Galaxy Boy Troop

Summary

Galaxy Boy Troop (銀河少年隊) was a children's TV series created by Osamu Tezuka that combined marionettes with traditional animation. It ran for two seasons from April 7, 1963, to April 1, 1965, for a total of 92 episodes. The series also aired in France as Le Commando De La Voie Lactée.[1]

Galaxy Boy Troop
Created byOsamu Tezuka
Directed byMushi Production
Country of originJapan
No. of series2
No. of episodes92
Original release
NetworkNHK
ReleaseApril 7, 1963 (1963-04-07) –
April 1, 1965 (1965-04-01)

The characters were represented by marionettes from the Takeda Puppet Troupe, while scenes of rocket flight were represented with animation. Occasionally, the producers incorporated live-action film of characters' lips moving superimposed on the puppets, in an effect similar to the little-used American Syncro-Vox technique.[2]

In the first season, the eponymous Galaxy Boy Troop, headed by a boy named Rob, travels across the galaxy to find a material that can restart Earth's dying Sun. In the second season, the Troop fights off an alien invasion of Earth. Along the way, they meet and interact with the elegant Amia people of Venus, and the oafish Poipoi people of Mars.

Characters edit

Although the show is primarily puppetry, it still manages to include many characters from Osamu Tezuka's Star System in marionette form.

  • Rob, the leader of the Galaxy Boy Troop
  • Myria
  • Shunsaku Ban
  • Mister 6, Rob's intelligent robot hovercar
  • Pedro
  • Dar, a small, big-eyed alien
  • Tex, a reformed criminal
  • Rubber Band
  • Death, the villain

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Galaxy Boy Troop: '60s anime-style sci-fi puppetry". pink tentacle. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  2. ^ Lee, Laura (2017). Japanese Cinema Between Frames. Springer International Publishing. p. 131. ISBN 9783319663739. Retrieved 10 July 2020.

External links edit

  • Official site at Tezuka Osamu @ World
  • Clip on YouTube