Maximus Gage
Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of the anime Kinnikuman Nisei, which was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and aired on FoxBox in the United States. The anime is a sequel to the manga Kinnikuman, created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada (known as Yudetamago), and follows Suguru Kinniku, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain his title as prince of Planet Kinniku. While Kinnikuman Nisei did poorly in Japan and was cancelled, 4Kids Entertainment ordered new episodes to complete the Chojin Crown arc, which aired first in America and then in Japan two years later. These new episodes were aired as Kinnikuman Nisei: Ultimate Muscle and Kinnikuman Nisei: Ultimate Muscle 2.
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What You'll Learn
Viz Media owns the manga license
Viz Media owns the English manga publisher license for Ultimate Muscle. The manga series was originally created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago, and was published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1979 to 1987. It was then adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation, which aired on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1986.
The English-dubbed version of the anime, known as Ultimate Muscle, was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and aired on FoxBox in the United States. It was created for a primarily American audience, and some creative liberties were taken with the plot and necessary censorship. While the series did poorly in Japan, it was very popular in the West.
In addition to the anime and manga, there have also been video games released based on Ultimate Muscle, such as "Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation" for the GameCube and "Kinnikuman Generations: Galactic Wrestling" for the PlayStation 2.
Despite the apparent success of Ultimate Muscle, there has been some speculation about why the series has not been re-released or remastered. One Reddit user reached out to Viz Media to inquire about the status of the series and was informed that while they did have the Ultimate Muscle 4Kids Dub & original Japanese audio, they were unable to distribute anything until the manga went out of print. It is unclear whether Viz Media still holds the rights to the manga license, as it has been out of print for years and the license was never renewed.
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4Kids Entertainment licensed the English dub
The anime series Ultimate Muscle is the English-dubbed version of the Japanese manga series Kinnikuman Nisei, which was created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. The manga was originally published in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1979 to 1987 and was first adapted by Toei Animation into a 137-episode anime series broadcast on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1986.
The English-dubbed version, Ultimate Muscle, was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment and aired on FoxBox in the United States. 4Kids Entertainment also ordered new episodes to finish the Chojin Crown arc, which were first aired in America and then in Japan two years later. These new episodes were aired as two new seasons in Japan, entitled Kinnikuman Nisei: Ultimate Muscle and Kinnikuman Nisei: Ultimate Muscle 2.
The English dub made some changes to the plot and censorship of the original Japanese version. For example, Brocken Jr. was changed from being Jade's trainer to being his father, and Mince's death was never confirmed, with the character simply said to have injured his hips. The ethnicity of some characters was also changed: Check Mate and Geronimo became British, Buffaloman became Russian, and The Ninja became American.
Despite being considered "too old to be marketable on American television" by 4Kids in the 2000s, the English dub of Ultimate Muscle was well-received and compared to other popular dubs such as Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh. 4Kids even funded the second season of Ultimate Muscle due to its popularity in America. However, 4Kids lost the license to Ultimate Muscle after they went bankrupt around 2011. In October 2022, Discotek Media announced that they had licensed Ultimate Muscle and released the 77 episodes on Blu-ray Disc in May 2023.
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Toei Animation produced the anime
The anime series Ultimate Muscle is based on the manga Kinnikuman, created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, known as Yudetamago. The manga was originally published in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1979 to 1987. It was then adapted by Toei Animation into a 137-episode anime series that was broadcast on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1986. This was the first animated series based on Kinnikuman.
Toei Animation has produced several anime series based on the Kinnikuman manga, including sequels and spin-offs. One such sequel is Kinnikuman: The 2nd Generation (known as Ultimate Muscle outside Japan), which was serialized in Weekly Playboy between 1998 and 2004. Toei Animation produced two spin-off series based on this sequel: Kinnikuman Second Generation: Ultimate Muscle and Kinnikuman Second Generation: Ultimate Muscle 2. Both spin-offs were directed by Toshiaki Komura and broadcast in Japan by TV Tokyo.
In addition to producing the anime series, Toei Animation has also been involved in licensing and distribution decisions. For example, Discotek Media licensed Ultimate Muscle from Toei and released the 77 episodes on Blu-ray Disc in May 2023. However, Toei has been criticised for not allowing Viz Media to distribute the TV show and movies of Ultimate Muscle in the US until the manga goes out of print.
Overall, Toei Animation has played a significant role in the production, licensing, and distribution of the Ultimate Muscle anime series, which has contributed to its popularity and reach worldwide.
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Discotek Media licensed the English dub for Blu-ray release
In October 2022, Discotek Media announced that they had licensed 'Ultimate Muscle' and released the 77 episodes on Blu-ray Disc on 30 May 2023. The Blu-Ray box set features the visuals in standard definition and includes both the original Japanese audio and the English dub from 4Kids Entertainment. The anime was directed by Toshiaki Komura and produced by Toei Animation between 2002 and 2004.
'Ultimate Muscle' is the English dubbed version of the Kinnikuman Nisei anime. The latter series was commissioned by 4Kids Entertainment and was created for a primarily American audience. This involved taking certain creative liberties with the plot and making changes due to necessary censorship. While the series did poorly in Japan, it was very popular in the West.
'Ultimate Muscle' is a sequel to the 1990s anime 'Kinnikuman' and its follow-up 'Kinnikuman: Scramble for the Throne', which was also produced by Toei Animation. The original anime series, 'Kinnikuman', premiered in 1983 and was popular, with a rating of over 20% for its premiere. It was considered a "cross between superhero parody and pro-wrestling goofiness".
The manga for 'Kinnikuman' was originally published in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine 'Weekly Shōnen Jump' from 1979 to 1987. It was written by Takashi Shimada and illustrated by Yoshinori Nakai. The manga was first adapted by Toei Animation into a 137-episode anime series, which was broadcast on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1986. The manga was relaunched in 2011 within the pages of Shū Play News magazine.
The 'Ultimate Muscle' Blu-ray release by Discotek Media includes the original 'Kinnikuman' series, as well as the Second Generation: Ultimate Muscle 2 sequel. This release marks a significant addition to the home media options available for fans of the franchise, providing a comprehensive collection of episodes in both English and Japanese language options.
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The manga was originally published in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump
The manga series "Muscle Man", also known as "Kinnikuman", was created by the duo Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada, collectively known as Yudetamago. It follows Suguru Kinniku, a superhero who must win a wrestling tournament to retain his title as the prince of Planet Kinniku. Nakai and Takashi first planned the series while they were in high school as a parody of Ultraman. The manga was originally published in Shueisha's Shōnen Jump from 1979 to 1987 and was adapted by Toei Animation into a 137-episode anime series that aired on Nippon Television from 1983 to 1986.
The manga series spawned several spin-offs, video games, anime films, and merchandise. One such spin-off is Kinnikuman: The 2nd Generation, known as Ultimate Muscle outside of Japan. This manga sequel was serialized in Weekly Playboy between 1998 and 2004. It was licensed by 4Kids Entertainment, which created the English-dubbed version titled "Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy" for a primarily American audience. This version made some creative changes and censorship adjustments, including altering certain characters' ethnicities and relationships.
The original anime series, "Kinnikuman", enjoyed popularity and success, achieving a rating of over 20% during its premiere. Despite being considered too old to be marketable on American television by 4Kids in the 2000s, the franchise maintained a dedicated following. In 2005, TV Asahi conducted a nationwide survey in Japan, where Ultimate Muscle placed 39th, and the original Kinnikuman placed 97th. The series also inspired video games, including Ultimate Muscle: Legends vs. New Generation for the GameCube and Kinnikuman Generations: Galactic Wrestling for the PlayStation 2.
In 2022, Discotek Media acquired the license for Ultimate Muscle and released all 77 episodes on Blu-ray Disc in 2023. This release included the English-dubbed version, which had been popular in the West, particularly in America, where it was compared to the likes of Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh in terms of localisation quality. The manga has also been released in North America by Viz Media, with 29 tankōbon volumes published between 2004 and 2011.
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Frequently asked questions
It is unclear who owns the rights to Ultimate Muscle. Discotek Media announced in October 2022 that they had licensed Ultimate Muscle and released the 77 episodes on Blu-ray Disc on May 30, 2023. Viz Media also stated that they had the Ultimate Muscle 4Kids Dub & original Japanese audio, but TOEI won't let them distribute anything on the TV show & movies until the manga is out of print.
Ultimate Muscle is the English dubbed version of the Kinnikuman Nisei anime. The latter series was commissioned by 4Kids and was created for a primarily American audience, which took creative liberties with the plot and made some changes due to necessary censorship.
Ultimate Muscle is a sequel to Kinnikuman, and is the story of Mantarou Kinniku (Kid Muscle), a young brash wrestler from a Planet of Hats. In this world, Professional Wrestling is Serious Business.
