Opening Theme
January 17, 1973 - December 29, 1973 (50 episodes)
Tachibana, Naoki
(played by Tachibana, Naoki is a pilot for a currier company. He flies a red and
white Cessna. When a hostile alien attempts to invade Earth, using
giant monsters made out of ordinary animals or inanimate ojects,
Naoki's older brother Shinya is killed in the first attack.
During the next attack
by the same monster Naoki foolishly tries to revenge his brothers death
by using the unarmed airplane to attack the monster. The plane is shot
down but before it hits the ground the plane is caught by a strange
green light. The Emerald Seijin Kain (voiced by Naya,
Gorou)
gives Tachibana, Naoki the ability to transform the plane into the
giant robot warrior Jambougu Êsu (Jumborg Ace)
Before Shinya was
killed he gave Naoki his watch. It is that watch which becomes the
henshin device. When it detects the presence of a monster its crystal
flashes. Then Naoki shouts "Jum Faito" (Fighter) to begin the
transformation.
As Tachibana, Naoki turns the Cessna end over end to end it transforms
into Jumborg Ace.
Tachibana, Naoki
controls Jumborg Ace from inside the giant robot's head. Jumborg Ace
mimics Naoki's movements. If he throws a punch then Jumborg Ace will
punch the monster. If Naoki kicks then Jumborg Ace will kick the
monster. Conversly, the monster's attacks against Jumborg Ace can
affect Naoki. For example a blinding beam of light aimed at Jumborg Ace
will blind Naoki. Damage to Jumborg Ace will show up later as damage to
the plane.
Of course Jumborg Ace can fly. At super speed his body becomes a streak
of light.
Jumborg Ace has
several energy weapons, the main one, most often used to destroy the
giant monsters, is "Beam Emerald" (second photograph).
Some of Jumborg Ace's energy weapons come from his hands.
Some use his entire body, and others come out of his belt.
Jumborg Ace's energy weapons are very colorful.
Jumborg Ace has a larger variety of energy weapons than any other
tokusatsu hero I've seen.
Just when I thought Jumborg Ace was done introducing new energy attacks
he pulls out "Screw Hurricane".
The energy spins around the monster setting it on fire and causing it
to explode.
Sometimes energy
weapons aren't effective, for those situations Jumborg Ace has physical
weapons, "Jum Sword", "Jet Knife" (throwing daggers) and also
explosives, "Jumb Missile".
And of course there is hand to claw combat.
Jumborg Ace also has a
heat ray, which is not used as a weapon but as a tool, to thaw out jet
planes frozen by a giant monster's freeze ray (episode 17).
When Jumborg Ace is
running low on energy a warning light flashes on its belt and on
Tachibana, Naoki's belt.
Jumborg Ace
has one major weakness, extreme cold could destroy it. So in episode 17
when a monster tries to use a freeze ray on Jumborg Ace, Kain appears
between the robot warrior and the monster, taking the full blast of the
ray himself. Then using his last remaining bit of energy on the monster
Kain dies. Tachibana, Naoki has to hide his sorrow over the loss of his
mentor, because his family and friends do not know that he controls
Jumborg Ace.
At the end of each
battle Jumborg Ace turns back into Tachibana, Naoki's Cessna at the
command "Flight Return".
Starting
around episode 21 the invaders start making more use of the human sized
"Gross Star Men", who usually got in a fight with Tachibana, Naoki (he
probably got tired of leaving all the action to the stuntman in the
Jumborg Ace costume.)
Jumborg Ace
is defeated in episode 27 but restored in episode 28. Episode 30
reveals that there is an emergency exit on the bottom of Jumborg Ace's
right foot.
In episode 27
Tachibana, Naoki buys a new car, a Honda Z. After the defeat of Jumborg
Ace, by Matagone's super robot warrior, Naoki attempts to defeat the
monster by crashing his car into it. He would have been killed if a
second Emerald Seijin (Kain's brother?) had not intervened. This
Emerald Seijin give Naoki's car the power to transform into the super
robot warrior Jumborg 9. Naoki actives the transformation from car to
warrior with "Jum Faito Two Dash". Originally he said "Break Return"
and slammed on the breaks to transform 9 back into his car but in the
later episodes he says "Quick Return" instead.
Naoki controls Jumborg
9 with a steering wheel, pedals on the floor, and switches on the dash,
just like a car. The pedals control Jumborg 9's running speed. Intead
of flying Jumborg 9 moves swiftly across the ground, running fast.
Jumborg 9 has thicker armor than Jumborg Ace, which protects it from
explosives.
Besides doing "Jum Kick" 9 also has energy weapons and an energy
shield.
Like Jumborg Ace, Jumborg 9's entire body could become an energy
weapon.
Jumborg 9's "Boomerang
Cut" is similar to Ultraseven's "Eye Slugger". 9 removes part of his
forehead and hurls it at the monster. 9 can energize the boomerang with
a black beam that causes it to circle the monster at an increasing rate
of speed. The energy released causes the monster to explode.
Jumborg 9's face is a
weapon. Not only does he fire laser beams from his eyes and throw his
forehead but he also has a bream that comes out of his mouth. The
"Cross Power" ray from his belt vaporises the monster. Another ray from
his belt causes them to explode.
Jumborg 9's final energy weapon was used only once, in the last
episode.
Jumborg 9 could
transfer energy to Jumborg 9 and Tachibana, Naoki could transport
himself from Jumborg 9 to Jumborg Ace.
Jumborg
9 has its own theme song Fight! Jumborg
9.
There is also a song for both super robot warriors, Ace
& Nine.
Also fighting the
invaders is the Protection Association Troop (PAT). The membership of
PAT changes frequently through out the series. There is sometimes three
men, sometimes four. There's always at least one woman, but sometimes
two. It's hard to keep up with the changes and I may have missed
someone.
The PAT commander is
killed in episode 12. Episode 14 reveals that there was someone above
him. It also sees an introduction of a new commander, the previous
commander's brother, and two additional officers join the team, but
Ippei (first man in third photograph) is dismissed from the service in
episode 19 (because his widowed mother needs him to work the family
farm). At some point one of the other men leaves so that there are
again only 3 men and 1 woman.
In 32 the leadership
of PAT changes again. Two Science Guard Men (SGM), 1 male, 1 female,
join PAT. The man taking charge. SGM was the organization in
"Mirrorman", another Tsuburaya series. By episode 35 there is only one
woman. In episode 42 PAT shrinks to 2 men and 1 woman when another man
is killed in action. In episode 43 a young SGM pilot; Murakami, Hiroshi
joins PAT, switching to the PAT uniform in episode 44.
PAT starts out with two fighter planes, Jet Condor and Viking Star.
The SGM officers bring
with them a verticle take of red jet fighter. By episode 35 its gone.
In episode 37 Jet
Condor and Viking star are replaced by Hunter Q, which can operate in
space as well in Earth's atmosphere. Normally Hunter Q is piloted by
the PAT commander. If two fighters are needed Hunter Q can split in two
seperate aircraft, one piloted by the commander the other by the next
senior PAT member.
In addition to their
jet fighters PAT also had rocket powered yellow cars which (beginning
in episode 14) could fly. These cars are also armed with missile
launchers (episode 20).
When the original jet
fighters are replaced, by Hunter Q, the yellow cars are also replaced,
with a red truck that carries only one person, the driver (Bamos I),
and a blue vehicle that has room for the driver and one passenger
(Bamos II). Of course both of these vehicles are armed.
The red truck converts into a helicopter and the blue vechicle into a
boat.
PAT had it's own theme song (introduced in episode 13) Shining PAT.
Other regular
characters in this series are Tachibana, Naoki's sister-in-law, nephew
(Kazuya) and boss (Banno, Daisaku). Naoki's sister-in-law works at a
coffee shop which provides meals for the PAT team members. Naoki
occasionally helps out there too. Naoki lives with his sister-in-law
and nephew. His famiy and friends do not know that he controls Jumborg
Ace and flying off to fight monsters gets him in trouble with his boss
(he's too good a pilot to fire though). The only person on Earth who
knows that Naoki pilots Jumborg Ace is Ken, a young boy, who was in the
Cessna when a monster attacked.
Music is an important
part of this series. Tachibana, Naoki plays the trumpet (in early
episodes). When he's sad he plays beautifully, when he's angry he just
makes noise. In episode 8 his girlfriend plays the violin. In episodes
9 and 10 another pilot, who plays the saxaphone, tries to take Naoki's
job away from him. In episode 16 an alien female sings. In episode 34
another alien female sings. After a long time of not playing it
Tachibana, Naoki remembers his trumpet at the end of episode 47.
Jumborg Ace and Jumborg 9 battle the daikaiju (giant monsters) created
by the Gurosu Seijin (Growth
Aliens).
Episode Titles
Jambougu Êsu
featured music by Kikuchi,Shunsuke.
Tachibana, Naoki also stared in Za Kage Sutâ [The
Shadow Star] (1976).
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Last modified Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Jambougu Êsu
© 1973 Tsuburaya
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