Kaiketsu Zubat 1-32 v2

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OP/ED Translation

February 2, 1977: The Magnificent Zubat premiered on Japanese televisions. But this date is more than just a start date, it’s a plot point. As Ken searches for his friends killer he always asks the suspects what they were doing on February 2nd. So when I looked at the calendar recently I thought there was no better day to release show than today.

If you’ve never seen Zubat then you’re in for an amazing ride. This show is serious, dark, funny, over the top, ridiculous, non-stop action, fun. It’s a show that hits every emotion, and never becomes boring. It’s nothing short of a tokusatsu masterpiece.

Show aside, this is a project that should have been completed years ago, and I deeply apologize for putting it off for so long. Truth be told I don’t like going back to old projects. Once the book is closed I like to start something new. So when I’d think about working on this show again I’d always put my time into whatever our current show was at the time. The only changes are new raws for the first 20 or so episodes, new fonts, and a bit of different styling in some places. Nothing’s been done to the TL.

 

Happy Feburary 2nd, everyone!

RIP NyaaTorrents

My one regret is I never became a green user

Everyone else is making one of these posts so we might as well.

We’re probably moving everything to Anidex so naturally this means any torrent links on older posts won’t work anymore. I’ll probably update this post at some point with a link to the new torrents, but for now just keep calm.

If you really need Dynaman right now it’s available in this MEGA folder.

EDIT: Everything should be up. You can find the new torrents here: https://anidex.info/?page=user&id=7208

Magnet Links:

A list of magnet links can be found in this pastebin

Zubat 31-32 [END]

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MegaAnon:

We’ve finally reached the end of Ken’s journey, and what a way to end it. Yabuki Jiro (Taki from Kamen Rider) joins the cast this week so be on the lookout for him. Strangely, the credits say that Isao Sasaki is in episode 31 as a detective, but we can’t find a trace of him. We suspect whatever scene he was in was, unfortunately, cut. With Zubat I’ve often found myself unable to write a decent blog entry about it. It’s such a unique show that speaks for itself and I think that anything I could tell you about the episode would spoil the fun. One of the neat things about this show is that you never know what’s going to happen. Sure, there’s a standard formula they follow, but you never know what Ken is going to be best at, or how he’s going to one-up the bad guys. Every episode is a mini adventure full of laughs and suspense. I really liked how Zubat could be incredibly silly one moment, and then incredibly dark the next.  Yet it wasn’t jarring. And as incompetent as Dakkar was, I never thought they were any less of a threat. They just happened to be second best. It’s been a real treat to work on this show and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

As a bonus we’ve made a lyrics page with translations for the three songs that appeared in Zubat. Check it out here

 

Kou:

From the very first episode, I fell in love with Zubat and its amazing combination of surreality and charm. It may not always be the best show in the conventional sense — all tightly interwoven plotlines and carefully crafted characters — but there’s still something magical about it. It overflows with spirit and wild ideas in a way only 70s tokusatsu can.

Not many shows can pit a superhero against everyday human beings and make you root for the hero. Not many shows can create a hero so convincing in his vulnerability despite his being nominally invincible and diegetically the best at everything in the world.

That’s the magic of Zubat, and it’s my pleasure to have played a part in spreading that magic to everyone here. I hope you enjoy it to the very end.

 

Lynxara:

I’d like to say I had a deep, emotional connection to Zubat that lead to my interest in the series, but the truth is that I just think Hiroshi Miyauchi is the best. Zubat has long been considered Miyauchi’s greatest role, and after I finished seeing the show, I felt like I could really see why. Hopefully you guys can, too.

 

Alkaid:

Zubat and Ken, two sides of the same coin and yet still inseparable figures in their own right.  Whether battling against the minor henchmen of Dakkar or that week’s hired gun, both Ken and Zubat shined magnificently.  The show had amusing bad guys, clever Characters of the Week, two spunky tagalongs who followed Ken’s journey, along with a trusted friend in Tojo.  But Ken was the one who brought everyone a bit of joy with his cocky, yet well-played grin as he searched the countryside for his friend Asuka’s killer.

Did Zubat play to your expectations just as Ken played his guitar in every episode?  Was this the greatest attempt to bring you Zubat in his 32 glorious scene-stealing stories?  While I can only admit to a small part in MFC’s subbing of Zubat, I am not the second-best.  (or possibly even the third-best)  Those honors go to Kou, Megan and Lynx for starting down the path of burning winds with Zubat and inviting me along for the ride.  To them, I give thanks and to you, the viewer who traveled with us along this grand journey, I thank as well.

While Ken and Zubat’s journey may be over, we hope you truly enjoyed the experiences along with him.

Zubat 29-30

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We’re in the homestretch! These two episodes are the last “normal” episodes before the show wraps up. But they’re just what you’ve come to expect from this show. Episode 29 features either the bravest, or stupidest child of the week (depending on how you look at it), and a villain who looks like he stepped right out of an anime. Episode 30 changes things up a little but, and it’s a really good episode. The villain of the week is hilarious as well. Anytime he’s on screen just focus on him. He really adds some much needed laughter to the episode because the rest of it is rather serious, even for this show. Next week, Haykawa’s journey comes to a close. Will he find Asuka’s killer? Will he deliver justice and get his long sought after revenge? You’re gonna have to wait to find out.

 

Zubat 27-28

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Sorry for being so late! Half the team was busy playing Pokemon (I played for 4 hours and 40 minutes straight on Satursay. I don’t have an addiction!). Anyways, these two episodes are really, really good but for this post I want to specifically focus on 28. Part of episode 28 takes place on Namegawa Island. Fans of Zyuranger might recognize this place from episode 36 where Geki and the gang spent an episode helping some kid find a pirate treasure. Namegawa Island was a real life theme park/zoo that sadly closed down in 2001.  Unlike that episode of Zyuranger, we don’t get to see too much of it in Zubat. It’s mentioned, and shown a bit but that’s about it. We do, however, get a very impressive shot of Zubat up on this tower on the island. I can’t imagine being up on that thing wearing the full Zubat suit. It is certainly one impressive stunt. Namegawa really had some beautiful scenery and I can see why Toei would film there. In fact, in 2004 they filmed part of the Kamen Rider Blade movie there. Even after being abandoned, it’s still a beautiful place. Zubat will be back in a few days, since these were technically last week’s episodes. Enjoy!

If you want to learn more about Namegawa and see some pics of it in it’s current state, check out this blog:

http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2009/07/namegawa-island-haikyo-chiba/

http://misuterareta.wordpress.com/2009/06/05/chiba-explorations-5609/

(The second link has a picture where you can see the tower Zubat stands on)

 

Zubat 25-26

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Last week I promised you three episodes and, well, I lied. After redoing my math I realized that we actually needed to have a one episode release if we wanted to release the last two episodes together. So, you’re getting the usual two form now until the end. Sorry! Now let’s talk about these episodes because they’re somewhat of a mixed bag, unfortunately. Episode 25 is classic Zubat, it’s plain awesome. If you’ve watched this far then you know what to expect. 26, however, is the problem child. For starters there are numerous scenes of animal cruelty, so if that bothers you then you’ve been warned. It’s also a very odd episode. I can’t place my finger on it, but it just feels off. I’m not saying that it’s outright horrible, but it is a bit of a head scratcher. Fortunately it’s only a small bump in this fantastic show, and I’m sure many of you will actually like it. But, as always, decide for yourself and (hopefully) enjoy it!

Zubat 24

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First the bad news: There won’t be any Megaranger, or a second Zubat this week. Next week we’ll give you 2 Megas, and 3 Zubats instead (So consider this a blessing, and use this time to kill your backlog). And we swear this won’t become a regular habit.

Now, the good news: This episode is awesome. Love is in the air, and cupid has hit Hayakawa with one of his arrows. Ken finds love, and loses love, but not in the way you’d think. It’s an awesome series of events and well worth the watch. Oh, and there’s an exploding baby. Enjoy, and we’ll see you next week!

 

NOTE: From here on we’ll be using the new raws BunnyHat made. We’ll rerelease the other episodes once we finish the entire show.

Zubat 22-23

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And here is your weekly dose of Zubat (Noticing a pattern here? Apparently Zubat comes in pairs). This week Ken meets a young boxer, and finds out how he managed to ruin his father’s life without even knowing it. There’s plenty of boxing action to be had, and the story ain’t hald bad either! In our second adventure Ken runs into a family of sisters who are fighting over their Father’s inheritance. Can Hayakawa Connect this broken family? Or will their greed drive them apart? And of course the shadow of Dakkar is never far behind! So sit back, and enjoy some high flying, whip crackin’ action! Next week, Ken continues to Ride the Wind in his search for vengeance! Is… is there love in the air? Don’t miss it!

And remember: Zubat’s stunts are very dangerous, so don’t try them at home!

Zubat 20-21

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                  It’s that time of the week again! Episode 20 has some kung-fu action, and a guy with a weird eye. Seriously, just look at him. It’s freaky. It’s as good as always, but the real gem here is episode 21. Episode 21 goes above and beyond and shows something that I never thought this show would give us; Ken’s back story. Specifically, his family. It’s an amazing episode, and if you don’t feel sad afterwards then there might be something wrong with you. It’s one of the very few, if not only, times you see a vulnerable Ken. He might be the best at everything, but he’s still human. Not much more I can say about these. Zubat pretty much speaks for itself.

Unfortunately, there won’t be any Megaranger this week, BUT we’ll make it up to you with two episodes next week. And of course you’ll get more Zubat next week as well.

Trivia: Episode 21 shows a young Ken climbing on a steam locomotive. This locomotive is a Class 5500 and was built in 1897. The scene was shot at the Ome Railway Park where it still resides to this day, along with other Japanese locomotives. The park was also in an episode 22 of Magiranger (the one where Houka and Hikaru go on a date), and probably a few other shows we can’t remember. If anyone ever goes there, let me know how it is! (It’s 100 yen to get in, you have no excuse. ) Their website is here, and it’s in English if you want to see some of their rolling stock. (Did I seriously write a longer blurb about trains that are in a 5 second scene than I did about Zubat? I need help)

 

Oh, and HAPPY KAIXA DAY!

Zubat 18-19

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       This week we’re giving you two Zubats for the price of one! Not a bad deal, huh? In our first adventure, Ken defends some school children from the evil Black Whiskers Gang, and from a man who tries to play with the heart of a young woman. In our second adventure, Ken tries to defend a lovesick girl who’s been framed for murder! Love must be in the air, or something. You won’t wanna miss a second of Ken’s amazing skills!

Zubat will be back next week but in the meantime, Hayakawa Ken isn’t the only super hero named Hayakawa with a time limit around here…