Messenger of Allah (Arā no Shisha) was a Japanese
tokusatsu superhero television series produced by Toei Company starring
Sonny Chiba, then known as Shin'ichi Chiba, as the lead. It was created by writer Yasunori Kawauchi, who was also responsible for creating
Moonlight Mask and
Seven Color Mask. The series ran from July 7, 1960 to December 27, 1960 on NET (now
TV Asahi) for a total of 26 episodes.
- Author Appeal: Kawauchi had recently converted to Islam when he began the series.
- Enforced Plug: Messenger of Allah was sponsored by the Kabaya Foods Corporation. The Kabayan Kingdom, His Imperial Highness Coconut and Mammy were named after the sponsor's products "Kabaya Caramel Coconut" and the "Mammy" brand bisquits from Morinaga & Company.
- Gold and White Are Divine: The heroic Messenger of Allah wears a gold and white suit.
- Manga: An adaptation was serialized in Adventure King magazine. Ironically, that survived
when the majority of the show didn't. - Secret Identity: Messenger of Allah's secret identity is Goro Narumi, a private investigator.
-
Spiritual Successor: To Yasunori Kawauchi's Moonlight Mask and Seven-Color Mask. All three shows have a Badass Normal detective who changes into a masked hero. - Treasure Map: Coconut and Mammy used one on their search.
- Ur-Example: The titular hero was the first Muslim superhero made in Japan.
