Geta, Inspector
Also known as 下田警部 (Geta Keibu)
Hello, My Name (in English) is…
Inspector Hanao Geta’s name is derived from the Japanese words for a wooden sandal (geta) with a cloth toe strap (hanao). So a literal translation of his name in English might be Detective Clothstrap Clogs. Detectives wore them in the old days, so in Japanese geta is police jargon slang for “detective” – much in the same way “gumshoe” has the same connotation in English.
Distinguishing Features
With his tall, powerful physique only partially hidden by his trademarked suit-n-tie-n-fedora look, there is no mistaking Inspector Geta as anything but a hard-boiled cop. Although he is based on both the American comic-strip character Dick Tracy (with a fair bit of the Fleischer Bros. Superman/Clark Kent thrown in for good measure), his square jaw is reminiscent of his namesake Japanese wooden sandal (geta) – so much so that during one memorable scene in Vampires (1966-67), his entire face is suddenly replaced with an actual geta, and none of the characters even notice.
Status: Secondary Star (★★)
Possibly the most type-cast of all of Tezuka’s Stars, Hanao Geta almost exclusively appears as a police inspector/detective. In fact, in Tezuka’s manga, Inspector Geta more or less IS the long arm of the law, with the role only occasionally going to Tawashi or Murai. On those rare occasions when he is not playing a police officer, he is usually cast in some equally morally sound role – as a conscientious ship’s captain, school teacher or newspaper reporter, etc.
Notable Roles
His debut was in the science-fiction short-story “The Black Space Ray” in Lion Books (1956-57), and his subsequent series credits range from the light-hearted, such as Astro Boy (1952-68), to the gritty and even gruesome, such as Ayako (1972-73) in tone. Although his roles are usually supporting ones, he has had many memorable ones, including trying to track down the insidious Makube Rokuro in Vampires (1966-67) and playing Police Inspector Senri’s father in Rainbow Parakeet (1981-82), to name just two. Interesting to note, his full name (“Hanao Geta”) first appeared in Lunatic Japan (1974) – even though that was also his son’s name (although spelled differently) in Ayako (1972).
Manga Appearances
If you spot an appearance not already listed, please let us know in the comments section below!
1956
Lion Books (“The Black Space Ray”) as “a police officer”
Instruction! 7:00AM as “one of the gangsters”
1957
Lion Books (“Twins Murder”) as “the police detective”
Lion Books (“A Bullethole in the Wilderness”) as “the sheriff”
The Earth War as “the Metropolitan Police Chief”
Whirlwind Z as “the police officer”
1958
Astro Boy (“Fortress of the Centaurs”) as “the teacher”
The Three Who Glimpse the Future as “the police officer”
1959
Jet King as “the police officer”
Zero Men as “the Secretary of Defense”
Dr. Thrill as “the police detective”
1961
The Ant and the Giant as “the police officer”
The Strange Boy as “the police officer””
The White Pilot
1962
A Blue Shadow Behind the Backstop as “the police officer”
1963
Big X as “the police officer”
1965
Astro Boy (“Slippery Catfish in Imminent Danger”) as “the police officer”
1966
Flying Ben as “the police officer”
1968
Astro Boy (“The Man Who Returned From Mars”) as “the police officer”
Swallowing the Earth as “the police officer”
1969
Under the Air (“Illicit Love”) as “the police officer”
The Crater (“Okuchin’s Strange Experience”) as “the newspaper reporter”
1970
The Crater (“The Purple B.E.M.s”) as “the Todai ISAS agent”
The Glass Castle as “the police officer”
Apollo’s Song as “the police officer”
1971
Lion Books (“One Hundred Tales: Wandering”) as “the ronin”
1972
Lion Books (“The March Covered with Mud”) as “one of the reporters”
Dust 18 as “a member of the Self-Defense Forces”
Ayako as “the police detective”
Old Folk’s Home as “the police detective”
1973
Black Jack (“Strangers at Sea“) as “the police detective”
Black Jack (“On a Snowy Night“) as “a member of the rescue team”
The Euphrates Tree as “the police detective”
1974
Black Jack (“Son of Hariti“) as “the police detective”
Black Jack (“Eyewitness“) as “the police detective”
Black Jack (“Two Loves“) as “the police detective”
The Three-Eyed One (“Computer Maternity Hospital”)
Lunatic Japan as “Hanao Geta, the Editor-in-Chief”
1975
Black Jack (“Wolf Girl“) as “one of the townspeople”
Black Jack (“The Sewer Way“) as “a resident of the tenement”
Black Jack (“Tatsu the Outie“) as “Tatsu’s teacher”
Black Jack (“Hospital Jack“) as “the police detective”
Hungry Blues as “the police officer”
Astro Boy (“Astro Boy II”) as “a researcher at the Ministry of Science”
1976
Black Jack (“Pinoko’s Challenge“) as “the examiner”
Black Jack (“A Happening at Dawn“) as “the teacher”
Metamorphosis (“Benkei and Ushiwaka”) as “the police officer”
1977
Black Jack (“Black and White“) as “the police detective”
Black Jack (“High and Low“) as “the doctor”
1978
Black Jack (“The Man Who Threw up Capsules“) as “the police captain”
Futureman Kaos as “the police officer”
1979
The Insect Collector (“The Butterfly Road Smells of Death”) as “the Police Chief”
1981
The Rainbow Parakeet (“Hamlet“) as “Police Chief Senri”
The Rainbow Parakeet (“Peter Pan“) as “Police Chief Senri”
The Rainbow Parakeet (“The Bluebird“) as “Police Chief Senri”
The Rainbow Parakeet (“Pygmalion“) as “Police Chief Senri”
Tree in the Sun
1986
Midnight
1987
Ludwig B as “the police officer”
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