Tekkaman Blade ( Japanese : 宇宙の騎士テッカマンブレード , Hepburn : Uchū no Kishi Tekkaman Burēdo ) is a 1992 Japanese anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and Sotsu Agency . The series was directed by Hiroshi Negishi and written by Mayori Sekijima and Satoru Akahori . The story follows an organization called the Space Knights and their war against aliens known as the Radam. The Space Knights are assisted by Takaya Aiba, who has the ability to transform into an armored warrior known as Tekkaman Blade.
100-490: The first series, of 50 episodes (including episode 0), aired in Japan from February 18, 1992, to February 2, 1993, on TV Tokyo . This was followed by two specials. A sequel series called Tekkaman Blade II , which is set ten years after the first series and follows the events of the second Radam invasion, was a series of six Japanese original video animation (OVA) releases from July 21, 1994, to April 21, 1995. A video game based on
200-617: A Circle 7 -style logo to broadcast animated programs. The station mascot is a cartoon banana with eyes, a nose, and a mouth which is bent into a 7, named Nanana ( ナナナ ). The network is part of the Japan Consortium , which covers the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup . Analog transmission ceased on July 24, 2011. Prague Prague ( / ˈ p r ɑː ɡ / PRAHG ; Czech : Praha [ˈpraɦa] )
300-742: A Germanic city called Casurgis . In the late 5th century AD, during the great Migration Period following the collapse of the Western Roman Empire , the Germanic tribes living in Bohemia moved westwards and, probably in the 6th century, the Slavic tribes settled the Central Bohemian Region. In the following three centuries, the Czech tribes built several fortified settlements in the area, most notably in
400-521: A Riobot figure from Sentinel Toys, with Tekkaman Evil set to receive a Riobot figure at a later date. Orange Cat Industry, a company based in China acquired the rights to produce model kits based on the series and it was re-released in Japan by Wave Corporation. In 1993, BEC published a video game based on the first anime for the Super Famicom (SNES) in Japan. The game has Blade going through various levels in
500-407: A bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics , but failed to make the candidate city shortlist . In June 2009, as the result of financial pressures from the global recession , Prague's officials chose to cancel the city's planned bid for the 2020 Summer Olympics . On 21 December 2023, a mass shooting took place at Charles University in central Prague. In total, 15 people were killed and 25 injured. It
600-776: A capital of 1 billion yen. The Science and Technology Promotion Foundation has the television broadcasting license and facility management rights, while Tokyo Channel 12 Production is responsible for program arrangement and production, and advertising business. As Mainichi Broadcasting invested in the establishment of Tokyo Channel 12 Production Company, a network relationship was actually formed between Tokyo Channel 12 and Mainichi Broadcasting System during this period. Some programs of Tokyo Channel 12 were broadcast in Kinki through Mainichi Broadcasting . In 1969, Tokyo Channel 12 Production once again increased its capital by 1 billion yen, of which Nihon Keizai Shimbun invested 600 million yen, becoming
700-419: A couple of rough design sketches. The rough designs were then done by Yoshinori Sayama, an apprentice of Izubuchi's who had been working with Izubuchi to help make design materials to present to the series' sponsors and producers. When Ueda saw the rough designs, he was convinced that Sayama could do it, but Bandai couldn't decide whether they could sell the designs or not, so a competition was held among more than
800-686: A democratic way. The other Warsaw Pact member countries, except Romania and Albania , were led by the Soviet Union to repress these reforms through the invasion of Czechoslovakia and the capital, Prague, on 21 August 1968. The invasion, chiefly by infantry and tanks, effectively suppressed any further attempts at reform. The military occupation of Czechoslovakia by the Red Army would end only in 1991. Jan Palach and Jan Zajíc committed suicide by self-immolation in January and February 1969 to protest against
900-411: A dozen designers, which Sayama ultimately won. Sayama was not familiar with the original Tekkaman's design, but Ueda suggested that he work on it without looking at the original design, and would only gave him his impressions. Finally, Kaoru Wada , who was the composer, was told that he did not need to be familiar with the music from the original Tekkaman when composing the series' score. Tekkaman Blade
1000-465: A majority of the cast don powered armor to do battle. The first series would later return in 2007's Super Robot Wars W while also featuring the second series, the latter of which made its SRW debut. Tekkaman Blade would be featured as a playable character in 2010's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars for the Wii as one of the five new characters added to the game's roster. In addition, Tekkaman Evil
1100-632: A massive increase in the city's overall population caused by the influx of Czechs from the rest of Bohemia and Moravia and the increasing prestige and importance of the Czech language as part of the Czech National Revival. World War I ended with the defeat of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the creation of Czechoslovakia. Prague was chosen as its capital and Prague Castle as the seat of president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk . At this time Prague
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#17330844964911200-473: A month later, Frederick the Great was defeated and forced to retreat from Bohemia. The economy of Prague continued to improve during the 18th century. The population increased to 80,000 inhabitants by 1771. Many rich merchants and nobles enhanced the city with a host of palaces, churches and gardens full of art and music, creating a Baroque city renowned throughout the world to this day. In 1784, under Joseph II ,
1300-401: A popular tourist destination and as of 2017, the city receives more than 8.5 million international visitors annually. In 2017, Prague was listed as the fifth most visited European city after London , Paris , Rome , and Istanbul . The Czech name Praha is derived from an old Slavic word, práh , which means " ford " or " rapid ", referring to the city's origin at a crossing point of
1400-447: A result, Blade is left reliant on a wheelchair and is completely amnesiac, cared for by Aki. This six-episode series is set ten years after the original series and a new group of Space Knights confront the Radam. The group features Yumi Francois, Aki, Natasha, David and their mysterious leader, D-Boy. Tekkaman Blade joins them to fight the sinister alien enemy, but things become complicated by
1500-483: A shoot-em-up-like style where Blade uses his Tek-Lancer to attack, while the boss battles (save for the last fight against Tekkaman Omega) have a 2D fighting game like approach to them. In the year prior, another game which published by Yutaka was a platformer for the Game Boy . In 1994, a real time strategy game based on the first series and sequel OVA for NEC 's PC-9801 entitled Tekkaman Blade: Orbital Ring Dakkai Sakusen
1600-463: A strong backlash from the labor union and led to a four-year dispute between the two. In 1967, Tokyo Channel 12 changed its reconstruction plan again, extending the daily broadcast time to 8 hours and 10 minutes, and Requesting companies in the financial sector to donate funds for reconstruction and restart advertising activities. At the same time, four other private TV stations in Tokyo and NHK also formed
1700-591: A verse of The Beleaguered City by Longfellow (1839) and also in the limerick There was an Old Lady of Prague by Edward Lear (1846). Prague is also called the "City of a Hundred Spires " , based on a count by 19th century mathematician Bernard Bolzano ; today's count is estimated by the Prague Information Service at 500. Nicknames for Prague have also included: the Golden City, the Mother of Cities and
1800-565: A wide range of public and private schools, including Charles University in Prague, the oldest university in Central Europe. Prague is classified as an "Alpha-" global city according to GaWC studies. In 2019, the city was ranked as 69th most livable city in the world by Mercer. In the same year, the PICSA Index ranked the city as 13th most livable city in the world. Its rich history makes it
1900-625: Is owned and operated by TV Tokyo Corporation , itself a subsidiary of the TV Tokyo Holdings Corporation , in turn controlled by Nikkei, Inc. It is headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi , Minato, Tokyo . TV Tokyo is one of the five private broadcasters based in Tokyo, and the last to have started its broadcasts on VHF. The predecessor of TV Tokyo was Tokyo Channel 12, which
2000-668: Is a crescent-shaped golden sun with rays protruding. One of these banners was captured by Swedish troops during the Battle of Prague (1648) when they captured the western bank of the Vltava river and were repulsed from the eastern bank, they placed it in the Royal Military Museum in Stockholm ; although this flag still exists, it is in very poor condition. They also took the Codex Gigas and
2100-524: Is dominated by the cathedral , which began construction in 1344, but was not completed until the 20th century. The legendary origins of Prague attribute its foundation to the 8th-century Czech duchess and prophetess Libuše and her husband, Přemysl , founder of the Přemyslid dynasty . Legend says that Libuše came out on a rocky cliff high above the Vltava and prophesied: "I see a great city whose glory will touch
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#17330844964912200-530: Is found by Noal and Aki, who take him back to their headquarters. Blade is initially hostile towards the Space Knights, but as time progresses, he begins to respect them for their dedication and develops a romantic interest in Aki. With Blade's help, the Space Knights begin to repel the Radam until Blade's transformation crystal is shattered during a battle with Dagger. Levin develops a battle robot named Pegas which houses
2300-459: Is not under the Radam's control. Evil, Lance, Axe, and Sword attack the Space Knights' base and attempt to kill Rapier. Although outnumbered, Rapier self-destructs in an attempt to destroy the four Tekkamen. Blade manages to kill Lance and Axe and he later gains the power to attain Blaster Tekkaman mode, although he loses more of his memories whenever he uses it. Evil is given the same ability as
2400-631: Is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia . Situated on the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.4 million people. Prague is a political, cultural, and economic hub of Central Europe , with a rich history and Romanesque , Gothic , Renaissance and Baroque architectures. It was the capital of the Kingdom of Bohemia and residence of several Holy Roman Emperors , most notably Charles IV (r. 1346–1378) and Rudolf II (r. 1575–1611). It
2500-557: The Bethlehem Chapel . Inspired by John Wycliffe , these sermons focused on what were seen as radical reforms of a corrupt Church. Having become too dangerous for the political and religious establishment, Hus was summoned to the Council of Constance , put on trial for heresy , and burned at the stake in Konstanz in 1415. Four years later Prague experienced its first defenestration , when
2600-472: The Blue Earth ' s navigator; Milly, the communications operator; Levin, a computer mechanic; and Honda, the group's mechanic. Before the start of the Radam invasion, the exploration ship Argos discovered the dormant Radam spaceship in the outer rings of Saturn . While exploring the ship, the crew were captured by pods and converted into Tekkamen. Before he was fully converted, Takaya Aiba (Tekkaman Blade)
2700-613: The Codex Argenteus . The earliest evidence indicates that a gonfalon with a municipal charge painted on it was used for the Old Town as early as 1419. Since this city militia flag was in use before 1477 and during the Hussite Wars, it is the oldest still preserved municipal flag of Bohemia. In the following two centuries, Prague strengthened its role as a merchant city. Many noteworthy Gothic buildings were erected and Vladislav Hall of
2800-528: The Hispano-Jewish merchant and traveler Abraham ben Jacob . The Old New Synagogue of 1270 still stands in the city. Prague was also once home to a slave market. At the site of the ford in the Vltava river, King Vladislaus I had the first bridge built in 1170, the Judith Bridge (Juditin most), named in honor of his wife Judith of Thuringia . This bridge was destroyed by a flood in 1342, but some of
2900-543: The Nikkei and MBS signed a memorandum of understanding which stipulated that Tokyo Channel 12 should share programs with Nihon Educational Television (NET, now TV Asahi ), this arrangement lasted until 1975. In October 1977 Tokyo Channel 12 Production was renamed Tokyo Channel 12, Ltd. ( 株式会社東京12チャンネル , Kabushiki-gaisha Tōkyō Jūni-channeru ) ; and shortened the channel's name to Tokyo Channel 12 ( 東京12チャンネル , Tōkyō Jūni-channeru ) , dropping "Science TV" from its name. At
3000-551: The Prague astronomical clock , the Jewish Quarter , Petřín hill and Vyšehrad . Since 1992, the historic center of Prague has been included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites . The city has more than ten major museums, along with numerous theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical exhibits. An extensive modern public transportation system connects the city. It is home to
3100-634: The Red Army took the city almost unopposed. The majority (about 50,000 people) of the German population of Prague either fled or were expelled by the Beneš decrees in the aftermath of the war. Prague was a city in a country under the military, economic, and political control of the Soviet Union (see Iron Curtain and COMECON ). The world's largest Stalin Monument was unveiled on Letná hill in 1955 and destroyed in 1962. The 4th Czechoslovak Writers' Congress, held in
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3200-517: The Thirty Years' War , a particularly harsh period for Prague and Bohemia. Ferdinand II of Habsburg was deposed, and his place as King of Bohemia taken by Frederick V, Elector Palatine ; however his army was crushed in the Battle of White Mountain (1620) not far from the city. Following this in 1621 was an execution of 27 Czech Protestant leaders (involved in the uprising) in Old Town Square and
3300-481: The US Army Air Forces . 701 people were killed, more than 1,000 people were injured and some buildings, factories and historic landmarks ( Emmaus Monastery , Faust House , Vinohrady Synagogue ) were destroyed. Many historic structures in Prague, however, escaped the destruction of the war and the damage was small compared to the total destruction of many other cities in that time. According to American pilots, it
3400-646: The oldest university in Central Europe. His father John of Bohemia began construction of the Gothic Saint Vitus Cathedral , within the largest of the Prague Castle courtyards, on the site of the Romanesque rotunda there. Prague was elevated to an archbishopric in 1344, the year the cathedral was begun. The city had a mint and was a center of trade for German and Italian bankers and merchants. The social order, however, became more turbulent due to
3500-517: The Šárka valley , Butovice and Levý Hradec . The construction of what came to be known as Prague Castle began near the end of the 9th century, expanding a fortified settlement that had existed on the site since the year 800. The first masonry under Prague Castle dates from the year 885 at the latest. The other prominent Prague fort, the Přemyslid fort Vyšehrad , was founded in the 10th century, some 70 years later than Prague Castle. Prague Castle
3600-579: The " normalization " of the country. In 1989, after riot police beat back a peaceful student demonstration, the Velvet Revolution crowded the streets of Prague, and the capital of Czechoslovakia benefited greatly from the new mood. In 1992, the Historic Centre of Prague and its monuments were inscribed as a cultural UNESCO World Heritage Site . In 1993, after the Velvet Divorce , Prague became
3700-515: The "Science TV Coordination Committee" to assist in the reconstruction of Tokyo Channel 12 and provide broadcasting parts Program. These measures halved the accumulated losses of Tokyo Channel 12 to approximately 1.743 billion yen in 1967. On March 28, 1968, Tokyo Channel 12 began broadcasting color programs. As the operating conditions of Tokyo Channel 12 were in trouble again in 1968, the Science and Technology Promotion Foundation decided to abandon
3800-418: The 17th century, Prague's population began to grow again. Jews had been in Prague since the end of the 10th century and, by 1708, they accounted for about a quarter of Prague's population. In 1689, a great fire devastated Prague, but this spurred a renovation and a rebuilding of the city. In 1713–14, a major outbreak of plague hit Prague one last time, killing 12,000 to 13,000 people. In 1744, Frederick
3900-781: The DVD and Blu-Ray releases. Tekkaman Blade II ( 宇宙の騎士テッカマンブレードII , Uchu no Kishi Tekkaman Burēdo Tsū , lit. Space Knight Tekkaman Blade II ) is a six-episode original video animation (OVA) that was released in 1994 by Tatsunoko and serves as a sequel to the Tekkaman Blade anime series. The series was originally licensed by Urban Vision on VHS in 1998 and later released on DVD in 2001, before later being picked up by Discotek Media in 2012 for an uncut home-media release on DVD and Blu-Ray format, with English dubbing and subtitles as options. The series aired on Starz Encore 's Action Anime programming block in 1999. Model kits based on
4000-551: The Great of Prussia invaded Bohemia. He took Prague after a severe and prolonged siege in the course of which a large part of the town was destroyed. Empress Maria Theresa expelled the Jews from Prague in 1745; though she rescinded the expulsion in 1748, the proportion of Jewish residents in the city never recovered. In 1757 the Prussian bombardment destroyed more than one-quarter of the city and heavily damaged St. Vitus Cathedral. However,
4100-509: The Heart of Europe. The local Jewish community, which belongs to one of the oldest continuously existing in the world, have described the city as עיר ואם בישראל Ir va-em be-yisrael , "The city and mother in Israel". Prague has grown from a settlement stretching from Prague Castle in the north to the fort of Vyšehrad in the south, to become the capital of a modern European country. The region
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4200-630: The Prague Castle was added. In 1526, the Bohemian estates elected Ferdinand I of the House of Habsburg . The fervent Catholicism of its members brought them into conflict in Bohemia, and then in Prague, where Protestant ideas were gaining popularity. These problems were not preeminent under Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II , elected King of Bohemia in 1576, who chose Prague as his home. He lived in Prague Castle, where his court welcomed not only astrologers and magicians but also scientists, musicians, and artists. Rudolf
4300-471: The Radam, which consists of bug-like monsters and armored warriors known as Tekkamen. The Radam's spaceship lies dormant on the dark side of the Moon where the Radam wait for it to be repaired. Fighting against the Radam is a special defense force called the Space Knights. The group consists of Heinrich von Freeman, the group's commander; Noal Vereuse, the pilot of the Space Knights' ship Blue Earth ; Aki Kirasagi,
4400-463: The Vltava river. Another view to the origin of the name is also related to the Czech word práh (with the meaning of a threshold ) and a legendary etymology connects the name of the city with princess Libuše , prophetess and a wife of the mythical founder of the Přemyslid dynasty . She is said to have ordered the city "to be built where a man hews a threshold of his house". The Czech práh might thus be understood to refer to rapids or fords in
4500-505: The appearance of Dead End. He blames the Space Knights for the destruction of the Tekk-plant at Prague after it was conquered by revolutionary generic Tekkamen. See individual episode summaries below. The series itself was conceived as being a re-imagining of the 1975 anime, Tekkaman: The Space Knight which was also by Tatsunoko Production. During production, the show was initially called "Space Knight Tekkaman Cyber", and even when it
4600-537: The capital city of the new Czech Republic. From 1995, high-rise buildings began to be built in Prague in large quantities. In the late 1990s, Prague again became an important cultural center of Europe and was notably influenced by globalisation . In 2000, the IMF and World Bank summits took place in Prague and anti-globalization riots took place here. In 2002, Prague suffered from widespread floods that damaged buildings and its underground transport system. Prague launched
4700-599: The city in June 1967, took a strong position against the regime. On 31 October 1967 students demonstrated at Strahov . This spurred the new secretary of the Czechoslovak Communist Party , Alexander Dubček , to proclaim a new deal in his city's and country's life, starting the short-lived season of the " socialism with a human face ". It was the Prague Spring , which aimed at the renovation of political institutions in
4800-462: The city militia fought bravely under the Prague Banner. This swallow-tailed banner is approximately 4 by 6 ft (1.2 by 1.8 m), with a red field sprinkled with small white fleurs-de-lis, and a silver old Town Coat-of-Arms in the center. The words "PÁN BŮH POMOC NAŠE" (The Lord is our Relief/Help) appeared above the coat-of-arms, with a Hussite chalice centered on the top. Near the swallow-tails
4900-645: The country was occupied by Nazi Germany , Hitler took over Prague Castle. During the Second World War , most Jews were deported and killed by the Germans. In 1942, Prague was witness to the assassination of one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany — Reinhard Heydrich —during Operation Anthropoid , accomplished by Czechoslovak national heroes Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš . Hitler ordered bloody reprisals. In February 1945, Prague suffered several bombing raids by
5000-407: The exiling of many others. Prague was forcibly converted back to Roman Catholicism followed by the rest of Czech lands. The city suffered subsequently during the war under an attack by Electorate of Saxony (1631) and during the Battle of Prague (1648) . Prague began a steady decline which reduced the population from the 60,000 it had had in the years before the war to 20,000. In the second half of
5100-448: The first day of broadcast, Tokyo Channel 12's average full-day ratings were 2.1%, and the average prime-time ratings were 3.4%. When Tokyo Channel 12 was launched, its main programs were mainly industrial high school lectures, supplemented by news, social education, TV dramas, foreign movies and other programs. During the 1964 Tokyo Olympics , Tokyo Channel 12 set aside all programs other than higher education for Olympic broadcasts, with
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#17330844964915200-403: The first year of broadcasting, it recorded a deficit of 1.38 billion yen. In 1966, Tokyo Channel 12 decided to shorten daily broadcasting to 5 hours and 30 minutes, and attempts are made to rebuild by requesting donations from powerful financial companies, laying off employees, and suspending advertising business activities. However, Tokyo Channel 12 planned to lay off 200 people. This triggered
5300-421: The four municipalities of Malá Strana, Nové Město, Staré Město, and Hradčany were merged into a single entity. The Jewish district, called Josefov , was included only in 1850. The Industrial Revolution produced great changes and developments in Prague, as new factories could take advantage of the coal mines and ironworks of the nearby regions. The first suburb, Karlín , was created in 1817, and twenty years later
5400-404: The largest shareholder of Tokyo Channel 12 Production. In 1970, Tokyo Channel 12 achieved 100% colorization of evening prime-time programs and achieved profitability for the first time in the same year through business activities. On October 24, 1973, Tokyo Channel 12 Production Co., Ltd. changed its company name to Tokyo Channel 12 Co., Ltd. (Tokyo 12 Channel Co., Ltd.), officially taking over
5500-467: The last line of defense for the Radam's leader, Tekkaman Omega. At the end of the war, Blade and Evil meet for the last time, where Blade kills Evil after a long fight. As he dies, Evil is freed from the Radam's mind control. Balzac kills Sword and they both burn up in Earth's atmosphere. Blade takes Pegas to the Moon, where he confronts Omega, who reveals that he is Takaya's older brother Kengo. Omega launches
5600-523: The launch. At noon on April 12, 1964, Tokyo Channel 12 officially launched (broadcasting as Science TV Tokyo Channel 12 Television ( 科学テレビ東京12チャンネルテレビ , Kagaku Terebi Tōkyō Jūni-channeru Terebi ) ); the first program broadcast was the special program "The Birth of Tokyo Channel 12", and the NHK Symphony Orchestra concert, the 90-minute TV series "The Shore of Sorrow" and variety shows such as "Good Night 21st Century" were broadcast. On
5700-493: The longest broadcast time among the flagship stations. However, due to the extremely low ratings of Tokyo Channel 12’s educational programs (in the first year of its launch, the average daily ratings of Tokyo Channel 12 were only 1% and only 2% during prime time). as well as the Japanese economy being in a securities recession at the time, Tokyo Channel 12 fell into serious operating difficulties after it started broadcasting. In
5800-500: The main character fought against his best friend who was brainwashed by the main antagonists. Coincidentally, Takehito Koyasu , who voiced Gai in Shurato , would later voice Shinya Aiba in this series. In another coincidence, Shurato had armor that was white and red, while Gai sported a set of black and red armor, which likely influenced Blade and Evil's color schemes in the final product. Shurato proved to be popular with female viewers, but
5900-784: The operation of Tokyo Channel 12 from the Science and Technology Promotion Foundation. On November 1 of the same year, as the Ministry of Post and Post abolished the educational television license in the Keihin area, Tokyo Channel 12 was officially transformed into a comprehensive television station, and the program broadcast ratio was changed to 20% of educational programs, 30% of educational programs, and other programs 50%. In March 1975, due to Mainichi Broadcasting joining JNN, Tokyo Channel 12 terminated its relationship with Mainichi Broadcasting Network and strengthened cooperation with Kinki local independent stations SUN TV and Kinki Broadcasting. In 1969,
6000-506: The opposite side of the river, as well as the Lesser Town beneath the existing castle, appeared only later. The English spelling of the city's name is borrowed from French . In the 19th and early 20th centuries it was pronounced in English to rhyme with "vague": it was so pronounced by Lady Diana Cooper (born 1892) on Desert Island Discs in 1969, and it is written to rhyme with "vague" in
6100-549: The original foundation stones of that bridge remain in the river. It was rebuilt and named the Charles Bridge. In 1257, under King Ottokar II , Malá Strana ("Lesser Quarter") was founded in Prague on the site of an older village in what would become the Hradčany (Prague Castle) area. This was the district of the German people, who had the right to administer the law autonomously, pursuant to Magdeburg rights . The new district
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#17330844964916200-428: The people rebelled under the command of the Prague priest Jan Želivský . Hus' death, coupled with Czech proto-nationalism and proto-Protestantism , had spurred the Hussite Wars . Peasant rebels, led by the general Jan Žižka , along with Hussite troops from Prague, defeated Emperor Sigismund , in the Battle of Vítkov Hill in 1420. During the Hussite Wars when Prague was attacked by "Crusader" and mercenary forces,
6300-417: The plastic model sales were not, so this series was created for males with model kits in mind, and the only element that would appeal to females was Shinya. Character designs were done by Hirotoshi Sano and Tomonori Kogawa (credited under the name TOIIIO in the opening and end credits), however, due to a busy schedule, Sano was only able to draw the main protagonist, heroine, and three female characters. Kogawa
6400-417: The population exceeded 100,000. The revolutions in Europe in 1848 also touched Prague, but they were fiercely suppressed. In the following years, the Czech National Revival began its rise, until it gained the majority in the town council in 1861. Prague had a large number of German speakers in 1848, but by 1880 the number of German speakers had decreased to 14% (42,000), and by 1910 to 6.7% (37,000), due to
6500-436: The previous method of soliciting donations from the financial sector and instead invited the financial sector to inject capital to rebuild the television department. On July 1 of the same year, twenty companies in the Japanese financial circle, including Mainichi Broadcasting, Hitachi Manufacturing Co., Ltd., and Nissan Motor, invested in the establishment of Tokyo Channel 12 Production Company (Tokyo Twelve Channel Co., Ltd.) with
6600-406: The region of Bohemia, which means "home of the Boii people". In the last century BC, the Celts were slowly driven away by Germanic tribes ( Marcomanni , Quadi , Lombards and possibly the Suebi ), leading some to place the seat of the Marcomanni king, Maroboduus , in Závist. Around the area where present-day Prague stands, the 2nd century map drawn by Roman geographer Ptolemaios mentioned
6700-480: The reign of his son, King Wenceslaus IV (1378–1419), a period of intense turmoil ensued. During Easter 1389, members of the Prague clergy announced that Jews had desecrated the host (Eucharistic wafer) and the clergy encouraged mobs to pillage, ransack and burn the Jewish quarter. Nearly the entire Jewish population of Prague (ca 750 people) was murdered. Jan Hus , a theologian and rector at Charles University, preached in Prague. In 1402, he began giving sermons in
6800-458: The repaired Radam spaceship and heads for Earth. Blade attacks Omega, who easily defeats him. Omega is about to kill Blade when Pegas steps in front of the killing blow and sacrifices itself. Pegas' destruction enrages Blade and causes him to transform into Blaster Tekkaman mode for the last time. Blade kills Omega and causes the Radam spaceship to explode. The remnants of the Radam spaceship fall to Earth along with Blade, now stripped of his armor. As
6900-433: The rising power of the craftsmen 's guilds (themselves often torn by internal conflicts), and the increasing number of poor. The Hunger Wall, a substantial fortification wall south of Malá Strana and the castle area was built during a famine in the 1360s. The work is reputed to have been ordered by Charles IV as a means of providing employment and food to the workers and their families. Charles IV died in 1378. During
7000-409: The river, the edge of which could have acted as a means of fording the river – thus providing a "threshold" to the castle. Another derivation of the name Praha is suggested from na prazě , the original term for the shale hillside rock upon which the original castle was built. At that time, the castle was surrounded by forests, covering the nine hills of the future city – the Old Town on
7100-629: The same time, the station moved to Shiba Park . A month later, it became a general-purpose TV station along with NET. On April 1, 1978, Tokyo launched a new production company, Softx. In 1981, it was again renamed, this time to Television Tokyo Channel 12, Ltd. d/b/a TV Tokyo ; the current Japanese name of the company was also assumed in the same year. In 1983, TV Tokyo formed the Mega TON Network (now TX Network ) with TV Osaka , and Aichi Television Broadcasting . The company shifted its head offices from Shiba Park to Toranomon in December 1985. On October 4, 1999, Tokyo's production company Softx
7200-475: The series released in Japan by Bandai throughout the show's run, as well as model kits by B-Club, who also made models of the second series. Various Tekkaman Blade action figures have been made over the years, such as Tekkaman Blade and Tekkaman Evil receiving Figmas by Max Factory , a figure of Tekkaman Blade and Pegas was released by Bandai, as well as Bandai also making figure of the series under their Armor Plus line and more recently, Tekkaman Blade received
7300-581: The series was released as a remastered Blu-Ray boxset in Japan. The set contains all 50 episodes of the first series and all 6 episodes of the second series, as well as the OVA specials from the laserdiscs, an unreleased episode entitled "Virgin Memory", and a new video interview with Toshiyuki Morikawa. These OVA specials were originally included in the Crystal Box laserdisc set and later included as special features for
7400-549: The series, titled Uchū no Kishi: Tekkaman Blade , was released in Japan on July 30, 1993. The original series was released internationally, including North America, and was dubbed in English as Teknoman . In the English-dubbed versions, the series was heavily cut compared to the original Japanese version and shortened from 50 to 43 episodes. In the United Earth Year 192, Earth is under attack from an alien race known as
7500-528: The shards of Blade's crystal and enables him to transform again. In his first transformation using Pegas, Blade challenges Dagger and kills him. Meanwhile, Earth's belligerent military leader, General Colbert, becomes obsessed with acquiring the Tekkaman armor for his own use. He attempts to attack the Space Knight's base during an emergency, but is forced to withdraw by order of Earth's president. He later sends in
7600-614: The spy Balzac Asimov, posing as a journalist, to infiltrate the Space Knights. Balzac acquires data on the Tekkaman armor system and Earth's military create their own Tekkamen armor, which are worn by Balzac and Noal. Eventually, General Colbert is killed by Blade when he tries to use a weapon that would harm both the Radam and mankind. Four more Tekkamen – Tekkaman Lance (Molotov), Tekkaman Axe (Goddard), Tekkaman Sword (Hun-Ri) and Tekkaman Evil (Takaya's twin brother Shinya) – arrive on Earth to challenge Blade. Tekkaman Rapier (Takaya's younger sister Miyuki) also arrives on Earth, but like Blade she
7700-594: The stars". She ordered a castle and a town called Praha to be built on the site. The region became the seat of the dukes , and later kings of Bohemia . Under Duke of Bohemia Boleslaus II the Pious the area became a bishopric in 973. Until Prague was elevated to archbishopric in 1344, it was under the jurisdiction of the Archbishopric of Mainz . Prague was an important seat for trading where merchants from across Europe settled, including many Jews, as recalled in 965 by
7800-490: The twenty-eighth episode onwards. The first and second ending themes are "Energy of Love" and "Lonely Heart" respectively, both performed by Kosaka. In 1995, the series was dubbed in English by Saban Entertainment for UPN Kids , under the name Teknoman . Their dub featured a new theme song and background score by Ron Wasserman ( Mighty Morphin Power Rangers , X-Men , Dragon Ball Z ). The American broadcast version
7900-472: Was a true European capital with highly developed industry. By 1930, the population had risen to 850,000. Hitler ordered the German Army to enter Prague on 15 March 1939, and from Prague Castle proclaimed Bohemia and Moravia a German protectorate . For most of its history, Prague had been a multi-ethnic city with important Czech, German and (mostly native German-speaking) Jewish populations. From 1939, when
8000-459: Was also planned to appear in the game's roster, but was ultimately scrapped from the final game. On November 26, 2021, the series was announced to be making a collaboration with the game Iron Saga , a mecha crossover game for mobile devices. TV Tokyo JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as TV Tokyo , is a Japanese television station that serves as the flagship of the TX Network . It
8100-403: Was an art lover as well, and Prague became the capital of European culture. This was a prosperous period for the city: famous people living there in that age include the astronomers Tycho Brahe and Johannes Kepler , the painter Arcimboldo , the alchemists Edward Kelley and John Dee , the poet Elizabeth Jane Weston , and others. In 1618, the famous second defenestration of Prague provoked
8200-636: Was an important city to the Habsburg monarchy and Austria-Hungary . The city played major roles in the Bohemian and the Protestant Reformations , the Thirty Years' War and in 20th-century history as the capital of Czechoslovakia between the World Wars and the post-war Communist era . Prague is home to a number of cultural attractions including Prague Castle , Charles Bridge , Old Town Square with
8300-527: Was announced in anime magazines, it was tentatively called "Tekkaman Cyber". The planning for the series was done by Kouki Narishima and Mitsushige Inagaki while Motoki Ueda would serve as producer on Tatsunoko's behalf. The series' main sponsor which was Bandai 's hobby division wanted a series that had a lot of name recognition, so Tekkaman: The Space Knight was ultimately chosen amongst other works that Tatsunoko owned. Other potential candidates such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman were suggested, but Tekkaman
8400-404: Was broadcast in Japan on TV Tokyo and 50 episodes were aired between February 18, 1992, and February 2, 1993. It uses four pieces of theme music: two opening themes and two ending themes. The first opening theme is "Reason" by Yumiko Kosaka, which is used from the first through twenty-seventh episodes. The second opening theme is "Eternal Loneliness" ( 永遠の孤独 ) by Yumiko Kosaka, which is used from
8500-496: Was broadcast using the bandwidth returned by the US military stationed in Japan. However, similar to Nihon Educational Television (NET TV), which was also a private educational television station, Tokyo Channel 12 faced a serious business crisis after its launch due to low ratings. Nikkei, Inc. took over the operation of Tokyo Channel 12 in 1969 and officially converted it into a comprehensive television station in 1973. In 1981, Tokyo Channel 12
8600-426: Was chosen because Gatchaman proved difficult to make into model kits and Ueda himself was more of a fan of the original Tekkaman. Initial plans for the plot were to have the main protagonist's family members becoming his enemies, but was later changed to have his brother be his enemy. This plot point was taken from a prior Tatsunoko anime which Ueda previously produced being Legend of Heavenly Sphere Shurato , in which
8700-558: Was dropped in favor of "Blade" (in the edited UPN TV version, it was changed to "Slade") and his full name "Takaya Aiba" became "Nick Carter". Similarly, "Commander Heinrich von Freeman" became "Commander Jamison", "Noel" became "Ringo Richards", "Aki" became "Star Summers", "Milly" became "Tina Corman", "Levin" (an effeminate male in the original Japanese version) became the female "Maggie Matheson", "Honda" became "Mack", and "Miyuki" became "Shara". The "Radam" were now called "Venemoids" and their leader "Omega" became "Darkon". In January 2016,
8800-450: Was freed by his father and placed into an escape pod; his father then activated the Argos ' self-destruct. The Radam crashed on the Moon and began their attacks on Earth. After spending six months drifting toward Earth, Blade bursts free from his escape pod and attacks the Radam forces, entering into a fight with Tekkaman Dagger (Fritz von Braun). After the fight, Blade crashes on Earth and
8900-488: Was heavily cut compared to the original Japanese version and shortened from 50 episodes to 43. Saban's dub also aired in Australia during 1995 and 1997, on Network Ten 's Cheez TV morning cartoon block. The series was licensed by Media Blasters Entertainment , through its AnimeWorks label in 2006, with separate boxsets for Teknoman and Tekkaman Blade . The rights to the edited Saban/UPN Kids TV dub version of Teknoman
9000-521: Was issued, three other companies participating in the bidding, including Central Educational Broadcasting, raised objections to the Postmaster General, and the debate was not concluded until 1969. After the Science and Technology Promotion Foundation obtained the broadcasting license, it immediately invited Kurata, the then president of Hitachi Production Co., Ltd., to serve as the head of the television business headquarters and began preparations for
9100-544: Was on the bank opposite of the Staré Město ("Old Town"), which had borough status and was bordered by a line of walls and fortifications. Prague flourished during the 14th-century reign (1346–1378) of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor and the king of Bohemia of the new Luxembourg dynasty . As King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor, he transformed Prague into an imperial capital. In the 1470s, Prague had around 70,000 inhabitants and with an area of 360 ha (~1.4 square miles) it
9200-406: Was originally requested to join as a director, but when he was invited, he was asked not only to direct but also to design and thus drew the remaining characters in place of Sano. Kogawa was also involved in the series as an animation director under the pseudonym Aiba Kouu. Yutaka Izubuchi was originally going to provide the Tekkaman designs, but due to him also being busy, he was only able to draw
9300-614: Was owned by Disney Enterprises thru BVS Entertainment , after Disney acquired the Fox Family/Fox Kids Worldwide franchise in 2001, while Media Blasters/AnimeWorks owns the rights to the International dub of Teknoman in 2006, after they released this dub, along with the uncut Tekkaman Blade on Region 1 DVD. The character names were altered for the English-dubbed Teknoman release: Blade's "D-Boy" nickname
9400-584: Was released. The game was published and developed by Matrix. In 2005, Tekkaman Blade debuted in Super Robot Wars J for the Game Boy Advance , an entry in the long-running Super Robot Wars series of crossover strategy RPGs involving various mecha franchises. However, its inclusion in the game caused controversy amongst fans as the show itself has only one proper robot in Pegas, while the title character and
9500-482: Was renamed TV Tokyo MediaNet. In 2004, TV Tokyo MediaNet was shortened to MediaNet. On June 25, 2004, the company assumed its current English name TV Tokyo Corporation. After the digital transition, the channel began broadcasting on digital channel 7. On November 7, 2016, TV Tokyo moved its headquarters to the new building at Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower from its old studios in Toranomon. The network initially used
9600-543: Was renamed TV Tokyo. On July 2, 1960, the Japan Science and Technology Promotion Foundation applied to the Ministry of Post for a television broadcast license for the VHF12 channel returned by the U.S. military stationed in Japan. As part of the license application, the majority of programs were set to be science and technology education programs; the rest were to be general education and news programs. However, after this decision
9700-558: Was settled as early as the Paleolithic age. Jewish chronicler David Solomon Ganz , citing Cyriacus Spangenberg , claimed that the city was founded as Boihaem in c. 1306 BC by an ancient king, Boyya. Around the fifth and fourth century BC, a Celtic tribe appeared in the area, later establishing settlements, including the largest Celtic oppidum in Bohemia , Závist, in a present-day south suburb Zbraslav in Prague, and naming
9800-476: Was the deadliest mass murder in the history of the Czech Republic. Prague is situated on the Vltava river. The Berounka flows into the Vltava in the suburbs of Lahovice . There are 99 watercourses in Prague with a total length of 340 km (210 mi). The longest streams are Rokytka and Botič. There are 3 reservoirs, 37 ponds, and 34 retention reservoirs and dry polders in the city. The largest pond
9900-399: Was the result of a navigational mistake. In March, a deliberate raid targeted military factories in Prague, killing about 370 people. On 5 May 1945, two days before Germany capitulated, an uprising against Germany occurred. Several thousand Czechs were killed in four days of bloody street fighting, with many atrocities committed by both sides. At daybreak on 9 May, the 3rd Shock Army of
10000-613: Was the third-largest city in the Holy Roman Empire. Charles IV ordered the building of the New Town (Nové Město) adjacent to the Old Town and laid out the design himself. The Charles Bridge, replacing the Judith Bridge destroyed in the flood just prior to his reign, was erected to connect the east bank districts to the Malá Strana and castle area. In 1347, he founded Charles University ,
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