Johnny Sokko And His Flying Robot - Episode 1 - Dracolon: The Great Sea Monster

Written By: Ken Hulsey

Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot - Episode 1 - Dracolon, The Great Sea Monster
(Aka: Giant Robo, Jaianto Robo)

Network: NET (TV Asahi)
Air Date: October 11,1967

Produced By: Shinichi Miyazaki, Tōru Hirayama, Hisatomo Tsuboi, Yasuharu Ueda

Cast:

Mitsunobu Kaneko
Shōzaburō Date
Tadayo Satō
Teruo Itō
Yumi Kuwabara
Yumiko Katayama

I, like most American fans of Japanese sci fi, remember the series, "Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot" fondly from it's limited run in the late 1970s and early 1980s.The show was somewhat of a rarity, only airing in select markets, normally resigned to major cities. In all honesty, the show didn't even air where I was living at the time, Albuquerque, New Mexico. I discovered it while on vacation visiting my family in Los Angeles. A local independent network, which featured mostly Asian programing, aired the program in the early afternoon. Being a huge Godzilla movie fan, I became hooked very quickly.

When I got older, and started writing about Japanese sci fi and started meeting fellow fans of the genre, just about everyone I met, remembered "Johnny Sokko", and were chomping at the bit for some sort of DVD release. Trust me, I couldn't get through a Japanese sci fi movie festival, without being asked about two things. One being "War of the Gargantuas", which has now been released on DVD by Classic Media, and two, "Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot."

As of now, I still haven't heard about a DVD release for "Johnny Sokko", though the episodes are available on Hulu. (See above)

In the very first episode we are introduced to the evil Emperor Guillotine (some sort of alien squid creature) and his Nazi-like Gargoyle Gang. Throughout the series this group of baddies kidnap Earth's top scientists to create an army of monsters to do their dirty work. This theme would become very common place in future Japanese sci fi series including, and most notably, the giant robot anime series "Mazinger."

Little Johnny Sokko and Unicorn (a secret top-secret peacekeeping organization) agent Jerry Mano, become stranded on the remote island lair of Gargoyle Gang after their ship is attacked by the monster Dracolon.

After being captured by, and subsequently escaping from the Gargoyles, the pair discover the laboratory of a captured scientist, who is building a giant robot.

Not wanting his creation to fall into the hands of the aliens, the scientist gives Johnny the robots control device, which is in the form of a wrist-watch.

Along with agent Mano, Johnny escapes with the robot to battle the monster Dracolon.

Of course, you know who wins.

American fans of classic Japanese sci fi series and movies will delight at being able to view these rare gems again. I, personally, reverted back to that wide-eyed ten-year-old while watching them. Of course, for those who know me personally, understand that I revert back to that tender age on a regular basis, but perhaps this will give someone else the rarer opportunity to do likewise.