A divine reassessment of Super Beast Machine God Dancouga: What is the appeal of GOD BLESS DANCOUGA?

GOD BLESS DANCOUGA - Review and Recommendation

overview

"God Bless Dancouga" is an original anime film released in 1987 as an OVA. It was released by Toho Video and consists of four episodes. It was directed by Oba Jutaro and produced by Toho Co., Ltd., Studio Jump Co., Ltd., and Ashi Productions. The film is set on Earth one year after the battle with the Muge Zorvados Empire, and tells the story of another crisis and the Beast Fighter Corps' efforts to confront it.

story

A year has passed since the fierce battle with the Muge Zorvados Empire, and peace has returned to the Earth. However, at the same time, military expansion has progressed under the pretext of defense against aliens, and the control of the Central Management Center has taken away freedom from people's lives. Meanwhile, Fujiwara Shinobu is frustrated after fighting with Sara, and meets Shikishima Reimi, who runs an illegal underground bar. Meanwhile, Laura, who lives with Dr. Hazuki, has nightmares every night that the Beast Fighter Corps is in danger. As if to confirm her dreams, an unidentified monster called Guzart appears in the U2 area. The Beast Fighter Corps sets out, but Guzart is formidable, and when it self-destructs in the center of the city, many citizens are killed.

After the incident, the higher-ups put all the blame on the Jusenki Squad and the shinobi are ordered to the barracks. Hazuki's defense is in vain, and the four are sentenced to hard labor in a concentration camp. Sara is the only one who is placed in a separate cell at the camp, but she is visited by Michinaga Sayuri, a friend of Sara's since they attended the military academy. Having built the computer system for the Central Administration Bureau, she uses her authority to free Sara and take her to the Administration Bureau where she works.

Meanwhile, Shinobu is called to work at a construction site, where a mysterious man invites him to escape. Shinobu arrives at the meeting place with Ryo and Masato and reunites with Francis, a former member of the Black Knights. They are none other than members of the Bandits, an armed group that has recently been active in the resistance against the Central Administration Bureau. Shinobu and the others evade their pursuers from the detention center and follow Francis's instructions to head to an underground bar. There they find Hazuki and Reimi, the leader of the Bandits.

Hazuki tells Shinobu and the others that something is wrong with the computer at the Central Control Center. The computer has been absorbing all data through a program created by Sayuri, and that energy is even creating a new dimension. Hazuki and Shinobu sense the shadow of Muge Zorvados in the presence of an energy body that extends into space and even the realm of the gods. With the help of the base staff who trust the four of them, Shinobu and the others launch the Beast Fighter Machine. They rescue Sara, who had been captured at the Center, and combine with her to form Dancouga. In the computer core in the basement of the Center, they find Sayuri, whose mind has also been taken over by Muge Zorvados. Sara frees Sayuri from Muge by shooting Sayuri, who has become the core. However, Muge has already been revived.

Muge becomes one with the Control Center and transforms the surrounding space into his own universe. As Dancouga struggles, Gandor appears to rescue him. The Dankuu Sword is transformed by charging the energy of the Gandor Cannon into the Dankuu Sword, and Muge is reduced to atoms, and the space returns to normal. In a world where peace and freedom have been restored, the four ninjas each move forward towards their own happiness.

character

Shinobu Fujiwara (voiced by Kazuki Yao)
While working as a member of the Beast Fighter Squad, he also works as a guitarist and vocalist in a band. He is somewhat rebellious against the control of the Central Administration Bureau, and was happy about the existence of the underground bar. Although he tries to be honest with Sara, he is unable to take his true feelings to heart. In the new battle with Muge, they risk their lives to protect each other, and it seems that he has finally become a little more honest with her...

Sara Yuuki (voiced by Yuriko Yamamoto)
She reunites with her former classmate at the military academy, Dounaka Sayuri. She can't hide her confusion at the completely changed attitude of her best friend. She doesn't completely dislike Shinobu's affections, but when it comes to the important part, she can't stand his evasive attitude and ends up raising her hand. She is used as a decoy to lure out the Beast Fighter Squad in Sayuri's scheme, but ends up saving Shinobu from a difficult situation when he comes to help her, showing that she is still as tomboyish as ever.

Masato Shikibu (voiced by Shigeru Nakahara)
His relationship with his father remains strained, and he strongly resists being asked to take over the company. However, when Guzart's attack reaches the Shikibu villa and his father shares the fate of the villa, he begins to worry about his own behavior. He and Laura are still like brother and sister, but their trust has grown stronger than ever. He seems especially worried about the nightmares she has every night.

Ryo Shiba (voiced by Kanehito Shiozawa)
He is in charge of training the newly assigned trainees as an instructor. He is known for being strict, but he never gives out conditions that are impossible to achieve. He reunites with Daniella, whom he had previously helped in Taco Town, and finally proposes to her. When they went to see Shinobu's live performance before leaving for Mexico, he said that he had learned a lot from seeing Shinobu express his honest feelings through his songs, and this is likely to have had a major influence on his approach when proposing to her.

Laura Sullivan (voiced by Hiroko Kasahara)
She lives in the home of her sponsor, Dr. Hazuki. She has grown a little both physically and mentally, and is now aware of Sara and Shinobu's feelings for each other. However, it seems that she will need more time to develop romantic feelings herself. Due to her strong sensitivity, she quickly reacts to the threat that is once again threatening the world, and she feels it in the form of nightmares every night.

Kay Böcklin (voiced by Michitaka Kobayashi)
He is the tallest of the trainees. He is a candidate to become a Big Moth pilot, but judging from how he was initially confused by an actual emergency call, he seems to lack the experience to be Ryo's successor.

Linda Aso (voiced by Yoshino Takamori)
He is one of the trainees and a candidate to pilot the Land Cougar. He is half Japanese and half American. He brings meals to the ninjas in the brigade and tells them that he believes in their innocence. When the ninjas who escaped from the camp return, he overpowers the guards and welcomes them back to the base.

Sly Damper (voice: Nozomu Sasaki)
A trainee newly assigned to the Beast Fighter Squadron, he is a candidate to become an Eagle Fighter pilot. Perhaps because of his competitive spirit, he often speaks rudely to his instructor, Ryo. During the battle against the revived Muge, he supported Dancouga on the bridge of the Gandor.

Yu Hayase (voiced by Masami Kikuchi)
A trainee of the Beast Fighter Corps undergoing training to become a Landliger pilot. At first, he mistook the emergency caused by the appearance of Guzart for training. He measures the time it takes for the ninjas to sortie and is amazed by the time.

staff

Planning : Masamichi Fujiwara, Toshihiko Sato
Screenplay : Hideki Okada
Character design : Indorigoya, Nobuyoshi Habara
Mechanical design : Hisashi Hirai, Tomohiko Sato, Hirotoshi Sano
Art director : Katsumata Geki
Music : Osamu Totsuka, Takeshi Ike
Sound Director : Noriyoshi Matsuura
Director of photography : Kazushi Torigoe, Yukio Sugiyama
Producers : Hiroshi Kato, Haruo Sai, Hideo Kono
Director : Jutaro Oba
Animation directors : Nobuyoshi Habara, Masaki Kudo, Mamoru Konoe
Mechanic animation director : Hirotoshi Sano
Assistant mechanic director : Makoto Matsuo
Storyboard : Hiroshi Yoshida, Masaki Kudo, Nobuyoshi Habara
Directed by : Takao Kato
Layout composition : Masaki Kudo
Produced by : Toho Co., Ltd., Studio Jump Co., Ltd., Ashi Productions
Artwork : Murata Mikiko, Ito Kumiko, Masuda Keiko, Takeuchi Michiko, Yamada Takahiro, Ogawa Koji, Horikawa Koichi, Sato Yuichi, Omori Takahiro, Tsuruyama Osamu, Onuki Kenichi, Yamazaki Satoshi, Yamashita Masahito, Matsuo Shin, Hayashi Takafumi, Ito Koji, Hirata Tomohiro, Nishizawa Susumu, Gobari Hiroki, Ezura Hisashi, Chiaki Koichi, Nishii Masanori, Fujikawa Futoshi, Saga Satoshi, Magic Bus, Studio Gig, Studio Break, Studio Donguri, Kaname Pro

Ratings and Recommendations

"God Bless Dancouga" is a work that fully brings out the charm of robot anime from the 1980s. In particular, the portrayal of character growth and human relationships is deep, leaving a strong impression on viewers. The drama of each character, such as Shinobu and Sara's love story, Masato's conflict with his father, and Ryo's marriage proposal, enrich the story. In addition, by setting the story one year after the battle with the Muge Zorbados Empire, the story also includes social themes by depicting new threats and the people who oppose them.

The mechanics are well designed, and Dancouga's fusion and battle scenes are visually stunning. The music also adds to the atmosphere, especially during battles, and the tension is heightened. The writing is well done, and while the story is unpredictable, it all comes together in the end.

This work is recommended not only for fans of robot anime from the 1980s, but also for viewers who want to enjoy a deep story and character development. The dense story development that makes the most of the OVA format, the beautiful mechanical design, and the world woven by the human drama of the characters will surely provide new discoveries no matter how many times you watch it. In particular, the relationship between Shinobu and Sara, and the theme of the revival of the Muge Zorvados Empire provide viewers with deep emotions and elements that will make them think.

Also, in order to understand the flow of the series as a whole, we recommend that you watch the original "Super Beast Machine God Dancouga" first. By doing so, you will be able to understand the background of the characters and the world view more deeply, and you will be able to enjoy the story of GOD BLESS DANCOUGA even more.

Overall, "God Bless Dancouga" is a monumental work of robot anime from the 1980s, and a masterpiece that remains relevant even today. Please give it a watch.