Choujyu Sentai Liveman (超獣戦隊ライブマン) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series and the twelfth entry of Toei Company's Super Sentai metaseries. The last Super Sentai title of the Shōwa Era, it aired on TV Asahi from February 27, 1988 to February 18, 1989, replacing Hikari Sentai Maskman and was replaced by Kousoku Sentai Turboranger. Its international English title as listed by Toei is simply Liveman. It was the first Super Sentai series to have a female Blue Ranger as well as the first Super Sentai series that introduced animal-based mecha. It was also the first Super Sentai series that introduced a super-combined robot (that is 2 or more robots put together); the first Super Sentai series to have three members from the start, with two additional members joining later on; it was the last Super Sentai series that had its mechas transported to the battle through a flying fortress on a regular basis, which would not occur again until Bakuryū Sentai Abaranger; and it was the first Super Sentai series to have both a Green Ranger and a Black Ranger in the main five, as opposed to interchanging one with another, which would not occur again until Engine Sentai Go-onger 20 years later.

Plot

Academia Island is an elite school that various genius students from across the globe attend. Among them are Yusuke Amamiya, Joh Ohara and Megumi Misaki who with Takuji Yano and Mari Aikawa sought to create a suit strong enough for space exploration. However, three of their classmates and friends Kenji Tsukigata, Rui Senda, and Goh Omura felt their talents were being wasted and leave to join an evil organization called Volt who offers to raise their full scientific potential. As a result, when Yusuke and company saw them leaving, Kenji draws a gun on the three with Takuji and Mari taking the fatal blow. Soon after, one of the professors at the school Professor Hoshi pitches in to help Yusuke and his friends complete the suits so they can serve to prepare against Volt. And then in 1988, the present day, with Kenji, Rui, and Goh now known as Doctors Kemp, Mazenda and Obular, Volt begins its attack by devastating Academia Island. As a result, Yusuke, Joh, and Megumi take up the suits they created and become the Livemen to battle against their former classmates and Volt. Though they managed to get Goh to leave Volt, the organization recruits new members in Doctor Ashura and the aliens Guildos and Butchy. Soon after, the Livemen are joined by Tetsuya and Jun-ichi, the respective younger brothers of Takuji and Mari, while learning that there is a darker agenda behind Volt that only its leader Bias knows.

Characters

Academia

Liveman

After Black Bison and Green Rhino join the team, the eponymous Liveman team can perform the Spark Attack (スパークアタック) finisher, turning into balls of light and strike the enemy.

Arsenal

Vehicles

Mecha

Allies

Relatives

Armed Brain Volt Army

Believing most of humanity to be inferior, Armed Brain Volt Army (武装頭脳軍ボルト) is based on the orbiting space station Zuno Base (ヅノーベース) with its officers using a triangular shuttle to journey between it and Earth. Though it appeared Volt's goal was to create the ideal world for superior geniuses and exterminate those with "inferior minds", its true agenda is to complete the Giga Brain Wave so Bias can achieve immortality while subjugating the human race via mind control.

Others

Episodes

Episodes aired on Saturdays at 6:00 PM JST.

Cast

Guest Stars

Voice actors

Songs

International broadcast and home video