Aguila Roja
Águila Roja (Red Eagle) is a Spanish live action TV show about a masked hero who fights injustice in 17th Century Spain. Best known for its use of Ninja motifs, the show is (according to an article in the Spanish branch of Wikipedia) the most watched show in Spain's history, and also the most costly.
The series tells the story of Gonzalo de Montalvo, a man who (after being forced into exile to the Far East) learns Ninja-like skills, and then returns to Spain- only to find his wife murdered by a conspiracy known as "La Logia" (The Lodge). Adopting the identity of Águila Roja, he fights the corrupt local Sheriff, Hernán Mejías, and investigates the Lodge's plans- all while raising his young son, Alonso, who is unaware that his father is a hero. He also picks up Saturno, a lovable scoundrel who helps him with his wiles and adds a touch of humor to the otherwise dead-straight show.
It is eventually revealed that La Logia wants to kill The King, that Hernán is actually Gonzalo's brother, and Gonzalo himself is the King's son.
The series is still going after three years (starting on 2009, with its fourth season starting in Spain in September of 2011) and a movie adaptation came out in April 2011.
- Adult Fear: The episode where Alonso is buried alive is shockingly effective.
- Anachronism Stew: One of the sound effects for the muskets appears to be the same sound effect for the Sniper Rifle on Halo
- Anyone Can Die: The number of people killed off in the series is surprisingly high, and includes one child! (not Alonso.)
- Artistic License Astronomy: Two nights before a solar eclipse there's a full moon. Even Satur says "it's almost full moon", implying it has something to do with the approaching eclipse, which does not: there should be a new moon in the sky.
- Badass Teacher: Gonzalo.
- Calling Card: A red feather that Águila leaves at the scene of his attacks.
- Cain and Abel: Hernán and Gonzalo.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Characters actually *die* from it.
- Disappeared Mom: As in, dead. Alonso blames his father for not being there with her to save her life.
- Everythings Better With Ninjas
- Historical Fiction
- Love Dodecahedron: There are a LOT of love triangles in this show.
- Loves My Alter Ego
- McNinja
- The Movie: Involves an adventure in three European countries.
- Plucky Comic Relief: Saturno
- Overprotective Dad: Gonzalo to Alonso, though given their situation, it's to be expected.
- Shout-Out: To El Zorro.
- And Batman
- Swashbuckler: Missing the fun side for the most part, but otherwise fits the genre.
- Wilhelm Scream: At least once each episode