J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai
Four cyborgs battle the global crime syndicate Crime.
J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai, also distributed internationally as The Jackers and known in the Philippines as Lucky Aces, is a Japanese tokusatsu television series and the second installment of the Super Sentai metaseries. It aired from 8 April to 23 December 1977, replacing Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and preceding Battle Fever J. The series is notable for introducing the first White Ranger in the franchise.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Tokusatsu
- superhero fiction
- science fiction
- crime fiction
- Runtime
- 30 minutes
- Creator
- Shotaro Ishinomori
- Developer
- Shozo Uehara
- Director
- Koichi Takemoto
- Starring
- Yoshitaka Tamba
- Shichiro Gou
- Mitchi Love
- Yuusuke Kazato
- Hiroshi Miyauchi
- Masashi Ishibashi
- Country
- Japan
- Narrator
- Toru Ohira
Facts from the source article.
Synopsis
The global criminal empire Crime, led by Iron Claw, seeks to become the most powerful mafia organization in the world. It commands an army of faceless, leather-masked thugs and cyborg assassins, supported by wealthy, influential sympathizers. To counter this threat, the International Science Special Investigation Squad (ISSIS) is formed. Tokyo's ISSIS branch commander, Daisuke Kujirai (code name Joker), recruits four young test subjects for a cyborg enhancement project: Olympic gold medalist Goro Sakurai, disgraced boxing champion Ryu Higashi, critically injured policewoman Karen Mizuki, and clinically dead oceanographer Bunta Daichi. They are surgically altered with bionic enhancements and energy manipulation powers, becoming J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai (pronounced Jacker), tasked with destroying Crime. Later, Joker leaves for ISSIS's advanced engineering branch, and Sokichi Banba, a master of disguise and cyborg known as Big One, becomes their new boss.
Characters
Goro Sakurai, a Japanese pentathlon athlete and Olympic gold medalist, initially declined Joker's offer to join J.A.K.Q. but changed his mind after saving Karen Mizuki (later Heart Queen). He and Karen become romantically involved near the series' end. As the red-colored Spade Ace, he wields a Spade Arts bow that fires atomic-charged arrows and can convert into a whip. Goro is a born leader and a powerful fighter. He later appeared in the movie Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. Super Sentai, leading 24 Red Rangers. Karen Mizuki is a Japanese-American police detective who investigated narcotics routes controlled by Crime. Crime attempted to kill her via a car accident; she survived but lost her right arm, and her father, also a police officer, died in the crash. Seeking revenge, she accepted Joker's bionic process to join J.A.K.Q.
Film
The first J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai film, a version of episode 7, came out on 17 July 1977 under director Katsuhiko Taguchi and writer Shōzō Uehara. A second movie, J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai vs. Gorenger, followed on 26 January 1978 after the TV series ended, crossing over with the Gorengers. In this story, J.A.K.Q. investigates a UFO in the Sky Ace and is ambushed by Iron Claw, who now commands the Big Four and the remnants of Crime and the Black Cross Army. Heart Queen and Spade Ace later meet Peggy Matsuyama, the Momo Ranger, who followed the Sahara Army to Japan. They uncover Crime’s Citybuster project and its island base. Iron Claw intends to bomb the United States, the Soviet Union, China, France, the United Kingdom, West Germany, and Japan, then flee into space. After escaping the base, the two teams join forces to defeat the armies. The Big Four combine into the super cyborg Big Four Robo, which overwhelms them until Big One arrives. Big One swaps Iron Claw’s hand for a remote-controlled one; Spade Ace uses it to trigger the Citybuster bombs, destroying Iron Claw’s UFO and killing him.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai?
J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai was created by Shotaro Ishinomori.
Who stars in J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai?
J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai stars Yoshitaka Tamba, Shichiro Gou, Mitchi Love, Yuusuke Kazato, Hiroshi Miyauchi and Masashi Ishibashi.
Which network aired J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai?
J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai aired on ANN (TV Asahi).
How many episodes of J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai are there?
J.A.K.Q. Dengekitai has 35 episodes.
More in Japanese Science Fiction Television Series
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced