Yesterday I was lucky to stumble on a TV program, in which several old Anime-gimmicks were made real by Japan's cutting-edge technology. First, the Zantetsuken (tr. Iron-Cleaver) of Goemon, which can cut anything in half (imagine Morpheus's Katana in Matrix 2), is forged using super-hard alloy which is used for the blades of tunnel-digging drills. A swordmaster H.Fujioka (aka Masked Rider 1) wielded the Katana and cut a door of a car. The Katana cut through the door about 20cm and not nicked at all, while normal katana could cut through only 3cm and nicked.
Second, the rocket punch of Mazinger Z (see http://www.japanhero.com/super%20robot%20reviews/mazinger.htm In my childhood, in winter, every boy imitated the action by shouting "Rocket Punch!" and throwing his gloves.) Two groups of hi-tech manufacturers in Tokyo and Osaka competed to design rocket punch which can hit a target at a distance 100m. Tokyo team used explosives to fly 70kg Alminum rocket punch, while Osaka team used radio-controlled 12Kg FRP knuckle with jet engine.
Before the launch, I.Mizuki, the singer of the main theme song of Mazinger, intoned the song ceremonially.
Unfortunately, Tokyo's rocket hit the ground several meters short of the target but nonetheless bounded and hit the target. Osaka's jet-propelled punch failed to launch and crashed. It was very unsatisfactory but fun in all.
