Ever since making its debut in
monthly manga magazine “Shonen King” in 1969,
Mochizuki Mikiya’s “Wild 7” has wowed its
readers with its “Super Action Violence” and gritty
cop drama.
For 30 years readers have read the exploits of these unconventional
motorcycle vigilantes. The stories of the “Wild 7”
have been collected into 48 “tankobon” special
volumes and has spawned three sequels. It has also been adapted
into both a short lived live-action series and two animated
series.
Many have likened the story to Robert Aldrich’s “The
Dirty Dozen” (MGM, 1967) and its themes have also been
incorporated into many other subsequent shows such as “Sukeban
Deka” (Toei, 1985).
Predating the American show “A-Team” (NBC/ Stephen
J. Cannell Productions, 1983) by almost a decade, the TV Show
was considered one of the most gritty and violent shows on
Japanese TV at the time and many Japanese PTA organizations
rallied against the show.
“Wild 7” is still a fan favorite even today and
collections of the original work have also made its way to
UK and US audiences in the form of translated manga collections.
The original OVA Anime was also released to VHS in both dubbed
and subbed forms.
Recently, the “Wild 7” name was used in the movie
“Battle Royale II: Requiem” (Toei, 2003). In the
movie, the “Wild 7” are the terrorist group of
former Battle Royale Program survivors who have banded together
to wage war against all adults.
While the basic premise was the same for both the TV show
and the Manga, certain elements were changed for dramatic
effect. The show involved more espionage and anti-terrorism
storylines than vigilante, gritty cop drama. One of the main
opponents of the “Wild 7” was the International
Criminal Organization known as “Spider” which
seemed to resemble SPECTRA from the James Bond movies. The
show was criticized by many Japanese PTA groups regarding
the amount of violence in its stories. “Wild 7”
was eventually cancelled in light of all the negative backlash.
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