Ultimate Muscle

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Image:Tournament image 00003.png Image:KinnikumanII13.jpg Ultimate Muscle: The Kinnikuman Legacy, known in Japan as Kinnikuman Nisei (キン肉マンⅡ世), is a manga and anime series made by Yoshinori Nakai and Takashi Shimada under the pen name Yudetamago (Japanese for 'Boiled Egg'). It is the sequel to the hit manga Kinnikuman that they started in 1979. The toy line of Kinnikuman was released in North America as M.U.S.C.L.E.

The story is about Mantaro Muscle a.k.a. Kid Muscle, the spoiled son of a superhero wrestler.

Kinnikuman Nisei was first published in the Japanese men's magazine "Weekly Playboy", aimed at the now grown-up fans of the original. Another manga aimed at children called "Kinnikuman Nisei: All Chōjin Dai-Shingeki" was published in V-Jump. The anime was first broadcast in Japan on TV Tokyo on January 1st, 2002 for 51 episodes until its cancellation on December 25th. Part of the reason the show lost viewers was the "Poison Pack" filler story arc that interrupted the Chojin World Grandprix. The anime was later broadcast in America on September 15, 2002 through 4Kids Entertainment on the Fox Box (now known as 4Kids TV). Remarkably, the anime was more popular in America than Japan and is one of the few anime that had a second season made especially for the American market. Although the series ended after that, the second season of Ultimate Muscle, titled Kinnikuman Second Generations ULTIMATE MUSCLE finally began airing in Japan on April 7, 2004 on TV Tokyo, but only 13 episodes were shown. (Its 1:00am timeslot losing many viewers.) The series resumed on January 4, 2006 as Kinnikuman Second Generations ULTIMATE MUSCLE 2 again at 1:00am. The manga is published in English by VIZ Media.

Mantaro Kinniku (also known as Kid Muscle in the English translations), comes from Muscle Planet. His family history is dedicated to wrestling. Mantaro's father, Suguru Kinniku (a.k.a. King Muscle), had entered almost every tournament to become a champion. But the Muscle League's old time enemies regrouped and formed the dMp (Demon Manufacturing Plant) and crashed landed at Mount Fuji. (The dMp are a parody of wrestling faction known as the nWo. The dMp's T-shirts are virtually identical in basic design to those of what are now considered classic nWo shirts: the letters dMp in white and surrounded by a single line forming a white box.)

Later, King Suguru ordered him to leave for the tournament and Mantaro refused to leave Muscle Planet. The entire army were sent to capture Mantaro, but it took a dirty trick to deported him to Earth. He arrived later somewhere in the Tokyo area (Kanto region) where he meet his first opponent Blood Killer (Addversarius) at a residential park. Ultimate Muscle knocked out Blood Killer completedly, with no additions, but he was subtracted from the rest of the tournament.

He begins to train on the constellation Hercules, his only way of entering the competition. His wackiness, muscle and strength had entered the competition. Mantaro had took hard steps that he hated it so much. Mantaro lost his fame on one match against the dMp, but increases in popularity later in other wrestling matches.

Two last matches were held in Spring break in Maui, and the final where Mantaro and Scar Face (Eskara) teamed up for the trophy.

Later came the Chojin Olympics to see Mantaro to get his hands on the trophy if he wins. The competition was really hard for him. He won some practices being almost last. When he made it to the tournaments, first he jumped his was to the pinball, despite his dislike, he was banging and hitting himself everywhere, especially in his back when the pinball prevented Mantaro from winning. At last, Mantaro broke a pinball and another one headed for him, but he managed to break the last one and he finally made it to the Chojin Olympics, the Chairman was nervous that Mantaro has entered the Chojin Olympics.

The manga continues with a fight against the Demon Seed, a group of evil villains, after then a small back story for Robin Mask, and currently a Tag Team Tournament taking place in the past.

There are a total of 77 episodes of Ultimate Muscle, and 2 movies based on the TV series.

Contents

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Characters

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Team AHO

The four star pupils from Hercules Factory Year 1.

  • Mantarō Kinniku (キン肉万太郎 Kinniku Mantarō) / Mantaro Muscle (Kid Muscle) - Mantaro was named after Ultraman Taro (Ultraman + Taro/Kinniku + Mantaro). Mantaro's favorite wrestling move is his father's signature move, the Kinniku Buster (sometimes called the Butt Buster in the English dub, and currently called the Muscle Buster when used by current TNA X-Division Champion Samoa Joe) which he won much of his wrestling matches with until he gains his own signature move, Muscle Millennium. It reaches full power when he gets the strength of Ultimate Muscle Power. Mantaro is rather lecherous and lusts after many girls, but his main love interest is is Rinko Nikaido (Roxanne). His favorite food is galbi bowl, which he often sings about.
  • Terry the Kid (Terry "The Grand" Kenyon) - Son of Texan super wrestler Terryman and Japanese reporter Natsuko Shōno. Terryman was best friends with Mantaro's father Suguru, and Terry the Kid believes Suguru stole the limelight away from Terryman. Because of this he does not like Mantaro at first. He is initially assigned to Osaka after graduating from the Hercules Factory. He won almost half of the tournament, before he was severely hurt. Terry survives an operation after he is defeated by Scar Face (Eskara). In Chojin Crown qualifying round, he abandons the race to save a drowning boy, but he shows up later in the tournament as The Matenro's coach.
  • Seiuchin (Wally Tusket) - A big Irish walrus. His mother and sister Dorothy look very similar to him. Likes to eat fish. For some reason he (and his family) look up to Mantaro. He graduated second in his class and was initially assigned to protect Hokkaido.
  • Gazelleman (Dik-Dik Van-Dik) - A Tanzanian gazelle-type wrestler. He graduated top of his class and was given the esteemed assignment of protecting Tokyo, although later in the series he's portrayed as a comical loser who's always getting clobbered by evil chojin. His special techniques are "Antler Fist" and "Savannah Heat". His dub name has occasionally frequently mentioned by X-Play's Adam Sessler, who finds the name humorous.
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Hercules Factory Year 1

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Hercules Factory Drop-Outs

  • Samuu - A wrestler from India. He lost to Ramenman on his final wrestling test.
  • Canadian Boy (The Canuckler) - Son of Canadian legend Canadianman (Manitoban).
  • Special Man Jr. - Son of American legend Special Man. Anaconda impersonated him to infiltrate the Hercules Factory. It's unclear what happened to the real Special Man Jr.
  • Pantomimer - A Spanish pantomime Chojin.
  • Jigokuman (Hellman) - A skull-masked chojin
  • The Jack - A chojin with a Union Jack mask.
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Generation EX (Hercules Factory Year 2)

  • Dead Signal (Road Rage) - A living Traffic light from Japan. He can control his opponents movements by using various roads signs. Dead Signal's special move is the Sign Rotary Saw where the sign that makes up his head spins around like a buzzsaw blade to slice into his opponent. He was defeated by Mantaro in the first round of the Replacement Tournament (also the only member of Generation EX to lose in the first round).
  • Clioneman (Hydrozoa) - A clione Chojin from Russia. Hydrozoa can transform his body into several things, including a giant squid, a jellyfish, and a magnifying glass to use the sun's rays to create a deadly laser-type weapon. Hydrozoa's special move is the XYZ Crash, named so because XYZ are the last letters of the English alphabet, meaning that his matches end once he hits the move. He savagely defeated Wally Tusket in his match, but was beaten by Mantaro in the second round.
  • Jade (Jaeger/Jeager) - Brocken Jr.'s fellow German pupil (and later revealed to be Brocken's son). Jade was raised by an eldery couple before they were slain by thugs. His ultimate attack is Brocken's "The Red Rain of Pain" (a.k.a. "Red Rain of Berlin"). Another move he uses is the "Beefcake Hammer." He is defeated by Scarface (Eskara) in Maui, Hawaii, and fails to enter the finals. He later participates in the Chojin Crown. Unfortunately, he suffers another defeat, this time to yet another dMp member in disguise (Ricardo).
  • Scarface (Mars) (Eskara) - An Italian dMp that infiltrated the Hercules Factory under the guise of a mafia bruiser. His true name is Mars. Back at the dMp, he helped Kevin Mask survive the intense training, gaining a scar on his back in the process. Mars's specialty is that he imitates (and then improves) the special moves of other chojin. The previously mentioned scar on his back proved to be his undoing when he became the first victim of Mantaro's Muscle Millenium. He later fights for good as an "Idol Chojin".
  • Bath the Shower - A living bathtub from Finland. Appeared only in the V-Jump manga.
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dMp (Akugyo Chojin)

  • Kirinman (Doomsmane) - A Qilin wrestler from China and the head of the dMp Perfect Chojin. He and Shimaō were taking some of Sunshine's students to add to theirs. They were destroyed when Sunshine blew up their HQ.
  • Shimaō (Skulldozer) - A demon-like wrestler from Brazil and the head of the dMp Zangyaku Chojin. He and Kirinman were taking some of Sunshine's students to add to theirs. They were destroyed when Sunshine blew up their HQ.
  • Yashamu - A Japanese Yaksha-themed villain. Defeated by Gazelleman in the V-Jump manga.
  • Blood Killer/Bone Killer (Addversarious) - Mantaro's first opponent. A dMp agent from Peru.
  • Anaconda (Boaconda) - Mantaro's second opponent; he impersonated Special Man Jr. and fought Mantaro in a caged death match at the Hercules Factory. If it wasn't for Terry the Kid throwing peanuts at Anaconda, Mantaro wouldn't have defeated him. From India.
  • Kevin Mask - The son of English legend Robin Mask, he hated his strict upbringing and became a member of the dMp to rebel. While in training, his life was saved by Scarface. He later turned his back on the dMp and became a sort of free agent chojin. He later became a finalist in the Chojin Olympics. Although he lost in the anime version, the original manga had Kevin win the Chojin championship in the final match against Mantaro. The name Kevin Mask is a play on a major wrestling star Kevin Nash. His signature moves include the Big Ben Bash, Tower Bridge, and the Olap Stretch.
  • Tel-Tel Boy (Dial Bolic) - A walking, talking cell phone from Hong Kong. When he was up against Mantaro, rain devastated him and his phone lines cut off from the tournament which resulted a lead to Mantaro's victory. In Japan, a teru-teru bouzu is a doll made from a tied up piece of cloth to ensure skies stay clear and rain doesn't fall.
  • Max Man (Pumpinator) - The grandson of Sneagator (Shocadile), an old-generation Akuma Chojin that was defeated by Mantaro's father. He can transform into a giant athletic shoe. Mantaro figures out that a shoe's worst enemy is stepping in feces. Hails from Atlanta, Georgia.
  • The Rigany (Cranky Doodle Craw Daddy) - An American crayfish wrestler and one of a few remnants of the dMp. Under the name "Masakazu Tamura", he would put on a (barely) human disguise and appear at singles bars. Keiko agreed to compensated dating with him, but Rinko stepped in and saved her. He captured Rinko and Mantaro had to fight him. ("The Rigany" is a Japanese pun on Zarigani (crawfish).)
  • Puri-Puri Man (Monsieur Cheeks) - Literally, a giant butt-head from Cameroon. His attacks include "Gas Explosion" and the "Butt Driver". This character actually made a cameo as an Akuma Chojin in the original Kinnikuman manga.
  • Shumokūn (Hammerhead) - A shark from Tahiti. Despite his fearsome appearance, he has a softer side.
  • The Fax - A former grade school classmate of Gazelleman from Tanzania who fell in with the dMp. A living fax machine; he can fax other chojin to and fro. Only appeared in the V-Jump manga.
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The Nightmares

  • Sunshine - The head of the dMp Akuma Chojin and one of the dMp founders. He tries to gain the Akuma Chojin superiority within the new dMp with his two star pupils CheckMate & Rex King. From Nazca, Peru.
  • Rex King (Tyrannoclaw) - One of Sunshine's star pupils, Rex King is from the United States. (probably from Dinosaur, Colorado) His special attack is called the "Jurassic Hand" with which his hand becomes a dinosaur hand. In truth, he is actually is a dinosaur and his "Jurassic Hand" is his real head and what appears to be his "head" is a fake. He pummeled Terry the Kid with his brutal attacks, but Mantaro helped out Terry by telling chillingly bad jokes (coldness being a dinosaur's weakness).
  • Checkmate - An Akugyo Chojin from Monaco trained by Sunshine. At first he is a sadist that is incabable of feeling pain, but after being bested by Mantaro, he turns over a new leaf and became a New Generation Seigi Chojin. His attacks are modelled after chess pieces for King, Knight, and Rook.
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No Respect (The Gruesome Threesome)

  • Fork the Giant (Forkolossus) - A murderous, living forklift from planet Doboku.
  • Hanzō - From the planet Iga, his life was destroyed when his face was practically burned off as a baby (which gave him a lifelong fear of fire). Embittered, he turned to evil, skinning his enemies' faces and wearing them. Special moves include "Kugutsu Hitogata" (Tatami Puppet) and "Otsura Chōdai" (Mt. Fuji Facelift).
  • Bone Cold - Bone Cold was the most deadly and vile of No Respect, and is the son of Kinkotsuman (Skullduggery), and old rival of Kinnikuman and Terryman. Bone Cold is an assassin, taking requests from criminals to kill Chojin. Without a paid contract, Bone Cold does not kill, making him different from his teammates. His name is an obvious play on Stone Cold Steve Austin.
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Poison Pack

These characters appeared only in the second movie and as filler in the TV anime.

  • Baron Max-A-Million - The Leader of the Poison Pack is a caped baron that fought Mantaro. He moves very fast and has two incarnations that he can become: Maximum Max-A-Millon and Max-A-Million Overdrive.
  • Dazzle (Dazz-Ling) - Dazzle is a demonic character with a Jamacian accent. He is the first cousin to Bananaman. He attacks other wrestlers with his illusion casting and his Be-Dazzler Signature move
  • The Protector - A one-eyed knight-like wrestler that is powerful and tough to take down unless if you find his weak spot.
  • El Kaerun (Frogman/Mister French) - An amphibious Frenchman with the body of a frog. His unfair techniques included throwing Seiuchin's family into a pool covered with sticky saliva and attacking with his long toungue from behind the ropes of the ring.
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Chojin Olympics: The Resurrection

  • The Matenrō (Sly-Scraper) - An American made from a stretchable 110-story high hotel, he can deliver deadly power bombs.
  • Ricardo - A Brazilian Submission Artist. When he cracks up, his dMp roots are revealed and turns into the "Lord of Darkness", a merciless fighting machine. His signature finishing move is the Brazilian Nutcracker. In an electrifying semifinal match (literally), Ricardo is beaten by Mantaro.
  • Wash Ass (Hollywood Bowl) - A Peruvian wrestler modeled after toilet seat. After his master Benkiman had been defeated by Kinnikuman, Wash faced Mantaro in the first round, but was defeated.
  • Pri-Clun (Photo-Pat) - A Croatian wrestler with unknown gender. When Photo-Pat takes a snapshot, everyone in its path turns into photograph. Its name is a parody of the "Print Club" photo-sticker machines that are all over Japan.
  • Destruction (D-Struction) - An Iraqi wrestler with 3 horns on his head. The horns can be used as radar. One of his biggest fans is Saddam Hussein, who came in person to see him compete.
  • Legocs (Blocks) - A Dutch wrestler made of toy bricks that can transform into different shapes. However, a black brick among the blocks is the weak point. This led to his defeat in his match against Kevin Mask.
  • Barrier-Free Man - A Swedish composite chojin: Nils, a young wrestler who cares for the eldery and the old man Jijoman, who was a wrestler in his youth who has mastered many submission moves, but he was cast out of the wrestling ring for his cheating ways and sealed in a tree. He tricked Barrier Freeman into letting him become a part of him, giving the native wrestler his fighting style. Barrier Freeman's special abilities is alter his body so Jijoman can fight.
  • Ilioukhine (Comrade Turbinski) - A Russian wrestler that can transform into various forms of aircraft. He was defeated by Kevin Mask in the semifinals.
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Demon Seed

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Legends (Original Muscle League)

The heroes from the previous Kinnikuman series, they have come forth to train the next generation of seigi chojin.

  • Meat Alexandria - Suguru's old friend, who taught the man all he knew. He entered suspended animation until Mantaro came to Earth. Meat became Mantaro's trainer. He was born in the Churrasco Tribe of Kinniku Planet, but because of his high intellect, his father Mince entrusted him to King Mayumi of the Kinniku tribe for the greater good of the planet. He has two sisters, Medium Rare Alexandria and Galbi Liver Alexandria, and an unseen brother named Miche.
  • Suguru Kinniku (King Muscle) - Mantaro's Father and 58th King of Kinniku Planet. Although he was the greatest in his time, Suguru is now 58 years old and flabby. Mantaro graduates from the Hercules Factory by defeating Suguru. His birthday is April 1, 1960, and his favorite food is Gyudon. Named after baseball player Suguru Egawa.
  • Terryman - Terry the Kid's father. A parody of Terry Funk. His best friend is Suguru Kinniku.
  • Robin Mask - Kevin Mask's father and instructor at the Hercules Factory. Robin Mask is based on Billy Robinson.
  • Buffaloman - A titanic Spanish instructor at the Hercules Factory. Terry the Kid had to defeat him to graduate from the Hercules Factory. Buffaloman is based on the late Bruiser Brody.
  • Ramenman - A kung-fu wrestler from China who trained wrestlers in Hercules Factory. Samuu failed to defeat him and thus did not graduate. He also gave some early teaching to Mantaro.
  • Brocken Jr. - The son of Nazi German wrestler Brockenman; he was the one that trained Jade (and in the American version at least, is secretly Jade's father). His father was killed by Ramenman during a Chojin Olympics match. He sought revenge and built up an impressive 200+ victory undefeated streak. He then lost to Ramenman himself when he finally got the chance for vengeance in a concrete deathmatch. Because of Japan's increasing cultural sensitivity, his infamous swastikas on his arms from the original manga are now absent.
  • Warsman/Kuroe (Lord Flash) - A former-Soviet robot who moved to England and took a new identity as Kuroe to train Kevin Mask, just as Robin Mask trained him. First appeared in 3-legged race as Kevin Mask's partner. In Chojin Crown tournament, Kuroe served as Kevin Mask's trainer. At the end of the tournament, Kuroe's mask broke and revealed his true identity.
  • Mayumi Kinniku - (Mayumi Muscle) - Suguru's father and Mantaro's grandfather. Was the King of Kinniku Planet before Suguru. His wife Sayuri has died since the original Kinnikuman manga.
  • Harabote Muscle (Vance McMadd) - The Chairman of the Intergalatic Wrestling Federation (IWF) and rival of Mayumi Kinniku. He is based on WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. He has two children, Ikemen (based on Shane McMahon) and Jaqueline (based on Stephanie McMahon)
  • Bibimba (Belinda Muscle) - Wife of King Suguru. Her father Horumon Yāki is chief of the Horumon tribe. Her name is a play on Bibimbap.
  • The Ninja (Ninja Ned) - His student Kokumo was killed by Hanzo.
  • Ataru Kinniku (Sgt. Muscle) - Mantaro's uncle, also known as Kinnikuman Soldier. Named after Ataru Egawa, brother of Suguru Egawa.
  • Mince (Minch) - Chief of the Churrasco Tribe. He is Meat's long-lost father.
  • Rikishiman - A Japanese sumo that teaches at the Hercules Factory. He is called "Wolfman" in the manga because he was originally modelled after "Wolf" Chiyonofuji Mitsugu.
  • Kanibase
  • Geronimo
  • Curry Cook
  • Jesse Maivia - gets name from the wrestler Peter Maivia (grandfather of WWE's The Rock)
  • King Cobra
  • Chienowaman
  • Pentagon (Starface)
  • Neptuneman - For over 30 years this former Perfect Chojin lived in England in peace as Quarrelman. But after the Time Chojin attack, he returns to active duty as Neptuneman and sneaks aboard the H.M.S. Kevin Mask timeship with Mantaro and the New Generation.
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Others

  • Rinko Nikaidō (二階堂凛子 Nikaidō Rinko) / Roxanne - A kogal that was adopted at infancy by Suguru's old girlfriend Mari Nikaido. Mantaro falls in love with her when he first meets her.
  • Keiko (恵子) / Kiki (in the English anime) - A friend of Roxanne's that was bullied in school. She almost ended up prostituting herself to The Rigani to pay off the bullies.
  • Tamaki Maekawa (前川たまき Maekawa Tamaki) / Trixie (in the English anime) - A ganguro kogal that bullied Keiko, she later befriends Roxanne and Keiko.
  • Yoneo Sasaki - A fat, effeminate man who is a big fan of Mantaro's. Much to Mantaro's dismay, he ended up being partnered with Yoneo during the Chojin Olympic Preliminaries. Very little is known about him, but he has been seen riding in a limousine with men who refer to him as "Chairman".
  • Kuan - A wild boy chojin that befriends Mantaro after a devastating loss.
  • Kazuo "Aderans" Nakano(Doc Nakano) - Everpresent Color commentator with a loose toupee.
  • Announcer Yoshigai(Mac Metaphor) - Wherever there's a wrestling match, Yoshigai is there as the Play-by-play announcer.
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Tournaments

  • New Generation Replacement Tournament - After being fed up with four of the New Generation (Kid Muscle, Terry Kenyon, Wally Tusket and Dik Dik Van Dik... a.k.a. Team AHO) slacking off, chairman Vance McMadd devised a tournament where they would have to fight four rookies (Jaeger, Scarface, Road Rage and Hydrazoa... a.k.a. Generation EX) for the right to be stationed in Japan. If all combatants from either side were eliminated, the other side would win, even if they did not make it to the finals. All of Team AHO was defeated in the first round except for Kid Muscle. Kid Muscle would make it to the finals against Scarface (now revealed to be Mars, part of the dMp) and win to keep he and his friends stationed in Japan.
  • Chojin Olympics/Chojin Crown - The tournament which Kid Muscle reluctantly participates in. After going along with the obstacles, (made so that he could not participate), he qualified. The tournament featured Kid Muscle against Kevin Mask in the finals. Their fathers had faced each other in the finals several years before, Kid's father being the winner of that encounter. The outcome of the match has a bit of controversy surrounding it. In the original manga, Kevin Mask won the Chojin Crown. However, the anime had Kid Muscle come out as the victor. Some fans would have preferred that the anime kept the original ending to the fight with Kevin being the winner. The most probable reason for the ending change was so that the anime could end on a high note, having the main star win in the final battle. If the anime series were to continue beyond that, the original ending most likely would have been used.
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Editing

Image:Meat usa2.jpg The Viz manga uses the English anime names and is edited to be more in line with the North American anime release, while keeping a T+ (for ages 16 and up) rating. In other words, Viz gets rid of the comical nudity by placing underwear on the characters. Some fans find these edits ridiculous, since the T+ rating is eqivlent to an R rating (only a one year difference), which have been known to get away with allowing nudity and because Viz has allowed nudity to appear in other manga they have published (such as Inu Yasha and Dragon Ball, which was published at a T rating for ages 13 and up).

Perhaps the most bizarre act of censorship was on the English language version of the anime by 4Kids Entertainment. All the characters with kanji on their foreheads (save Mantaro) had these kanjis digitally erased. Yudetamago were told that it was done because Americans were afraid their children would write on their foreheads with markers, but in reality it was done to Americanize it. After the anime was cancelled in Japan, Fox Broadcasting Company ordered a second season made for the American market and ordered Toei Animation not to draw the offending forehead kanji. When this second season was later broadcast in Japan, many Japanese fans were confused or angered by the change.

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External links

Template:Mangalistja:キン肉マンII世

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