The Mobile Cop Jiban
A cyborg detective fights Biolon to protect justice.
The Mobile Cop Jiban (機動刑事ジバン, Kidō Keiji Jiban) is a Japanese tokusatsu television series that marks the eighth installment of the Metal Hero Series franchise and the first entry produced during the Heisei period. Created by Toei and broadcast on TV Asahi, it aired from January 29, 1989, to January 28, 1990, spanning 52 episodes and a feature film released on July 15, 1989. Toei's International Sales & Promotion Department lists its official English title as simply *Jiban*. The series was conceived as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of the *8-Man* manga and anime series.
The story follows Naoto Tamura, a rookie detective in Central City who is killed in the line of duty by a Bionoid Monster. Dr. Kenzo Igarashi, whose earlier experiments inadvertently created the Bioron syndicate, revives him as Jiban—a cybernetic police detective built to combat the syndicate. After being killed by Madogarbo and Rhinonoid, Jiban is resurrected as Perfect Jiban, identical in design but with a blue metal body and three new weapons. In the finale, Biolon destroys Jiban's base and transforms Madogarbo into a doppelganger of Jiban. Jiban defeats this duplicate and ultimately Gibanoid, the true form of Biolon's leader, Dr. Giba. After the victory, Jiban learns that Mayumi Igarashi—the only civilian who knew his secret—is actually his long-lost younger sister.
Naoto Tamura can shift between his human identity and his cyborg form as Jiban, holding the rank of deputy police commissioner as a robot and detective as a human. His programming grants him three directives: arrest criminals without a warrant under any circumstances, punish Bioron members on his own judgment, and use lethal force as the situation demands. In human form, Naoto often acts foolishly, earning the disdain of colleagues Youko and Kiyoshiro, though Youko begins to warm to him after suspecting he is Jiban.
Mayumi Igarashi is the sole civilian aware of Jiban's secret. She loses her memory after falling from a waterfall during a battle, and later receives a "Bomb Ring" from Madogarbo that will detonate if Naoto approaches her as Jiban. She calls Naoto her "big brother," only to discover in the finale that he truly is her brother. Her adoptive parents, Shun'ichi and Shizue Igarashi, were relocated as witnesses to Biolon and resume their lives as her foster parents in the finale. Dr. Kenzo Igarashi, Shun'ichi's fa
- Series Title
- The Mobile Cop Jiban
- Japanese Title
- 機動刑事ジバン (Kidō Keiji Jiban)
- International English Title
- Jiban
- Franchise
- Metal Hero Series (8th entry)
- Period
- Heisei period (first entry)
- Production Company
- Toei
- Broadcaster
- TV Asahi
- Episodes
- 52
- Feature Movie Release
- July 15, 1989
Lore & Background
The plot follows Naoto Tamura, a new detective in Central City, who 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 Jiban, a cybernetic police detective equipped to take on the syndicate. 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 a doppelganger of Jiban himself. 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.
Reader's Guide
The Mobile Cop Jiban is significant as the first Metal Hero Series entry of the Heisei period and as a tribute to the 25th anniversary of the 8-Man manga and anime series. Its narrative centers on a cyborg detective with a set of articles and laws that serve as his directives, much like RoboCop's prime directives, but granting him greater freedom. The series introduced a range of equipment, including the Super Police Machines Reson, Vaican, and Spylas, and weapons such as the Maximillian Type 3. The character of Ryo Hayakawa, played by Ryouhei Kobayashi, later appeared as Fumiya Hoshikawa / Five Black in the 1990 sentai series Chikyu Sentai Fiveman. The series' legacy includes its international English title simply as Jiban and its influence on subsequent tokusatsu productions.
Did You Know?
- The series is a tribute to the 25th anniversary of the 8-Man manga and anime series.
- Jiban's programming includes an attachment that allows lethal force depending on the circumstances.
- The character Ryo Hayakawa was played by Ryouhei Kobayashi, who later played Fumiya Hoshikawa / Five Black in Chikyu Sentai Fiveman.
- Jiban's base was destroyed by Biolon in the finale, and Madogarbo was transformed into a doppelganger of Jiban.
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