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Moonlight Mask was Japan's first Tokusatsu series from 1958, starting as a TV series and then having six movies. The series was very popular with kids, but was cancelled due to a kid dying trying to imitate Gekko Kamen/Moonlight Mask's stunts. It was later adapted into an anime in 1972, named Seigi wo Ai Suru Mono - Gekkō Kamen (正義を愛する者 - 月光仮面, literally The One Who Loves Justice - Moonlight Mask, and again in the 90s as a Gag Series named Gozonji! Gekkô Kamen-kun (ごぞんじ!月光仮面くん , or We Know You, Young Moonlight Mask!)
Definitely not to be confused with Kekko Kamen (although the latter was named in parody of the former).
This series provides examples of:[]
- Badass Normal: No superpowers for this hero.
- Badass Biker: Gekko Kamen, and how.
- Blasting It Out of Their Hands
- Bumbling Sidekick: Iwai's assistant Gorohachi is very kind, but also quite lazy and clumsy.
- Averted by Iwai's ward Shigeru, who despite being a little kid no older than ten, was quite more competent as the Iwai Detective Agency's receptionist.
- Cult: Gekko Kamen fights one in the Mammoth Kong story arc.
- Expository Theme Tune: "Who is Moonlight Mask?"
- Film Serial
- Kaiju: Mammoth Kong, who was the first TV Kaiju.
- Mad Scientist: Dr. Dogma from the 70's anime, who's VERY fond of transforming humans into animals and monsters (including criminals who were already sentenced to death or life imprisonment).
- Master of Disguise: Satan Claw.
- Parental Substitute: Iwai, to Shigeru. Also to Fujiko and Kamoko.
- Private Detective: Juuro Iwai and his Detective Agency.
- Secret Identity: In the original 1958 series, the identity of MK is never 100% revealed on screen. Is he Juuro Iwai, the skilled detective? Or his normally bumbling helper, Gorohachi Fukuro? Or Inspector Matsuda, from Tokyo Police? It's heavily implied that he is Detective Iwai, though.
- The series goes as far as crediting Moonlight Mask's actor as "?"
- Thou Shalt Not Kill: Gekko Kamen's mantra: Do Not Hate. Do Not Kill. (the crime)Let's prevent it. Though he has no problem killing Mooks.
- Television Serial: And how.