Brave Raideen: A thorough review of the legendary robot anime

Brave Raideen - Brave Raideen

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Release date

March 13, 1973 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toho

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■ Production

NET TV, Tohokushinsha
(※From the credits of the TV anime version)

■ Story

The Demon Empire, which was sealed away by the Mu Empire's emperor Ramu in ancient times, has been revived. A third-year junior high school boy, Hibiki Kou, is led by a mysterious voice to become one with Reideen, a giant robot that is a legacy of the Mu Empire. As the only beings who can repel the Demon Empire, he throws himself into the battle with his friends.

■Explanation

This is a blow-up of an episode of the TV anime "Brave Reideen" for theatrical release. It was shown as one of the films in the "Toho Champion Festival," a style of screening several children's films together. The TV anime "Brave Reideen" is a robot anime in which Hibiki Kou, a boy of royal blood from the Mu Empire, pilots the giant robot Reideen, also a legacy of the Mu Empire, to fight against the terrestrial invasion of the Demon Empire. Compared to the popular giant robot ancestor "Mazinger Z" at the time and "Getter Robo," which incorporated fusion, this work incorporates the element of "transformation from human form to bird form" in the visual aspects of the robot, and in terms of the setting, it is peppered with elements of legend and the occult, such as the Mu continent and psychic powers, in order to differentiate it from other robot anime works.

■Cast

・Hibiki Kou/Akira Kamiya

■ Main staff

(※From the TV version staff)
Chief Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino [Episodes 1-26]
・General Director: Tadao Nagahama [Episodes 27-50]
・Planning / Tohokushinsha, Asahi Tsushinsha ・Original work / Yoshitake Suzuki ・Character design / Yoshikazu Yasuhiko ・Mechanical design / Katsuji Murakami ・Producer / Shinichi Miyazaki (NET), Eisuke Ozawa (NET), Yoshinori Kishimoto ・Sound director / Toshio Saito ・Sound production / Kazumi Numata ・Music / Akihiro Komori ・Production / NET, Tohokushinsha

・Theme song・Opening theme
・"Brave Raideen"
Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa; Composition: Akihiro Komori; Arrangement: Akihiro Komori; Singer: Masato Shimon, Columbia Yurikago-kai

・ED
"I'm Kou."
Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa; Composition: Akihiro Komori; Arrangement: Akihiro Komori; Singer: Masato Shimon, Columbia Yurikago-kai

■ Main Characters

・Hibiki Kou The protagonist. A bright, athletic third-year junior high school student. Although he has a tendency to get into fights, he is also the captain of the soccer club and is loved by his fellow members. His father, a scientist, has been captured by the enemy, and his mother is missing. In these harsh circumstances, he has merged with Reideen and continues to fight against the Demon Empire. His mother is actually the princess of the Mu Empire, who was brought back to life in cryosleep, and Kou is the rightful successor to the Mu Empire.

■ Main robot items

・Rydeen
A giant robot built 12,000 years ago by the Mu Empire to counter the invasion of the Demon Empire. It is usually stored in its golden base form in a human-faced rock, but is activated by the telekinesis of Hibiki Kou, who fades in (becomes one with Reideen). It can also transform into a flying form modeled after a bird, God Bird, and ramming into the enemy in this form is its special move, known as the God Bird Attack. Reideen is powered by the mysterious energy Mutron, and is armed with the God Gogan bow equipped on its left arm, the God Block, a shield equipped on its right arm that can also be used as a boomerang, the God Breaker sword equipped on its right arm, God Missiles, and the God Voice, a triple ultrasonic cannon that was initially sealed away due to its excessive power.

■ Related works

・TV anime "Brave Raideen" (1975)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・"Brave Raideen"
Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa; Composition: Akihiro Komori; Arrangement: Akihiro Komori; Singer: Masato Shimon, Columbia Yurikago-kai

・ED1
"I'm Kou."
Lyrics: Keisuke Yamakawa; Composition: Akihiro Komori; Arrangement: Akihiro Komori; Singer: Masato Shimon, Columbia Yurikago-kai

Brave Raideen - Detailed Review and Recommendation

"Brave Raideen" is a robot anime movie released in theaters in 1973, and is known as a blow-up of an episode from the TV anime version. This work was screened as part of the "Toho Champion Festival," a children's film festival, and had a great impact on children at the time. Below, we will provide a detailed review and recommendation of this work.

Story and setting

The story of "Brave Raideen" is set against the backdrop of the conflict between the ancient Mu Empire and the Demon Empire. The Demon Empire, which had been contained by the Mu Empire's emperor Ramu, is revived and attempts to invade the Earth, and the protagonist Hibiki Kou fights by integrating with a giant robot, Raideen, which is a legacy of the Mu Empire. This setting was particularly unique among robot anime of the time, incorporating elements of the supernatural and occult, such as the Mu Continent and supernatural powers. This provided viewers with fresh surprises and excitement.

The character of Hibiki Kou is also appealing; despite being a third-year junior high school student, he has outstanding athletic ability and a bright personality, and is active as the captain of the soccer club. However, he comes from a harsh family environment, with his scientist father captured by the enemy and his mother missing. This background deepens Hibiki Kou's determination to fight and evokes sympathy from viewers. In addition, the fact that his mother is the princess of the Mu Empire and Kou is her rightful successor adds depth to the story.

Robot design and battle scenes

Reideen's design was particularly eye-catching among the robot anime of the time. Normally housed in a golden body housed in a human-faced rock, it was transformed into a bird-like God Bird by Hibiki Kou's telekinesis, which created a visual impact. In particular, the God Bird Attack, a special move in which it slams into the enemy, was extremely powerful and captured the hearts of children.

Reideen is also equipped with a wide variety of weapons, including the God Gogan bow on his left arm, the God Block shield on his right arm, the God Breaker sword, the God Missile missiles, and the God Voice, which was initially sealed away because it was too powerful. The battle scenes using these weapons are visually very enjoyable, and are particularly highly acclaimed among the robot anime of the time.

Music and theme song

The music for "Brave Reideen" was composed by Akihiro Komori, and the theme song "Brave Reideen" and the ending theme "I'm Kou" were sung by Masato Shimon and Columbia Yurikago-kai. These songs were very popular with children at the time and are an important element in livening up the atmosphere of the work. In particular, the theme song "Brave Reideen" left a strong impression on viewers with its memorable lyrics and melody that evoked feelings of courage and hope.

Staff and cast

Many talented staff members were involved in the production of "Brave Reideen." The people who led the robot anime industry at the time, including chief director Yoshiyuki Tomino, general director Tadao Nagahama, character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, and mechanic designer Katsuji Murakami, were all gathered together. In addition, Akira Kamiya, who played Hibiki Kou, breathed life into the character with his acting skills as a voice actor, leaving a deep impression on viewers.

Related works and influences

"Brave Reideen" was broadcast as a TV anime in 1975, and was loved by even more viewers. This TV anime version further deepened the story of the movie version and continued to depict the adventures of Hibiki Kou and Reideen. This work also had a great influence on later robot anime, and became the catalyst for an increase in works that incorporated transforming robots and elements of legend and the occult.

Recommendation

Brave Raideen attracted viewers with its unique setting, attractive characters, and powerful battle scenes, which were particularly unique among the robot anime of the time. In particular, the elements of the supernatural and occult, such as the continent of Mu and supernatural powers, set it apart from other robot anime and provided fresh surprises. In addition, Hibiki Kou's growth and determination to fight resonated deeply with viewers and livened up the entire work.

Although this work was released as a children's film, the content has depth that even adults can enjoy. It is recommended not only for robot anime fans, but also for those who like elements of legend and the occult. The music and theme song are also very impressive, and you can enjoy the afterglow after watching it. "Brave Raideen" was a monumental robot anime at the time, and is still loved by many fans today. Please give it a watch.