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{{Infopelicula
{{Tab<!-----
|credits    =Magic Serpent/Credits ------->
}}
{{Infobox Film|ratings=yes
|type1      =Normal
|type1      =Normal
|type2      =Red
|type2      =Red
|header      ={{Kaijup}} {{Film}}
|image      =MagicSerpentJPNPoster.jpg
|image      =MagicSerpentJPNPoster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for The Magic Serpent
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Magic Serpent
|name        =''The Magic Serpent''|titles=yes
|dt          =''Magic Serpent'' (1966)
|jp-title    =''The Mystic Dragons' Decisive Battle''
|name        =''Magic Serpent''|titles=yes|alt-titles=yes
|jp-title    =''Great Mystic Dragon Battle'' (1966)
|director    =Tetsuya Yamanouchi
|director    =Tetsuya Yamanouchi
|producer    =Shigeru Okada
|writer      =Masaru Igami
|writer      =Masaru Igami, Mokuami Kawatake (story)
|composer    =Toshiaki Tsushima
|composer    =Toshiaki Tsushima
|distributor =Toei{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>American-International Television{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|produced    =[[Toei]] Kyoto Studio
|runtime    =86 minutes{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 26 minutes)}}<br />83 minutes{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 23 minutes)}}
|distributor =[[Toei]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}, [[American International Pictures|AITV]]{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<ref name="Craig">{{cite book|title=American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography|author=Craig, Rob|date=2019|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|pages=243, 429|isbn= 9781476666310}}</ref>
}}
|runtime    =86 minutes{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 26 minutes)}}<br />84 minutes{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 24 minutes)}}
{{Clear}}
|aspectratio =2.35:1{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>1.33:1{{sup|[[United States|US]] TV}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Water
|type2      =Dark
|image      =ZarkorrPoster.jpg
|caption    =The American poster for Zarkorr! The Invader
|name        =''Zarkorr! The Invader''
|director    =Michael Deak, Aaron Osborne
|producer    =Charles Band, Sally Clarke,<br>Michael Deak, Albert Band (executive)
|writer      =Neal Marshall Stevens
|composer    =Richard Band
|distributor =Full Moon Entertainment{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|rating      =PG
|runtime    =80 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 20 minutes)}}
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Fire
|type2      =Grass
|image      =KraaPoster.jpg
|caption    =The American poster for Kraa! The Sea Monster
|name       =''Kraa! The Sea Monster''
|director    =Aaron Osborne, Dave Parker
|producer    =Kirk Edward Hansen<br>Charles Band (executive)
|writer      =Neal Marshall Stevens
|composer    =Carl Dante
|distributor =Full Moon Entertainment{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|rating      =PG
|runtime    =69 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 9 minutes)}}
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Water
|type2      =Fire
|image      =NegadonJPNPoster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Negadon: The Monster from Mars
|name        =''Negadon: The Monster from Mars''|titles=yes
|jp-title   =''Great Planet Monster Negadon''
|director    =Jun Awazu
|producer    =Kazuki Sunami
|writer      =Jun Awazu
|composer    =Shingo Terasawa
|distributor =CoMix Wave{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>Central Park Media{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|runtime    =21 minutes
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Water
|type2      =Ocean
|image      =ReigoPoster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Reigo: The Deep-sea Monster vs The Battleship Yamato
|name        =''Reigo: The Deep-sea Monster<br>vs The Battleship Yamato''|titles=yes
|jp-title    =''Deep Sea Monster Reigo''
|director    =Shinpei Hayashiya
|producer    =Hisako Iwai, Hajime Okano,<br>Atsuko Iwai (executive)
|writer      =Shinpei Hayashiya, Keita Toriumi
|composer    =Keiichiro Kitazono
|distributor =InterMedia{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}
|runtime    =81 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 21 minutes)}}
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Normal
|type2      =Rock
|image      =BigManJapanJPNPoster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Big Man Japan
|name        =''Big Man Japan''
|director    =Hitoshi Matsumoto
|producer    =Akihiko Okamoto, Yasushi Minatoya (executive)
|writer      =Hitoshi Matsumoto, Mitsuyoshi Takasu
|composer    =Towa Tei
|distributor =[[Shochiku]], Phantom Film{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>Magnet Releasing{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|rating      =PG-13
|gross      =$9,694,904<br>{{Small|([[Japan]] Earnings)}}<br>$70,681<br>{{Small|(Foreign Earnings)}}<br>$9,765,585<br>{{Small|(Total Earnings)}}
|runtime    =113 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 53 minutes)}}
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Grass
|type2      =Fire
|image      =Deep Sea Monster Raiga poster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Deep Sea Monster Raiga
|name        =''Deep Sea Monster Raiga''
|director    =Shinpei Hayashiya
|producer    =Shinpei Hayashiya, Yutaka Arai
|writer      =Shinpei Hayashiya
|composer    =Keiichiro Kitazawa
|distributor =Crossroad{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}
|runtime    =81 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 21 minutes)}}
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Grass
|type2      =Normal
|image      =Monsters2010Poster.jpg
|caption    =The British poster for Monsters
|name        =''Monsters''
|director    =[[Gareth Edwards]]
|producer    =Allan Niblo, James Richardson,<br>Nick Love (executive), Rupert Preston (executive), Nigel Williams (executive)
|writer      =[[Gareth Edwards]]
|composer    =Jon Hopkins
|distributor =Vertigo Films{{sup|UK}}<br>Magnet Releasing{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|rating      =R
|budget      =$500,000
|gross      =$1,442,663<br>{{Small|(UK Earnings)}}<br>$2,800,315<br>{{Small|(Foreign Earnings)}}<br>$4,242,978<br>{{Small|(Total Earnings)}}
|runtime    =94 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 34 minutes)}}
}}
{{Clear}}
{{Infopelicula
|type1      =Water
|type2      =Fairy
|image      =jellyfish-eyes-poster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for ''Jellyfish Eyes''
|name        =Jellyfish Eyes
|director    =Takashi Murakami
|producer    =Chiaki Kasahara, Yoshihiro Nishimura
|writer      =Jun Tsugita, Yoshihiro Nishimura<br>Takashi Murakami (story)
|composer    =kz, Yoshihiro Ike
|distributor =GAGA Corporation{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>Janus Films{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|runtime    =101 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 41 minutes)}}
}}
}}
{{Clear}}
'''''Magic Serpent''''' {{Nihongo|怪竜大決戦|Kairyū Daikessen|lit. "''Great Mystic Dragon Battle''"}} is a [[1966]] [[tokusatsu]] fantasy [[kaiju]] [[:Category:Kaiju Films|film]] directed by Tetsuya Yamanouchi and written by Masaru Igami based on the [[Japan]]ese folktale "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya." Produced by [[Toei]]'s Kyoto Studio, it stars Hiroki Matsukata, Tomoko Ogawa, and Ryutaro Otomo. Toei released it to [[Japan]]ese theaters on December 21, 1966 and it was brought to [[United States|American]] television syndication via [[American International Pictures|American International Television]] in [[1970]].{{R|Craig}}
{{Infopelicula
{{TOC}}
|type1      =Dark
==Plot==
|type2      =Rock
{{Plot Missing}}
|image      =Day of the Kaiju Poster.jpg
To be added.
|caption    =The Japanese poster for ''Day of the Kaiju''
==Staff==
|name        =Day of the Kaiju
{{Staffs
|director    =Kazuhiro Nakagawa
|Directed by|Tetsuya Yamanouchi
|producer    =Kazuhiro Nakagawa
|Written by|Masaru Igami
|writer      =Kazuhiro Nakagawa
|Planned by|Shigeru Okada, Takesuke Shinkai
|composer    =Masaaki Sasaki
|Music by|Toshiaki Tsushima
|budget      =¥700,000
|Theme song performed by|Young Fresh
|runtime    =30 minutes
|*Lyrics by|Masaru Igami
|*Composed by|Toshiaki Tsushima
|Cinematography by|Motoya Washio
|Edited by|Tadao Kanda
|Production design by|Seiji Yada
|First assistant director|Yuji Makiguchi
|Special effects photographers|Shigeru Akatsuka, Kunio Kunisada
|First assistant director of special effects|Akiyasu Tawarazaka
}}
}}
{{Clear}}
==Cast==
{{Infopelicula
{{Cast
|type1      =Water
|Hiroki Matsukata|Ikazuchimaru Ogata, aka Jiraiya
|type2      =Fire
|Tomoko Ogawa|Tsunade
|image      =LoveAndPeacePoster.jpeg
|Ryutaro Otomo|Orochimaru
|caption    =The Japanese poster for ''Love & Peace''
|Bin Amatsu|Daijo Yuki
|name        =Love & Peace
|Nobuo Kaneko|Dojin Gama
|director    =Sion Sono
|Izumi Hara|Spider Woman
|producer    =Hirohumi Shigemura, Hidetoshi Yamamoto,<br>Naoto Miyamoto, Atsushi Moriyama,<br>Masao Teshima, Eiichi Kamagata,<br>Takeshi Suzuki
|Kensaku Hara|Zenbei
|writer      =Sion Sono
|Yumi Suzumura|Osaki
|composer    =Yasuhiko Fukuda
|Takao Iwamura|Koshirota
|distributor =[[Toho]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>[[]]{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|Toshio Chiba|Momobe
|gross      =¥53,000,000
|Daizen Shishido|Ikkansai
|runtime    =117 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 57 minutes)}}
|Kenji Kusumoto|Jihei
|Kuniomi Kitani|Donen
|Michimaro Otabe|Honai
|Masataka Iwao|Kido
|Shinichiro Hayashi|Samanosuke Ogata
|Chiyo Okada|Kureha
*Akira Shioji
*Mitsukazu Kawamura
*Katsuki Chikamatsu
|Masatoshi Oya, Seizo Fukumoto|ninja
}}
}}
{{Clear}}
===International English dub===
{{Infopelicula
{{Cast|notice=no
|type1      =Rock
|Ted Thomas|Ikazuchimaru Ogata
|type2      =Ground
|Barbara Laney|Koshirota
|image      =MonstersDarkContinentPoster.jpg
*Michael Kaye
|caption    =The British poster for ''Monsters: Dark Continent''
|name        =Monsters: Dark Continent
|director    =Tom Green
|producer    =Rory Aitken, Allan Niblo,<br>Rupert Preston, Ben Pugh,<br>[[Gareth Edwards]] (executive)<br>Scoot McNairy (executive)<br>David Pugh (executive)
|writer      =Tom Green, Jay Basu
|composer    =Neil Davidge
|distributor =Vertigo Films
|rating      =R
|gross      =$52,750<br>{{Small|(UK Earnings)}}<br>$251,731<br>{{Small|(Foreign Earnings)}}<br>$304,481<br>{{Small|(Total Earnings)}}
|runtime    =119 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 59 minutes)}}
}}
}}
{{Clear}}
===Titan Productions English dub===
{{Infopelicula
{{Cast|notice=no
|type1      =Dark
|Earl Hammond|Orochimaru
|type2      =Electric
|Lucy Martin|Tsunade
|image      =Kaiju Mono Poster.jpg
|Bernard Grant|Daijo Yuki
|caption    =The Japanese poster for ''Kaiju Mono''
|Bret Morrison|Zenbei / Momobei / Ikkansai / Samanosuke Ogata
|name        =Kaiju Mono
|William Kiehl|Jihei / Donen / Kido / ninja
|director    =Minoru Kawasaki
|producer    =Yukihiko Yamaguchi, Kazutaka Sekiya,<br>Minoru Kawasaki
|writer      =Minoru Kawasaki, Takao Nakano
|composer    =Ryo Nakamura
|distributor =ARC Films
|runtime    =93 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 33 minutes)}}
}}
}}
{{Clear}}
==Appearances==
{{Infopelicula
===Monsters===
|type1      =Ground
*Giant Toad
|type2      =Normal
*Giant Dragon
|image      =TheHostPoster.jpg
*Giant Eagle
|caption    =The South Korean poster for ''The Host''
*Giant Spider
|name       =The Host
==Gallery==
|director    =Bong Joon-ho
{{Main|Magic Serpent/Gallery}}
|producer    =Yong-bae Choi, Neung-yeon Joh,<br>Tae-sung Jeong (executive),<br>Woo-taek Kim (executive)
==[[United States|U.S.]] release==
|writer      =Baek Chul-hyun, Bong Joon-ho
''Magic Serpent'' was released directly to television syndication in the [[United States]] by [[American International Pictures|American International Television]] in 1970. Despite the existence of an English dub commissioned by Toei, AITV had the film dubbed at Titan Productions, where voice actor Bret Morrison both directed and gave voice to several supporting characters. AITV's version of the film is uncut, save for the opening credits: in Toei's version, the credits play over a montage of Jiraiya's training throughout his adolescence, while AITV editors Emil and Eli Haviv shortened the credits and used a montage of still shots of the Giant Dragon as a backdrop. The song "Forward, Jiraiya!" was also replaced by instrumental music from elsewhere in the film. Additionally, all of the monsters' roars were replaced with those of existing monsters: the Giant Toad uses [[Rodan]]'s roar, the Giant Dragon uses both [[Godzilla]] and [[Gaira]]'s roars, the Giant Eagle uses [[Mothra]]'s chirp, and the Giant Spider uses [[wikia:w:c:ultra:Kiyla|Kiyla]]'s roar.
|composer    =Lee Byung-woo
 
|distributor =[[Toho]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>[[]]{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
[[Shout! Factory]] will release ''Magic Serpent'' to Blu-ray on February 27, 2024, as part of a set of seven [[Toei]] films titled ''Classic Tokusatsu Collection''. Retitled ''Dragon Showdown'', it will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles.<ref name="Shout!">{{cite web|url=https://shoutfactory.com/collections/new-upcoming-releases-1/products/classic-tokusatsu-collection-exclusive-poster?variant=40477947166854|title=Classic Tokusatsu Collection + Exclusive Poster|date=12 February 2024|work=Shout! Factory}}</ref> The company made the film available on its streaming service, Shout! Factory TV, earlier in the month.
|rating      =R
==Alternate titles==
|budget      =$11,000,000
*'''''Great Mystic Dragon Battle''''' (literal Japanese title)
|gross      =$64,621,107<br>{{Small|(South Korean Earnings)}}<br>$24,810,783<br>{{Small|(Foreign Earnings)}}<br>$89,431,890<br>{{Small|(Total Earnings)}}
*'''''The Magic Serpent''''' (U.S. DVD title)
|runtime    =119 minutes<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 59 minutes)}}
*'''''Dragon Showdown''''' (U.S. streaming and Blu-ray title)
*'''''Grand Duel in Magic''''' (international English title)
*'''''Grand Duel of Ninjas''''' (Singapore English title)
*'''''Monsters of the Apocalypse''''' (''Les Monstres de L'Apocalypse''; French theatrical title)
*'''''Ninja Apocalypse''''' (French video title)
==Video releases==
'''[[wikipedia:Fred Olen Ray#2000s to present|Retromedia]]/Image Entertainment''' DVD (2004)
*'''Region:''' 1
*'''Discs:''' 1
*'''Audio:''' English (2.0, Titan Productions dub)
*'''Subtitles:''' None
*'''Special features:''' None
*'''Notes:''' Cropped to 1.33:1. Packaged with ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos#U.S. release|Return of the Giant Monsters]]''. Retromedia added sound effects to the film to justify the copyrighting of this "special edition."
 
'''Toei Video''' DVD (2004)
*'''Region:''' 2
*'''Discs:''' 1
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (1.0)
*'''Subtitles:''' Unknown
*'''Special features:''' Theatrical trailer, textless trailer
 
'''Shout! Factory''' Blu-ray (February 27, 2024) [''Classic Tokusatsu Collection'']<ref name="Shout!"/>
*'''Region:''' Unknown (A guaranteed)
*'''Discs:''' 4
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio Mono)
*'''Subtitles:''' English
*'''Special features:''' None
*'''Notes:''' Packaged with ''[[wikipedia:Planet Prince|Prince of Space]]'' (1959), ''[[wikipedia:Invasion of the Neptune Men|Invasion of the Neptune Men]]'' (1961), ''Watari the Ninja Boy'' (1966), ''[[wikipedia:The Golden Bat|Golden Ninja]]'' (1966), ''Ninja Scope'' (1967), and ''[[wikipedia:Terror Beneath the Sea|Terror Beneath the Sea]]'' (1966).
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">mpFbvcmzP3Y</youtube>|Clip from the international<br>English dub of ''Magic Serpent''}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">YQesl0UCJZ0</youtube>|Comparison of the two <br>English dubs of ''Magic Serpent''}}
}}
}}
==Trivia==
*Fragments of an international English dub for ''Magic Serpent'' appear on the film's French theatrical dub. The complete dub remains undiscovered.
*Toei reused the Giant Toad and Giant Dragon suits for their 1967 TV show ''[[wikia:w:c:tokusatsu:Kamen no Ninja Akakage|Masked Ninja Akakage]]'', although the former lost its nasal horn.<ref name="MNA">[[File:Dragon and Toad Are (Not) Friends.jpg|150px]]</ref>
*Promotional artwork featuring the Giant Toad would later be reused and heavily altered by Yamapro to become the ''[[Pachimon]]'' monster Shirako.
*''Magic Serpent'' was loosely remade in 1970 as ''Young Flying Hero'' (小飛侠, ''Xiao Fei Xia''), a Taiwanese martial arts fantasy that also features a giant toad and a dragon as a major set piece.<ref name="TarsTarkas">{{Cite web|url=http://tarstarkas.net/2009/07/young-flying-hero/|title=Young Flying Hero (Review)|work=TarsTarkas.NET|author=Tarkas, Tars|date=22 July 2009}}</ref>
==External links==
*[http://www.clubdesmonstres.com/best/htm/magicserpent.htm ''Magic Serpent'' image gallery on Club des Monstres]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Kaiju Movies|tab=JP}}
{{Comments|scroll=yes}}
{{Era|TOE|SHO|FIL}}
[[Category:Films]]
[[Category:Showa Films]]
[[Category:Japanese films]]
[[Category:1960's Films]]
[[Category:Historical dramas]]
[[Category:Films dubbed into English twice]]
[[Category:Films dubbed by Titra/Titan]]
[[Category:Films dubbed in Hong Kong]]

Latest revision as of 21:51, 20 March 2024

Article.png
Image gallery for Magic Serpent


Magic Serpent
The Japanese poster for Magic Serpent
Alternate titles
Flagicon Japan.png Great Mystic Dragon Battle (1966)
See alternate titles
Directed by Tetsuya Yamanouchi
Written by Masaru Igami
Music by Toshiaki Tsushima
Production company Toei Kyoto Studio
Distributor ToeiJP, AITVUS[1]
Running time 86 minutesJP
(1 hour, 26 minutes)
84 minutesUS
(1 hour, 24 minutes)
Aspect ratio 2.35:1JP
1.33:1US TV
Rate this film!
3.63
(8 votes)

Magic Serpent (怪竜大決戦,   Kairyū Daikessen, lit. "Great Mystic Dragon Battle") is a 1966 tokusatsu fantasy kaiju film directed by Tetsuya Yamanouchi and written by Masaru Igami based on the Japanese folktale "The Tale of the Gallant Jiraiya." Produced by Toei's Kyoto Studio, it stars Hiroki Matsukata, Tomoko Ogawa, and Ryutaro Otomo. Toei released it to Japanese theaters on December 21, 1966 and it was brought to American television syndication via American International Television in 1970.[1]

Plot

X no sunglasses.PNG “I knew that『plot』wasn't up to much.”
This plot synopsis is missing or incomplete.
Please help by editing this section.

To be added.

Staff

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

  • Directed by   Tetsuya Yamanouchi
  • Written by   Masaru Igami
  • Planned by   Shigeru Okada, Takesuke Shinkai
  • Music by   Toshiaki Tsushima
  • Theme song performed by   Young Fresh
    • Lyrics by   Masaru Igami
    • Composed by   Toshiaki Tsushima
  • Cinematography by   Motoya Washio
  • Edited by   Tadao Kanda
  • Production design by   Seiji Yada
  • First assistant director   Yuji Makiguchi
  • Special effects photographers   Shigeru Akatsuka, Kunio Kunisada
  • First assistant director of special effects   Akiyasu Tawarazaka

Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Hiroki Matsukata   as   Ikazuchimaru Ogata, aka Jiraiya
  • Tomoko Ogawa   as   Tsunade
  • Ryutaro Otomo   as   Orochimaru
  • Bin Amatsu   as   Daijo Yuki
  • Nobuo Kaneko   as   Dojin Gama
  • Izumi Hara   as   Spider Woman
  • Kensaku Hara   as   Zenbei
  • Yumi Suzumura   as   Osaki
  • Takao Iwamura   as   Koshirota
  • Toshio Chiba   as   Momobe
  • Daizen Shishido   as   Ikkansai
  • Kenji Kusumoto   as   Jihei
  • Kuniomi Kitani   as   Donen
  • Michimaro Otabe   as   Honai
  • Masataka Iwao   as   Kido
  • Shinichiro Hayashi   as   Samanosuke Ogata
  • Chiyo Okada   as   Kureha
  • Akira Shioji
  • Mitsukazu Kawamura
  • Katsuki Chikamatsu
  • Masatoshi Oya, Seizo Fukumoto   as   ninja

International English dub

  • Ted Thomas   as   Ikazuchimaru Ogata
  • Barbara Laney   as   Koshirota
  • Michael Kaye

Titan Productions English dub

  • Earl Hammond   as   Orochimaru
  • Lucy Martin   as   Tsunade
  • Bernard Grant   as   Daijo Yuki
  • Bret Morrison   as   Zenbei / Momobei / Ikkansai / Samanosuke Ogata
  • William Kiehl   as   Jihei / Donen / Kido / ninja

Appearances

Monsters

  • Giant Toad
  • Giant Dragon
  • Giant Eagle
  • Giant Spider

Gallery

Main article: Magic Serpent/Gallery.

U.S. release

Magic Serpent was released directly to television syndication in the United States by American International Television in 1970. Despite the existence of an English dub commissioned by Toei, AITV had the film dubbed at Titan Productions, where voice actor Bret Morrison both directed and gave voice to several supporting characters. AITV's version of the film is uncut, save for the opening credits: in Toei's version, the credits play over a montage of Jiraiya's training throughout his adolescence, while AITV editors Emil and Eli Haviv shortened the credits and used a montage of still shots of the Giant Dragon as a backdrop. The song "Forward, Jiraiya!" was also replaced by instrumental music from elsewhere in the film. Additionally, all of the monsters' roars were replaced with those of existing monsters: the Giant Toad uses Rodan's roar, the Giant Dragon uses both Godzilla and Gaira's roars, the Giant Eagle uses Mothra's chirp, and the Giant Spider uses Kiyla's roar.

Shout! Factory will release Magic Serpent to Blu-ray on February 27, 2024, as part of a set of seven Toei films titled Classic Tokusatsu Collection. Retitled Dragon Showdown, it will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles.[2] The company made the film available on its streaming service, Shout! Factory TV, earlier in the month.

Alternate titles

  • Great Mystic Dragon Battle (literal Japanese title)
  • The Magic Serpent (U.S. DVD title)
  • Dragon Showdown (U.S. streaming and Blu-ray title)
  • Grand Duel in Magic (international English title)
  • Grand Duel of Ninjas (Singapore English title)
  • Monsters of the Apocalypse (Les Monstres de L'Apocalypse; French theatrical title)
  • Ninja Apocalypse (French video title)

Video releases

Retromedia/Image Entertainment DVD (2004)

  • Region: 1
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: English (2.0, Titan Productions dub)
  • Subtitles: None
  • Special features: None
  • Notes: Cropped to 1.33:1. Packaged with Return of the Giant Monsters. Retromedia added sound effects to the film to justify the copyrighting of this "special edition."

Toei Video DVD (2004)

  • Region: 2
  • Discs: 1
  • Audio: Japanese (1.0)
  • Subtitles: Unknown
  • Special features: Theatrical trailer, textless trailer

Shout! Factory Blu-ray (February 27, 2024) [Classic Tokusatsu Collection][2]

Videos

Clip from the international
English dub of Magic Serpent
Comparison of the two
English dubs of Magic Serpent

Trivia

  • Fragments of an international English dub for Magic Serpent appear on the film's French theatrical dub. The complete dub remains undiscovered.
  • Toei reused the Giant Toad and Giant Dragon suits for their 1967 TV show Masked Ninja Akakage, although the former lost its nasal horn.[3]
  • Promotional artwork featuring the Giant Toad would later be reused and heavily altered by Yamapro to become the Pachimon monster Shirako.
  • Magic Serpent was loosely remade in 1970 as Young Flying Hero (小飛侠, Xiao Fei Xia), a Taiwanese martial arts fantasy that also features a giant toad and a dragon as a major set piece.[4]

External links

References

This is a list of references for Magic Serpent. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Craig, Rob (2019). American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp. 243, 429. ISBN 9781476666310.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "Classic Tokusatsu Collection + Exclusive Poster". Shout! Factory. 12 February 2024.
  3. Dragon and Toad Are (Not) Friends.jpg
  4. Tarkas, Tars (22 July 2009). "Young Flying Hero (Review)". TarsTarkas.NET.

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