Let's Watch Chargeman Ken!

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:53 pm

This show was made by Knack, the studio behind "Ken". I've seen it and it's horrible, both in content and production value (yet it was based on a fairly successful manga that ran longer than the anime).

Not only that, both "Ken" and "Dame Oyaji" aired the same time.

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Mon Mar 30, 2020 2:26 pm

i like how this studio really wanted to be remembered for being crap

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:11 pm

Speaking of bad 1970s anime, "Poron the Star Child" (Hoshi no Ko Poron) is another that became a meme in Japan, with a lot of remixes often mixing this and "Chargeman Ken".

This is the only episode I can find with English subtitles, so "enjoy". Each episode is only 3 minutes long, and even then they divide into two even-shorter segments.

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:14 pm

According to that anime, ice cream comes from Alaska.

'kay

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:15 pm

Alaskream

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Tue Mar 31, 2020 7:34 pm

Found another episode subbed

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Tue Mar 31, 2020 10:00 pm

For those wondering about the music, the show heavily relied on stock music done by French composer Jean-Jacques Perrey.

The theme song is "Boys and Girls", and if you watched the Amy Poehler/Nickelodeon cartoon "The Mighty B!" you might recognize it as the closing credits song.

PonyHag714 · Post by **PonyHag714** (?) » Wed Apr 01, 2020 6:43 pm

It's an ice cream, run

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 1:32 pm

chargeman ken is emotionally exhausting.

The lack of an introduction episode means that a lot of concepts are just left unexplored until they arbitrarily become relevant. Barican is a robot but it takes ten episodes for them to mention that. Ken and the Juralians start hostile. You sort of have to infer from the teacher calling Ken "Izumi" that that's the family name.

Ken's power just seems to be jet boots and gunhave, less a transformation and more getting dressed for killing. Which Ken does a lot. He can't transform in the dark apparently which the Devil King has to explicitly tell us because nothing about Charging Go is established or explored and its attributes are a mystery.

Speaking of, I am not over how much Ken kills. So many of the episodes are Ken blundering face-first into the Juralian scheme-of-the-week and shooting his way out.

Like, episode 3. The butterflies are gonna gnaw him to death! How does Ken get out of this mess?

Killing every single butterfly. This species, thought extinct for 50 years, is gone. This half-century Juralian plot was foiled in less than a minute because I guess they never accounted for Ken just killing all of them.

Oh no! Ken's feet are injured and he can't even stand, and three Juralians are right outside the door! How will he survive?

Oh he just transforms anyway and it's not an issue and he shoots them and they're dead.

The Juralians have taken Ken's classmates hostage, via them just somehow going through a painting when beckoned by the old man in the painting? He's apparently a crack shot and can shoot every individual Juralian on the ship dead through windows without harming the ship.

Don't worry the old man in the picture dies too because god forbid someone not die.

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 1:36 pm

this owns

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:00 pm

My favorite is episode 4, THE MYSTERIOUS HANDSOME BOY, because of all the inexplicable shit in this series this is the most confounding.

The mysterious handsome boy leads with his head which is a tremendous do not do in football, because it will obliterate your brain, but it's ok because he can just fling people aside with one hand, assuming they just don't bounce off him anyway.

Then, for some reason (1), the mysterious handsome boy takes Ken to an empty construction site, then asks him to show off his transformation. Ken's identity is not a secret, by the way. The mysterious handsome boy just wants to see a cool thing apparently, except...

Instead of attacking Ken while his back is turned and his guard is down, for some reason (2), the mysterious handsome boy deliberately gets Ken's attention and reveals his true form as a Juralian.

Then Ken transforms, a process which apparently is quick if not instant and puts him at no risk of attack, right in front of the mysterious handsome boy.

Makes me wonder what the mysterious handsome boy's plan even is because he doesn't use the element of surprise against Ken. He doesn't lure Ken into an ambush as the mysterious handsome boy is alone. He doesn't use any gadgets or weapons set up at this construction site, except the motorcycle.

I'm not sure why the mysterious handsome boy posed as a mysterious handsome boy at Ken's school and participated in a game of football, if he had no plan for capitalizing on the deception. He did it for some reason (3), which we will never know.

It's not like it's hard to lure Ken. In episode 2 a Juralian just tells Ken to go to Mt. Fuji, and Ken does and blunders right into the trap.

Then, for some reason (4), instead of shooting the at least two lasers he has, the mysterious handsome boy tries to ram Ken with the motorcycle. Then the mysterious handsome boy shoots lasers which miss because I think Ken's superpower is that he's very good at evasion and marksmanship.

Hi, hair in the frame.

Then, the mysterious handsome boy cuts a chain with some girders and tries to fall on Ken. I guess he's 20 miles in the air because Ken has all the time in the world to react. And he reacts, Ken just fucking shoots the mysterious handsome boy in the empty air between his thighs where his Juralian dick would be.

The mysterious handsome boy and the girders are disintegrated and die.

Ken is fine, that's another animation error.

And then, for some reason (5), Ken lies about the mysterious handsome boy's death. Caron is aware of the Juralians and has been involved in battles with them.

Ken just lied for no reason (1).

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:12 pm

Special shoutouts to episode 16, MURDER RECORD, MELODY OF TERROR, where the evil record that drains vitality plays Chargeman Ken's background music, which actually represents how I feel about it.

>mfw chargeman ken's theme happens again

And then Ken uses a term for insanity that's apparently really bad and is censored now-a-days. Ken just throws ableist slurs at the Juralians. Which he kills.

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:15 pm

Ken just kills so fucking much.

Yarma and I are 16 episodes deep and the only one in which he doesn't shoot at least one Juralian dead is episode 3.

you know,

Click for Fullsize

this one

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:38 pm

Ken cares for nothing but MURDER

W.T. Fits · Post by **W.T. Fits** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:39 pm

Orange Fluffy Sheep wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:15 pm
Ken just kills so fucking much.

Yarma and I are 16 episodes deep and the only one in which he doesn't shoot at least one Juralian dead is episode 3.

you know,

Click for Fullsize

this one

I'm still not convinced that the mummies in episode 5 were an actual Juralian plot, so if you count that one, that's two episodes where he doesn't kill a Juralian.

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:41 pm

He kills Juralians indiscriminately, even if they are not attacking or are running away. There are several instances of his dispensing with large amounts of hostages in ruthless attacks on Juralian fortifications and transports.

wikipedia

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:41 pm

DaikatunaRevengeance wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:38 pm
Ken cares for nothing but MURDER

Princess Flufflebutt · Post by **Princess Flufflebutt** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:45 pm

So Chargeman Ken is kinda like the doom slayer but bad

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:55 pm

holy shit

Perpetual Motion · Post by **Perpetual Motion** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:19 pm

They are brutal, without mercy (?)
But you will be worse
Charging Go, until it is done.

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:25 pm

Perpetual Motion wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:19 pm
They are brutal, without mercy (?)
But you will be worse
Charging Go, until it is done.

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:42 pm

W.T. Fits wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:39 pm
I'm still not convinced that the mummies in episode 5 were an actual Juralian plot, so if you count that one, that's two episodes where he doesn't kill a Juralian.

They shoot eye lasers, are immune to bullets, seem to want to kill Ken specifically, and are completely inexplicable and strange.

Might as well be Juralian.

W.T. Fits · Post by **W.T. Fits** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:55 pm

Orange Fluffy Sheep wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:42 pm
They shoot eye lasers, are immune to bullets, seem to want to kill Ken specifically, and are completely inexplicable and strange.

Might as well be Juralian.

But they look nothing like Juralians, and in every single other episode, the Juralians go out of their way to transform into their true Juralian forms to let Ken and the audience know that yes, it was in fact they, the Juralians, who have masterminded this week's evil plot. That never happens in the mummy episode. Mummies just show up, start causing trouble, Ken assumes they're a Juralian plot, and murders them all. No Juralians ever show up on screen to react or curse Ken or get murdered by him. It's conspicuous by how much it stands out from the standard Juralian setup of "Hatch evil scheme, reveal our presence, get murdered by Ken," or their other standard set up, "Knock Ken unconscious, put him in an easily escaped death trap, get murdered by Ken."

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:57 pm

you must first understand, the only thing truly consistent with chargeman ken is ken killing

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Wed Apr 15, 2020 4:21 pm

Orange Fluffy Sheep wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 3:57 pm
you must first understand, the only thing truly consistent with chargeman ken is ken killing

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:20 pm

Ken watched a man commit suicide by blowing his own fucking brains out

and is completely unaffected and joking with Barican on the ride home

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:20 pm

What the FUCK is chargeman ken

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:23 pm

I thought the incredibly tasteless and insensitive depiction of the mentally ill was the fucked up thing but then a guy shoots himself and Ken does not care.

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:25 pm

and now a zombie with her tits out has ken in a headlock

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:28 pm

I like that the evil doll's plan was to drink Caron's blood for some reason (6) then lure the Izumi family into the woods to lay down and be set on fire.

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:38 pm

Ken's glee at tricking Juralians and then killing them is disconcerting

why they thought to bring up domestic violence leading a child to get into arson is beyond me

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:39 pm

then mr. dad hits a girl with a car

Orange Fluffy Sheep · Post by **Orange Fluffy Sheep** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:44 pm

JURALIAN PANTY SHOT

and then she fell and exploded into flame immediately on contact with the ground

and mr. dad was glad that hitting a juralian with his car won't reflect on his driving record

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 8:51 pm

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:48 pm

That scientist's evil plot was to blow up Europe. Just...Europe in general, not a specific country or anything.

I don't know what he hoped to accomplish with that.

Princess Flufflebutt · Post by **Princess Flufflebutt** (?) » Fri Apr 17, 2020 1:27 am

Mr. Big wrote: ↑
Thu Apr 16, 2020 10:48 pm
That scientist's evil plot was to blow up Europe. Just...Europe in general, not a specific country or anything.

I don't know what he hoped to accomplish with that.

I mean

that's fair

Gloomy Rube · Post by **Gloomy Rube** (?) » Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:01 am

I like that, having made this thread in the first place and thus having watched each of these episodes multiple times, I know which episode OFSheep is talking about each time.

DaikatunaRevengeance · Post by **DaikatunaRevengeance** (?) » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:10 am

Gloomy Rube wrote: ↑
Fri Apr 17, 2020 2:01 am
having watched each of these episodes multiple times

Gloomy revealed to be powerful

Mr. Big · Post by **Mr. Big** (?) » Fri Apr 17, 2020 12:18 pm

Orange Fluffy Sheep wrote: ↑
Wed Apr 15, 2020 2:12 pm
And then Ken uses a term for insanity that's apparently really bad and is censored now-a-days. Ken just throws ableist slurs at the Juralians. Which he kills.

"Kichigai", and yeah, nowadays it's viewed as an ableist slur in Japan, so hearing it used in "Chargeman Ken" adds to the terribleness