Super Rescue Solbrain (特救指令ソルブレイン, Tokkyū Shirei Soruburein, lit. Special Rescue Command Solbrain) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series produced by Toei Company. It ran for 53 episodes from January 20, 1991 to January 26, 1992 on TV Asahi.[1][2] It is part of the Metal Hero Seriesfranchise; a sequel to Special Rescue Police Winspector, it is the second installment in the Rescue Police Series trilogy.
January 20, 1991 (1991-01-20) – January 26, 1992 (1992-01-26)
Related
Special Rescue Police Winspector Special Rescue Exceedraft
For distribution purposes, Toei refers to this television series as simply Solbrain.
Plotedit
After the Winspector police team leaves Japan to fight crime in France, Chief Shunsuke Masaki realizes he must create a new police team to defend Tokyo from crime. He creates Solbrain – a high-tech special rescue force, expert in missions requiring rescue and firepower. Its leader is Daiki Nishio, a rookie detective who can use the Plus Up command in his car to transform into SolBraver. Other members are Reiko Higuchi, also able to use the Plus Up command to transform into SolJeanne, SolBraver's female counterpart; and SolDozer, a yellow bulldozer robot. Later in the series, the Winspector team returns to Japan and teams up with Solbrain for a three-part story (episodes 21-23). From episode 34 on, Ryouma, the protagonist from Winspector, returns as a member of Solbrain, wearing a suit dubbed the Knight Fire.
The teamedit
Daiki Nishio / SolBraver (西尾 大樹/ソルブレイバー, Nishio Daiki/Sorubureibā): Daiki is Ryoma's successor. He wears blue armor, and his primary vehicle is SolGallop. He only can wear his solid suit, and his transformation call is "Plus Up" (プラスアップ, Purasu Appu). He is armed with Cerberus Delta (a triangular gun), which can transform into a rod or a sword.
Reiko Higuchi / SolJeanne (樋口 玲子/ソルジャンヌ, Higuchi Reiko/Sorujannu): Reiko is Junko's successor. She wears red armor, a black-and-white flameproof suit and a helmet without a mouthplate (so she can wear also an oxygen mask). Her primary vehicle is SolDrecker, which also carries Dozer. Her transformation call is also "Plus Up" (プラスアップ, Purasu Appu), and her weapon is a small gun.
SolDozer (ソルドーザー, Sorudōzā, 2-53): Dozer is Bycle's and Walter's successor. He is a yellow heavy-duty robot (with design elements from a bulldozer, as the name implies) and can transform into a rescue machine.
Other membersedit
Jun Masuda (増田 純, Masuda Jun): A Solbrain member, unlike Daiki and Reiko he does not wear a solid suit; however, he is always in action.
Shunsuke Masaki (正木 俊介, Masaki Shunsuke): Chief of Solbrain. Compassionate and dedicated, he usually goes into the battlefield to help his subordinates.
Kamekichi Togawa (戸川 亀吉, Togawa Kamekichi): A machine expert, he is Nonoyama's successor.
Takeshi Yazawa (矢沢 武, Yazawa Takeshi): A pilot of the mothership Solid States-I, he leads the mothership's operating team and is senior to Daiki.
Midori Aikawa (相川 みどり, Aikawa Midori, 1 & 2): Solbrain's Operation's team leader, she sees computer literacy as a main duty.
Ryoma Kagawa / Fire, Knight Fire (香川 竜馬/ファイヤー、ナイトファイヤー, Kagawa Ryōma/Faiyā, Naito Faiyā, (21-23, 34, 35, 37, 40, 42, 45-47 & 51-53)): Winspector's former leader, he first reappears in episode 21 with the Winspector team (robots Walter and Bikel) chasing an android named Messiah. He later transformed into Fire and helped the team with Walter and Bikel. Later returns in episode 34 as Knight Fire, a new member of Solbrain, armed with Cerberus Delta and Pile Tornado. He is portrayed by Masaru Yamashita, reprising his role from the previous Metal Hero series.
Cross 8000 (クロス8000, Kurosu hassen): Solbrain's supercomputer, and Madocks' successor.
Arsenaledit
Solid Suit (ソリッドスーツ, Soriddo Sūtsu): Daiki, Reiko and Ryōma's armor.
Proto Suit ( プロトスーツ, Puroto Suutsu ? ) The prototype of SolBraver's Solid Suit, Katsuhito Sasamoto (笹本勝彦, Sasamoto Katsuhito) steals the armor to destroy SolBraver, but the armor had a timeout, similar to the Crush Tector's 5 minute time limit. Sasamoto was known as a psychotic person who had no qualifications to become the SolBraver.
SolGallop (ソルギャロップ, Soru Gyaroppu): Daiki's car, based on the Toyota Sera
SolDrecker (ソルドレッカー, Soru Dorekkā): Reiko's car, sometimes also driven by Jun. Based on the Toyota Previa
Knight custom (ナイトカスタム, Naito Kasutamu): Ryōma's car, based on the Mazda RX-7 FC
Winsquad Stock-type (市販車型ウインスコード, Shihansha-gata Uinsukōdo): In the episode 21, when Ryoma chases an android, he drives this car, a tenth generation Cadillac Eldorado with all the equipment and transformation mechanisms installed inside the car.
Solid States I (ソリッドステイツI, Soriddo Suteitsu wan): the mothership (abbreviated S.S.-I (エスエスワン, Esu Esu Wan)). S.S.-I takes off from Solid Hanger (ソリッドハンガー, Soriddo Hangā) in one minute.
Cerberus Delta (ケルベロスΔ, Keruberosu Deruta): SolBraver and Knight Fire's weapon. It has two operating modes: Shot Mode (ショットモード, Shotto Mōdo) (used as a ray gun) and Slash Mode (スラッシュモード, Surasshu Mōdo) (used, as a sword, to break obstacles such as girders and fighting enemies armed with knives).
BosWinder (ボスワインダー, Bosu Waindā): a tool which shoots a special carbon-fiber rope or a special bullet
SolIndicater (ソルインジケーター, Soru Injikētā): Daiki and Reiko's police license
O2 Pack (O2パック, Ō tsū Pakku): oxygen cylinder
Medical Pack (メディカルパック, Medikaru Pakku): emergency equipment used by SolJeanne
Cuffs Lock (カフスロック, Kafusu Rokku): handcuffs
GigaStreamer (ギガストリーマー, Giga sutorīmā): the only weapon Solbrain inherited from Winspector (see Tokkei Winspector for details).
Pile Tornado (パイルトルネード, Pairu Torunēdo): SolBraver and Knight Fire's big gun, with three functions:
Super Discharger (スーパーディスチャージャー, Super Disuchājā): shoots a fire-extinguishing beam
Caulking Puncher (コーキングパンチャー, Kōkingu Panchā): shoots a special gelatinous, gluey, freezing bullet
Tornado Burst (トルネードバースト, Torunēdo bāsuto): a hail of 40 plasma-energy bullets per second, fired by Cerberus Delta. Its power is two times that of GigaStreamer's maximum mode (when SolBraver and Knight Fire fire it at the same time, its power is four times GigaStreamer's).
Episodesedit
Tokyo Skies' SOS (東京上空SOS, Tōkyō Jōkū Esu Ō Esu): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Masao Minowa
The Explosive ESP Sisters (爆襲!エスパー姉妹, Bakushū! Esupā Shimai): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Masao Minowa
Is Father an Angel or a Devil? (父は天使か怪物か, Chichi wa Tenshi ka Kaibutsu ka): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
The Game-Software of Dreams (夢のゲームソフト, Yume no Gēmu Sofuto): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
The Mutant's Courage (怪人のくれた勇気, Kaijin no kureta yūki): written by Takahiko Masuda, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
The Storyteller and the Bomb (バクダンと落語家, Bakudan to Rakugoka): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
The Reincarnated Human Machine (人間再生マシーン, Ningen Saisei Mashīn): written by Kyoko Sagiyama, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
The Vanishing Power-Suit (消えた強化スーツ, Kieta Kyōka Sūtsu): written by Takashi Yamada, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Father and Daughter's Red Bond (父と娘の赤い絆, Chichi to Ko no Akai Kizuna): written by Junichi Miyashita, directed by Michio Konishi
The Naive Arson Team (わしら純情放火団, Washira Junjō Hōkadan): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Michio Konishi
The Elegy of Love and Revenge (愛と復讐の挽歌, Ai to Fukushū no Banka): written by Takahiko Masuda, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Birth! The New Dozer (誕生!新ドーザー, Tanjō! Shin Dōzā): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Murder Playback (殺人プレイバック, Satsujin Pureibakku): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kiyoshi Arai
The Love-Calling Bullet (愛を呼ぶ銃弾, Ai o Yobu Jūdan): written by Takashi Yamada, directed by Kiyoshi Arai
The Dove Doll (人形は平和の使者, Ningyō wa Heiwa no Shisha): written by Susumu Takaku, directed by Michio Konishi
The Disappearance of Mothership S.S.-I (母艦S.S.-I消失, Bokan Esu Esu Wan Shōshitsu): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
Escape in Handcuffs (手錠のままの脱走, Tejō no Mama no Dassō): written by Junichi Miyashita, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Bicycling for Tomorrow (明日に走る自転車, Ashita ni Hashiru Jitensha): written by Kyoko Sagiyama, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Kame-chan and the Detective Girl (亀ちゃんと探偵娘, Kamechan to Tantei Musume): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Hidenori Ishida
Shoot the Handcuffs of Tears (涙の手錠を打て, Namida no Tejō o Ute): written by Takashi Yamada, directed by Hidenori Ishida
The Returned Winspector (part one) (帰ってきたWSP(PART-I), Kaettekita Uinsupekutā (Pāto Wan)): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Heartless Fire (part two) (非情のファイヤー(PART-II), Hijō no Faiya (Pāto Tsū)): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
From Ryōma to Daiki (part three) (竜馬から大樹へ(PART-III), Ryōma kara daiki e (Pāto Surī)): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Rescue the Goshawk (オオタカをすくえ, Ōtaka o Sukue): written by Susumu Takaku, directed by Michio Konishi
The Gigantic Mothership Response (巨大母艦応答せよ, Kyodai Bokan Otō seyo): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
The Trap-Setting Detective (罠をしかけた刑事, Wana o Shikaketa Keiji): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Michio Konishi
The Story Plant's Secret (お話し植物の秘密, Ohanashi Shokubutsu no Himitsu): written by Kyoko Sagiyama, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Hurry! Mothership of Life (急げ!命の母艦, Isoge! Inochi no Bokan): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
The Revolt of the Children's Empire (子供帝国の反乱, Kodomo Teikoku no Hanran): written by Takashi Yamada, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
God is Painful! (神様はつらいよ, Kamisama wa Tsurai yo!): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Michio Konishi
She is a Dream Future Car (彼女は夢の未来車, Kanojo wa Yume no Mirai Kā): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Michio Konishi
Pursue the Murderer Policeman (警官殺人を追え, Keikan Satsujin o Oe): written by Susumu Takaku, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
When the Hero Cries (勇者が涙を流すとき, Yūsha ga Namida o Nagasu Toki): written by Junichi Miyashita, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
New Hero to Kyushu! (part one) (新英雄九州へ!I, Nyū Hīrō Kyūshū e! Pāto Wan): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
New Hero to Kyushu! (part two) (新英雄九州へ!II, Nyū Hīrō Kyūshū e! Pāto Tsū): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
The Kidnapper is the Commanding Officer! (誘拐犯は隊長!, Yūkaihan wa Taichō!): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
The Sad Hitman (哀しいヒットマン, Kanashii Hittoman): written by Junichi Miyashita, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
The Devil Whispers Death (死をささやく悪霊, Shi o Sasayaku Akuryō): written by Susumu Takaku, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
The Space Alien who Delivered the Dream (夢を届けた宇宙人, Yume o Todoketa Uchūjin): written by Kyoko Sagiyama, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Trap the Hero (英雄を罠にかけろ, Hīrō o Wana ni Kakero): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Clash! High Speed Machines (激突!高速マシン, Gekitotsu! Kosoku Mashin): written by Takahiko Masuda, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Oath of Revenge in Hand (グラブに誓う復讐, Gurabu ni Chikau Fukushū): written by Junichi Miyashita and Yasuyuki Suzuki, directed by Michio Konishi
The Woman with Two Faces (二つの顔を持つ女, Futatsu no Kao o Motsu Onna): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
The Thief and the Old Doctor (コソ泥と老博士, Kosodoro to Rō Hakase): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
The Target is the Small Witness (標的は小さな証人, Hyōteki wa Chiisa na Shōnin): written by Junichi Miyashita and Yasuyuki Suzuki, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
The Ingenious Time Machine (瞬間天才製造器, Shunkan Tensai Seizōki): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Digression! The Divine Investigation Team (脱線!占い捜査隊, Dassen! Uranai Sōsatai): written by Nobuo Ogizawa, directed by Kaneharu Mitsumura
Today Without Papa Again (今日もいないパパ, Kyō mo Inai Papa): written by Kyoko Sagiyama, directed by Michio Konishi
Love Her! The Bad Child (大好き!悪い子, Daisuki! Waruiko): written by Noboru Sugimura and Akiko Asatsuke, directed by Michio Konishi
The Devil-Dog's Birth of Hope (希望を生んだ魔犬, Kibō o Unda Maken): written by Mayumi Ishiyama and Junichi Miyashita, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Special Rescue: Breakup Order (特救・解散命令, Tokkyū: Kaisan Meirei): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Takeshi Ogasawara
Special Rescue: Explosion Order (特救・爆破命令, Tokkyū: Bakuha Meirei): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
Until We Meet Again (また逢う日まで, Mata Au Hi made): written by Noboru Sugimura, directed by Michio Konishi
Video gameedit
A video game for Tokkyū Shirei Solbrain was released in 1991 for the Famicom, published by Angel and developed by Natsume. It was localized into Shatterhand, which was published by Jaleco for the Nintendo Entertainment System in North America and Europe shortly after the Japanese release. The differences are mainly cosmetic (changing music and graphics) but there were also several substantial changes, such as which boss appeared in which area. In addition, the theme-park stage from the Famicom version was replaced with a nuclear-submarine stage in the NES version.
This is the first and only entry in the Metal Hero series to be given an English dub, as it was done in the Philippines. All 53 episodes were covered. But unlike the Malaysian English dub of Choujin Sentai Jetman, some of the characters had their first names changed to be more anglicized, while their surnames were kept. However, several characters have kept their Japanese full names completely intact. For example, Daiki Nishio, Reiko Higuchi and Jun Masuda were renamed to Corey Nishio, Rachel Higuchi and John Masuda respectively. The series' English dub aired in the country on IBC-13 (formerly VTV) in 1997 and again on ABC 5 (now TV5) in 1999. The former aired reruns in 2000 and also reran on the Solar Channel in 2002. The series would also return once again in 2006 on GMA Network, but instead aired a newly produced Tagalog dub.
Chorus: Morinoki Children Choir (森の木児童合唱団, Morinoki Jidō Gasshōdan)
Closing theme
"Ai ni Dakarete" (愛に抱かれて, "Embracing in Love")
Lyrics: Akira Ōtsu
Composition: Kisaburō Suzuki
Arrangement: Tatsumi Yano
Artist: Takayuki Miyauchi
Chorus: Morinoki Jidō Gasshōdan
International Broadcasts and Home Videoedit
The series aired in Indonesia on Indosiar with an Indonesian dub in the mid-1990s and also in 2001.
It also aired in Thailand on Channel 3 with a Thai dub.
In Brazil, the series aired as Super Equipe de Resgate Solbrain on the now-defunct Rede Manchete in 1995 with a Brazilian Portuguese dub. This was the final Metal Heroes series to be released in the region with a dub.
The series received a Latin Spanish dub dubbed in Mexico with its dub produced by Comarex dubbed by Larsa Studios, recorded and released in 1996. It aired as Super Rescate Solbrain.
This series aired in the Philippines with all episodes dubbed into English, first airing on IBC 13 in 1994 with all episodes dubbed in English and later Filipino in 1997. However, most characters in the English dub had their first names changed. It also aired again on ABC 5 (now TV5) in 1999. The English dub was also released on DVD in 2004 and is reported to be the only Metal Heroes series to ever be released with an English dub. Later on, the series was bought back on the air in 2006 on GMA Network with a newly produced Tagalog dub of the series.
Referencesedit
^"特救指令ソルブレインとは". kotobank. Retrieved March 2, 2020.