King of the Beasts GoLion: The Appeal and Evaluation of Classic Robot Anime

GoLion, the King of the Beasts - A Tale of Space Warriors

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

March 4, 1981 - February 24, 1982
March 4th - March 25th, 1981 Wednesdays 19:30 - 20:00
April 1, 1981 - February 24, 1982 Wednesdays 18:00 - 18:30

■Broadcasting station

Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo)

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 52

■Original Story

Yatsude Saburo

■ Director

Katsuhiko Taguchi

■ Production

Toei, Toei Agency

■Works

©Toei Animation

■ Story

In the year 1999, the Earth has already been destroyed in the Third World War, and is now under the control of the half-beasts of the Garla Empire, who are plotting to conquer the universe. Five young men, the Golden Asahi, set out into space to escape the rule of the Garla Empire, and are given a GoLion by the princess of the Altea Kingdom, which was destroyed by the Garla Empire. Thus, the Golden Asahi and the others board the GoLion, and begin their counterattack against the Garla Empire...

■Explanation

This is a robot anime for children that is mainly set in space. It depicts the battle between GoLion (a giant robot made up of five space lion-type mechas) and the evil Garura Empire. In addition, "Voltron", which was based on this work and mixed with footage from the TV anime "Armored Fleet Dairugger XV" that aired in 1982, was aired overseas and became popular.

■Cast

・Golden Asahi/Kazuhiko Inoue・Gintoki/Ryusei Nakao・Kurogane Yuu/Yutaka Mizushima・Seido Tsuyoshi/Tetsuaki Genda・Hiroshi Suzuki/Masako Nozawa・Princess Farah/Rumiko Ukai・Emperor Dai Bazaar/Kosei Tomita・Crown Prince Sinqueline/Akira Kamiya

■ Main staff

・Original Story: Saburo Yatsude・Producer: Itaru Orita・Production Managers: Hisao Ueno, Tatsuo Shibayama・Music: Masahisa Takeichi・Composition: Susumu Takaku・Character Design: Kazuo Nakamura・Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda・Planning Cooperation: Momiji Akino・Opening Theme Song
"Fight! GoLion"
Lyrics by Kazuya Chika, Music by Asei Kobayashi, Arrangement by Ichihisashi, Sung by Ichiro Mizuki, Korogi '73, Columbia Cradle Association

ED
"Five people, one."
Lyrics: Kazuya Chika Music: Asei Kobayashi Arrangement: Ichihisashi Sung by: Ichiro Mizuki, Korogi '73, Feeling Free

・Developing: Toei Chemicals ・Chief Director: Katsuhiko Taguchi ・Production: Toei, Toei Agency ・Production cooperation: Tokyo Doga

■ Main Characters

・Kogane Akira (aka "Chief")
He is a pilot of the Black Lion and wears a red battle suit. He is a leader among the GoLion pilots and is trusted by those around him.

Takashi Shirogane (also known as "Danmari")
A pilot of the Blue Lions. He supports his leader, Golden Asahi, with his calm and collected judgment. He is killed in battle in the sixth episode.

- Kurogane Isamu (aka "Weatherman")
A pilot who pilots the Red Lion. He is a coward and a joker, and looks up to Ginki like an older brother. His battle uniform is blue.

・ Bronze Strong (also known as "Heavenly")
He is a pilot of the Yellow Lion and wears a yellow battle suit. He hates to lose, but he is also very compassionate. He is a big man with a fear of heights.

・Hiroshi Suzuishi (nicknamed "Chibi")
The pilot of the Green Lion, he claims to be a descendant of ninjas and excels in martial arts. He is the youngest of the Golion pilots. His battle suit is green.

Princess Farah: The princess of the Kingdom of Altea, who entrusted the five mechas to the Goldens. After Gin's death, she becomes the pilot of the Blue Lions. Her battle suit is pink.

・Golion
A giant robot formed by the fusion of five lion-type robots. There is a legend that it ran rampant in space a long time ago, but the details of who created GoLion are unknown.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: Escape from the Slave Castle Episode 2: The Dead Phantom Star Episode 3: The Ghost and the Five Keys Episode 4: The Resurrection of the Legendary Giant Episode 5: The New Battle Fortress Episode 6: The Death of the Hero Gin Episode 7: The Battle of the Beautiful Princess Episode 8: The Stolen Blue Lion Episode 9: The Girl from the Devil's Country Episode 10: The Secret of the White Lion Episode 11: The Red Rain of Hell Episode 12: The Great Emperor's Evil Deeds Episode 13: The Appearance of the Beautiful Honerva Episode 14: Prince of Hell・Episode 15/Overcome the Silver Illusion・Episode 16/The Legendary Bridge of Love・Episode 17/The Space Challenge・Episode 18/Footsteps in the Forest of Terror・Episode 19/The Mysterious Ghost Castle・Episode 20/Goodbye Earth・Episode 21/Altea's Sister and Brother Planet・Episode 22/The Phantom Space Flower・Episode 23/Friday the 13th・Episode 24/Find the Small Shadow・Episode 25/Destroy the Giant Cannon・Episode 26/Defeat the Invisible Enemy・Episode 27 /Giant Beastman's Lullaby・Episode 28/The Devil's Birthday・Episode 29/The Sky of Fire Approaches・Episode 30/The Crown Prince's Dark Love・Episode 31/The Terrifying Mechanical Beastman・Episode 32/Behold the 100-Ton Punch・Episode 33/The Terror of the Space Frog・Episode 34/Underground Infiltration Operation・Episode 35/Protect the Soccer Field・Episode 36/A Deadly Battle Between Light and Shadow・Episode 37/Space Speed ​​Madness・Episode 38/GoLion Hunt・Episode 39/The Trap of the Supergravity Planet Episode 40: Altea with no tomorrowEpisode 41: The younger brother of the hero GinEpisode 42: The deadly sand planetEpisode 43: The angry boy suicide squadEpisode 44: The oath of the planet JarlEpisode 45: The great dark armyEpisode 46: Go Space MouseEpisode 47: The seven free starsEpisode 48: Reunion with a phantomEpisode 49: The end of HissEpisode 50: The great advance to GaruraEpisode 51: GoLion's great struggleEpisode 52: Burn Garura Castle

■ Related works

"Voltron" [Overseas version]

King of the Beasts Golion - Detailed Review and Recommendation

■ Background and history of the work

"Golion: King of the Beasts" is a robot anime series produced by Toei Animation that aired from 1981 to 1982. The story is set in space and tells the story of five lion-shaped robots that combine to become a giant robot called "Golion" and fight against the Garura Empire. The original story was written by Yatsude Saburo and directed by Taguchi Katsuhiko. When it was first broadcast, it was aired every Wednesday on Tokyo 12 Channel (now TV Tokyo), and was extremely popular among children.

This work was also remade overseas as "Voltron" and was a great success, especially in the United States. "Voltron" was created by combining footage from "Golion" and "Dairugger XV", and added new story and characters. This success made "Golion" an internationally known work.

■ The appeal of the story

The story of "Golion: King of the Beasts" is set in space after the destruction of the Earth. The main characters escape from the rule of the Great Garla Empire, are entrusted with Golion by the princess of the Kingdom of Altea, and launch a counterattack. This setting was very exciting for children at the time, and the themes of the vastness of space and fighting unknown enemies left a strong impression.

While the story depicts the growth and bonds between the five pilots, it also details the cruelty and conspiracies of the Garla Empire. In particular, the shocking episode of Ginki's death deeply moved viewers. Princess Farah's courage and leadership are also important elements that add excitement to the story.

■Charm of the characters

Each character in "Golion" is unique and charming. The leader, Koganeshi, is portrayed as a calm and trustworthy presence, and has been well received by viewers. The unique characteristics of each character, such as Ginki's calmness and sacrifice, Kurogane Yuu's humor and timidity, Seido Kyo's passion and fear of heights, and Suzuishi Hiroshi's youth and martial arts skills, enrich the story.

The character of Princess Farah is also very impressive. Although she is the princess of the Kingdom of Altea, she also serves as a warrior, and after Ginki's death, she joins GoLion as the pilot of the Blue Lions. Her courage and determination left a strong impression on viewers.

■Animation and Music

The animation for "Golion" was produced using the technology available at the time. In particular, the Golion fusion and battle scenes were very impressive and captivated viewers. In addition, the character designs were done by Kazuo Nakamura, and each character's personality was clearly expressed.

Music was also an important element in enhancing the appeal of the work. The opening theme "Tatakae! GoLion" and the ending theme "Gonin Hitotsu" were deeply engraved in the hearts of viewers thanks to Ichiro Mizuki's powerful singing voice and the harmony of Korogi '73. Masahisa Takeichi's music effectively brings out the tension and emotion of the story.

■ Impact and evaluation

"Golion" was one of the works that led the robot anime boom at the time. In particular, the concept of a combined robot influenced many later works and contributed to the development of the genre. In addition, its success overseas as "Voltron" also helped Japanese anime to spread around the world.

This work is not only loved as an anime for children, but also by many fans who have grown up. The reasons for this are the depth of the story, the charm of the characters, and the quality of the animation and music. In particular, the friendship and growth of Golden Asahi and his friends, the courage of Princess Farah, and the strength of GoLion have deeply moved viewers.

■ Recommendations and how to watch

"Golion" is a work that allows you to fully enjoy the charm of good old robot anime. It is especially recommended for those who like stories about combined robots and stories set in space. It is also recommended for those who like works that depict themes such as character growth, friendship, and courage.

As for how to watch it, you can purchase the DVD or Blu-ray version. It may also be available on streaming services, so you can use those. You can also enjoy the work from a different perspective by watching the overseas version of "Voltron" at the same time.

Conclusion

"Golion" is a monumental robot anime of the 1980s, and its appeal has not faded even today. The depth of the story, the individuality of the characters, the quality of the animation and music, all come together to attract viewers. Please watch this work and experience the adventures and battles of Golden Asahi and his friends.