When Japan is threatened by evil giant monsters and robots, a larger than life hero comes to save the day. No, not those guys. Tonight we’re talking about Big X!
Based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka…you know, Astro Boy’s creator…this is the first anime produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha, or TMS for short. While a number of the episodes have been lost to time, TMS has managed to recover some of their 59 episodes and this week they started releasing them with subtitles on their official YouTube channel. So let’s check out an early anime, which definitely shows in all the artifacts on screen. On the plus side for us English speakers, the first episode is available with subtitles, and you don’t even have to turn on closed captions to see them.
Akira Asagumo’s grandfather created a formula for the Axis during the war, but the war ended before he could perfect it. (Before you show this to your kids, the exposition flashback includes Hitler shooting himself in the head. Always fun to see, but maybe not for younger audiences.) Years later, a poor excuse for Neo Nazis, the “Nazi Alliance”, finds out that Akira’s dad was implanted with a card carrying the formula to Big X, which can make the user superdurable, super strong, super sized, and somehow his clothes turn into a costume with a cape and a helmet with little wings on them. That was some formula. In this somewhat goofy action show, Akira must use Big X himself to fight the Nazi Alliance and keep the formula safe despite being a small boy. And you thought child endangerment laws were too strict. Enjoy.
Whatever episodes they should have available will most likely continue to appear at TMS Entertainment’s official YouTube channel if you want to see more of Big X! If not, there’s still a huge library of TMS classics to check out.
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