New ROJ Episode 1 Notes

NEW RETURN OF JETMAN

"Yesterday's Heroes"
(Episode 1)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2006-2012 Christopher Elam

 

New ROJ Episode 1 - "Yesterday's Heroes" was begun in May 2005 and wrapped principal writing on July 11, 2005. Some material in this story was cannibalized from a GUNMETAL BLACK/RETURN OF JETMAN crossover story that had been in the planning stages since late 2003.

After swearing I would never write another ROJ story, I changed my mind and created "New Return of Jetman." What can I say? I was inspired. New ROJ gave me a chance to use a lot of ideas that didn't otherwise have a home and also to return to the characters I love so much.

...Uh, except for the fact that most of them aren't in this episode. This was a deliberate move on my part, to establish that our heroes and the world have moved on from the Jetman era. Now, they have to reunite and do it all over again. Nah, no symbolism there. As the series progresses, there will be more insight into the main characters and where they are relative to when we last saw them at the end of ROJ. For this episode, though, most of them are on the sidelines as we establish the setting and the enemy.

• The main enemy of the series is Nemesis, a character first seen in Lewis Smith's story "Crossover" from 2000. In that tale, the villain brought together Lewis' characters Kienan Ademetria, Darken Blackangel, and Ronin for the express purpose of killing them. He failed, but that story established a lot of the groundwork for Nemesis as he will be portrayed in New ROJ (such as his origin and method of operation). "Crossover" was originally posted on the now-defunct House of Hardcore Forum, and is currently available online at http://www.fictionpress.com/s/334915/1/Crossover.
  
  
  
• The sequence with Nemesis is a reworked version of one of the few scenes completed for the Gunmetal Black/Return of Jetman crossover before the project was abandoned. It is heavily influenced by the 1970s output of comic book writer/artist Jim Starlin.
  
  
  
• Jet Phoenix is still living under the "Shinsei Hinotori" alias established at the end of ROJ Episode 14 (the "5 years later" epilogue).
  
  
  
• While Ken Tendo is still the commander of Skywatch (ROJ Episode 14), he has let his hair grow long again. This is meant to hint at his discontent, but it's also because he works better as a character with the long hair. Look, he just does.
  
  
  
• "Still cracking the security codes, I see!"..."The least I can do,"... - This is a callback to ROJ Episode 3, in which Ken cracks the security codes to break into Jet Phoenix's room.
  
  
  
• Michiru is with Gohan and Reiko in Hawaii... - Unsurprisingly, Hinotori and Michiru are still a couple. This bit establishes the whereabouts of some of the important characters who will be absent from the story.
  
  
  
• The Skyforce Supreme Council had been implied to be the former members of Goranger in ROJ Ep. 10, and it seemed illogical for them to be cutting Skyforce's budget. This is why I included the statement that all of them had left the council since the time of ROJ.
  
  
  
• The "Neo-Jetman exo-skeleton" refers to Neo-Jetman, the short-lived replacements of Jetman in episodes 40 & 41 of the TV series.
  
  
  
• All of the new super teams that have risen up have made them complacent. They're willing to let them do the work and leave Skyforce for mop-up operations." - When you think about it, this kind of thinking probably would happen if super teams popped up like weeds as they do in the sentai version of the universe.
  
  
  
• "Ryu's the Supreme Commander..." - Ryu Tendo, Red Hawk from the JETMAN TV series, and Ken's father. We learned he was up for the Supreme Commander post in ROJ Episode 13.
  
  
  
• I will speak more about Mika Katsuragi and her creation further down. Let me just say here that the fact that she has the same name as an actress from KAETTEKITA ULTRAMAN ("Return of Ultraman", 1971-72) was a surprise to me, as I thought I had coined an original name. The same goes for the fact that her name is a combination of the names of the original female members of CHODENSHI BIOMAN (1984-85), Mika Koizumi (Yuki Yajima) and Hikaru Katsuragi (Michiko Makino).
  
  
  
• "I never would've guessed she was only 15." - A sly reference to the fact that actresses in Japanese sci-fi programs often are much younger than the roles they are playing.
  
  
  
• Can you believe I didn't so much as mention Tokyo Tower in ROJ? Neither can I. I have rectified this oversight in this story.
  
  
  
• Akihabara is a district in Tokyo noted for a large number of electronics shops.
  
  
  
• Kei Mizuno was established as having a successful company called "Akaitaka Technologies" in ROJ Episode 14.
  
  
  
• "The Razor" is named after a character in the video BRAIN 17, a condensed English-dubbed version of the series DAI TETSUJIN 17 (1977). Think of him as looking like Japanese sci-fi stalwart Akihiko Hirata (Dr. Serizawa in GODZILLA, KING OF THE MONSTERS), because that's what I do.
  
  
  
• ...the original Jetman's allies from the world of Dimensia... - Rei, Kanna, and Dan were three heroes from another dimension which had been devastated by the Byram. They all lost their lives in battle, and Jetman inherited their Bird Garuda/Jet Garuda mecha. See JETMAN episodes 23 & 24 for more details.
  
  
  
• It's worth mentioning that the general public would not know the full details of Jet Phoenix's fate, nor the fact that he is an android based on Gai Yuki.
  
  
  
• "But still..." - One of the commonly-used phrases in movies dubbed into English in Hong Kong. File this one under "reference you'd never know is a reference."
  
  
  
• The sound effect "wikki wikki" is from the rap song "Jam On It" by Newcleus. An early hint of things to come.
  
  
  
• Mika not knowing her teammates' names is an idea I got from watching HYAKUJU SENTAI GAORANGER (2001-2002), in which the members referred to each other by their sentai colors almost exclusively. This also saved me the trouble of making up names for them and succinctly communicated their lack of respect for her.
  
  
  
• Duke Disco was originally a character proposed for another story. He started out as Duke Diskotos, brother of Lord Xenotos(!), and he was merely saddled with an unfortunate name. For the purposes of this story, his connection with Xenotos was dropped entirely, and the disco angle was played to the hilt.
  
  
  
• "Bubble Hell" - this phrase became a favorite of mine after it was used in the subtitles of the Taiwan bootleg of the BIOMAN movie.
  
  
  
• The Discotech Empire consists of sentai villain stereotypes with a disco twist. Le Freak is named after the hit by the band Chic. Autobahn is named not after the German highway, but rather the Kraftwerk song based on it. Kay C and Bee G owe their names to K.C. and the Sunshine Band and the Bee Gees, respectively.
  
  
  
• Yumei Sentai Funkyman was conceived as a somewhat silly theme for a team, though a hip hop sentai is probably a lot less unlikely than I'd like to think. The little details are perhaps what sell it best. The "bitch" at the end of their announcement is my small acknowledgment of Dave Chappelle's comedy series.
  
  
  
• Etsuko being "M.I.A." (as it were) also serves to give an update on one of the characters not in the story. Of course, it's more of a tease than anything else.
  
  
  
• "Indeed. Someone should tell them that 'dance action' fighting went out of fashion in 1979 though." - a very specific tribute to BATTLE FEVER J (1979-1980), which did indeed have "dance action" fighting.
  
  
  
• "Seven Spectrum Sphere" is a nod to Lewis Smith's SEVEN SPHERES LEGEND story.
  
  
  
• He looked for all the world like Mayor McCheese crossed with the Avenging Disco Godfather. - This sentence, with its references to both a McDonald's advertising character and a Rudy Ray Moore movie role, was how I described Boogie Burger to people. I liked it so much that I decided it had to be in the story. It's also worth noting that hamburger-headed villains are not unknown in tokusatsu (Japanese spfx productions).
  
  
  
• "Have it my way!" - a reference to the Burger King slogan "Have It Your Way!"
  
  
  
• Funkyman's cannon "F Bomber" and their robot "Boom Boxer" are incredibly juvenile, I know, but they still makes me laugh. Particularly the "Super Pimp Hand!" attack.
  
  
  
• Inazumajin X is a bit of a homage to Go Nagai's giant robot Mazinger Z, by way of the later Mazinkaiser. The name Inazumajin is a synthesis of the Japanese words inazuma ("lightning") and majin ("demon" or "demon god").
  
  
  
• Funkyman was created to die. I know that sounds harsh, but the reason they were brought into the story was to be killed off at the hands of Nemesis, thereby making him a credible threat. The only problem was that they were both goofy and borderline unlikeable. How could I make the reader care about what happened? Thus, Mika became a full-fledged character and, in many ways, the focal point of the story. Her death is jarring and tragic, and (hopefully) pulls you into Ken's emotions at the end.
  
  
  
• Nemesis disappears, but not before taunting our hero and introducing (via holograms) his henchpeople. We'll learn more about the various members of the Paradox Army as we go along, but I felt it important to establish their existence right from the start.
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

Return of Jetman Homepage - http://www.returnofjetman.com

ROJ Episode 14 Notes

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Old Endings, New Beginnings"
(Episode 14)
Production Notes
by Christopher Elam
© 2011 Christopher Elam

 

Episode 14 - "Old Endings, New Beginnings" wrapped principal writing on August 31, 2003. The process of transcribing the rough draft was completed on October 2, 2003, and the final edits were finished on November 8, 2003. This was far longer than it took to complete any other installment of the ROJ series. In fact, the huge lead time I had built up during the process gradually dwindled to almost nothing, and I only put the final touches on this one with about a month to spare.

This story was intended to be sprawling and epic, and it is certainly the former. I can't help but feel today that it might be a bit bloated, but that is probably just hindsight. I tried to bring a certain degree of closure to all the threads instigated in the storyline, with varying success. The title is partially indicative of those mixed feelings - I really liked the finale I had crafted, but was acutely aware that I was essentially mirroring the end of the JETMAN TV series. Ergo, "Old Endings, New Beginnings" was my acknowledgment that I wasn't exactly being original in my wrap-up.

• This story is dedicated to Lewis Smith, the guy who originally created ROJ back in 1995. It's no exaggeration to say that the series would not exist without his numerous contributions in both story and art. I hope I have done his brainchild justice with my efforts.
  
  
  
• The business with the "secret origin" of the Chaos Coalition as revolutionaries was a seriously belated idea of mine that I am unsure worked. It was an attempt to inject some pathos into their plight, but it strikes me as a bit tacked-on now. The "Order Lords" as their adversaries was one of the more inspired bits here, and even that isn't much. The story could've probably benefited from losing this section entirely, but live and learn.
  
  
  
• Green Wyvern's hatred of outer space was first established in ROJ Ep. 3.
  
  
  
• "Turbo Lasers" is a reference to either TURBORANGER or STAR WARS. You decide.
  
  
  
• It had previously been established (as Etsuko notes) that Helldevil itself had no offensive capabilities, so the missile strike itself was bit out of left field. Making them "duds" seemingly added to the pointlessness, but there was an underlying method to this madness.
  
  
  
• Speaking of Etsuko, her knowledge of the ship was gained due to her captivity and mind link with Miira, as established in Ep. 12.
  
  
  
• The true nature of the second Red Kestrel was something I felt would be hidden from her, in order to make her more effective in her role. It seemed logical to me that the Chaos Coalition would create her from Etsuko's memories, rather than just making her up out of whole cloth. Remember, she didn't debut until after the Etsuko/Miira mind link. I also suspected she wouldn't take the news that she was basically a puppet very well.
  
  
  
• I staged a mecha battle inside a spaceship because Lewis really wanted to see something like that for the sheer novelty. That is a pretty good reason, I think.
  
  
  
• I will cop to the fact that the climactic finishing move in the Jet Daedalus/Victory Icarus mecha battle is...unlikely, at best. This is one of those instances where I chose what I thought was dramatic and cool over any other concerns. I have no regrets.
  
  
  
• The confrontation between Green Wyvern and Toranza is somewhat more brutal than average for the ROJ series. The intent was to underscore the personal hatred between the two. And as for Toranza's death wish...this was not something that was planned out from the start. It just made sense to me given the circumstances of his character being marginalized since Episode 8. But more on that shortly.
  
  
  
• "In fact, this is kind of where the game all started for me." - Green Wyvern's reference to the teleportation chamber here is a callback to her origin from Episode 2.
  
  
  
• I did like the notion that Green Wyvern could still be cold-blooded despite being "reformed". Denying Toranza's death wish and removing his visor (established in Ep. 3 as crucial to his revival) seemed a fitting coda to both characters' personal story arcs.
  

  I should also point out that in early drafts of this confrontation, the (logical) conclusion was that Toranza bought it. In fact, he really SHOULD have died with Red Hawk at the end of Ep. 8. However, I wanted to keep him around, despite his not having anything to do. That was what led to his subsequent use in a humiliating supporting role. I ultimately decided to put him back where I found him, so he could technically still be out there if I wanted to use him.
  
  
  

• The sequence with Lord Xenotos' final descent into madness and the killing of Hedes was one I roughed out back in the 1990s. I even used much of the same wording, which was a surprise since I didn't look at the original version until after the fact! I did need sufficient motivation for this to happen, and I think destroying his home planet would prove sufficient to send him over the top. And see? There really WAS an explanation for those "dud" missiles!
  
  
  
• I don't know why I decided I needed "Dystron Junior" in the story, but it proved to be an amusing detour for me. His name is influenced by the usage of "Junior" in Japanese sci-fi, which always strikes me as unintentionally hilarious. I was probably thinking of "Uchu Ninja Baltan Seijin Junior" from an Ultra series at the time.
  
  
  
• The funny thing about the Chaos Claw is that it was just something Lewis drew on Lord Xenotos because he thought it looked cool, without even bothering to give it a name. I decided that I should do something with it if it was there, and the duel with Ken was the first opportunity. I also christened it "Chaos Claw", because all Japanese sci-fi weapons must be named.
  
  
  
• Black Condor's super-overdramatic pronouncements prior to striking down Lord Xenotos are my attempt to capture the flavor of such battles in actual Japanese superhero shows. How'd I do?
  
  
  
• The name Xenotos Hakaijin ("Xenotos Destruction God") for Lord Xenotos' monster form was inspired by a tagline in the Japanese trailers for GODZILLA VS. SPACE GODZILLA. Seriously.
  
  
  
• Intercutting between the action and a countdown to the destruction of Helldevil was an experiment to try to up the ante of dramatic tension. It is perhaps a little forced, but I am relatively happy with the results.
  
  
  
• Given that this was the climactic story, it felt appropriate to find some resolution to the contentious Black Condor/Green Wyvern relationship. There are little moments throughout this last section that hint at mutual respect between the two. I'd say "affection" is pushing it.
  
  
  
• Similarly, I wanted to convey that Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow had both gained a confidence through Jetman that they had lacked when the series began. This is most obvious at the end.
  
  
  
• I now suspect Kei almost drowning is another instance where I was trying too hard to maximize the drama of this finale. Ditto for making the island the same place where Red Hawk had died.
  
  
  
• The Jetmen reverted to their civilian identities so I could have them transform one more time. You guessed that, right?
  
  
  
• I brought the Fire Bazooka back for one more round just so destroying it would prove that Xenotos Hakaijin was an impressive foe.
  
  
  
• Dragon Wyvern/God Wyvern returns for the first time since being shot down in Episode 8 (discounting the dream sequence in Ep. 9). I wanted to take this mecha out of circulation for a bit so that its reappearance here would be somewhat more memorable.
  
  
  
• Super God Icarus mode (Jet Icarus + God Wyvern) was one of those ideas I had in the mid-1990s, and it was not one that Lewis had originally conceived. To me, it felt like an inevitable culmination of how the robot issue was handled in ROJ. Saving it for the end did give it a certain degree of specialness that is often lacking in the crazy combinations seen in the real stuff. Plus, it provided a suitable explanation for Kei and Etsuko's work in the mecha hangar.
  

  The "Chojin Gattai!" command for Super God Icarus can be interpreted at least two ways. "Chojin" could mean "birdman" (as it does in the Jetman team name) or it could mean "super god" (a reference to the English name of the robot). This is one of the few times I pulled off a Japanese-style multi-level reference. Hold your applause, please.
  
  
  

• There was no logical reason why Super God Icarus had a time limit, other than for dramatic effect (and to mimic the many giant hero shows with timers). I just had to justify why it was a "last resort", and that was as good a reason as any.
  
  
  
• Are the weapon names "Sword of Judgment" and "Fire of Heaven" suitably divine-sounding? I was really laying it on thick by this time. Same goes for my clock deciding to start jumping randomly.
  
  
  
• The solution of Jetman channeling their energy through the mecha and using their combined lifeforce to defeat the big bad once and for all is hokey, but somehow fitting to me. I did throw that little twist in at the end about Super God Icarus losing power to emphasize the inherent message. It is pure sentai, and that is why I embrace it.
  
  
  
• Gohan and Reiko's wedding felt like the proper place to wrap the story. As I said, I was all too aware that this was the same situation that concluded JETMAN. I even included a nod to this fact in Jet Phoenix's dialogue.
  
  
  
• Toei is obviously the company that produces the super sentai series, while TV Asahi is the network that has broadcast the many shows since the beginning.
  
  
  
• The obvious choice would have been to have Ken and Etsuko rekindle their love affair at this wedding. That's exactly why I didn't do that. It felt more natural to leave them in a place where they might, but were still trying to feel their way around who they were.
  

  I did, however, change Ken and Etsuko in smaller ways (the eyeglasses, the hair) that reflected moments from the series. And then there are their occupations, which were not obvious at all. (The Rokumeikan Foundation was something hinted at in Ep. 2)
  
  
  

• The appearance by Mötorhead's "Ace of Spades" is because Lewis swears by that song.
  
  
  
• Jet Phoenix's alias "Shinsei Hinotori" is a pun. The "Hinotori" is derived from Hi no tori ("firebird"), a Japanese term for phoenix and the title of a famous manga by Osamu Tezuka. Meanwhile, "Shinsei" is an authentic Japanese name, but can mean "new life" if you use the right kanji. I am not sure the name is ever written that way, but that is a mere technicality for our purposes.
  
  
  
• Speaking of Phoenix, it was quite a switch to give him a happy ending after the original plan was to kill him off. Pairing him up with his longtime admirer Michiru just seemed like the perfect capper for his arc.
  
  
  
• The "akaitaka" in Akaitaka Technologies is Japanese for..."red hawk".
  
  
  
• The signal device had not been mentioned since Ep. 9.
  
  
  
• The group photo angle ending was something that just felt right for the conclusion of this series. It opens the door for many possibilities, especially with Shinsei/Phoenix's revelation of his true identity.
  
  
  
• The closing segment of the story is designed to emulate as closely as possible in prose form the traditional "series in review" type ending of the sentai series that inspired ROJ.
  

 

© Christopher Elam.

Return of Jetman Homepage - http://www.returnofjetman.com