Episode 1 – The Japanese Spider-Man
When a UFO descent brings tragedy into the life of young racer Takuya Yamashiro, he fights back by trading his motorcycle for a giant battle robot to challenge the sinister forces of Professor Monster. This is the Japanese origin story of Marvel’s most popular character, Spider-Man. In 1978, Marvel Comics and Japanese distributor TOEI signed a historic deal to bring Marvel characters to Japanese television. Their first collaboration, Spider-Man (Supaidāman), was a massive hit that revolutionized an entire genre of popular Japanese entertainment. This documentary from David Gelb (Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Chef’s Table) uncovers how such an incredible cultural crossover occurred — with insights from the cast and crew who narrowly pulled it off
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