The appeal and evaluation of "Brave Exkaiser": A monumental achievement in robot anime

Brave Exkaiser: A story of courage and justice

The anime series "Brave Exkaiser" was hugely popular among children in the early 1990s. This work was an original anime work planned by Sunrise and written by Yatate Hajime, and was broadcast on Nagoya TV. It was broadcast for about a year from February 3, 1990 to January 26, 1991, and entertained viewers with a total of 48 episodes. The production was carried out by a stellar team of staff, including director Yatabe Katsuyoshi, character designer Hiraoka Masayuki, mecha designer Okawara Kunio, series composition Hirano Yasushi, and music by Tanaka Kohei.

story

The story begins with the scene where the space pirates Geister invade Earth. Geister approaches Earth as a ball of red light, then splits into five and disappears over the Japanese archipelago. Immediately after, a blue light also descends on Japan. This blue light is none other than Exkaiser, the space police who have been pursuing Geister.

One night, the protagonist, Hoshikawa Kouta, witnesses a blue light descending into his garage. The next morning, Kouta goes to the dinosaur expo and encounters an abnormal situation where a dinosaur model starts moving. In fact, this is the result of a Geister having entered the dinosaur model. The Geister attempts to steal the treasures of the Earth and targets Kouta's treasure, a camera. At the last moment, Kouta's father's car transforms into a robot and fends off the Geister. This robot is none other than Exkaiser, and asks Kouta to keep his true identity a secret.

From then on, Kouta, along with Exkaiser and his allies, throws himself into the fight to thwart Geister's ambitions. Kouta's courage and sense of justice are at the heart of the story, and viewers will share in his emotional growth as he continues to grow.

character

Hoshikawa Kota is a third-grade boy who is the only one who knows the true identity of Exkaiser. He witnessed Exkaiser descending into his garage and from that day on, he became an active member of the Kaisers. Although he is a child, he is courageous and has a strong sense of justice.

Kota's older sister, Hoshikawa Fuuko, is a first-year junior high school student with a lively personality. She often fights with her younger brother, but when an incident occurs, she takes care of him and makes sure to protect him. Kota's father, Hoshikawa Jinichi, is the editor-in-chief of Touto Newspaper Company, and while he is a good father at home, he is a strict professional reporter. Kota's mother, Hoshikawa Yoko, has an interior design hobby and a gentle personality, but her driving is quite wild.

Kota's classmate, Tsukiyama Kotomi, the girl he has a crush on, has a close relationship with the Hoshikawa family and is a kind, considerate girl. Another classmate, Kanaari Takumi, has wealthy parents and likes to live lavishly with money, but he is actually a lonely person who likes to hang out with his friends. He sees Kota as a rival because he likes Kotomi. Tokuda Osamu is a reporter at Touto Newspaper, where Jinichi works, and he only thinks about getting exclusive stories.

Main Staff

Director Katsuyoshi Yatabe is a veteran who has demonstrated his skills in numerous anime works. Character designer Masayuki Hiraoka is known for designs that bring out the best in characters. Mecha designer Kunio Okawara is particularly highly regarded in the field of robot anime. Series composer Yasushi Hirano is praised for his skillful storytelling that draws viewers in, and composer Kohei Tanaka adds color to the work with music that enhances the atmosphere of the work.

episode

Each of the 48 episodes has its own independent story, but as a whole they depict the battle against the Geister. Starting with episode 1, "Is My Car an Alien?!" to episode 48, "The True Treasure", each episode has a different theme or incident. For example, episode 14, "What's Wrong with Mommy!" depicts a tense situation in which Kota's mom is targeted by the Geister, while episode 22, "Fuko's Tanabata Story", depicts Fuuko's growth and the bond between her family.

Evaluation and impact

"Brave Exkaiser" was highly praised as an anime for children. In particular, the story of the protagonist Kouta's courage and sense of justice, as well as the bond with his family and friends, captured the hearts of many viewers. In addition, the design of Exkaiser and Geister, and the development of each episode are also superb, and there are many ingenious ideas to keep viewers from getting bored.

This work was the first in the Brave Series and had a major impact on the subsequent series. In particular, the setting of children playing the main roles was continued in the later Brave Series. In addition, the transformation and battle scenes of Exkaiser were a big attraction for children at the time.

Recommendation

"Brave Exkaiser" is highly recommended for those who want a heartwarming story with themes of courage and justice. In particular, it is a work that can be enjoyed by the whole family as a children's anime, and parents and children can share topics about courage and justice by watching it together. It is also recommended for those who like robot anime and transforming robots. Exkaiser's transformation and battle scenes are worth watching, and you will never get bored no matter how many times you watch them.

Furthermore, this work is a valuable resource for learning about Japanese anime culture in the 1990s. You can feel the evolution of animation technology and storytelling, and get a glimpse into the social background and dreams and hopes of children at the time. Please give it a watch.