#starzinger

[science70]

Popy 1978 toy catalogue featuring Chogokin, Lupin the Third, Spider-Man, Starzinger and Tōshō Daimos toys.

[swedebeast]

This is going to be very niche, but if you were ever interested about the history of anime distribution in Sweden (and even Scandinavia at large) and how it all got started and what the two first decades were like - especially with the power of the home video distribution of anime being EVEN GREATER THAN DISNEY for a period of time, then I can recommend this video.

An interview with Christer Hagström, the producer and owner of the company that first bought in anime, dubbed it, and distributed it himself in a period where commercial ads on television was illegal and independent TV channels did not exist, and nobody had heard about Japanese animation in Sweden... apart from perhaps he himself, a Panasonic affiliate.

[boogieonthebeach]

Did the color wheel challenge cause it seemed fun.

[inkyminx]

I’m a dumb for not catching on when I discovered more adaptations of JTTW and realized how clear Starzinger was inspired by it.

Like, I’ve known Starzinger since 2020 (when I got into a lot of Leiji Matsumoto’s other works) and didn’t think much of it outside of it being another fun work.

HOWEVER it wasn’t until a couple months ago I was listening to a compilation of all the animated adaptations since it was playing in the background and short circuited when I saw Kugo.

I really do have goldfish brain.

[cosmicraison]

240921

[capitanharlock78]

all the works of leiji matsumoto

[inthenimtime]

Sometimes there's nothing you can do but go to bed and watch Starzinger

[lanoby]

STARZINGER

[sem-piterno]

Desncase en paz gran maestro.

[the-monkey-ruler]

I'm a fan of the Saiyuki/Monkey 1978 show and I thought I'd throw in some extra info after seeing that last anon ask about "why is sanzang often a woman in japanese media"

First off, I hope I don't come across as nitpicky, but the show in English is called "Monkey", not "Monkey Magic", and the only reason I point that out because there IS another JttW adaptation (animated series, but also from Japan) called "Monkey Magic" and I don't want anyone to get the two confused. (But the theme song to Monkey 1978 IS called "Monkey Magic" so confusion abounds lol) You said "many Japanese media followed its example and had Sanzang be a woman." While Sanzang is often played by a female actress in Japanese media, the character is almost always still male, at least in the more mainstream direct adaptations of the JttW story. DBZ is hardly an accurate adaption, and Bulma being made a woman was probably just inspired by Sanzang being played by actresses, like you said. I could be wrong but at least from the ones that I've seen, the adaptations that do change Sanzang the character to be a women are usually ones that don't take themselves as seriously when it comes to "accurately" adapting the original story (not that there's anything wrong with that).

"I can’t say for certain why they made Sanzang a girl in the 1970s" Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a definitive reason either, but I did read once that the actor who played Wukong for the show gave an interview and said that the reason they hired an actress was "to generate buzz about the show" (but I can't confirm a source for that quote). I've also seen multiple theories that another possible reason is due to the fact that Sanzang is supposed to be a beautiful man, so why not have a woman play him to amp up the attractiveness factor?

Also, in the English dub Tripitaka is often referred to as "the boy priest" which to me seems a weird specification to point out, unless they're implying that he's very young or not even an adult yet in this show. Wukong calls him "the lad" a lot too, which maybe lends a little credence to this Sanzang being young. I don't know if that's also true in the original Japanese, but if it is, then that might also explain why they chose an actress to play him, to make him look properly youthful.

(Or maybe the English dub kept emphasizing Sanzang being a boy/a lad simply to help audiences know that despite being played by a lovely actress, the character is still a man lol)

OR who knows, maybe the casting director for the show felt like being progressive for the 70s, because Sanzang isn't the only cross-cast character; Buddha is played by a female actress and Guanyin is played by a male actor.

Sorry for such a long ask, I tried to keep things concise while still hitting the main points. I really really enjoy this show and I'm sad there isn't a whole lot of information available for it!

I'm a fan of the Saiyuki/Monkey 1978 show and I thought I'd throw in some extra info after seeing that last anon ask about "why is sanzang often a woman in japanese media" First off, I hope I don't come across as nitpicky, but the show in English is called "Monkey", not "Monkey Magic", and the only reason I point that out because there IS another JttW adaptation (animated series, but also from Japan) called "Monkey Magic" and I don't want anyone to get the two confused. (But the theme song to Monkey 1978 IS called "Monkey Magic" so confusion abounds lol)

I like that Monkey Magic anime that you brought up. It's good stuff!

You said "many Japanese media followed its example and had Sanzang be a woman." While Sanzang is often played by a female actress in Japanese media, the character is almost always still male, at least in the more mainstream direct adaptations of the JttW story. DBZ is hardly an accurate adaption, and Bulma being made a woman was probably just inspired by Sanzang being played by actresses, like you said.

I'm not saying that most Japanese media have Sanzang as a girl, just a lot of them, and yes most faithful adaptions of course have Sanzang as a boy but that doesn't discount how many girl Sanzang media has come out of this and could have been influenced by Monkey (1978). This is more just observing the combination of Japanese media that has femme Sanzang more than other countries' media.

The Saiyuki franchises do keep it that Sanzang is a male played by a woman there is other Saiyuki media that has him as a female on purpose. Saiyuki TV series (1993), Saiyuki (1994), and the Sayuki movie (2007) are clearly 1978-inspired but as such just have Sanzang is supposed to be a man. Maybe even Doraemon: The Record of Nobita’s Parallel Visit to the West (1988) since while the character is a girl she is still playing Sanzang as a man.

I didn't even consider Dragon Ball as an example of Sanzang being portrayed as a woman. I was thinking Saiyuki Starzinger (1978), SF Saiyuki Starzinger Movie Edition SF (1979), and Saiyuiki Journey West (1999) where you play as Sanzo and choose your gender as either a girl or a boy. There is also the Japanese anime Nanbaka (2016) where Sanzang is played by two different characters also a man and a woman. There is also just anime-games like Monster Super League (2016), Dragalia Lost (2018), Granblue Fantasy (2014), and Monster Strike (2014) モンスターストライク.

There are other non-Japanese productions that also follow the idea of having Sanzang as a woman and while these can be separated from Monkey (1978) I think they should also be considered to be have some influence. The Australian tv show Legends of the Monkey King (2018) is stated to be inspired by Monkey (1978) more so than Xiyouji itself. Korean Odessey (2017) and God of High School (2020) are Korean productions but I'm not sure if this is inspired by Monkey (1978) as it is a different modern take of the story and thus could be different. There has only been one Chinese media that I have seen with a female Sanzang Ultimate Westward Journey (2019).

I could be wrong but at least from the ones that I've seen, the adaptations that do change Sanzang the character to be a women are usually ones that don't take themselves as seriously when it comes to "accurately" adapting the original story (not that there's anything wrong with that).

I guess they don't have to be taken seriously but they should still be noted all the same because this is still Japanese media that is portraying Xiyouji characters. It doesn't have to be taken seriously to still note when and to whom gender bent happen (should also be noted that Bailong and Wujing are also common characters to have their genders differ). Just cause they are games or cartoons doesn't make them any less media that should be considered how easily it is to change Sanzang's gender even for casual and common everyday games and shows.

It's not so much about accuracy as that isn't needed but how to widespread the idea of changing Sanzang's gender. It's not a bad thing but something that should be recognized. Personally, in terms of Dragon Ball, I always like the idea of Krillin being as Sanzang as well since I think that being an ex-monk would be clever. But since there is a lot of Japanese media that has Sanzang has multiple characters that could be Sanzang it could just be up to interpretation as Bulma was the original idea for Sanzang representation.

"I can’t say for certain why they made Sanzang a girl in the 1970s" Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a definitive reason either, but I did read once that the actor who played Wukong for the show gave an interview and said that the reason they hired an actress was "to generate buzz about the show" (but I can't confirm a source for that quote). I've also seen multiple theories that another possible reason is due to the fact that Sanzang is supposed to be a beautiful man, so why not have a woman play him to amp up the attractiveness factor?

I was quoting from the Monkey 1978 Baidu page when I was talking in my last post and it did seem like they were going to hire Tamasaburo Bando until the change was made. @journeytothewestresearch suggested that it could have been to highlight Sanzang's natural beauty so perhaps that could be the case. But in any case it def left an impressive on lots of media later down the line.

Also, in the English dub Tripitaka is often referred to as "the boy priest" which to me seems a weird specification to point out, unless they're implying that he's very young or not even an adult yet in this show. Wukong calls him "the lad" a lot too, which maybe lends a little credence to this Sanzang being young. I don't know if that's also true in the original Japanese, but if it is, then that might also explain why they chose an actress to play him, to make him look properly youthful. (Or maybe the English dub kept emphasizing Sanzang being a boy/a lad simply to help audiences know that despite being played by a lovely actress, the character is still a man lol)

I think they could have been implying that he was younger in the show since there was some media in the early 1960-70s where young boys were played by women. I have only seen this in like musical movies though, so that the 'young boy' would have a higher-pitched voice.

OR who knows, maybe the casting director for the show felt like being progressive for the 70s, because Sanzang isn't the only cross-cast character; Buddha is played by a female actress and Guanyin is played by a male actor.

I do think that showing Buddha and Guanyin as genders differing from how they are usually portrayed was very innovative! Perhaps even touching on Guanyin's original legend where she was an Indian Prince, gives her an ambiguous gender role. It could be that the director seeing that both form and beauty are not limited to gender could be played by anyone as long as the acting is top quality.

Sorry for such a long ask, I tried to keep things concise while still hitting the main points. I really really enjoy this show and I'm sad there isn't a whole lot of information available for it!

I do wish that I could find more information and I'm surprised that there is very little despite how globally popular it was. I know that the sub was many people's intro to Xiyouji and further created a stronger legacy. But it could be that the show's run was to be short

[weirdthoughtsandideas]

What I think Violetta and Soy Luna character’s favorite animes are*

*I am only going from animes I myself have seen or are familiar with. I know for a fact that a LOT of animes were popular in Latam that logically the characters should have been familiar with and possibly would have fitted better as their favorite. However, there is a lot of animes I have seen/am familiar with that I know was popular in latam, too (Candy Candy especially). And the ones that weren’t popular there that I bring up… well, let’s just say it was just like with a lot of us, they found it later in life and was like ”omg where has this been all my life” and watched it on a pirate site.

Violetta: Hello! Sandybell. She got very inspired by Sandybell making a garden for her (supposedly) dead mother and she wanted to do it too. She also liked the way Sandybell traveled across Europe, the way she also did.

Luna: Sailor Moon. How can she not, it’s moon themed /j I also think Luna really saw herself in Usagi and appreciated there was a main character that was clumsy, often late, ditzy and didn’t get the best grades just like her, and how despite that still could kick ass and save the world.

Francesca: Lady Oscar. Ok this was kinda inspired by Lodo herself posting a photo with a Lady Oscar T-shirt, and some time later answering an ask about periods with ”think about Lady Oscar! She also had her period under all of those tight suits and armor, and she could still be a badass!”. It was also kinda inspired by me knowing just how fucking popular Lady Oscar was in Italy… but yeah I also feel like Fran was very fascinated with it.

Nina: Candy Candy. I think Nina most of all was fascinated with the history aspects, especially as they reached the WWI parts. But she also loved how Candy seemed to experience so much hardships, and yet still could keep going and be so strong. It felt very inspiring, especially as her parents were fighting in the background. Things will get better.

Camila: Oniisama e. She found this anime when she was a little older, and goes around bragging about how "no one knows about it except for her". She loved how basically every character was a lesbian (at least, they were in her head), and she called them cowards every time they "forced" them into hetero relationships. But she also just loved all the female friendships in general and got slightly annoyed whenever they focused on any boy.

Simón: I think also Sailor Moon, because I think he had a crush on Tuxedo Mask and him and Luna played that they were Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask a lot when they were kids. But, I think he also really liked Pokémon.

Naty: The Moomins anime. As she grew up in Spain, she got the castellano dub and got so surprised when she moved to Argentina and found out there was a latino dub they had there instead. Anyway, she really loved the whole atmosphere and vibes of the moomins and wished she could live in that utopia.

Ámbar: I think as a child she was only allowed to watch Candy Candy, as Sharon had seen it herself as a child and approved of it (I feel like Sharon had a list of pre-approved kids shows and movies Ámbar could watch), but then once she grew older she discovered Revolutionary Girl Utena. And she just fell in love with it. She has rewatched it so many times, always finding new ways to interpret the metaphors and allegories. She also has some deep emotions about and she didn't realize until much later why she felt so strongly about it...

Ludmila: Immediately I'm like... Starzinger... because it's a space adventure. I do not have much else to go from this lmao (because I have not at all properly watched the anime, just random swedubbed clips). However, it also feels like Ludmila's vibe.

Ramiro: He is a big Pokémon boy. I literally imagine him running around the school yard as a kid pretending to be James from Team Rocket. I can see him being into One Piece, too.

Leon: I don't know why, but Digimon. It just seems like his vibe idk.

Jim: Pretty Cure, the first show specifically. I think she always wanted a best friend she could be a magical girl with <3

Diego: Silver Fang. I know this anime was only popular and even translated in very few countries, but I believe Diego managed to find it somehow (maybe a fansubbed version on an old pirate site that no longer exists) and just thought it was the most edgy thing ever. But then he got super scared of bears for years due to it.

Yam: Oh, Revolutionary Girl Utena, but she also has made it her mission to watch every sapphic and sapphic-coded animes ever. She's also a big fan of underrated ones like Oniisama e. She has also specifically only watched season 3 and season 5 of Sailor Moon. So, I think she kind of really switches a favorite, but I believe RGU just hit her the most.

Andres: Hamtaro lmao. No more explanation.

Jazmin: I think Jazmin thought Totally Spies was an anime and no one ever corrected her that it's French-Canadian, so now that's always her answer when asked.

These are all the characters I could come up with something for x)

[boogieonthebeach]

Just me celebrating the 45th anniversary of this show lmao.

[quitealotofsodapop]

Estuve imaginando en el Wukongverse ¿y si aparece la versión de Wukong de la obra literaria? Me imaginado su versión basada en teorías de que Wukong era una hembra en realidad en las obras y debido a los siglos se adapto la obra a macho, debido a su titulo de rey en cantones es unisex. (posiblemente sea el primer personaje femenino obligatorio en la historia(?) Además seria chistoso que una mujer le declarara la guerra al reino celestial , Pero para el au me la imagino siendo Aroace/Asexual (pero usando términos de la época seria célibe... no me pegues plz) su forma seria de un macaco normal, así que es pequeñita.

Feliz navidad atrasada y que tengas un prospero año nuevo uwu

translated via google;

"I've been imagining in the Wukongverse, what if Wukong's version of the literary work appears? I imagined the version of him based on theories that Wukong was actually a female in the works and due to the centuries the work was adapted to a male, due to his title of king in Cantonese being unisex. (possibly the first obligatory female character in history(?) It would also be funny for a woman to declare war on the celestial kingdom, but for the au I imagine her being Aroace/Asexual (but using terms of the time she would be celibate.. .don't hit me plz) its shape would be that of a normal macaque, so it's tiny.

Merry belated Christmas and have a happy new year uwu"

That actually sounds adorable! A book-accurate Wukong that's both the size of a regular monkey and femme!

I imagine the fact that she's female is often forgotten in history, not just because of sexism, but also because if you weren't looking hard enough you'd think she was a male monkey.

Its not the first time a Journey to the West character has had their gender changed; Tripitaka (+characters based on them) is often rewritten as a woman, particularly in "The New Legends of Monkey", "Saiyuki/Monkey Magic" (1978), "Dragon Ball Z" with Bulma, "Starzinger" (1978), and "Shinzo" (2000). This is because of a mix of Tripitaka having many traits people see as stereotypically feminine, and irl there being female buddhist monks called bhikkhunī.

It would be very funny in the Wukongverse, with all the different Tang Monks/Tripitakas discussing their different worlds when a certain topic of dicussion comes up;

2000s!Tripitaka: "It must be very unnverving, being the lone woman in a group of men." NewLegends!Tripitaka: "Absolutely, though from what I hear, many of you came upon similar feelings in the Kingdom of Women." The masc Tripitakas: *all nodding in agreement* HeroisBack!Luier (too young to understand): "Are there any other girls on your Journeys? My mama [LEM] and Sandy are both girls." BookAccurate!Tripitaka: *mumbles under breath* Tang: "What was that?" BookAccurate!Tripitaka: "What about The Monkey King? Aren't all yours women as well? Monkeys are matriarchal." The other Tripitakas: "What???"

And that spills over into the SWK room where they're all already treating the BookAccurate!Wukong as their sister. The Wukongs who are transmasc are very understanding of the plights she faced in the Celestial Realm. Though they do tease her for trying to shave a monk's tonsure into her head fur. And they tease her for her height compared to the others (especially Dasheng who's almost 6ft tall).

[abatelunare]

Libri che vanno letti 15

Ci sono libri che bisogna leggere perché permettono di comprendere meglio determinate espressioni culturali e artistiche. Lo scimmiotto di Wu Ch’ êng-ên è fra questi. Siamo in pieno Taoismo, perché lo sappiate. Questo volumone pubblicato da Adelphi racconta infatti la leggenda taoista di Son Gokuh, l’irriverente scimmiotto di pietra ossessionato dall’immortalità, da cui sono stati tratti film d’animazione (Le 13 fatiche di Ercolino), serie animate (Starzinger, The Monkey, Dragonball, un episodio della seconda serie di Lupin III) e pellicole cinematografiche (Il regno proibito). Nonostante la mole si legge abbastanza agevolmente. Ed è anche istruttivo, se si vuole. Secondo me, eh.

[favedifuka]

@espressioneest_ndescenze 🈳 🈂️ 🈯️ ASPETTANDO IL FEFF ! Domenica 2 Aprile dalle 15 alle 20 - Circolo Nuovi Orizzonti (Udine, Rizzi) Ingresso libero ✏️ 🖌 Esposizione di tavole di Manga e live drawing a richiesta del pubblico A cura di @aldo_tocci giovane artista specializzato in strisce a fumetti, dallo stile versatile ed eclettico, spazia dal manga ai comics, dall’illustrazione al ritratto, con diverse tecniche, dalla china all’acquerello, passando per la grafica digitale, e pubblica per la Cyrano Comics di Verona. 👉 La mostra delle strisce di fumetto sarà accompagnata dalla presenza dell’autore, a cui sarà possibile chiedere in ex-tempore la realizzazione di disegni in stile manga. L’esposizione è un tributo allo stile di Akira (in arte Leiji) Matsumoto, fumettista e animatore giapponese recentemente scomparso. Tra i suoi manga più famosi si ricordano Capitan Harlock, Galaxy Express 999, Starzinger...serie, che spesso si intrecciano tra di loro attraverso le tematiche, mescolando personaggi e avvenimenti ricorrenti, e sono tutte state trasposte in anime. (presso Circolo Ricreativo e Culturale Nuovi Orizzonti) https://www.instagram.com/p/CqYfyzHsb72/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[linus-malmqvist]

16 September 2023Lördag Candy. Monsters Candy Candy Space monster. Starzinger. Friendship is the strongest wepon.