8 Man

8 Man, also known as Eightman, debuted as a pioneering television anime series in 1963, produced by TCJ (now Eiken) shortly after the success of Astro Boy. Created by writer Kazumasa Hirai and artist Jiro Kuwata, the series features a detective who is killed in the line of duty and resurrected as a cyborg. It is widely considered one of the earliest examples of the superhero genre in Japanese animation, establishing tropes of the tragic, futuristic defender that would influence decades of manga and anime.

The character design reflects the gritty, suspense-driven aesthetic of 1960s manga, contrasting with the more whimsical styles prevalent at the time. The series was produced during the initial boom of broadcast anime in Japan and gained significant traction for its relatively serious tone and high-stakes narrative. It remains a hallmark of early television sci-fi, recognized for its role in bridging the gap between traditional Japanese folklore heroes and the modernized, technology-driven protagonists of the late twentieth century.