Double Dragon (TV series)

Last updated
Double Dragon
Genre Action/Adventure
Created by Technōs Japan (original characters)
Developed by Phil Harnage (seasons 1–2)
Martha Moran (season 2)
Directed by Chuck Patton
Theme music composerClark Gassman
Opening theme"Double Dragon"
Ending theme"Double Dragon" (instrumental)
ComposersClark Gassman
Andy Street (season 2)
Country of originUnited States
Italy
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes26
Production
Executive producersAllen J. Bohbot
Andy Heyward
Robby London
Avi Arad (season 1)
Byron Cook (season 1)
ProducerChuck Patton
EditorMark McNally
Running time22 minutes approx.
Production companies DIC Productions, L.P. [a]
Reteitalia, S.p.A.
Tradewest, Inc.
Bohbot Entertainment
Original release
Network Syndication (Amazin' Adventures) (United States)
Italia 1 (Italy)
Telecinco (Spain)
ReleaseSeptember 12, 1993 (1993-09-12) 
December 4, 1994 (1994-12-04)

Double Dragon is an animated series based on the NES versions of the Double Dragon video game trilogy, that ran for 26 half-hour episodes from 1993 to 1994. [1] It was produced by DIC Animation City, Bohbot Entertainment, and Italian studio Reteitalia, S.p.A., in association with Spanish network Telecinco. [2]

Contents

Overview

The premise of the show is that the protagonist brothers are separated at birth. Billy is raised by an elderly martial arts master known as the Oldest Dragon, and his brother Jimmy is raised by the evil Shadow Master as his second-in-command, the Shadow Boss. As a result, the Lee brothers oppose each other as adults. When Jimmy is betrayed by the Shadow Master, he renounces his evil ways and joins his brother as a Dragon Warrior. During the course of the series, the brothers recruit allies in their war against the Shadow Master and his henchmen. The futile search for their father, John Lee, is a subplot throughout the series.

The plot of the pilot episode is loosely adapted from the NES version of the first Double Dragon game. The villains are the mysterious Shadow Boss (Jimmy's initial alter-ego), and his henchmen Abobo and Willy (who were based on enemy characters from the game). By the end of the second episode, Abobo and Willy are sucked into the Shadow Mural, never to be seen again, while Jimmy abandons his evil ways and reconciles with his brother to fight against the series' true antagonist, the Shadow Master. All of the characters introduced from the second episode onward are original creations made for the show, although most of the villains are also used in the Tradewest-produced Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls , a 1-on-1 fighting game released for home consoles.

Cast of characters

The Lee brothers are martial-arts instructors and police consultants, who assume superheroic identities at moments of escalated violence. They usually transform out of those forms by crossing swords again and saying in unison, "For Might! For Right! We are Double Dragons!", although several episodes show that heavy injury can deactivate their powers. Injury sustained by one is sometimes taken by the other. The brothers sometimes sense when the other is in danger.

In this series, the Double Dragons are adept in a mystical form of the Kenjutsu arts, even though in the games they have more of a mastery in both the Bōjutsu arts with any or club, and the Kusari-fundo arts involving any whip or nunchaku they can find.

Billy Lee is the former devoted Dragon Pupil turned graduated Dragon Master with messy black hair. He regularly dons armored hero's clothes that are blue, with a torn shirt and dragon-mask that are both red. Billy's personality is based on the wise, independent, and self-determined side of Bruce Lee.

Jimmy Lee is the former evil high-ranking Shadow Warrior turned sarcastic Double Master with spiky blonde hair. He also dons armored hero's clothes, but his are red, with a torn shirt and a dragon-mask that are both blue. Jimmy's personality is based on the cocky, charismatic, and belligerent side of Bruce Lee.

Dragon Warriors are other martial artists recruited by the Lee brothers in their fight against the Shadow Warriors, bestowing them with superhuman powers through the use of a smokeless, green "dragon fire".

Junior Dragons are Billy and Jimmy's younger students, and supporting characters throughout the series.

The Shadow Warriors are the main antagonists, a criminal organization composed mostly of mutants. These mutants are created by "high levels of EMF generated by (Metro City's) ancient underground power grid". They are led by the Shadow Master, with many powers including shapeshifting and teleporting, and he is able to trap warriors who fail him in the Shadow Mural. He is the half-brother of Billy and Jimmy's mother.

Episodes

Season 1

#TitleWritten byOriginal air dateProduction code
1"The Shadow Falls" Phil Harnage and Sandra RyanSeptember 12, 1993 (1993-09-12)101
2"The Legend Continues"Phil Harnage and Martha MoranSeptember 19, 1993 (1993-09-19)102
3"The Mistress of Chi"Richard MuellerSeptember 26, 1993 (1993-09-26)106
4"The Price of Oblivion" Bob Forward October 3, 1993 (1993-10-03)103
5"River of Tears"Pat Allee and Ben HurstOctober 10, 1993 (1993-10-10)104
6"Over the Line"Sandra RyanOctober 17, 1993 (1993-10-17)107
7"Rebirth"David Carren and Larry CarrollOctober 24, 1993 (1993-10-24)108
8"Judgment Day"Mike O'MahoneyOctober 31, 1993 (1993-10-31)105
9"Dragon Hunt"Kurt WeldonNovember 7, 1993 (1993-11-07)111
10"Call to Arms"Phil HarnageNovember 14, 1993 (1993-11-14)109
11"Heart of the Matter"Martha MoranNovember 21, 1993 (1993-11-21)110
12"The Abyss"Michael O'MahoneyNovember 28, 1993 (1993-11-28)113
13"The Eye of the Dragon"Pat Allee and Ben HurstDecember 5, 1993 (1993-12-05)112

Season 2

#TitleWritten byOriginal air dateProduction code
14"Shadow Khan"Martha MoranSeptember 11, 1994 (1994-09-11)201
15"Shadow Claw" Phil Harnage September 18, 1994 (1994-09-18)202
16"Virtual Reality Bytes"Rich MuellerSeptember 25, 1994 (1994-09-25)204
17"Doom Claw"Martha MoranOctober 2, 1994 (1994-10-02)203
18"Superhighway Warriors"Rich MuellerOctober 9, 1994 (1994-10-09)206
19"Undertown"Doug BoothOctober 16, 1994 (1994-10-16)205
20"Spirit in the Sword"Doug BoothOctober 23, 1994 (1994-10-23)208
21"Shadow Conned"Martha MoranOctober 30, 1994 (1994-10-30)209
22"The Sight of Freedom"Phil HarnageNovember 6, 1994 (1994-11-06)211
23"Ancients Arrive"Sandra RyanNovember 13, 1994 (1994-11-13)210
24"The Return of the Shadowmonster"Doug BoothNovember 20, 1994 (1994-11-20)212
25"Daj of the Undertown Dragons"Martha MoranNovember 27, 1994 (1994-11-27)213
26"RPM"Phil HarnageDecember 4, 1994 (1994-12-04)207

Merchandise

In 1994, the tie-in video game Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls , has been developed by Leland Interactive Media and published by Tradewest. The game was first ported to the Super NES, then it had a North America-only release for the Genesis, and the final port is the Jaguar which is the only console to have a Japan release of the game. Out of all three fighting game spin-offs of Double Dragon, this is the first and only game to receive criticism.

Tyco Toys produced a set of action figures. The figures included: Billy Lee, Jimmy Lee, Blaster, Vortex, Shadow Master, Sickle, and Trigger Happy. Three vehicles were also made: The (Dragon) Cycle, (Dragon) Cruiser, and Shadow Raven.

Home video releases

United States

In 1994, Buena Vista Home Video through the DIC Toon-Time Video label released three VHS tapes of the series. The Legend Begins and Deadly Mutants, released on June 7, 1994, contained "The Shadow Falls" and "The Legend Continues", and "The Price of Oblivion" and "Judgement Day" respectively, while "The Shield of the Shadow Khan", released on November 11, featured the episodes "Shadow Khan", "Shadow Claw" and "Doom Claw" edited into a Feature-Length format.

Invincible Pictures released Double Dragon: The Animated Series on DVD in Region 1 for the very first time in the country on August 13, 2019. [3]

Discotek Media released Double Dragon on Blu-ray in May 2022. [4]

United Kingdom

In June 2004, Anchor Bay UK released a single DVD containing four episodes.

Avenue Entertainment also released two DVDs containing two episodes each in July 2005.

Notes

  1. Known as DIC Animation City during season 1.

Related Research Articles

<i>Double Dragon</i> Video game series

Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series originally developed and published by Technōs Japan. It began with the release of the arcade game Double Dragon in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals.

<i>Super Double Dragon</i> 1992 video game

Super Double Dragon is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1992. It was published by Tradewest in North America and the PAL region and by Technōs Japan in Japan. Super Double Dragon is the fourth console game in the Double Dragon series developed by Technōs Japan, following Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones for the NES. The game did not have an arcade release and was made specifically for the home market.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> 1988 Video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game produced by Technōs Japan originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1988. It is the first sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. The sequel involves Billy and Jimmy Lee in a mission to avenge Billy's girlfriend Marian after she is shot to death by the Black Warriors leader Willy, who is retaliating against the Lee brothers after his defeat at the end of the previous game. Double Dragon II was initially developed as an upgrade kit for the original Double Dragon, but evolved into a stand-alone game due to an increase in memory size, resulting in the developers reusing assets for both games.

<i>Double Dragon Advance</i> 2003 video game

Double Dragon Advance is a 2003 side-scrolling beat-em-up released for the Game Boy Advance. It was published by Atlus and developed by Japanese studio Million. It is a remake of the 1987 arcade game Double Dragon and incorporates elements from its sequels and home versions.

<i>Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone</i> 1990 Video game

Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone is a side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game produced by Technōs Japan in 1990. It is the third arcade game in the Double Dragon series. Unlike the previous two games in the series, Double Dragon 3 was not developed internally at Technōs, but development was instead contracted to the company East Technology, resulting in a game that looks and plays differently from its predecessors.

<i>Dungeons & Dragons</i> (TV series) 1983 animated television series

Dungeons & Dragons is an American animated television series based on TSR's Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game. It is a co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, with the Japanese Toei Animation. It ran on CBS from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons, for a total of twenty-seven episodes.

<i>Captain N: The Game Master</i> American-Canadian joint-venture animated television series

Captain N: The Game Master is an animated television series that aired on NBC from 1989 to 1991 as part of its Saturday morning cartoon lineup. Produced by DIC Animation City, it incorporated elements from video games of the time by Japanese company Nintendo. There was also a comic book adaptation by Valiant Comics.

Game of Death is an incomplete Hong Kong martial arts film, of which portions were filmed between September and October 1972, and was planned and scheduled to be released by 1973, directed, written, produced by and starring Bruce Lee. The project was paused to film and produce Enter the Dragon. For Game of Death, over 120 minutes of footage was shot. The remaining footage has since been released with Lee's original Cantonese and English dialogue, with John Little dubbing Lee's Hai Tien character as part of the documentary titled Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey. Much of the footage that was shot is from what was to be the climax of the film.

<i>Street Sharks</i> 1994 American TV series or program

Street Sharks is an American superhero animated series about the adventures of crime-fighting half-man/half-sharks. It was produced by DIC Productions, L.P. and Bohbot Entertainment, and aired from 1994 to 1997, originally as a part of Bohbot's Amazin' Adventures programming block. before moving to ABC for its final season. The show promoted a line of action figures by Mattel. The creators were David Siegel and Joe Galliani of Mr. Joe's Really Big Productions.

<i>Battletoads/Double Dragon</i> 1993 video game

Battletoads/Double Dragon is a 1993 beat 'em up developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System and later ported to the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy. The SNES version was released on Nintendo Switch Online in September 2024; it was the game's first re-release as it was not released on the Rare Replay collection.

<i>Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones</i> 1991 video game

Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones, released in Japan as Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone (ダブルドラゴンIII ザ・ロゼッタストーン), is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1991. It was the third Double Dragon game for the NES, developed by Technos Japan Corp. and published in North America and Europe by Acclaim Entertainment. Although loosely based on the similarly titled arcade game Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone, it is not a port, but a parallel project that was developed at the same time.

Splinter (<i>Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles</i>) Fictional mutant rat and martial arts instructor of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise

Splinter, often referred to as Master Splinter or Sensei by his students/sons, is a fictional character from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comics and all related media. A mutant rat, he is the grave and stoic sage of the Turtles, their ninjutsu and martial arts instructor, and their adoptive father. The character was originally a parody of the Marvel Comics character Stick.

<i>Street Fighter</i> (TV series) Canadian-American animated television series (1995–1997)

Street Fighter is an animated television series based on the Street Fighter video game franchise by Capcom. The series aired as part of the USA Network's Cartoon Express and Action Extreme Team lineups. It aired 26 episodes across two 13-episode seasons, which aired from 1995 to 1997.

<i>Double Dragon</i> (Neo Geo) 1995 video game

Double Dragon is a 1995 fighting video game spin-off of the Double Dragon series developed and published by Technōs Japan. It is based on the 1994 film, which in turn was based on the original arcade game. It was originally released for the Neo Geo and later released for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation. The game was also made available for PlayStation Network in Japan in 2011 and in North America in 2014. It was Technōs Japan's last Double Dragon game before the company went out of business, and the fourth and final Double Dragon game released in arcades.

<i>Double Dragon</i> (video game) 1987 arcade game

Double Dragon is a 1987 beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for arcades across Asia, North America and Europe. It is the first title in the Double Dragon franchise. The game's development was led by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, and it is a spiritual and technological successor to Technos' earlier beat 'em up, Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (1986), released outside of Japan by Taito as Renegade; Kishimoto originally envisioned it as a direct sequel and part of the Kunio-kun series, before making it a new game with a different cast and setting.

<i>Double Dragon</i> (film) 1994 American martial arts film

Double Dragon is a 1994 American martial arts film, based on the video game series of the same name. The film was directed by James Yukich, whose previous credits include the Genesis music videos "That's All" and "Invisible Touch".

<i>Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls</i> 1994 video game

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls is a fighting game developed by Leland Interactive Media and published by Tradewest for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis in 1994. A port for the Atari Jaguar developed by Telegames was released the following year. It is an American-produced sequel to the Double Dragon series by Technōs Japan, who had little to no credited involvement in the development of the game outside of licensing the IP to the publisher outside Japan.

<i>Battletoads</i> Video game franchise

Battletoads is a video game franchise by Rare that began with the original beat 'em up game Battletoads in 1991. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions, Rash, Zitz, and Pimple, the series was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games series. The original Battletoads game for the NES was renowned for its extreme difficulty, but still received a cult following, spawning sequels for various platforms including a crossover with the Double Dragon series and a modern reboot after a 25 year gap in releases. In each of the games, the objective is to defeat the toads' nemesis the Dark Queen and her army of space mutants.

Martial artist and actor Bruce Lee has been subject to extensive media coverage.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> (NES video game) 1989 video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced for the Nintendo Entertainment System in late 1989. It is the second Double Dragon game for the NES and was published in North America by Acclaim Entertainment, who took over publishing duties from Tradewest. Accalim also published it in PAL regions. The game shares its title with the 1988 arcade sequel to the original Double Dragon, using the same promotional artwork for its packaging and having a similar plot, but the content of the two games are otherwise drastically different. The NES version of Double Dragon II was directed by Hiroyuki Sekimoto, with the arcade version's director Yoshihisa Kishimoto taking a supervisory role in the game's development.

References

  1. Perlmutter, David (2018). The Encyclopedia of American Animated Television Shows. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 161. ISBN   978-1538103739.
  2. Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 279–280. ISBN   978-1476665993.
  3. Double Dragon The Animated Series
  4. "Discotek Licenses 1980 Astro Boy, Digimon Adventure, Symphogear GX, More Anime". 29 June 2023.