(photos from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, 1974)

    Kikaider, television's popular mechanical man, will be in town to perform at the 50th State Fair during the Labor Day weekend. Arrangements to bring the seven-man troupe to Honolulu were made through KIKU-TV, and the Honolulu Jaycees are sponsoring the "Kikaider" act complete with monsters and androids, which is put on at parks and recreation centers throughout Japan. The Honolulu Jaycess have arranged for a local showing.
    Science fiction and monster TV movies are popular among Japan's youngsters, and the Hawaii appearance marks a "first" for Japanese monster characters. Last minute plans include transporting the life-sizes costumes (highly valued) and rewriting the script into English.
    The "Kikaider" series on Channel 13 has been running for 26 weeks, and will continue for another 17. The plot is basically the same each week.
    Jiro, the main character (actually "Kikaider" the mechanical man), was created by Dr. Komyoji. Kikaider has a conscience circuit to combat the evil monsters and androids. He changes from his human form into Kikaider and performs miraculous feats; never failing to destroy the monsters in the end. Although the plot is simple, youngsters are attracted to the series because each episode is filled with Japanese creativity and skillful camera techniques. Also the cast is headed by a handsome young man, Jiro. Dr. Komoyoji's daughter, Mitsuko is in love with him although it depresses her that in reality, he is a mechanical man. Komoyoji's son Masaru too, encounters danger every week.
    Professor Gill, head of the Dark Demolition Corps, is symbolized by the sound of an evil flute. Jiro's conscience circuit resists the flute and he is immediatly transformed into Kikaider.
    Kikaider is not the most recent of similar monster films in Japan (it is now being re-run in Tokyo). But because it was a first here in Hawaii, the response was overwhelming. Local merchants have been extremely busy trying to locate the dated Kikaider products in Japan.
    The original Kikaider will be at the 50th State Fair along with Hakaider (translated 'Destroyer'), 2 androids and 3 monsters. Because of the weight and size of the costumes, performances under the warm Hawaiian sun are not the most ideal setting for the Kikaider Show, so all performances have been scheduled during the evening.
    Local youngsters will finally get to meet their favorite TV hero in person; and at the same time the producers of the show, accompaning the troupe from Japan, will realize Kikaiders popularity in the Islands.
-- article from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, 1974, before the first live Kikaider Show in Hawaii

(photo from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, 1974)

New TV Heroes Conquer Monsters
By Phil Mayer, Star-Bulletin Writer

    RAINBOW MAN is seven different good guys, one for each day of the week.
    He can change identities because he is also mild-mannered Yamoto Takeshi, a college student who studied under a guru in India.
    When he must outwit the no-good "Mr K" and his "Shine-Shine" gang, Takeshi can become Moon Man, Fire Man, Water Man, Leaf (or Tree) Man, Gold Man, Ground (or Earth) Man and Dash 7, who is also known as "Rainbow Man".
    ...Eat your heart out Clark Kent.
    There are 19 more original "Kikaider" episodes and 28 more original "Rainbow Man" episodes to be shown Saturdays at 8 and 8:30 p.m. respectively.
    Reruns, beginning with the first episodes, started nine weeks ago at 7 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays.
    Fans of both series can see a total of four different shows each week, which also makes several stores happy.
    One reportedly sold about $4,000-worth of "Kikaider" and "Rainbow Man" things in a single weekend and reservations are required for such items as Rainbow Man dolls.
    The price per doll recently went up from $2.95 to $3.95, which increases the cost of a set of seven from $20.75 to $27.65 in most stores that stock the Barbie Doll-sized figures.
    One of the four major Kikaider-Rainbow Man outlets in Honolulu has opened several mornings with lines of shoppers waiting for air-freighted goods which have only been on the ground a few hours.

    BUT THE STORY of how the "Kikaider" episodes were and continue to be subtitled is more remarkable.
    Teru Otsuka, formerly a newsman at the Japanese language raido station, KZOO, and his wife lived not far from the KIKU office.
    Each week they came to the station to watch and listen to the Japanese soundtrack which Miyori transcribed word-for-word.
    Her transcription then was translated into English by Ikuo Ichida, a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii.
    Then his work was gone over by Betty Santoki of the KIKU staff, who reworked the translation into subtitles of no more than two lines of 24 letters and spaces per film frame.
    Then the Otsukas moved back to Hokkaido. So now a tape recording of each week's Japanese sound track is sent to them from KIKU to which it returns as a transcript to be made into subtitles.
    Alvin Hamada of the KIKU staff was assigned to make subtitles for "Rainbow Man" after 26 episodes had been shown without them.
    And -- Gloriosky, Godzilla -- the newspapers are already beginning to advertise "Gatcha Man" and "Ultra Man" dolls.
-- article from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser 1974

    Besides Rainbowman, KIKU has been running another science fiction series called "Kikaider" the same evenings. "Kikai" meaning "machine" in Japanese symbolizes Kikaider the hero of this action-filled science fiction. Dr. Komyoji, working for the evil Professor Gill, originally built a mechanical man able to perform spectacular feats. This mechanical man is disguised in the normal being of Jiro, a roving guitarist.
    The villain of this story, Prof. Gill of the Planet Dark, tries to get Kikaider back and to use him for evil purposes. The power Gill has over Kikaider is his powerful flute. If Jiro succumbs to the flute, he becomes a follower of the Dark. The incomplete conscience circuit in Jiro resists Gill's flute. Meanwhile Professor Gill creates different monsters and encourages his Dark Corps to try to conquer Jiro, Dr. Komyoji, and his children.
    Why do kids watch these two modern adventure series? Perhaps because they're different. Obviously, the nationalities of the characters and spoken language are unique, but never before have such imaginative monsters appeared on local tv screens. The villains are abominable in character. A young cast portrays the characters; and major supporting roles are played by children about the age of the average viewer. Thus youngsters associate with the strong and let their imaginations run wild weekly. The plots of both Rainbowman and Kikaider are simple. Both heroes must combat an evil organization. When the crucial moment comes, both change from human forms to that of the super hero.
-- excerpt from article from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser 197?

(photo from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, 1974)

    Kikaider-01, who will make personal appearances with Hakaider and other monsters and andriods at Honolulu International Center's Exhibition Hall this week, is the oldest of three robot brothers created by Doctor Komyoji. In the TV series, Kikaider-01 awakens after three years of dormancy inside the statue, "Niyoo No Kami". Doctor Komyoji had set Kikaider-01's computer to function when terror plagued the people of Japan.

    Kikaider-01, is humanized in the form of Ichiro (or first son), Kikaider as Jiro, the second son and Hakaider as Saburo, the third Son.

    Although Kikaider-01 and Kikaider are robots combating evil, ironically Hakaider, their youngest brother turns out to be evil. The reason for this fate is that Doctor Komyoji created Kikaider-01 and Kikaider voluntarily to eradicate the wicked and to maintain peace and harmony in Japan. Hakaider on the otherhand, was created by Doctor Komyoji forcefully with Professor Gill's command. Hakaider appears with three other powerful partners, Blue Hakaider, Red Hakaider, and Silver Hakaider to terrorize the people of Japan and to destroy his brothers.

    Hakaider, like Professor Gill, holds the flute that weakens Kikaider in the new series. Although Kikaider-01 is not affected by the flute, he too has a weakness. His robot power is derived from solar energy, and without sun his power is extinguised.

    The Kikaider troupe that appeared live at the 50th State Fair could not get over their unsung popularity in Hawaii. In Japan, they take the parts of bad samurai who get killed. Kikuchi Toshiaki (the actor in Kikaider's costume) was an overnight hero here and swamped for autographs wherever he went.

    KIKU started the new Kikaider-01 series last Saturday night on channel 13.

    Kikaider, Kikaider-01, Hakaider, Jiro (actor Ban Daisuke), six monsters and androids will be here for a special New Year's peformance at the HIC Exhibition Hall, January 1 - 5. Three shows daily on January 1 and 2, and four shows daily on January 3, 4, 5.
-- article from Star-Bulletin & Advertiser, Dec. 1974, before the second live Kikaider Show in Hawaii

In 1974 during the 50th State Fair 30,000+ enjoyed a Kikaida stage show (10 shows over 3 days).