Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan

Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan (太陽戦隊サンバルカン) is Toei's fifth entry to its Super Sentai series. It was originally broadcast from February 7, 1981-January 30, 1982 and is the only sentai to serve as a direct sequel to the one prior, Denshi Sentai Denziman. It was Toei’s last series with a Marvel copyright, but again with no Marvel involvement in the production. The theme was air, land, and sea.

Development
At the time it aired, Denziman was an exteremely popular series and Toei was stumped trying to figure out ways to build on it. At first Toei just thought of extending Denziman into a second year ala Gorenger, but that didn't work out for whatever reasons. Toei then tried to go for making a sequel and calling the show "Plasaman" (which was basically just going to be the Denzimen with new suits), but that name was trademarked, so they finally settled on Sun Vulcan. The Denzimen were originally supposed to appear for a five episode arc, but it was ultimately to get everyone back. The closest to a crossover the series had was the two-parter story of The ESPer and Himiko!, which featured the Sun Vulcan team defending a woman from planet Denzi.

Aside from the Denziman connection, this season is notable for breaking many Sentai traditions and pushing the franchise forwards in many ways. This was the first Sentai to be a three-person team, set up to go along the concepts of "air/land/water" to represent the three elements of planet Earth while setting a precedence of a team that is only three members (even though this technically was the only three-man Sentai team, with many others starting as three but growing larger). This was also the first Sentai to use representation of the team by animals, with the members represented by the eagle, shark and a "big cat" (stated to be a panther). It had the first character who was truly emphasized in using a sword in combat instead of merely a weapon, becoming a set-up for many teams beyond this. It also became notable as the first and only team to permanently replace the "Red" member of the team, due to the original actor returning to his full time career, thus being written out and replaced by another. (while one other team has had a more radical replacement, it was temporary) And it was the first Sentai where the giant robot outsold the transport vehicle, cementing it as Sentai's main selling point.

However Sun Vulcan's greatest and most infamous move was taking away one of it's most notable aspects: this was the first, and only, team to have no female members. All members of Sun Vulcan, both before and after the cast switch, were male. While several powerful female characters were depicted as part of the team, including a returning villainess and an evil villainess corp, the removal of the one factor that differed Sentai from all other tokusatsu franchises caused an outrage among its fans and supporters. Due to this, the next Sentai would bring back the female member in a major way and there would never be a female-less team again, even when other three-member Sentai squads were utilized.

Plot
The threat of the Machine Empire Black Magma causes the EPDS (Earth Peace Defense Squad) to decide to establish the Solar Squadron at a summit. From the EPDS's air force, navy, and rangers, Commander Arashiyama assembles three specialists to become Sun Vulcan. Harsh training begins. Learning of this, Black Magma attacks the EPDS base, but the Sun Vulcan debuts in time to save it. Hell Saturn prays to the Black Solar God and is rewarded with a revived Queen Hedrian, now a cyborg with a mechanical heart and a metallic afro. But plot after plot of Black Magma, even with Hedrian's aid, fails. Following the death of 01, Amazon Killer, a Vader, arrives from space, destroying the Sun Vulcan Base. A new Vulcan Base is built.

The original Vul-Eagle, Ryuusuke Oowashi, is replaced by a friend and master of the sword, Takayuki Hiba (who first appeared on episode 23). The team successfully defends the psychic descendant of the Denzi, the nun Himiko, from Black Magma. Shortly after this, Inazuma Ginga shows up. Sun Vulcan devises the New Vulcan Ball, but their attacks are no use against Inazuma Ginga until he becomes the gigantic Inazuma Monger. Finally, the trio and their commander go to the North Pole to rescue Arashiyama Misa, and succeed not only in doing so (despite a fake Misa to confuse them), but also in defeating the Omnipotent God, the true leader of Black Magma, by feigning surrender and striking when it lowers its guard.

Guardians of World Peace

 * Daizaburou Arashiyama
 * Misa Arashiyama
 * CC

Other Allies

 * Sukehachi Yazawa (23-50)
 * Atarou Hyou (38)

Machine Empire Black Magma

 * Führer Hell Saturn
 * Zero Girls
 * Queen Hedrian (4-50)
 * The Omnipotent God (5-50)
 * Amazon Killer (23-50)
 * Inazuma Ginga (45-49)
 * Machinemen
 * Dark Q (1-22)
 * Hell Fighters
 * Black Magma Monsters
 * Grub Monger (1)
 * Coela Monger (2)
 * Naumann Monger (3)
 * Bird Monger (4)
 * Devil Monger (5)
 * Machine Monger (6)
 * Baseball Monger (7)
 * Vision Monger (8)
 * Scorpion Monger (9)
 * Spider Monger (10)
 * Fern Monger (11)
 * Diamond Monger (12)
 * Iron Monger (13)
 * Armadillo Monger (14)
 * Time Monger (15)
 * Vaulting Box Monger (16)
 * Gas Monger (17)
 * Camera Monger (18)
 * Toad Monger (19)
 * Wrestler Monger (20)
 * Sea Anemone Monger (21)
 * Horseshoe Crab Monger (22)
 * Giant Octopus Monger (23)
 * Water Bug Monger (24)
 * Fireworks Monger (Movie)
 * Sea Snake Monger (25)
 * Hungry Monger (26)
 * Alien Monger (27)
 * Crystal Monger (28)
 * Rose Monger (Red Rose Fencer) (29)
 * Buffalo Monger (30)
 * Thunder Monger (31)
 * Flat Monger (32)
 * Crab Monger (33)
 * Curse Monger (34)
 * Cockroach Monger (35)
 * Satan Monger (36-37)
 * Totem Pole Monger (38)
 * Centipede Monger (39)
 * Bat Monger (40)
 * Teakettle Monger (41)
 * Dragon Monger (42)
 * Mechanic Monger (43)
 * Flying Squirrel Monger (44)
 * Boxer Monger (45)
 * Deathtrap Monger (46)
 * Fighter Monger (47)
 * Mummy Monger (48)
 * Lightning Monger (49)

Mecha

 * King Magmar (50)

Songs

 * Opening: Taiyo Sentai Sun Vulcan
 * Ending 1: Wakasa wa Plasma
 * Ending 2: 1 Tasu 2 Tasu Sun Vulcan
 * Mecha: Fight! Sun Vulcan Robo
 * Tatakai no Theme
 * Kimi wa Panther
 * Kagayake! Sun Vulcan
 * Super Women Zero Girls
 * Yume no Tsubasa wo
 * Umi ga Yonde Iru
 * Taiyo March
 * Bokura no Sun Vulcan
 * Ashita ga Aru sa
 * Tatakau Nakama Sun Vulcan

Cast

 * Ryuusuke Oowashi: Ryūsuke Kawasaki (川崎 龍介)
 * Takayuki Hiba: Takayuki Godai (五代 高之)
 * Kin'ya Samejima: Kin'ya Sugi (杉 欣也)
 * Asao Hyou: Asao Kobayashi (小林 朝夫)
 * Daizaburo Arashiyama: Shin Kishida (岸田 森)
 * Misa Arashiyama: Yumi Nemoto (根本 由美)
 * Führer Hell Saturn: Shōzō Iizuka (voice)
 * Queen Hedrian: Machiko Soga
 * Inazuma Gingar: Takeshi Watabe (voice); Jyunichi Haruta (body)
 * Zero One: Kitagawa Takako
 * Zero Two: Hikashi Mariko
 * Zero Three: Udagawa Yuki
 * Zero Four: Takashima Toshiko (1-4) and Hiro Kyoko (5-50)
 * Narration: Tōru Ōhira
 * Amazon Killer: Yukie Kagawa
 * Sun Vulcan Robo: Eiji Kanie

Stage Shows

 * Sun Vulcan Stage Show at Super Hero Korakuen Yuenchi