Japanese Cartoons: 1963 to 1980 (From Astro Boy to Force Five)

[@CoMorbiditty]

In Australia we watched Prince Planet, Astro Boy, Marine Boy, Speed racer, Gigantor, I vaguely remember Johnny Cipher, I remember G Force. Always loved their faces. Thanks so much for this.

[@redwandennaoui4508]

Wow I grew up watching these cartoons, Prince Planet & Marine Boy were my favourite, thanks for posting

[@jeffreygrimm7532]

I remember Gigantor and 8th Man being my childhood favorites, and Speed Racer goes without saying. After Star Wars came out in 1977, Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers filled my need for more outer space action. Back then finding a rare Japanese cartoon, usually on an independent TV station, was something special and a real treat.

[@jeffreygrimm7532]

I still have a Star Blazers cell animation book that I bought in the 80's. Star Blazers was the first anime I remember having a serious ongoing story. "Be Forever Yamoto" was actually released in theaters in my area, even on the big screen the animation still looked amazing. Later, Robotech and MS Gundam took the mature story elements even further, but by then the amine craze had become pretty mainstream.

[@jeffreygrimm7532]

I've never seen it, I'll check it out. Thanks

[@eddieboggs8306]

I remember 8th man back in the mid 60's. Rare to see a Japanese animation back then.

[@tolfan4438]

Independence Station also known as UHF

[@dennismclaurin1487]

Oh,yes!!

[@SEXYLADYWOLF]

Speed Racer and G Force were part of my childhood! Love to watch both cartoons! Beautiful memories come back while watch this video!

[@gregggoss2210]

Thanks especially for this one Fred. Too many memories and emotions to speak of here. Thank you so much.

[@Ljordan093]

Who remember getting home from school just in time for Star Blazers?

[@dk6173]

Lol every day. For a cartoon it was really deep.

[@rogerrainey7941]

Definitely one of the best afternoon cartoons.

[@thedreadtyger]

WLVI Boston!

[@McNabbulous]

Deslock was my hero.

[@williambanks2223]

I got to watch it before school.

[@leokimvideo]

Prince Planet was amazing, the boy from another planet sent to Earth to make right.

[@turboemerald9228]

didn't expect the mad bomber creator to comment this

[@motonegros]

Astro Boy triggered some heavy old memories. Thank you for the upload!

[@samuelparker9882]

Atomic Gumbo Surprise PRINCE PLANET... THE BEST INTRO EVVVVEER!!

[@jhogan1960]

I remember Astro Boy as a young 5 year old, then Speed Racer. Wow, thanks for the memories. Your channel does such a great service to us oldsters, making us feel young again.

[@dennismclaurin1487]

Youthful memories, indeed!

[@michealtom5453]

Time goes quick mate,,,,Australia

[@preahko]

Thanks for putting this together! Brings back lots of memories. Kimba, Prince Planet, Marine Boy, Speed Racer, and especially Astro Boy were all my favorites growing up in the 1960s in Hawaii. Also, I had completely forgotten about "8 Man," I guess I hadn't heard that theme song in over 50 years, but it all came right back to me! Oh, also, not a cartoon, but Ultraman was another Japanese favorite of my youth.

[@FredFlix]

Mine too. I have him in another video called Ultimate Ultraman.

[@VikramPoddarComedian]

Kimba almost looks like precursor to Lion King

[@kreeper57]

Wow! What great theme songs! Also fine examples of animated art- started my lifelong love of animation

[@voyager202000]

Bought back a ton of memories! My honest opinion that Star Blazers was the best of the bunch! The writing for both seasons seen here in the U. S. was impeccable! Still a favorite for many sci-fi/anime fans! Astro Boy, Marine Boy and Kimba were my favorites as a kid! Although 8th Man and Prince Planet were good as well!

[@CJHallx]

We totally agree

[@madderhat5852]

I saw Space Ace in Australia but Prince Planet was my favourite. Still love anime and now am an artist.

[@jacquelineroque7594]

I never heard of Space Ace until I saw this, but everything else I watched as a child.

[@DTD110865]

Wow! Astro-Boy fought Ku Klux Klansmen as well as monsters? Cool!

[@1995ToyotaCresta]

He also fought Tuxedo Masks with guns

[@jerryfounsville6603]

Astro Boy at the kid you didn't know nothing totally about that we all believe that has a Chinese cartoon and nothing to do with the KKK the cartoon itself within based on any kind of hate if that's the case most of all the cowboy movies I know you are John Wayne and a lot of other actors

[@DTD110865]

@@jerryfounsville6603 As little of what I know about Astro-Boy, I do know it was a Japanese cartoon, not a Chinese one.

[@jerryfounsville6603]

My back I misunderstood the person before didn't realize they was saying that he beat up the KKK and other groups like the Nazis he will beat them up

[@fromthesidelines]

The American "PRINCE PLANET" theme was written by Guy Hemric and Jerry Styner, who also wrote songs for American-International's "Beach Party" movies at the time.

[@dennismclaurin1487]

Childhood memories,indeed!

[@KennethScharf]

Kimba, Astro Boy, and Amazing Three were all created by the same artist, Osmau Tezuka. Also Billy Lou Watts provided voices for the Kimba, Astro Boy, and Gigantor dubs.

[@jaylovespti]

I remember Gigantor very fondly. Brings back memories of watching it on the old black and white.

[@michealtom5453]

Good times mate,,,1970s ,,,Australia

[@fstowe]

I loved watching Kimba, The Amazing 3, and Marine Boy. Thanks for the memories.

[@PriimRoses]

Omg!!! I remember watching Prince Planet with my dad as a little girl! And I always thought the little bit of the OP was from Astro Boy, so glad I found Prince Planet!!!!

[@katybrennan8222]

My first anime was Gigantor and it is still my favorite!

[@donkazmier3274]

Grew up watching in the 60s these early show but really loved fireball xl5, stingray and thunderbirds.

[@Mark_Ocain]

Don't forget Captain Scarlet and Joe 90 LOL

[@allenlovell1604]

Don't know if it's still available now ; I think every cartoon made is either on DVD or sometimes posted on KZbin. Good luck ; I watched those same shows too. I didn't know they were puppets or marionettes used though. :-)

[@1979cl1]

Glad to see the Amazing 3 or Wonder 3 are not forgotten, it's one of my all time favorites.

[@tamaraclaw]

I didn't know about wonder 3 or 8th man until I saw them on you tube. But prince planet aired where I lived in the early '70s.

[@1979cl1]

@@tamaraclaw I do also remember watching Prince Planet and like the series is animated by the same animators who broguht us Gignator, i thought at first Bobby was Jimmy Sparks. I didn't meant to say Wonder 3, Astroboy, 8th Man are not forgotten, it's still remembered by many of us who watched them of that generation including Prince Planet but it may be forgotten that these cartoons are not runned on TV no more.

[@johntoothilljr.5328]

The Japanese always produce beautiful anime, which I still watch today 1 This brought back alto of childhood memories up til G- force , Thank for the memories FredFlix.

[@bajikimran2304]

Marine Boy. I remember that. It was on Sunday mornings where I live circa 1967-68. He was able to breathe under water by chewing a special gum called oxa-gum. The two bumbling sailors who appeared in the show with him were named "Bolton" and "Piper".

[@ladylestranj]

I remember it too. No one else my whole life has ever remembered it.

[@bajikimran2304]

"Marine Boy" was not carried by one of the major networks on Saturday morning. It was syndicated and therefore some markets across the country carried it while others did not. I live in central Ohio and "Marine Boy" was carried on Sunday Mornings on our local CBS affiliate and sponsored by Big Boy restaurants. I'd say it lasted a year or two, but no more than that. "Speed Racer" wasn't brought to central Ohio until 1973. There were some places in the country where it had been on six years before. Those are the only two cartoons from this posting I ever saw when I was a kid.

[@DTD110865]

The kids of the 1960's in the New York Tri-State area were a little more familiar with Speed Racer. That and Kimba the White Lion. I honestly never knew about Astro-Boy until I read about him in a few cartooning books in the late-1970's.

[@kuragxo]

I was in NYC during the period and watched 8th Man, Astro Boy, and Gigantor on local TV. They all preceded Speed Racer and Kimba a few years.

[@DTD110865]

Wes Miller You're obviously older than me, because I don't remember Astro-Boy. Gigantor, on the other hand I'm vaguely familiar with.

[@antonioalvarado1541]

Wow! Just discovered this today. I grew up in Venezuela and saw most of this (though I didn't recognize some). This is awesome! I wish I could buy all of them on DVD/Blu-ray. Thanks for sharing...made me feel like a kid again!

[@darryl3422]

Astroboy Gigantor and Speed Racer were my favorites

[@2degucitas]

This is the anime my generation grew up watching.

[@brettmiddleton7949]

Likewise, and been an anime fan ever since. Thanks, Fred, for another fine trip down nostalgia lane. Too bad so many of the episodes of some of those series were lost over time because they were not perceived as having any value (like many other TV series of the 50s and 60s).

[@LoveMyCountryAussie]

2degucitas Me to mate ,,they were great years, long gone

[@alejandromolinac]

Yeah, when I say I love anime, this is what's in my mind... Too bad they didn't include stuff like Galaxy Express, Robotech, Heidi, Candy Candy, Saint Seiya to name a few

[@sficlassic]

This will date me, but the only 2 that I remember watching a bit were Astro Boy and Speed Racer. And those I didn't watch much. I didn't care much for anime. I was more into Loony Tunes, Fireball XL 5 and the Thunderbirds.

[@brettmiddleton7949]

The Gerry and Sylvia Anderson stuff was fantastic and I have a lot of it on DVD now. Fireball XL5 was the TV addiction for 8-year-old boys of those times, like Power Rangers became for my nephew when he was around eight, so of course I had the lunchbox, board game, etc. I've also been a lifelong fan of animation in general, so discovering anime just became part of that for me, not some sort of either-or choice. In fact, I guess it would be fair to say that puppet and stop-motion animation is part of it as well.

[@eugenedegeorge5084]

Astro Boy was my absolute favorite cartoon .came home every day after school turn on the TV at 4 on Channel 4 to watch it .absolutely loved that little guy. I still do. I bought the CDs of the cartoons. What's interesting is that the storylines are very adult oriented so even a grown-up can appreciate what's being said behind the cartoon characters. Theme such as fairness equality treating others equally permeate all of the cartoons. Of course I'm referring to the originals from 1963 to 65 here in the US.

[@danruetenik3583]

Brilliant show...I LOVE Asro Boy

[@ToruKun1]

Love the NOO YAWK accents on the kids in that children's choir singing the Astro Boy theme 😂😂😂

[@MrPeterbs]

The Astro Boy choral main theme was actually recorded here in the US in the mid 1960s by children audience members of an afternoon show called 'Engineer Bill' that ran on Los Angeles TV station KHJ (now KCAL).

[@ashley-lq9vj]

Astro boy has a special place in my heart

[@PaulGruendlerBeau]

Amen.

[@dennismclaurin1487]

Same.

[@KiritoNoiharaQuartz]

Man, I absolutely loved/love Astro Boy!!! I know so much about it it's crazy!!! And to think that Kimba the White Lion was made by the same person is unreal!!! Anime was so good back then!!! With Astro Boy and Black Jack and everything else, anime is amazing!!! I just wish more people knew about Astro Boy and actually loved the anime as much as I do (hence my profile picture).

[@danruetenik3583]

I so agree

[@Annie-rw2ec]

Totally agree. Tezuka is the greatest mangaka of all time, period. I was so lucky that my manga teacher was an animator who works with him at mushi and Tezuka production ❤

[@scottmcgraw3749]

Holy crap! Force Five! I remember being 11 years old and watching these on Showtime back in 1980. Grandizer, Starvengers, Gaiking and the rest. Awesome memories.

[@arielfilmsinc1926]

Well that explains why I do not remember that one did not have cable in 1980 Half these shows were aired before I was born or after BUT was alive and well in 1980 remembered Star Blazers along with Starlog Magazine doing a great article about the show in 1980

[@eventsmorewithchrisg]

Depending on where you lived, you may've seen the predecessor to force 5 known as Shogun Warriors. More giant robots way before Transformers was a thing

[@lazyhazeldaisy9596]

I loved Marine Boy I loved his boomerang and his dolphin friend that took me right back,thanks for that.

[@MidnightBanshi]

Star Blazers, Gatchaman/G-Force/Battle of the Planets, and Speed Racer were the main ones we watched growing up. Such good times.

[@ChristopherUSSmith]

I grew up with the same shows. Star Blazers I never got into the way I did with Speed Racer and BotP. I was in awe that the latter two were both done by that seahorse studio (Tatsunoko). :)

[@DTD110865]

Do you know what sucks though? DVD copies of "Battle of the Planets" are super expensive.

[@Borella309]

Tobor (the 8th Man) was 'robot' spelt backwards - when you are a seven year old kid in 1967 Australia, this is bloody mind boggling stuff! As a five-six year old I clearly remember Prince Planet as my favourite show - but then along came Lost in Space, and in 1966 - BATMAN! Each decade of kids has the great memories of the shows that were televised during their childhood, so it's great that we can revisit these gems from the past.

[@linwoodsly7101]

Yes ,watched all these cartoon shows from 1963 trough the 1970s in Philadelphia (PA) on channel 17 .with my brothers ..TY for the upload 😢😂❤

[@MaxStax1]

Wow, that Astro Boy intro brought back some memories. I know for years after, I always wondered why so many cartoons from Japan looked like Astro Boy,with no idea about anime, if that makes sence. I mean years later the cartoons from Japan still had that look. Go Go Go Astro Boy!

[@KiritoNoiharaQuartz]

max stax Wow...... I- I have no words...... except..... Crowds will cheer you! You're a hero! As you go go go Astro Boy!! *not sorry* *totally worth it*

[@fromthesidelines]

The same people who provided voices for "8th MAN" also worked on "THE AMAZING 3" {Jerry Berke, who was "8th Man", is the narrator in the opening title), as well as script writer/adaptor Reuben Guberman.

[@kokujin1014]

Jerry Burke is also heard as the narrator for the live-action, Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot series.

[@grandlife7645]

The English scripts for 8th Man, Prince Planet, The Amazing 3, and Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot were all written by Reuben. These series were dubbed in Florida in a small studio located in the Cuban business district of Miami. Barry, I think we must travel in some of the same circles. In 1996, after reading so many incorrect pieces about 8th Man, in various reference books, I tracked down the original dubbers. Not easy since there were no names/credits on 8th Man. It took quite a long time and was able to talk to Reuben Guberman before he passed away. The dubbing jobs were all non-union gigs that the actors and writers were doing behind the backs of the local unions. I wrote an pretty in depth article about the 8th Man series and about the other anime dubbed by the Florida studio. It's been many years since I spoke with Jerry. At last contact he was living in NJ. Bobbie Byers who supplied the voice of Prince Planet, Bonnie Bunny (Amazing 3), and Johnny Sokko, himself, is still around. I heard from her a few years ago via email.

[@shibolinemress8913]

I LOVED Kimba, Speed Racer and Gigantor! On our local station they usually ran in pre-prime time or right after school. Underdog and The Adventures of Superman were 2 other afterschool favourites.

[@scotthintze5901]

I started watching anime since 1978. My first was Battle of the Planets, then Star Blazers in '79, Speed Racer in '81, Force Five Danguard Ace and Gaiking in '84, and Capt. Harlock in '85. What you left out were Voltron Defender of the Universe and Robotech which I watched in '84 and '85. Those were anime in my generation.

[@jamesherman3750]

Robotech is the American bastard of Macross fyi. Its trash

[@tomklock568]

Wow! Thanks Fred! I missed this video when you put it out some years back.

[@danruetenik3583]

Astro Boy was extremely creative...Loved that show as a child

[@cozycool3505]

SPEED RACER & RACER X WAS AND IS #1 AMONG ALL OF THESE SHOWS - WATCHED EVERYDAY IN BALTIMORE MD.

[@chrisjohnston4445]

You forgot to mention that Marine Boy had to chew "Oxy-Gum" in order to breathe underwater.

[@mikepatrick5909]

Yup..It's funny how many super heroes in the 60's had to take some kind of drug to acquire super powers....

[@themagus5906]

I use that shit on my clothes to remove tough stains.

[@dennismclaurin1487]

ASTROBOY!!

[@davidwesley2525]

@@themagus5906 thats OXY CLEAN!🤣🤣🤣

[@bernardputersznit64]

I wept at AstroBoys Origin Story - thank you for posting this

[@lryuzaki1192]

Flying House and Super Book were my introductions to anime. Interestingly, I found the voice actress to the male main characters in both are the same; Billie Lou Watt! She's even the voice for Astro Boy! And I believe she was "Jimmy" in Gigantor! Thanks for sharing these. It's neat to see the evolution of anime. All anime owns itself to Osamu Tezuka's love for Bambi (the exaggerated big eyes) and other Walt Disney films.

[@kokujin1014]

And she was the voice of Kimba, the white lion, as well. Met her at Anime East '94 and Anime East '95. She said Kimba was her favorite of all her voice characters and agreed that The Lion King was a ripoff of Jungle Emperor/ Kimba the White Lion. How tragic she died 3-4 days before the horrors of September 11.

[@davidwesley2525]

BETTY BOOP had a Big influence on anime , with Her Big Cute eyes & she was very well liked in Japan. In one episode , Betty Boop flew her airplane to Japan & she sang in both English & Japanese. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@howardhudson5475]

I remember watching many of these growing up in the early 60's on a UHF Channel out of Philadelphia called Channel 17 I don't remember the call letter but they had a guy on every day after school called Wee Willie Webber who showed many of these cartoons on his show. I do'nt recall ever seeing Space Ace on it though.

[@jptang1701]

"Thru all the fire and the smoke...…..we will never give up hope.....if we can win the Earth will survive …….we'll keep peace alive with our Star Blazers...….."

[@simplysteve68]

What about the theme to season 2, vs the Comet Empire? Lol

[@YZEtc]

Thank you very much for this video as I have some memories with some of these. I remember watching Speed Racer on television, and that must have been around 1970. Easy to remember that one because the theme music is very good and catchy. Battle of the Planets making its debut on American TV in September of 1978 was great. It was a very welcomed change from a steady Saturday morning diet of Warner Bros. and Hanna-Barbera. BotP was on weekday mornings before school, and it had, by far the best theme music of any animated series I can remember from my childhood. That's a big deal. Speaking of theme music, although I did not watch it, I just found out that Captain Future had a nice intro theme song.

[@allenlovell1604]

Feels like I stepped into a time machine ! You missed Captain Harlock though, I watched that before I attended college classes and sometimes on the weekends ! Astroboy I think was my first exposure to what I later realised was Japanimation or anime. Their animation studios weren't afraid to push the envelope! I watched the movie version of Astroboy years back and I was amazed at what they'd done with him ! I look forward to more of these. Please ? :-)

[@robertbisbal6252]

Thanks so much for posting. This brought back so many memories of watching most of these cartoons while staying at my grandparents' house watching them in their b/w TV. You also forgot to include Raideen which was a classic. The Force Five I remember watching them on Showtime channel. Thanks again.

[@FredFlix]

You're welcome, Robert.

[@ericpelote998]

Wow !!! Thank u for the memories !!!! For got bout Prince Planet !!! But when I saw and heard it I remembered . these show bought me up as a child after school . its 3:00 time for Adventure

[@ferociousgumby]

And of course, Disney's The Lion King couldn't have existed without Kimba. I remember sitting there watching the movie and thinking, "But I've seen all this before!"

[@nathanieldaiken1064]

You sure did! Disney thought no one remembered Kimba.🤔

[@finch45lear]

As kids we would spend hours drawing the Mach 5 and the Mammoth car, and Racer X's car.

[@fromthesidelines]

The "8TH MAN" title was specifically created for American audiences; the theme was by Winston Sharples. Joe Oriolo used several animators from Paramount and Terrytoons to create it {including Ralph Bakshi}.

[@kingbee1500]

Sharples (Famous/Paramount), Carl Stallling (WB) Hoyt Curtin (H-B) and Scott Bradley (MGM)...now THAT'S music!

[@jeffreygrimm7532]

.. the FBI is helpless, it's 20 stories tall. What can we do? Who can we call? CALL 8TH MAN! 8TH MAN!!! Great lyrics.

[@cagansartas6880]

its not 8thman,its eightman

[@fromthesidelines]

In Japan, yes. In the U.S., it was "8TH MAN".

[@SailorBarsoom]

Some of these I hadn't heard of. Some I had, barely. Some I knew of but hadn't seen. Then there was _Speed Racer_ and _Battle of the Planets_ and _Star Blazers._ Now THOSE I watched religiously! _Star Blazers_ was the first animated show that I knew was from Japan. But it's a show from the Nineties that made me an otaku. A little thing called _Sailor Moon._ Speed and Princess and Mark Venture were my first highs, but Serena (I call her Usagi now) was my gateway drug.

[@IdeaBox-dk5vj]

And three out of those four were advertised and aired on Cartoon Network. To be precise, Star Blazers didn't make it onto the channel, and Battle of the Planets was renamed to G-Force.

[@victorchin4947]

Wow. Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I remember Gigantor, Kimba,Astro Boy,Marine Boy, Tobor the 8th Man,and my favorite Speed Racer. There was also a show called Space Giants and Ultra Man.

[@Tertullian1971]

I watched Speed Racer Marine Boy, and Battle of the Planets. Star Blazers was my favorite.

[@s.w.savage4561]

Cool stuff Fred, Thanks for no ads!! A little trivia. The "M" on Speed Racer's helmet and car stand for Mifune, a tribute to actor Toshiro Mifune. Speed's original name is Gou Mifune, hence the "G" on his shirt. Racer X's costume (and name) say who he is.

[@FredFlix]

Good info, S.W. Note: It's never up to me about the ads. The copyright holders place them on my videos.

[@elizabethkizzar6375]

I'm A Grown Ass woman . I haven't heard of StarBlazers in years. And I *still* remembered the theme song and sang along with it.

[@parkinglotstriping9800]

Nice...

[@TerryWHayes-yb3cj]

It Was The First Serialized "Saga" In Animation History!

[@RadarHawk52]

Star Blazer was the bomb. The Live Action films are pretty good.

[@arthurcabral9561]

The Arcadia from captain Harlock takes on the Captain Avatar in the Yamato from the rear quarter!

[@maggi3320]

Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I recall all but Space Ace. Possibly not in the Philly market, or at a time I was able to watch.

[@mithrasrevisited4873]

Prince Planet and Space Ace were my childhood loves.

[@johnnada6855]

Capitain Harlock and Galaxy express 999 are fucking masterpieces

[@donnysandley4649]

OMG!!!!!! gigantor and speed racer was the shit for me back in the day 😂😂😂😂😂

[@borinightmare]

Space Ace television series from 1963 didn't make it to the US but it was on an Australian TV network. It was dubbed in English around the late 60s. It's original TV run ran from May 1965-April 1966 on Australia's ch. 9.

[@gigantor62]

I remember Space Ace and Marine Boy being on channel 7, Prince Planet on channel 9, Gigantor on channel 0, and Kimba on the ABC.

[@awwrelic]

For those who think "anime" is a more recent creation, I can show them the kind of anime we grew up on! Interestingly, one of my nephews, now close to 30, is a big fan of Astroboy and Gigantor thanks to me :)

[@ChristopherUSSmith]

10:36 U.S. version of the "Speed Racer" theme performed by Danny Davis & The Nashville Brass (uncredited).

[@jettcarlburg356]

Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass performed the iconic American-edited "car parade" closing credits.

[@ChristopherUSSmith]

Jett Carlburg They did them both. :) it's amazing what a few hours in a studio can do.

[@mjdaniel8710]

Born in 1962 and I loved watching Speed Racer and Starblazers

[@AmadeoZeller]

Loved me some of The Amazing Three, Gigantor, Astro Boy, Prince Planet, Tobor: The 8th Man and Kimba The White Lion back in the day!

[@dennismclaurin1487]

I watched and remember most of these classic cartoons from the 1960's.Speed racer is my favorite theme song.Love Astroboy,too.I remember Marine Boy being a musical theme song.This is a later version.

[@marktrbovic9210]

Showed Space Ace in Australia in the 60s, I loved it !

[@gigantor62]

The english theme song was a banger. I wish I could find it.

[@thepeternetwork]

The only one I remember watching on television was Battle of the Planets. I don't ever remember Force Five, and I was only six years old in 1980.

[@alejandromolinac]

I love this old school anime, that's what I am a fan on. It's great to see that painterly style on the background and the calligraphy often present on the line work of the characters...

[@dawg065]

Gigantor,Speedracer,Kimba the white Lion. My introduction to Anime in the early 1970's. Fond memories.

[@cameronkuhns2458]

The ones I remember are Marine Boy, Gigantor and Prince Planet.

[@gigantor62]

Space Ace made it to Australia and was dubbed in English and had a banger of a theme song. I just wish I could remember it or see it again.

[@jeffking291]

In the first episode of Astro Boy, the scientist neglects his son and his son dies.( this he created Astro Boy to take his sons place). When I was a kid, the first time I saw it, I cried when he died. I was about 5 years old. Speed Racer was always an afternoon favorite of mine. Our first Independent tv station used to play it every day after school for many years. 📻🙂

[@RonnieMclassics]

Ohhhh the memories, thanks for posting this.

[@jrich9017]

🎵sandy frank, sandy frank, here we go again!🎶

[@Optimalillusion]

Gads about the house all day!

[@zapkvr]

I saw Space ace in Australia in the 60s. He would sing Galaxy! as he flung those rings at the criminals.

[@bobsloan8349]

I saw many of these shows. It is hard for me since I am now 55. I remember some shows but not the names. Brings back memories. Just like many of you out there. This was our childhood!

[@parkinglotstriping9800]

I love them all...

[@kenbaudoux464]

I grew up on these shown in the first half ! ALL GREAT !!!!

[@simplysteve68]

Reruns of Speed Racer, Gatchaman/BotP, Starblazers and Capt. Harlock are what I grew up on. "Gaiking" was the name of one of the Shogun Warriors, along with Danguard Ace and Great Mazinga and in their toyline, the manufacturer included a Godzilla, with a flame tongue that could be pushed in and out, by a handle on the back of the head, plus a spring loaded fist, that you could eject, when you push a button on top of the right arm. 😆 Also, on Astro Boy, another japanese anime company brought him back to tv on FOX in the early 2000s, I think, because I remember seeing part of an episode, and he was talking to Dr Tanma (or Tenma, however it's spelled), his creator. Nice pieces of early japanime, thanks Fred.

[@FredFlix]

And thanks for your comment, Steve.

[@dinomate01]

I loved Astro Boy, Space Ace, Prince Planet & Marine Boy while I was growing up (Still love it now). We saw these in Melbourne Australia on GTV (General Television Pty Ltd) Channel 9 ! Space Ace I remember had a "March" type theme similar to Astro Boy not the one presented here.

[@gigantor62]

Exactly! The english theme song was a banger. Can't find it anywhere.

[@Aussietari]

Marine🐬Boy was My ALL TIME Favourite. Thank You for Reminding me about the "Amazing 3.

[@buddyfafard8846]

I enjoyed these shows growing up in the '60s. and still do. Astro Boy is just as good to watch even now!

[@sharonryan2815]

We got Space Ace in Australia. Mid 60s I think.

[@grandlife7645]

Sadly, "Space Ace" never made it to the U.S. The series was dubbed in English in Japan by Bill Ross and his company Frontier Enterprises using local actors in Japan and a few high school students, but it was only broadcast in Australia. Simultaneously but not necessarily concurrently, in the U.S., Fred Ladd spearheaded a pilot for Space Ace but picked (in his words) a weak episode to use to sell it. He had it colorized in Taiwan because of the limited shelf life of b/w series in the late 1960s. He retitled it, "Ring-O" and I believe he composed a new theme song for it, but it didn't sell. He still has the colorized pilot in his possession at the time of this post, but his concern for the Japanese intellectual property rights (the original agreements with Tatsunoko having long ago expired), has prevented him from sharing it publicly/posting it on KZbin. - Andrew

[@annierocks8620]

Star Blazer was awesome, I loved it back in Mexico where I grew up

[@gigantor62]

What a shame....as an aussie I remember watching it. The english theme song was a banger.

[@zelphx]

When I watch memories from this era, I am equally overjoyed, and equally desirous of doing myself in. In those days, I had so many hopes and dreams. Now, cancer is around every corner I take; I dread every new day.

[@larrypowell1499]

Bradley Greenwood ...sorry you feel that , but I understand completely. I feel the same most days...

[@OnlyZunkin]

Such is the nature of growing old. Wonder is replaced with wisdom and its not exactly a painless process.

[@badcarbon7624]

Your not alone.

[@johnnymem6453]

God bless you Bradley

[@AnnaAnnaYes]

It's said that many of the early Japanese animation was inspired by the Disney animation shown there pre-and post-World War Two.

[@kuragxo]

And of course Kimba the White Lion influenced Disney's Lion King!

[@CJHallx]

Another great video, FredFlix. We just wish there was closed captioning for my spouse.

[@kokujin1014]

(Boy, I'm about to show my age!) Seen just about all the animes Fred posted with a few exceptions; The Amazing 3 was never aired in my area. Neither was Captain Harlock, or Captain Future. The Force Five series were only aired as 90-minute movie feature versions on the SHOWTIME and defunct SPOTLIGHT premium cable stations. (my South Jersey area didn't have cable TV period back then.) I stand by Barry I. Grauman, JAPAN's Space Ace never reached the U.S. All the other aforementioned animes (i.e.- Voltron, Robotech, Tranzor Z, etc.) were released on the American TV airwaves "during" the 1980s, not 1980. BRAVO, FREDFLIX!

[@jammotron]

Here Comes Prince Planet!

[@LoveMyCountryAussie]

joe w. Memories mate

[@zoppie]

Peeeeeeee...PAZOW!

[@LisaLiel]

I loved that show when I was a kid.

[@parkinglotstriping9800]

Captain planet has a medallion too what gives?

[@jacquelineroque7594]

Prince Planet was a good show and it got a proper ending on it's short run 😂

[@jaylovespti]

Kimba the real Lion King!

[@SlapstickGenius23]

Kimba was inspired by both Bambi and Othello.

[@brianlawton8172]

Great memories fred. the 1980's was when the craziness started l still watch battle of planets. (The show that peaked my interest in the illustration field) and the force five series ran in condensed form as a package on cable television if i remember.

[@cessnaace]

FUN FACT: All four voice actors who provided ALL of the voices on "Speed Racer" also voiced ALL of the characters on "Marine Boy." For example, Corrine Oor voiced all of the female characters on both "Speed Racer" (plus Spritle) and "Marine Boy" (plus Marine Boy himself). Both series had their English language adaptions produced at the same dubbing facility, owned at the time by Trans-Lux. The same facility adapted Ultraman, which is why Ultraman's English dub had both Corrine Oor and Peter Fernandez (aka Speed Racer and Racer X) voicing major characters. Also, the English dubs of all three shows used the same voice actor for the Narrator. FUN FACT 2: "Marine Boy" originally only had 13 episodes due to the series being a ratings disaster on TBS (Tokyo Broadcasting Service). Seven Arts Television (later merged with Warner Bros.) was interested in distributing the series in the U.S., but on two conditions. 1) Additional episodes would be produced financed by Seven Arts - for a total of 78, and 2) these additional 65 episodes could not air in Japan until all 78 episodes had aired on the U.S. The Japanese broadcasting rights were sold to Fuji TV, which began airing it in 1969. They cancelled it after the airing of episode 36. Then in 1971 Nippon TV picked it up, and aired all 78 episodes.

[@fjtalleyauthor2242]

Actually, I thought the coolest thing about Marine Boy besides the boomerang was the oxy-gum that let him breathe underwater. I was never a big fan of Speed Racer, (the Mach 5 was awesome but Speed? not so much), I have to say unequivocally, that the Masked Racer (Rex Racer) was a better racer than his younger brother. Remember the episode when Racer X finished the face with only three wheels? Even Speed realized The Masker Raced was still better. And to be honest, the Masked Racer was soooo cool!

[@johnbrandolini2915]

Thank you for the trip to the past. I wasn't much on watching a lot of these but I never missed an episode of Force Five. I used to get a big kick out how the Mechs would call out their weapons - Shoulder Missiles, Double Sickle, Eye Blaster Rifles, Rainbow Beam, etc. I wish you had included Mazinkaiser (Mazinger Z) one of my favorites. I think there was one called Volta 5 as well.

[@StSeiyaFan]

They did a US version of Mazinger Z called Tranzor Z, I know becasue I saw it when I was a kid

[@VikramPoddarComedian]

In school my friend legit built an actual flying saucer from Grandizer using an electric motor and a piece of plastic cut into the shape of the saucer. Frankly it was a very dangerous thing and I'm amazed we didn't cut ourselves.