What true history will be revealed next?
Time Bokan! The explosive phenomenon that allows one to travel through space-time into the past. In the past, a history unlike that in the textbooks, one that's super hilarious, the True History, waits for you!
In the early 21st century, a junior high student named Tokio lives his ordinary life, going to school and memorizing the boring textbooks. But the fates wouldn't have it that way (since then there would be no show) and he's suddenly trusted forward in time to the 24th century! Once there, he learns a shocking truth: the history that he knew, that he had to study for his tests?
Complete and utter bogus.
The stunningly beautiful queen of ancient Egypt, Cleopatra? Actually a comic duo of Cleo and Patra. Momotarō, the fearless warrior from folklore, who defeated an army of Ogres? The guy's an even bigger asshole than the demons! Faced with this knowledge, Tokio, more or less unwillingly, becomes a field agent for Space-Time Administration Bureau. Together with his new partner Calen, her pet bird Peralino, and a robotic sidekick named Pikobo, they'll travel through time and space on board the Mechabuton, a stag beetle-shaped Transforming Mecha, in order to find the True History!
There is a dark force that opposes the Bureau, however. History Paradise, the world's largest textbook publishing company, does not want the True History to come to light. For if that would've happen... they'd have to reprint and refund all of their history textbooks, and that would simply be too costly! That's why they choose three of their "elite" employees, Bimajo, Tsubuyakky and Suzukky, to become the Akudama trio and foil Tokio and Calen's mission!
Time Bokan 24 is a Time Travel Anime series that is the newest iteration of the Time Bokan meta-series. It's one of two productions commemorating the Tatsunoko Production's 55th anniversary, the other being Infini-T Force. It is co-produced by Level-5, which will provide the mecha designs. It premiered during the Fall 2016 season, and is availablenote for simulcast and streaming on Crunchyroll here
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A second season was announced for 2017. Titled Time Bokan 24: The Villans Strike Back, the new season switches perspective and makes the Akudarma the focus characters this turn around.
3... 2... 1... Tropes!!
- Achievements in Ignorance: Tokio is able to successfully Time Bokan due to being "loose" with time (misremembering dates, being late for events, etc.), which somehow allows him to slip into different time periods with ease.
- Alternate History: The whole point of the show. In their universe at least, everything we have written down as historical fact is in fact wrong.
- Arc Number: 24. The agency is located in the 24th century, they have 24 mechs in storage, and the series consists of 24 episodes.
- Artistic License – Paleontology: Humans lived alongside the dinosaurs during the Mesozoic era. Not only that, they also domesticated them. On the other hand, Tyrannosaurus rex has feathers.
- Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Momotaro tries to play the part of the humble, hardworking, family devoted pretty boy to all of his fans, but it's really all an act in order to make them buy his merchandise. And his heroic partners? Really just repo men.
- Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: Cleo and Patra are one of these, and were actually pretty terrible at it. Tokio and Calen taught them how to do a proper manzai act. They also happen to work as a manzai duo themselves, with Tokio often being the straight man to Calen's eccentricities.
- Breaking the Fourth Wall: In the last episode, the Akudarma are told by Oyadarma that they're being replaced by another program for the next six months in between seasons. He was referring to their programming block being taken by the second season of My Hero Academia, which would be a case of Leaning on the Fourth Wall if only they didn't actually show the name of the series to explain themselves and advertise.
- Breather Episode: The Christmas Episode. So far, it's the only one which didn't require a True History.
- Butt-Monkey: Tokio gets hit with this, especially during the Mechabuton launching sequences.
- Christmas Episode: Episode 13. It's also a Breather Episode.
- The Charmer: Momotaro most definitely. Even when Calen and Bimajo call him out on his overpricing and generally shitty attitude, he just turns on the charm and gets them to become devoted fans in hardly a minute.
- Cosplay Otaku Girl: Calen insists on dressing up appropriate to whenever they arrive, even if she always ditches the costume shortly after.
- Creator Provincialism: Japan has way more historical events visited than any other country, for obvious reasons.
- Creator's Culture Carryover: Whenever the duo go back in time to find the True History, the people there indulge in quite a few Japanese pasttimes like Manzai acts or idol concerts.
- Decomposite Character: History did it for Mr. Light, turning him into two hardworking brothers rather than one bicycle light repairman and his scarecrow.
- Edutainment Show:
- For the first time in the series, the show actually taught the audience some things about places and history in episode 6. They gave us some interesting facts about the Tottori and Shimane prefectures fueling the whole episode.
- This element of the show gets more emphasis in The Villains Strike Back, which largely drops the totally made up "True Histories" in favor of presenting weird-but-true trivia about each episode's subject.
- Enemy Mine: In episode 4, both teams get stranded in the Mesozoic, forcing them to work together in order to survive. It went a little too well.
- Establishing Character Moment: For the Akudarma trio, their first scene in their civilian clothes. They are (A) eating dollar store ramen from the same cup, (B) complaining about the backbreaking work they'd have to do rewriting history books if the True History is discovered, and (C) working for Oyadrama, who threatens them with punishment if they fail. Tells you everything you need to know.
- Expy: Tokio and Calen's designs take a lot from Tanpei and Junko, the protagonists of the first Time Bokan show.
- Other than the Akudama trio being one for Time Bokan's Time Skeletons and Yatterman's Dorombo Gang, Oyadarma is obviously one for Yatterman's Dokurobei. They've even got the same current voice actor and a Verbal Tic, darma!
- The Faceless: Oyadarma, just like his predecessor Dokurobei.
- Fanservice: Provided by both Bimajo and Calen.
- The Ghost: Calen's boyfriend.
- Halloween Episode: Episode 6... at least in the beginning. It starts out with Tokio in Shibuya square watching everyone trick or treat, but it very quickly becomes a case of a Game Show Appearance instead.
- Hero Antagonist: Tokio and Calen during season 2. They even gain a third person to hang out with them on adventures, just so they can have an antagonistic trio of their own.
- Jeanne d'Archétype: Episode 12 features one. And she's a Magical Girl (not the weirdest thing she's been in fiction)... in her thirties.
- Lemony Narrator: With a bit of Large Ham thrown in. He can't say a sentence without screaming it from the top of his lungs, and pity the poor fool who has to be described by him...But we can't blame him though, since his true form is the almighty Shigeru Chiba.
- Mecha Expansion Pack: The Mechabuton can combine with bug-shaped Mini-Mecha called the Bokan Mecha to gain new weaponry. For example:
- Kumo Motor combination turns stag beetle Mechabuton into a giant fist.
- Kattonbo combination turns Mechabuton robot form into a giant baseball player.
- Hachiburu-n combination makes Mechabuton a pirate, with the bee's stinger becoming the robot's hooked hand.
- Meaningful Name: Our main time-travelers are named Tokio (time) and Calen (calendar).
- Mythology Gag: Several:
- The Akudama Trio share their name with Zenderman's villain crew.
- Tokio shares his name with Wataru Toki from Yattodetaman, and Calen is an alternate romanization of Princess Karen's name.
- The basis of the plot is the opposite of Otasukeman's one, where Tomomot asked the Ojamaman trio to go back in time and change history so that it matches with what he wrote in his bogus history book.
- Just like Junko in the original Time Bokan, Calen is also looking for a loved one throughout time and history.
- The mech sendoff is done by reciting the infamous "TIIIIIME BOKAAAAN!" yell from the original series' opening.
- In a combination of Actor Allusion, the Akudama Trio are voiced by the same actors who played the Doronbo Gang in Yatterman Night.
- In the fourth episode, the dance that the Akudarma Trio, Calen, and Tokio do is the Yatterman Victory Pose dance.
- The second ending song's animation and dance moves for the Akudarma Trio are similar to the original Time Bokan's own ED sequence.
- Parodies of Fire: Episode 5 has one.
- Pre Historia: Where the gang travels to in Episode 5. Oddly enough, they discover that the dinosaurs back then are little more than pets for the protohumans.
- Pun: Halloween's "Trick or Treat" (Toriku o Toriito) turns out to have come from a popular guessing game "Tottori or Shimane", where contestants would try to guess which fun facts belong to either the Tottori or Shimane prefectures.
- Hachiko turns out to be a bee (Hachi), also named Hachi.
- Punch-Clock Villain: The Akudama Trio are really just extremely underpaid office workers for the History Paradise. If not for their boss, they wouldn't even bother going back in time to meddle with the heroes' mission.
- Retool: The premise is slightly tweaked to protecting/finding Dynamonds between seasons, and the supporting cast is completely changed. This is lampshaded.
- Sensible Heroes, Skimpy Villains: Played with; while Bimajo wears sensual clothing like you'd expect for a Time Bokan villainess, Calen has a see-through skirt.
- Serious Business: Bug catching in the Sengoku period. Not only is every military rank named after a certain type of bug, but catching rare bugs raise your status to the point where finding the rarest one of all makes you ruler of Japan.
- "Shaggy Dog" Story: Tokio, Calen, and Bimajo decide to compete in the "Tottori or Shimane" quiz show in order to get a million yen (Tokio) and a love charm (Calen and Bimarjo) respectively. When Calen and Tokio win the game, they come to find that the money they won in the competition would end up having to adjust for 21st century inflation, bringing it to a mere 100 yen. And the charm wasn't a charm at all— just a True History gem.
- Shout-Out:
- In episode 7, the trio is dressed as the main characters of Cat's Eye with their iconic Spy Catsuit.
- Episode 7 also starts with Tokio watching 48 on his laptop, a parody of 24.
- In addition, episode 7 is about a bee named Hatchi, looking for his mother. This is a nod to Honeybee Hutch (hence the name).
- Tokio owns a Komugi figure.
- The Commander debriefs Calen and Tokio in the style of Sekai Fushigi Hakken.
- Episode 12 has a character that looks very similar to Nui Harime.
- In episode 14, one scene cuts to a Dig Dug-like format as the Akudarma are being chased around by ninjas.
- Episode 22 has an obvious parody of The X-Files, with a maturely drawn Tokio and Calen.
- Stock Footage: For the usual stuff, we have the time blast-off, Tokio calling out mechs, and the victory dance.
- Strictly Formula: The kids find a True History signal, get sent to the past, interact with the source of the signal for a while, do battle with the Akudarma trio, take a random mech out of storage and combine with it to get the leg up on the Akudarma, and then bring the True History back to home base. Rinse and repeat.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: The Akudarma Trio get their well-deserved happy ending at the end of the Christmas Episode.
- Terrible Trio: Leaving out this trope in a Time Bokan series would be heresy. This time, the role is inherited by the Akudama - Bimajo, Tsubuyakky and Suzukky, who work for the History Paradise company.
- Transforming Mecha: The Mechabuton can transform from his stag beetle form into a humanoid one.
- Set Right What Once Went Wrong: The Bureau's main mission is to uncover the much more amusing True History, which was somehow replaced by the history we know from textbooks.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: While it might be understandable that Tokio isn't too worried about Momotaro being a real person as opposed to a folklore character, there's nothing to say for his nonreactions to a man with a pheasant head.
- Verbal Tic: Peralino's "Pera!" and Oyadarma's "Darma!".
- Villain Protagonist: The Akudarma, in the second season.
- Villain Song: The second ending theme.
