The appeal and evaluation of "Robokko Beeton": New possibilities for robot anime

Robokko Beaton: The appeal and reputation of nostalgic robot anime

Introduction

"Robokko Beeton," which aired from 1976 to 1977, is one of the robot anime beloved by children. This anime is known as a slapstick comedy about a self-contained toy robot that gains a sense of self and causes all sorts of trouble. This article will take a detailed look at the story, characters, production background, and evaluation of "Robokko Beeton." It will also explore why this anime continues to be loved to this day, with comments from viewers at the time and modern fans.

story

The story of "Robokko Beeton" begins when Mar-chan mistakenly puts together a toy robot sent to her by her uncle in America. By putting together the wrong circuit and mixing unrelated parts, Beeton, a robot with a sense of self and the ability to fly, is born. Beeton and Mar-chan spend their days having fun while causing all sorts of trouble with bullies and rival robots.

Each episode is divided into two parts, A and B, and mainly consists of two short stories that are completed in about 10 minutes. This format was devised to keep children entertained, and each episode depicts new troubles and adventures.

character

Beaton

Beaton is a robot that was born with a sense of self as a result of assembling an American-made plastic model by mistake. It has various functions, such as being rocket-propelled and able to fly, but has a weakness: if it comes into contact with water it will rust and become unable to move. Beaton has a bright and energetic personality, and enjoys various adventures together with Mar-chan, her family, and friends.

Masao (Ma-chan)

Masao is an elementary school boy who built Beeton, and is called "Ma-chan" by those around him. He always wears a sun visor and overalls, and causes all kinds of trouble together with Beeton. Ma-chan has feelings for Urara-chan, and is depicted fighting to protect her.

Tonko

Tonko is Ma-chan's younger sister and a bit of a mean girl. She often tells her mother off when Ma-chan or Beaton make a mistake or play a prank, but sometimes she helps her brother and Beaton.

Urara

Urara is a beautiful elementary school girl who lives near Ma-chan's house and is a classmate of Ma-chan. Ma-chan loves her very much and makes various efforts to protect her. Urara is separated from her parents and lives with her father.

Kid's Dad

Gakioyaji is a middle-aged man who is the leader of a group of bullies. He leads a group of minions called the Gaki Rangers, and picks fights with Beaton and his friends. He is always seen wearing a red helmet and a cape over his military uniform.

Brick

Burikin is a robot that Gakioyaji ordered from Germany and assembled to compete with Beaton. It is a large, highly functional robot, but it is not very intelligent. At first, it cannot speak Japanese, but gradually it becomes able to communicate with you.

Every now and then

Nennen is a mysterious, beautiful robot girl who suddenly appears. She carries around a large suitcase that can also be used as a shower room, and Beaton has a crush on her. Nennen enjoys various adventures with Beaton and his friends, but sometimes gets into trouble.

Background

"Robokko Beeton" was produced as an original anime work. The original story was written by Masaaki Ohsumi and Hikousen Kikaku, and the director was Masaaki Ohsumi. It was produced by Tohokushinsha and Tokyu Agency, and aired on TBS. It aired from October 12, 1976 to September 27, 1977, with a total of 50 episodes, each 30 minutes long.

The music was composed by Mamoru Fujisawa, and the theme song "Watashi no Beaton" and the ending theme "Naze? Naze? Beaton" were sung by Ritsuko Owada. These songs were very popular with children at the time, and are still loved by fans today.

Evaluation and impact

"Robokko Beeton" was highly praised as an anime for children. Beeton's bright and energetic character and the stories that depict new troubles and adventures in each episode were particularly popular with children. Furthermore, characters such as Beeton, Mar-chan, and Urara-chan were easy for viewers to relate to, and created many fans.

This animation sparked an interest in robots and science among children at the time. The process of assembling Beaton and its various functional robotic activities is said to have stimulated children's imaginations and increased their interest in science.

"Robokko Beeton" also had a major influence on later robot anime. Robots with egos like Beeton and elements of slapstick comedy have been incorporated into many works. The influence of "Robokko Beeton" can be seen especially in robot anime from the 1980s onwards.

What fans are saying

"Robokko Beeton" continues to be loved by many fans even after it has finished airing. In particular, many children who watched it at the time still have fond memories of the anime even after they have grown up. Below are some of the comments from fans.

"When I was a child, watching Beaton's work sparked my interest in robots. I still love Beaton's bright characters."

"The friendship between Beaton and Mar-chan, and Mar-chan's feelings for Urara-chan were very touching. I looked forward to watching it every week."

"The characters of Gakioyaji and Burikin were also unique, and the commotion in each episode was fun. The confrontation scene between Beaton and Burikin was especially worth watching."

From a modern perspective

Even from a modern perspective, "Robokko Beeton" has not lost its charm. In particular, Beeton's bright and lively characters and the stories, which each episode features new troubles and adventures, can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Furthermore, characters such as Beeton, Mar-chan, and Urara-chan are still relatable today, attracting many fans.

Furthermore, "Robokko Beeton" has the effect of stimulating children's interest in science and robots. The process of assembling Beeton and watching it perform as a robot with various functions stimulates children's imagination and increases their interest in science. This is a value that remains unchanged even today.

Recommended points

The reasons why we recommend "Robokko Beeton" are as follows:

• Beaton's bright and cheerful character is appealing.
• The stories are fun, with new happenings and adventures each time.
• Characters such as Beaton, Mar-chan, and Urara-chan are easy to relate to.
• It has the effect of stimulating interest in science and robots.
• The children of those days continue to love it even after they have grown up.

Conclusion

"Robokko Beeton" is a robot anime that was broadcast from 1976 to 1977, but its charm has not been lost to this day. Beeton's bright and energetic characters and stories that depict new commotion and adventures in each episode can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Furthermore, characters such as Beeton, Mar-chan, and Urara-chan are still familiar to this day, attracting many fans. Furthermore, "Robokko Beeton" has the effect of stimulating interest in science and robots, stimulating children's imaginations. For these reasons, we can say that "Robokko Beeton" is an anime that is definitely worth watching at least once.