Dynamoman (1992 anime)

Dynamoman (ディナモマン, Dinamoman), is a 1992, children's superhero/mecha anime series based on a Dynamoman manga by Takuya Makoto, which published in 1987 by Shogakukan. The anime aired from 1992 to 1995 on Fuji TV in Japan and ran for 245 episodes. It was also aired aired in the US from 1994 to 1999 on J-Kids, as well as airing in France from May 1995 until mid-2007. Like all of Takuya Makoto's works, the anime's drawing style is similar to Matt Groening's The Simpsons, which is the reason why Makoto is friends with Groening. It is produced by DYNAMO, which Dynamoman got its name from.

In 1995, the anime spawns several, 1-minute shorts that aired in Fuji TV in Japan and later inserted as animated segments in The Simpsons World in the US shorts. A live-action adaptation of the anime was released theatrically in March 2017 in Japan. Another entry in the franchise, Dynamoman Hero, began airing in January 2017 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Dynamoman franchise.

Plot
Fragments of the Star Shard (スターシャード, Sutāshādo) are scattered across the land in Japan's community. Three heroes, known as Dynamomen, are summoned by the Super Security Squad (スーパーセキュリティスクワッド, Sūpāsekyuritisukuwaddo) leader in a task to gather all the Star Shards, which when all fused together, will allow them to use unlimited number of wishes. The Star Shards are targeted by not the Dynamomen, but also by the villainous duo known as the Kinbōbō Gang (キンボーボーギャング, Kinbōbōgyangu) (known in English as The Viles), who both look extremely similar to Mr. Burns and Waylon Smithers from The Simpsons.

The Dynamomen are always assisted in all times by the small robot named Dynamo-kun (ダイナモくん, or simply "Dynamo"), who turns into a giant mecha whenever he either senses justice or the Kinbōbō Gang summoned giant monsters. Dynamo-kun can also turn into any vehicle, such as a bulldozer or a drilling machine. Not that there are only one, Dynamo-kun, but other robots, known as the Mech Dynamos, which all can assume fusion to Dynamo-kun to create more powerful robots.

Like The Marikas, also by DYNAMO, Dynamoman has huge references, homages and parodies of both Japanese and American popular cultures, which all developed a cult hit among both Japanese and Western audiences.