The Mobile Cop Jiban

The Mobile Cop Jiban (機動刑事ジバン, Kidō Keiji Jiban) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series which serves as the 8th entry in the Metal Hero Series franchise, and the first entry in the Heisei period. Produced by Toei and aired by TV Asahi in Japan from January 29, 1989, to January 28, 1990, it ran for 52 episodes and a feature movie aired on July 17, 1989. According to Toei's International Sales & Promotion Department, the series' English title can be referred to as Jiban.

The premise for the series combines elements from the American film RoboCop and the 1970s tokusatsu Robot Detective. Jiban was also aired in the Philippines on IBC from 1992 to 1993.

The opening catchphrase of the series is: "This is the drama of a girl's and a young man's hearts which love people and protect justice." (これは人を愛し、正義を守る若者と少女の心のドラマである。, Kore wa Hito o Aishi, Seigi o Mamoru Wakamono to Shōjo no Kokoro no Dorama de aru.)

Plot[edit | edit source]

Naoto Tamura, a new detective in Central City, is killed by a Bionoid Monster in the line of duty. Doctor Kenzo Igarashi, a man whose experiments had been responsible for the Bioron syndicate's existence, brought the man back to life as a cyborg detective, Jiban. Eventually Madogarbo and Rhinonoid killed Jiban, who returned to life again as Perfect Jiban (basically the same design as the original, but with a blue-colored metal body and three new weapons). In the finale, Biolon destroyed Jiban's base and transformed Madogarbo into false Jiban. Jiban defeated his duplicate and ultimately Gibanoid, the true form of Biolon's leader Doctor Giba. The victorious Jiban then learned that Mayumi Igarashi, the one civilian that knew his secret, had been his missing younger sister all along.