Ginga Hyoryu Vifam
Encyclopedia
is an anime
television series created by Sunrise
in 1983.
on Japan News Network's TV stations (including MBS
and TBS
) between October 21, 1983 and September 8, 1984. The series was conceived by Yoshiyuki Tomino
and directed by Takeyuki Kanda. It included mechanical designs by artist Kunio Okawara
(who previously designed mecha
for the Mobile Suit Gundam
anime series).
The show's intro theme, "Hello Vifam", was composed and performed by the Japanese progressive rock
band TAO. This theme is one of the first Japanese animation title songs written entirely with English language
lyrics.
A sequel television anime, , aired on MBS and its affiliated networks between March 21, 1998 and October 3, 1998.
The first series was also later re-run in Japan on Animax
on December 23, 2006.
) they manage to arrive at Belwick, the fourth planet of the system where other humans supposedly live. However, upon arriving they discover that the colony at Belwick had already been destroyed by the enemies too. Learning to pilot the VIFAMs and other mecha the 13 children decide to escape to Earth
by themselves.
On their way to Earth they discover a damaged alien ship piloted by an Astrogater. From him they learn that one of the children is actually an alien as well and that their parents have been captured and taken to the Astrogater home planet Kukto's artificial satellite, Tuat. After numerous battles with Astrogaters (Kuktonians as they call themselves) and receiving some help from Earth military forces they manage to reach Tuat. One of children is captured and taken prisoner on Tuat where he learns that there is a rebel faction among the Kuktonians and effects an escape with the help of the imprisoned rebels. After liberating the prisoners the children learn their parents have been moved planet side to Kukto.
for the MSX
computer platform in 1984. It was an action game
and space combat simulator that uses 3D wire-frame graphics.
The game allowed the player to explore open space
while switching between three monitors, each one displaying a different perspective. The first monitor displays a top-down perspective used mainly for navigation, the second monitor displays a first-person
perspective which can be used to explore through space or engage enemies in first-person shooter
combat, and the third monitor is used for servicing the player's mecha.
The game also implemented an early physics
engine
where approaching a planet
's gravitational field
pulls the player towards it; if the player gets caught in a gravity field, they must accelerate
out of the gravity field in a close-up view. The game also uses a radar that displays the relative positions of the player and enemies as well as the destination.
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....
television series created by Sunrise
Sunrise (company)
is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...
in 1983.
Production
Galactic Drifter Vifam premiered in JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on Japan News Network's TV stations (including MBS
Mainichi Broadcasting System
is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...
and TBS
Tokyo Broadcasting System
, TBS Holdings, Inc. or TBSHD, is a stockholding company in Tokyo, Japan. It is a parent company of a television network named and radio network named ....
) between October 21, 1983 and September 8, 1984. The series was conceived by Yoshiyuki Tomino
Yoshiyuki Tomino
is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...
and directed by Takeyuki Kanda. It included mechanical designs by artist Kunio Okawara
Kunio Okawara
is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. A mechanical designer is similar to a character designer, but the design is for robots, ships, and other mechanical items found in a particular show. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer...
(who previously designed mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
for the Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam
is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
anime series).
The show's intro theme, "Hello Vifam", was composed and performed by the Japanese progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band TAO. This theme is one of the first Japanese animation title songs written entirely with English language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
lyrics.
A sequel television anime, , aired on MBS and its affiliated networks between March 21, 1998 and October 3, 1998.
Animax
is a Japanese anime satellite television network, dedicated to broadcasting anime programming. A subsidiary of Japanese media conglomerate Sony, it is headquartered in in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with its co-founders and shareholders including Sony Pictures Entertainment and the noted anime studios...
on December 23, 2006.
Plot
During the year A.D. 2058 hostile forces (collectively known as the "Astrogaters") attack the human colony at Clayad, the third planet of the Ypserlon system which is located 43 light years away from Earth. Because of this the colonists on Clayad are evacuated from the planet. During the confusion some of the human children become stranded from their parents and escape in the training combat space ship, the Janous. With the help of the ship's defense systems (which include the advanced and powerful VIFAM aerospace combat mechaMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
) they manage to arrive at Belwick, the fourth planet of the system where other humans supposedly live. However, upon arriving they discover that the colony at Belwick had already been destroyed by the enemies too. Learning to pilot the VIFAMs and other mecha the 13 children decide to escape to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
by themselves.
On their way to Earth they discover a damaged alien ship piloted by an Astrogater. From him they learn that one of the children is actually an alien as well and that their parents have been captured and taken to the Astrogater home planet Kukto's artificial satellite, Tuat. After numerous battles with Astrogaters (Kuktonians as they call themselves) and receiving some help from Earth military forces they manage to reach Tuat. One of children is captured and taken prisoner on Tuat where he learns that there is a rebel faction among the Kuktonians and effects an escape with the help of the imprisoned rebels. After liberating the prisoners the children learn their parents have been moved planet side to Kukto.
Characters
Video game
There was a video game adaptation, also entitled Ginga Hyoryuu Vifam, released by BandaiBandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
for the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
computer platform in 1984. It was an action game
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
and space combat simulator that uses 3D wire-frame graphics.
The game allowed the player to explore open space
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
while switching between three monitors, each one displaying a different perspective. The first monitor displays a top-down perspective used mainly for navigation, the second monitor displays a first-person
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
perspective which can be used to explore through space or engage enemies in first-person shooter
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
combat, and the third monitor is used for servicing the player's mecha.
The game also implemented an early physics
Game physics
Computer animation physics or game physics involves the introduction of the laws of physics into a simulation or game engine, particularly in 3D computer graphics, for the purpose of making the effects appear more real to the observer...
engine
Physics engine
A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics , soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer graphics, video games and film. Their main uses are in video games , in which case the...
where approaching a planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
's gravitational field
Gravitational field
The gravitational field is a model used in physics to explain the existence of gravity. In its original concept, gravity was a force between point masses...
pulls the player towards it; if the player gets caught in a gravity field, they must accelerate
Acceleration
In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity with time. In one dimension, acceleration is the rate at which something speeds up or slows down. However, since velocity is a vector, acceleration describes the rate of change of both the magnitude and the direction of velocity. ...
out of the gravity field in a close-up view. The game also uses a radar that displays the relative positions of the player and enemies as well as the destination.