Before Spider-Man, Japan birthed a skull-faced golden maniac in street paper theater. Respect your elders.
The dramatized tale of the 1935 creation of Japan's first superhero, the "Golden Bat", alongside the changes during and after the Second World War, not just to the hero himself, but the art of "kamishibai" picture stories that he originated from.
Production
Recreated kamishibai performances with obsessive period detail.
Direction
Ishida juggles four genres like he's personally offended by consistency.
Costume
That golden skull design still slaps almost 90 years later.
Director
Katsumune Ishida
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Golden Bat predates Superman by a year and literally every Japanese superhero owes him their existence. You're welcome, anime.
Keiju Kobayashi was 50 playing a struggling street performer in his 20s; the makeup budget for aging him DOWN was apparently half the film.
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