TV-Series
Description
Harabote Muscle is a supporting character from the anime and manga series Kinnikuman Nisei, known internationally as Ultimate Muscle. In the English adaptation, he is renamed Vance McMadd. He is the long-standing chairman of the Chōjin Committee, the governing body that oversees all intergalactic Chōjin, or superhero, wrestling activities. Originally from Planet Harabote, he is of short stature, standing 165 centimeters tall, with a round belly and a perpetually stern or grumpy expression. His typical attire includes a cape and a distinctive fin on his head, similar to the inhabitants of Planet Kinniku. In his youth, Harabote was an active and skilled Chōjin wrestler with a power level of 450,000.
As a young wrestler, Harabote was a childhood friend and fierce rival of Mayumi Kinniku, the father of the original series protagonist, Suguru Kinniku. He famously defeated Mayumi in the finals of the 11th Chōjin Olympics, preventing him from winning a third consecutive championship. This event cemented a lifelong, friendly rivalry between the two, often expressed through comedic arguments and exhibition matches showcasing old-school wrestling techniques. A significant event from their shared past includes the discovery of the entity Nemesis in a forbidden area, an experience that shaped their later views on justice and leadership.
By the time of Kinnikuman Nisei, which takes place decades later, Harabote is 104 years old. His management skills have deteriorated with his advanced age, leading to a decline in his authority and the respect he commands among the Chōjin community. His primary role in the sequel series is defined by a personal vendetta against the new protagonist, Mantaro Kinniku, son of Suguru. He views Mantaro as lazy and unworthy of the Kinniku family legacy, an animosity that mirrors his initial dismissive attitude toward Mantaro's father. This prejudice leads him to manipulate tournaments, such as the HF First Year Replacement Matches, where he unfairly biased the rules to favor the Generation Ex team over Mantaro's "Team Aho," even permitting hazardous tactics. Throughout the series, he often announces matches and determines tournament brackets, sometimes using methods as unorthodox as a giant pachinko or gatcha machine.
Harabote Muscle's key relationships heavily define his character. His dynamic with Mayumi Kinniku is one of deep camaraderie blended with competitive friction, a friendship that has lasted since childhood. While he eventually develops a reluctant respect for Suguru Kinniku after witnessing his growth and victories, he remains easily annoyed by the younger generation's unprofessional behavior. His family includes his son, Ikemen Muscle, and his daughter, Jacqueline Muscle. He shares a closer bond with Ikemen, to whom he eventually relinquishes his chairmanship, and maintains a respectful but emotionally distant relationship with Jacqueline. He initially opposes Mantaro's romantic interest in Jacqueline, seeing it as a political power grab by the Kinniku family. The English adaptation renamed him Vance McMadd as a parody of WWE owner Vince McMahon, with his children serving as loose parodies of Shane and Stephanie McMahon. This change also clarified that he is not blood-related to the Muscle (Kinniku) family, despite sharing a similar surname.
Notable abilities from his wrestling career include his signature techniques, such as the Body Scissors and the Killer Key Lock. Although he rarely uses these techniques in his later role as chairman, his past as a champion wrestler remains a key part of his background. Over the course of the narrative, Harabote transitions from an active wrestler to a powerful but often ineffective bureaucrat, and finally to a ceremonial figurehead, having passed the responsibilities of the Chōjin Committee on to his son, Ikemen Muscle.
As a young wrestler, Harabote was a childhood friend and fierce rival of Mayumi Kinniku, the father of the original series protagonist, Suguru Kinniku. He famously defeated Mayumi in the finals of the 11th Chōjin Olympics, preventing him from winning a third consecutive championship. This event cemented a lifelong, friendly rivalry between the two, often expressed through comedic arguments and exhibition matches showcasing old-school wrestling techniques. A significant event from their shared past includes the discovery of the entity Nemesis in a forbidden area, an experience that shaped their later views on justice and leadership.
By the time of Kinnikuman Nisei, which takes place decades later, Harabote is 104 years old. His management skills have deteriorated with his advanced age, leading to a decline in his authority and the respect he commands among the Chōjin community. His primary role in the sequel series is defined by a personal vendetta against the new protagonist, Mantaro Kinniku, son of Suguru. He views Mantaro as lazy and unworthy of the Kinniku family legacy, an animosity that mirrors his initial dismissive attitude toward Mantaro's father. This prejudice leads him to manipulate tournaments, such as the HF First Year Replacement Matches, where he unfairly biased the rules to favor the Generation Ex team over Mantaro's "Team Aho," even permitting hazardous tactics. Throughout the series, he often announces matches and determines tournament brackets, sometimes using methods as unorthodox as a giant pachinko or gatcha machine.
Harabote Muscle's key relationships heavily define his character. His dynamic with Mayumi Kinniku is one of deep camaraderie blended with competitive friction, a friendship that has lasted since childhood. While he eventually develops a reluctant respect for Suguru Kinniku after witnessing his growth and victories, he remains easily annoyed by the younger generation's unprofessional behavior. His family includes his son, Ikemen Muscle, and his daughter, Jacqueline Muscle. He shares a closer bond with Ikemen, to whom he eventually relinquishes his chairmanship, and maintains a respectful but emotionally distant relationship with Jacqueline. He initially opposes Mantaro's romantic interest in Jacqueline, seeing it as a political power grab by the Kinniku family. The English adaptation renamed him Vance McMadd as a parody of WWE owner Vince McMahon, with his children serving as loose parodies of Shane and Stephanie McMahon. This change also clarified that he is not blood-related to the Muscle (Kinniku) family, despite sharing a similar surname.
Notable abilities from his wrestling career include his signature techniques, such as the Body Scissors and the Killer Key Lock. Although he rarely uses these techniques in his later role as chairman, his past as a champion wrestler remains a key part of his background. Over the course of the narrative, Harabote transitions from an active wrestler to a powerful but often ineffective bureaucrat, and finally to a ceremonial figurehead, having passed the responsibilities of the Chōjin Committee on to his son, Ikemen Muscle.