Kinnikuman facts for kids
| Kinnikuman | |
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Cover of the fifth Japanese volume of Kinnikuman, published by Shueisha on December 15, 1980
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Quick facts for kids キン肉マン |
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| Genre |
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| Manga | |
| Written by | Yudetamago |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen, seinen |
| Imprint | Jump Comics |
| Magazine |
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| Original run | Initial run May 1979 – March 1987 Continued run November 2011 – present |
| Volumes | 73 |
| Manga | |
| Tatakae!! Ramenman | |
| Written by | Yudetamago |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | Fresh Jump |
| Original run | 1982 – 1988 |
| Volumes | 12 |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
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| Music by | Shinsuke Kazato |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Nippon TV |
| Original run | April 3, 1983 – October 1, 1986 |
| Episodes | 137 |
| Anime television series | |
| Tatakae!! Ramenman | |
| Directed by | Masayuki Akehi |
| Produced by | Masahisa Saeki |
| Music by | Keiichi Oku |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Nippon TV |
| Original run | January 10, 1988 – September 11, 1988 |
| Episodes | 35 |
| Anime film | |
| Tatakae!! Ramenman | |
| Directed by | Masayuki Akehi |
| Music by | Keiichi Oku |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Released | July 9, 1988 |
| Runtime | 25 minutes |
| Anime television series | |
| Kinnikuman: Kinniku-sei Ōi Sōdatsu-hen | |
| Directed by |
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| Music by | Akihiko Yoshida |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | Nippon TV |
| Original run | October 6, 1991 – September 27, 1992 |
| Episodes | 46 |
| Manga | |
| Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy (JP: Kinnikuman: The Second Generation) |
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| Written by | Yudetamago |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| English publisher | |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | April 1998 – April 2004 |
| Volumes | 29 |
| Manga | |
| Kinnikuman Nisei: All Chōjin Dai-Shingeki | |
| Written by | Yudetamago |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Magazine | V Jump |
| Original run | May 2001 – March 2007 |
| Volumes | 4 |
| Anime television series | |
| Ultimate Muscle (JP: Kinnikuman: The Second Generation) |
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| Directed by | Toshiaki Komura |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | January 9, 2002 – December 25, 2002 |
| Episodes | 51 |
| Anime television series | |
| Ultimate Muscle 2 (JP: Kinnikuman: Ultimate Muscle) |
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| Directed by | Toshiaki Komura |
| Studio | Toei Animation |
| Network | TV Tokyo |
| English network | |
| Original run | April 7, 2004 – March 29, 2006 |
| Episodes | 26 |
| Manga | |
| Kinnikuman Nisei: Kyūkyoku no Chōjin Tag Hen | |
| Written by | Yudetamago |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Manga | |
| Kinnikuman Lady | |
| Written by | Masashi Ogawa |
| Published by | Shueisha |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Magazine |
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| Original run | June 2008 – June 19, 2013 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Related media | |
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Kinnikuman (キン肉マン), which means "Muscle Man," is a Japanese manga series. It was created by two friends, Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, who are known together as Yudetamago. The story is about Suguru Kinniku, a superhero who needs to win a wrestling tournament. He must win to keep his title as the prince of Planet Kinniku.
Nakai and Takashi first thought of the series when they were in high school. They wanted it to be a funny version of Ultraman. The manga was first printed in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1979 to 1987. Later, Toei Animation made it into an anime series with 137 episodes. This anime was shown on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1986.
The manga started being published again in 2011. Since then, there have been other manga stories, anime shows, video games, and movies related to Kinnikuman. The manga has been very popular in Japan, selling over 75 million copies by 2016. The anime and its toys, like the Kinkeshi action figures (called M.U.S.C.L.E. in North America), were also very popular. In 1985, Kinnikuman won the Shogakukan Manga Award for children's manga.
Contents
What is Kinnikuman About?
The Original Kinnikuman Story
The main character is Suguru Kinniku, also known as Kinnikuman. He is a superhero who is often clumsy and funny. He finds out that he is the lost prince of Planet Kinniku. This planet is famous for having the best superheroes in the universe.
Because he is clumsy, Kinnikuman has to prove that he is worthy of being king. He does this by joining wrestling matches and fighting against evil "Chojin." Chojin (超人) means "supermen" in Japanese. The story builds up to a big tournament where Kinnikuman fights five other people who want the throne. Many of Kinnikuman's friends, like Ramenman and Robin Mask, started as villains or proud heroes before joining him.
The Ultimate Muscle Story
Ultimate Muscle is a sequel to the original Kinnikuman. It follows Mantaro Muscle, also known as Kid Muscle. He is the spoiled son of the first hero, King Muscle (Kinnikuman). After 28 years of peace, the old enemies of the Muscle League (the good superheroes) return. They form a new group called the Demon Manufacturing Plant (dMp).
The Muscle League's heroes are older and not as strong as they used to be. They are beaten by the dMp's young fighters. So, the Muscle League reopens the Hercules Factory. This is a school that trains new superheroes. Mantaro (Kid Muscle) is one of these new heroes. He defeats his own father to show he is ready to graduate.
Mantaro and the other new heroes fight against the dMp. They also meet Kevin Mask, who leaves the dMp because they don't fight fairly. The story continues with more tournaments and challenges for Mantaro. He has to learn to use his special "burning inner strength." While the story starts funny, later parts become more serious.
How the Manga Was Made
Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as "Yudetamago," were friends since fourth grade. They decided to create a manga series when they were in high school. Before it became a regular series, Kinnikuman was released as two short stories in Weekly Shōnen Jump. The first short story, "Okamarasu no Maki," won an award.
The regular series started in May 1979 and ended in March 1987. The publisher, Shueisha, collected all 387 chapters into 36 comic books called tankōbon. These were released from 1980 to 1988.
The series started publishing new chapters again in 2011. Yudetamago has also released new short stories about the "supermen" characters.
Other Stories and Spin-offs
A spin-off is a new story that comes from an existing one. The first spin-off from Kinnikuman was Tatakae!! Ramenman. This series focused on the character Ramenman. It was published from 1982 to 1988 and later made into an anime TV show and a movie.
Another spin-off, All Chōjin Dai-Shingeki, came from Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy. It was published from 2001 to 2007. To continue the Ultimate Muscle story, Kyūkyoku no Chōjin Tag Hen was published from 2004 to 2011.
There was even a version of the series with female characters called Kinnikuman Lady. It started as a webcomic in 2008 and finished in 2013.
Anime TV Shows and Movies
TV Series
The first Kinnikuman animated series was made by Toei Animation. It had 137 episodes and was shown in Japan on Nippon TV from 1983 to 1986. A second series, Kinnikuman: Kinniku-sei Ōi Sōdatsu-hen, followed from 1991 to 1992. This one had 46 episodes.
In 2002, Kinnikuman: Second Generation (known as Ultimate Muscle in English) premiered. This series had 51 episodes and was shown in the United States on Fox Box. Two more spin-off series, Ultimate Muscle 2, aired in Japan in 2004 and 2006. All these newer series were also made by Toei Animation.
Films
Seven movies based on the original Kinnikuman were released between 1984 and 1986. The first movie was simply called Kinnikuman. The last one was Kinnikuman: Seigi Chōjin vs. Senshi Chōjin.
Two movies based on Kinnikuman: Second Generation were also made. The first came out in 2001, and the second, Kinnikuman Nisei: Muscle Ninjin Sōdatsu! Chōjin Dai Sensō, was released in 2002.
Other Cool Stuff About Kinnikuman
Because the manga was so popular, many different products were made.
Toys and Merchandise
Bandai made small, eraser-like action figures called Kinkeshi from 1983 to 1987. In Japan, there were 418 different types of these figures. They were often sold from capsule machines called Gashapon. These toys became popular in North America too, where they were called M.U.S.C.L.E. figures by Mattel.
Besides these famous figures, many other Kinnikuman toys and items were released. These included plush dolls, key holders, and even trading card games. In 2008, a big box set was released. It included all the first two anime series episodes, all seven movies, a TV special, and all the Kinkeshi figures.
Video Games
Many video games based on Kinnikuman have been released over the years. The first game was a simulation game for home computers in 1984. A fighting game called Kinnikuman: Colosseum Deathmatch came out in 1985.
The first game for a console was Tag Team Match: MUSCLE for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1985. The most recent console game was Kinnikuman: Muscle Grand Prix 2 Tokumori for PlayStation 2 in 2008. There was also a game for the social networking service GREE in 2014.
Its Impact on Others
Kinnikuman is seen as a classic manga series. Many famous manga creators have said it influenced their work. For example, the creator of Fullmetal Alchemist, Hiromu Arakawa, loves Kinnikuman. Hiro Mashima, who created Fairy Tail, was also inspired by it.
Kinnikuman has even inspired real-life wrestling events. In 2008, a martial arts event featured a fight where a wrestler played Kid Muscle. In 2009, a special wrestling event called Kinnikumania 2009 was held to celebrate the manga's 30th anniversary.
The lasting popularity of Kinnikuman is clear. It has been used to promote movies like Green Lantern in Japan. Its characters also appear on other products, like special rice balls and advertisements for pollen masks.
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Images for kids
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Cardback to the Ultimate Muscle Battle Card Game.
See also
In Spanish: Kinnikuman para niños
