The appeal and evaluation of Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3: A monumental achievement in robot anime

Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3: A Masterpiece of Super Robot Anime

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

June 3, 1978 - March 31, 1979 Every Saturday 17:30 - 18:00

■Broadcasting station

Nagoya TV

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 40

■Original Story

Original story by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Director

General Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino

■ Production

Nagoya TV, Sotsu Agency, Nippon Sunrise

■Works

© Sotsu, Sunrise

■ Story

The Meganoids are secretly plotting to turn all of humanity into cyborgs. However, one man appears who boldly stands up against their ambition. A young billionaire and the pilot of the super robot, Daitarn 3... His name is Banjo Haran! Banjo has a cool and cheerful personality, but deep in his heart burns with anger towards the Meganoids. In fact, it was Banjo's father who developed the Meganoids, and his mother and brother were used as test subjects. Together with his friends, Banjo destroys the Meganoids one by one, and finally makes his way to Mars, where the Meganoids' base is located. A huge explosion follows a fierce battle, but is Banjo safe? The story ends with a lingering impression, leaving the mystery unsolved.

■Explanation

This is the second title produced in-house by Sunrise. It is a work that combines robot anime with hero action like American sci-fi TV dramas and spy action movies, and comedy drama. While based on a light-hearted atmosphere created by unconventional character design, it also delves deeply into the inner lives of the characters, and introduces dramatic elements that set it apart from previous robot hero anime, such as the exaggerated movements of the robots. In addition, the setting and story left some mysterious parts, giving fans the fun of speculating and imagining them. Another distinctive feature of this work is that different character designers are used for enemies and allies.

■Cast

• Banjou Haran/Hiroko Suzuoki
• Reika Sanjo/Yo Inoue
• Beautiful Tachibana / Kako Mizuno
• Toppo/Fuyumi Shiraishi
• Garrison Tokita/Kitamura Koichi
• Chorus/Mieko Nobusawa
• Don Zauser/Masato Yamauchi

■ Main staff

• Planning: Nippon Sunrise
• Original story by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino
• Character design: Norio Shioyama, Kazukazu Oguni
• Mechanical design: Kunio Okawara
• Art/Mechaman
• Edited by Tomoaki Tsurubuchi and Fumio Koyachi
• Sound Director: Noriyoshi Matsuura
• Music by Takeo Watanabe and Yu Matsuyama.
• General Director: Yoshiyuki Tomino
• Producers: Yasuo Shibue (Sunrise Japan), Nobuyuki Okuma (SOTSU Agency)

■Subtitle

• Episode 1: "Here it is! Banjo Haran"
• Episode 2: "Commander Neros' Challenge"
• Episode 3: "The Traitorous Collector"
• Episode 4: "The Sun is Mine"
• Episode 5: "Baby in Danger"
• Episode 6: Animado's Magnificent Invitation
• Episode 7: Toppo's Big Mission
• Episode 8: Zira Falls in a Chariot of Flames
• Episode 9: The Strange Pursuer
• Episode 10: The Last Spotlight
• Episode 11: The Legendary Nibelungen
• Episode 12: "The Distant Golden Star"
• Episode 13: "Megaborgs in front and behind"
• Episode 14: "Banjou, Fly to the Aurora"
• Episode 15: Koros and Xenoia
• Episode 16: "Blue Beret Elegy"
• Episode 17: "Reika, That Love"
• Episode 18: The Man Who Disappeared into the Galaxy
• Episode 19: "Operation Earth Cutting"
• Episode 20: "You can't kill Colossus"
• Episode 21: "Music conquers all heights"
• Episode 22: "Star among stars"
• Episode 23: "Hot flames burn my body"
• Episode 24: "I hate mushrooms"
• Episode 25: "The Life and Death of an Admiral"
• Episode 26: "I am me, you are Mylene"
• Episode 27: "Ace of the Distant Days"
• Episode 28: "Completed! Super-Transforming Robot!"
• Episode 29: "Fly, Swan! In My Heart"
• Episode 30: "Lucian's Wooden Horse"
• Episode 31: The Legend of the Beautiful
• Episode 32: Shoot That Flag!
• Episode 33: "The Mysterious World"
• Episode 34: "The Next Mecha"
• Episode 35: "At the End of This Love"
• Episode 36: "Dreams of the Past in the Darkness"
• Episode 37: "The Magnificent Second-Rate"
• Episode 38: "The Blue Bird that Brings Happiness"
• Episode 39: "Beauty, a Lovely Poem"
• Episode 40: "Banjo, Vanishing at Dawn"

The appeal and evaluation of Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3

Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 is a robot anime that aired from 1978 to 1979, and its unique world view, character settings, and storytelling have captivated many fans. This work was the second title that Sunrise produced in-house, and it is full of new attempts that went beyond the boundaries of robot anime at the time.

Characters and story

The main character, Banjo Haran, is a young, wealthy man who harbors a deep anger towards the Meganoids. Behind this anger is his father, who developed the Meganoids, and his mother and brother, who were used as test subjects. This personal desire for revenge is an important factor that drives Banjo's actions. Banjo's bright and cool personality also made a strong impression on viewers, and he was loved by many fans.

Banjo's companions are also unique, with each character playing their own role to liven up the story, including Sanjo Reika, Beautiful Tachibana, Toppo, Garrison Tokita, Korosu, and Don Zauser. In particular, Reika's pure love, Tachibana's flamboyance, and Toppo's humorous side left a deep impression on viewers.

The story depicts Banjo and his friends' exploits as they fight to thwart the Meganoid's ambitions. Each episode features a different battle with a Meganoid, culminating in a showdown on Mars. At the end of the story, the fate of Banjo was left a mystery, leaving viewers with a strong impression. This type of storytelling encouraged viewers to think and imagine, enhancing their immersion in the work.

Production and design

Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 is characterized by its direction and design, which sets it apart from conventional robot anime. It incorporates elements of American science fiction TV dramas and spy action movies, and aims to fuse them with hero action and comedy dramas. This creates a light-hearted atmosphere and theatrical robot movements that entertained viewers.

Character design was handled by Norio Shioyama and Kazukazu Oguni, and they took the innovative approach of creating separate designs for enemies and allies. This allowed each character's personality to be portrayed more clearly, resulting in many characters that viewers will remember fondly. The mechanical design by Kunio Okawara was also an important element in enhancing the appeal of Daitarn 3.

Music and Sound

The music was composed by Takeo Watanabe and Yu Matsuyama, who played an important role in enhancing the worldview of Daitarn 3. The theme song and insert songs in particular touched the hearts of viewers and left a strong impression on the work. Additionally, sound direction by Noriyoshi Matsuura also effectively produced the battle scenes and dramatic scenes.

Broadcast and influence

Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 was broadcast on Nagoya TV every Saturday from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. and concluded as a 40-episode series. This work was a huge success as a Sunrise in-house production, and had a huge influence on later robot anime. In particular, the method of delving deeply into the inner lives of characters and storytelling that leaves behind mysterious settings have come to be incorporated into many works.

Recommendations and reviews for Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3

Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 is a work that should be recognized as a milestone in robot anime. Its unique worldview, character settings, and storytelling left a strong impression on viewers and created many fans. In particular, the story depicting the protagonist Haran Banjo's personal desire for revenge, his cheerful personality, and the bonds he has with his comrades deeply moved viewers. In terms of direction and design, too, it was packed with attempts to set it apart from conventional robot anime, entertaining viewers.

This work was a new attempt that went beyond the framework of 1970s robot anime, and its influence is still reflected in later works. In particular, the technique of delving deeply into the inner lives of the characters and storytelling that leaves a mysterious setting have come to be incorporated into many works. Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 occupies an important place in the history of robot anime, and is a work that provides viewers with strong emotions and enjoyment.

If you haven't seen Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 yet, we highly recommend that you give it a watch. Its unique world view, character settings, and storytelling will leave a strong impression on viewers and create many fans. And even for those who have already seen it, it is a work worth rediscovering its appeal. Invincible Steel Man Daitarn 3 is a work that should be passed down forever as a monumental achievement in robot anime.