Line #29 Series/RobotDetective


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/k_joker.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350: K posing in front of Joker.]]
3
4	''Robot Detective'' was a series lasting through April 1973-September 27, 1973. It was a {{tokusatsu}} by Creator/ShotaroIshinomori about an android named K who fought against the schemes of the terrorist organization BAD, who created robots to commit various crimes.
5
6	[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5iQ5MVTFwQ The show's being made available]] by Toei in 2020 with official English subs to promote the show overseas.
7
8	----
9
10	!! This series provides examples of:
11	* AndroidsAndDetectives: Pretty much
12	* ArmCannon: It's not used until later in the run, though.
13	* BattleStrip: When entering Blow-Up Mode, K rips off his human clothing and throws it into the air with a mighty yell.
14	* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: K's belt has a giant "K" on the buckle.
15	* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler: K's creator's brother is the BigBad.]]
16	* ChestBlaster: K has a cannon hidden in his right breast.
17	* ChestInsignia: Belt variation - K wears a prominent "K" on his buckle.
18	* CoolCar: Joker, K's souped-up patrol car. (Built around a Nissan Fairlady Z - Datsun 240Z in the US.)
19	* FantasticRacism: The Chief Inspector despises K because he is a robot and nearly resigns from his position at one point. He gets better later on though.
20	* FlyingCar: Joker, literally.
21	* JobTitle
22	* EyeColorChange: K normally has yellow eyes. They turn blue when he's [[LivingMoodRing sad]], [[RedEyesTakeWarning red when he's pissed (or during battle)]], and silver in Blow-Up mode.
23	* MidSeasonUpgrade: Blow-Up mode.
24	* MonsterOfTheWeek: The criminal robots hired out by BAD fill this role.
25	* MoreDakka: Blow-Up form.
26	* NewPowersAsThePlotDemands: Or as much as this trope can apply to robots... If the situation warrants it, K will swap out parts for more suitable ones. (In episode 8, for example, he swaps in some anti-electricity equipment to deal with Kaminari-man's Thunder Beam.)
27	* ObviouslyEvil: Their name is BAD. That means they're probably, well, bad.
28	* OneLetterName: K, our eponymous Robot Detective. (One song refers to him as "Kei", though.)
29	* PaperThinDisguise: Ganrikiman (from Episode 14) doesn't seem to get recognized as a robot when in disguise despite the fact that his head looks like a giant pair of binoculars and only covers his face with a scarf.
30	* PeopleInRubberSuits: Used to create K and the robots he fights.
31	** Averted when K's wearing normal clothes - the suit actor[[note]]a different one from the rubber suit actor[[/note]] is pretty obviously wearing only the mask.
32	* PluckyComicRelief: Jihei Jigoku, the "information salesman".
33	* ProfessionalKiller: One way BAD operates is to sell out one of their robots for assassinations.
34	* RummageSaleReject: K intentionally dresses like this (yellow cap, red blazer, white pants) to avoid scaring people, as robots aren't commonplace in the setting. Averted when he wears a snappy trenchcoat over all that (and this is an image that tends to stick).
35	* ShoutOut: The series itself is a homage to Creator/IsaacAsimov's works, specifically the ''Literature/IRobot'' series of stories. In particular, the Chief Inspector is a direct {{Expy}} of Elijah Baley, with his relationship with K mirroring Baley's relationship with R. Daneel Olivaw.
36	* SignatureHeadgear: K wears a bright-yellow flat cap whenever he's out and about.
37	* SomethingPerson: BAD's robots tend to have names ending in "-man".
38	* SpiritualSuccessor: ''Series/TokusouRoboJanperson'' has more than a few things in common with K.
39	* SuperSenses: K is equipped with various electronic sensory devices that aid him in searching for clues or tracking perps. These include very sharp hearing, radar, telescopic vision, and a spectrograph in his eyes.
40	* ThisIsADrill: K gets a Drill Arm in Blow-Up Mode.
41	* ThisIsAWorkOfFiction: A blue standalone panel following each episode's end-credits reminds the viewer (tongue-in-cheek?) that this program is not based on accounts of real robot detectives.
42	* ThemeNaming: The plot of Episode Eight revolves around a trio of siblings named Ichiro, Jiro, and Saburo - "first son," "second son," and "third son," respectively.
43	* TransformationSequence: To get out of his disguise, he'd throw his coat and hat up in the air (they always folded together), and his Blow Up mode.
44	* TurnsRed: Literally, for Blow-Up mode.
45	* WallCrawl: Nanatsuman, the criminal robot in episode 5, could walk on ceilings with suction cups on his feet.
46	* WhatMeasureIsAMook: K has no problem killing the Mooks, even though they are part-human(cyborgs). He has a policy of [[FridgeLogic not killing humans]]...
47	** Of course this leads to WhatMeasureIsANonHuman. Since the Mooks aren't fully human (and of course are often trying to destroy the heroes) K can get away with killing them.

Context Series / RobotDetective