Ninja Senshi Tobikage (Ninja Warrior Tobikage) was originally broadcast in Japan in 1985-1986. It was broadcast during the same general time-frame as Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, but on different TV networks, in different time-slots, so it was possible to be a fan of both shows. There are 43 total episodes, but the story ends at episode 41. The last 2 episodes are recaps, told from the perspective of one of the villains. This series presumably drew some inspiration from the Ninjitsu craze of the mid-1980s. Many of the Japanese voice actors in this series are recognizable to fans of 1980s-era anime series.
This series is set during the 23rd century. In this story, Earth's moon and Mars have been terraformed, and humans live and work on the surface of these worlds in normal street clothes, without any form of life-support equipment. There is also an artificial ring structure around the Earth itself, at the equator. The 4 main human characters - Joe, Rennie, Mike, and Damian - are residents of the Mars colony, which is a rough-and-tumble frontier colony that is run by its director-general, Hazard, as his own personal fiefdom.
The starship El-Shank arrives on Mars from Radorio, a world 60,000 light years from Earth. The people aboard this spacecraft are outwardly the same as humans. The spacecraft carries Princess Romina, the daughter of King Radorio VII, and her soldiers. Their world was invaded and conquered, and they are heading for Earth to seek legendary warriors known as ninja to liberate their world. How these people from another world know about the ninja is explained during the series. As the series progresses, the characters will learn a shocking secret about the first contact between Earth humans and people from Radorio in the distant past - and how that encounter may hold the key to the survival of both worlds.
Radorio has been invaded and conquered by the Zaboom Empire, led by Emperor Annex. The Zaboom forces have pursued Princess Romina and El-Shank to Mars, where they discover the relatively primitive human race. The Zaboom forces initially show little interest in humanity, but Emperor Annex later decides that Earth, a blue and beautiful world, is too tempting a prize to ignore. When the human forces on Earth, the moon, and Mars engage in combat against the Zaboom forces and sometimes even against El-Shank, it quickly becomes obvious that human fighter craft and tanks are no match for the aliens' giant mecha.
The El-Shank carries 3 giant mecha. Each mecha has a biometric security system, which will only respond to 1 pilot. When Joe and his friends find themselves caught in the middle between the people from Radorio and the Zaboom forces, they become pilots of the 3 mecha aboard El-Shank. Each mecha is powerful in its own right, but when the pilot's life energy falls below a certain level, a brilliant light appears, and materializes into a robot ninja. Joe names this robot Tobikage (the name literally means "Flying Shadow"), because he comes in flying out of nowhere, and disappears like a shadow. Tobikage can combine with the struggling mecha and cause it to transform into an animal form. One mecha transforms into a lion, the second mecha transforms into a phoenix, and the third mecha transforms into a dragon.
Tobikage is controlled by an artificial intelligence, but when he is damaged in battle in one of the episodes, he combines with Joe, so that Tobikage essentially becomes an extension of Joe's body, like an armored suit. After the battle is over, Tobikage dematerializes, and Joe resumes his normal human form. Where Tobikage comes from when he materializes and where he goes when he disappears are total mysteries.
The Zaboom mecha are also based on Earth ninja, but most are controlled by artificial intelligences. One-on-one, they are no match for the Radorio mecha, but since they tend to attack in large numbers, even human-piloted mecha find themselves pushed right to the edge, often saved only by the timely appearance of Tobikage.
The Zaboom Empire develops its own robotic super-ninja, Zerokage, but a human intelligence is needed to control him. Irubora, who was the commander of Princess Romina's security force, but who defected to the Zaboom side, melds with Zerokage when he is injured in a battle with Joe. Many of the subsequent battles in this series then become individual duels between Joe/Tobikage and Irubora/Zerokage.
As for the Earth Federation, they initially regard both El-Shank and the Zaboom forces as alien threats, so their reaction to El-Shank ranges from hostility, to skepticism, to manipulation. Differing opinions on how to respond to El-Shank and to the consant Zaboom attacks against Earth lead to political differences, mostly between the North America Area and the rest of the Earth Federation. Unfortunately for all concerned, Hazard, the human director-general of Mars, has allied himself with the invading Zaboom forces, and plays both sides against the other for his own advantage. He lies and gives disinformation to the Lunar and Earth authorities, blaming Joe and his friends for the Zaboom attacks. His ultimate ambition is to become the ruler of Earth, and his treason will cost the Earth Federation dearly.
I like this series largely for its nostalgic value, but some of the individual episodes are real gems. Some of my favorites are those episodes in which Joe and his friends are able to show people on Earth that Radorio is not a threat to Earth, and that both worlds must cooperate if they are to survive against the Zaboom Empire. Perhaps more series from this time, like SPT Layzner, will find their way to a wider audience.
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