The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
Encyclopedia
is an anime
television series series begun in 1997, created by Sunrise
's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani
, and was the eighth and final in the Yūsha metaseries funded by Takara
and produced by Sunrise.
. Parasitic alien life-forms known as "Zonderians" have begun to emerge; using the Zonder Metal of which they are made, they can assimilate various kinds of matter to form "Zonders." which use humanoid beings as their hosts
.
GGG gains three key resources with which to combat this threat. There is Galeon, a sentient mechanical lion of alien design. There is the alien child Mamoru Amami, whom Galeon had left with human parents eight years earlier. The third asset human cyborg
Guy Shishiō, whose life was saved by Galeon two years earlier and is capable of fusing with him, forming the mechanoid GaiGar. When combined with the GGG-made GaoMachines, GaiGar becomes the Super Mechanoid GaoGaiGar: a mecha
capable of defeating Zonders, recovering their cores for Mamoru to "purify" and saving the human host in doing so.
, two short stories
, one PlayStation
video game, at least two serialized manga
and four audio dramas). Most of these works contained plot written by Studio 7 staff, and contributed to its canon
long after its airing. Each episode has special effects and composed with CG animation
The show's popularity would soon warrant a new animated work. This resulted in the production of the eight part sequel OVA
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL
, released from January 21, 2000 to March 21, 2003. Its story takes place one year following the events of the television series, and incorporates characters and continuity from non-television works. Examples include Renais Kerdif-Shishioh (main character of the aforementioned novel) and Rose Approval (secretary general of the United Nations
as seen in the aforementioned PlayStation game).
announced their licensing of the GaoGaiGar TV series for marketing in the United States. The first volume was released to stores on September 26, 2006. On April 23, 2007, it was reported that the US release of GaoGaiGar would go on hiatus due to the company's focus on a labor-intensive Voltron
DVD release. They followed with a statement that the subsequent volumes will be subtitled only, due to poor sales. The rest of the GaoGaiGar DVD series was released in a box set on August 19, 2008.
, which first aired from April 1 to September 30, 1999 on TV Tokyo
. This show is composed of 26 episodes and takes place in the same overall universe as GaoGaiGar. Director Yonetani has taken steps to link these two works on a number of occasions.
The first notable sign of a connection is Tsuguo Ushiyama, who appeared briefly in GaoGaiGar, though makes multiple appearances as a friend of Bettermans main protagonist Keita Aono. A line of continuity was also established when the character Papillon Noir (appearing in the novel "Queen of Leo <Leon Reine>" and FINAL) was introduced in a Betterman audio drama following the show's run. Furthermore, in both the third and final episodes of FINAL, Shigeru Akamatsu and his two assistants can be seen (with their backs to the camera), first watching the reports of GGG's "Coup d'état" in the main Akamatsu Industries' warehouse, and again after the end of the vicious storms in the last episode of FINAL (again facing away from the camera).
In the summer of 2005, a 12 episode re-edit of GaoGaiGar FINAL—The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL -Grand Glorious Gathering-—aired on TV Tokyo
. This show was dubbed a "reimagining" of FINAL, adding flashbacks from the original television series and minor elements from Betterman to further connect the two series, featuring new voiceovers to accompany reused animation and stills.
The "deluxe" version of the -Grand Glorious Gathering- DVD box set contains a special disc called "Disc Z." One of the features on this disk contains information about a new GaoGaiGar work entitled The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Project Z. This project brings GaoGaiGar in even closer relationship with Betterman by reintroducing the corporation Akamatsu Heavy Industries. They cooperate with GGG to build the "Neuromechanoid" Awakener GaiGo, with GaoGaiGar characters Mamoru Amami and Ikumi Kaidou as its "Head Divers" (pilots). Betterman Lamia is also seen to make at least one appearance. As of July 2007, however, no other information is known about "Project Z", though a GaiGo figure was released in late 2006. It has since been confirmed that Gaogaigar Project Z is now officially canceled.
Guy Shishioh, an astronaut whose life was saved by Galeon and his technology when EI-01 first attacked Earth; he is able to combine with Galeon and the GGG-built GaoMachines to become GaoGaiGar. Other characters include Mikoto Utsugi, Guy's love interest and GGG support operator; Kohtaroh Taiga, the charismatic chief of GGG and president of the Space Development Corporation that runs G-Island City; Leo Shishioh, Guy's father, and GGG's chief scientist and inventor; Swan White, an American GGG operator and Leo's assistant; Geki Hyuuma, the hot-headed, musclebound tactical advisor; Kosuke Entouji, GGG's disheveled, dandruff-ridden computer expert with an IQ of 300; Hana Hatsuno, Mamoru's childhood friend; and Ikumi Kaidou, Mamoru's enigmatic classmate. Most of the protagonists live or work directly in Tokyo or G-Island City itself.
As with most of the Brave series, there are also intelligent transforming robots who complement the human characters. In this show, they are constructed by GGG and their affiliated organizations with personalities based on highly advanced "Super-AI" Artificial Intelligence
technology obtained from Galeon's databanks. They include HyoRyu and EnRyu, a pair of 'twin brother' robots with vastly different personalities; their military-trained Chinese counterparts FuuRyu and RaiRyu; the intrepid ninja police car Volfogg; the stubborn Goldymarg, whose AI is based on Geki Hyuuma's personality; and the American-made Mic Sounders the 13th, a rock music
-playing robot who can use several types of special wave
s to restore the energy of allies or destroy the enemy.
Penchinon is an odd-looking man with one huge yellow eye and another similarly oversized bug-eye with the picture of an anchor, and oversized chattering teeth. Dressed in a simple sailor's outfit, he always has a huge grin on his face. His Zonderian form is a large boat, with feet, hands and a paddle wheel. His yellow eye takes prominent place in the fore of the boat.
Pizza's eyes are always hidden behind his baseball cap and long, upswept hair, making his beaklike nose his most prominent feature; his Zonderian form is quite birdlike, complete with beak helmet/facemask and clawed feet. Obsessed with speed, Pizza is faster than his "rival" Guy by far; only when Guy activates his Hyper Mode does he come close to matching Pizza's velocity.
Polonaise appears as a heavyset gentleman, dressed in a conductor's uniform but with his hair growing down all the way to the floor. His eyes remain perpetually covered in sunglasses and his pipe stays ever-present in hand. In Zonderian form, his head and hair are replaced by a hybrid locomotive engine & caterpillar. Otherwise, he looks much the same.
Primada appears to be a pale ballerina-type woman with flowing orange hair; her Zonderian form is reminiscent of a motorcycle, complete with tires, rear-view mirrors and headlights.
These four Zonderians are headquartered beneath Tokyo Tower and take their orders from the enigmatic Pasder, who appears as just a giant purple head, formed of metal tubes and piping.
Following the Zonderian's defeat, their superiors, the 31 Machine Primevals, appear to finish the job their servants could not complete. In their first appearance, three Primevals easily defeat GaoGaiGar and even destroy GGG's underwater base. Each Primeval represents a particular body part, and has some special ability linked to that organ.
Other antagonists in succeeding GaoGaiGar works include the criminal terrorist organization BioNet, and the 11 Planetary Masters of Sol.
. GaoGaiGar itself is a powerfully-built machine formed from GaiGar (Guy fused with Galeon) and the GaoMachines. These are LinerGao, modeled after a shinkansen
-type high-speed train; StealthGao, modeled after a stealth bomber; and DrillGao, a drill tank. Its right hand represents destruction (in the form of the Broken Magnum attack), and its left, protection (Protect Shade). Its final attack, Hell and Heaven, combines these powers to rip the core out of a Zonder Robo, destroying it without harming the Zonder core itself. GaoGaiGar later obtains auxiliary "tools" built by GGG, not the least of which is an even more powerful finishing blow in the form of the Goldion Hammer, a gravity shockwave-generating tool larger than GaoGaiGar itself.
GaoGaiGar is succeeded in later works by GaoFighGar, Genesic GaoGaiGar and GaoGaiGo.
In the first half of the television series, other, minor themes are introduced, nearly all of them ultimately discarded in favor of the main themes of courage and bravery. The first episode begins on a place called Garbage Island ("gomi no shima", an analogue to Japan's own "Dream Island
" or yume no shima found in Tokyo Bay
) and speaks about ecology and the environment. Outside of that one episode, this theme is only followed up on briefly, in one other moment of the entire series. Another discarded theme is that of self-betterment: in the first half of the series, the Zonderians mostly make Zonder Robos of stressed-out, discontent "average joe" types—a truck driver who hates traffic, for instance, or a morbidly obese man tired of being picked on. Once Mamoru purifies them, however, their attitudes toward life become less obsessed (and in the case of the obese man, the source of stress is removed), the stress having been exhausted from their system when in Zonder form.
It is also notable that GaoGaiGars narrator and its "Jikai" (Next Episode) sequences—and the episode titles themselves, in some cases—rely on extreme hyperbole
, even lying to the viewer if deemed necessary. This in itself is a Super Robot trend, dating back to Mazinger Z
, the original Super Robot show (which itself used hyperbolic episode titles such as "Kouji Kabuto Dies in Lava").
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 series begun in 1997, 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...
's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani
Yoshitomo Yonetani
is a Japanese anime director and animation director. A member of the studio Sunrise, he has directed numerous series, including Gaogaigar, Brigadoon: Marin & Melan, and Betterman, and has recently worked on numerous series, including Planetes and both iterations of the Mobile Suit Gundam Seed...
, and was the eighth and final in the Yūsha metaseries funded by Takara
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955, that merged with another prominent Japanese toy company, Tomy Co., Ltd., on March 1, 2006 to form Takara Tomy, also known in English as TOMY Company Ltd....
and produced by Sunrise.
Plot
It takes place in 2005 (initially referred to as only "the 21st Century"), two years following an incident where the first identified extraterrestrial intelligence—classified as "EI-01"—crash-landed on Earth and absorbed a large number of machines into itself before disappearing without a trace. Following this incident, the Japanese government created a secret organization to combat potential alien threats: the Gutsy Geoid Guard, or "GGG", based beneath G-Island City in Tokyo BayTokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
. Parasitic alien life-forms known as "Zonderians" have begun to emerge; using the Zonder Metal of which they are made, they can assimilate various kinds of matter to form "Zonders." which use humanoid beings as their hosts
Host (biology)
In biology, a host is an organism that harbors a parasite, or a mutual or commensal symbiont, typically providing nourishment and shelter. In botany, a host plant is one that supplies food resources and substrate for certain insects or other fauna...
.
GGG gains three key resources with which to combat this threat. There is Galeon, a sentient mechanical lion of alien design. There is the alien child Mamoru Amami, whom Galeon had left with human parents eight years earlier. The third asset human cyborg
Cyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
Guy Shishiō, whose life was saved by Galeon two years earlier and is capable of fusing with him, forming the mechanoid GaiGar. When combined with the GGG-made GaoMachines, GaiGar becomes the Super Mechanoid GaoGaiGar: a 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:...
capable of defeating Zonders, recovering their cores for Mamoru to "purify" and saving the human host in doing so.
Composition
GaoGaiGar is composed of 49 episodes, first aired on Nagoya TV from February 1, 1997 to January 31, 1998. It was followed by a number of works across multiple media (one serialized novelNovel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, two short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, one PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
video game, at least two serialized 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 four audio dramas). Most of these works contained plot written by Studio 7 staff, and contributed to its canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
long after its airing. Each episode has special effects and composed with CG animation
The show's popularity would soon warrant a new animated work. This resulted in the production of the eight part sequel OVA
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...
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final
is the OVA sequel to the 1997 anime television series The King of Braves GaoGaiGar. The series begun in 2000, created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani, and the first Yūsha metaseries funded by both Takara and Bandai and produced by Sunrise.-Premise:The...
, released from January 21, 2000 to March 21, 2003. Its story takes place one year following the events of the television series, and incorporates characters and continuity from non-television works. Examples include Renais Kerdif-Shishioh (main character of the aforementioned novel) and Rose Approval (secretary general of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
as seen in the aforementioned PlayStation game).
Licensing in the USA
For many years it was believed, due to licensing disputes involving Sunrise, Takara and Bandai, that GaoGaiGar would not be licensed for an international release. On April 19, 2006, however, Media BlastersMedia Blasters
Media Blasters is an entertainment corporation founded by John Sirabella and Sam Liebowitz, based in New York City. They are in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American market manga compilations and anime and live-action movies and television series to home-video...
announced their licensing of the GaoGaiGar TV series for marketing in the United States. The first volume was released to stores on September 26, 2006. On April 23, 2007, it was reported that the US release of GaoGaiGar would go on hiatus due to the company's focus on a labor-intensive Voltron
Voltron
Voltron is the titular super robot of an anime series that features a team of young pilots, known as the Voltron Force. The team’s individual vehicles join together to form the giant super robot, with which they defend the galaxy from evil...
DVD release. They followed with a statement that the subsequent volumes will be subtitled only, due to poor sales. The rest of the GaoGaiGar DVD series was released in a box set on August 19, 2008.
Shared continuity with Betterman
In the interval between the respective productions of GaoGaiGar and GaoGaiGar FINAL, Studio 7 had also made the complex, horror-themed show BettermanBetterman
is a Japanese anime television series which began airing in 1999. It was created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the direction of Yoshitomo Yonetani...
, which first aired from April 1 to September 30, 1999 on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
. This show is composed of 26 episodes and takes place in the same overall universe as GaoGaiGar. Director Yonetani has taken steps to link these two works on a number of occasions.
The first notable sign of a connection is Tsuguo Ushiyama, who appeared briefly in GaoGaiGar, though makes multiple appearances as a friend of Bettermans main protagonist Keita Aono. A line of continuity was also established when the character Papillon Noir (appearing in the novel "Queen of Leo <Leon Reine>" and FINAL) was introduced in a Betterman audio drama following the show's run. Furthermore, in both the third and final episodes of FINAL, Shigeru Akamatsu and his two assistants can be seen (with their backs to the camera), first watching the reports of GGG's "Coup d'état" in the main Akamatsu Industries' warehouse, and again after the end of the vicious storms in the last episode of FINAL (again facing away from the camera).
In the summer of 2005, a 12 episode re-edit of GaoGaiGar FINAL—The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL -Grand Glorious Gathering-—aired on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
. This show was dubbed a "reimagining" of FINAL, adding flashbacks from the original television series and minor elements from Betterman to further connect the two series, featuring new voiceovers to accompany reused animation and stills.
The "deluxe" version of the -Grand Glorious Gathering- DVD box set contains a special disc called "Disc Z." One of the features on this disk contains information about a new GaoGaiGar work entitled The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Project Z. This project brings GaoGaiGar in even closer relationship with Betterman by reintroducing the corporation Akamatsu Heavy Industries. They cooperate with GGG to build the "Neuromechanoid" Awakener GaiGo, with GaoGaiGar characters Mamoru Amami and Ikumi Kaidou as its "Head Divers" (pilots). Betterman Lamia is also seen to make at least one appearance. As of July 2007, however, no other information is known about "Project Z", though a GaiGo figure was released in late 2006. It has since been confirmed that Gaogaigar Project Z is now officially canceled.
Protagonist characters
There are two main characters in GaoGaiGar. The first is the adopted alien child Mamoru Amami, who as an infant was left with foster parents by Galeon; he possesses the mysterious power of Purification, able to cleanse an individual of Zonder Metal. The second is the cyborgCyborg
A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...
Guy Shishioh, an astronaut whose life was saved by Galeon and his technology when EI-01 first attacked Earth; he is able to combine with Galeon and the GGG-built GaoMachines to become GaoGaiGar. Other characters include Mikoto Utsugi, Guy's love interest and GGG support operator; Kohtaroh Taiga, the charismatic chief of GGG and president of the Space Development Corporation that runs G-Island City; Leo Shishioh, Guy's father, and GGG's chief scientist and inventor; Swan White, an American GGG operator and Leo's assistant; Geki Hyuuma, the hot-headed, musclebound tactical advisor; Kosuke Entouji, GGG's disheveled, dandruff-ridden computer expert with an IQ of 300; Hana Hatsuno, Mamoru's childhood friend; and Ikumi Kaidou, Mamoru's enigmatic classmate. Most of the protagonists live or work directly in Tokyo or G-Island City itself.
As with most of the Brave series, there are also intelligent transforming robots who complement the human characters. In this show, they are constructed by GGG and their affiliated organizations with personalities based on highly advanced "Super-AI" Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
technology obtained from Galeon's databanks. They include HyoRyu and EnRyu, a pair of 'twin brother' robots with vastly different personalities; their military-trained Chinese counterparts FuuRyu and RaiRyu; the intrepid ninja police car Volfogg; the stubborn Goldymarg, whose AI is based on Geki Hyuuma's personality; and the American-made Mic Sounders the 13th, a rock music
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
-playing robot who can use several types of special wave
Wave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
s to restore the energy of allies or destroy the enemy.
Antagonist characters
The television series is based largely around GGG's fight against the Zonderians, alien beings tasked with the goal of infecting all of Earth with their Zonder Metal. The Machine World Four Heavenly Kings are notably more intelligent than the Zonder created by the humans fused with Zonder Metal.Penchinon is an odd-looking man with one huge yellow eye and another similarly oversized bug-eye with the picture of an anchor, and oversized chattering teeth. Dressed in a simple sailor's outfit, he always has a huge grin on his face. His Zonderian form is a large boat, with feet, hands and a paddle wheel. His yellow eye takes prominent place in the fore of the boat.
Pizza's eyes are always hidden behind his baseball cap and long, upswept hair, making his beaklike nose his most prominent feature; his Zonderian form is quite birdlike, complete with beak helmet/facemask and clawed feet. Obsessed with speed, Pizza is faster than his "rival" Guy by far; only when Guy activates his Hyper Mode does he come close to matching Pizza's velocity.
Polonaise appears as a heavyset gentleman, dressed in a conductor's uniform but with his hair growing down all the way to the floor. His eyes remain perpetually covered in sunglasses and his pipe stays ever-present in hand. In Zonderian form, his head and hair are replaced by a hybrid locomotive engine & caterpillar. Otherwise, he looks much the same.
Primada appears to be a pale ballerina-type woman with flowing orange hair; her Zonderian form is reminiscent of a motorcycle, complete with tires, rear-view mirrors and headlights.
These four Zonderians are headquartered beneath Tokyo Tower and take their orders from the enigmatic Pasder, who appears as just a giant purple head, formed of metal tubes and piping.
Following the Zonderian's defeat, their superiors, the 31 Machine Primevals, appear to finish the job their servants could not complete. In their first appearance, three Primevals easily defeat GaoGaiGar and even destroy GGG's underwater base. Each Primeval represents a particular body part, and has some special ability linked to that organ.
Other antagonists in succeeding GaoGaiGar works include the criminal terrorist organization BioNet, and the 11 Planetary Masters of Sol.
Mechanics
The mecha themselves, as with much seen in the Brave series, were created by prolific mechanical designer Kunio OkawaraKunio 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...
. GaoGaiGar itself is a powerfully-built machine formed from GaiGar (Guy fused with Galeon) and the GaoMachines. These are LinerGao, modeled after a shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
-type high-speed train; StealthGao, modeled after a stealth bomber; and DrillGao, a drill tank. Its right hand represents destruction (in the form of the Broken Magnum attack), and its left, protection (Protect Shade). Its final attack, Hell and Heaven, combines these powers to rip the core out of a Zonder Robo, destroying it without harming the Zonder core itself. GaoGaiGar later obtains auxiliary "tools" built by GGG, not the least of which is an even more powerful finishing blow in the form of the Goldion Hammer, a gravity shockwave-generating tool larger than GaoGaiGar itself.
GaoGaiGar is succeeded in later works by GaoFighGar, Genesic GaoGaiGar and GaoGaiGo.
Historical context
In its production, Studio 7 further ensured that there were no actual betrayals in the show; any "betrayal" automatically resolves itself as a secret that had to be kept to the main characters' benefit. This was perhaps partly due to the fact that GaoGaiGar was made as a children's show, and partly as a commentary on the heavy air of distrust and conspiracy occurring in mecha anime.In the first half of the television series, other, minor themes are introduced, nearly all of them ultimately discarded in favor of the main themes of courage and bravery. The first episode begins on a place called Garbage Island ("gomi no shima", an analogue to Japan's own "Dream Island
Dream Island (Yume No Shima)
is a district in Kōtō, Tokyo, Japan, consisting of an artificial island built using waste landfill.Construction started in the late 1950s as a potential solution to the garbage problem in the city of Tokyo....
" or yume no shima found in Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Bay
is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was .-Geography:Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula to the east and the Miura Peninsula to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the on the Miura Peninsula on one end and on...
) and speaks about ecology and the environment. Outside of that one episode, this theme is only followed up on briefly, in one other moment of the entire series. Another discarded theme is that of self-betterment: in the first half of the series, the Zonderians mostly make Zonder Robos of stressed-out, discontent "average joe" types—a truck driver who hates traffic, for instance, or a morbidly obese man tired of being picked on. Once Mamoru purifies them, however, their attitudes toward life become less obsessed (and in the case of the obese man, the source of stress is removed), the stress having been exhausted from their system when in Zonder form.
It is also notable that GaoGaiGars narrator and its "Jikai" (Next Episode) sequences—and the episode titles themselves, in some cases—rely on extreme hyperbole
Hyperbole
Hyperbole is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It may be used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally....
, even lying to the viewer if deemed necessary. This in itself is a Super Robot trend, dating back to 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...
, the original Super Robot show (which itself used hyperbolic episode titles such as "Kouji Kabuto Dies in Lava").
Series influences and references
- Guy's transformation sequence may have been inspired by many famous HenshinHenshinis the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
heroes like Kamen RiderKamen Rider, is a weekly science fiction story created by Japanese manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. It debuted as a tokusatsu television series on April 3, 1971 and ran until February 10, 1973, airing on the Mainichi Broadcasting System and NET TV . A manga adaptation was also featured in Shōnen Magazine...
and Science Ninja Team GatchamanScience Ninja Team Gatchamanis a 5-member superhero team that is composed of the main characters in several Japanese anime created by Tatsuo Yoshida and originally produced in Japan by Tatsunoko Productions and later adapted into several English-language versions...
. - GaoGaiGar's Broken Magnum and Broken Phantom attacks have the behavior of a "Rocket Punch", where the robot's arm up to the elbow is fired at the enemy in similar fashion to that of a missileMissileThough a missile may be any thrown or launched object, it colloquially almost always refers to a self-propelled guided weapon system.-Etymology:The word missile comes from the Latin verb mittere, meaning "to send"...
. This sort of attack is a staple of many early Super RobotSuper Robotis a term used in manga and anime to describe a giant robot or mecha, with an arsenal of fantastic super-powered weapons, extreme resistance to damage unless the plot calls for it, sometimes transformable or combined from two or more robots and/or vehicles usually piloted by young, daring heroes,...
shows, dating back to the first one of its kind, Mazinger ZMazinger 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...
, where the name "Rocket Punch" originated. - GaoGaiGar's Protect Shade and Protect Wall defenses are reminiscent of similar moves (albeit usually two-handed) by Ultraman and other Ultras.
- The title of the very first episode of the series ("Yuusha-Oh Tanjou!", or "The King of Braves is Born!") may possibly be a reference to the title of the first episode of Mazinger ZMazinger 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...
("Kyoui no Robot Tanjou", or "Birth of the Robot of Wonder"). - A few themes of GaiGarGar tie into the popular manga artist Masami Kurumada. The names of GaoGaiGar's Broken Magnum and Broken Phantom attacks are references to the "Galactica Magnum" and "Galactica Phantom" attacks used Kurumada's boxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
mangaMangaManga 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...
Ring ni kakeroRing ni Kakero, or Put It All in the Ring, is a manga created by Masami Kurumada. A total of 25 volumes were published in Weekly Shōnen Jump between 1977 and 1981.- Plot :...
. Likewise, Cyborg Guy's Ultimate Armour and the ID Suits visually resemble Cloths from Saint SeiyaSaint Seiya, also known as Saint Seiya: Knights of the Zodiac or simply Knights of the Zodiac, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masami Kurumada and serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1986 to 1991, and adapted into an anime TV series by Toei Animation from 1986 to 1989.The story follows...
, another Kurumada work. - The character Ayame's PHSPersonal Handy-phone SystemThe Personal Handy-phone System , also marketed as the Personal Access System and commercially branded as Xiaolingtong in China, is a mobile network system operating in the 1880–1930 MHz frequency band, used mainly in Japan, China, Taiwan, and some other Asian countries and...
(cellular phone) has a shape similar to that of the Ultra Eye transformation item used in the Ultraman series Ultra SevenUltra Sevenis tokusatsu SF TV series that aired on Japanese TV in 1967. Created by Eiji Tsuburaya, this follow up to Ultraman went on to become one of Japan's greatest fantasy TV series...
. When opening it, Ayame makes a similar pose as Dan Maboroshi did when using the Ultra Eye. (Some materials even refer to the phone as the "Ayame Eye.") As it is referred to as "Ayame's PHS" in the pre-commercial cut, it may be a custom design. - Soldato J's character (hair, elongated nose, love of the sky) is partially based on that of Jet Link (Cyborg 002) from the manga Cyborg 009Cyborg 009is a manga created by Shotaro Ishinomori. It was serialized in many different magazines, including Monthly Shōnen King, Weekly Shōnen Magazine, Shōnen Big Comic, COM, Shōjo Comic, Weekly Shōnen Sunday, Monthly Shōnen Jump and Monthly Comic Nora in Japan...
(he is even referred to in an Episode 40 flashback as "number J-002"). Similar to Jet, J displays the ability to accelerate beyond what the eye can see, however briefly. The two characters also share the same ideas about the sky and flight. Soldato is ItalianItalian languageItalian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
for soldier. - Hana Matsuno reveals Mamoru's identity as an alien to their friends in the last episode in an almost identical manner as Annu revealing Dan Maboroshi's in the last episode of Ultra SevenUltra Sevenis tokusatsu SF TV series that aired on Japanese TV in 1967. Created by Eiji Tsuburaya, this follow up to Ultraman went on to become one of Japan's greatest fantasy TV series...
. - The design of the Zonder Robo EI-14 (As seen in Episode 14) bears a resemblance to that of the MS-06 Zaku IIMS-06 Zaku IIThe MS-06 Zaku II is a mobile suit from the Mobile Suit Gundam metaverse. It is redesigned by Kunio Okawara based upon the earlier draft by the series director Yoshiyuki Tomino, in which only the name was kept. The Zaku II has seen various redesigns and variants for hundreds of pieces of...
Mobile Suit (of Mobile Suit GundamMobile Suit Gundamis 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...
fame). - Cyborg Guy's Hyper Mode sequence bears some resemblance to Juushin Liger's transformation (specifically, his swinging his hair around).
Influences from previous Brave series
- GaoGaiGar's chest bears the shape of a lion's head (actually the head of Galeon); this part of its design is similar to the lion face on the chestplates of Exkaiser, King Exkaiser and Great Exkaiser in Brave ExkaiserBrave Exkaiseris a Japanese animated television series that began in 1990, created by Sunrise under the direction of Katsuyoshi Yatabe, and is the first of the long running Yuusha or "Brave" metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.-Story:...
. This particular design element dates back to 1979's Future Robo Daltanius, and is an interesting staple of old-school giant robots. - The Vehicle Machine pairs (HyoRyu and EnRyu, FuRyu and RaiRyu) can perform Symmetrical Docking, combining to form a lengthwise half of a larger robot. This is similar in concept to Blue Raker and Green Raker's combination to form Ultra Raker in Brave ExkaiserBrave Exkaiseris a Japanese animated television series that began in 1990, created by Sunrise under the direction of Katsuyoshi Yatabe, and is the first of the long running Yuusha or "Brave" metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.-Story:...
. - The relationship that Volfogg has with Mamoru Amami (closer to a parent than just a bodyguard) is similar to that between Exkaiser and Kouta in Brave ExkaiserBrave Exkaiseris a Japanese animated television series that began in 1990, created by Sunrise under the direction of Katsuyoshi Yatabe, and is the first of the long running Yuusha or "Brave" metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.-Story:...
. - The dual main character dynamic (one "adult male" and one male child) was first seen in The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird (wherein an alien entity possessing an android was paired with a boy). In fact, at some point in pre-production, Cyborg Guy was apparently meant to be an android - drawings of this form exist.
- While performing Fusion with Galeon, Cyborg Guy does a roll in midair; in The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird, Katori Yuutarou does the same move while "interfacing" with Fire Jet.
- GaoGaiGar's shoulders and upper arms are formed from LinerGao, a shinkansen-type bullet train. Might Gaine's arms in The Brave Express Might GaineThe Brave Express Might Gaineis an anime television series series begun in 1993, created by Sunrise' under the direction of Shinji Takamatsu, and was the fourth in the Yūsha metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.-Story:...
were formed in a similar manner. - Volfogg's basic concept ("police car ninja robot") is also seen in the Brave Police J-DeckerBrave Police J-DeckerBrave Police J-Decker was the fifth series of the anime television meta Brave series that aired in Japan during 1994 and 1995....
robot Shadowmaru. (However, before the "ninja" part was decided on, his basic design was closer to Da-Garn from The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-GarnThe Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garnis a Japanese animated television series that aired in 1992, created by Sunrise under the direction of Katsuyoshi Yatabe, and is the third of the long running "Brave" series funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.-Story:...
; this carried over to Big Volfogg as well, with a large star where Da-Garn's distinctive sirens would be.) - The voice actor of the Green Planet alien Cain is GaoGaiGar Sound Director Kouichi Chiba, who has also been the Sound Director at Sunrise for every preceding entry in the Brave Series. Sources also state that Mikoto Utsugi's parents (as seen briefly in Episode 45) are modeled after Chiba and his wife.
GaoGaiGar in Japanese popular culture
- Transformers: Galaxy Force (Transformers: CybertronTransformers: CybertronTransformers: Cybertron, known in Japan originally as , is the 2005-2007 Transformers toy line and animated series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara...
in the US) contains many visual references to GaoGaiGar's stock "Final Fusion" and "Hammer Connect" sequences, most notably in the sequences where Liger Jack (Leo Breaker) and Sonic Bomber (Wing Saber) "Link Up" with Galaxy Convoy (Optimus Prime). Galaxy Convoy's chest and shoulders also bear physical resemblance to ChoRyuJin, as does Omega Supreme from Transformers: Super Link (Transformers: EnergonTransformers: EnergonTransformers: Energon, known in Japan as , is the 2004–2005 Transformers toyline, animated series and comic book series, another co-production between Hasbro and Takara and a direct sequel to Transformers: Armada...
in the US). In the US series Transformers Animated, Safeguard's combination sequence is homeage to the sequence of RyuJin combinations. - The stock "Final Fusion" sequence is extremely iconic of the show, making it worthy of a great many fan parodies (though reaction to these parodies by other fans is greatly mixed). One recent fan-parody video (by the group MAD) intersperses soundtrack and footage of the Impulse Gundam combination sequence from Gundam SEED Destiny with that of GaoFighGar's Final Fusion sequence from GaoGaiGar FINAL. Most of these videos ironically do not use GaoGaiGar's sequence audio, but rather GaoFighGar's from Episode 4 of FINAL, as it is the only version where the sound effects synced with exactly one rendition of the music track.
- In Yu-Gi-Oh! GXYu-Gi-Oh! GXYu-Gi-Oh! GX, known in Japan as , is an anime spin-off and sequel of the original Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters anime. It aired in Japan on TV Tokyo between October 6, 2004 and March 26, 2008, and was succeeded by Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's...
, the character Sho Marufuji (Syrus Truesdale)Syrus TruesdaleSyrus Truesdale, known as in the original Japanese language version, is a fictional character in the Yu-Gi-Oh! GX anime and manga series. In the English version, Syrus is voiced by Wayne Grayson, while Masami Suzuki takes the role in the Japanese version....
plays a Fusion monster "Super Vehicroid Stealth Union", a monster that is a fusion of a drill rig, a bullet train, a stealth fighter and a semi truck, and is a clear tribute to GaoGaiGar. And in addition, a Duel Monster spirit Kaibaman bears resemblance and homage to Soldato J. - The character Subaru NakajimaSubaru Nakajimais a character in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS, voiced by Chiwa Saito. She's completely original to the series, not appearing in any of the previous series in the franchise. Subaru has a deep-rooted admiration of Nanoha Takamachi, aspiring to be just like her. Subaru even made her own...
of the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerSMagical Girl Lyrical Nanoha Strikersis the third season of the Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series. The Nanoha anime was, in turn, a spin-off of the Triangle Heart series of games and OVAs, specifically Triangle Heart 3: Sweet Songs Forever...
anime possesses a number of nods to GaoGaiGar, some of them incredibly blatant. Her henshinHenshinis the Japanese word for "transformation," literally meaning, "to change or transform the body." This word is primarily used in manga, anime, and tokusatsu dramas for when a character transforms into a superhero. usually have a "henshin call", a catchphrase which they recite when they transform...
sequence in the show includes at least two direct visual references to GaoGaiGar in that she is surrounded by a tornado of green fog prior to transformation and that a jewel slides into place on her device Mach Caliber in exactly the same manner, and with exactly the same dimensions, as the crown G-Stone in GaoGaiGar's Final Fusion. If the video is switched around in some locations, the sequence matches the sound effects as well. (Original Final Fusion video here, brief clip of the henshin in question (with Final Fusion music mixed into the background as comparison) here. Warning, second link may not be work safe.) The character has exhibited at least two abilities that are strikingly similar to GaoGaiGar's Broken Magnum and Protect Shade respectively. Certain members of the fan community, namely the Otakuism blog, thus refer to Subaru as "GaoGaiGar-tan". - Given the timing of the show's release and design of the "nose" and paintjob of LinerGao, it seems extremely likely that LinerGao is meant to specifically be a modified 500 Series Shinkansen500 Series ShinkansenThe is a Shinkansen high-speed train type operated by West Japan Railway Company on the Tōkaidō Shinkansen and Sanyō Shinkansen lines in Japan. They were designed to be capable of although they currently operate at a maximum of in service...
, which was put into regular service roughly a month after the first episode of GaoGaiGar aired. - The series also appear in HarobotsHarobotsHarobots is a game series developed by Sunrise Interactive, it features Haro from Gundam series, as a protagonist's pet. Haro can be customized and battle for its trainer from any mecha series by Sunrise....
, from being one of SunriseSunrise (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...
's series. This series' units can act as 'wild' units or as the player's units. - A parody of GaoGaiGar is featured in Hayate no Gotoku. A character named Cyborg Butler appears in the 38th episode, has the same hairstyle like Guy (though fans noted that his face looked more like Viral of Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann) as well as his voice actor Nobuyuki HiyamaNobuyuki Hiyamais a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Arts Vision.-Profile:* Sometimes credited as: Shuji Hiyama , Osamuyuki Hiyama * Year Enrolled into the Voice-Acting Industry: 1987...
(also voices Viral and Guy). He is also prone to yell dramatically or shout Gagagagagaga while running. His attacks are all parodies of Drill Knee, Broken Magnum, Hell And Heaven and Goldion Hammer (he even shouts Hikari ni Nare!!! like Guy while doing it). Before he uses the Goldion Hammer parody, his superior tells him that the move is approved (just like Taiga approving Goldion Hammer for use). In his last moments, he also makes a statement regarding of courage. The link between Guy's and Viral's visual styles as well as the over-the-top yelling and attacks that the voice actors are known for might indicate that it was more of a parody of Nobuyuki Hiyama himself rather than any one of his portrayed characters. - In Super Robot Wars Original Generation GaidenSuper Robot Wars Original Generation Gaidenis a tactical role-playing game, and direct sequel to Super Robot Wars Original Generations, for the PlayStation 2. The bonus segments of Original Generations, entitled Original Generation 2.5: Unified Wisdom, was regarded as a preview for Original Generation Gaiden...
, Kai Kitamura's Gespenst Mk II M Custom's signature move is the Jet Phantom, an upgrade from the Jet Magnum. - In Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore deKimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de, often abbreviated , and also known as They Are My Noble Masters, is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Minato Soft and released on May 25, 2007 for the PC as a DVD. A PlayStation 2 version with adult-content removed was released under the title Kimi ga Aruji de Shitsuji ga Ore de: Otsukae...
, in the episode 8, the character Kojūrō Takeda (voiced by Guy's voice actor, Nobuyuki HiyamaNobuyuki Hiyamais a Japanese voice actor currently affiliated with Arts Vision.-Profile:* Sometimes credited as: Shuji Hiyama , Osamuyuki Hiyama * Year Enrolled into the Voice-Acting Industry: 1987...
) beats up the main character Ren Uesugi (voiced by Tomokazu SekiTomokazu Sekiis a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam...
of G Gundam fame), in the same vein of Guy beating up Palpareppa in GaoGaiGar FINAL, all while preaching the virtue of love towards one's master (instead of courage). He later charges towards Ren by yelling HIKARI NI NARE!!! after Ren shouts Bakunetsu God Finger!!!. - In the summer of 2011, SanThree (Sanyo Bussan) introduced a pachinko machine, Brave King GaoGaiGar CR, based upon the series.
- In Super Robot Wars Z a mech called Gunleon has two attacks that causes it to transform into a form simlar to Genesic GaoGaiGar.
Sub-topics
- Mechanoid (GaoGaiGar)Mechanoid (GaoGaiGar)In the anime and manga series The King of Braves GaoGaiGar and The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL, a Mechanoid is the result of a performed synchronization between a natural or semi-artificial life-form and an artificial, transforming mechanical entity.-Methods:Fusion: The act of a natural or...
- List of protagonists in The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
- List of antagonists in The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
- The King of Braves GaoGaiGar glossaryThe King of Braves GaoGaiGar glossaryThis is a glossary of terms from the anime and manga series The King of Braves GaoGaiGar and The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL.- G-Stone and G-Crystal :...
- List of The King of Braves GaoGaiGar media
External links
- Official GaoGaiGar Website (Japanese)
- The GaoGaiGar-Betterman Wiki at WikiaWikiaWikia is a free web hosting service for wikis . It is normally free of charge for readers and editors, deriving most of its income from advertising, and publishes all user-provided text under copyleft licenses. Wikia hosts several hundred thousand wikis using the open-source wiki software MediaWiki...
- The King of Braves GaoGaiGar (NBN)
- Brave King GaoGaiGar pachinko game (in Japanese)