giant alien monsters. Shotaro's name was borrowed by Katsuhiro Otomo for the protagonist of his manga, Akira. He also borrowed the name Shikishima for the colonel and the name of Shikishima's son, Tetsuo, for the character Tetsuo Shima; he has stated in the Akira Club book that it could be said that Akira is based on Tetsujin 28-go (Akira himself is referred to as "No. 28" by the scientists experimenting on the espers). The U.S. edition of the show, Gigantor, was spoofed in Saturday Night Lives "Torboto" sketch. References External links 1956 manga 1960 Japanese television series debuts 1960 Japanese television series endings 1992 anime television series debuts 2013 anime television series debuts 2013 manga Action anime and manga Adventure anime and manga Anime series based on manga Dieselpunk Eiken (studio) Fuji TV original programming Historical anime and manga Japan-exclusive video games Japanese television dramas based on manga Manga adapted into films Nippon TV original programming Animated television series about robots PlayStation 2 games Science fiction anime and manga Shōnen manga Shueisha franchises Shueisha manga Super robot anime and manga Video games based on anime and manga Video games developed in Japan World War II television series