WHAT A GREAT START TO AN ADVENTURE! The only reason I didnt give this volume 5 stars was because episode 2 had such a long recap of episode 1.
Didn't like it. I couldn't even watch the whole episode on the tape. (There is only the first episode on the tape)
The animation is really old looking. Still, if it looks good, I don't really mind that.
There was this one bad guy that looked absolutely ridiculious. And the giant robo was really ugly.
Also, I watched for a while and it was rather boring. Although, I didn't see much of this series- maybe the story gets more interesting. Some shows start off slow.
Great EARLY 90's anime series The previous reviewer stated that it's not bad for a 60's anime and seems to remember watching it in the 70's/80's. That would be pretty hard as this series came out in Japan in 1992. It's very loosely based on the earlier live action TV series from 1967-68, but with better action and no cheese-factor. For more detailed reviews, read the reviews on the individual DVD releases on Amazon (vols 1, 2, 3 + the Ginrei Special), those guys know their anime. I think it's the best giant mecha anime ever, even better then Neon Genesis Evangelion (and that's saying a lot for me)
"Crush them now, Giant Robo!" How on earth does one describe Giant Robo? A creation utilizing the skills of some the biggest talents ever to work on animation in Japan, telling an Epic story in a few short hours, showcasing some of the finest animation of all time, with a depth of storyline and strength of dialog missing from the biggest of blockbusters, with enough over-the-top action and melodrama to make all super-hero movies look like cheap hacks, and a sweeping orchestral score that's second to none...only begins to scratch the surface. When you look up old-school in the dictionary, you should see a giant-sized picture of this anime. Ginrei ought to be the #1 anime babe in everyone's book. Shocking Alberto is more powerful than Magneto from the X-Men! But I'm getting ahead of myself...
Let's start with the concept: In the future, the ultimate energy source has been discovered. It's clean, efficient, and works forever. It eventually replaces every other energy source and is used for everything from power plants to pocket calculators. An organization seeking world domination has a plan to shut down every one of the devices in the whole world (a second strike of the tragedy that nearly destroyed the world when the drive was first tested), bringing the planet to it's knees. And of course, there's an organization of super-heroes to defend the world from this threat, with it's newest member being a boy who commands the world's most powerful weapon, a giant robot. This simple premise eventually branches out to conspiracies, vendettas, family reunions, hidden secrets, unrequited love, mis-guided loyalty to a cause, and a consuming desire for revenge...
Giant Robo was conceived to be the ultimate tribute to classic manga superheroes/supervillains. For starters, Giant Robo is Gigantor. That means that the world's mightiest robot is controlled by a kid with wrist-watch. If that isn't enough to make you want to watch the series, then I don't know what is. And then, there's Big Fire, the Villain who a whole evil organization-bent-on-world-conquest is named after. He's Babel (both Gigantor and Babel were creations of Yokoyama Mitsuteru in the 1960's). And that evil organization? It looks like Specter from the James Bond movies only populated completely with Super-Villains. And it just gets more confusing from there.
To say that this show's creators bit off more than they could chew is the understatement of the millennium. As the story was told to me, there were entire segments of the story planned for characters who ultimately got a scant minute or two of time in the show. For instance, there was a huge battle between Shocking Alberto's daughter and Big Fire that was planned for the final episode and was cut. The samurai featured in the last two episodes were supposed to have background explanations and character development, and instead are given battle scenes and nothing else. Taking more than 5 years (exact figures depend on who you ask) to complete and a flop when it came out in Japan, at points during production it looked like the series might never be finished (the Japanese voice actors actually forgot what their characters were supposed to sound like during an interval between episodes). What this ultimately means to the viewer is...
In terms of the whole history of anime, Giant Robo is a landmark. Anime encyclopedias will give you loads of back story and reasons why you should appreciate it. It's probably the greatest example of a modern old-school anime in history (so if you loved Metropolis and The Big O you'll be in heaven). From what I understand, Giant Robo was one of the first anime (if not THE first) to use a completely orchestral score. And what a score it is! Written by the same composer who wrote the orchestral score for Princess Nine, it manages to create a sweeping, epic mood reminiscent of the greatest of Hollywood movies. The animation is also incredibly high-caliber, high-budget work. The voice acting...ah the voice acting. The original Japanese dub is so serious I thought it killed the mood. The new English dub is receiving praise from many. For me, however, the best is the original English dub. Made back when the dialog was completely reworked instead of just translated, some people will hate it because it changes the meaning of sentences. Others will feel the way that I do. If I'm going to watch a show about super-heroes, I want to hear thick foreign accents and loads of attitude. When the German scientists talk with thick fake German accents, that's part of the greatness to me (like hearing the Austrian accent of a certain action star). Your mileage will vary.
While this series has some great characterization, wonderful battle sequences and loads of off-screen back story to it's world, if you aren't the sort of person who likes to look up, research, ponder, and talk about this sort of thing, you are probably going to watch this OVA once and be very confused. Characters make reference to events that are not shown, characters have strong relationships and rivals that they talk to like it's episode 99 instead of episode 1. In other words, if you're the kind of person who wishes comic book movies didn't explain EVERYTHING to you, and instead had heroes and villains dropping in and fighting with no explanation (like in the comic books!), being part of a much larger story that you have to be a REAL fan to appreciate, you'll absolutely love this OVA.
This anime is very open to interpretation. You may think it's the greatest thing you've ever seen in your life. Or you may wonder why anyone would watch something so over-the-top and cheesy. One thing's for sure. If you love anime, you definitely need to see this one. If you love comic-book movies, you also need to see it. In this anime you will find everything from giant robots and flying ships to characters who can run faster than speeding cars. There's samurai, shape-shifters, and every super-power in between. My personal favorite character is Ginrei, the beautiful lady marksman with a secret super-power. Of course this isn't like your American comic book movie. Main characters, both good and evil, will die. There's a good and a bad side to everyone (good guys and bad guys both have dissension on their own side, and the ultimate motive of the one who caused the world-wide crisis is left open until the very end of the final episode).
The first few episodes found on this disc are well worth seeing, as they introduce the main characters and setup world of the story in a strong manner. The real reason to watch the first episodes though (and also a big reason to see the final episode) is to see just how awesome Shocking Alberto is. A villain who can shoot TORNADOS of electricity out of hands!? The guy nearly takes out all of the heroes on his own! Maybe I'm just tired of seeing heroes and villains with amazing abilities easily defeated in the movies and comic books of late, but Alberto has gotta be one of the coolest villains I've ever seen.
I had mixed feelings about the anime the first time I saw it, but now I find that every time I watch it I understand and appreciate new details. More than a tribute to the classics of manga and anime, this series is itself a classic. Just keep in mind while watching this DVD that this is only the start. The action, melodrama, and epic story are just beginning in this volume and continue to build until the epic conclusion. Pull out the wrist watches and summon the giant robots, after all that waiting Giant Robo is finally out on DVD!
Not bad for a 1960's anime I do recall this show but I remember from at least the late 70's to early 80's it was on in the afternoon after school. I loved it the previous posts nailed it right on the head for its cheese factor but they forgot to mention that the good guys were called Unicorn and Johnny was U-7. Plus a few monsters they missed were Scallion a giant reptile with armpits flaps he also spits out acid from his nose. The Claw: a huge robotic claw controled by his classmates.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
