is an anime superhero TV series created by Go Nagai. Produced by Sunrise Inc. with cooperation of Dynamic Planning (Nagai's own company), the series was originally broadcast on Nagoya Broadcasting Network (NBN)/TV Asahi from to with a total of 43 episodes. A manga series, written and drawn by Go Nagai, was also released alongside the anime, originally published by Kodansha in the magazine Comic Bom Bom from to . Plot It is 199X A.D. In Kushiro, Hokkaido, the Drago Knights of the Dragon Empire attack. Possessing overwhelming destructive force, they attack the city to awaken their master, the devil god Jashin Drago from the Rock of Sealing he was trapped in. Two hundred years ago, Drago was trapped in the seal by a holy warrior with the tattooed mark of the Liger. Assuming that the warrior is dead, Drago and Empress Zara are free to conquer the Earth using their army of giant biomechanical beasts. Even the Japan Self-Defense Forces are no match for the Drago Knights' awesome power. One of the people fleeing is the protagonist, a milquetoast 12-year-old 6th grader named Ken Taiga. Unbeknownst to the Dragonites, Ken realizes that he is the descendant of the Lion Clan that once summoned Liger. In a burst of anger, Ken's Liger birthmark appears, and he rises his palm into the air, shouting the henshin (transforming) command, "LIGER!" which then covers him in demonic, long-haired biomechanical armor. Ken transforms into Jushin Liger to fight the evil forces of the Dragon Empire. Characters Media Anime The opening theme , which was performed by Yumi Hiroki, is also wrestler Jushin Thunder Liger's theme song. The song was also used by Liger on occasion. Source(s) Staff and production notes Airtime: Saturday, 17:30 - 18:00 hrs. Network: Nagoya TV, TV Asahi Planning: Sunrise Planning coordinator: Dynamic Planning Production: Nagoya TV, Tokyu Agency, Sunrise Original work: Go Nagai Work collaboration: Sunrise Episode Directors: Osamu Sekita, Toshifumi Kawase, Masao Ito Direction: Norio Kashima Scenario: Sho Aikawa, Yoshimasa Takahashi, Toshiki Inoue, Yoshiyuki Suga, Hiroyuki Kawasaki Animation director: Yorihisa Uchida, Masanori Yamada, Joji Kikuchi Character design: Yorihisa Uchida Bio Armor design: Yukihiro Makino Music: Hiromoto Tobisawa Source(s) Theme songs 1st Opening theme: (lyrics by Yoshihiko Ando, composition by Takashi Kudo, arrangement by Tatsumi Yano, song by Yumi Hiroki) 2nd Opening theme: (lyrics by Yoshihiko Ando, composition by Takashi Kudo, arrangement by Tatsumi Yano, song by Yumi Hiroki) 1st Ending