THE SEVEN ARTS OF MARINE BOY

 

I completely adored Marine Boy as a kid, a TV cartoon like no other.

The music and the intro are imprinted on my brain and I couldn't wait for each new episode. 

I had no idea it was early Anime. The world would have meant nothing to me back then,

I never had any Marine Boy toys and I'm surprised about that, but I doubt there were many available, if any. A gumball like this Japanese one would have been terrific.

A rare tin Yonezawa sub would have blown my mind! Image courtesy of Mark Bergin toys.

Those major predators, the giant steel crab and the huge lobster appearing in the intro, were phenomenal and I loved those fleeting images, along with the Marineville-type underwater HQ, adorable mermaid and tech to die for, namely MB's cool red sub with its glass pipe portal and who can forget Marine Boy's power boots and the fabulous Oxygum, chewing gum full of oxygen.

Did you like Marine Boy on TV?

FANTASY FACADES

I've been watching the TV intro to Marine Boy, one of my fave cartoons as a kid.

Part of the intro shows a large building descending into the ocean, which is very dramatic animation.

Watching it I couldn't help noticing how similar the Marine Boy building is to that much more famous facade, the Thunderbird 2 launch bay on Tracy Island.

Coincidence?

DREAMING OF MARINE BOY'S SUB P1

I was a huge fan of Marine Boy as a kid.

I can hear that high-pitched Anime theme tune in my mind right now, the words Seven Arts imprinted on my brain. The animation was just fabulous.

Marine Boy's sub was always so cool as he swept through the skies and zoomed through the seas.

I don't think there was a Marine Boy toy sub around. I certainly never had one.

As you'd expect Imai made a kit and here are two built by avid Japanese fans online.

Here's a scratch built version that a fan's made on You Tube.

But its a toy I would have wanted as a kid.

Was there anything out there back then like the P1?

There was the Clifford Cruiser 3.

Not red and white though.

How about the Chinese Small Moonship?

Not bad! Its red and white!

What do you think?

I think there was a French Aerocar toy or similar too but I just can't pinpoint it.

Can you think of anything else like the P1?

MARINE BOY GUMBALL

Its not often you see a Marine boy collectable.

This is n my photo archive from an old Japanese auction.

It looks like a small gumball toy in the shape of a basic flying saucer with Marine Boy pictured on a flat disk.

Oddly enough it does remind me a tiny bit of Marine Boy's actual ship.

What do you think?