is a tokusatsu series created by KÃ Âhan Kawauchi. This was the first live action superhero TV series produced by Toho Company Ltd., and was broadcast on NET (now TV Asahi) from October 6, 1972, to September 18, 1973, with a total of 52 episodes. Mitsuru Adachi wrote a manga series based on the show which was serialized in TV Magazine Otomodachi from 1972 to 1973.
The series focuses on pro wrestler Takeshi Yamato, a young man who, after training in India with the yogi sage Devadatta, gains the ability to transform into a superhero called Rainbowman who possesses seven different superhero forms called "Dashes", with the seven Dashes representing yin and yang (the Moon and the Sun) and the five elements (wu xing) of ancient Chinese philosophy. In each Dash form, Rainbowman is endowed with a color-coded costume and powers related to that element. Dash 1 (yellow) represents the Moon, Dash 2 (red) represents fire, Dash 3 (blue) represents water, Dash 4 (green) represents wood, Dash 5 (gold) represents metal, Dash 6 (brown) represents earth, and Dash 7 (white) represents the Sun. Later in the series, he gains the ability to create a fusion state between Dash 7 and any two other forms with all their related powers.
Rainbowman opposes the "Die Die Gang", a group representing hostile foreign powers bent on revenge against Japan for acts carried out in World War II. They make use of elite mercenaries, cyborgs, wizards and supernatural monsters in pursuit of their plans.
In 1982, a 22-episode anime remake loosely based on the series was produced. Instead of a superhero as in the live action series, the anime featured a young man who commands seven giant robots which can merge into a larger giant robot.
Yuke Rainbowman (è¡ÂãÂÂ㋤ã³ãÂÂã¼ãÂÂã³, Go Rainbowman)
Yamato Takeshi no uta (ã¤ãÂÂãÂÂã¿ã±ã·ã®æÂÂ, Theme of Yamato Takeshi (ep. 1 - ep. 13))
Aitsu no namae wa Rainbowman (ãÂÂãÂÂã¤ã®åÂÂÃ¥ÂÂã¯ã‹¤ã³ãÂÂã¼ãÂÂã³, That Man's Name is Rainbowman (ep. 14 - ep. 52))