Samurai Flamenco

Male model Masayoshi Hazama decides to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a superhero, despite having no superpowers or the technology to create a high-powered suit. He becomes the hero Samurai Flamenco and begins to fight crime in the name of justice. Police officer Hidenori Gotō finds out about Samurai Flamenco and his real identity by a twist of fate, which leads to him getting involved into much trouble, especially when they come across enemies that were not thought to exist outside of fiction. Nonetheless, these two young men will come face to face with hardships of being crime-fighters while discovering what it truly means to be a hero of justice.

Masayoshi Hazama (羽佐間 正義, Hazama Masayoshi)

Voiced by: Toshiki Masuda

Masayoshi is a male model who assumes the identity of the costumed hero Samurai Flamenco (サムライフラメンコ, Samurai Furamenko). Inspired by his grandfather's tokusatsu-inspired "Samurai Flamenco Project", he initially combats ordinary criminals before facing genuine threats like the Torture organization. Following their defeat, he leads the Samurai Sentai Flamenger (サムライ戦隊フラメンジャー, Samurai Sentai Furamenjā) as Flamen Red (フラメンレッド, Furamen Reddo) against the From Beyond cadre. After this conflict, he becomes a fugitive and resumes his solo activities, eventually discovering that a being known as Alien Flamenco has been manipulating events. Despite his heroic persona, Masayoshi possesses a shy demeanor in his civilian life.

Hidenori Gotō (後藤 英徳, Gotō Hidenori)

Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita

Hidenori is a diligent policeman with a cynical worldview. After discovering Masayoshi's secret identity as Samurai Flamenco, his life becomes increasingly complicated. He maintains the fiction of a long-distance relationship, though his girlfriend has been missing for years; he preserves his sanity by saving her old text messages. The villain Haiji exploits this vulnerability, deleting the messages to psychologically torment him. Despite his initial cynicism, Hidenori gradually develops a respect for Masayoshi's unwavering commitment to justice.

Mari Maya (真野 まり, Maya Mari)

Voiced by: Haruka Tomatsu

Mari is a member of the idol group Mineral Miracle Muse (ミネラル★ミラクル★ミューズ, Mineraru Mirakuru Myūzu), serving as its composer and lyricist. Her bright personality makes her sociable. She fights as the magical girl Flamenco Diamond (フラメンコダイヤ, Furamenko Daiya) and is aware of Masayoshi's dual identity. Her brutal, vengeful approach to crime contrasts with his idealism. After being kidnapped and tortured, she develops a hatred for superheroes and goes into hiding, wrestling with shame and inferiority. She eventually reconciles with her friends and resumes her role. Mari also has a distinct fondness for men in uniform.

Mizuki Misawa (三澤 瑞希, Misawa Mizuki)

Voiced by: M·A·O

Mizuki is the leader of the idol group Mineral Miracle Muse, known for her caring nature. She is recruited by Mari to join the superhero team as Flamenco Ruby (フラメンコルビー, Furamenko Rubī). A native of the Kansai region, she is later poisoned by the villain Haiji before a concert as part of his campaign against Masayoshi.

Moe Morita (森田 萌, Morita Moe)

Voiced by: Erii Yamazaki

Moe is a member of Mineral Miracle Muse and later becomes the magical girl Flamenco Sapphire (フラメンコサファイア, Furamenko Safaia). A reserved yet carefree high-school student and a native English speaker, she shares a close bond with Mari. During their kidnapping by King Torture, she offers herself in exchange for Mari's freedom, resulting in a severe injury. She later finds Mari in hiding and helps reconcile their relationship, leading to the Flamenco Girls' reunion. Like Mizuki, she is also poisoned by the villain Haiji.

Anji Kuroki (黒木 闇児, Kuroki Anji)

Voiced by: KENN

Anji is recruited by Joji to serve as Flamen Black (フラメンブラック, Furamen Burakku), the weapons specialist of the Flamengers. In his civilian life, he farms and cares for his sickly grandfather. The villain Haiji later attacks his grandfather as part of a campaign to agitate Masayoshi.

Sakura Momoi (桃井 桜, Momoi Sakura)

Voiced by: Yukari Tamura

Sakura is the only female member of the Flamengers, serving as Flamen Pink (フラメンピンク, Furamen Pinku) and handling public relations. She joins due to her strong affection for Joji Kaname, causing friction with his wife. Hailing from a wealthy family, she is disowned for this obsession but is later reconciled. She enjoys knitting despite considering it overly feminine. Sakura is deeply proud of her long hair and is traumatized when the villain Haiji cuts it.

Soichi Aoshima (青島 蒼一, Aoshima Sōichi)

Voiced by: Showtaro Morikubo

Soichi is a longtime friend of Joji and serves as Flamen Blue (フラメンブルー, Furamen Burū), the Flamengers' second-in-command and strongest fighter. He initially resents Masayoshi's leadership, desiring the position of Flamen Red for himself due to his loyalty to Joji, but eventually gains respect for Masayoshi. Despite his youthful appearance, he is the team's oldest member. The villain Haiji later vandalizes his apartment, destroying his collection of Red Axe memorabilia to agitate Masayoshi. Following the team's dissolution, Soichi and Joji work together as actors portraying the hero "Neo Axe".

Hekiru Midorikawa (緑川 碧, Midorikawa Hekiru)

Voiced by: Toshiyuki Toyonaga

Hekiru is the stoic Flamen Green (フラメングリーン, Furamen Gurīn), the Flamengers' strategist and tactical analyst. He cares deeply for his sister and young niece. The villain Haiji exploits these attachments and destroys Hekiru's favorite book to torment him. After the team's dissolution, Hekiru attends graduate school, where he gains a number of persistent female admirers.

King Torture (キング・トーチャー, Kingu Tōchā)

Voiced by: Shō Hayami

King Torture is a criminal mastermind who delights in torturing his victims. He commands hypnotized individuals, transforming them into monsters whose crimes grow increasingly absurd to mask his true goal: merging humanity into a single hive-minded entity to enforce a twisted peace. A former enthusiast of superheroism who embraced villainy, he views heroism as futile. He claims his followers willingly undergo transformation for their shared dream, memorializing them in a shrine. In his fanatical devotion, he amputates his own arm to attach a chainsaw weapon. King Torture is ultimately impaled on a fragment of his own statue and dies after his final missile is destroyed. His defeated followers shout "Viva Torture" upon death.

From Beyond (フロム・ビヨンド, Furomu Biyondo)

From Beyond is an alien organization that supplied King Torture with the power to create monsters. It introduces its threats through stylish promotional videos. The group is structured into smaller cadres, which the Flamengers confront individually. Its de facto leader is Beyond Flamenco, a being identical to Masayoshi who claims to be his brother but is actually an alternate version who abandoned his ideals in a crusade against evil. After Beyond Flamenco dies by suicide with Masayoshi's gun, the entire remaining membership of From Beyond vanishes. Its defeated monsters recite the oath "From Beyond to Heaven" upon death.

Shintarō F. Okuzaki (尾久崎・F・慎太郎, Okuzaki F. Shintarō)

Voiced by: Kōji Ishii

Shintarō is the Prime Minister of Japan who spearheads an anti-vigilante campaign to raise his public approval rating. He possesses a special suit of armor that grows stronger as his ratings increase. The "F" in his name stands for "Flamenco", a pattern Masayoshi notices is recurring. He is ousted from office after the public learns his campaign was motivated by ratings rather than civic concern. In reality, his goal was to amass enough power to defeat the extraterrestrial threat, Alien Flamenco.

Haiji Sawada (澤田 灰司, Sawada Haiji)

Voiced by: Suzuki Haruhisa [ja]

Haiji is a delinquent youth first encountered by Masayoshi. After the defeat of Alien Flamenco, he re-emerges, destroying Masayoshi's apartment and revealing a deep obsession with Samurai Flamenco. He orchestrates a campaign of psychological torment against Masayoshi's allies, aiming to transform the hero into a dark anti-hero called "Samurai Flamenco Darkness". His plan culminates in an attempt to be killed by Hidenori to provide Masayoshi with a tragic backstory, which fails. Haiji is subsequently subdued by Mari and incarcerated. He vows to return, a challenge Masayoshi accepts on the condition that his friends remain unharmed.

Joji Kaname (要 丈治, Kaname Jōji)

Voiced by: Jūrōta Kosugi

Joji Kaname is a famous action actor, known for starring in the television show Red Axe (レッドアックス, Reddo Akkusu). He becomes Masayoshi's combat trainer and later reveals he is a member of a secret organization, recruiting Masayoshi and others to form the Flamengers. He subsequently discloses that he is the genuine Red Axe, having secretly fought monsters for years alongside other heroes like Harakiri Sunshine and his wife, Lady Axe. Joji is critically injured when Haiji runs him over with a truck. After recovering, he becomes the director of a museum dedicated to heroes.

Jun Harazuka (原塚 淳, Harazuka Jun)

Voiced by: Tōru Ōkawa

Jun Harazuka is a middle-aged developer for the stationery company Monsters Stationery. He provides Masayoshi with non-lethal weapons disguised as stationery to aid his crime-fighting. Habitually wearing protective body armor of his own design, this precaution saves him from grave injury when the villain Haiji pushes him down a flight of stairs.

Sumi Ishihara (石原 澄, Ishihara Sumi)

Voiced by: Chie Nakamura

Sumi is a strict and competent manager at the production company Caesar Pro, acting as Masayoshi's employer. She suspects his secret identity early on and works diligently to protect it until he makes a public revelation. After being saved by Samurai Flamenco, her demeanor softens. She suspects a close relationship between Masayoshi and Goto, often encouraging Masayoshi to confide in him. Sumi later confirms to Masayoshi that she had deduced his identity long before his official disclosure.

Akira Konno (今野 明, Konno Akira)

Voiced by: Satoshi Mikami

Akira is the manager of the news website High Rollers Hi! and takes a professional interest in uncovering Samurai Flamenco's identity. He pursues Sumi Ishihara romantically, despite her repeated rejections, even proposing to her during a torture session. After being tortured by King Torture, he leaves the country to recuperate. Konno later films Mari's challenge to King Torture and the subsequent battle between the Prime Minister and Samurai Flamenco.

Totsuka (戸塚)

Voiced by: Masayuki Katou [ja]

Totsuka is Goto's colleague and section chief at the police box. Preferring to remain focused on his duties, he is nonetheless observant of Goto's personal life. He notices Goto's concern for Masayoshi, having been present when Masayoshi first returned a dry-cleaned shirt and on numerous occasions when Goto was researching Samurai Flamenco.

The series, directed by Takahiro Omori and written by Hideyuki Kurata, was broadcast on Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block from October 11, 2013, to March 28, 2014.^[3][4][a] It was simulcast by Crunchyroll. The episodes have been collected in eleven DVD and Blu-ray volumes released between December 25, 2013, and October 22, 2014.^[6] The anime is licensed by Aniplex of America in North America, Anime Limited in the United Kingdom, and Madman Entertainment in Australia.

For the first part of the series, the opening theme for the anime is "Just One Life" performed by Spyair and the ending theme song is "Date Time" (デートTIME, Dēto Taimu), performed by Haruka Tomatsu, Erii Yamazaki, and M·A·O as their characters' band Mineral Miracle Muse. For the second part, the opening is "Ai Ai Ai ni Utarete Bye Bye Bye" (愛愛愛に撃たれてバイバイバイ, Ai Ai Ai ni Utarete Bai Bai Bai) by Flow and the ending is "Flight 23-ji" (フライト23時, Furaito Nijūsanji) also performed by Mineral Miracle Muse.

Episodes 6, 8, 12, 15, 17, 19 and 20 were written by Takahiro. All other episodes were written by Hideyuki Kurata.

A manga series written by Seiko Takagi and illustrated by Shō Mizusawa, titled Samurai Flamenco Another Days (サムライフラメンコ Another Days), was serialized in Square Enix's Monthly GFantasy magazine from October 18, 2013, to July 18, 2014.^[7][8][9] Its chapters were collected in two tankōbon volumes, released on March 27 and September 27, 2014, respectively.^[10][11]

A mobage of Samurai Flamenco was released on February 28, 2014. It works on iPhone, iOS6 and Android. The genre is RPG.^[12]

The series' early episodes were noted for their depiction of the protagonist confronting non-superpowered criminals and for introducing its core cast, who were often perceived as likeable.^[13][14] While Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network considered these initial episodes underwhelming, he reported that the series became more engaging as it progressed.^[1] Joseph Luster of Otaku USA compared these early installments to the films Kick-Ass and Super, noting Samurai Flamenco utilized similar concepts in a distinct manner.^[13] His colleague David Cabrera named it his favorite 2013 series, citing its multiple narrative transitions.^[15]

A significant genre shift beginning with episode seven surprised reviewers.^[16] Kimlinger remarked that while the new arc might otherwise seem like a "baffling train wreck," its execution was highly effective, praising the integration of character actions with science fiction elements.^[16] Luster also reacted positively, observing that this shift provided further development for the protagonist Masayoshi and his allies as they confronted a new threat.^[13] Andy Hanley from UK Anime Network, while enjoying these episodes, expressed concern that the story might become overly serious.^[14] Reviewing the series' second half, Kimlinger wrote that initial surprise at its twists gave way to a "half-bored curiosity" due to a lack of narrative payoff; he criticized the delivery of certain story arcs and described some plot twists as nonsensical, though he praised the series' humor and its avoidance of stagnation.^[17] The animation quality was also criticized, with Hanley singling out episode 11 as particularly poorly animated.^[13][14][16]