A thorough review of the decisive battle between Grendizer, Getter Robo G, and Great Mazinger against the great sea monster!

"Decisive Battle! Great Sea Beast" - A spectacular crossover between Grendizer, Getter Robo G, and Great Mazinger

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

July 25, 1976 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

23984

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Go Nagai, Ken Ishikawa, Dynamic Productions

■ Director

Masayuki Akehi

■ Production

Toei

■ Story

The Getter Team is dispatched to search for the Bathyscaphe, an undersea research vessel that suddenly goes missing. While exploring the ocean, they encounter a mysterious giant monster. This monster is none other than Dragonosaurus, the culprit behind the sinking of the Bathyscaphe. In order to defeat Dragonosaurus, a "Robot Army" is quickly formed, centered around Grendizer, Great Mazinger, and Getter Robo G.

■Explanation

This is the ninth movie in the "Mazinger" series. It is a crossover film that features three movies: "UFO Robot Grendizer," "Great Mazinger," and "Getter Robo G." Unlike previous movies, this is the first to have an original theme song.

■Cast

・Duke Freed/Toshi Toyama・Ryuma Nagare/Akira Kamiya・Hayato Kami/Shunji Yamada・Benkei Kuruma/Joji Yanami・Tetsuya Ken/Keiichi Noda・Jun Honoo/Yumi Nakatani・Koji Kabuto/Hiroya Ishimaru・Genzo Umon/Joji Yanami・Dr. Saotome/Kosei Tomita・Sayaka Yumi/Nako Egawa・Yuzurunosuke/Yasuaki Suzuki

■ Main staff

・Production manager: Yokoi Saburo ・Original story: Nagai Go, Ishikawa Ken, Dynamic Production ・Screenplay: Takakuwa Susumu ・Key animation: Abe Takashi, Ogawa Akihiro, Kanayama Michihiro, Tsunoda Koichi, Hirota Zen, Matoba Shigeo, Mori Hideki, Kogawa Shigeru, Kinoshita Yuki ・Animation: Ishiyama Mario, Usuda Yoshinobu, Kanayama Keiko, Kobayashi Toshiaki, Sakano Takao, Tamura Haruo, Hattori Teruo, Kusama Shinnosuke, Kumakawa Masao, Hirakawa Yasushi ・Tracing: Irie Mihoko, Kurosawa Kazuko, Sakano Sonoe ・Coloring: Abe Keiko, Goto Mitsuko, Yamauchi Masako , Murata Kuniko・Cellograph / Hayashi Akio, Mogi Akiko・Finishing inspection / Morita Hiroshi, Kogujira Masatoyo・Finishing progress / Hiraga Toyohiko・Background / Kawai Ken, Takano Masamichi, Sato Masayuki, Kasahara Junji・Art progress / Torimoto Takeshi・Special effects / Okada Yoshiaki, Hayashi Fukie・Assistant director / Fukushima Kazumi・Cinematography / Meguro Hiroshi, Aiso Yoshio・Editing / Toba Ryoichi・Sound recording / Hatano Isao・Recording / Miyashita Shigeru・Sound effects / Ito Katsumi・Recording / Ando Marumi・Recording studio / Tabak・Developing / Toei Chemical・Art / Urata Mataji・Chief animation director / Kino Tatsuji・Direction / Akehi Masayuki


・Theme song
OP
"Let's go! Robot Army"
Lyrics by Yasutomi Yasugo Music by Kikuchi Shunsuke Vocals by Sasaki Isao, Columbia Yurikago Association

■ Main Characters

Duke Freed: A young man with a strong sense of justice who pilots the Grendizer. Although he acts like an Earthling, his true identity is the prince of an alien planet called Planet Freed.

Ryuma Nagare: One of the pilots of Getter Robo G, he is the main pilot in Getter Dragon form.

A young man who pilots Great Mazinger. He has a stoic personality and is strict with himself and those around him.



Grendizer: A robot worshipped as the guardian deity of Planet Fleed. Its body is covered in Glenn, a space alloy that is 5,000 times stronger than steel.

・Getter Robo G
A robot that is completed by combining the Dragon, Liger, and Poseidon. It can transform into three forms depending on the place of battle.

Great Mazinger: The successor to Mazinger Z, completed over a period of 15 years by Koji Kabuto's father, Kenzo. Due to its manly appearance, it is called the "Great Brave."

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Decisive Battle! Great Sea Beasts" is a 1976 animated feature film produced by Toei, and is a grand crossover story of three popular works by Dynamic Productions, created by Nagai Go and Ishikawa Ken: "UFO Robot Grendizer," "Great Mazinger," and "Getter Robo G." In just 30 minutes, this film combined the worldviews of three different robot animes, leaving a strong impact on viewers.

The story begins with the sudden disappearance of the underwater research vessel Bathyscaphe. The Getter Team heads out to investigate and encounters a giant underwater monster called Dragonosaurus, creating tension that is sure to excite viewers. The scene where Grendizer, Great Mazinger, and Getter Robo G come together to form the "Robot Army" is the symbol of the climax, and a moving moment for fans.

The most appealing part of this work is the scenes where all three robots come together. The distinctive design and fighting style of each robot is beautifully depicted, and the powerful attacks of Grendizer's Space Alloy Glenn, the strategic battles between Getter Robo G's three forms, and Great Mazinger's manly appearance and powerful attacks are particularly satisfying visually. The personalities of each robot's pilots are also well-defined, with Duke Freed's sense of justice, Nagare Ryoma's leadership, and Tsurugi Tetsuya's stoicism adding excitement to the story.

The cast also includes popular voice actors of the time, such as Toyama Kei, Kamiya Akira, and Noda Keiichi, whose performances bring out the charm of the characters. In particular, Toyama Kei's voice as Duke Fleed perfectly expresses the character of a young man with a strong sense of justice, capturing the hearts of viewers. In addition, Kamiya Akira's powerful voice as Nagare Ryoma and Noda Keiichi's strict tone as Tsurugi Tetsuya also emphasize the individuality of the characters.

In terms of staff, Director Masayuki Akihi is in charge of the overall direction, and Director of Animation Tatsuji Kino is improving the quality of character design and animation. In particular, the dynamic movements in the battle scenes and the detailed depictions of each robot maximize the visual impact. In addition, the screenwriter Susumu Takakuwa skillfully combines the worldviews of the three works, providing viewers with a fresh surprise.

In terms of music, the original theme song "Let's go! Robot Army" by Shunsuke Kikuchi was produced for the first time, and the powerful singing by Isao Sasaki and Columbia Yurikagokai further enhanced the excitement of the work. This theme song is deeply memorable to viewers and can be said to be a symbol of the work.

"Decisive Battle! Great Sea Beasts" was a novel attempt to cross over three popular robot animes, and its success left a great impression on viewers. In the short 30 minutes, it maximized the appeal of each robot and the individuality of the characters, resulting in a work that is visually and aurally satisfying. This work is a must-see for fans of the world created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, and can be said to be an important work especially when looking back on the history of robot anime.

The first point that makes me recommend this film is the power and beauty of the scene where the three robots come together. This is a sight that is rarely seen in other works, and it will be a special experience for fans. In addition, the individuality and growth of each character are depicted, and the story is deep. Furthermore, the performances by popular voice actors from that time and the original theme song also enhance the appeal of the film.

To enjoy this film more, it would be a good idea to know the basic story and characters of each of the films, "UFO Robot Grendizer," "Great Mazinger," and "Getter Robo G," beforehand. Also, in order to fully appreciate the story that is told in the short 30 minutes, we recommend watching it several times. Pay particular attention to the battle scenes, the characters' expressions, and the details of the music, and you may discover something new.

"Decisive Battle! Great Sea Beasts" is a must-see for robot anime fans, and a work of great historical value. The innovative attempt to cross over three works and the satisfying quality both visually and audibly leave a strong impact on the viewer. Please pick up this work and experience its charm for yourself.