is a 1992–1998

OVA , abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA ...

series based on

Mitsuteru Yokoyama was a Japanese manga artist born in Suma Ward of Kobe City in Hyōgo Prefecture. His personal name was originally spelled , with the same pronunciation. His works include ''Tetsujin 28-go'', ''Giant Robo'', ''Akakage'', ''Babel II'', '' Sally t ...

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is use ...

series ''

Giant Robo is a Japanese manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. The manga, which was first published in 1967, spawned a live-action '' tokusatsu'' television series of the same name, as well as a series of original video animations called '' Giant Rob ...

''. It was written and directed by

Yasuhiro Imagawa is a Japanese anime director and screenwriter. Much of his work evokes nostalgia for 1970s super robot mecha anime. Works Anime ;Major works ;Minor works *''Bremen 4: Angels in Hell'' (TV film, assistant director, 1981) *''Yattodetaman'' (TV ...

. ''Giant Robo'' is a

homage Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to: History *Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance *Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts *Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...

to Yokoyama's career. The series features characters and plotlines from the

manga artist A is a comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. As of 2006, about 3,000 professional manga artists were working in Japan. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist be ...

's entire canon of work, effectively creating an all-new story. The events take place in the near future, 10 years after the advent of the Shizuma Drive triggers the third energy revolution. The series follows the master of the titular Robo, Daisaku Kusama, and the Experts of Justice, an international police organization locked in battle with the BF Group, a secret society hell-bent on world domination. The OVA is recognized for its "

retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the " nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...

" style and

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libre ...

tic score. The character designs emulate Yokoyama's drawing style and the action

setpiece In film production, a set piece is a scene or sequence of scenes whose execution requires complex logistical planning and considerable expenditure of money. The term is often also used more broadly to describe a sequence in which the film-maker's ...

s are influenced by

Hong Kong action cinema Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. Action films from Hong Kong have roots in Chinese and Hong Kong cultures including Chinese opera, storytelling and aesthetic traditions, which Hong ...

. The first installment of the series, "The Black Attaché Case", was released on July 22, 1992. Originally intended to finish within 36 months, the seven-volume series was ultimately released over the span of six years. "The Grand Finale" was released on January 25, 1998. The OVA has since been translated into

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national id ...

Cantonese Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

and

Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...

Plot

The series takes place in a

retro-futuristic Retrofuturism (adjective ''retrofuturistic'' or ''retrofuture'') is a movement in the creative arts showing the influence of depictions of the future produced in an earlier era. If futurism is sometimes called a "science" bent on anticipatin ...

setting, where the Shizuma Drive ends the depletion of petroleum resources and the need for

nuclear power Nuclear power is the use of nuclear reactions to produce electricity. Nuclear power can be obtained from nuclear fission, nuclear decay and nuclear fusion reactions. Presently, the vast majority of electricity from nuclear power is produced ...

. The system is a non-polluting recyclable energy source that powers everything on land, sea and air. Ten years prior to the events of the series a team of scientists, led by Professor Shizuma, created the revolutionary system. In the process they nearly destroyed the world and one of their own, Franken von Vogler, was lost in the event that went down in history as the "Tragedy of Bashtarle." At the start of ''Giant Robo'', the BF Group is in the middle of recreating the event with aid from the resurfaced von Vogler. The story explores a society completely brought down, within the span of one week, because of dependency on a single energy source and a state of prosperity tainted by compromise and deceit. The is the main antagonist of the series. Their origin is unknown, but not so their reason to be: to lead mankind down a road of ruin. The Group's forces consist of mechanical monsters, foot soldiers and , individuals with

superhuman The term superhuman refers to humans or human-like beings with enhanced qualities and abilities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. Th ...

powers. The most powerful Experts form the ruling cadre of the organization, the cabal of the . Its members swear allegiance to , the Group's founder and leader, with faltering loyalty punishable by death. At the time of ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'', the Ten are gearing up for the final showdown with the IPO. The is the BF Group's counterpart in the ''Giant Robo''

universe The universe is all of space and time and their contents, including planets, stars, galaxies, and all other forms of matter and energy. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing cosmological description of the development of the universe. A ...

."The world of ''Giant Robo'': The BF Group vs. the IPO".

Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the record sleeve, sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for cassettes. Origin Liner n ...

. (1993). ''Giant Robo Volume 3''.

Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai and a subsidiary of Bandai Namco Holdings. They focused mainly in international distribution of anime properties in North America. Most of the anime and ...

. The leaders of the world acknowledged Big Fire as a threat to world security and signed the charter creating the IPO. The IPO's methods are

information Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random, ...

and

espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence) from non-disclosed sources or divulging of the same without the permission of the holder of the information for a tang ...

, looking to bring down the BF Group rather than defeating them in an all-out war. However, to counter Big Fire's superhuman elements, "Experts" are recruited and granted special international jurisdiction. The agents assembled are known as the . Working with the Experts from the

Peking } Beijing ( ; ; ), Chinese postal romanization, alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the Capital city, capital of the China, People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's Li ...

Branch is Daisaku Kusama. While he does not possess any special powers, Daisaku is the one and only master of Giant Robo. Constructed by Daisaku's father,"Character biographies".

. (1992). ''Giant Robo Volume 1''.

. Giant Robo is the IPO's trump card against Big Fire.

Production

In 1990, producer Yasuhito Yamaki approached Yasuhiro Imagawa about working on an animated version of the ''Giant Robo'' manga."The Steel God cometh!".

. (1992). ''Giant Robo Volume 1''.

. Imagawa, a self-proclaimed fan of Yokoyama's work, jumped at the chance of working on the project."Vibrant Designs".

. (1993). ''Giant Robo Volume 2''.

. The ''Giant Robo'' manga had started in 1967 and had never been adapted into animation before. It had a live action adaptation that premiered on

TV Asahi JOEX-DTV (channel 5), branded as (also known as EX and and stylized as TV asahi), is a television station that is owned and operated by the subsidiary of certified broadcasting holding company , itself controlled by The Asahi Shimbun Com ...

in 1967–68. In pre-production, Imagawa was informed he could not use any of the supporting characters from the manga or live action versions. Instead, with Yokoyama's permission, he populated the series with characters from the artist's entire canon of work, including ''

Akakage is a Japanese superhero ninja featured in several manga and anime, as well as live-action movies and TV shows. Akakage first appeared in the 1967 TV series, ''Kamen no Ninja Akakage'' which was produced by Toei Company Ltd. Character ...

'', ''

Babel II is a Japanese 1971 manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It was translated into an animated format in 1973 as a television series, in 1992 as an original video animation series and in 2001 as a thirteen-episode television series. Yokoyama ...

'' and ''

Godmars is the title of a 1980s mecha anime television series that was popular during its broadcast between 1981 and 1982 in Japan, Hong Kong and Italy. The series consists of 64 episodes and 2 special presentations. Other loosely translated names ...

''. The ''Giant Robo'' OVA still follows Daisaku and Robo, and the main antagonist is still called "Big Fire," but it features an all-new storyline with a completely different cast of characters. The first episode was released July 22, 1992 with the following three installments staying close to the proposed schedule of six months between releases. In the nine months between the releases of ''Volume''s ''4'' and ''5'', two

s focusing on the character of GinRei were produced. is a humorous take on GinRei's job as a spy for the IPO. , a send up of

super robot Mecha anime and manga, known in Japan as and , are anime and manga that feature robots (mecha) in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; "super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where robots are ...

series, features

Ken Ishikawa was a Japanese manga artist. He is renowned as the co-creator (with Go Nagai) of the ''Getter Robo'' anime series, as well as four of their subsequent manga continuations. According to Nagai, he considered Ishikawa his greatest friend and all ...

as guest mech designer. A third OVA, , was released after ''Volume 5'' of ''Giant Robo''. The final episode was released January 1998, almost three years after episode six. In between releases, members of the ''Giant Robo'' staff worked on other projects, including ''

The Big O ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...

'', ''

Getter Robo Armageddon ''Getter Robo Armageddon'', known in Japan as , is an OVA released between August 25, 1998 to May 25, 1999 by Bandai Visual and was animated by Brain's Base and Studio OX. The OVA is based on the manga and anime series ''Getter Robo'', creat ...

'', and ''Super Atragon'', a two-episode OVA of Shunro Oshikawa's ''Kaitei Gunkan'' novel. Imagawa intended ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' to be the second to final chapter in the conflict between the Experts of Justice and Big Fire."Imagawa Answers Your Questions!".

. (1993). ''Giant Robo Volume 3''.

. The OVA would be preceded by ''The Birth of Zangetsu the Midday'', ''The Plan to Assassinate Daisaku - the Canary Penitentiary'', ''The Boy of Three Days'', ''The Greatest Battle in History - General Kanshin vs. Shokatsu Koumei'' and ''The Boy Detective, Kindaichi Shōtarō, Appears!'' The final chapter is titled ''The Siege of

Babel Babel is a name used in the Hebrew Bible for the city of Babylon and may refer to: Arts and media Written works Books *Babel (book), ''Babel'' (book), by Patti Smith * Babel (2012 manga), ''Babel'' (2012 manga), by Narumi Shigematsu * Babel (20 ...

''. No further stories have been animated.

Music

The score of ''Giant Robo'' was composed, arranged and conducted by

Masamichi Amano is a Japanese music composer, arranger and conductor. He studied at the Kunitachi College of Music in Tokyo and completed master's degree in 1982. Biography He graduated from Akita Minami High School and went on to study at Kunitachi College o ...

and performed by the

Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra ( pl, Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie) is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, it is one of Poland's oldest musical institutions. History The orchestra was conceived on ...

and Choir. The music ranges from grand pieces like "Charge! His Name is Giant Robo" to more light-hearted tracks like "Tetsugyu in Love." Amano makes use of

leitmotif A leitmotif or leitmotiv () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglic ...

s, recurring musical themes associated with different characters, places or events. ''Giant Robo's'' " Dies Irae" is first heard during the destruction of the ''

Champs-Élysées The Avenue des Champs-Élysées (, ; ) is an avenue in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France, long and wide, running between the Place de la Concorde in the east and the Place Charles de Gaulle in the west, where the Arc de Triomphe is l ...

'' in episode one. The

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn ...

, written in

Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin Classical Latin is the form of Literary Latin recognized as a Literary language, literary standard language, standard by writers of the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire. It was used f ...

, describes what is known in

Christian eschatology Christian eschatology, a major branch of study within Christian theology, deals with "last things". Such eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" () and "study" (-) – involves the study of "end things", whether ...

Judgment Day The Last Judgment, Final Judgment, Day of Reckoning, Day of Judgment, Judgment Day, Doomsday, Day of Resurrection or The Day of the Lord (; ar, یوم القيامة, translit=Yawm al-Qiyāmah or ar, یوم الدین, translit=Yawm ad-Dīn, ...

. Along with Amano's original compositions, the soundtrack features "

Una furtiva lagrima "" (A furtive tear) is the romanza from act 2, scene 3 of the Italian opera ''L'elisir d'amore'' by Gaetano Donizetti. It is sung by Nemorino (tenor) when it appears that the love potion he bought to win the heart of his dream lady, Adina, is work ...

" from the 1832 opera ''

L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (''The Elixir of Love'', ) is a ' ( opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's ' (1831). The opera pre ...

''.Clements, J. & McCarthy, H. (2001). ''The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917''. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. . For Imagawa, the aria embodies one of the themes of ''Giant Robo'': "the sorrow of others not understanding your true feelings". The music of ''Giant Robo'' has been called one of the OVA's best accomplishments. The complete score was released in seven soundtracks by

Nippon Columbia , often pronounced ''Korombia'', operating internationally as , is a Japanese record label founded in 1910 as Nipponophone Co., Ltd. It affiliated itself with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom and adopted the standard UK C ...

. The first two soundtracks were released in North America by

AnimeTrax AnimeTrax is a joint venture between ADV Films and The Right Stuf International to distribute anime soundtracks (often called OSTs) in the United States. In 2003 ADV Films formed their own music division to serve the same purpose in the form of ...

Episodes

Design

For series director Yasuhiro Imagawa, the

world In its most general sense, the term "world" refers to the totality of entities, to the whole of reality or to everything that is. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the worl ...

where the story unfolds must be convincing, for it is the setting and themes what determine the character and mecha designs. In the world of ''Giant Robo'', "anything goes". The technology is futuristic and the morals are modern. The world's outlook is bright, but there is an underlying sense of some sinister motive beneath it. ''Wuxia'' heroes coexist with modern-day espers and giant robots as soldiers in a struggle between good and evil.

Art style

The ''Giant Robo'' OVA is one of many anime titles based on old properties produced in Japan during the 1990s. While titles like ''

Bubblegum Crisis 2040 is an anime series produced by AIC. It is a reboot of the 1987 OVA series '' Bubblegum Crisis'', which focuses on the Knight Sabers, a rogue vigilante group made up of four women who use powered suits to fight rogue Boomer robots made by the ...

'', ''

Dirty Pair Flash is an anime and manga franchise based on the light novel series by Haruka Takachiho. Although it is often said that these are younger versions of the original ''Lovely Angels'' Kei and Yuri, in truth this series is an alternate univers ...

'' and ''

Tekkaman Blade is a 1992 Japanese anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and Sotsu Agency. The series was directed by Hiroshi Negishi and written by Mayori Sekijima and Satoru Akahori. The story follows an organization called the S ...

'' gave modern spins to old classics, the creators of ''Giant Robo'' decided to go with a "

" look. The characters were designed by

Toshiyuki Kubooka is a Japanese animator, character designer, and director. He is particularly known for his work on the ''Giant Robo'' OVA series, as well as his work on the ''Lunar'' series and ''iDOLM@STER''. He was born in Hokkaido. Notable works Anime *'' ...

(''

Lunar Lunar most commonly means "of or relating to the Moon". Lunar may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Lunar'' (series), a series of video games * "Lunar" (song), by David Guetta * "Lunar", a song by Priestess from the 2009 album ''Prior t ...

'' series, ''

The Idolmaster is a Japanese media franchise that began in 2005 with a raising simulation and rhythm video game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The series primarily centers on the career of a producer who works with a group of ...

'') and

Akihiko Yamashita is a Studio Ghibli animator who is famous for '' Howl's Moving Castle'' and '' Giant Robo (OVA)''. As a character designer * '' Urotsukidōji'' (1987-1994) * ''Relic Armor Legaciam'' (1987) * '' Giant Robo'' (1992-1994) (with Toshiyuki Kubooka) ...

. (''

Princess Nine ''Princess Nine'', known in Japan as , is a 26-episode Japanese anime television series and 3 manga volume set. Synopsis The series is about the trials of nine girls at the Kisaragi School for Girls who form a baseball team for the purpose of ...

'', ''

Tide-Line Blue is a Japanese anime series created by Satoru Ozawa and Umanosuke Iida. The series was produced by Bandai Visual and animated by Telecom Animation Film. Background ''Tide-Line Blue'' is set after an environmental disaster later called the "Ham ...

'') The designers were asked to emulate Yokoyama's characters rather than create new ones. Admittedly "it took some time to catch on to Director Imagawa's intentions", but with repetition the staff was able to achieve Imagawa's vision of characters that look like they stepped out of anime from the 1960s. The mechanical design is a case of high technology meets old school engineering. The titular mecha is an advanced piece of machinery, equipped with booster rockets and hidden weapons throughout. Sporting big stovepipe arms and exposed rivets, the hulking giant is more like a

weapon of mass destruction A weapon of mass destruction (WMD) is a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill and bring significant harm to numerous individuals or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natur ...

than a "robot superhero". Vehicles like the Shizuma-powered

Beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

or the Experts' airship fortress in the design of a

zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, ...

appear as if they had been conceived at the turn of the 20th century, giving the world of ''Giant Robo'' a timeless feel. ''Giant Robo'' is credited with generating interest in re-imagining other artists' works, including

Osamu Tezuka Osamu Tezuka (, born , ''Tezuka Osamu''; – 9 February 1989) was a Japanese manga artist, cartoonist, and animator. Born in Osaka Prefecture, his prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him suc ...

and

Go Nagai , better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of science fiction, fantasy, horror and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', but is best known for creating popular 1970s ...

, and creating a "retro" style that has been used in productions like ''

Sakura Wars is a Japanese steampunk media franchise created by Oji Hiroi and owned by Sega. It is focused around a series of cross-genre video games. The first game in the series was released in 1996, with five sequels and numerous spin-off titles b ...

''.

Influences

The modern notion of the

giant robot In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the meaning in Japanese is ...

genre can be traced back to the 1970s. The works of

(''

Mazinger is a long-running series of manga and anime featuring giant robots or mecha. Series The series in order: ''God Mazinger'' is related by name only and ''Mazinkaiser'' is an OVA retelling of earlier ''Mazinger'' stories, based partly on des ...

'', ''

Getter Robo is a Japanese mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. The manga was seria ...

'') created the genre and the debut of

Yoshiyuki Tomino is a Japanese mecha anime creator, animator, director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the '' Gundam'' anime franchise. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College ...

's ''

Mobile Suit Gundam , also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting ...

'' in 1979 solidified it. In this genre, the mecha is the focal point of the action. But for a genre anime, ''Giant Robo'' does not feature many giant robot battles; instead, it is the human characters who do the fighting. Most of the "Experts" featured in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' come from Yokoyama's manga adaptations of ''

Outlaws of the Marsh ''Water Margin'' (''Shuihu zhuan'') is one of the earliest Chinese novels written in vernacular Mandarin, and is attributed to Shi Nai'an. It is also translated as ''Outlaws of the Marsh'' and ''All Men Are Brothers''. The story, which is ...

'' and ''

Romance of the Three Kingdoms ''Romance of the Three Kingdoms'' () is a 14th-century historical novel attributed to Luo Guanzhong. It is set in the turbulent years towards the end of the Han dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period in Chinese history, starting in 184 AD an ...

'',Neidengard, M. (January 30, 1999). The World's Mightiest Robot. ''

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teac ...

Japanese Animation Society Newsletter''. both ''wuxia'' novels and half of the "

Four Classics Classic Chinese Novels () are the best-known novels of pre-modern Chinese literature. These are among the world's longest and oldest novels. They represented a new complexity in structure and sophistication in language that helped to establish t ...

" of Chinese literature. ''Wuxia'' are martial arts adventures populated by skilled, honorable fighters. Bordwell, David. "Hong Kong Martial Arts Cinema." In ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: A Portrait of the Ang Lee Film''. New York: Newmarket Press, 2000, pp. 14–21. . In

, the genre is associated with swordplay epics sprinkled with mysticism. Given their origin, the heroes and villains of ''Giant Robo'' are superhuman combatants who share many elements with the errant knights of ''

wuxia ( ), which literally means "martial heroes", is a genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fiction, its popularity has caused it to be adapted f ...

'' like strength, magic powers and the ability to

fly Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced m ...

. In ''wuxia'' adventures, the characters are given nicknames that allude to their mastery of weapons, their physical appearance or their demeanor (''

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon ''Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'' is a 2000 wuxia film directed by Ang Lee and written for the screen by Wang Hui-ling, James Schamus, and Tsai Kuo-jung . The film features a cast of actors of Chinese ethnicity, including Chow Yun-fat, ...

''). Imagawa, inspired by Yokayama's adaptation of ''Outlaws of the Marsh'',"Imagawa Answers Your Questions! (Part 3)".

. (1995). ''Giant Robo'', Volume 6.

. followed this convention and gave ''Giant Robos characters similar descriptive names like "Shockwave Alberto", "Silent Chūjō" and "Kenji The Immortal." In ''

jiang hu ''Jianghu'' () is a term that generally refers to the milieu, environment, or sub-community in which many Chinese wuxia stories are set. The term is used flexibly, and can be used to describe a fictionalized version of Historical China (usually ...

'',

secret societies A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence ...

plot against the '' status quo'' (''

House of Flying Daggers ''House of Flying Daggers'' ( Chinese: 十面埋伏) is a 2004 ''wuxia'' romance film directed by Zhang Yimou and starring Andy Lau, Zhang Ziyi and Takeshi Kaneshiro. Unlike other ''wuxia'' films, it is more of a love story than purely a martia ...

'') and powerful clans do war with each other. ''Giant Robo'' features the ongoing conflict between the Experts of Justice and the BF Group. Woven into the story are values commonly associated with martial arts films like honor, loyalty and individual justice, best exemplified in the rivalry between Alberto and Taisō."Character biographies".

. (1994). ''Giant Robo Volume 5''.

Themes

''Giant Robo'' is structured as a "

character driven In a literary work, film, or other narrative, the plot is the sequence of events in which each event affects the next one through the principle of Causality, cause-and-effect. The causal events of a plot can be thought of as a series of events li ...

drama," emphasizing the relationships and personal histories of the characters over a mystery surrounding the titular mecha or a philosophical

diatribe A diatribe (from the Greek ''διατριβή''), also known less formally as rant, is a lengthy oration, though often reduced to writing, made in criticism of someone or something, often employing humor, sarcasm, and appeals to emotion. Hi ...

. At the time of the series, Daisaku is 12 years old and the only child in the Experts of Justice. ''Giant Robo'' is the story of how Daisaku grows up and works to respect his father's last will and testament of protecting the world from the BF Group. The OVA is comparable to a ''

bildungsroman In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood ( coming of age), in which character change is imp ...

'',Thacker, J. (September 14, 2002). Well, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex?. ''

Japanese Animation Society Newsletter''. where the story traces the main character's development from childhood to maturity. The two most important characters in the boy's coming of age are his fellow Experts Tetsugyu and Kenji Murasame."Imagawa Answers Your Questions! (Part 2)".

. (1994). ''Giant Robo Volume 5''.

. Tetsugyu is a grown-up, but still a "child" at heart. In the course of the story he and Daisaku grow up and mature, creating a parallel between them. Kenji, on the other hand, is what Daisaku sees as an "adult." Willing to sacrifice others for the sake of happiness, Kenji contrasts Daisaku's idealism. The story delves on the relationship between fathers and sons and the unbreakable bond that exists between them.Oshiguchi, Takashi. "Yasuhiro Imagawa." In ''Anime Interviews: The First Five Years of Animerica, Anime & Manga Monthly (1992-97)''.

VIZ Media VIZ Media LLC is an American manga publisher, anime distributor and entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ M ...

LLC, 1997, pp. 78–83. . The characters of Daisaku and Genya lost their fathers at a young age and have been entrusted with a legacy that turns them into adversaries during ''The Day the Earth Stood Still''. Mirror images of one another, the characters fight to fulfill their respective fathers' dying wish at the expense of the other's. Dr. Kusama's dying question to Daisaku ("Can happiness be obtained without sacrifice? Can a new era be achieved without tragedy?") is at the crux of the series. Shizuma and his colleagues gave the world a new era of prosperity at the expense of billions of lives. The BF Group is willing to cause great misfortune to make their ideal world a reality, while many sacrifice themselves to protect it. The ending is bittersweet, with both sides suffering losses. For Imagawa, this was the only way of getting his point across. The series ends with a dedication to all fathers and their children "giving a glimmer of hope in the midst of all the sorrow." The series may also be seen as "sort of an analogy or an allegory about

nuclear technology Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine and nuclear weapons. It is also used, among other things, in smoke detectors an ...

", especially in the context of Japan's complex relationship to both its destructive and constructive aspects.

Release

The series was originally released by

on VHS and LaserDisc from 1992 to 1998. On March 24, 2000,

Toshiba , commonly known as Toshiba and stylized as TOSHIBA, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems ...

Entertainment released the series on Region 2 DVD. The ''Giant Robo Giga Premium Collection'' (ASBY-1600) features digitally remastered video and audio, interviews with the creators and a companion book. Then,

Media Factory , formerly is a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing. History It was founded on December 1, 1986, and its headquarters are situated in Shibuya, Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Recruit Co., Ltd. Media Factory was poss ...

released a limited edition Blu-ray Box on October 26, 2012, with the video remastered to 4K, as well as the

NYAV Post NYAV Post is an American recording studio located in New York City. It was founded by Michael Sinterniklaas in 2000, with a West Coast branch located in Los Angeles, California. The studio is prolific in recording anime dubs, original animat ...

English dub, interviews with the staff and Japanese cast, audio commentary by the staff, and a performance by the

Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra The Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra ( pl, Orkiestra Filharmonii Narodowej w Warszawie) is a Polish orchestra based in Warsaw. Founded in 1901, it is one of Poland's oldest musical institutions. History The orchestra was conceived on ...

. A standard edition Blu-ray Box was released on April 24, 2015, this time with English subtitles included. The distribution of the English-language version has been handled by five different companies. A LaserDisc edition was released by L.A. Hero in 1994. After L.A. Hero's license expired, it was released on VHS by

U.S. Renditions U.S. Renditions was a Special Projects Division of Books Nippan (which was the American branch of Nippon Shuppan Hanbai) and one of the pioneers of anime home video distribution in North America. The division was founded in February 1987 by Ke ...

and

Manga Entertainment Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyro ...

. After Manga Entertainment's license expired,

Media Blasters Media Blasters, sometimes abbreviated as MB, is an American entertainment corporation that was founded by John Sirabella in 1997 and is based in New York City. It is in the business of licensing, translating, and releasing to the North American ...

released ''Giant Robo'' on DVD. Media Blasters' 2004 release includes the

Japanese language is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ...

track, the Manga Entertainment dub, an all-new dub by

and subtitled Japanese commentary tracks on some of the episodes. After Media Blasters' license expired,

Discotek Media Discotek Media is an American entertainment company based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, focused on distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. Formed in 2005, Discotek primarily focuses on licensing retro titles f ...

announced at Otakon 2018 on August 12 that they have picked up the series for a Blu-ray release. Despite the included ''Gin Rei'' OVA being in a separate DVD release, it would include everything from Media Blasters' previous release. Discotek has also hoped to produce brand new extras for this release as well. It was released on December 24, 2019, while the ''Gin Rei'' release was released on December 29, 2020. ''Giant Robo'' was distributed in the Netherlands by Manga DVD and in Hong Kong by Asia Video. The French version, dubbed by Saint Maur Studios, was distributed by

Pathé Pathé or Pathé Frères (, styled as PATHÉ!) is the name of various French businesses that were founded and originally run by the Pathé Brothers of France starting in 1896. In the early 1900s, Pathé became the world's largest film equipment ...

. The series was released in Italy by Granata Press.

Related media

Along with the animated version, Imagawa scripted a manga illustrated by Mari Mizuta. Serialized in

Kadokawa Shoten , formerly , is a Japanese publisher and division of Kadokawa Future Publishing based in Tokyo, Japan. It became an internal division of Kadokawa Corporation on October 1, 2013. Kadokawa publishes manga, light novels, manga anthology magazines s ...

's ''Comic Genki'', it delves deeper into the machinations of the BF Group and introduces as Big Fire's counterpart in the IPO. The issues were later collected in two

volumes Volume is a measure of occupied three-dimensional space. It is often quantified numerically using SI derived units (such as the cubic metre and litre) or by various imperial or US customary units (such as the gallon, quart, cubic inch). The defi ...

published under the Newtype 100% Comics

imprint Imprint or imprinting may refer to: Entertainment * ''Imprint'' (TV series), Canadian television series * "Imprint" (''Masters of Horror''), episode of TV show ''Masters of Horror'' * ''Imprint'' (film), a 2007 independent drama/thriller film ...

. * ''Giant Robo Volume 1'' () released August 1992 * ''Giant Robo Volume 2'' () released September 1993 A

novelization A novelization (or novelisation) is a derivative novel that adapts the story of a work created for another medium, such as a film, TV series, stage play, comic book or video game. Film novelizations were particularly popular before the advent of ...

by Hiroshi Yamaguchi was released in September 1993. (Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko: ) In commemoration of ''Giant Robo''s 40th anniversary, Imagawa began scripting . The manga, illustrated by Yasunari Toda, was serialized in

Akita Shoten is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Teio Akita on 10 August 1948. As of 2020, the company's president is Shigeru Higuchi. Magazines Male-oriented manga magazines ''Shōnen'' magazines * – Bi ...

's ''

Champion Red is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine, published on the 19th each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 ( cover date October 2002), initially published as a ''shōnen'' magazine. Since 2015, the magazine slogan is . was a ...

'' between September 2006 and January 2011. It chronicles Daisaku's involvement in a three-way battle between the IPO, the Magnificent Ten and the Murasame Clan. ''The Day the Earth Burned'' follows the general tone and style of the OVA, but takes place in a reality separate from that of the OVA; ''The Day the Earth Burned'' explores what the OVA did not: the true nature of the GR Project and the true leader of Big Fire, Big Fire himself. # (released on March 20, 2007) # (released on September 20, 2007) # (released on March 19, 2008) # (released on September 19, 2008) # (released on April 20, 2009) # (released on September 18, 2009) # (released on May 20, 2010) # (released on November 19, 2010) # (released on April 20, 2011) The ''Giant Robo'' video game (SLPM-62526) was released for PlayStation 2 on November 3, 2004 by

D3 Publisher is a Japanese video game developer and publisher founded on February 5, 1992. The company is known for the '' Simple'' series of budget-priced video games. Their games have been released for the Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Nint ...

. Set in ''The Day the Earth Stood Still'' continuity, the player leads Daisaku Kusama and Giant Robo on a quest to defeat the BF Group. As Daisaku, the player can pick up items and power-ups on the battlefield; as Giant Robo, the player does battle with other mechas. A Versus Mode allows players to compete against each other using any of the robots featured on the series. The game is not available in Europe or North America. ''Mighty Ginrei: Final Fight'' (COCC-12444), an

audio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...

sequel to the ''Mighty GinRei'' OVA, was released on April 21, 1995, by

. ''Love Fight'', a music collection

tie-in A tie-in work is a work of fiction or other product based on a media property such as a film, video game, television series, board game, web site, role-playing game or literary property. Tie-ins are authorized by the owners of the original pr ...

, was released the same day.

Reception

The final installment of ''Giant Robo'' was released on January 25, 1998, eight years after production began and a full decade since its inception."The journey of ten years".

. (1998). ''Giant Robo Volume 7''.

. The feature suffered from high running costs and low sales, but was better received in America. The series appeared in the 62nd position of ''

Animage is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, '' Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', was serialized in ''Animage'' from 1982 through 1994. Ot ...

s Top 100 Anime List, published in January 2001. In July of the same year, the series appeared on a list of the all time top 50 anime, according to ''

Wizard Magazine ''Wizard'' or ''Wizard: The Magazine of Comics, Entertainment and Pop Culture'' (previously titled ''Wizard: The Guide to Comics'' and ''Wizard: The Comics Magazine'') was a magazine about comic books, published monthly in the United States by W ...

''. Critical reception has been largely positive. ''

Hyper Hyper may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hyper'' (2016 film), 2016 Indian Telugu film * ''Hyper'' (2018 film), 2018 Indian Kannada film * ''Hyper'' (magazine), an Australian video game magazine *Hyper (TV channel), a Filipino sports channe ...

'' magazine rated it 10 out of 10 in 1996. Three different reviewers from the AnimeOnDVD site gave ''Giant Robo'' an "A+". John Huxley of Anime Boredom "highly recommends" the series and Anime Academy gives it a grade of 88%. ''Giant Robo'' has been called "one of the true timeless classics of Anime." Mike Crandol of Anime News Network says Imagawa "takes the best of the old and mixes it with the best of the new to create the definitive giant robot story." John Huxley of Anime Boredom concludes the series is "the super robot show as it was in your mind's eye, a perfect combination of the old without the disappointment of reality."

References

External links

* * * *
Giant Robo
' in the Japan Hero Encyclopedia {{Champion Red 1992 anime OVAs Apocalyptic anime and manga Chinese mythology in anime and manga Crossover anime and manga Discotek Media Giant Robo Martial arts anime and manga Peak oil films Super robot anime and manga