Betterman
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Episodes (26)
1 / 2- 1EP 1
Keita Aono falls into Bottom World and teams with Hinoki Sai in a giant robot.
Apr 2, 1999High school student Keita Aono avoids punishment by arriving early, only to spot new student Hinoki Sai, whom he recognizes from a dream and as a childhood friend. After failing to speak with her due to a crowd and her subsequent departure in an Akamatsu Industries vehicle, Keita’s misfortune worsens. He crashes his scooter in the rain, falling into the underground amusement park Bottom World. The park’s opening is delayed following the deaths of 200 workers that day, and Keita’s clumsiness threatens his life as monsters pursue him deeper inside. Just as hope fades, he encounters a giant robot piloted by Hinoki. He joins her as co-pilot, and together they battle numerous enemies until their fuel runs out before their most terrifying confrontation.
- 2EP 2
Keita Aono encounters his friend Hinoki and accidentally enters the closed Bottom World amusement park.
Apr 9, 1999Keita Aono is late for school when his long-lost friend Hinoki arrives as a new student. While exploring the abandoned Bottom World amusement park, Keita is chased by monsters and finds Hinoki piloting the giant robot Kakuseijin No. 1. Her co-pilot has fled, leaving her stranded because the machine requires two crew members with Dual Kind abilities. Keita possesses this rare gift, allowing them to operate the robot together. They run out of fuel during the fight, but the mysterious being Betterman appears and transforms into the dragon Betterman NEBULA to destroy the enemy. Keita and Hinoki return to Akamatsu Industries, where Keita learns he has joined the fight against Algernon. He must now determine if his Dual Kind powers are sufficient to survive the greatest threat to mankind and uncover the true nature of Betterman.
- 3EP 3
Keita and companions face robotic dummies while the plane crashes into the ocean.
Apr 16, 1999Keita returns to Akamatsu Industries headquarters, where he learns Algernon caused the deaths at Bottom World. He replaces Hinoki’s missing co-pilot and travels to Mode Warp with Hinoki and scientist Miyako Asami to undergo tests regarding his potential Dual Kind status. Mode Warp investigates Algernon but is short-staffed due to the lack of a robot pilot. During the flight, the transport plane is attacked by murderous crash-test dummies that break free from their crates. Betterman intervenes to fight the robots, but the pilotless aircraft is descending toward the ocean. The outcome for Keita, Hinoki, and Asami remains uncertain as the vehicle approaches the water, leaving their fate unresolved amidst the chaos.
- 4EP 4
Keita Aono navigates school life and strange disappearances after a dangerous weekend with Hinoki Sai.
Apr 23, 1999Keita Aono returns to school after a traumatic weekend involving robot piloting and a plane crash with his friend Hinoki Sai. Although he views the classroom as a safe haven, he faces social awkwardness, including being ignored by Hinoki. He engages in a serious conversation with his classmate Ushii, who reveals that several students have vanished without a trace. Keita attempts to memorize the Kakuseijin operations manual and confront Hinoki about her behavior. Meanwhile, Hinoki encounters a masked man with a blowtorch in the school basement while retrieving paper. The narrative questions whether the supernatural events from the weekend have infiltrated the school environment, leaving Keita and Hinoki to deal with these new threats while maintaining their daily routines.
- 5EP 5
Keita and Kaede pilot the Tyran against Algernon while Hinoki grows jealous and suspicious.
Apr 30, 1999As attacks intensify, Akamatsu Industries and Mode Warp summon Head Divers Shou Yanagi and Kaede Kurenai from Mode Warp France, bringing the Tyran, a neuronoid similar to the Kakuseijin. Keita finds himself back at the Bottom World, a location he never expected to revisit, due to the strong connection between a recent school incident and the amusement park where his ties to Akamatsu Industries began. This time, he operates the Kakuseijin with Kaede instead of Hinoki, whose bitterness over losing her position makes her reluctant to praise Kaede’s unique predictive abilities. Tension rises as flirting between Keita and Kaede suggests jealousy, but the situation worsens when the Kakuseijin is hit and transmission is lost. Yanagi and Hinoki board the Tyran to search for them, but the command center soon loses contact with them too. Suspecting internal sabotage by Algernon, Yanagi faces a shocking reality when the Tyran is attacked by the Kakuseijin itself.
- 6EP 6
Akamatsu faces Heichin's betrayal as the team investigates the Behemoth at Ajanta Caves
May 7, 1999Mr. Akamatsu is disturbed to learn that Heichin, a trusted employee and friend, caused the neuronoid malfunction. With Heichin institutionalized, Akamatsu’s team follows Algernon to the Ajanta Caves in India, where a previous investigative team vanished. This location is deeply personal for Hinoki, as her family disappeared there four years prior. Keita spots a giant lizard and a strange girl, but the guide flees upon seeing the Behemoth. Miyako, Kaede, and Yanagi advance into the caves, each succumbing to hallucinations of past acquaintances. Keita and Hinoki encounter the real Behemoth, an elephant-like creature that brutally defeats Betterman. With their protector torn apart, the group faces a dire struggle for survival against the monster within the caves.
- 7EP 7
Akamatsu team confronts Behemoth in Ajanta caves while Betterman lies critically wounded.
May 14, 1999The Akamatsu Industries team travels to India to investigate a link between Algernon and the Ajanta caves, only to encounter a real Behemoth. Its hallucinogenic cry incapacitates everyone except Keita and Hinoki. Betterman is overpowered and seemingly destroyed by the creature. As the caves collapse, Keita and Hinoki fall deeper underground, facing imminent death. They eventually regain consciousness and reunite with their teammates, who have emerged from their trance. Although the group is together, the Behemoth remains a deadly threat. Betterman survives but is severely injured. He stands before the chance to transform into his most powerful form, raising the question of whether he can reach it in time to save them.
- 8EP 8
Betterman Mutates Into Forte While Keita Encounters a Nurse With Poisonous Nails
May 21, 1999Betterman barely survives to reach the seed that transforms him into Forte, allowing him to defeat the Behemoth and help the Akamatsu Industries team escape the crumbling Ajanta Caves. Sakura Akamatsu wakes up in a hospital bed surrounded by friends after a strange dream. Keita visits her after school, but Hinoki acts peculiar and declines to join him. Keita’s visit is brief, as a nurse takes Sakura away for treatment before she can return. Sakura asks Keita to wait, but he accidentally opens the wrong door and discovers shelves filled with jars of fingernails. A nurse with long razorlike nails chases him. He escapes, freeing Sakura, and reunites with Hinoki, who has changed her mind about visiting. Hinoki collapses with bloody scratches on her back, revealing an army of nurses with poisonous fingernails standing behind her.
- 9EP 9
Keita and friends face toxin attacks and mysterious disappearances aboard a freighter.
May 28, 1999Keita pursues Sakura at her hospital, only to be attacked by staff wielding toxic nails. After rescuing her, they discover a pool of bodies in capsules and encounter Hinoki, who has been scratched by the same attackers. The assailants, having exhausted their poison, summon a creature from the pool. Betterman intervenes, destroying the monster but exposing Keita, Hinoki, and Sakura to its toxin. He heals them using his unique abilities just as the attackers and capsules vanish through a small hole in the wall. The group ends up on a giant freighter, where radio contact with three investigation vessels has been lost. Akamatsu Industries steps in, but faces difficulties because Yanagi has disappeared, limiting them to operating only one neuronoid at a time. This situation raises concerns for Hinoki and Kaede as they encounter trouble underwater aboard the Tyran, with Keita believing he has a solution.
- 10EP 10
Akamatsu Industries staff face a worm invasion while Li-Chan discovers a protective bell.
Jun 11, 1999Akamatsu Industries employees return to headquarters seeking peace, but Yamajii and Li-Chan are interrupted by an old man who gifts Li-Chan a sweet-smelling bell before departing. Meanwhile, Keita, Hinoki, and Akamatsu remain late, ordering noodles while awaiting mission updates. A deliveryman is devoured by thousands of worms outside, and a power failure allows the creatures to flood the building via the backup generator. The staff attempts to destroy the worms using neuronoids but finds the robots and Mode Warp team members consumed. Trapped in a room, they are saved when Li-Chan returns, her bell repelling the worms in the small space. However, the protection fails in larger areas, and a collapsing air duct separates the group, leaving them vulnerable to the hungry swarm.
- 11EP 11
Akamatsu Industries faces final subcontractor duties while Asami consults Dr. Umezaki about Betterman.
Jun 18, 1999Akamatsu Industries utilizes a failed scent-replicating device to defeat man-eating worms invading their headquarters, securing Mr. Akamatsu’s gratitude. This event marks the end of their subcontracting role with Mode Warp for the Algernon hunt. Fearing for the safety of employees Keita and Hinoki, Miyako Asami orders the transfer of neuronoids to Mode Warp and introduces two new trained head divers. Asami departs to consult Dr. Umezaki regarding recent creatures, but he focuses on Betterman. At his laboratory, Umezaki reveals shocking information to Asami. Meanwhile, the Akamatsu team is stunned when Sakura discloses that Asami is destined to be killed.
- 12EP 12
Dragon attacks Mode Warp aircraft, forcing Akamatsu team into wetlands while Asami faces Dr. Umezaki.
Jun 25, 1999Unable to contact Miyako, the Akamatsu Industries team remains with Mode Warp and travels to Dr. Umezaki's laboratory, Asami's last known location. A dragon-like attack kills everyone on the Mode Warp aircraft, including two replacement head divers, before forcing the Akamatsu vessel down in the surrounding wetlands. Most of the team survives, with Kaede, Sakura, Keita, and Hinoki boarding neuronoids while Akamatsu, Li-Chan, and Yamajii guard a device used against worms. Yanagi remains missing, and the search is halted by a massive insect swarm. Meanwhile, Asami wakes imprisoned by Dr. Umezaki, the mastermind behind the creatures disrupting the Algernon search. Though he previously developed new food sources, Asami realizes her friends will soon die and she will become a mindless drone under his control.
- 13EP 13
Miyako Asami escapes Dr. Umezaki's insect army with help from Shou Yanagi and the Tyran.
Jul 2, 1999Miyako Asami is held captive by Dr. Umezaki, who uses an insect to control her mind. Shou Yanagi rescues her, and they escape the laboratory with assistance from the Tyran. Meanwhile, Keita and Hinoki are captured by worms that have returned to attack Akamatsu Industries. Betterman struggles to defeat the insects until a trick secures victory for the heroes. The Tyran falls into a swampland whirlpool, revealing the hidden laboratory below. Keita and Hinoki locate the group but encounter a strange scent that incapacitates them with laughter. Dr. Umezaki has also trapped Betterman, intending to dissect him while the heroes face these new threats.
- 14EP 14
Tyran and crew face King Behemoth while Keita and Hinoki encounter Dr. Umezaki in the laboratory.
Jul 9, 1999The Akamatsu Industries team returns to Dr. Umezaki’s laboratory after defeating his insect army, only to be incapacitated by a sweet scent. Betterman is imprisoned in a mushroom tomb, but a female counterpart named Lume destroys the giant flower causing the effect. Freed, Tyran and his crew investigate the laboratory but are swiftly defeated by King Behemoth, the largest creature. Keita and Hinoki flee due to low fuel and meet Dr. Umezaki, who reveals he was a friend of Hinoki’s father and searched the Ajanta Caves for her family. Umezaki also found the Animus flower, the source of Betterman’s power. He orders King Behemoth to eliminate Keita and Hinoki, leaving their fate uncertain as the monster attacks.
- 15EP 15
Keita and Hinoki date after Kakuseijin fuel depletion while Miyako reveals Dr. Umezaki's connection to recent events.
Jul 16, 1999With the Kakuseijin temporarily disabled due to fuel exhaustion, Keita asks Hinoki on a date, which she accepts despite lingering effects from Dr. Umezaki's pheromone flower. The Akamatsu Industries team survives the laboratory horrors and proceeds to a noodle house. During the train ride, Miyako Asami explains that Dr. Umezaki is linked to the man-eating worms, the hospital incident, and the Ajanta Caves. After eating, Keita and Hinoki visit caves that trigger memories of Hinoki's missing family. She then guides him to her former home in the woods. As Keita comforts her and attempts to advance their relationship, they are interrupted by a strange old man resembling the individual who gave Li-Chan a protective bell. Meanwhile, Betterman is occupied dealing with another hero, leaving Keita and Hinoki without assistance.
- 16EP 16
Shou Yanagi disappears again and crashes a truck at Akamatsu Industries while Kaede intercepts him.
Jul 23, 1999Shou Yanagi, troubled by nightmares, vanishes and reappears at Akamatsu Industries, where he drives a Tyran through a garage door, nearly hitting Mr. Akamatsu. Kaede recognizes his state and jumps into the vehicle, leading Yanagi to an abandoned factory. There, they face three neuronoids, identified as the sea shadows predicted by Sakura. These are actually stolen, malfunctioning prototypes from ModeWarp France, lacking pilots and fuel, yet they fight fiercely. Yanagi understands their operator but dislikes the revelation. Simultaneously, Betterman faces internal conflict as Bodaiju, another being, criticizes his focus on protecting Keita and Hinoki instead of fighting Kankel. Bodaiju attempts to eliminate his rival, and unfortunately for Keita and Hinoki, he appears to succeed in this objective.
- 17EP 17
Keita’s nightmare date shifts to a school filled with crash test dummies and recurring nightmares.
Jul 30, 1999Keita and Hinoki are on a date in her hometown when he attempts to kiss her but suddenly finds himself kissing his best friend, Ushii. He flees as Ushii chases him, only to wake up to his alarm clock. Alone, Keita goes to school and discovers his classmates have been replaced by crash test dummies that previously tried to kill him. He wakes up again with his head on his desk. Keita is not alone in suffering from these terrifying nightmares; Hinoki and Mr. Akamatsu also experience them. Yanagi suffers from visions of his dead brother and may have identified the source of his pain, though he might be trapped in another dream. The boundary between reality and dreams blurs as a powerful spell affects the Akamatsu Industries team, even impacting Betterman.
- 18EP 18
Keita and Hinoki encounter zombie allies at an abandoned biomedical facility.
Aug 6, 1999Keita and Hinoki relax during a school trip while the Akamatsu Industries team studies transplant technology nearby. After a steak lunch, the team acts strangely and sends a distress signal to Kaede. Upon arriving, Keita and Hinoki find the facility deserted. Keita’s cowardice leads them to Sakura, who lies injured near the lunch table. He attempts to carry her to safety, but she suddenly tries to eat him. Keita drops her, and they are soon surrounded by hungry zombies, including former allies.
- 19EP 19
The Akamatsu team faces mirror-based psychological attacks while Kaede is targeted by the Superhuman Federation.
Aug 13, 1999The Akamatsu Industries team recovers from a gas attack that turned them into man-eating zombies, though the mastermind remains missing and his motives are unclear. It is confirmed that Kaede was the intended target. The Superhuman Federation contacts Akamatsu headquarters to offer her a job, a move Miyako Asami identifies as a recruitment tactic by a research and development company seeking to leverage Kaede’s abilities for expansion. The Federation views taking Kaede as mere business, even if it involves manipulating neuronoids or inflicting nightmares. While the team travels to ModeWarp to investigate this new threat, Keita and Hinoki become trapped in a funhouse mirror attraction they are constructing. Simultaneously, the Akamatsu members encounter mirror images that attack their deepest insecurities, raising questions about whether the Superhuman Federation is responsible or if a darker force is at play.
- 20EP 20
Akamatsu team assaults Superhuman Federation while others escape police raid
Aug 20, 1999Following severe hallucinations and zombie transformations, the Akamatsu Industries team decides to attack the Superhuman Federation, suspecting them of causing their recent troubles. Despite ModeWarp’s ongoing investigation, the highly logical Miyako Asami leads the assault on the Federation headquarters before all facts are confirmed. Keita and Hinoki remain behind under Mr. Akamatsu’s orders for safety, but they face danger when Li-Chan detects a police raid outside. The group narrowly escapes through a wall in their truck. Meanwhile, the infiltrating team encounters predicted traps but overcomes them to reach Dr. Mamon, the Federation’s CEO. Although they arrive to negotiate, Mamon refuses, causing the situation to escalate rapidly. The outcome may depend on a secret hidden within Kaede’s hair clip, potentially endangering her friends.
- 21EP 21
Dr. Mamon's True Plan to Unleash Brahman and the Battle for Kaede
Aug 27, 1999The Akamatsu Industries team navigates traps to reach Dr. Mamon, who reveals his goal to recruit Kaede for the Superhuman Federation. He intends to use her as the final component to unleash Brahman, a creature designed to advance the human race. Priest Yakusugi, the most powerful human, intervenes but is defeated by Brahman in a sky-high battle above the Federation building. Lord Pakila, the strongest Somnium, restrains the creature, forcing Dr. Mamon to flee with Kaede through an abandoned subway tunnel. Keita, Hinoki, Yamajii, and Li-Chan arrive with neuronoids to pursue the pair. The group must determine if they can rescue Kaede before Dr. Mamon completes his sinister objectives.
- 22EP 22
Dr. Mamon's Brahman plans fail as Kaede escapes and transforms him into a second form.
Sep 3, 1999Dr. Mamon's attempt to unleash Brahman fails, forcing a retreat to the city center with Kaede under his control. Lord Pakila is killed by Kankel, a hunter of Somniums, after destroying the creation. Akamatsu Industries pursues Kaede, who frees herself but enables Dr. Mamon to become a second, stronger Brahman. Priest Yakusugi, who has spent 120 years fighting evil, dies in battle. The Akamatsu team operates from an abandoned underground factory, where Yakusugi's clash with Brahman causes a collapse. Keita suffers a nervous breakdown while piloting the Kakuseijin, allowing Brahman to attack. He recovers and defeats the entity. ModeWarp sends neuronoids that betray their allies, prompting Betterman to intervene. Kankel arrives, leading to another Somnium's death.
- 23EP 23
Akamatsu Industries Christmas Party and Keita's Romantic Attempt
Sep 10, 1999During the Akamatsu Industries Christmas celebration, the team reflects on their survival thanks to Betterman. Weeks prior, neuronoids sent by ModeWarp betrayed the group, but Betterman defeated them. Kankel, the slayer of the Somniums, posed a greater threat, yet Seeme sacrificed herself to allow Betterman to mutate into his Aqua form and rescue Keita and Hinoki. Now, the group enjoys the holiday with drinks. Kaede and Yanagi make a special announcement that boosts morale. Keita invites Hinoki to his empty home to attempt a kiss. The sudden move frightens Hinoki, causing him to flee down the stairs and directly into the arms of an unexpected and unwelcome adversary.
- 24EP 24
The team races against time to rescue Hinoki from ModeWarp before a UN bombing raid destroys the island.
Sep 17, 1999After a Christmas celebration, Dr. Mamon abducts Hinoki from Keita’s home while the Akamatsu Industries team suffers from hangovers. Although the group believed the doctor died as Brahman, he escapes after clashing with Betterman, leaving Keita devastated by his broken promise to protect Hinoki. Sakura tracks the abduction to a diamond-shaped island identified as ModeWarp headquarters, where contact was lost due to Algernon. With the parent company ordering the compound’s destruction, the team has only eight hours to rescue Hinoki before a United Nations bombing raid begins. Upon arrival, they find the facility deserted except for twelve battle robots. The mission is further complicated because Algernon has infected one team member for the first time since Cactus went mad, reducing their numbers during the assault.
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Frequently asked questions
- How many episodes does Betterman have?
- Betterman has 26 episodes.
- When did Betterman come out?
- Betterman came out in 1999.
- Which studio made Betterman?
- Betterman was produced by Sunrise.
- Who directed Betterman?
- Betterman was directed by Takahiro Kimura.
- Is Betterman finished?
- Current status of Betterman: Finished.