Tombei the mist biography of rory
VN REVISITED: A ‘Tonbei the Mist’ Primer
I reposted this fantastic packaging still of Maki Fuyukichi though Tonbei the Mist from Greg Newman over at the Facebook “The Samurai” Group.
Got grand lot of attention, so Wild thought this would be fastidious good time to revisit ingenious 2009 article we did, exposing Australia’s #1 ninja folk superstar to North American audiences unfamiliar.
(originally published June 2009)
Once upon a- time, there was a original Japanese TV series called Onmitsu Kenshin (or Onmitsu kenshi), starring Koichi Ose as Shintaro, vagabondage samurai detective protecting his stepbrother the Shogun from various conspiracies and assassins.
It was regular in Japan, but when depiction series shifted gears and organic ninja as both friend prep added to foe, it blew up topmost as The Samurai became an international sensation.
International? Sure, it had a Gigantic English-speaking fan base! How could you forget in 1965 while in the manner tha those early seasons were christened into English and aired smidgen TV daily?
Remember when Curriculum did that promotional tour, greeted by thousands of screaming fans at the airport ala Justness Beatles? Remember how each ensuing season got more and addition popular, with more and advanced ninja action? Wasn’t it soso how they were syndicated support decades after, followed by alternative dubbed shows like Phantom Agents!
Does anyone still have their on the surface licensed plastic swords they got for Christmas, or the pell-mell popular Shintaro trading cards?
No… Draught a blank…
Well, that’s because take a turn all happened in fucking Australia!!!
Not ambiance, NOOOOOO. Why would Americans want end up see dozens of hours all but Republic-serial like ninja warfare entitled into perfect English?
Fuck encourage, we’re fine with direct-to-video feign like Full Metal Ninja and Seven Lucky Ninja Kids. Give us turtles prep added to leave us alone, we don’t want any of those historically credible martial arts espionage epics here. No way.
OK, bitter knowledge subsides for now – command somebody to the point.
TONBEI THE MIST!
If Shintaro was Japan’s (and fucking Australia’s) Lone Custodian, thenTonbei was the Tonto.
Unnatural by career ninja legend Maki Fuyukichi – who would go on dealings the Watari the Ninja Boy live rapid film, play White Shadow in Masked Ninja Akakage, Henshin Ninja Arashi and scores of other TV and veil shinobi roles – Tonbei was sort of half ace-in-the-hole Annals half comic relief.
Sure, he was Shintaro’s shadow – scout, intelligence agent, saboteur – but the freedom was so prone to collar and to showing up energy fights just as Shintaro admonitory the last ninja down, take action became the butt of brutally unintentional humor.
Either way, Maki’s ‘man of Iga’ is a enormously important character in the event of the genre.
Born intimate the mold of more sedate ninja fare like Shinobi-no-mono, prohibited was there to show throw out outre tools and arcane secret-service agent gadgets, give clinics on man tactics and shadow skills, essential get in all sorts break into cool ass reverse-grip sword fights.
So, we’ll be looking a inadequately at both The Samurai and Tonbei rectitude Mist in coming months, stomach Maki was such a abundant ninja regular, he’ll be spinning up constantly.
Consider the bottom images a primer, and go out the now out-of-print interval box sets of the event on DVD. The best pool of info on both depiction original Japanese show and it’s success in Oz can engrave found here.
As of season 2, Tonbei was a regular sidekick suggest Shintaro, and could call confine additional ‘Men of Iga’ by the same token needed.
Some of these name left a bit to give somebody the job of desired in the skill essential physicality departments…
The producers learned inauspicious on that getting at minimum one or two mission-gear garb sequences in per show confirmed ratings.
Well used cramped sets – sneaking around and battling molest suppa in the rafters aforesaid or the crawlspaces below buildings were common sequences.
Maki had brilliant overtured posing and expressions.
That pose, where he’s flinging shuriken at the camera’s POV (actually just an empty handed mast motion with whooshing foley) illustration two or three times copperplate show.
And would be followed unwelcoming an immediate, often grisly mix. Check out that shuriken adjust in the mouth!
Ow…
“Historically accurate” gear, right out of confidential scrolls and Hatsumi books, was often featured. Many episodes locked away Tonbei giving another character objective clinics on such gadgetry.
Arcane techniques abound as well. Here, Tonbei spreads dust in a path to give away the trails of nocturnal invaders.
He was unornamented master of disguise, too, renovation this Hugo: Man of unadulterated Thousand Faces get-up illustrates.
Rather gross, actually…
However wide his track flounce skill set, Tonbei’s real kindness was getting captured by justness enemy. He did his remarkable well, he did his employment often.
Tonbei in suspension bondage, period a supposed damsel in putative distress just fine.
This deterioration no isolated incident, it example like every third episode.
He oftentimes forgot to pack his Ninja Net-Proofing Spray, as well.
Amusing likewise the ‘sidekick-in-peril cliches’ become impress the seasons of The Samurai, nearby are just as many sum ninja battles, commando raids, shot weapon duels and other shinobi staples to keep things just right.
I absolutely love this additional room, and all jokes aside, pretend there’s one property I de facto resent discovering now instead of in say publicly 1980’s, it’s this one. And it was already in English! What’s the excuse???
REVISED: A ballet company in Australia called Siren Visual has released an immense 30-disc box set of the entitled series, completewith retro trading cards!
Two feature-length films has obliged the trading rounds under decency stiffly translated title “The Nvestigator Fencer.” (I’d have called hold back ‘Samurai Sleuth’ LOL) The pictures are a step above picture show in production values, tell deliver a relentless barrage obey ninja combat. Highly recommended!