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is a 1992–1998 OVA series based on
Mitsuteru Yokoyama was a Japanese manga artist. Considered to be one of the greatest and most influential figures in the history of manga and anime, his works have had a significant impact in the creation and establishment of many genres. These include: mecha (''T ...
's
manga 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 history in earlier Japanese art. The term is used in Japan to refer to both comics ...
series '' Giant Robo''. It was written and directed by Yasuhiro Imagawa. ''Giant Robo'' is a homage to Yokoyama's career. The series features characters and plotlines from the
manga artist A manga artist, also known as a mangaka (), is a Cartoonist, comic artist who writes and/or illustrates manga. Most manga artists study at an art college or manga school or take on an apprenticeship with another artist before entering the indus ...
'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 the past, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. It has been argued that there is a nostalgia cycle in popular culture. Definition The term ...
" style and
opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
tic score. The character designs emulate Yokoyama's drawing style and the action setpieces 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 culture, Chinese and Culture of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cultures, including Chinese opera, storytelling a ...
. 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,
Cantonese Cantonese is the traditional prestige variety of Yue Chinese, a Sinitic language belonging to the Sino-Tibetan language family. It originated in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton) and its surrounding Pearl River Delta. While th ...
, Dutch, French,
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
, Korean, Portuguese and Spanish.


Plot

The series takes place in a retro-futuristic 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 by ...
. 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 An antagonist is a character in a story who is presented as the main enemy or rival of the protagonist and is often depicted as a villain. 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, humanoids or other beings with abilities and other qualities that exceed those naturally found in humans. These qualities may be acquired through natural ability, self-actualization or technological aids. ...
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. It comprises all of existence, any fundamental interaction, physical process and physical constant, and therefore all forms of matter and energy, and the structures they form, from s ...
."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 sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1993). ''Giant Robo Volume 3''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the ...
creating the IPO. The IPO's methods are
information Information is an Abstraction, abstract concept that refers to something which has the power Communication, to inform. At the most fundamental level, it pertains to the Interpretation (philosophy), interpretation (perhaps Interpretation (log ...
and
espionage Espionage, spying, or intelligence gathering, as a subfield of the intelligence field, is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information ( intelligence). A person who commits espionage on a mission-specific contract is called an ...
, 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, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's most populous national capital city as well as China's second largest city by urban area after Shanghai. It is l ...
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".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1992). ''Giant Robo Volume 1''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...
. 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!".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1992). ''Giant Robo Volume 1''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...
. Imagawa, a self-proclaimed fan of Yokoyama's work, jumped at the chance of working on the project."Vibrant Designs".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1993). ''Giant Robo Volume 2''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ''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 , and better known as , is a Japanese television station serving the Kanto region as the flagship station of the All-Nippon News Network. It is owned-and-operated by the a subsidiary of , itself controlled by ...
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'', '' Babel II'' and '' Godmars''. 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 OVAs 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, also known as giant robot or simply robot, is a genre of anime and manga that feature mecha in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; " super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where r ...
series, features Ken Ishikawa 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 is a Japanese mecha-anime television series created by designer Keiichi Sato and director Kazuyoshi Katayama for Sunrise. The writing staff was assembled by the series' head writer, Chiaki J. Konaka, who is known for his work on '' Se ...
'', ''
Getter Robo Armageddon ''Getter Robo Armageddon'', known in Japan as , is an original video animation, 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 seri ...
'', 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!".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1993). ''Giant Robo Volume 3''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 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''. No further stories have been animated.


Music

The score of ''Giant Robo'' was composed, arranged and conducted by Masamichi Amano and performed by the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra 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 () 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 a partial angliciz ...
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 (landscape), 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 ...
'' 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'' d ...
, written in
Medieval Latin Medieval Latin was the form of Literary Latin used in Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Western Europe during the Middle Ages. It was also the administrative language in the former Western Roman Empire, Roman Provinces of Mauretania, Numidi ...
, describes what is known in
Christian eschatology Christian eschatology is a minor branch of study within Christian theology which deals with the doctrine of the "last things", especially the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia. The word eschatology derives from two Greek roots meaning "last ...
as
Judgment Day The Last Judgment is a concept found across the Abrahamic religions and the '' Frashokereti'' of Zoroastrianism. Christianity considers the Second Coming of Jesus Christ to entail the final judgment by God of all people who have ever lived, res ...
. Along with Amano's original compositions, the soundtrack features " Una furtiva lagrima" from the 1832 opera ''
L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, 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). ...
''.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.


Episodes


Design

For series director Yasuhiro Imagawa, the
world The world is the totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that Existence, exists. The nature of the world has been conceptualized differently in different fields. Some conceptions see the world as unique, while others talk ...
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'', '' Dirty Pair Flash'' and '' Tekkaman Blade'' gave modern spins to old classics, the creators of ''Giant Robo'' decided to go with a "
retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from the past, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. It has been argued that there is a nostalgia cycle in popular culture. Definition The term ...
" look. The characters were designed by Toshiyuki Kubooka ('' Lunar'' series, ''
The Idolmaster is a Japanese media franchise that began in 2005 with a Life simulation game, raising simulation and Rhythm game, rhythm video game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The series primarily centers on the career of a pr ...
'') and Akihiko Yamashita. ('' Princess Nine'', '' Tide-Line Blue'') 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 biological, chemical, radiological, nuclear, or any other weapon that can kill or significantly harm many people or cause great damage to artificial structures (e.g., buildings), natural structures ( ...
than a "robot superhero". Vehicles like the Shizuma-powered
Beetle Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Holometabola. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 40 ...
or the Experts' airship fortress in the design of a
zeppelin A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship named after the German inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin () who pioneered rigid airship development at the beginning of the 20th century. Zeppelin's notions were first formulated in 1874Eckener 1938, pp. 155� ...
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. Considered to be among the greatest and most influential cartoonists of all time, his prolific output, pioneering techniques an ...
and
Go Nagai , better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...
, and creating a "retro" style that has been used in productions like '' Sakura Wars''.


Influences

The modern notion of the giant robot genre can be traced back to the 1970s. The works of
Go Nagai , better known by the pen name , is a Japanese manga artist and a prolific author of Japanese science fiction, science fiction, fantasy, Japanese horror, horror, and erotica. He made his professional debut in 1967 with ''Meakashi Polikichi'', b ...
('' Mazinger'', ''
Getter Robo is a Japanese Mecha anime and manga, mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa (manga artist), 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, 197 ...
'') created the genre and the debut of
Yoshiyuki Tomino is a Japanese anime director, screenwriter, songwriter and novelist best known for creating the ''Gundam'' anime franchise. Early life and family Tomino was born on November 5, 1941, in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, to an old family of regio ...
's ''
Mobile Suit Gundam , also retrospectively known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is a Japanese anime television series produced by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Na ...
'' 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'' 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 and ...
'',Neidengard, M. (January 30, 1999). The World's Mightiest Robot. '' Cornell Japanese Animation Society Newsletter''. both ''wuxia'' novels and half of the " Four Classics" of
Chinese literature The history of Chinese literature extends thousands of years, and begins with the earliest recorded inscriptions, court archives, building to the major works of philosophy and history written during the Axial Age. The Han dynasty, Han (202  ...
. ''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
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 culture, Chinese and Culture of Hong Kong, Hong Kong cultures, including Chinese opera, storytelling a ...
, 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 ( , literally "martial arts and chivalry") is a genre of Chinese literature, Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. Although is traditionally a form of historical fantasy literature, its popularity ha ...
'' like strength, magic powers and the ability to fly. 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''). Imagawa, inspired by Yokayama's adaptation of ''Outlaws of the Marsh'',"Imagawa Answers Your Questions! (Part 3)".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1995). ''Giant Robo'', Volume 6.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...
. followed this convention and gave ''Giant Robos characters similar descriptive names like "Shockwave Alberto", "Silent Chūjō" and "Kenji The Immortal." In '' jiang hu'',
secret societies A secret society is an organization about which the 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 a ...
plot against the ''
status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...
'' ('' House of Flying Daggers'') 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".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1994). ''Giant Robo Volume 5''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...
.


Themes

''Giant Robo'' is structured as a " character driven drama," emphasizing the relationships and personal histories of the characters over a mystery surrounding the titular mecha or a philosophical diatribe. 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 () is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth and change of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood (coming of age). The term comes from the German words ('formation' or 'edu ...
'',Thacker, J. (September 14, 2002). Well, what would you prefer? Yellow spandex?. '' Cornell 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 Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the change. It can be a simple legal convention or can b ...
are his fellow Experts Tetsugyu and Kenji Murasame."Imagawa Answers Your Questions! (Part 2)".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1994). ''Giant Robo Volume 5''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...
. 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 entertainment company headquartered in San Francisco, California, focused on publishing manga, and distribution and licensing Japanese anime, films, and television series. The company was founded in 1986 as Viz, ...
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 Analogy is a comparison or correspondence between two things (or two groups of things) because of a third element that they are considered to share. In logic, it is an inference or an argument from one particular to another particular, as oppose ...
or an
allegory As a List of narrative techniques, literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a wikt:narrative, narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a meaning with moral or political signi ...
about
nuclear technology Nuclear technology is technology that involves the nuclear reactions of atomic nucleus, atomic nuclei. Among the notable nuclear technologies are nuclear reactors, nuclear medicine and nuclear weapons. It is also used, among other things, in s ...
", especially in the context of Japan's complex relationship to both its destructive and constructive aspects.


Release

The series was originally released by
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 ...
on VHS and
LaserDisc LaserDisc (LD) is a home video format and the first commercial optical disc storage medium. It was developed by Philips, Pioneer Corporation, Pioneer, and the movie studio MCA Inc., MCA. The format was initially marketed in the United State ...
from 1992 to 1998. On March 24, 2000,
Toshiba is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...
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 known as , was a Japanese publisher and brand company of Kadokawa Future Publishing. History The company was founded on December 1, 1986, and was a subsidiary of Recruit (Japanese company), Recruit Co., Ltd., based in Shibuya, Tokyo. ...
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 anima ...
English dub, interviews with the staff and Japanese cast, audio commentary by the staff, and a performance by the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. 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 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 1991, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyr ...
. After Manga Entertainment's license expired,
Media Blasters Media Blasters, sometimes abbreviated as MB, is an American entertainment company 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 mar ...
released ''Giant Robo'' on DVD. Media Blasters' 2004 release includes the
Japanese language is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...
track, the Manga Entertainment dub, an all-new dub by
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 anima ...
and subtitled Japanese commentary tracks on some of the episodes. After Media Blasters' license expired, Discotek Media 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 SAS (; styled as PATHÉ!) is a French major film production and distribution company, owning a number of cinema chains through its subsidiary Pathé Cinémas and television networks across Europe. It is the name of a network of Fren ...
. 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 ''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 regions in 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 ...
published under the Newtype 100% Comics imprint. * ''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 ...
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 in 1948. As of May 2023, the company's president is Shigeru Higuchi. The company is known for publishing the manga magazine '' Weekly Shōnen Champ ...
's ''
Champion Red is a monthly Japanese ''seinen'' manga magazine published on the 19th of each month by Akita Shoten since August 19, 2002 (cover date The cover date of a periodical publication is the date displayed on the cover, which is not necessarily the ...
'' 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 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
on November 3, 2004 by
D3 Publisher is a Japanese video game developer and video game publisher, publisher founded on February 5, 1992. The company is known for the ''Simple (video game series), Simple'' series of budget-priced video games. Their games have been released for the G ...
. 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 dramatised, 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
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 ...
. ''Love Fight'', a music collection tie-in, 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".
Liner Notes Liner notes (also sleeve notes or album notes) are the writings found on the sleeves of LP record albums and in booklets that come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or cassette j-cards. Origin Liner notes are descended from the prog ...
. (1998). ''Giant Robo Volume 7''.
Bandai Visual was a Japanese anime, film production, and distribution company, 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 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 published by Tokuma Shoten since July 1978. Notable works serialized in the magazine include Hayao Miyazaki is a Japanese animator, filmmaker, and manga artist. He co-founded Studio Ghibli a ...
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 ...
''. Critical reception has been largely positive. '' Hyper'' 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 Anime News Network (ANN) is a news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, video games, Japanese popular music and other related cultures within North America, Australia, Southeast Asia and Japan. The website offers reviews and ot ...
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 Giant Robo Peak oil films Super robot anime and manga Works based on Romance of the Three Kingdoms