Kinnikuman was first conceived by writer Takashi Shimada and artist Yoshinori Nakai (who work together under the name Yudetamago, Japanese for "Boiled Egg") back when they went to high school in Osaka together. The pair moved to Tokyo to try and get their manga made after they were presented with an offer from the capital. "Our editor at the time promised to find us jobs if we couldn't make it as manga artists," the pair revealed, though in the end it never came to that, as Kinnikuman proved a huge hit.
While it initially started out as a parody of '60s sci-fi series Ultraman, Kinnikuman (literally "Muscle Man") was largely influenced by the rise in popularity of pro-wrestling in Japan. The story follows the missing prince of planet Kinniku as he attempts to prove himself worthy of his title through wrestling competitions with other Chojin ("Super Men"), all of whom are embodiments of the places they represent: Ramenman represented China, Warsman was Russian, and so on.
So, why did this anime never make it to the U.S., despite the branded action figures flooding American toy stores at the time? It probably had something to do with German Chojin Brockenman, a full-fledged Nazi who would wrestle in full SS garb complete with swastikas. The fact that they attempted to make his son Brocken Jr. a "good Nazi" was even worse in many ways, and despite its cult status in Japan, Kinnikuman is way off the Hollywood radar.
