I’ve watched the 2008 of Yatterman on local TV, so I am surprised that they did a different take on this.
Yoru no Yatterman (Yatterman Night) is a 12-episode series done by Tatsunoko Production as part of the Time Bokan series that has celebrated its 40th anniversary. This stars Eri Kitamura, Kenta Miyake, Shizuka Itou, Hiroyuki Yoshino among others, and tells the story of Yatterman different from the one we’re used to.
The premise of the story was that there will be new ancestors to Yatterman and the Doronbow gang, and that the focus of the story will be on the latter — but as time passed, it has delivered more than what I have expected. The series has provided a more elaborative tone on what the new generation is by showing the backstories behind them. They did not even forget to pay respect to ye olden times by showing a few clips from the series when it aired a long time ago.
The story starts with a girl named Leopard (Kitamura), who lives in a place of exile. She and her comrades were seeking to get medicine for her ailing mother, and when they reached the border to Yatter Kingdom, Yattermen rejected their entry. They are now seeking to “flick the foreheads” of the Yatterman as Doronjo, Boyacky and Tonzra. Somewhere along their journey to the Yatter Kingdom, they met Galina (Yoshino) and Alouette (Itou), who eventually tagged in their journey.
The middle part has already gave me a hint of what will come in the end of the series, but looking at the conclusion of the story, my expectations were right-on, with additional adrenaline rush because what the future Yatterman # 2 Ai is has moved me, as if I melted on my seat during that scene in the final episode. Come to think of it, some cast members from the previous Yatterman remake in 2008 reprised their roles in this series.
I do have one comment with the last episode though — some action scenes are repetitive at most, which gives me a hint that they may have insufficient budget or human resources at the last minute; on the flip side, they might have intended this in the first place.
Should you watch Yoru no Yatterman? YES, especially to those who have watched either the Yatterman remake or ye old Yatterman of the 70’s. (Rating: 4 out of 5)