Hiroshi Miyauchi Is A Stone Cold Pimp

True

I have sung the praises of Hiroshi Miyauchi anywhere I can find a forum on the Internet. He is my all-time favorite superhero actor. Not just Japanese superhero actor, but favorite superhero actor overall.

Miyauchi isn't the best thespian to ever play a superhero. He probably isn't the ideal physical specimen. But doggone it, the man has charisma to spare, and I've never seen anyone have a better time giving the business to bad guys while wearing a funny suit. He tackles his roles with conviction and humor, and you can tell they really matter to him. Plus, he is cool. Just look at him!

Hiroshi Miyauchi rose to prominence playing the alter ego of the title character in KAMEN RIDER V3 in the early 1970s. But I'd argue it was later in the decade when Miyauchi truly came into his own. In shows like HIMITSU SENTAI GORANGER, JAKQ DENGEKI TAI (photo source), and most especially KAIKETSU ZUBAT, he distinguished himself from the rest of the pack. ZUBAT is so essential Miyauchi that his portrayal of Ken Hayakawa has largely defined his career.

Even as a guest star, Miyauchi shines. He practically steals the direct-to-video GAORANGER VS. SUPER SENTAI (2001) from the rest of the cast, which includes other veterans of vintage sentai shows. And then, there's the Japanese Spider-Man series. Miyauchi is in a grand total of two episodes, but wow, he makes an impression in them. Best of all, I can demonstrate his prowess because of them.

Marvel's official website offers free legal videos of the entire Japanese Spider-Man series, complete with English subtitles. Nothing is going to replace my limited DVD box set in my heart, but this is still one of the greatest boons to Japanese superhero fans in the history of the Internet. (Now, how about swinging a DVD on demand release, huh?)

Anyway, here are Hiroshi Miyauchi's two episodes of SPIDERMAN :

Episode 31 - "No Tomorrow For The Detective And Son"

Episode 39 - "The Greatest Martial Arts Tournament In The World"

WARNING : OWARI takes no responsibility for you being utterly rocked by the preceding videos.

Hiroshi Miyauchi is still going strong, as this page amply demonstrates. He is simply a treasure, and someone for whom the term "larger than life" is just not even adequate as far as I'm concerned.