The appeal and evaluation of Gasshin Sentai Mechander Robo: Reevaluating the good old robot anime

Gasshin Sentai Mechander Robo - Gasshin Sentai Mechander Robo

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

March 3, 1977 - December 29, 1977

■Broadcasting station

Tokyo 12 Channel

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 35

■Original Story

Wako Production Planning Department

■ Production

Tokyo 12 Channel, Wako Production

■ Story

The Kongister army, commanded by Emperor Hedron, ruler of the planet Ganymede, invades the Earth and occupies 95% of it. In order to seal off the Earth's main energy source, nuclear power, they place a surveillance missile satellite equipped with an Omega missile that destroys nuclear reactors in orbit. In Japan, the only country that escaped the occupation, the aircraft carrier King Diamond and the super-performance combat robot, Mechander Robo, begin a counterattack.

■Explanation

This robot animation work depicts giant robots fighting against invaders from space. The main robot, Mechander Robo, uses a nuclear reactor as its energy source, but when it is activated, it is detected by the enemy and is attacked by missiles a few minutes later. As a result, a time limit is placed on the battle, creating a tense story. The work also depicts the activities of the Earth Defense Force, which is not the main robot, and the enemy's giant mecha is a mass-produced type, making it a work that has never been seen before.

■Cast

Jimmy Orion/Akira Kamiya/Kojiro Yashima/Kazuyuki Sogabe/Ryusuke Shikishima/Akio Nojima/Mika Shikishima/Keiko Yokozawa/Shozo Shikishima/Masaya Taki/Katsuyuki Yamamoto/Michio Okada/General Ozumel/Masatane Tsukayama/General Medusa/Natsuko Fuji

■ Main staff

・Planning: Wako Production, Tokyu Agency ・Original work: Wako Production Planning Office ・Producers: Takao Niimi, Mitsuo Sato, Katsumi Kawabata ・Structure: Takeshi Honda, Satoshi Suyama, Kiyohiko Kaido ・Mechanic design: Mechaman, Kunio Okawara ・Character design: Nobuhiro Okasako ・Director of photography: Kintaro Matsubara ・Editing: Masaharu Suzuki ・Music: Chumei Watanabe ・Sound director: Tadakata Ishida ・Sound effects: Ishida Sound Pro (episodes 1-13), Swara Pro (episodes 14-35)
Produced by: Sumio Takahashi Produced by: Tokyo 12 Channel, Wako Productions

・Theme song
OP
"Try Attack! Mechander Robo"
Lyrics by Yasutomi Yasugo Composition and Arrangement by Watanabe Chumei
Sung by Ichiro Mizuki and Columbia Yurikago-kai

ED
"Wandering Star Jimmy Orion"
Lyrics by Yasutomi Yasugo Composition and Arrangement by Watanabe Chumei
Sung by Ichiro Mizuki and Korogi '73

■ Main Characters

Jimmy Orion is a 17-year-old young man who was the prince of the planet Ynymede but fled to Earth after a coup d'état. He becomes a member of the Mechander combat squadron and engages in fierce battles with the Kongister army.

Kojiro Yashima is an 18-year-old young man who was recruited as a member of Mekander because of his background as a former racer. He has a past in which his girlfriend was killed by the enemy. He is nihilistic, but also has a tendency to get angry easily.

Ryusuke Shikishima is a 20-year-old young man who is the leader of Mekander. He has a serious and calm personality and is good at keeping the team together, but he can also be overly cautious.

Mika Shikishima The heroine of this work and Ryusuke Shikishima's younger sister. In the latter half of the story, she becomes a member of Mekander and takes part in the front line. She falls in love with Jimmy, but

Shozo Shikishima is the director of the International Secret Physics Institute (IPS) and the creator of the Mechander Robo. He is called Mr. X in the Earth Defense Force. He is the father of Ryusuke and Mika, and is 50 years old.

Emperor Hedron A lifeform born from the sludge of the planet Ganymede. He turned the people of Ganymede into cyborgs, formed the Congister army, and attacked Earth. He has a special constitution that means he cannot live without pollution.

・Mechander Robo A giant robot developed by Dr. Shikishima to recapture the Earth. It is 120 meters long and weighs 32 tons. It is powered by an 800,000 horsepower nuclear reactor. The body is reinforced with ultra-light alloy KS steel. By combining with three fighter planes, the reactor is activated and it becomes capable of fighting.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Kongister Army's Great Attack on Japan!
・Episode 2 / Mysterious Warrior Jimmy Orion ・Episode 3 / Jimmy's Desperate Power-In ・Episode 4 / Look! That's the Sky Fortress City ・Episode 5 / Defend the Great Transport Fleet!
Episode 6: Departure!! Carrier King DiamondEpisode 7: The Kongister Corps' Hawaii Annihilation PlanEpisode 8: Attack! Omega MissileEpisode 9: The Final Frontline: The South China SeaEpisode 10: Danger! Mechander MaxEpisode 11: Deadly! Mechander FencerEpisode 12: The Mysterious Big HurricaneEpisode 13: Rescue the Phantom Atlantic Fleet!
Episode 14: Tokyo Black Hole Operation Episode 15: Deploy! Combined Triker Episode 16: Mechander Robo Close Call Episode 17: Destroy the Omega Missile!
・Episode 18: The Secret Base is Targeted ・Episode 19: Enter the Devil's Persian Gulf!
・Episode 20/Counterattack! Operation to Recapture Singapore ・Episode 21/Shoot That Giant Robot!
・Episode 22/The End of the Stadium Base ・Episode 23/Mother, Rest Forever ・Episode 24/The Four-Body Combined Mechander Robo ・Episode 25/Uncover the Mysterious Plot!
Episode 26: A desperate space warEpisode 27: Infiltration! The sky fortress cityEpisode 28: Don't look back! Jimmy OrionEpisode 29: The target of the attack is the enemy mobile forceEpisode 30: The mysterious Landroute operationEpisode 31: Deadly battle! The operation to destroy the geostationary satelliteEpisode 32: Medusa dies in the South SeaEpisode 33: Advance! The Earth Army's great counterattackEpisode 34: The end of General OzmelEpisode 35: Mechander Robo, forever

■ Review

"Goushin Sentai Mechander Robo," broadcast in 1977, is a milestone in the history of giant robot anime. The story is about the Earth Defense Force fighting against invaders from the planet Ganymede, and the exploits of Mechander Robo are particularly central to the series. Below, we will take a closer look at the appeal and unique features of this series.

Story and setting

The story of "Goushin Sentai Mechander Robo" begins with a tense situation in which Emperor Hedron of the planet Ganymede invades Earth and occupies 95% of it. In order to contain the Earth's main energy source, nuclear power, the enemy deploys surveillance missile satellites equipped with Omega missiles. This setting is an important element that adds tension to the entire work and draws the viewer in.

In Japan, the only country that had escaped occupation, the aircraft carrier King Diamond and Mechander Robo launch a counterattack. Mechander Robo is a giant robot developed by Dr. Shikishima, with an overwhelming presence, measuring 120 meters in length and weighing 32 tons. It is powered by an 800,000 horsepower nuclear reactor, and is capable of fighting by combining with three fighter planes. This combination system was a fresh element for a robot anime at the time, and attracted the interest of viewers.

character

The protagonist of this work is Jimmy Orion, a 17-year-old young man who is the prince of the planet Ganymede but has fled to Earth due to a coup d'état. His character is brave and tragic, and he resonates with viewers. Jimmy is a member of the combat squadron Mekander, and fights fiercely against the Kongister army. At the same time, he is depicted growing up through his new life on Earth and the bonds he forms with his friends.

Yashima Kojiro is an 18-year-old former racer who lost his girlfriend to an enemy. He has a nihilistic personality, but also has a tendency to get angry, making him a character who adds depth to the story. Shikishima Ryusuke is a 20-year-old young man who is the leader of Mekander. He has a serious and calm personality, and plays a role in bringing the team together, but he can also be overly cautious. Shikishima Mika is Shikishima Ryusuke's younger sister, and plays an active role as a member of Mekander in the latter half of the story. She has a crush on Jimmy, adding an element of romance to the story.

Shozo Shikishima is the director of the International Secret Physics Laboratory and the creator of the Mechander Robo. He is known as Mr. X in the Earth Defense Force and is also the father of Ryusuke and Mika. His knowledge and leadership as a scientist have a major impact on the progress of the story. Emperor Hedron is a lifeform born from the sludge of the planet Ganymede, and has a special constitution that makes him unable to live without pollution. He plays a powerful villain as the leader of the Kongister army that attacks Earth.

Mechanic Design

The design of Mechander Robo was created by Mechaman and Kunio Okawara, and is one of the most sophisticated designs in robot anime of the time. Its gigantic 120-meter-long body is reinforced with KS steel, a light alloy super steel, and is powered by an 800,000 horsepower nuclear reactor. The system that allows it to combine with three fighter planes for combat not only creates a visual impact, but also has a major impact on the development of the story.

The enemy's giant robots are also depicted as mass-produced models, incorporating new elements never before seen in robot anime. In particular, the surveillance missile satellite equipped with the Omega missile plays an important role in sealing off the Earth's nuclear power, heightening the tension of the story.

music

The music for this series was composed by Chumei Watanabe, and the theme song "Try Attack! Mechander Robo" and the ending theme "Wandering Star Jimmy Orion" were sung by Ichiro Mizuki, Columbia Yurikago-kai, and Korogi '73. These songs not only add to the atmosphere of the series, but are also memorable masterpieces for viewers.

Broadcast and influence

"Goushin Sentai Mechander Robo" was broadcast on Tokyo Channel 12 from March 3 to December 29, 1977, and had a huge impact despite its short run of 35 episodes. In particular, the concept of giant robots combining had a major impact on later robot anime, contributing to the development of the genre. In addition, the settings such as the enemy's mass-produced giant mechas and Omega missiles gave viewers a fresh surprise and increased the appeal of the work.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Goushin Sentai Mechander Robo" occupies an important position in the history of giant robot anime. All elements are brought together at a high level, including the tension of the story, the depth of the characters, the refinement of the mechanical design, and the quality of the music. In particular, the combination system of Mechander Robo and the mass-produced giant enemy mechas make a visual impact and draw the viewer in.

This work is recommended not only for fans of giant robot anime, but also for viewers who want a deeper story and characters. It is especially a must-see for those who want to know about the evolution of robot anime in the 1970s. It is also recommended for music fans, as they can enjoy the famous songs by Chumei Watanabe, making it a work that can be recommended to a wide range of people.

Related information

・Official website: None ・Official Twitter: None ・Official YouTube channel: None ・Related products: DVD-BOX, figures, plastic models, etc.

■How to watch

The series is currently available as a DVD box set and can be purchased online or at anime specialty stores. It is also available on some video streaming services. However, the streaming status may change, so we recommend checking the latest information.

■ Summary

"Goushin Sentai Mechander Robo" is a giant robot anime that aired in 1977, and tells the story of the Earth Defense Force fighting against invaders from the planet Ganymede. It was a work that introduced new elements such as the Mechander Robo combination system and the enemy's mass-produced giant mechas, and made a big impact on viewers. All elements, including the story, characters, mechanical design, and music, are of a high standard, and it occupies an important place in the history of giant robot anime. I recommend watching it.