The appeal and reviews of "Choujin Sentai Balatack": unmissable action and story

Chojin Sentai Balatack

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

July 3, 1977 - March 26, 1978 Every Sunday 18:00-18:30

■Broadcasting station

ANB

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 31

■Original Story

Original story by Ikehara Narutoshi and Kobayashi Dan

■ Director

・Direction: Nobutaka Nishizawa

■ Production

Produced by: ANB, Toei (animation), Japad

■ Story

Late at night, a mysterious spaceship lands on a lake surrounded by a quiet forest. A group of people disembark and kidnap Dr. Kato, an authority on space engineering, and his family. The doctor's second son, Yuji, who had practically run away from home and was active as an American football player, was unaware of the incident and was racing.

Staring at this were four young people, Mac, Dickey, Franco, and Yuri. These four are esper corps members who have been training at a secret base. Mac and his friends judged last night's incident to be an alien invasion of Earth, and decided that they had no choice but to dispatch the multipurpose Change Robot Balatack, using their psychic powers to abduct Yuji.

Balatack can only be piloted when the abilities of the five people, including Yuji, are combined. Yuji, who is stunned, jumps onto each Trotter and shouts, "Pentagoras Combine!" At that moment, Yuji is trembling with rage and is burning with fighting spirit against the Goltheus Reptile Army.

■Explanation

The third installment in the Magnerobo series. However, unlike the previous works, the content is a series of slapstick comedy. It was an ambitious work that was the first robot-related attempt at comedy.

■Cast

・Yuji/Yuji Mitsuya・Yuri/Keiko Han・Mac/Yutaka Mizushima・Dickie/Hiroya Ishimaru・Franco/Noriko Tsukase・Dr. Kato/Ichiro Nagai・Julius/Keiichi Noda・Goltheus/Noriaki Otsuka・Shaiden/Isamu Tanonaka

■ Main staff

・Original story by Ikehara Shigetoshi and Kobayashi Dan ・Planning by Yokoyama Kenji ・Production by Saeki Masahisa ・Series composition by Maruyama Masao ・Screenplay by Yamaura Hiroharu, Fujikawa Keisuke, Ando Toyohiro, and others ・Chief director by Nishizawa Nobutaka ・Direction by Fukushima Kazumi, Morishita Kozo, Matsuura Johei, and others ・Character design by Komatsubara Kazuo ・Mechanics and art design by Tsuji Tadanao ・Music by Komori Akihiro

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・Choujin Sentai Balatack ・Lyrics by Shinobu Urakawa ・Music by Akihiro Komori ・Song by Ichiro Mizuki

・ED
・It's good to be friends ・Lyrics by Ichiro Wakabayashi ・Music by Akihiro Komori ・Singer by Mitsuko Horie, Korogi '73

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"Choujin Sentai Balatack" is a TV anime series that was broadcast from 1977 to 1978, and it left a strong impression on viewers at the time. This work is positioned as the third installment in the Magne Robo line, but it is known as an ambitious work that distinguishes itself from the heavy storylines of the previous works and puts comedy elements at the forefront.

Story and Characters

The story begins with a mysterious spaceship landing on a lake in the middle of the night. A group of people disembarks from the spaceship and kidnaps Dr. Kato, an authority on space engineering, and his family. The doctor's second son, Yuji, is practically a runaway from home and plays American football, so he participates in the race without knowing about the incident. However, esper team members Mac, Dickie, Franco, and Yuri, who have been training at a secret base, use their psychic powers to kidnap Yuji and recruit him to pilot the multipurpose Change Robot Balatac.

Balatack is a robot that can only be controlled when the five combine their abilities, and is completed when the five, including Yuji, combine together while shouting, "Pentagoras Combination!" This combination scene left a strong impact on viewers, and was one of the scenes that captivated many children.

Each character has their own unique personality, and the story is enhanced by Yuji's hot-bloodedness, Yuri's calmness, Mac's leadership, Dickey's humor, and Franco's kindness. The enemy Goltheus Reptile Corps also has many unique characters, and Goltheus and Shaiden have a particularly strong presence.

Comedy elements

The biggest feature of this work is that it puts comedy elements at the forefront. It was the first attempt to create a comedy in a robot anime, and it gave viewers a fresh surprise. It is a series of slapstick comedy, and there is no end to laughs in the daily lives of Yuji and his friends and in the battle scenes with Balatack. Yuji's tsukkomi and Dicky's funny faces were particularly well-timed and entertained the viewers.

By incorporating comedy elements, the series was able to tell a story from a perspective that took a step back from the heavy weight of traditional robot anime, providing viewers with a relaxing time. This was a new experience for viewers at the time, and helped the series gain many fans.

Mechanic Design

Balatack's mechanical design was created by Tadanao Tsuji and is extremely sophisticated. Based on the concept of a multipurpose robot, Balatack's ability to transform into various forms astonished and impressed viewers. The "Pentagoras Fusion" scene in particular was beautifully animated using the technology available at the time, leaving a strong visual impact.

The enemy mechanic designs are also unique, and the robots of the Goltheus Reptile Corps are characterized by their designs that combine fear and humor. These designs left a strong impression on viewers and were an important element in livening up the story.

music

The music was composed by Akihiro Komori, and the opening theme "Choujin Sentai Balatack" and the ending theme "Nakamatte Iina" left a deep impression on viewers. The opening theme in particular, combining Ichiro Mizuki's powerful singing voice with Komori's composition, left a strong impression on viewers. The ending theme, with the gentle singing voices of Mitsuko Horie and Koorogi '73, provided comfort to viewers.

The music in the film was also used skillfully to match the battle scenes and comedy scenes, and played an important role in livening up the story. Komori's music succeeded in making the audience feel deeply immersed in the world of the story.

Recommendation

Chojin Sentai Balatack is a robot anime with a strong comedy element, which gave viewers a fresh surprise. The unique characters of Yuji and his friends and the slapstick comedy will entertain viewers and provide a relaxing time. The mechanical design of Balatack and the music are also superb, drawing viewers in visually and aurally.

This work is especially recommended for those who like robot anime and comedy anime. It also brings back fond memories for viewers of the time, and can be enjoyed by the whole family. Please give it a watch.