Lion-Maru G
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....

 series that aired from October 1, 2006 to November 24, 2006 in Japan, lasting 13 episodes. It is the third part in the Lion-Maru
Lion-Maru
is a Japanese tokusatsu television franchise that began in 1972 by P Productions as Kaiketsu Lion-Maru. The basic premise of the series is that the main character has the ability to transform into a superpowered anthropomorphic lion, usually wielding a katana...

 trilogy, following Kaiketsu Lion-Maru
Kaiketsu Lion-Maru
, The Vigilant Lion Knight , was a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Lion-Maru franchise that aired in 1972-1973, produced by P Productions and set during Japan's Sengoku period .- Plot :During the late 16th century, a trio of ninja orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil...

and Fuun Lion-Maru
Fuun Lion-Maru
, translated as Storm Cloud Lion Maru, was a tokusatsu series that aired in Japan in 1973. It was the second series in the Lion-Maru trilogy, and featured a third Maru-like character named Black Jaguar...

. The "G" is short for 'Ghetto'.

This Lion-Maru is called "the Beast Transformed Gigolo
Gigolo
Gigolo may refer to:* A male prostitute, escort, or dancer, who offers services to women* Gigolo , a 2006 single by Helena Paparizou* Gigolo , a 2003 single by Nick Cannon...

 Warrior".

Story

The story is set in the year 2011 in Neo-Kabukichō, a fictitious version of the real red-light district
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...

 of Shinjuku, Tokyo
Shinjuku, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...

. A wave of violent crime is being caused by a new contact lens drug called "Skull Eyes", enabling people to become superhumans called Kabukimono. It follows the story of the reincarnated Lion-Maru and Tiger Joe from the original Kaiketsu Lion-Maru.

Characters

: A happy-go-lucky guy who is both a cowardly louse and a girl crazy gigolo, working at the Dreamin' night club. However, Shishimaru is in a slump from being the worst host to owing 30,000 Yen to Junior. While forced as Swankee bait pay a bit of his debt to Junior, Shishimaru finds out he is a reincarnation of the original , unsheathing the katana to take on the power. He owns a modified Suzuki Burgman
Suzuki Burgman
The Burgman series of scooters is produced by Suzuki with engine capacities from 125 cc up to 638 cc. Models include:-AN series:...

 that he calls "Hikarimaru," the name of the Pegasus
Pegasus
Pegasus is one of the best known fantastical as well as mythological creatures in Greek mythology. He is a winged divine horse, usually white in color. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. He was the brother of Chrysaor, born at a single birthing...

 ridden by Lion-Maru in Kaiketsu Lion-Maru
Kaiketsu Lion-Maru
, The Vigilant Lion Knight , was a Japanese tokusatsu television series in the Lion-Maru franchise that aired in 1972-1973, produced by P Productions and set during Japan's Sengoku period .- Plot :During the late 16th century, a trio of ninja orphans are wandering Japan and saving people from evil...

. Soon after Gosan's destruction, the experience from the events in the final battle changing him into a more serious man, Shishimaru disappears and becomes an urban legend.

: A freelance thug for Gousan who is the reincarnation of the original , called "Joe" for short. Though he sees Shishimaru as a rival, he is flustered that he is coward. He acts cold towards other people because his family members were murdered when he was at a young age. However, after being kissed by Saori, Jonosuke begins to warm up. He transforms with the mysterious sword . He remains very loyal to only Gousan, who took him in after the loss of his family, until Kashinkoji reveals that it was Gousan who was behind his parents' demise. In the end, losing his virginity to Saori prior, Jonosuke sacrificed himself to destroy Gousan.

: Saori is a busty mizu shobai
Mizu shobai
Mizu shōbai , or the water trade, is the traditional euphemism for the night-time entertainment business in Japan, provided by hostess or snack bars, bars, and cabarets...

 girl who works in Neo-Kabukichō and also owes Junior money because of her host addiction, forced to work with Shishimaru during the Swankees incident. She is very similar to the original Saori, helping the current Lionmaru while falling in love with Jonosuke. In the series finale, Saori retired from her job to become a nun while bearing Jonosuke's child.

: Her real name being Kaori and going by a pen name as a journalist at Neo-Kabukicho magazine, Kosu K is a 14 year old girl and Saori's younger sister. Though she didn't believe it at first, she ends up being thrusted into Shishimaru's misadventure. In the end, she wrote all the events into a novel.

: Kashinkoji is an old homeless man who gives Kinsachi to Shishimaru. He is very knowledgeable about how Lionmaru. He and Gousan seem to have known each other from long ago. Kashinkoji acts from the shadows until the final battle is about to begin, mortally wounded by Liontiger to steal back Kinsachi and Ginsachi and later saving Saori form the Shadows. Finding Gousan, Kashikoji battles him before being fatally wounded. Making his way to Shishimru and Jonosuke, he tells them to join forces before he dies.

: His real name unknown, Junior is the Junior CEO of Gousan Enterprises, to which Shishimaru and Saori owe money. He is the son of Gousan, wearing hardcore cosplay
Cosplay
, short for "costume play", is a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Characters are often drawn from popular fiction in Japan, but recent trends have included American cartoons and science fiction...

 outfits he made himself to receive his father's attention on him instead of Jonosuke and Shishimaru. This inferiority complex leads him to convince Saori to steal Kinsachi. But when Makage interferes, Junior loses it and confronts his father before attempting to kill him. However, it ends with Gosan killing him.

: Gousan is the boss of Gousan Enterprises, hearing a cap to conceal his rainbow-pupilled third eye. He creates the Skull Eyes, using the residents of NeoKabukicho to perfect his mind control Akaao contact lens before sending them across the country in a scheme to take it over. He seems to know a lot about Kinsachi and Ginsachi, and desires to gain possession of the mysterious swords. When Shishimaru and Jonosuke leave town, Gousan arranges his forces to kill everyone dear to Shishimaru. Eventually, despite overpowering them, Gousan is destroyed in Joe's suicide attack.

: Gousan's ninja minions.

: An agent of Gousan who is sent to kill Shishimaru and Jonosuke and steal both Kinsachi and Ginsachi. Infiltrating Dreamin' and given the host name , Makage keeps an eye on Shishimaru. After beating Jonosuke to a blooding pulp to get Ginsachi, Makage uses it and the stolen Kinsachi to become . Though he manages to mortally would Kashinkoji, Makage is unable to endure the combined powers of the blades.

: He is a master of Snack
Snack bar
thumb|A snack bar in AmsterdamA snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold. A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft drinks, candies and chewing gum, some snack...

 Z, rarely talking and knows what's going on in Neo-Kabukicho and was Yuri's mentor. He ends up dying while fighting off the Shadows.
Ozaki: Kaori's teacher, though he acts weird. He gets kills by the Shadows.
Animaru: The owner of Dreamin' who took Shishimaru in out of pity. Though he survived an attempt on his life by the Shadows, he is not lucky a second time
Ranmaru, Kyosuke, and Akira: Shishimru's coworkers at Dreamin'. They get killed by the Shadows.
Haruna and Haruka: Sex-crazy customers who victimize Shishimaru with their creepy advances. They get killed by the Shadows.

: A Kabukimono baseball team who use sign language to communicate. Targeting gigolos and hookers, Junior uses Shishimaru and Saori as bait to have Jonosuke deal with them. But when Shishimaru becomes Lionmaru, Jonosuke hires them kill off him. After the Swankees tear Dreamin' apart to find him before kidnapping Saori and Kosu K to get him, the Swankees torture Shishimaru with a Bomb Ball-firing pitching machine. But once Shishimaru becomes Lionmaru, he single-handedly defeats them.
: A sadist in kung fu garb who is a former Gousan Enterprises member and loses his eye as a result after being manhandled by Jonosuke for embezzling. Desiring revenge as he resumes his Fake Skull Eye operation, Toppogi searches the user of Kinsachi to counter Gousan while having his men abduct Saori and Kaori with three other girls through a clothing store for slave trading. Once finding Shishimaru, Toppogi recruits him to be a hitman to take out Jonosuke. However, after Shishimaru runs off when he needs him, Toppogi resorts to using real Skull Eyes before Lionmaru intervenes and takes out his posse prior to killing him.
: A man with a cheap unbendable prosthetic after he lost his pinkie for stealing from his own gang. After conning Junior's men out of five hundred pairs of Skull Eyes, Youji sells them to some punks. Though he takes Saori hostage, Youji ends up being captured by Joe's men.
: An old friend of Jonosuke who was his partner in Gousan Enterprises due to her supernatural powers. She later quit Gosan Enterprises and became a detective at Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...

. However, out of impulse, Yuri ends up attacking Kabukimono. Eventually, she battles Tiger Joe while Lionmaru defeats her posse, the fight ending with Yuri allowing herself to be killed. However, her life is spared as she fakes amnesia while declared officially dead.

Episodes



Some of these episode titles are puns on the songs of a Japanese rock band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...

, Number Girl
Number Girl
was a rock band formed in Fukuoka, Japan in August, 1995 by guitarist and vocalist Mukai Shutoku. They disbanded in 2002 following bassist Nakao Kentarou's departure from the band....

.

Cast

  • Shishimaru -
  • Jonosuke -
  • Saori -
  • Kosu K -
  • Kashinkoji -
  • Junior -
  • Gousan -
  • Master -
  • Yuri -
  • Makage -

Music

Opening Theme by
Closing Themes by angela
Angela (band)
Angela is a Japanese pop band that's best known for theme songs of anime television shows. The main members are atsuko and KATSU. Their signature upbeat tunes and rich arrangements is a dazzling mix of electronica, dance, rock, swing jazz and ska...

 (Episodes 1 & 2) by angela
Angela (band)
Angela is a Japanese pop band that's best known for theme songs of anime television shows. The main members are atsuko and KATSU. Their signature upbeat tunes and rich arrangements is a dazzling mix of electronica, dance, rock, swing jazz and ska...

 (Episodes 3-12)
  • "Kaze yo Hikari yo" by Akira Kushida
    Akira Kushida
    , is a Japanese vocalist who is well known for his work in the soundtracks for anime and tokusatsu productions, most notably Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan, Kinnikuman, and Uchuu Keiji Gavan. His nickname from his fans is...

     (Episode 13)

External links

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