, often simply referred to as Change!! Getter Robo in Japan, is an original video animation

Original video animation

, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...

 released in 1998 by Bandai Visual

Bandai Visual

, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...

, based on the manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

 and anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series Getter Robo

Getter Robo

is a Super Robot manga series created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, as well as an anime series produced by Toei Animation. The series was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974 to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes.- Plot :...

, created by Go Nagai

Go Nagai

, better known by the penname , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with Meakashi Polikichi, but is best known for creating Cutie Honey, Devilman, and Mazinger Z in the 1970s. In 2005, he became a...

 and Ken Ishikawa

Ken Ishikawa

was a Japanese manga artist. He is renowned as the co-creator with Go Nagai, of the Getter Robo anime series, as well as four of their subsequent manga continuations...

. The series, however, owes more to the manga than the 1970s animated adaptation, with designs closer to those of Ishikawa's original art, and a darker, more serious theme than the anime. It is a direct sequel to the audio drama 'Getter Robo: The Moon Wars', not the 1970s TV series (a common misconception).

Plot

The plot opens some time after the Moon Wars, where things for the original cast have taken a turn for the worse. the main character and pilot of Getter-1, Ryouma Nagare, has been framed for the murder of the Getter Machine builder Dr. Saotome after the death of Saotome's daughter, Michiru. However, he is released from jail and is reunited on Earth—unhappily—with his old allies, Hayato Jin (who set up then testified against Ryouma) and Musashi Tomoe, to fight none other than Dr. Saotome himself, who has seemingly risen from the grave to threaten humanity with his ultimate creation—and most dangerous weapon—Shin Getter Dragon, a massive weapon powered by the same cosmic Getter Rays which gave life to their old weapons. However, their efforts to stop Dr. Saotome, not to mention an overzealous Japanese Defense Force, are in vain, as nuclear weapons are used on Shin Dragon.

The resulting explosion and shock wave of Getter Rays wipes out 99% of the human population worldwide. Thirteen years after this catastrophe, as humanity clings desperately to life, the re-emerged extraterrestrial

Extraterrestrial life in popular culture

In popular cultures, "extraterrestrials" are life forms — especially intelligent life forms— that are of extraterrestrial origin .-Historical ideas:-Pre-modern:...

 Invaders threaten Earth once more. The only safeguard against this alien threat is a giant robot that emerges from the wreckage of the nuclear blast—Shin Getter Robo—piloted by an artificially created human named Gou. With the help of Hayato's Super Robot Army and Gou's co-pilots Kei and Gai, Shin Getter fights to keep humanity's dreams alive.

Later, Ryouma returns piloting the Black Getter Robo to aid the new Getter team against Dr. Saotome who returns with Stinger and Koen when Shin Getter Dragon re-activates and continues its evolution. It was also revealed that Kei was Dr. Saotome's younger daughter and Michiru's younger sister, who was adopted by Benkei. Soon the Invaders put their true plan into action by transforming Jupiter into a Getter Ray Sun and Ganymede one of its moons would soon go on a collision course with Earth, prompting both the old and new Getter teams to spring into action to save the planet.

Old Getter Team

• Ryoma Nagare – Former leader of the Getter team and pilot of Getter-1, he was framed some time before the events of the OVA for the death of Dr. Saotome. However, when Dr. Saotome seemingly returns from the dead and threatens to start the end of the world, he is released from jail to commit the very murder he was put in jail for, which he is all too happy to do. After the nuclear explosion he seems to be disappeared, but in reality he was transported 13 years into the future, and then returned from the moon piloting the Black Getter.

• Hayato Jin – Former member of the Getter team and pilot of Getter-2, Hayato is manipulative and seems to have ulterior motives. He was the one who framed Ryoma for murder and helped Dr. Saotome with his plan. He claims to regret helping Dr. Saotome and 13 years after the nuclear fallout, he reappears as the commander of a massive ground battleship called the Tower along with a small army of Super Robots to fight the resurfaced Invaders.

• Musashi Tomoe – Former member of the Getter team and pilot of Getter-3. After Saotome's supposed death, he took care of Genki, Saotome's daughter. However circumstances forced him back in a Getter, where he was killed by Invaders early in the story.

• Benkei Kuruma – In the Armageddon story Musashi and Benkei have met and are friends, he raises Genki as his own daughter (giving her the name, Kei) to protect her identity after the fallout. He plays the mentor role during most of the series but eventually returns to pilot Shin Getter.

New Getter Team

• Go Saotome – Pilot of Shin Getter-1, he is an artificial human created by Dr. Saotome in order to control Shin Dragon. After the nuclear fallout he realizes Kei as Dr. Saotome's daughter and devotes himself to protect her. He does not seem to age, as he stays exactly the same after 13 years. Although based on the character of Go Ichimonji from Ken Ishikawa's Getter Robo Go manga, the two characters bare little similarity.

• Genki Saotome – The younger daughter of Dr. Saotome, she becomes traumatized after witnessing what truly happened to her older sister. When the nuclear bomb exploded, the trauma of everything caused her to go amnesic, where she began life fresh as "Kei Kuruma", Benkei's tomboyish daughter. As Kei, she pilots Shin Getter-2. Genki's character is a departure from the TV series, as Genki is a boy in that series as the tag-along happy-go-lucky character. Kei is based on the character of Kei Minamikaze from the Getter Robo Go manga, but aside from their appearance and involvement with the Getter Team, they are otherwise unrelated.

• Gai – A large but good-natured guy, he was part of Benkei's group when they ventured to the outside world after 13 years. After Benkei is injured by Invaders, he becomes pilot of Shin Getter-3. He is friends with Kei and seems to have a small crush on her. Gai is based on the character of Gai Daido from Getter Robo Go, and is probably the least different in both appearance and personality from his source character.

Antagonists

• Professor Saotome – The father of Getter technology, he was supposedly killed by Hayato but mysteriously returned from the dead. He takes a departure from the traditional role by being the antagonist throughout most of the story. He holds a grudge against Ryoma and Hayato because of the death of Michiru, his daughter, and it is this grudge that starts his plans for the end of the world.

• Mr. Stinger and Mr. Koen – Two mysterious scientists who worked with Dr. Saotome on Getter Energy in the past. However because of their desire for evolution they have allowed Invaders into their bodies and believe the Invaders are the only ones for the Earth, and therefore the Getter Energy. Along with Dr. Saotome, they are the antagonists of the story.

• Invaders – The amorphous creatures which were eradicated in the Moon Wars. However they seem to have resurfaced on Earth, with the intention of reaching Shin Dragon. After the nuclear explosion the Invaders have thrived and spread rapidly across the surface. Invaders have the power to possess humans, mutating them into hideous creatures, as well as survive even if reduced to tiny pieces. They can also assume any shape they want, as they are amorphous in nature. However their one weakness lies in the fact that Getter Rays cause their overevolution, destroying them with enough exposure. Their most distinctive features are their many eyeballs and protruding spikes.

Other

• Michiru Saotome – Dr. Saotome's oldest daughter who was killed in a Getter combining accident involving Ryoma and Hayato. Dr. Saotome believes it was on purpose and holds an intense grudge against them, which starts the events of Armageddon.

• Professor Shikishima – A creepy and odd scientist with a deformed face, he is always beside Hayato and is extremely interested in Shin Dragon's evolution and Go.

• Schwartz – An American Super Robot pilot in Hayato's army, he usually leads the attacks. It is implied his girlfriend was killed by Invaders in the past. He also has a hatred for the Japanese due to their hiding from the outside world, this causes him to dislike the new Getter Team. However he learns to respect the team after they save his life. He pilots the Stilva, which is a black humanoid robot capable of changing into a stealth fighter.

• Gore – One of two experiments created by Dr. Saotome and is based on the leader of the Dinosaur Empire from the original series. Powers include high jumping, a powerful tail, and regeneration comparable to that of the invaders. Only appears in episodes 2 and 3.

• Burai – One of two experiments created by Dr. Saotome and is based on the leader of the Hundred Demon Empire from Getter Robo G. Powers include high jumping, telekinesis and regeneration comparable to that of the invaders. Only appears in episodes 2 and 3.

Reception

As a whole, the response to this OVA was positive, thanks in large part to its distinctly retro character designs combined with high-quality animation; however, there are those fans who felt that the plot was convoluted and strayed too far from the original TV series' characters. However, the effects of the OVA were long-lasting, as it led to the creation of two other Getter OVA's (Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo

Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo

is an anime OVA series based on the works of Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa. It was released in four episodes on four DVDs from December 2000 to June 2001.Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo draws heavily from Ken Ishikawa's manga Getter Robo Go...

 and New Getter Robo

New Getter Robo

is an anime original video animation co-produced by Dynamic Planning and Bandai Visual. The series is a re-imagining of the 1970s manga Getter Robo, created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, that incorporates aspects of Japanese mythology like the Oni and Abe no Seimei.- Plot :An alternate retelling of...

), as well as the revival of the Mazinger Z

Mazinger Z

, known briefly as Tranzor Z in United States, is a Super Robot manga and anime series created by Go Nagai. The first manga version was serialized in Shueisha Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 1972 to August 1973, and it later continued in Kodansha TV Magazine from October 1973 to September 1974. In...

 franchise with Mazinkaiser

Mazinkaiser

is an anime OVA series, inspired by Go Nagai's Mazinger series. The OVA follows Kouji Kabuto, Tetsuya Tsurugi and the rest of the "Mazinger Team" as they fight against Dr. Hell's Mechanical Beasts....

 in 2001.

Unlike other series produced by Dynamic Planning, as Getter Robo Armageddon's setting departs with the standard setting of the Getter world (especially towards manga version) too far, Armageddon's appearance in Super Robot Wars Series

Super Robot Wars

is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...

 is very little as other Getter Robo and Mazinger series counterparts do (Only Destiny

Super Robot Wars Destiny

Super Robot Wars D is a video game for the Game Boy Advance, an installment of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars franchise. It is the fourth game to appear on the Game Boy Advance system, preceded by Super Robot Wars A, Super Robot Wars R and Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation.-Series Featured:The...

 involved its storyline, until the 2011 announcement of Super Robot Wars Z 2, and a Black Getter, modified to room 3 pilots, has been placed as a hidden mech in Alpha Series). However, it participated in robot action game Another Century's Episode 3: The Final instead, which differs from other Dynamic Planning's production that mostly involved in strategy, or shooting games.

Anime

External links

• Japanese Official Website