Japanese
9.2
1986
Japan
Jikuu Senshi Spielban is a Japanese tokusatsu television series, part of the Metal Hero Series created by Toei Co. Ltd. from April 7, 1986 to March 9, 1987. Spielban's action footage was used for the battle scenes in VR Troopers. For distribution purposes, Toei refers to this television series as Spielvan.
The Waller Empire destroys the planet Clin in search of water for its deity. Two Clinian children, Spielban and Diana, escape to Earth aboard the Grand Nasca. The two grow up during the long journey and don High Tech Crystal Suits to defeat the Waller who have come to Earth in search of more water. Spielban must avenge his dead mother Anna and his homeworld, and find his missing father Ben and older sister Helen. Unknown to Spielban at the start of the series his father and sister have been made members of the Waller against their will.
Overview
Reviews
carloforniaraisin wrote:I have very few complaints about this show. If I have any, it’s just going to be in comparison with the visuals/music of Gavan but that’s A: always going to be the case for “Space Sheriff”-styled Metal Heroes shows, which I believe this is the last of em, and B: kind of unfair because this has a lot going for it otherwise. Actually the music in this is pretty good, but it’s no Akira Kushida, so there’s a limit to how good it will be.
What makes Spielvan stand out are the characters. It’s a meatier, and a more dynamic show because it’s not just hero + female sidekick and one-dimensional villains. It’s hero + female hero + female hero who is being held captured by the villains, of which there are a LOT and they are pretty much all great. Basically a lot of badass female characters on both sides of justice. Not the least of which Machiko Soga. I feel like every show that has her as the villain is automatically a better show than it would be without. Her commitment is just second to none. I put her on the same level as having Kenji Ohba as the protagonist.
Speaking of the protagonist… Hiroshi Watari is someone I don’t have strong feelings about, but Spielvan as a show is less reliant on him than Sharivan which is why it didn’t ever bother me.
I also don’t remember a lot of episodes that were duds, which Juspion had quite a few of. There’s a good variety of goofs, just monster of the week, recurring character-based plots that wrap up in a satisfying way, and weird new elements being introduced throughout like Dr. Bio being reduced to a floating, talking brain with googly eyeballs and basically EVERYTHING involving Mickey Curtis’ character and his time-traveling, talking, but otherwise completely normal ass looking hamster.
Maybe the action isn’t super inspired, but the set pieces become snappier and they change stuff up ever so slightly every couple of episodes so you don’t get too bored with it (again, looking at EVERY Daileon fight in Juspion which I endured mostly because of the theme song).
Also I can't 100% say because I got too bored to finish Sharivan and Shaider, but if you did and you get around to Spielvan, it might feel like a "metal heroes greatest hits" remix kind of show? Curious about that, but on its own I loved it.
