Opening Theme
January 17, 1973 - December 29, 1973 (50 episodes)
Tachibana, Naoki (played by Tachibana, Naoki) is a pilot for a currier company. He flies a red and white Cessna. When a hostile alien attempts to invade Earth, using giant monsters made out of ordinary animals or inanimate ojects, Naoki's older brother Shinya is killed in the first attack.
During the next attack by the same monster Naoki foolishly tries to revenge his brothers death by using the unarmed airplane to attack the monster. The plane is shot down but before it hits the ground the plane is caught by a strange green light. The Emerald Seijin Kain (voiced by Naya, Gorô) gives Tachibana, Naoki the ability to transform the plane into the giant robot warrior Jambôgu Êsu (Jumborg Ace).
Before Shinya was killed he gave Naoki his watch. It is that watch which becomes the henshin device. When it detects the presence of a monster its crystal flashes. Then Naoki shouts "Jum Faito" (Fighter) to begin the transformation.
As Tachibana, Naoki turns the Cessna end over end to end it transforms into Jumborg Ace.
Tachibana, Naoki controls Jumborg Ace from inside the giant robot's head. Jumborg Ace mimics Naoki's movements. If he throws a punch then Jumborg Ace will punch the monster. If Naoki kicks then Jumborg Ace will kick the monster. Conversly, the monster's attacks against Jumborg Ace can affect Naoki. For example a blinding beam of light aimed at Jumborg Ace will blind Naoki. Damage to Jumborg Ace will show up later as damage to the plane.
Of course Jumborg Ace can fly. At super speed his body becomes a streak of light.
Jumborg Ace has several energy weapons, the main one, most often used to destroy the giant monsters, is "Beam Emerald" (second photograph).
Some of Jumborg Ace's energy weapons come from his hands.
Some use his entire body, and others come out of his belt.
Jumborg Ace's energy weapons are very colorful.
Jumborg Ace has a larger variety of energy weapons than any other tokusatsu hero I've seen.
Just when I thought Jumborg Ace was done introducing new energy attacks he pulls out "Screw Hurricane".
The energy spins around the monster setting it on fire and causing it to explode.
Sometimes energy weapons aren't effective, for those situations Jumborg Ace has physical weapons, "Jum Sword", "Jet Knife" (throwing daggers) and also explosives, "Jumb Missile".
And of course there is hand to claw combat.
Jumborg Ace also has a heat ray, which is not used as a weapon but as a tool, to thaw out jet planes frozen by a giant monster's freeze ray (episode 17).
When Jumborg Ace is running low on energy a warning light flashes on its belt and on Tachibana, Naoki's belt.
Jumborg Ace has one major weakness, extreme cold could destroy it. So in episode 17 when a monster tries to use a freeze ray on Jumborg Ace, Kain appears between the robot warrior and the monster, taking the full blast of the ray himself. Then using his last remaining bit of energy on the monster Kain dies. Tachibana, Naoki has to hide his sorrow over the loss of his mentor, because his family and friends do not know that he controls Jumborg Ace.
At the end of each battle Jumborg Ace turns back into Tachibana, Naoki's Cessna at the command "Flight Return".
Starting around episode 21 the invaders start making more use of the human sized "Gross Star Men", who usually got in a fight with Tachibana, Naoki (he probably got tired of leaving all the action to the stuntman in the Jumborg Ace costume.)
Jumborg Ace is defeated in episode 27 but restored in episode 28. Episode 30 reveals that there is an emergency exit on the bottom of Jumborg Ace's right foot.
In episode 27 Tachibana, Naoki buys a new car, a Honda Z. After the defeat of Jumborg Ace, by Matagone's super robot warrior, Naoki attempts to defeat the monster by crashing his car into it. He would have been killed if a second Emerald Seijin (Kain's brother?) had not intervened. This Emerald Seijin give Naoki's car the power to transform into the super robot warrior Jumborg 9. Naoki actives the transformation from car to warrior with "Jum Faito Two Dash". Originally he said "Break Return" and slammed on the breaks to transform 9 back into his car, but in the later episodes he says "Quick Return" instead.
Naoki controls Jumborg 9 with a steering wheel, pedals on the floor, and switches on the dash, just like a car. The pedals control Jumborg 9's running speed. Intead of flying Jumborg 9 moves swiftly across the ground, running fast. Jumborg 9 has thicker armor than Jumborg Ace, which protects it from explosives.
Besides doing "Jum Kick" 9 also has energy weapons and an energy shield.
Like Jumborg Ace, Jumborg 9's entire body could become an energy weapon.
Jumborg 9's "Boomerang Cut" is similar to Ultraseven's "Eye Slugger". 9 removes part of his forehead and hurls it at the monster. 9 can energize the boomerang with a black beam that causes it to circle the monster at an increasing rate of speed. The energy released causes the monster to explode.
Jumborg 9's face is a weapon. Not only does he fire laser beams from his eyes and throw his forehead but he also has a bream that comes out of his mouth. The "Cross Power" ray from his belt vaporises the monster. Another ray from his belt causes them to explode.
Jumborg 9's final energy weapon was used only once, in the last episode.
Jumborg 9 could transfer energy to Jumborg 9 and Tachibana, Naoki could transport himself from Jumborg 9 to Jumborg Ace.
Jumborg 9 has its own theme song Fight! Jumborg 9.
There is also a song for both super robot warriors, Ace & Nine.
Also fighting the invaders is the Protection Association Troop (PAT). The membership of PAT changes frequently through out the series. There is sometimes three men, sometimes four. There's always at least one woman, but sometimes two. It's hard to keep up with the changes and I may have missed someone.
The PAT commander is killed in episode 12. Episode 14 reveals that there was someone above him. It also sees an introduction of a new commander, the previous commander's brother, and two additional officers join the team, but Ippei (first man in third photograph) is dismissed from the service in episode 19 (because his widowed mother needs him to work the family farm). At some point one of the other men leaves so that there are again only 3 men and 1 woman.
In 32 the leadership of PAT changes again. Two Science Guard Men (SGM), 1 male, 1 female, join PAT. The man taking charge. SGM was the organization in "Mirrorman", another Tsuburaya series. By episode 35 there is only one woman. In episode 42 PAT shrinks to 2 men and 1 woman when another man is killed in action. In episode 43 a young SGM pilot; Murakami, Hiroshi joins PAT, switching to the PAT uniform in episode 44.
PAT starts out with two fighter planes, Jet Condor and Viking Star.
The SGM officers bring with them a verticle take of red jet fighter. By episode 35 its gone.
In episode 37 Jet Condor and Viking star are replaced by Hunter Q, which can operate in space as well in Earth's atmosphere. Normally Hunter Q is piloted by the PAT commander. If two fighters are needed Hunter Q can split in two seperate aircraft, one piloted by the commander the other by the next senior PAT member.
In addition to their jet fighters PAT also had rocket powered yellow cars which (beginning in episode 14) could fly. These cars are also armed with missile launchers (episode 20).
When the original jet fighters are replaced, by Hunter Q, the yellow cars are also replaced, with a red truck that carries only one person, the driver (Bamos I), and a blue vehicle that has room for the driver and one passenger (Bamos II). Of course both of these vehicles are armed.
The red truck converts into a helicopter and the blue vechicle into a boat.
PAT had it's own theme song (introduced in episode 13) Shining PAT.
Other regular characters in this series are Tachibana, Naoki's sister-in-law, nephew (Kazuya) and boss (Banno, Daisaku). Naoki's sister-in-law works at a coffee shop which provides meals for the PAT team members. Naoki occasionally helps out there too. Naoki lives with his sister-in-law and nephew. His famiy and friends do not know that he controls Jumborg Ace and flying off to fight monsters gets him in trouble with his boss (he's too good a pilot to fire though). The only person on Earth who knows that Naoki pilots Jumborg Ace is Ken, a young boy, who was in the Cessna when a monster attacked.
Music is an important part of this series. Tachibana, Naoki plays the trumpet (in early episodes). When he's sad he plays beautifully, when he's angry he just makes noise. In episode 8 his girlfriend plays the violin. In episodes 9 and 10 another pilot, who plays the saxaphone, tries to take Naoki's job away from him. In episode 16 an alien female sings. In episode 34 another alien female sings. After a long time of not playing it Tachibana, Naoki remembers his trumpet at the end of episode 47.
Jumborg Ace and Jumborg 9 battle the daikaiju (giant monsters) created by the Gurosu Seijin (Growth Aliens).
Episode Titles
Jambôgu Êsu featured music by Kikuchi, Shunsuke. Tachibana, Naoki also stared in Za Kage Sutâ [The Shadow Star] (1976).
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Last modified Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Jambôgu Êsu © 1973 Tsuburaya Productions
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