Number of episodes: 51
Movies: N/A
Action Director: Michihiro Takeda
Special Effects Supervisor: Hiroshi Butsuda
Episode Directors: Shouhei Toujou (16 episodes), Keita Amemiya (14 episodes), Masao Minowa (13 episodes), Kiyoshi Arai (4 episodes), Taro Sakamoto (4 episodes)
Episode Writers: Toshiki Inoue (29 episodes), Kenichi Araki (11 episodes), Naruhisa Arakawa (6 episodes), Mami Watanabe (2 episodes), Hiroyuki Kawasaki (1 episode), Kunio Fujii (1 episode), Takahiko Masuda (1 episode)
Suit Actors:
Kazuo Niibori, Hiroshi Maeda - Red Hawk
Hirofumi Ishigaki, Tomihisa Naruse - Yellow Owl
Naoki Ofuji - Black Condor
Yuichi Hachisuka, Masato Akada - White Swan
Shoji Hachisuka - Blue Swallow
Hideaki Kusaka - Jet Icarus, Jet Garuda, Great Jet Icarus, Grey
Yasuhiro Takeuchi - Tetra Boy
Takeshi Miyazaki - Dimension Beasts
Early on, Jetman is very much definitely a tribute to Gatchaman. The move's first combining mecha finisher is the ability to transform into a "Fire Bird" much like Gatchaman's big finisher, and characters like Gai and Raita are definitely modeled after Gatchaman members Jo and Ryu, respectively (they even share the same birds of choice). However, the show quickly becomes its own thing by adding into the formula what makes Sentai its own thing, and then some. As a result, the show is a fitting tribute to the legendary anime from Tatsunoko, and yet it still has enough of a unique flavor that allowed it to become such a fan favorite.
Another thing it models after Gatchaman is the multiple plot lines, and this show is one of the many Sentai from this time period that would put a heavy emphasis on story arcs, an emphasis that would later be seen in subsequent Sentai such as Zyuranger and especially Dairanger. As previously mentioned, the show's main focus is the love stories between both the heroes and villains, putting a spin on just your typical rivalries. Not only is there the tumultuous love triangle between Ryu, Gai, and Kaori; there's the love square between Ryu, Maria/Rie, Grey, and Radiguet (although the latter views Maria as more of an object he refuses to let go of), and even Raita gets in on the love action when he briefly falls for Kaori as well. It seems that Ako is left out of the drama, and she is for the most part. However, that changes with a pivotal two-parter that happens later on in the series.
In this arc, three warriors from a dimension that Vyram has already conquered arrive to help out the Jetmen when a demon monster that Radiguet was raising in lieu of Vyram's former empress awakens. In one of the most dramatic shots I've ever seen in a Super Sentai (with lighting that looks eerily similar to a shot that Koichi Kawakita would have created in a Heisei Godzilla film, and possibly inspired the cinematography in Mechagodzilla and Spacegodzilla), their ship, the Jet Garuda, takes off and travels to our dimension. When they arrive, we find out that two of the warriors are in love whilst the third (played by Hideki Fujiwara, who would go on to play Dan/TriceraRanger in Zyuranger) teases Ako by flipping her skirt and hitting on her. However, Ako eventually falls for this silly, but sweet, guy in a romance that, of course, that cannot last when the monster attacks again.
This is one of the many arcs that prove Jetman's excellence in pulling off dramatic mecha fights. That, and the combination of Inoue's writing and Amemiya's directing proves once again to be an effective combo (and is reason why they have worked together again quite a few times, including Jinzo Ningen Hakaider and Tekkouki Mikazuki). While the eventual outcome is pretty obvious for anyone who has watched previous Sentai like Liveman, it's still a bummer when it does happen thanks to some solid acting and pacing.
What these Sentai manage to pull off thanks to these story arcs is raising the stakes for our heroes. There's nothing like watching our heroes being thrown into a conflict that they are losing, the dramatic music reaches a crescendo, and then BAM! "To be continued" appears on the bottom left corner as we are treated to a still shot of our heroes in peril. This makes the team's victories all the more accomplished, and since these stories aren't paid off in one episode all the time that means the audience has to become more invested. Of course, it's nice to have episodic stories and this show strikes a solid balance between important multi-part stories and one-offs. Some other incredible story arcs include the Jetmen disbanding while three legendary majin reawaken; the birth of Tranza; the arrival of the Neo-Jetmen (with J1 being played by another future Zyuranger, this time it's TyrannoRanger himself) and finally, the final battle.
Among those arcs, you may have noticed a name that looks a lot like Tran's. Well, Tran goes through a transformation later on in the series and becomes the new leader of Vyram: Tranza. Tranza is played by one of the greatest actors to ever appear in Sentai: Yutaka Hirose. This is the third Super Sentai where Hirose plays a recurring villain following Flashman and, of course, Liveman. He would appear as a recurring villain in one more Super Sentai: as the villainous martial arts killer Jin from Dairanger. Inoue stated he wrote roles into the shows he headed specifically for Hirose to appear in (as seen in Dairanger, Changerion, and Kamen Rider Agito) and it's easy to see why. Here, Hirose does a great job releasing all frustrations that the Tran character had when the other commanders picked on him by showing a cocky yet intimidating persona. In one episode, he hunts down the Jetmen one by one and it's some truly menacing stuff since Hirose plays it so calm and collected, yet intent and deadly. As a result, Hirose once again turns in a memorable performance and one that many consider his best (I'm more inclined to say his performance as Jin is my favorite so far).
Like every Super Sentai of this time period, the special effects themselves are very flashy, which is not a bad thing. Late 80s to mid 90s Super Sentai relied heavily on optical effects for beams, lasers, etc. and the look really gives this show and others of their time a look that newer Sentai can't quite seem to match. Some effects to indicate scale are often pretty poorly done, but honestly the use of miniatures and optical effects here seems more welcoming and eye-catching. The early episodes of Jetman place a heavy emphasis on aerial combat, and these scenes are beautifully composed thanks to energetic camera work, exciting pyrotechnics, and a surprising attention to detail on the miniatures. Unfortunately, the robots take over the climaxes of every episode but since the mecha fights in this show are actually entertaining, it gets a pass even if I would have liked to see more of their individual jets in action.
The show is also incredibly well shot, and this is thanks to the visually driven styles of both directors Amemiya and Shouhei Toujou. While Amemiya adds a kinetic, almost anime-like, energy to this show that most Sentai don't have, Toujou's directing is pretty much what gives this and almost all '80s and early '90s Sentai their look. In fact, Toujou directed the majority of episodes of this series, so in a way Toujou was more responsible for this show's look than its head director. Anyways, the camera work is wonderful, with some episodes featuring some especially gorgeous lighting (episode 42 has one of the best night shots I have ever seen from Japanese TV. Period.).
Finally, in terms of technical aspects, there's the soundtrack. The opening and ending theme songs are sung with gusto by anime and tokusatsu legend Hironobu Kageyama, and these songs are among my favorite of the entire franchise. The opening never fails to get things pumped up thanks to its cheers, while the ending contains some romantic lyrics that actually seem pretty sweet and earnest. The soundtrack itself is pretty memorable thanks to some appropriate military type marches, a grander sound to its orchestra compared to past Sentai, and some great use of the electric guitar (something desperately missing from modern Sentai). While it's not as "hum-worthy" as Liveman's OST, it's still great to listen to.
That wraps it up for part 2 of my mega-review of Jetman. Have I said anything negative about the show yet? No? Well, next time I'll discuss some of my favorite individual episodes, the controversial finale, and my final thoughts. Here's a hint: my final thoughts are going to be rather positive.
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