
Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of the anime Kinnikuman Nisei, which is a sequel to the manga and anime series Kinnikuman. It was published in North America by Viz Media and adapted into three television series, which were released in North America by 4Kids Entertainment. The English version is mostly identical to the original Japanese version, although some changes were made due to necessary censorship. The series follows Mantaro Kinniku, the 59th prince of Planet Muscle, 29 years after the events of Kinnikuman.
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What You'll Learn
- Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of Kinnikuman Nisei
- The manga series was published in North America by Viz Media
- It has been described as a cross between superhero parody and pro-wrestling goofiness
- The series follows the next generation of heroes 29 years after Kinnikuman
- It has spawned spin-off manga and anime series, video games, anime films, and merchandise

Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of Kinnikuman Nisei
Kinnikuman is a popular manga series in Japan, with over 78 million copies in circulation as of 2024. It has spawned several spin-offs, anime series, anime films, video games, and merchandise. One such spin-off is the manga sequel "Kinnikuman: The 2nd Generation" or "Kinnikuman II Sei", known as "Ultimate Muscle" outside Japan.
Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of the anime "Kinnikuman Nisei". The series was commissioned by 4Kids Entertainment and was created primarily for an American audience. It is based on the manga by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, who wrote under the pen name "Yudetamago" (Japanese for 'Boiled Egg'). It is a sequel to the original Kinnikuman anime that started in 1979.
The English version of Kinnikuman Nisei is mostly identical to the original, with only minor instances of censorship and changes to character names to match the anime dub. However, some more significant changes were made due to necessary censorship. For example, the character Brocken Jr. was changed from being Jade's trainer to being his father. The death of another character, Mince, was never confirmed, and faeces in a match were changed to a "stink bug". The ethnicity of several characters was also altered.
The series did not perform well in Japan but was popular in Western markets. It has been described as "pretty funny" and praised for its action scenes and mature writing style. In 2023, a box set containing all 77 episodes in English was released on Blu-ray by RightStuf, and Discotek Media also released the series on Blu-ray.
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The manga series was published in North America by Viz Media
The manga series Kinnikuman, known as Ultimate Muscle outside Japan, was published in North America by Viz Media. Viz Media, LLC is an American entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, that focuses on publishing manga and distributing and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, LLC and in 2005, it merged with ShoPro Entertainment to form Viz Media, owned by Japanese publishing conglomerates Shueisha, Shogakukan, and Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (ShoPro).
Viz Media is the largest publisher of manga in North America, with over 300 unique series in its catalogue, including popular titles like Dragon Ball, One Piece, Bleach, Inuyasha, and Naruto. It was awarded the Manga Publisher of the Year Gem Award by Diamond Comic Distributors in 2007. Viz Media also publishes Shonen Jump, an English adaptation of the popular Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump, which features serialized chapters from seven manga series, as well as articles on Japanese language and culture.
The Ultimate Muscle manga series is a sequel to Kinnikuman and was serialized in Weekly Playboy between 1998 and 2004. It is known for its blend of "superhero parody and pro-wrestling goofiness," with one reviewer noting that it adds "some depth through a mature writing style and better action scenes." The English dubbed version of the anime, Kinnikuman Nisei, was commissioned by 4Kids Entertainment and aired in North America with some creative liberties taken and necessary censorship.
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It has been described as a cross between superhero parody and pro-wrestling goofiness
Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of the anime Kinnikuman Nisei, which is a sequel to the manga and anime series Kinnikuman. The English version is mostly identical to the original Japanese version, but with some changes due to necessary censorship. It is described as a "cross between superhero parody and pro-wrestling goofiness" by Garrity. Liann Cooper of the Anime News Network also commented on the show, saying that the "artwork alone is enough to clothesline itself and the whole concept of superhero wrestlers is like a manga-fied Mucha Lucha". However, she also said that the show "is actually pretty funny".
The show follows Mantaro Kinniku, also known as Mantaro Kinnikuman or Mantaro Muscle (Kid Muscle), who is the main character of the story. He is the 59th prince of Planet Muscle (Planet Kinniku) and the son of the first Kinnikuman, Suguru Muscle, and Bibinba. Mantaro is a huge Choujin Otaku with an extensive collection of Choujin items, and he takes part in a bogus Choujin Wrestling show as Butanikuman (Porkman). After seeing his potential, Mantarou invites him to team up as the Muscle Brothers Nouveau and participate in the Ultimate Choujin Tag Tournament.
In the show, Mantaro reaches new levels and starts to form a new move, the Muscle Gravity, as well as a new fighting style. He also has a finishing move called the Muscle G, which he uses to defeat M. Cheeks, who becomes an Idol Choujin and provides the recaps of previous episodes during the third season of the show. Another character, Baron Maximilian, is the leader of the Poison Pack and a caped baron who fought Mantaro.
The show has been well-received, with Eduardo M. Chavez of Mania.com writing that it "keeps some of the old silliness" of the original series while adding "some depth through a mature writing style and better action scenes". Christi from T.H.E.M Anime Reviews also praised the show, saying that it was "the best thing about the FoxBox anthology".
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The series follows the next generation of heroes 29 years after Kinnikuman
Ultimate Muscle, known as Kinnikuman: The 2nd Generation in Japan, is the sequel to the Kinnikuman manga series. It follows the story of the next generation of heroes 29 years after the events of Kinnikuman. The main character of the series is Mantaro Kinniku, also known as Mantaro Kinnikuman or Mantaro Muscle (Kid Muscle). He is the 59th prince of Planet Muscle (Planet Kinniku) and the son of the first Kinnikuman, Suguru Muscle, and Bibinba/Belinda. Mantaro is a huge Choujin Otaku with an extensive collection of Choujin items, and he often participates in Choujin wrestling shows.
The series introduces new characters and continues to develop existing ones. For example, M. Cheeks, who becomes an Idol Choujin after his defeat, provides episode recaps during the third season. The series also features Baron Maximilian, the leader of the Poison Pack, who is a caped baron that fought Mantaro.
Ultimate Muscle adds depth to the original Kinnikuman series through its mature writing style and improved action scenes. It builds upon the comedy and action that made the original series popular while also exploring new storylines and character arcs. Mantaro, for instance, undergoes significant character development, reaching new levels of strength and developing a new fighting style, including the Muscle Gravity move and the Muscle G finishing move.
The English dubbed version of the series, Ultimate Muscle, aired in North America and made some creative changes to the plot due to necessary censorship. The series was also adapted into three different television series, all of which were broadcast on TV Tokyo in Japan and released in North America.
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It has spawned spin-off manga and anime series, video games, anime films, and merchandise
The manga series "Muscle Man" (also known as "Kinnikuman") has spawned a variety of spin-offs and related media content. The original manga series was created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada (known as Yudetamago) and published from 1979 to 1987. It follows Suguru Kinniku, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain his title as the prince of Planet Kinniku. The manga was adapted into a 137-episode anime series by Toei Animation and broadcast in Japan from 1983 to 1986.
Since its initial publication, "Muscle Man" has inspired numerous spin-off manga and anime series. One of the earliest spin-offs was "Tatakae!! Ramenman" (or "Ramenman"), which focused on the character Ramenman and was published from 1982 to 1988. It was later adapted into a 35-episode anime series by Toei Animation in 1988 and released as a film and video game in the same year. Another notable spin-off is "Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy", which was serialized in V Jump from 2001 to 2007 and had several tankōbon published between 2002 and 2007. This spin-off continued the storyline of "Kinnikuman" and had its own animated series, known as "Kinnikuman: Second Generation" or "Ultimate Muscle 2", which aired in Japan in 2006.
In addition to spin-off manga and anime series, "Muscle Man" has also inspired video games, anime films, and merchandise. The "Ramenman" spin-off had a video game adaptation released in 1988. There have also been several Kinnikuman-related merchandise items, including the popular M.U.S.C.L.E. figurines, which were a hit in the 1980s. Bandai reported sales of over 180 million units of Kinkeshi in Japan. Additionally, in 2022, Discotek Media licensed "Ultimate Muscle" and released 77 episodes on Blu-ray Disc in 2023.
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Frequently asked questions
Kinnikuman is a manga and anime franchise that originated in Japan. It has spawned spin-off manga and anime series, video games, anime films, and merchandise.
Ultimate Muscle is the English dubbed version of the anime Kinnikuman Nisei. It is also the title under which Kinnikuman was published in North America.
Yes, Ultimate Muscle is a sequel to Kinnikuman, following the next generation of heroes 29 years after the events of Kinnikuman. However, it is unclear if Ultimate Muscle is canon as the 2011 version of Kinnikuman contradicts some things in Ultimate Muscle.
Ultimate Muscle follows the story of Mantaro Kinniku, the 59th prince of Planet Muscle (Planet Kinniku) and son of the first Kinnikuman, Suguru Muscle, and Belinda/Bibinba.









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