Kabapu
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Dr. Kabapu, preparing to defend F City. |
Doctor
Kabapu is the name of a fictitious character in
Rikudo Koshi's manga and
anime series
Excel Saga. Occupying a position of inscrutable power in F City, F Prefecture, he is the mysterious and dedicated, if unloved, founder and head of the
Municipal Force Daitenzin and its front organization, the Department of City Security. The character is named for (and physically resembles) the mascot of the same name for the 1989 Asia-Pacific Expo, held in
Fukuoka to commemorate the centennial of its city administration.
Very little is known about Kapabu's origins, although the manga implies that he is very long-lived, and in volume thirteen of the manga he claims that he comes from the ancient city Solaria, which was destroyed by its technological hubris. He claims he is on a quest to destroy any remaining Solarian technology. Both the manga and the anime confirm that he shares a significant and violent history with
Lord Ilpalazzo, although its nature is left unclear: A brief flashback in episode twenty-four of the anime suggests that Kabapu's attempts to create a force like the Daitenzin might have had something to do with their conflicts; additionally, Kabapu in the manga shares Ilpalazzo's golden, cat-like eyes (not featured in the anime), suggesting that Ilpalazzo too is a Solarian.
In the anime Kabapu occupies a position of shadowy yet extreme importance and influence in F City, F Prefecture (
Fukuoka in the manga): the mayor and other senior officers kowtow to him to curry political favor in exchange for illicit funding, and they are easily dispatched by his personal assassins or explosive devices. However, his zeal and ruthlessness comes from a desire to protect the City against all dangers and fulfill his personal mission. To that end, he uses his power to create the Department of City Security, a front for the
Municipal Force Daitenzin, a sentai group of masked heroes. In the manga, Kabapu's power is less blatant, but is still apparent. In both versions, Kabapu is provided competent and long-suffering assistance by the quiescent Ms. Momochi.
Despite his hold over the lives of many political leaders, he is viewed almost contemptuously by the City Security staff beneath him. This is in part due to his unusual appearance (especially his helmet-like hair style and handlebar moustache), but is caused by the seemingly ridiculous and nonsensical missions and orders his gives. E.g., in episode twelve of the anime, he assigns them to be mentored by an incompetent police officer, and in episode twenty-two, he demands that the six Daitenzin somehow protect the city from the falling, city-sized debris of a spaceship.
Until that point, Kabapu's threats to dock their pay are usually enough to compel the obedience of the City Security staff in their bureaucratic capacities as well as in their roles as the Daitenzin. After the destruction of F City, however, he must rely on his illness (amplified by cheap tricks) to inspire their cooperation - even then, their appreciation for him is short-lived.
In the anime series, apart from his political influence Kabapu has no known powers such as
telekinesis (compare with
Ilpalazzo's). Indeed, his final confrontation with Ilpalazzo in episode twenty-five suggests that he is indeed quite weak physically. Set against that is his convalescence after the wasting of F City, but because of his somewhat duplicitous tactics, the true extent of his injury remains uncertain. Also uncertain is the extent to which he is responsible for the technology behind the Daitenzin: Shiouji claims to be the maker of the Ropponmatsus, but attribution of the Daiten suits and weapons are never made.
