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is a 2010 Japanese
superhero A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
anime is a Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, , in Japan and in Ja ...
television series by Madhouse and is based on the
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
universe. It is an anthology collection consisting of four twelve-episode animated series and two direct-to-video films. The entire series notably depicts
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
,
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
,
Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
, and the members of the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
going to
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.


Premise

The project reimagined select top
Marvel Marvel may refer to: Business * Marvel Entertainment, an American entertainment company ** Marvel Comics, the primary imprint of Marvel Entertainment ** Marvel Universe, a fictional shared universe ** Marvel Music, an imprint of Marvel Comics ...
characters and adapts them for a Japanese audience via four 12-part series; ''
Iron Man Iron Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Co-created by writer and editor Stan Lee, developed by scripter Larry Lieber, and designed by artists Don Heck and Jack Kirby, the character first appearan ...
'', ''
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
'', ''
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
'', and ''
Blade A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
'', which aired in Japan on
Animax , stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.The Anime Biz' - ...
between October 2010 and September 2011, and then in the United States on G4 between July 2011 and April 2012. Each of the series largely features
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
as the setting for the storyline. Wolverine appears in all four of the anime, being a guest star in ''Iron Man'' and ''Blade'', with each appearance taking place either before or after ''his'' anime.


Production

The entire series was produced in collaboration between
Marvel Entertainment Marvel Entertainment, LLC (formerly Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and Marvel Enterprises, Inc.) was an American entertainment company founded in June 1998 and based in New York City, formed by the merger of #Marvel Entertainment Group, Marvel Ente ...
, anime studio Madhouse, and
Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan , abbreviated SPE or SPEJ, is a Japanese film studio, based in Minato, Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation, with the majority of SPEJ's shares held by Sony Pictures Entertainmen ...
. The announcement was confirmed at the 2009
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
. According to former Madhouse President and CEO Jungo Maruta, Marvel gave the anime studio free rein to re-imagine the Marvel superheroes for Japanese audiences. The series was guided by writer
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
. "It will create an entire parallel universe for Marvel," said Simon Philips, president of Marvel International about ''Marvel Anime''.


''Iron Man''

(DVD title: ''Iron Man: Animated Series''; spelled ''IRONMAN'' on-screen) is the first show of the series with 12 episodes. The series was directed by Yuzo Sato, with
Warren Ellis Warren Girard Ellis (born 16 February 1968) is an English comic book writer, novelist, and screenwriter. He is best known as the co-creator of several original comics series, including ''Transmetropolitan'' (1997–2002), ''Global Frequency'' ...
writing the story and
Jamie Simone Jamie Simone is an American voice director and producer, best known for directing ''Naruto'', ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Tiger & Bunny''. He is the owner of the recording studio Studiopolis. In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outs ...
serving as voice director, casting director, and reversion producer for the English version. A special preview ran on
Animax , stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.The Anime Biz' - ...
on September 25, 2010, before the series began airing on October 1, 2010, and ended on December 17, 2010. While Iron Man premiered in the US on G4 on July 29, 2011, a "sneak peek" of the first episode aired on July 23, 2011, following G4's
Comic-Con A comic book convention or comic con is a fan convention emphasizing comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book Fan (person), fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events h ...
2011 Live coverage. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on April 24, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on June 22, 2011. A follow-up direct-to-video film called ''Iron Man: Rise of Technovore'' was released on April 16, 2013.


Plot

Tony Stark goes to Japan to produce a new arc reactor power station and showcase the Iron Man Dio, a new prototype armor, that will replace him when he retires. However, the Iron Man Dio goes berserk and it is up to Tony as Iron Man to stop it along with an organization called the
Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...
. Iron Man even gains an ally in
JSDF The are the military forces of Japan. Established in 1954, the JSDF comprises the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, and the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. They are controlled by the Ministry of Defense wi ...
operative Captain Nagato Sakurai piloting the Ramon Zero armor that his military group made for him. Iron Man soon discovers that his old friend
Ho Yinsen Y'Garon Y'Garon is a demon who has clashed with Marada the She-Wolf and Dracula. Yandroth Yandroth was the humanoid Scientist Supreme of the " otherdimensional" planet "Yann" and a would-be-conqueror who, with his robot Voltorg, has fought Doc ...
(who Tony thought was dead upon his first time as Iron Man) is alive and is operating the Iron Man Dio armor for the Zodiac's goals.


Cast


''Wolverine''

(DVD title: ''Wolverine: Animated Series'') is the second show of the series with 12 episodes. It aired on Animax between January 7, 2011 and March 25, 2011. While ''Wolverine'' premiered in the US on G4 on July 29, 2011, a "sneak peek" of the first episode aired on July 23, 2011, following the Iron Man "sneak peek" and G4's
Comic-Con A comic book convention or comic con is a fan convention emphasizing comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book Fan (person), fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events h ...
2011 Live coverage.
Jamie Simone Jamie Simone is an American voice director and producer, best known for directing ''Naruto'', ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Tiger & Bunny''. He is the owner of the recording studio Studiopolis. In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outs ...
served as voice director, casting director, and reversion producer for the English version. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on July 31, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on June 22, 2011.


Plot

Logan learns that his true love, beloved sweetheart and girlfriend Mariko Yashida, who disappeared one year ago, has been taken to Tokyo by her father
Shingen Yashida Lord Shingen Yashida (also Shingen Harada) is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character is usually depicted as an adversary of Wolverine (character), Wolverine. The character was played by Hiroy ...
, the head of the Japanese crime syndicate Kuzuryu and a supplier of A.I.M., in order to be wed to Hideki Kurohagi, a bloodthirsty
yakuza , also known as , are members of transnational organized crime syndicates originating in Japan. The Japanese police and media (by request of the police) call them , while the yakuza call themselves . The English equivalent for the term ''yak ...
boss. Wolverine goes on a quest to rescue Mariko and defeat Shingen and Hideki, encountering several opponents along the way.


Cast


''X-Men''

(DVD title: ''X-Men: Animated Series'') is the third show of the series with 12 episodes. It aired on Animax from April 1, 2011, to June 24, 2011. A preview trailer was released on February 18, 2011, featuring mutants and some from the
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc., formerly 20th Century Fox, is an American film studio, film production and Film distributor, distribution company owned by the Walt Disney Studios (division), Walt Disney Studios, the film studios division of the ...
''X-Men'' franchise such as
Cyclops In Greek mythology and later Roman mythology, the Cyclopes ( ; , ''Kýklōpes'', "Circle-eyes" or "Round-eyes"; singular Cyclops ; , ''Kýklōps'') are giant one-eyed creatures. Three groups of Cyclopes can be distinguished. In Hesiod's ''Th ...
,
Wolverine The wolverine ( , ; ''Gulo gulo''), also called the carcajou or quickhatch (from East Cree, ''kwiihkwahaacheew''), is the largest land-dwelling species, member of the family Mustelidae. It is a muscular carnivore and a solitary animal. The w ...
,
Storm A storm is any disturbed state of the natural environment or the atmosphere of an astronomical body. It may be marked by significant disruptions to normal conditions such as strong wind, tornadoes, hail, thunder and lightning (a thunderstor ...
,
Professor X Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
and Beast. It premiered in the United States on G4 on October 21, 2011.
Jamie Simone Jamie Simone is an American voice director and producer, best known for directing ''Naruto'', ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Tiger & Bunny''. He is the owner of the recording studio Studiopolis. In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outs ...
served as voice director, casting director, and reversion producer for the English version. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on April 24, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on December 7, 2011.


Plot

Following the death of
Jean Grey Jean Elaine Grey-Summers is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the character First appearance, first appeared in ''Uncanny X-Men, The X-Men'' #1 ...
(who was being controlled by the Dark Phoenix, due to the sinister influence of the Inner Circle), the
X-Men The X-Men are a superhero team in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer/editor Stan Lee and artist/co-plotter Jack Kirby, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 (September 1963). Although initial ...
are reassembled by
Professor X Professor X (Prof. Charles Francis Xavier) is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist/co-writer Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in Uncanny X-Men, ''The X-Men'' #1 ( ...
to travel to Japan following the abduction of
Armor Armour (Commonwealth English) or armor (American English; see American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, e ...
and face the U-Men who are abducting young mutants in order to harvest their organs. During their fight with the U-Men, the X-Men discover that some of the mutants in Japan are suffering from the "Damon Hall Syndrome" which causes problems for mutants during their second mutation. The X-Men must also deal with the next plot of the Inner Circle.


Cast


''Blade''

(DVD title: ''Blade: Animated Series'') is the fourth and final show of the series. Comprising twelve episodes like the others, the story is written by
Kenta Fukasaku is a Japanese filmmaker and screenwriter. He is the son of film director Kinji Fukasaku and actress Sanae Nakahara. Biography He made his writing debut in the popular Japanese cult film ''Battle Royale (film), Battle Royale'', which his father ...
, son of the late
Kinji Fukasaku was a Japanese film director and screenwriter. Known for his "broad range and innovative filmmaking", Fukasaku worked in many different genres and styles, but was best known for his gritty Yakuza film, yakuza films, typified by the Battles With ...
.
Jamie Simone Jamie Simone is an American voice director and producer, best known for directing ''Naruto'', ''Sailor Moon'' and ''Tiger & Bunny''. He is the owner of the recording studio Studiopolis. In 2012, he was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award for "Outs ...
served as casting director, reversion producer, and voice director for the English version where he was assisted by Mary Elizabeth McGlynn. It aired on Animax from July 1, 2011, to September 16, 2011. The entire series was released on DVD in the United States on July 31, 2012. It was also released on Blu-ray in Japan on February 22, 2012.


Plot

Blade is a "daywalker"
vampire hunter A vampire hunter or vampire slayer is a fictional occupation in folklore and fiction which specializes in finding vampires, and sometimes other supernatural creatures. A vampire hunter is usually described as having extensive knowledge of vampir ...
who was born with human and vampire blood in his veins after a
vampire A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
attacked his mother. Blade is visiting Japan on a mission where he not only confronts
Deacon Frost Deacon Frost is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He appears in ''The Tomb of Dracula'', and is an enemy of Blade. In the comics, Deacon Frost was depicted as a tall, white-haired, late middle-age ...
(the vampire who killed his mother Tara Brooks), but also goes up against a mysterious organization of vampires known as "Existence."


Cast


Films

Following the 4 TV series, Madhouse animated different ''Marvel Anime'' films. * The first was '' Iron Man: Rise of Technovore'', a
direct-to-video Direct-to-video or straight-to-video refers to the release of a film, television series, short or special to the public immediately on home video formats rather than an initial theatrical release or television premiere. This distribution strat ...
film directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki, which was released on April 16, 2013, in the United States. * The second was '' Avengers Confidential: Black Widow & Punisher'' which was released on March 25, 2014, in the United States.


Other Marvel anime projects

Other anime television series based on Marvel characters have also been produced.


''Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers''

''Marvel Disk Wars: The Avengers'' is a 2014 anime series produced by Walt Disney Japan and
Toei Animation is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including '' Sally the Witch'', '' GeGeGe no Kitarō'', '' Mazinger Z'', '' Galaxy Express 999'', '' Cutie Honey'', '' Dr. Slu ...
. It follows five children that each gain the ability to summon a specific member of Avengers, who have been trapped in small devices called DISKs, as they travel the world to help the Avengers retrieve other superheroes' and supervillains' DISKs before they are used for evil. The series aired on
TX Network TXN Network (TXN) is a commercial television network in Japan owned by TV Tokyo Corporation, a subsidiary of TV Tokyo Holdings, which itself is majority controlled by Nikkei, Inc. The "TX" is taken from the callsign of its flagship station ...
and ran for 51 episodes.


''Marvel Future Avengers''

''Marvel Future Avengers'' is a 2017 anime series produced by Madhouse and Walt Disney Japan. It follows three children who are rescued from Hydra by the Avengers and trained to become superheroes. The series aired for 39 episodes on the Dlife satellite channel, and was released internationally via
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
in 2020.


Release


Broadcast

The ''Marvel Anime'' series aired in Japan on
Animax , stylized as ANIMAX in all caps, is a Japanese animation satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. Launched on July 1, 1998, Animax is the first 24-hour network in the world dedicated to anime.The Anime Biz' - ...
between October 2010 and September 2011. An English-language version later aired in North America on G4 between July 2011 and April 2012.G4 Announces Exclusive Deal With Sony Pictures Television for Four New Anime Series Based on Marvel Characters
/ref> Additionally, the ''Marvel Anime'' series aired in Australia on
Sci Fi Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
.


See also

* Marvel Mangaverse * '' Spider-Man: The Manga'' * '' X-Men: The Manga'' * '' Hulk: The Manga'' * Del Rey Manga/Marvel * '' Marvel × Shōnen Jump+ Super Collaboration'' * '' Attack on Avengers''


References


External links

* *Madhouse page
Iron Man
* * * * *Marvel Anime at
Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...
** ** ** ** {{Animax 2010 anime television series debuts 2010 Japanese television series debuts 2010 Japanese television series endings 2011 Japanese television series debuts 2011 Japanese television series endings Japanese television series based on American television series Superheroes in anime and manga Anime based on comics Anime based on Marvel Comics Iron Man television series Madhouse (company) Marvel Entertainment franchises Madhouse (company) franchises Animated television shows based on Marvel Comics X-Men television series Wolverine (comics) in other media Television series by Sony Pictures Television Works by Len Wein Japan Self-Defense Forces in fiction Anime and manga about the Yakuza