me to cringe at the thought of this process. Toku actors were notoriously put into less than scrupulous scenarios. This is no different. But Kenji Ohba was the man. There’s a reason he’s so legendary. Retsu goes from a 30ft fall before grabbing a bit of wire and swinging like Tarzan. He slams against a multilayered tin roof, aggressively hitting each stop on the way down, before finally landing on the ground. I don’t care what preparations they made; there’s no way this felt good. Retsu says, “That was a shock.” You don’t say!?
Retsu fights off some more Crushers before getting in his car. I’m thinking hey, finally some time to breathe. SIKE. Then we get a bit of a chase that culminates with Retsu battling three Crushers while he’s in a moving vehicle. He manages to knock them off but another Crusher fires on him sending the car swerving off road and into a dark tunnel. At the edge of darkness, Retsu sees the silhouette of Chiyo and the creepy song is back. I would’ve said this was inspired by A Nightmare on Elm Street, but this show predates that by a couple years. You know what it really reminds me of is the surreal aura of the film Phantasm. Constant reminders that something is amiss. Very well executed.
Retsu is bugging out. Sweat pouring down his face. Eyes bulging from his skull. Suddenly, a group of ghostly warriors appear. They all look like Raiden from the Mortal Kombat series. You know the archetype I’m referring to. And they begin chasing Retsu. Once cornered, Retsu has no choice but to fight. I don’t think this show, or really any Toku show, gets enough credit for the fight choreography. This show always has excellent battles that look pretty but also tell a story. This episode also has two insert songs I don’t remember hearing before. One of the lyrics cracked me up: “Traveling at lightspeed. Gavan! Gavan! Gavan! What a cool, sexy silhouette!” Indeed.
Suddenly, Retsu is on train tracks. He sees Mimi above him on a bridge. She’s dressed in a kimono and looks absolutely radiant. When Retsu shouts to her, however, she goes full Oswald Cobblepot and shoots at him with her umbrella gun. The same happens with Tsukiko. Of course, they’re not the real Mimi or Tsukiko. They’re those dastardly Crushers. Some animal mascots then begin to terrorize Retsu. A Panda with cymbals, a dog with a drum, a bear with a trumpet. I didn’t realize this was Gavan x The Banana Splits. I kid, of course. A rather unnerving scene, though. Retsu is writhing on the ground from this auditory assault. He finally knocks their instruments away and once again battles the warrior monks.
Chiyo is alone on a swing set. But she vanishes. The soundtrack gets real ambient and otherworldly right here. Chiyo kicks her ball toward Retsu and he picks it up. When he stands, however, she’s gone. And yeah, the ball was a bomb and Retsu gets blasted. Another crazy stunt this episode. I hope Ohba got some time off after this one. If you have coulrophobia, this is not the episode for you. A group of clowns on unicycles appear and Retsu is shook. This scene is more ridiculous than scary, though. It is given an ethereal quality by the slow-mo (or rather, fake slow-mo, Ohba is just moving as if in slow motion). There’s no other way to put it, the clowns kick his butt. Retsu escapes in his car but he’s accosted by Shamo.
Shamo is like an apparition, he can flow about as he pleases. He attacks Retsu and pulls him out of his still moving car. Retsu fights him off but then his car goes off a cliff! This guy can’t catch a break. He jumps out and FINALLY henshins into Gavan. He makes short work of the Crushers (in a scene that I’m pretty sure is stock footage) before engaging Shamo. The Doubler is able to summon metallic poles as weapons. Their fight does not last long before Don Horror shows up. You think, oh he’s going to give the regular spill and take them into Makuu space. But that’s the twist. They’re already in Makuu space! Shamo unleashes his ultimate secret weapon now, necromancy. He brings back some fallen BEM Kaiju during this confrontation. Joining the fray are the OG BEM Shako, Oomadako, and Bone. But they’re defeated with a single Z beam. Shamo begins an aerial attack so Gavan summons everyone’s favorite mechanical dragon, Dol! Dol makes a mess of the Makuu forces.
Gavan and Shamo renew their quarrel. It’s quite the tussle but Shamo can’t survive the almighty Gavan Dynamic. Gavan’s no good, very bad day is finally over. And Chiyo is safe, too! Another victory for our hero. This episode was a sprint. Like a Gavan version of The Raid but with supernatural elements. Very little dialogue, numerous well staged fights, and some insane stunt work. This one is a fun romp! Definitely an interesting experiment that I feel works out.
EPISODE 16: First Love Shines Like a Jewel…Farewell, Galactic Express!
A new transfer student, Saburo Amemiya, has arrived at school. He’s moved here due to his father’s work. He’s immediately picked on by some of the other boys. They try to boss him around but he hits one with a judo throw, he ultimately loses out because of numbers. He’s rescued by two girl classmates and finally the teacher. Amemiya runs out of the school and runs into Retsu. When he does, a strange crystal falls out of his pocket. Retsu begins to follow him home. At his home, Amemiya’s mother asks him why he came home “alone.” Inside Amemiya’s father is seen in shadow, rocking in a chair, sounding worse for wear. His mother says that she has made contact with a ship. Aliens, eh? Retsu spots a mysterious woman lurking around and chases after her only to run into a huge dude who proceeds to whip Retsu pretty good. He’s a new Doubler, Kama Doubler
Kama, or Sickle Doubler, is a Mantis like creature that reminds me of Pega from Ultraman Geed. Unlike most of the other baddies in this show, this one actually gets its name from its weapon of choice, a Kama, which is a hooked blade on a chain. Looks like he’s going to cry “GET OVER HERE” at any second. Retsu transforms and we’re off to the races. Gavan quickly uses Kama’s own weapon against him but the villain escapes.
Retsu has Commander Qom analyze the crystal Amemiya dropped. It seems to have originated from a world called Planet Lake. Qom hypothesizes that Amemiya is Ben, the son of Dr. Barnes. Barnes was a nuclear physicist on the Planet Lake who was working on a clean radiation system to help fight pollution. This put him in Makuu’s sights. When he refused to join them, Makuu sent Lake into civil war and caused a nuclear holocaust. Dr. Barnes escaped with his family. Wakaba, who was one of the girls that helped Amemiya earlier, has a date (seems a little young, but ok.) Her date is with Amemiya, who takes her to an abandoned car. Inside is a strange device with crystals and he gives one to her. Retsu and Mimi are staking out Barne’s home.
Retsu enters the home and is attacked by a self-defense system before finding Dr. Barnes. Now, you’ll have to excuse me because this part confused me to no end. Barnes speaks, asks them who they are and says stay away. He then dies. Retsu removes the burlap sack from his head and sees his face is made of…tin foil? Okay. Apparently, he’s been dead for a while and a computer was responding on his behalf to human voices. Okayyyyy. If you say so, TV show.
Things go from weird to worse when it’s revealed that abandoned car is actually a space transport and Amemiya is taking Wakaba away. A nice, relaxing, romantic ride through outer space. It was also an illusion though, an ability of the crystal. Amemiya’s “mother” pecks on the window to warn him that Makuu forces are nearby. Dr. Barnes son took up his father’s work and finished it. Ben and his mother confront Gavan, who tries to explain he’s there to protect, but soon Gavan and Mimi are locked up in some sort of defensive measure. Electroplate, it is!
Ben’s “Mother” is actually an android named Kasumi, built to protect Ben at all costs. She gives the Crushers outside hell. She’s starts to battle Kama Doubler but, in the end, loses and just straight up explodes. But that’s okay, Gavan is here! They’re drawn into Makuu space per usual. Kama is able to control his Kama mentally, making for a devious weapon. Their fight spills over on to another plane of existence that looks like a soundstage (and I’m sure literally is). There is a cool sequence where they’re battling on a matte painting of a spaceship with a planet looming. The Gavan Dynamic is unstoppable, though and Kama is no more.
Ben Barnes departs back to Planet Lake, hoping to restore it to peace. Unfortunately, poor Wakaba is heartbroken. She’ll never see Ben again, but he left her some flowers in the abandoned car. Retsu comforts her but the hurt will always be there. Goodbye, first love. This episode was not my favorite. After the string of great episodes, this one felt like a downer. Kind of back to the formulaic nature of the show. The formula isn’t bad, though, but the plot wasn’t great for this one either. It was cool seeing someone else fight the Makuu besides Gavan and Kama was a little bit different of design, but it’s not enough to propel this episode into the “good” territory. It was just okay.
Overall, I’m mostly positive on this stretch of episodes but I’m hoping the show continues to branch out and do either emotional or experimental episodes rather than the paint by numbers of the last episode. That’s all for this week’s Discovering Gavan, I’m going to start hitting this series even harder, hopefully getting one out a week! Thanks for reading. ELECTROPLATE!
