National Kid
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National Kid
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| Episodes: | 39 |
| Year: | 1960-1961 |
| Country: | Japan |
| Seasons: | 11 |
| Seasons Breakdown: | (1) 39 |
| Category: | Superhero |
| Colour: | No |
| Format: | Series |
| Company: | Toei Company Ltd. |
| Creator: | Minoru Kisegawa , Ichirō Miyagawa and Unno Juza (written by Takashi Tanii and Nagayoshi Akasaka |
| Run Time (mins): | 30 |
| Language: | Japanese |
| Type of Show: | Live Action |
| Status: | Ended |
| Broadcaster: | TV Asahi |
| First Aired: | July 4, 1960 |
| Last Aired: | April 27, 1961 |
Summary
Determined not to be outdone by Moonlight Mask, NET commissioned an unusually high‑budget tokusatsu series from Toei. Although initially derived from a story by Monoru Kisegawa, the programme’s direction was soon reshaped by the commercial requirements of its sponsor, National , the domestic brand name of Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., known internationally as Panasonic.
The resulting narrative centred on an extra-terrestrial envoy who arrived on Earth to defend the planet from Venusian Aztec invaders. Across subsequent seasons, the protagonist continued to confront an expanding roster of adversaries, including coelacanth‑derived monsters, subterranean aggressors from the underworld realm of Hellstien, and later alien forces originating from the planet Mazeran.
In keeping with National’s product‑placement strategy, the hero’s laser gun conspicuously resembled a National‑brand flashlight. Nevertheless, the sponsor’s substantial financial investment enabled the production to achieve a notable milestone: National Kid became the first flying superhero depicted in the history of Japanese television.
Cast
Tomohiro KAZUO HARA, HIDEYO KIMURA, Professor Hata/National Kid ICHIRO KOJIMA, MIDORI OKADA, KOIJI OMORI, Kioko SHIKA SAITO, Tyako TAEKO SHIMURA, Professor Hata/National Kid TATSUME SHIUTARO, TETSUHEI YAMAMOTO.
Tags: Superhero, Japan, 1960, Japanese
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