"We are The Peace Men!"
The Peace Men are a group of octogenarian heroes dedicated to the cause of justice.
When they were much younger, these five friends - Gen the Wolf, Reika the Leopardess, Ryu the Lion, Mei the Swan, and Dai the Bald Eagle, their leader - founded the Village of Justice and built the Institute of Absolute Justice to serve as their headquarters in their eternal battle against evil.
They oppose evil with their cool poses, flashy special effects, and melodramatic speeches extolling the nature of justice. They are followed by a group of "ninja" servants who produce all their special effects for them.
Unfortunately, Ryu and Mei were struck down by evil demons (they caught bad colds) and were no longer able to continue to fight. At this point, the Peace Men recruit Gourry Gabriev and Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune to fill in their ranks, as they set out on a quest to avenge their fallen comrades and destroy the demons.
As the adventure unfolds, it becomes obvious that it is not merely their physical health that the elder Peace Men are losing.
In the forest of the Forbidden Land, the Peace Men are attacked by a group of dwarves that seem too easily defeated. (It turns out that these dwarves are only humoring the Peace Men in their demented worldview).
The Peace Men then do battle with a giant pink dragon, much to the annoyance of the farmer that kept her as a pet.
Finally, the adventure comes to a close as the Peace Men catch up with the demons they had been hunting: none other than Lina Inverse, Zelgadiss Graywords, and Filia Ul Copt, who are in need of a stern lecture about keeping off the grass.
Characteristics[]
As true allies of justice, the Peace Men are dedicated to the fight against evil. Unfortunately, because they have grown so old, they are not nearly as strong and powerful as they believe themselves to be.
Furthermore, possibly because of dementia brought on by their age, the Peace Men have difficulty distinguishing between reality and their heroic fantasies. They love extreme melodrama and speeches extolling the virtues of justice.
Team Members[]
The Peace Men Strike Again!
- Dai the Bald Eagle - Red - Battle Axe.
- Reika the Leopardess - Pink - Ribbon.
- Gen the Wolf - Blue - Two Daggers.
- Mei the Swan - White - Mace.
- Ryu the Lion - Yellow - Longsword.
Temporary Members
- Amelia Wil Tesla Saillune - filling in for Mei.
- Gourry Gabriev - filling in for Ryu.
Trivia[]
Bring on the Ninja Special FX!
The Peace Men are an obvious parody of hero teams from early anime shows, like Battle of the Planets and Voltron, but most notably the live-action series Super Sentai.
The "ninja" servants are from traditional Japanese theater, in which the stage hands often dressed in black in order to make their presence less conspicuous to the audience. Some theorize that this is where the modern popular image of the ninja originated.