Kenji Ohba has thrilled millions of Japanese children in Space Sheriff Gavan, and he has now demonstrated on YouTube the prop replica his character wielded in the series. This stuntman and iconic actor (whose early credit as a suit actor in Android Kikkaider) would eventually co-star in sentai series Battle Fever J (Shiro Akebono/Battle Kenya) and Denshi Sentai Denziman (Daigoro Oume/Denzi Blue).
In this video from Bandai, Ohba demonstrates the 1:1 scale Laser Sword, Gavan’s signature weapon. The replica from Tamashii Labs has a die-cast handle. The blade contains 20 LEDs which light up bright blue when activated by running a hand over it. [Editors’ note: sounds like a modified lightsaber to me.] Buyers can recreate the iconic scene in which Gavan powers up his blade using birdnium energy.
With the original commercial removed, we have the toy review from S.H. Figurarts.
The hilt of the blade has two buttons. Each one is located on either side. One button is the “BGM Button.” When pressed it can play two pieces of music from the series. The second button is a “SoundEffects Trigger” that, when activated, can deliver Gavan battle shouts, and in addition, sounds of sword blows being landed or parried.
When done playing examining the prop, the Laser Blade can be mounted on a display stand made to look like Gavan’s hands and it’s made of wire.
The Laser Blade replica is scheduled for a January 28, 2017 release and will be made available through Premium Bandai for ¥16,200 ($159.07 USD/$121.09 GBP).
Space Sheriff Gavan originally ran a total of 44 episodes from 1982 to 1983. The story followed Retsu Ichijouji, a member of the Galactic Union Police as Space Sheriff Gavan. Gavan is sent to Earth to stop the space crime organization Makuu from turning it into a haven for the underworld. The show continued on for two more series each with a different actor playing a different member of the Galactic Union Police. Ohba himself would reprise his Retsu Ichijouji/Gavan role in the 2012 feature films Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Vs. Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie, Space Sheriff Gavan: The Movie and 2013’s Super Hero Taisen Z.
Source(s): CLAMP・ツバサニライカナイ編３巻発売, 菊地美香, SpaceSquad.net, Tamashii Lab and The Tokusatsu Network.
Video Source(s): バンダイ公式チャンネル.
