Gold Muscle/ゴールドマッスル (Partially Found Anime)

Gold Muscle

Gold Muscle (ゴールドマッスル) is a Japanese anime series that forms part of the Muscle Ranking Series (筋肉番付シリーズ, Kinniku Banzuke), a franchise centered around athletic competitions and obstacle courses, notably including Sasuke (Ninja Warrior). The series, consisting of 10 episodes ranging from 5 to 8 minutes each, originally aired in the Kanto region of Japan from February to March 2003, following an initially planned broadcast in October 2002. The anime follows a narrative centered on Dr. Carlo Gorgon, a mad scientist who creates hybrid athletes infused with animal DNA to compete in various sports, pitted against human athletes determined to thwart his schemes. The series was scripted by Yū Yamamoto, marking his final work, with character designs by Jun Shibata.

Production and Broadcast

Gold Muscle was produced as part of an effort to expand the Kinniku Banzuke franchise into animated media, following a controversial incident in May 2002 when a participant was paralyzed on the set of Banzuke due to unsafe set design. This led to a temporary hiatus and a rebranding of the franchise, with Gold Muscle emerging as a new project under producer Ushio Higuchi. The series was broadcast only once in the Kanto region, limiting its reach and contributing to its obscurity. No official home video releases, such as VHS or DVD, were made, further restricting access to the series.

The anime faced additional challenges due to Higuchi’s creative decisions. He insisted on using real-life individuals from the Banzuke series as character inspirations, replicating their likenesses and names without permission. This approach, combined with reportedly offensive portrayals, sparked controversy and likely contributed to the series’ limited distribution and eventual loss.

Loss and Rediscovery

Gold Muscle gained attention as lost media due to its single broadcast and lack of physical or digital preservation. An article in Posfie magazine, written by an anonymous reviewer who claimed to have accessed a video source, provided early documentation of the series. The reviewer shared screenshots but did not preserve or distribute the footage(As well didn't leave an apology for inconvenience), leaving the anime largely inaccessible. Some Japanese fans recalled the series, but no recordings were known to exist for many years.

In February 2019, episodes available on YouTube were removed, and in July 2024, the series’ opening sequence, briefly re-uploaded to NicoNico after the platform’s restoration, was lost again when the hosting channel was deleted. The opening was later re-uploaded without Japanese commentary. On July 28, 2025, a lost media enthusiast and researcher of the Banzuke and Sasuke franchises recovered episodes 2, 3, and 4. These episodes are now accessible via the Internet Archive and YouTube. The first episode, featuring Cheetah Lewis Jr., remains damaged and under repair, while the remaining six episodes are still considered lost.

Episode List

1. Cheetah Lewis Jr. (チーター・ルイス・ジュニア) – Damaged, under repair
2. Elephant Ozeki (エレファント・オオゼキ) – Recovered
3. Bears Hingis (ベアーズ・ヒンギス) – Recovered
4. Izuna (イイズナ) – Recovered
5. Dandy Lynx (ダンディ・リンクス) – Lost
6. Achilles Centaur (アキレス・ケンタウロス) – Lost
7. Maria Lemur (マリア・リーマー) – Lost
8. Antarctic Combined Quadrathlon (南極複合四種競技) – Lost
9. Gou vs. Hummer Mulowe (ゴウVSハンマー・ムロウ) – Lost
10. Antarctic Combined Quadrathlon Final (南極複合四種競技ファイナル) – Lost

Production Staff

• Series Composition: Yu Yamamoto (山本優)
• Character Design: Jun Shibata (柴田淳)

Characters and Voice Actors

• Dr. Carlo Gorgon (カルロ・ゴーゴン博士) – Yasuo Iwata (岩田安生)
• Dr. Steve Borkin (スティーブ・ボーキン博士) – Tamio Oki (大木民夫)
• Victor Bex (ビクター・ベックス) – Daisuke Ono (小野大輔)
• Julia Jones (ジュリア・ジョーンズ) – Yuki Masuda (増田ゆき)
• Hummer Mulowe (ハンマー・ムロウ) – Toshikata Shimizu (清水敏孝)
• Cheetah Lewis Jr. (チーター・ルイス・ジュニア) – Shoto Kashii (樫井笙人)
• Elephant Ozeki (エレファント・オオゼキ) – Yūji Kishi (岸祐二)
• Kongoo Tyson (コングー・タイソン) – Takahiro Yoshino (吉野貴宏)
• Grisly Kahn (グリズリー・カーン) – Kenji Hamada (浜田賢二)
• Bears Hingis (ベアーズ・ヒンギス) – Ryoko Kuramochi (倉持良子)
• Michael Dolphin (マイケル・ドルフィン) – Masayuki Katou (加藤将之)
• Izuna (イイズナ) – Naoki Bandou (坂東尚樹)
• Dandy Lynx (ダンディ・リンクス) – Tarusuke Shingaki (新垣樽助)
• Achilles Centaur (アキレス・ケンタウロス) – Daisuke Egawa (江川大輔)

Reception and Legacy

Gold Muscle remains a niche subject within lost media communities, particularly on platforms like Reddit’s r/lostmedia, where enthusiasts discuss its obscurity and the ethical concerns surrounding its character portrayals. The series’ connection to the Kinniku Banzuke franchise and its unique premise have kept interest alive, though its limited broadcast and controversial production history have hindered widespread recognition. The recovery of three episodes in 2025 has sparked renewed efforts to locate the remaining episodes, with hopes that private collectors or satellite broadcast archives may hold additional footage.

External Links

• Internet Archive: Episodes 2, 3, and 4: https://archive.org/details/gold-muscle-anime-episode-2-3-and-4-watch-online-for-free-lost-and-found-media
• YouTube: Episodes 2, 3, and 4: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b3nKId9OSI8
• NicoNico: Opening Sequence: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm4285841