Skull Man

Otomo City: where freedom and justice have atrophied to the bone; where conspiracy rules the day and death stalks the night... Death in the form of the Skull Man, a literal Grim Reaper whose skeletal grin presages grisly mayhem and murder, even to the monstrous mutants that haunt the city's underworlds!

To investigate a bizarre slaying, journalist Minagami Hayato and photographer Kiriko Mamiya must stalk this ultimate predator, through a festering cadaver of a city where the corruption flows in rivers as deep and foul as the sins of the reigning elite, and unearth a secret so shocking that an entire city has been turned into a tomb to contain! In a nightmarish necropolis where nothing is as it seems, vengeance comes in the form of a living Death's-Head!

(Source: Sentai Filmworks)

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Adaptation:

Kaiki Romanesque Gekiga: Skull Man, Skull Man

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Characters & Voice Actors

SkullMan

Main

Tsuchida, Hiroshi
Japanese

Mikogami, Hayato

Main

Yasumura, Makoto
Japanese

Mamiya, Kiriko

Main

Kawasumi, Ayako
Japanese

Kanzaki, Yoshio

Supporting

Katou, Masayuki
Japanese

Tachigi, Kyouichirou

Supporting

Hori, Katsunosuke
Japanese

Shingyouji, Reina

Supporting

Neya, Michiko
Japanese

Kuroshio, Maya

Supporting

Orikasa, Fumiko
Japanese

Kisaragi, Nami

Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko
Japanese

Shingyouji, Tetsurou

Supporting

Tasaka, Hideki
Japanese

Akira, Usami

Supporting

Yoshino, Hiroyuki
Japanese

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Staff

Yamamoto, Kouji

Producer

Mori, Takeshi

Director

Tsuruoka, Youta

Sound Director

Kyouda, Tomoki

Episode Director, Storyboard

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Opening Theme

1: "Hikari no Machi" by TOKIO

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Ending Theme

"Ashita wa Ashita no Kimi ga Umareru (明日は明日の君が生まれる)" by Chocolove from AKB48

Reviews

Nov 8, 2007

Venneh

Recommended

Title: The Skull Man

Manga, Anime: The Skull Man was originally a 100-page one-shot story done by Shotaro Ishinomori (famous for Cyborg 008 and Kamen Rider), released in Shonen Magazine's 1970 issue, and is cited as one of manga's first anti-heroes. Ishinomori did a rework of it just before he started work on the live-action show Kamen Rider (translated as Masked Rider) in 1971, as Toei wanted to use it for the basis of the show, and it was just a bit too dark and gory for a kid's show. And then in 1997, just before his death, he contacted Kazuhiko Shinamoto with plot ...

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Oct 12, 2008

ParaParaJMo

Recommended

This is based on an old manga by the legendary Ishinomori Shotaro, which would later pave way for Kamen Rider. Despite that, it is very much different from that series. The Skull man is a background character shrouded in mystery as well as why people turn into monsters. The anime is very slow if you don’t give it much attention, it isn’t really action oriented and emphasizes more on cracking the case, and yet defining what true evil is and covers a lot of philosophical and social issues on a local to international level such as corruption in relation to martial law and organized religion. ... It takes awhile to really develop the characters but the wait is worth it. Because some of the main characters are adults at a certain age, the only thing they have left to develop is a defining moment in their life that will define their respective careers or something like that. But if you give it your full attention, it will be fast and you will be fascinated at the plot twists and resolutions it delivers, and how it loosely connects to another creation of Ishinomori-sensei. Due to the nature of this anime being mystery and suspense, I really don’t want to give away much because I believe this is one of those things you really have to watch.

What kind of disappointed me about this anime is that very little of the character design is faithful to the style of Ishinomori-sensei like how the recent Cyborg 009 was, but there are some that obviously are faithful at specific times. He had this distinct way of drawing that further helped define what anime and manga is today, and I felt a large portion of that was absent and that a majority of the design didn’t really come across as distinguishing. Maybe it’s a modern day interpretation to his art style, I don’t know, but I felt that Ishinomori-sensei should have been owed that much. However, some of the design of later characters are also very unique and faithful to his art style, but once again, that’d be a spoiler and I don’t want to get into that too much since it relates to that other creation he did.

On the other hand, I loved the monster design and the design of the Skull man himself. You can easily tell that not only just story wise, but in an artistic sense, how this paved way for Kamen Rider such as his fondness of motorcycles, the scarf, and the martial arts action that is present in certain times. The action is exciting and intense and it picks up in the 2nd half of the series. It’s high octane but not excessively over the top or ridiculous, cliché, or cheesy like in tokusatsu. However, it is quite bloody, but not necessarily gory like in the recent Rambo film.

What I also found very unique is that even though some of the vehicles and the architecture are very modern, they still use some old fashioned items such as audio tapes and records to represent some feeling of the old school influence and to probably give the viewer a possible sense in time it could take place in. I also liked when they showed vehicles, it was in the cel-shading style that the recent Initial D seasons and Wangan Midnight uses and it blends very excellently.

One of the best traits this anime has is its soundtrack. I love the opening theme sung by the band Tokio. It is really intense as well as the scenery in the song. But I felt that because it is nearly 40 years old, I felt that some of the soundtrack could have been a little old school with the use of the instruments. But the music for the most part is very dark and eerie and gives a noir and horror like feel to the show. The ending theme I felt was kind of out place with this anime though it is a nice song. I felt it belonged more in a shoujo anime that a graphic and cerebral one like this. In the same way, I guess you can say it felt out of place like the ending theme in Elfen Lied though they are still good songs.

Hayato, the main character is played by Yasumura Makoto. I really don’t know much about him. But I thought he did a great job as a tabloid reporter who knows how to get his scoop. He can be funny, and he can be serious. And Kiriko is played by Kawasumi Ayako, who plays Natsuki in Initial D. Her voice in this role in comparison to Natsuki is more childish and higher pitched. In addition to these two, the cast has some pretty big names. Like Tomokazu Seki, who played a lot of roles such as Miyata from Hajime no Ippo and Kenichi from History’s Strongest Disicple Kenichi plays the detective assigned to follow Hayato. In comparison to his other roles, he sounds a whole lot more gruffy which I felt was awkward for his high pitched voice, but later got accustomed to it and further expands his talents. And further elaborating who is in this anime and who plays who is another spoiler which I don’t want to get into and feel you should watch it.

Even though this paved way for Kamen Rider, don’t expect Kamen Rider. In comparison, this series is much darker, gruesome, and more though provoking, but doesn’t really try to mess with your head. I really want to explain the nature of Skull man’s character, but it’s very difficult for me to say in this review because this is truly an anime I want you to see for yourself, and I hope you watch this with high expectations that this is truly something unique and distinctive. It is very engagingly philosophical with very effective unpredictability, and exciting action. It has many themes that everybody can relate to or reflect upon.

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Feb 11, 2017

Biogundam

Not Recommended

Warming this review may contain spoilers.

First impressions, so my first thoughts where that is was one of those anime remakes of a classic manga and it's sounds some what interesting based of its primise. So I thought this would be one of those anti hero story's which I am a big fan of.

Story, 3/10

Are story begins with main character hayato who has come back to his home town of otomo city,Which have become home for a mysterious cult and other dodgey dealings.
in order to investigate the mysterious the story's of monsters in the streets and a
Mysterious person known as the skull man who leaves ...

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Poll: The Skull Man Episode 13 Discussion MasterChief - Jul 25, 2007	36 replies	by Adampk »» Mar 29, 2022 8:24 AM
Poll: The Skullman Episode 1 Discussion MasterChief - May 6, 2007	22 replies	by FMmatron »» Feb 5, 2022 4:05 PM
Poll: The Skull Man Episode 12 Discussion Stark700 - Dec 21, 2012	4 replies	by Rei_III »» Jan 1, 2019 4:06 AM
Poll: The Skull Man Episode 11 Discussion MasterChief - Jul 16, 2007	6 replies	by Rei_III »» Jan 1, 2019 3:56 AM
Poll: The Skull Man Episode 10 Discussion vansonbee - Apr 6, 2012	5 replies	by Rei_III »» Dec 31, 2018 3:23 PM

Skull Man

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SkullMan

Mikogami, Hayato

Mamiya, Kiriko

Kanzaki, Yoshio

Tachigi, Kyouichirou

Shingyouji, Reina

Kuroshio, Maya

Kisaragi, Nami

Shingyouji, Tetsurou

Akira, Usami

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Skull Man

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Background

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Ending Theme

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