Yusha
Encyclopedia
The is a toy and animation franchise
that began after toy company Takara
had ended the animated "Generation One" storyline of Transformers in Japan
. Following a decline in the series' popularity that led to the cancellation of the OVA series Transformers: Zone
, Takara struck a cooperative deal with the animation studio Sunrise
(known for its mecha series, most notably Gundam
) to develop a new franchise and set of toy lines. The franchise, in fact, would play a key role in the reintroduction of the Super Robot
genre to the Japanese mainstream in the 1990s.
) designs in the Brave series were those of prolific Sunrise mechanical designer Kunio Okawara
. In most of the Brave series, there is a main hero robot (usually the most or second-most expensive toy in the line), backed up by one or two support combiner teams and later receiving one or two combiner partners, upgrading the hero to more powerful forms. (The most or second-most powerful form of the hero robot is usually known as its "Great," "Dai," or "Super" form.)
A number of supporting characters and enemies across the Brave Series had designs or remolds derived from earlier and present (for the day) Generation One Takara Transformers designs, most notably those of Transformers: Zone and Transformers Battlestars: Return of Convoy (the latter never having its own animated series). The enemy "Geister" characters in Brave Exkaiser (save for their leader, Dino Geist) were actually remolds of first-generation Dinobot toys, for instance.
Toys for these robots were created in two sizes: DX ("deluxe") versions that contained more gimmicks and more complicated transformations, and STD ("standard") versions that contained fewer gimmicks and more limited transformations, but often also higher accuracy in reproducing the look of the robot from the anime series. Generally, the transformation of the robots was created by Takara, while the look of the robots was created by Kunio Okawara, legendary Sunrise mecha designer.
They are the following, sorted by year of first airing:
To date, only the GaoGaiGar television series has been licensed for distribution in the United States. None of the remaining series have been licensed for distribution outside of Asia.
, whose fundamental premise and concept was very similar to that of the original Transformers series: an intergalactic "policeman" chases after space pirates called the Geisters as they descend on Earth to steal all of its "treasures," having no idea of what those "treasures" are to mankind. When he arrives on Earth, Exkaiser and his "Space Police Force" possess a variety of vehicles in spirit form, converting them to transform into humanoid robots. The relationship between Exkaiser and the son of the family whose car he had taken possession of served to establish a human-robot friendship not seen in quite the same way as Transformers had ever portrayed it, and would lead to establishing a recurring theme that many believe established initial appeal for the Brave Series in Japan. Exkaiser was far more popular than anticipated, and in some ways kindled a new desire for the production of Super Robot-style mecha among the Japanese audience.
The next show in the series—The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird
—used a similar concept, focusing more on self-parodying humor by having the robot leader take possession of a humanoid-simulating android instead (which interfaces with the Fire Jet to form the robot Fighbird). This forces him to coexist with humanity on their terms, causing a great deal of trouble. The concept of the "Space Police Force" otherwise remains intact (though not connected to the earlier series), a key difference being that the mecha that Fighbird and one of the combiner teams use was developed previously by a human scientist, whose nephew accompanies the Space Police in their battles.
The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn
marked the first serious thematic turning point in the Brave Series. In the previous two shows, the "boy" was a supporting character, not allowed to place himself in any danger; Da-Garn is instead centered around an older youth, Seiji Takasuji: a "latch-key kid" from whom the robots receive orders—forcing the boy to command them in the field. The robot-possessing spirits themselves are no longer "aliens," but forces created by the planet Earth to protect itself from invaders—notably the invading aliens who are the antagonists of the piece.
The villains, although all nominally part of one faction, are usually at odds with each other and have separate armies and modus operandi
, including one who becomes a turncoat; this theme would be developed in later Brave series. Da-Garn is noteworthy for being the only Brave series to tell a single running story with its episodes, rather than focusing on 'done in one' episodic adventures, until GaoGaiGar was produced. Unsurprisingly, these two series shared a single writer. Likewise, Da Garn foreshadows the more violent themes that would crop into later Brave series and GaoGaiGar itself, by featuring a Tomino
-style ending where many main characters die.
The Brave Express Might Gaine
takes these newly-crafted themes to their logical conclusion. Here the robots are no longer "spirits," but have personalities granted by advanced Artificial Intelligence
. These robots were designed and built from the ground up by the late father of the main character: billionaire crime-fighting teenager and railroad magnate Senpuuji Maito. He acts as a Bruce Wayne character of sorts, taking command of the Brave Express robots in the field and fighting crime himself on the front lines. The antagonists are separated into multiple criminal factions, some at odds with each other, extending the basic villain structure used in Da Garn. Some Japanese fans consider Might Gaine the best of the Brave series, and it is often cited as the one that best expresses the idea of the Brave "formula".
The main exception is in the series' controversial ending, which is often interpreted by critics as signs of relations souring between Sunrise and Takara. In the ending of Might Gaine, the characters find out that they are merely fictional characters whose conflicts are artificially generated so that their evil otherdimensional mastermind can sell toys and merchandise. Maito reacts to this with a speech that Japanese critics interpreted as a defense of Da Garn's character-driven storytelling style, which Takara is generally believed to have disliked. After making his speech, Maito destroys the enemy, thereby asserting his own "reality" as a true character and not a merchandising tool. This analysis of the series often considers many plot elements throughout the series as Sunrise effectively "striking back" at Takara for forcing them to create shows with less plot in order to cram in more toy designs and action sequences. For instance, many robots in Might Gaine appear with no explanation, or arbitrarily transform into alternate modes that make no particular sense.
Brave Police J-Decker
returns to a much lighter tone, focusing more on Might Gaine 's concept of "robot as human-built AI construct." Grade schooler Yuuta Tomonaga stumbles upon Deckerd, a humanoid robot under construction by the Japanese police, built to fight advanced forms of crime. Yuuta's constant contact with Deckerd gives the robot a "heart," or personality; when Yuuta is recruited as the "boss" of the "Brave Police" as a result, a true human/robot partnership occurs. It has been claimed that one of the major Da Garn villains, Redlone, makes an appearance in J-Decker; this is not true. Because of Redlone's immense popularity (compared to other Da Garn villains), it became somewhat traditional to have the first villain of a given Brave series resemble him (there is a similar character in Might Gaine). The character that appears in J-Decker is not named Redlone, nor is he supposed to be Redlone. Some confuse the two characters and then claim that Da Garn and J-Decker are connected somehow, which is untrue.
The Brave of Gold Goldran
was intended as a throwback to the light-hearted, whimsical tone that pervaded the original three Brave titles, which had become somewhat subdued under the direction of the creative team that oversaw Might Gaine and J-Decker. Goldran follows the adventures of three young boys who are tasked with finding alien robot fighters, or Braves, that are sleeping in the form of crystals. Their major antagonist is the flamboyant and thoroughly incompetent Walter, and the villains that follow him are often similarly humorous. The entire show is extremely focused on comedy and silliness almost to the exclusion of much in the way of storytelling, although the series does develop some running plotlines towards its end. In terms of television ratings, Goldran was the peak of the Brave series' popularity.
Of the Brave Series, Brave Command Dagwon
is the most divergent from the themes established throughout the other shows. Reputedly, it is the result of Sunrise seeing the enormous success of its Samurai Troopers series and wanting to duplicate the basic formula, five pretty and thinly-written young men having primarily episodic adventures, across its other main franchises. If this origin is true, then both New Mobile Report Gundam Wing and Dagwon are the direct results of it, and intended to appeal both to traditional male audiences and a crossover audience of female viewers drawn in by the attractive male protagonists.
The premise involves five teenage boys recruited by an alien policeman to prevent the destruction of Earth by inmates let loose from an intergalactic prison. Using transformation items, these teenagers can transform into "Dagwon," a team of sentai
-like action heroes who can "combine" with their vehicles to attain humanoid robot form, similar to the "Headmaster Juniors" and the "Godmasters" ("Powermasters" in other countries) in Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
. Though the "card" robots helping Shadow Rei are presumed to have some sort of basic AI, no human-robot relationship seems to exist in this show at all. Instead, it plays with the idea of the boys "becoming" the robots through a sort of mystic fusion, a theme later explored in an incredibly-similar Sunrise series by Dagwon's creative team, called Chouja Reideen. Although nominally a re-imagining of Sunrise and Tohokushinsha's Brave Raideen
, which was developed by staff that would later be members of Sunrise, Chouja Reideen resembles Dagwon far more so than the original Brave Reideen.
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
was the final television series to be produced, and has become arguably the most popular of them all. Created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the guidance of Yoshitomo Yonetani
, the show combines previous elements of the Brave Series with an ambitious throwback to the Super Robot
mentality of the 1970s, presenting a sharp contrast and commentary to the harder-edged, more complex television anime emerging in the wake of Evangelion. Focusing on the concepts of "courage" and "bravery" in a light-hearted setting, this show would obtain a large fanbase after its airing in Japan, and eventually go on to spawn multiple non-animated projects and an OVA sequel, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar FINAL
.
As of this writing, a new major project called The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Project Z has been announced, which links the show closely with another Studio 7 series, Betterman
. Like most of the other Studio 7 anime and GaoGaiGar sequels, it seems designed to appeal to a much older audience than the traditional Brave demographic. GaoGaiGar also suffered poor television ratings in contrast with enormous DVD sales, which supports the idea that children tuned out of GaoGaiGar while older fans grew interested in the show's unusually complex, epic cosmology.
Initially a show titled The Saint of Braves Baan Gaan was to be the show to follow Dagwon but fledgling ratings and toy sales promted Sunrise to produce a show with big name talent and a superior budget to reignite interest in the franchise. Baan Gaan eventually saw life in two forms, it was used in a Brave Saga video game as well as the concept for a future show entitled Gear Fighter Dendoh. Before GaoGaiGar ended, another show, Photogrizer (フォトグライザー), was planned to continue the franchise but shelved. Fully titled Brave of Light Photogrizer, the show would involve designs based on, at the time, the new technology of digital cameras and then-modern cell phones.
and probable director Mitsuo Fukuda
) were allowed to make an independent Super Robot series for Sunrise a few years later, called Gear Fighter Dendoh
. The plot and concept similarities between Dendoh and Baan Gaan are extremely numerous, including the mechanics for how the machines combine with their animal-robot helpers, an emphasis on a running conflict between two particular Super Robots, the dual-protagonist structure, and the idea of child pilots fighting with the support of a group of older pilots and technicians (VARS in Baan Gaan, and GEAR in Dendoh). While Dendoh was only a modest commercial success, the show was received warmly by critics, and the team has since gone on to become responsible for profitable series such as My-HiME
and Gundam SEED.
Following Dendoh, Sunrise took a final stab at resurrecting the Brave style of television series by having some Dendoh staffers return to work on Machine Robo Rescue
, based on a modern-day reworking of Bandai and PLEX's own Machine Robo
toy line. Rescue combined all of the basic storytelling tropes of the original six, kid-friendly Brave series with a truly vast toy line and an early Sunrise attempt at blending 2D animation (the characters) with 3D animation (the robots). While the toys were popular and the anime did well with older audiences, the 3D animation was widely criticized, and overall the effort failed to recapture the original popularity of the Brave Series. Sunrise would not attempt another 2D/3D series until 2006, with the well-received series Zegapain
.
Takara briefly returned to the Brave series' overall premise—that of producing interstitial properties with themes similar to that of Transformers—with the release of Web Diver and Dai Gunder. Both properties yielded TV anime and toy lines and featured transforming robots with either their own minds or the ability to "meld" with heroic children. However, both Web Diver and Dai Gunder seem to have faded into obscurity.
There are currently no plans to continue the Brave Series, nor produce another children's anime series in its vein—although Studio 7 has been allowed to continue GaoGaiGar projects for older fans. A "15th Anniversary" occurred in 2005, with DVD box set re-releases of each show and re-releases of many of Takara's original Brave toys.
. Sunrise even produced animated transformation and merging sequences to go with the game and a fully animated intro.
Brave Saga 2, also released for the PlayStation, can be considered a final re-tale of the Yuusha series as it features virtually all Yuusha characters, mecha and human alike, from the previous generation. Although parallel universes are used to explain why series such as Brave Express Might Gaine can be involved in the plot, the story assumed that at least some of the series, noticeably GaoGaiGar and Baan Gaan, happen at around the same time and in the same world. Generally, GaoGaiGar storyline is consider to be the 'side-story' while Baan Gaan served as the main event, with other Yuusha participate in either of the story.
Also, a general time line is given to some of the work, such as stating that the entire events within The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn inspired the creation of Grand Police Department in Brave Police J-Decker, while the events in The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird is part of the reason why Brave Command Dagwon is formed.
There are some none-Yuusha series being involved in the plot, and it should be noted that they are consider to be Real Robot, opposed to Yuusha's Super Robot setting.
As the consideration of toy-safety measures, sharp edges and parts were avoided in animated Yuusha Series to prevent redesigning parts. As Baan Gaan was not made into animation, the mechanical design were slightly different to other leading Yuushas - many sharp edges can be seen in Baan Gaan, Mach Superion, and Great Baan Gaan. The combination process of aforementioned Yuushas basically proceed features of every previous Yuusha Series' combinations.
. Quantum Leap Layzelber (Ryoushi Choyaku Layzelber, title can also be interpreted as Quantum Leap Rayzelver and Quantum Leap Rayserver. It is worth noting that Layzelber is not counted among the Brave series by Sunrise).
The first entry in the Eldran series
, Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh
was also added to the game. This is mainly because of the many similarities between the Yuusha series and the Eldran series as they all featured transforming and combining robots and both series were animated by Sunrise. The only key difference was that the Eldran toys were produced by Tomy
. However Tomy later brought Takara and formed Takara Tomy, which meant that both companies had access to the rights to each other's toys, so Raijin-Oh ended up being part of the game, along with Might Gaine, J-Decker, Dagwon, GaoGaiGar and the non-canon Layzelber. The other Yuusha robots and the other Eldran robots were not featured in the game.
There are also similar design elements between the Brave toys and Generation 2/Beast Wars Transformers, which were released around the same time as the Brave toys. For example, many of the Da-Garn toys have light-piped eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many Generation 2 Transformers share. The Goldran DX toyline contains many projectile launchers, something Generation 2 shared as well. In particular, the Goldran toy "Advenger" contains a rotor-launching gimmick identical to that of Rotor Force from Generation 2. Lastly, the elbows of Leon from DX Leonkyzer contain ball joints, a design element that gained much broader use during Generation 2 and even more so during the Beast Wars toy line.
The Brave Series also reused character designs and toys from previous Transformers series. (A complete listing of those reuses follows in the section below).
Similarly, subsequent Transformers lines have also been influenced by the Brave Series. The Japanese Mini-Con Kingbolt's coloration and characterization are homages to the Brave series Exkaiser. Also, the Cybertron cartoon featured many homages to the Brave series King Of Braves GaoGaiGar, most notably the way Optimus Prime combines with Leobreaker and Wing Saber, which is similar to the way GaoGaiGar combines with Goldymarg (Who coincidentally shares a voice actor with Leobreaker) and Stealth Gao and the fact that Hot Shot was identical to Volfogg because of his appearance and transformation. The cinematography for Energon Optimus Prime's stock-footage combination sequence with his Prime Force limbs is also very reminiscent of Brave series stock footage.
One striking difference between the Brave Series and Transformers is that very few villain robots were released for the former. This is in sharp contrast to most of the Transformers series, for which heroes and villains were and are released in relatively equal numbers (with the exception of Zone and Battlestars). Generally speaking, the lack of villain toys is more the norm for such toy lines in Japan, with the various Transformers lines (save for aforementioned two) being the exception there rather than the rule.
Note: Italicized names are non-toy characters.
Media franchise
A media franchise is an intellectual property involving the characters, setting and trademarks of an original work of media , such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or a video game. Generally, a whole series is made in a particular medium, along with merchandising and endorsements...
that began after toy company 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....
had ended the animated "Generation One" storyline of Transformers in Japan
Japan
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...
. Following a decline in the series' popularity that led to the cancellation of the OVA series Transformers: Zone
Transformers: Zone
is a one-shot OVA exclusive to Japan in the fictional Transformers universe.-Development:Originally intended to be a full TV series, Transformers: Zone was forced to become direct-length direct-to-video due to less than expected toy sales. The series was canceled after just one episode at 25 minutes...
, Takara struck a cooperative deal with the animation studio 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...
(known for its mecha series, most notably Gundam
Gundam
The is a metaseries of anime created by Sunrise studios that features giant robots called "Mobile Suits" ; usually the protagonist's MS will carry the name Gundam....
) to develop a new franchise and set of toy lines. The franchise, in fact, would play a key role in the reintroduction of the Super Robot
Super Robot
is 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,...
genre to the Japanese mainstream in the 1990s.
Overall mechanics
All of the main hero robots' mechanical (or mechaMecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
) designs in the Brave series were those of prolific Sunrise mechanical designer 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...
. In most of the Brave series, there is a main hero robot (usually the most or second-most expensive toy in the line), backed up by one or two support combiner teams and later receiving one or two combiner partners, upgrading the hero to more powerful forms. (The most or second-most powerful form of the hero robot is usually known as its "Great," "Dai," or "Super" form.)
A number of supporting characters and enemies across the Brave Series had designs or remolds derived from earlier and present (for the day) Generation One Takara Transformers designs, most notably those of Transformers: Zone and Transformers Battlestars: Return of Convoy (the latter never having its own animated series). The enemy "Geister" characters in Brave Exkaiser (save for their leader, Dino Geist) were actually remolds of first-generation Dinobot toys, for instance.
Toys for these robots were created in two sizes: DX ("deluxe") versions that contained more gimmicks and more complicated transformations, and STD ("standard") versions that contained fewer gimmicks and more limited transformations, but often also higher accuracy in reproducing the look of the robot from the anime series. Generally, the transformation of the robots was created by Takara, while the look of the robots was created by Kunio Okawara, legendary Sunrise mecha designer.
Brave series overview
There are currently a total of eight original entries in the Brave Series: one new series released every year, from 1990 to 1999, each with an episode count exceeding 40 in length. Each series is set in separate, unrelated timelines from each other. No further series appear to be planned for development in the near future.They are the following, sorted by year of first airing:
To date, only the GaoGaiGar television series has been licensed for distribution in the United States. None of the remaining series have been licensed for distribution outside of Asia.
Show summaries and context
The first television series to come from the combined Takara/Sunrise Brave concept was Brave ExkaiserBrave Exkaiser
is 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:...
, whose fundamental premise and concept was very similar to that of the original Transformers series: an intergalactic "policeman" chases after space pirates called the Geisters as they descend on Earth to steal all of its "treasures," having no idea of what those "treasures" are to mankind. When he arrives on Earth, Exkaiser and his "Space Police Force" possess a variety of vehicles in spirit form, converting them to transform into humanoid robots. The relationship between Exkaiser and the son of the family whose car he had taken possession of served to establish a human-robot friendship not seen in quite the same way as Transformers had ever portrayed it, and would lead to establishing a recurring theme that many believe established initial appeal for the Brave Series in Japan. Exkaiser was far more popular than anticipated, and in some ways kindled a new desire for the production of Super Robot-style mecha among the Japanese audience.
The next show in the series—The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird
The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird
is a 1991 Japanese anime television series, created by Sunrise under the direction of Katsuyoshi Yatabe. It is the second animation work in the long running "Brave series", also known as "Yūsha", funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise.-Story:...
—used a similar concept, focusing more on self-parodying humor by having the robot leader take possession of a humanoid-simulating android instead (which interfaces with the Fire Jet to form the robot Fighbird). This forces him to coexist with humanity on their terms, causing a great deal of trouble. The concept of the "Space Police Force" otherwise remains intact (though not connected to the earlier series), a key difference being that the mecha that Fighbird and one of the combiner teams use was developed previously by a human scientist, whose nephew accompanies the Space Police in their battles.
The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn
The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn
is 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:...
marked the first serious thematic turning point in the Brave Series. In the previous two shows, the "boy" was a supporting character, not allowed to place himself in any danger; Da-Garn is instead centered around an older youth, Seiji Takasuji: a "latch-key kid" from whom the robots receive orders—forcing the boy to command them in the field. The robot-possessing spirits themselves are no longer "aliens," but forces created by the planet Earth to protect itself from invaders—notably the invading aliens who are the antagonists of the piece.
The villains, although all nominally part of one faction, are usually at odds with each other and have separate armies and modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
, including one who becomes a turncoat; this theme would be developed in later Brave series. Da-Garn is noteworthy for being the only Brave series to tell a single running story with its episodes, rather than focusing on 'done in one' episodic adventures, until GaoGaiGar was produced. Unsurprisingly, these two series shared a single writer. Likewise, Da Garn foreshadows the more violent themes that would crop into later Brave series and GaoGaiGar itself, by featuring a 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...
-style ending where many main characters die.
The Brave Express Might Gaine
The Brave Express Might Gaine
is 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:...
takes these newly-crafted themes to their logical conclusion. Here the robots are no longer "spirits," but have personalities granted by advanced 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...
. These robots were designed and built from the ground up by the late father of the main character: billionaire crime-fighting teenager and railroad magnate Senpuuji Maito. He acts as a Bruce Wayne character of sorts, taking command of the Brave Express robots in the field and fighting crime himself on the front lines. The antagonists are separated into multiple criminal factions, some at odds with each other, extending the basic villain structure used in Da Garn. Some Japanese fans consider Might Gaine the best of the Brave series, and it is often cited as the one that best expresses the idea of the Brave "formula".
The main exception is in the series' controversial ending, which is often interpreted by critics as signs of relations souring between Sunrise and Takara. In the ending of Might Gaine, the characters find out that they are merely fictional characters whose conflicts are artificially generated so that their evil otherdimensional mastermind can sell toys and merchandise. Maito reacts to this with a speech that Japanese critics interpreted as a defense of Da Garn's character-driven storytelling style, which Takara is generally believed to have disliked. After making his speech, Maito destroys the enemy, thereby asserting his own "reality" as a true character and not a merchandising tool. This analysis of the series often considers many plot elements throughout the series as Sunrise effectively "striking back" at Takara for forcing them to create shows with less plot in order to cram in more toy designs and action sequences. For instance, many robots in Might Gaine appear with no explanation, or arbitrarily transform into alternate modes that make no particular sense.
Brave Police J-Decker
Brave Police J-Decker
Brave Police J-Decker was the fifth series of the anime television meta Brave series that aired in Japan during 1994 and 1995....
returns to a much lighter tone, focusing more on Might Gaine 's concept of "robot as human-built AI construct." Grade schooler Yuuta Tomonaga stumbles upon Deckerd, a humanoid robot under construction by the Japanese police, built to fight advanced forms of crime. Yuuta's constant contact with Deckerd gives the robot a "heart," or personality; when Yuuta is recruited as the "boss" of the "Brave Police" as a result, a true human/robot partnership occurs. It has been claimed that one of the major Da Garn villains, Redlone, makes an appearance in J-Decker; this is not true. Because of Redlone's immense popularity (compared to other Da Garn villains), it became somewhat traditional to have the first villain of a given Brave series resemble him (there is a similar character in Might Gaine). The character that appears in J-Decker is not named Redlone, nor is he supposed to be Redlone. Some confuse the two characters and then claim that Da Garn and J-Decker are connected somehow, which is untrue.
The Brave of Gold Goldran
The Brave of Gold Goldran
is a Japanese anime television series series begun in 1995, created by Sunrise under the direction of Shinji Takamatsu, and was the sixth in the Yūsha metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise. Goldran follows the adventures of three young boys who are tasked with finding alien robot...
was intended as a throwback to the light-hearted, whimsical tone that pervaded the original three Brave titles, which had become somewhat subdued under the direction of the creative team that oversaw Might Gaine and J-Decker. Goldran follows the adventures of three young boys who are tasked with finding alien robot fighters, or Braves, that are sleeping in the form of crystals. Their major antagonist is the flamboyant and thoroughly incompetent Walter, and the villains that follow him are often similarly humorous. The entire show is extremely focused on comedy and silliness almost to the exclusion of much in the way of storytelling, although the series does develop some running plotlines towards its end. In terms of television ratings, Goldran was the peak of the Brave series' popularity.
Of the Brave Series, Brave Command Dagwon
Brave Command Dagwon
is a Japanese anime series begun in 1996, created by Sunrise under the direction of Akira Oguro and Tetsuya Yanagisawa, and was the seventh Yūsha or "Brave" metaseries funded by Takara and produced by Sunrise....
is the most divergent from the themes established throughout the other shows. Reputedly, it is the result of Sunrise seeing the enormous success of its Samurai Troopers series and wanting to duplicate the basic formula, five pretty and thinly-written young men having primarily episodic adventures, across its other main franchises. If this origin is true, then both New Mobile Report Gundam Wing and Dagwon are the direct results of it, and intended to appeal both to traditional male audiences and a crossover audience of female viewers drawn in by the attractive male protagonists.
The premise involves five teenage boys recruited by an alien policeman to prevent the destruction of Earth by inmates let loose from an intergalactic prison. Using transformation items, these teenagers can transform into "Dagwon," a team of sentai
Sentai
in Japanese language is a word for a military unit and may be literally translated as "squadron", "task force", "group" or "wing". The terms "regiment" and "flotilla", while sometimes used as translations of Sentai, are also used to refer to larger formations....
-like action heroes who can "combine" with their vehicles to attain humanoid robot form, similar to the "Headmaster Juniors" and the "Godmasters" ("Powermasters" in other countries) in Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
Transformers: Super-God Masterforce
is the title of a Japanese Transformers line of toys and anime series that ran from April 12, 1988 to March 7, 1989 for 42 episodes. On July 3, 2006 the series was released on DVD in the UK, and it was aired on AnimeCentral in the UK a few years later....
. Though the "card" robots helping Shadow Rei are presumed to have some sort of basic AI, no human-robot relationship seems to exist in this show at all. Instead, it plays with the idea of the boys "becoming" the robots through a sort of mystic fusion, a theme later explored in an incredibly-similar Sunrise series by Dagwon's creative team, called Chouja Reideen. Although nominally a re-imagining of Sunrise and Tohokushinsha's Brave Raideen
Brave Raideen
is a super robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Sunrise, it aired on NET from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, with a total of 50 episodes...
, which was developed by staff that would later be members of Sunrise, Chouja Reideen resembles Dagwon far more so than the original Brave Reideen.
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
The King of Braves GaoGaiGar
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.- Plot :...
was the final television series to be produced, and has become arguably the most popular of them all. Created by Sunrise's internal "Studio 7" under the guidance 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...
, the show combines previous elements of the Brave Series with an ambitious throwback to the Super Robot
Super Robot
is 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,...
mentality of the 1970s, presenting a sharp contrast and commentary to the harder-edged, more complex television anime emerging in the wake of Evangelion. Focusing on the concepts of "courage" and "bravery" in a light-hearted setting, this show would obtain a large fanbase after its airing in Japan, and eventually go on to spawn multiple non-animated projects and an OVA sequel, 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...
.
As of this writing, a new major project called The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Project Z has been announced, which links the show closely with another Studio 7 series, Betterman
Betterman
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...
. Like most of the other Studio 7 anime and GaoGaiGar sequels, it seems designed to appeal to a much older audience than the traditional Brave demographic. GaoGaiGar also suffered poor television ratings in contrast with enormous DVD sales, which supports the idea that children tuned out of GaoGaiGar while older fans grew interested in the show's unusually complex, epic cosmology.
Initially a show titled The Saint of Braves Baan Gaan was to be the show to follow Dagwon but fledgling ratings and toy sales promted Sunrise to produce a show with big name talent and a superior budget to reignite interest in the franchise. Baan Gaan eventually saw life in two forms, it was used in a Brave Saga video game as well as the concept for a future show entitled Gear Fighter Dendoh. Before GaoGaiGar ended, another show, Photogrizer (フォトグライザー), was planned to continue the franchise but shelved. Fully titled Brave of Light Photogrizer, the show would involve designs based on, at the time, the new technology of digital cameras and then-modern cell phones.
Post-Brave series events and influence
Thanks to the unusual popularity Baan Gaan achieved with Yuusha through the Brave Saga games, the slated creative team (including character designer Hirokazu HisayukiHirokazu Hisayuki
is a Japanese character designer and animation director for Sunrise.-Works:* Future GPX Cyber Formula Saga: Character Design, Chief Animation Director* Future GPX Cyber Formula Sin: Character Design, Chief Animation Director...
and probable director Mitsuo Fukuda
Mitsuo Fukuda
Mitsuo Fukuda is the director of Future GPX Cyber Formula, Gear Fighter Dendoh, Mobile Suit Gundam SEED and Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny....
) were allowed to make an independent Super Robot series for Sunrise a few years later, called Gear Fighter Dendoh
Gear Fighter Dendoh
is an anime series that aired in Japan. It ran for 38 episodes, from October 4, 2000 to June 27, 2001, on the TV Tokyo network and its affiliates.-Overview:...
. The plot and concept similarities between Dendoh and Baan Gaan are extremely numerous, including the mechanics for how the machines combine with their animal-robot helpers, an emphasis on a running conflict between two particular Super Robots, the dual-protagonist structure, and the idea of child pilots fighting with the support of a group of older pilots and technicians (VARS in Baan Gaan, and GEAR in Dendoh). While Dendoh was only a modest commercial success, the show was received warmly by critics, and the team has since gone on to become responsible for profitable series such as My-HiME
My-HiME
is an anime series, created by Sunrise. Directed by Masakazu Obara and written by Hiroyuki Yoshino, the series originally premiered in Japan on TV Tokyo from September 2004 to March 2005...
and Gundam SEED.
Following Dendoh, Sunrise took a final stab at resurrecting the Brave style of television series by having some Dendoh staffers return to work on Machine Robo Rescue
Machine Robo Rescue
was a Japanese anime television series produced by Sunrise and the most recent Machine Robo series to date. A total of 51 episodes and a two-episode special were aired on TV Tokyo from January 8, 2003 to January 3, 2004...
, based on a modern-day reworking of Bandai and PLEX's own Machine Robo
Machine Robo
is a Japanese transforming robot toyline first released in 1982 by Popy, a division of Bandai, then later by Bandai proper. The franchise was marketed as Robo Machine in Europe, and Machine Men in Australia...
toy line. Rescue combined all of the basic storytelling tropes of the original six, kid-friendly Brave series with a truly vast toy line and an early Sunrise attempt at blending 2D animation (the characters) with 3D animation (the robots). While the toys were popular and the anime did well with older audiences, the 3D animation was widely criticized, and overall the effort failed to recapture the original popularity of the Brave Series. Sunrise would not attempt another 2D/3D series until 2006, with the well-received series Zegapain
Zegapain
is a Japanese anime television series created by Sunrise. The series premiered in Japan on April 6, 2006 on TV Tokyo and also later aired on BS Japan and AT-X. On October 2, 2007, Bandai Entertainment released the first Region 1 volume of Zegapain.-Plot:...
.
Takara briefly returned to the Brave series' overall premise—that of producing interstitial properties with themes similar to that of Transformers—with the release of Web Diver and Dai Gunder. Both properties yielded TV anime and toy lines and featured transforming robots with either their own minds or the ability to "meld" with heroic children. However, both Web Diver and Dai Gunder seem to have faded into obscurity.
There are currently no plans to continue the Brave Series, nor produce another children's anime series in its vein—although Studio 7 has been allowed to continue GaoGaiGar projects for older fans. A "15th Anniversary" occurred in 2005, with DVD box set re-releases of each show and re-releases of many of Takara's original Brave toys.
Additional Brave works
There have been Yuusha "series" that are exclusive to Takara's Brave video games. They are:Brave Saga and Brave Saga 2
The Saint of Braves Baan Gaan (Yuusha Seisen Baan Gaan) (title has also been translated by fans as Brave Crusade Baan Gaan). Also occasionally transliterated as Burn Garn. It is worth noting that Sunrise's official Yuusha web site considers Baan Gaan the ninth Brave series, even though it was not fully produced. It was the main robot for the game Brave Saga, which was released on the PlayStationPlayStation
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...
. Sunrise even produced animated transformation and merging sequences to go with the game and a fully animated intro.
Brave Saga 2, also released for the PlayStation, can be considered a final re-tale of the Yuusha series as it features virtually all Yuusha characters, mecha and human alike, from the previous generation. Although parallel universes are used to explain why series such as Brave Express Might Gaine can be involved in the plot, the story assumed that at least some of the series, noticeably GaoGaiGar and Baan Gaan, happen at around the same time and in the same world. Generally, GaoGaiGar storyline is consider to be the 'side-story' while Baan Gaan served as the main event, with other Yuusha participate in either of the story.
Also, a general time line is given to some of the work, such as stating that the entire events within The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn inspired the creation of Grand Police Department in Brave Police J-Decker, while the events in The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird is part of the reason why Brave Command Dagwon is formed.
There are some none-Yuusha series being involved in the plot, and it should be noted that they are consider to be Real Robot, opposed to Yuusha's Super Robot setting.
As the consideration of toy-safety measures, sharp edges and parts were avoided in animated Yuusha Series to prevent redesigning parts. As Baan Gaan was not made into animation, the mechanical design were slightly different to other leading Yuushas - many sharp edges can be seen in Baan Gaan, Mach Superion, and Great Baan Gaan. The combination process of aforementioned Yuushas basically proceed features of every previous Yuusha Series' combinations.
New Century Brave Wars (Shinseiki Yuusha Taisen)
Brave Wars is the first and only Brave series game to be produced for the PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
. Quantum Leap Layzelber (Ryoushi Choyaku Layzelber, title can also be interpreted as Quantum Leap Rayzelver and Quantum Leap Rayserver. It is worth noting that Layzelber is not counted among the Brave series by Sunrise).
The first entry in the Eldran series
Eldran series
The is a toy and animation franchise begun by toy company Tomy in Japan. Tomy struck a cooperative deal with the animation studio Sunrise to develop the new franchise to sell their toys.-Series overview:...
, Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh
Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh
is a 51 episode Japanese anime television series, and the first series produced for the Eldran franchise funded by Takara Tomy and produced by Sunrise. It aired in Japan from April 3, 1991 to March 25, 1992...
was also added to the game. This is mainly because of the many similarities between the Yuusha series and the Eldran series as they all featured transforming and combining robots and both series were animated by Sunrise. The only key difference was that the Eldran toys were produced by Tomy
TOMY
is a Japanese toy, children's merchandise and entertainment company created from the March 2006 merger of two companies: Tomy and long-time rival, Takara...
. However Tomy later brought Takara and formed Takara Tomy, which meant that both companies had access to the rights to each other's toys, so Raijin-Oh ended up being part of the game, along with Might Gaine, J-Decker, Dagwon, GaoGaiGar and the non-canon Layzelber. The other Yuusha robots and the other Eldran robots were not featured in the game.
Relationship to Transformers
The initial concept designs for Brave Exkaiser, the first Brave Series, were intended to be Transformers designs. While the Brave robot Ultra Raker was very far along at this stage, the Max team and King Exkaiser bore little resemblance to their final designs.There are also similar design elements between the Brave toys and Generation 2/Beast Wars Transformers, which were released around the same time as the Brave toys. For example, many of the Da-Garn toys have light-piped eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many Generation 2 Transformers share. The Goldran DX toyline contains many projectile launchers, something Generation 2 shared as well. In particular, the Goldran toy "Advenger" contains a rotor-launching gimmick identical to that of Rotor Force from Generation 2. Lastly, the elbows of Leon from DX Leonkyzer contain ball joints, a design element that gained much broader use during Generation 2 and even more so during the Beast Wars toy line.
The Brave Series also reused character designs and toys from previous Transformers series. (A complete listing of those reuses follows in the section below).
Similarly, subsequent Transformers lines have also been influenced by the Brave Series. The Japanese Mini-Con Kingbolt's coloration and characterization are homages to the Brave series Exkaiser. Also, the Cybertron cartoon featured many homages to the Brave series King Of Braves GaoGaiGar, most notably the way Optimus Prime combines with Leobreaker and Wing Saber, which is similar to the way GaoGaiGar combines with Goldymarg (Who coincidentally shares a voice actor with Leobreaker) and Stealth Gao and the fact that Hot Shot was identical to Volfogg because of his appearance and transformation. The cinematography for Energon Optimus Prime's stock-footage combination sequence with his Prime Force limbs is also very reminiscent of Brave series stock footage.
One striking difference between the Brave Series and Transformers is that very few villain robots were released for the former. This is in sharp contrast to most of the Transformers series, for which heroes and villains were and are released in relatively equal numbers (with the exception of Zone and Battlestars). Generally speaking, the lack of villain toys is more the norm for such toy lines in Japan, with the various Transformers lines (save for aforementioned two) being the exception there rather than the rule.
Toys and character designs recycled from Transformers
- Ptera Geist - SwoopSwoop (Transformers)Swoop is the name of several fictional characters in the Transformers fictional series and toy line. He was first introduced in 1985 and was voiced by Michael Bell in the animated The Transformers series.-Transformers: Generation 1:...
- Thunder Geist - SludgeSludgeSludge refers to the residual, semi-solid material left from industrial wastewater, or sewage treatment processes. It can also refer to the settled suspension obtained from conventional drinking water treatment, and numerous other industrial processes...
- Horn Geist - SlagSlagSlag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
- Armor Geist - Snarl
- Red Geist - Deathsaurus (without the Eagle Breastplate)
- Hiryu - Sonic Bomber
- Mega Sonic 8823 - Sonic Bomber
- Goryu - Dai Atlas (without handle for his shield)
- Atlas Mk. II - Dai Atlas
- Atlas Epsilon - Dai Atlas
- Shadow-maru - SixshotSixshotSixshot is the name of two fictional characters from the various Transformers series. Introduced in 1987, Sixshot appeared in the last few episodes of the original US Transformers animated series, voiced by Neil Ross. His defining gimmick was that he had six different forms, not two like a normal...
(featured significant remolding to incorporate a ninja motif) - Kagerou - SixshotSixshotSixshot is the name of two fictional characters from the various Transformers series. Introduced in 1987, Sixshot appeared in the last few episodes of the original US Transformers animated series, voiced by Neil Ross. His defining gimmick was that he had six different forms, not two like a normal...
- The Micromaster Stations 1Hot House"Hot House" is a bebop standard, composed by American jazz musician Tadd Dameron in 1945. Its harmonic structure is identical to Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?."...
2IronworksAn ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
34(sans Micromaster and including non-Transforming Brave Police figures; never appeared in the show) - Duke Fire - New Rodimus
- Revibaron - Hybrid of Deathsaurus, Sonic Bomber, and Dai Atlas
- Zazorigun - ScorponokScorponokScorponok is the name shared by several fictional characters in the various Transformers universes. All are Decepticons that turn into Scorpoins.- Transformers: Generation 1:...
- Death Garry Gun - Sky Garry (canabilized trailer launchers)
- Thunder Dagwon - Galaxy Shuttle (significant remolding, including an additional motorcycle/robot that combines for the shuttle's robot mode)
- Dag Base - Grandus (significant remolding, does not combine with Star Convoy)
Note: Italicized names are non-toy characters.
External links
- Official Sunrise Brave Series website
- The TFW2005 forum Brave thread
- GaoGaiGar-Betterman Wiki
- Japanese Brave fansite
- The Ultimate Gattai! - English Brave fansite with in depth information -- http://www.freehyperspace.com/forum/index.php?topic=619.0 "Currently down for the month due to FreeHyperSpace being compromised by a hacker"
- In depth review of the Gaogaigar series http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/2259443-post2663.html
- In depth review of the J-Decker series http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/2281958-post2675.html