The new adventure in the anime of the 80s begins with the cry of 'Yatta Yattaman! ', the battle motto of the protagonists of this story that arrives in Italy in 1983 but which was born in Japan in 1977 from the small production company Tatsunoko, founded by the pioneer of modern souls Tatsuo Yoshida. But who is Yattaman and what happens in this anime of over 100 episodes?
Yattaman: la trama
The Drombo Trio and Doctor Dokrobei's mission
The first episode of Yattaman immediately presents all the protagonists of this anime. We are thus faced with two very distinct camps, which we can trivially define 'the bad and the good'. On the one hand we find the Drombo trio, composed of Miss Dronio, Boyakki e Tonzula. These are three thieves in the service of the Doctor Dokrobei, a mysterious character who does not reveal himself in person but gives orders through a recording. He calls himself the King of Thieves and has a funny red skull as a symbol. In the first episode the mission is revealed by the mysterious voice of the leader of the gang: the three will have to find three of the four fragments of the Dokrostone stone. One is already in the possession of the Doctor and, combined with the other three, will create a fabulous treasure: the Gold strand which is also mentioned in the theme song of the anime. With the ambition of becoming rich and fulfilling Dokrobei's task, the three hilarious characters immediately set to work. However, they have not reckoned with the deployment of the good guys.
The Yatta team and the meeting with the Drombo Trio
In the cellar of a toy store, Ganchan e Janet (his assistant and girlfriend) are struggling with the creation of a robot. He is passionate about toys, a profession carried out by his father. Thus it comes to light a giant robot dog which will serve to combat injustice and crime. "It's called Yattacan!" reveals Ganchan, who then announces "I am Yattaman and from today I will fight against evil!". Janet then calls herself “Yatta 2”. The team is so ready to counter the criminals who, of course, are Doctor Drokobei's three henchmen. But Yattaman does not know that they too build robots to achieve their goals. Their little helper finds out, Robbie robbie, a dice-shaped robot who runs into the three and discovers their hiding place and their plans. The Yattaman team then sets to work and manages to stop the first shot of the gang in the New York bank where, according to the Doctor, one of the fragments of the stone should be hidden (but it is not).
Clashes, robots and repeated defeats
Thus comes the first failure for the Drombo trio, who in addition to the scorching defeat are also forced to suffer the punishment of Doctor Drokobei. As they return to the base with a tandem, their leader physically punishes them (but always without showing himself!). A spiel that is repeated in every episode, since every mission will always be resolved in the same way: with the defeat of the hilarious trio at the hands of the Yattaman. The fights between the two sides take place in two modes: both the Trio and the Yatta deploy robots created by them. The two brothers sport animal-shaped robots (the most famous are Yatta-Can e Yatta-King, but in the course of history they will also deploy robots in the shape of pelican, elephant, fish, panda ...); the Drombo Trio will instead be forced to build new but always defeated robots. The other mode of confrontation between the two sides is hand-to-hand. In this case, Ganchan uses one as his main weapon Kendama, Janet has a telescopic stick. Both weapons can deliver electric shocks.
The end
The search for the fragments of the Dokrostone stone goes on for dozens of episodes and ends at the 108th, when the Trio finally succeeds in the mission. All the fragments have been found and here comes an incredible revelation: Doctor Dokrobei, so far only a voice left, reveals his real identity. He is an alien e the stones are parts of his body that he had to find and gather in order to finally be able to return to his planet. The gold vein, the great treasure that the Trio has been looking for for over 100 episodes, is therefore only an invention. Having achieved his purpose, the Doctor leaves everyone and returns to his planet while his henchmen, stunned by what happened, they decide to split up. The final scene sees them separate on a road that splits into three parts but then reunites after a few seconds of walking. And the Yattaman? The team, as the narrator reveals, will continue to watch over the earth and fight crime.
Yattaman: curiosity
Time bokan and the exchange of roles
Yattaman is the second series (also considered the most famous) belonging to the strand of Time Bokan. This is how the series by the Japanese animation studios of Tatsunoko are defined which, as the name suggests, are based on the theme of the time machine. Too bad that this aspect is totally absent here (robots also move in space but do not travel in time). What instead stands out and what is characteristic of the vein, is the demented humor that invades events and protagonists, especially the 'bad guys' of history. These series upset the function of the villains and robots that have appeared in Japanese cartoons so far. In fact, we are not faced with real evil, ruthless and ready to do anything for their ends. In Yattaman, the Trio Drombo takes on the role of true protagonist and their sympathy - sharpened by the continuous failures and punishments they are forced to receive every time - makes the audience empathize with them even more than with 'the good ones'. So much so that some of the robots that the trio deploy in the various episodes are inspired by drawings made by fans of the show cheering for them.
Remake, film, OAV
The anime series Yattaman is not inspired, therefore, by a manga, however, it gives inspiration to subsequent shows. A remake of the series, from which a live action film of the same name, directed by director Takashi Miike and released in 2009. The second of two modern series dedicated to heroes arrives in 2015 to celebrate the XNUMXth anniversary of Time Bokan. The title is Yoru no Yatterman, or "Yattaman of the night" and sees a distortion of roles: the Trio becomes in fact the hero who has to put things right after the Yattamans allow themselves to be corrupted by power. In 1994 it comes out Time Bokan - The time machines, an OAV that serves as a crossover to some of the Time Bokan series, including Yattaman.
The abbreviation
Yattaman made its debut in Italy on Rete 4 in 1983. The initials of the same name are written by Riccardo Zara and sung by Knights of the King.
Characters
Ganchan / Yattaman - protagonist of the story. He is 17 years old and inherited from his father the passion for toys and robots.
Janet/ Yatta2 - Ganchan's girlfriend and assistant.
Robbie robbie - handyman robot built by Ganchan and Yattaman Mascot.
The Drombo Trio is composed of:
Miss Dronio - gang leader and aspiring actress. She is 26 and, initially, the other two henchmen are in love with her, then they will have a crush on Janet. She, on the other hand, has a soft spot for Ganchan.
Boyakki - is the designer and builder of the Trio Drombo robots.
Tonzula - is the all-rounder of the Trio, known for his strength albeit very clumsy.
Doctor Dokrobei - the mysterious voice and leader of the Trio who calls himself "the king of thieves". It turns out to be an alien.
YATTAMAN --La Serie Completa (2 Box --22 Dvd)
- Audience Rating: G (audience generale)
Ready to dive into others 80s anime? We took a dip in prehistoric times with Ryu the cave boy, then in the troubled history of Lady Oscar, between Sorgenti Maledette with Ranma 1 / 2, among the thousand messes of Doraemon e Nobita. We went to a dystopian future with Conan, and we are passionate about the sporting challenges of Holly and Benji, Lotti e Mila and Shiro. But also a lot, more!
Tagsanime cartoons Yattaman Yattaman: between robot animals and the misadventures of the Drombo Trio
