Series REVIEW: Space Sheriff Sharivan

Space Sheriff Gavan proved popular enough that not only was a sequel series put into production during its run, Gavan would also lead directly into said series with its protagonist appearing as a guest character beforehand. Thus episode 42 of Gavan introduced the audience to Den Iga, a forest patrolman who was fatally wounded and taken to Planet Bird for recovery. When he returned two episodes later to aid Gavan in his final battle against Makuu, he donned a red combat suit and was revealed as Earth's newest Space Sheriff following his predecessor's promotion. Space Sheriff Sharivan is both the second entry in the Space Sheriff trilogy and wider Metal Heroes franchise, running for a total of 51 episodes between 1983 and 1984. With the same creative team of Gavan behind it, Sharivan aimed to both continue and build upon the new style of superhero show its predecessor had created. 

When the Madou Space Crime Syndicate and its leader Demon King Psycho threaten the Earth, its newest Space Sheriff is on the case! Most know Den Iga as a humble motorcycle mechanic and test rider, but he's also Space Sheriff Sharivan! With his partner Lily and armed with a red solar metal combat suit, Laser Blade and the super-dimensional battleship Grand Birth, Sharivan is ready to defend the planet from Madou's attack.

During his time as Sharivan, Den also learns that he is a descendant of the Iga - a planet destroyed by Madou thousands of years ago. Meeting other descendants from across the galaxy, Den's mission is clear - defeat Madou and revive the planet Iga.

With Den having been comfortably established at the end of Gavan, Space Sheriff Sharivan wastes no time at all in finding its footing. Although it features a brand new hero with new villains to fight, this is a continuation of Gavan in every sense of the word - following the format of the previous series practically down to the letter. This is by no means a bad thing, with Sharivan proving just an impressive when it comes to fight choreography and stunt work as its predecessor, with lead actor Hiroshi Watari another member of the Japan Action Club. Like Kenji Ohba before him, Watari performs many of the stunts in the show himself - even having a brief stint in the Sharivan suit himself when main suit actor Jun Murakami was injured during filming. Once again the out of suit sequences often prove just as much a highlight of the show (if not more so) than the transformed ones, highlighting how the greater emphasis on its visuals set the Space Sheriff series apart from its contemporaries.

However because Sharivan adheres so closely to the template that Gavan had set, it does mean that initially it struggles to break out of its predecessor's shadow. With everything right down to episode structure virtually the same, it's difficult to see Sharivan as anything other than just more Gavan but with a slightly different coat of paint. Which in a lot of respects was the aim of the show to begin with (and more of the same certainly isn't a bad thing when it comes to Gavan), but those unique little touches are often what makes all the difference. For example, Den having been introduced at the end of Gavan means all of the initial backstory to the character is built up there instead - thus not leaving the opening episodes much to do in the way of establishment. Den's double life as a motorcycle mechanic isn't all that well integrated into the show (in fact that are stretches of episodes where it's easy to forget he does anything besides being a Space Sheriff), nor does it feel as interesting or fitting as the forest patrolman role he had in Gavan. Likewise there isn't much in the way of backstory or individual motivation for the villains, making the series a very straightforward "good versus evil" story without much in the way of nuance. Whilst arguably Gavan could have done a lot more with its story, little details like Hunter Killer being a former Space Sheriff or Mimi being Commander Qom's daughter gave you some insight into the characters. Without touches like this, nearly everything in Sharivan feels like a slightly less endearing facsimile of Gavan. Again it isn't that the series itself is bad, but rather that its components don't feel quite as unique the second time round.

That said, the one thing that does set Sharivan apart from its predecessor is just how dark it can get at times. From drowning a teen singer and then transforming her into a hypnotic cyborg to hypnotising young athletes into killing themselves (via tokusatsu legend Machiko Soga no less), Madou aren't short of schemes that push the boundaries of what you'd think was acceptable on a children's superhero show. In addition to the slick sci-fi aesthetic previously established in Gavan, Sharivan also features a much bigger emphasis on horror and the supernatural despite apparently being initially pitched as lighter in tone. Whilst this aspect will certainly appeal to older viewers, it didn't quite work in the show's favour at time as some children were too scared to tune in.

Following on from Kenji Ohba is no easy feat, but he finds a worthy successor in Hiroshi Watari. Despite not having much to work with in the way of backstory to begin with, Den is an immediately likeable character and carries all of the same traits as his predecessor - from a strong sense of justice to a love of children and quality 80s fashion. As the show begins to find its footing, Den also becomes a much stronger character and a much bigger driving force in the series overall. Though perhaps not the same tour de force as Ohba was, Watari is still a fantastic lead in his own right. Den himself particularly shines through his relationships with other characters - most of all Lily but later also fellow Iga clan descendants Miyuki and Bell siblings. Whereas it often felt like Ohba/Retsu was carrying Gavan, Watari/Den is a core component of Sharivan in that he also strengthens those around him as well.

Sharivan also boasts a particularly strong supporting cast, featuring several returning favourites from Gavan alongside fresh new faces. Constantly at the Space Sheriff's side is his partner Lily (played by Yumiko Furuya), serving a similar function as Mimi did in Gavan but also taking up a far more active role in missions. While it's unfortunate that Lily doesn't really get anything in the way of backstory, the focus episodes she gets, in addition to helping Sharivan both directly on the battlefield and as a support pilot, more than makes up for it. In one particularly memorable episode, Sharivan goes into full Alien pastiche as Lily is trapped alone on the Grand Birth with a monstrous Makai Beast. Lily's more active role in the series as well as the later introduction of Iga freedom fighter Helen Bell can be seen as the blueprint for the some of the more prominent heroines that would appear in later Metal Heroes entries. UFO enthusiast and loveable manchild Kojiro returns once again as the show's comic relief, alongside his new crush Chiaki and her younger siblings Chie and Akira Suzuki (the children of Den's employer Kappei) - all of whom often find themselves tangled in Madou's schemes or act as an introductory point for episodic characters. Tsukiko, Qom, Marine and Mimi also return for cameo appearances across the series, but it's the return of Gavan himself that proves most interesting - acting as a commanding officer/advisor to Den the same way Qom had to him. Despite regularly appearing, Sharivan wisely keeps it mainly to onscreen transmissions. Gavan doesn't appear transformed until the final stretch of episodes, and the inevitable team-up with Sharivan is saved for the finale. Not only does it leave the viewer with something to look forward to, but more importantly ensures that Sharivan is never overshadowed in his own show. 

Despite a slightly rocky start, Sharivan is later able to find its footing thanks to two later additions to the show's narrative. The first of these is revealing Den's ancestry, with the revival of the Planet Iga and its people becoming a core component of the show going forwards. Much like Gavan's mission to find his missing father it's done through select episodes interspersed among the show's usual episodic format, but works well because it's done through a number of different avenues. We learn about Den's childhood through flashbacks of his parents, there's the mystery of Iga Crystal (the planet's power source) through his encounter with Miyuki and the Iga Royal Guard, and finally he also finds new allies in his fight against Madou through meeting other Iga descendants like the Bell Siblings. These aspects also help make Sharivan's universe feel that little big larger, as despite being a series with "Space Sheriff" in the title nearly all of the action takes place on Earth (though the same could also be said of Gavan).

Sharivan's second, and perhaps more significant, shake up however is surrounding its villains. From the very beginning of the series there isn't much like dislike about the Madou Crime Syndicate, but they are another case of Sharivan not offering up much in the way of backstory. Demon King Psycho is cut from the same mould as Don Horror - a largely immobile being that's never the less feared because of his immense psychic power. The series alludes to these powers being amplified by an artificial brain inside of him, but doesn't go into any great detail about it. His two generals are science division leader Dr Polter (Hitomi Yoshioka) and combat commander General Guiler (Satoshi Kurihara), who in turn are flanked by combatants Miss Akuma 1 (Chieko Maruyama, and later Miyuki Nagato) and Miss Akuma 2 (Lala, and later Yui Mizuki). All of whom are pretty standard stock villains and don't have much to offer outside of scheming and fighting Sharivan. Again while it could be argued this was the norm for the time, even a line or two would have been enough to make them stand out more. Thankfully both Polter and Guiler are as theatrical in their mannerisms as they are with their wardrobes, so it's never a dull moment when they are on screen. However this all changes with episode 34 of the series, when Madou's chain of command is upheaved by the arrival of spirit world strategist Raider. Played by Mitsuo Ando (Professor Gill in Android Kikaider, Black Cross Fuhrer in Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and Professor Monster in Toei's Spider-Man) in one of his last ever roles, Raider is a schemer who'll manipulate everyone in his way to take Madou for himself. His presence creates a power struggle in Madou, with all the generals actively trying to outdo one another as Psycho twists it into a competition for a throne next to his. Raider's connection to the spirit realm also allows Sharivan to really amp up its weirder side, taking those supernatural elements to new heights during his initial debut. Combined with the way Raider's scheming intertwines with hunt for the Iga Crystal, it's fair to say that Raider completely turns Sharivan around - its final third providing its strongest bout of episodes as well as a villain that deserves to go down as one of the all-time greats.

While these later additions allow Sharivan to finally break out of Gavan's shadow, there is still one aspect in which it never really manages to measure up to. Impressive stunt work is just one aspect of the show's visual prowess, the other being the miniature-laden space battles that accompany the hero being sucked into the villain dimension (which in Sharivan's case is the Genmu World, where Makai Beast power is amplified fourfold). In the place of Gavan's Electronic Starbeast Dol is Sharivan's Grand Birth, a large battle ship able to transform into a giant robot. In an aim to separate it from other robots like those appearing in Super Sentai, its "Battle Birth Formation" was given a far more industrial and less humanoid look. Sadly the execution doesn't quite match up to the vision, with Grand Birth's flailing limbs and boxy design doesn't quite match up to the spectacle of Gavan's mechanical dragon. That said, the miniature work at play, combined with its blistering soundtrack, remain just as impressive.

Space Sheriff Sharivan is a series that only gets better as it goes on, eventually finding the right footing to build upon its predecessor rather than just slightly mix it up with a different coat of paint. All of the elements that made Gavan a success are still here and as strong as ever, but it's those unique aspects that really make it special. Even at its worst Sharivan's biggest sin is being a near-carbon copy, which ultimately isn't that bad of a place to be when you're following on from such a landmark series. But that final third really shows what Sharivan was capable of, ensuring that the legacy of the Space Sheriffs would continue on into a third instalment.