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Copyright © Nagoya TV/Sunrise
Broadcast 5:00 - 5:30pm Saturday |
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by Keith Rhee
Shows such as GUNDAM, MACROSS, and PATLABOR may have steered the mecha
genre towards maturity and sophistication, but the
classic "kid with shiny giant robot" mold that these
newer shows sought to escape from is alive and
well. In fact, with their gritty storylines, likable
characters, and flamboyant mecha designs, some of the
newer "kiddie shows" deserve a closer look.
One such example is the Brave Robot series
from "giant robot" veteran Sunrise. The series, which
includes shows such as BRAVE POLICE
J-DECKER and COMMAND OF BRAVES
DAGWON, features sentient mecha working
together with their human teammates to fight the
forces of evil. The latest entry in the pack is KING OF BRAVES GAOGAIGAR, a truly
mighty show with regards to its story, style, and
attitude.
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The prelude starts with a couple driving
home in a storm. The wife wishes upon a falling star
for a child of her own, when the falling star impacts
in front of the couples' car and throws them out of
their vehicle. The object turns out to be the mecha
lion Galeon, who opens his mouth to reveal an infant
wielding a mysterious stone around his neck. Ignoring
her husband's warnings, Ai cradles the baby, after
which Galeon departs for space. The kindhearted couple
name the child Mamoru and raise the kid as their
own. Little did they know what fate had in store for
Mamoru (though I'm sure the manner in which he was
delivered to them should've been a clue...).
Galeon reappears six years later, this time
in pursuit of an entity known as EI-01. The mysterious
object smashes the shuttle of Shishio Gai and impacts
in Tokyo, burrowing itself underground. Not only does
the benevolent lion return the mortally wounded Gai
safely back to Earth, he also brings with himself a
vast array of advanced technology, enabling Gai's
father to rebuild his son into a cyborg (thus saving
his life) and to create a secret defense team known as
the Gutsy Geoid Guard, aka the GGG or
"Three-G". Meanwhile, EI-01 begins to secretly absorb
vehicles and machinery from the city above, under the
cover of night, over the course of the next two
years.
The year is now 2005, and the Zondar forces,
living beings fused with inorganic machinery, are
ready to make their move. Seeking out individuals with
weaknesses such as hatred, sadness, or broken dreams,
the Zondar offer the victims a chance at power and
revenge, then use Zondar Metal cores to mutate them
into Zondarians and assimilate them into the fold.
The GGG have been preparing for this threat,
however. As the first Zondarian makes its appearance
and wreaks havoc (taking Mamoru and his classmates
hostage), it is confronted by the mighty Galeon and
Cyborg Guy. The two fuse together to form GaiGar, but
encounter more difficulty fighting the beast, at which
point the GGG commander authorizes the risky "Final
Fusion" sequence. Adding components from a stealth
bomber, a bullet train, and a drill tank, GaiGar turns
into the mighty GaoGaiGar for the first time and
proceeds to pound the living daylights out of the
Zondarian.
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Using the destructive power of Hell in its
right hand and the protective power of Heaven in its
left, GaoGaiGar rips the Zondar metal core from the
monstrosity. Just as Guy is about to destroy the core
in rage, Mamoru appears out of nowhere screaming
"STOP!", flying with fairy wings and bathed in a green
glow. As the GGG members stare in amazement, Mamoru
then proceeds to transform the core back into a human
being, and flies off before the GGG can figure out the
identity of the mysterious boy. Thus begins the
classic tale of good versus evil, as Mamoru joins
forces with Cyborg Guy, GaoGaiGar and the rest of the
Braves to put up a struggle to rid Earth of the Zondar
threat.
So what's there to like about this show? The
attitude. First off you have the mecha, which look
like stylized Transformer robots and exude sheer
coolness (in fact, Sunrise deliberately styled the
mecha in GAOGAIGAR and the preceding Brave Robot shows
after its competitor series). The fully assembled
GaoGaiGar projects a sense of mass, power, and attitude
seen previously only in shows such as KISHIN HEIDAN or GIANT
ROBO. The attacks and weaponry are equally
impressive to look at, though many hardcore fans may
perceive them to be cheesy or childish. Among some of
GaoGaiGar's arsenal are the Dividing Driver (a
gigantic screwdriver that creates a nullspace,
allowing the Braves to fight without inflicting
property damage to the surroundings) and the Goldion
Hammer, which looks like a gigantic toy squeak
hammer. (Trust me, this looks a heck of a lot more
impressive than it sounds). The other Braves have
equally odd-sounding but cool-looking skills at their
disposal, such as the Eraser Head (which absorbs and
dissipates explosive energy so as to prevent harm). My
personal favorite are the Mike Sounders and their
array of compact discs, which enable them to send out
shockwaves, dissipate enemy barriers, and revive other
Braves who are low on power.
There is also the story of the Braves, who
are utterly convicted and determined to destroy evil
and bring justice to the world. In a day and age where
too many protagonists tend to be whiners or cynics
(most of the Gundam pilots come to mind), the utter
conviction of the Braves is a refreshing and
heartwarming change. This isn't to say that the
characters are one-dimensional, however; many of the
characters have their own dreams, fears, hopes and
motivations that the viewer can identify themselves
with. I even felt for the assimilated Zondarians,
originally ordinary people with lost hope and broken
dreams. A positive side-effect of Mamoru reversing the
Zondar process is that, in being turned back to human,
the characters are rid of their weaknesses and
restored with hope. Indeed, "positive change" seems to
be what GAOGAIGAR is all about.
Don't let the "kiddie" branding fool you,
folksthis is TRANSFORMERS
on steroids. Sure, some aspects of the show clearly
exhibit aspects that are geared towards younger
audiences. But the show has much more to it than meets
the eye (no pun intended), and once you get past some
of the initial aspects, the show becomes very
enjoyable.  |
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