THE SAMURAI! Attending a Reunion of This Early Japanese TV Classic!

In between Koichi Ose (left) and Shunsuke Omori.

Today is Christmas Eve, and what better way to spend the day than attending a small reunion of a classic Japanese TV show?

Koichi Ose was the event's guest of honor. Ose-san starred in Moonlight Mask (1958-59) as the titular hero. He later starred in another Senkosha-produced series called The Samurai (1962-65) as the heroic Shintaro Akikusa, the samurai of the program's title. Also in attendance was Shunsuke Omori, who played the boy Shusaku Baba in The Samurai. 

The Samurai has quite a following in Australia where it was broadcast in the mid-1960s. Being American, however, today was the first time I'd ever seen it. Three episodes were screened, and I enjoyed the show.

I was impressed when Ose-san recognized me from the previous event. Omori-san asked me if I was Australian, but I answered that I'm an American who's a fan of Moonlight Mask. But after today, I like both shows.

LIGHT SPEED ESPER! A Day in the Company of One of Japan's Youngest Heroes!

 Kiyotaka Mitsugi. Photo by Brett Homenick.

Today was all about the the Senkosha-produced superhero TV series Light Speed Esper (1967-68). I attended an event today during which three episodes of the series were screened (from the Blu-ray), which was followed by an interview with the star of the show, Kiyotaka Mitsugi.

Of course, Mitsugi-san starred as the titular hero in Light Speed Esper, but he'd probably be better known in the West for his portrayal of ZAT member Jiro Nishida in Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman Taro (1973-74). Super Sentai fans may recognize Mitsugi-san from his role as Dr. Hoshikawa on Chikyu Sentai Fiveman (1990-91). 

I asked Mitsugi-san about the difference between working on Esper and Ultraman Taro. He said that, as an adult, he was able to make requests of the crew, but even though he was the star of Esper, as a 14-year-old boy he felt he couldn't make such requests.

As you'd expect, it was a fun afternoon, and I certainly enjoyed meeting Mitsugi-san for the first time. I hope it won't be the only time!

60 YEARS OF MOONLIGHT MASK! Actor Koichi Ose Celebrates the Milestone!

Koichi Ose. Photo by Brett Homenick.

February 24, 2018, marks the 60th anniversary of the debut of Japanese television's first superhero: Moonlight Mask. On February 24, 1958, Moonlight Mask (1958-59) aired for the first time on the station now known as TBS (in Japan, that is). So it was a great honor to be able to attend the event marking the 60th anniversary of this history-making TV series with Moonlight Mask himself, actor Koichi Ose.

Koichi Ose poses with his heroic alter ego, as well as the same type of motorcycle on which he used to chase baddies. Photo by Brett Homenick. 

The event kicked off with a screening of several Moonlight Mask episodes, which were a lot of fun. The stories are simple and extremely easy to follow, which really makes knowledge of Japanese unnecessary to enjoy them. After that, Koichi Ose joined the proceedings and gave a Q&A session, during which he reminisced about his memories of making Moonlight Mask.

Following that, we made our way to a nearby parking lot where we could pose for photos with Ose-san, an incredible Moonlight Mask cosplayer, and the same type of motorcycle on which Moonlight Mask rode in the series. When that finished, we got autographs from Ose-san. (I brought a Moonlight Mask DVD sleeve for him to sign.) Finally, we all gathered around and had dinner with the legendary superhero himself.

Despite its place in history, Moonlight Mask is still not nearly as well known in the West as its small-screen successors. It's an entertaining show, and I hope it eventually finds a wider audience. It's certainly worth a look. If Mammoth Kong isn't enough to entice daikaiju fans, then I don't know what is!

Happy 60th anniversary, Moonlight Mask!