Mighty Morphin'... Spider-Man?!

[Obviously]

http://www.youtube.com/w/toei-spider-man-ep-1---fansubbed-in-english?v=LOHwSnAIVc8&search=japanese%20spider-man

This is one of the most insane things I've ever seen, the Japanese live action version of Spider-Man. The scary thing is it was very popular and considered a classic television show in Japan and it also helped establish the formula used in future Super Sentai shows (shows like the Power Rangers) along with shows like Ultraman and Kamen Rider. It's incredibly cheesy and hilarious mainly because it's Spider-Man.

[David J.]

I'm a huge Sentai and Kamen Rider fan, but yup this show is pretty damn cool. Even cooler... Stan Lee is in an interview on the Japanese DVD box set of the show which was released recently. Don't expect it to be pretty common in the future, if you want it, buy it now.

Now, Marvel worked with Toei on another live action show, the Super Sentai Battle Fever J, but it has had no DVD release yet, nor it appears it is going to. In a few years I'll be buying a few offical sentai series.... so hmm...

[Obviously]

When Spider-Man called in the giant robot I think I just about lost it.

I know about Battle Fever J as well, it was supposed to be the Japanese answer to Captain America wasn't it? Apparently Spider-Man doesn't have a DVD release either, at least not an official one.

[David J.]

Oh it does, Toei released it eariler this year or late last year.

http://www.toei-video.co.jp/DVD/sp21/spiderman.html
http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=DSTD-2367

It's a limited release, and they mean limited.

[GeckoYamori]

What did Stan Lee think about it?

[Obviously]

Some people claim he wanted it to have a US release but I don't know how true that is.