Goldorak, Versions & Languages

It's been very interesting to learn that my beloved Goldorak was a popular series not only in French and the original Japanese, but also in Italian, Arabic, and in some places even in English!

However, maybe I'm biased in saying this, but it seems to me that of all the versions, the French one was the coolest! Even (and this is a rarity) possibly cooler than the original Japanese version!

Part of the reason that I feel this to be true is the naming of characters and things used in the various series. One of the coolest aspects of Goldorak in French was always the names of the characters, particularly the heroes. Almost without exception, the names are taken from the names of stars (celestial, not Hollywood!). For example: Actarus = Arcturus, Venusia = Venus, Alcor and Mizar are both stars in the Great Bear, Sirius is the Dog star, and then there was Antarès, Procyon, Rigel, etc...

In English, the names did not fare as well. Only Actarus himself gained a celestial name (Orion), while the other characters were branded with "General Hospital"-sounding names such as Lance, Brenda, Sonny etc. Worst of all was the name chosen for Rigel: "Panhandle". Yeeech!

Here is a table of the French names vs. the original Japanese, the Italian, and the English ones I could determine from the first two episodes. In general, the Arabic version followed a mixture of the Japanese and English names.

French Japanese English Italian
Goldorak Grendizer Grandizer Goldrake
Prince d'Euphor Duke Fleed Orion Quest
Prince Of Antares
Duca di Fleed
Euphor Fleed Antares Fleed
Actarus Daisuke Umon Johnny Valconian Actarus
Alcor Kooji Kabuto Lance Hyatt Alcor (But sometimes Koji!)
Professeur Procyon Genzo Umon Professor Valconian Dottor (or Prof) Procton
F�nicia Maria Grace Fleed Maria Maria Grazia Fleed
Sam Rigel Danpyooe Makiba Panhandle Morgan Rigel
V�nusia Hikaru Makiba Brenda Morgan V�nusia
Mizar G�ro Makiba Sonny Morgan Mizar
Banta Banta Arano ??? Banta
Sirius, Antares,
Argoli and Cochir
??? Smith, Falcone, Yamada
(Unclear which is which)
Hayashi, Hamon, Yamada
Le grand Strat�guerre Vega Dai� Vega The Strong Vega il Grande / Re Vega
(Commandant) Minos Gandall (Shirei) General Belicos Comandante Gandall
Minas Lady Gandall Lady Gandeye Signora Gandall
(G�n�ral) Horos Zuril (Ch�kan) ??? Ministro della Scienza Zuril
(Commandant d'escadron)
Hydargos
Blacky (Taich�) Commander Ding Comandante Hydargos
Le Centre ??? Space Science Institute Centro di Ricerche Spaziali
Ranch Du Bouleau Blanc Makiba Ranch Triple Triangle Ranch Betulla Bianca
Golgothe ??? Saucer Animal Mostri Spaziali
OVT TFO TFO ???
Alcorac Double Spacer Spacer 2 or Double Spacer? Goldrake 2
Venusiac Marine Spacer? ??? Delfino Spaziale
Faussoirac Drill Spacer Drill Spacer? Trivella Spaziale

Another place where I feel the English version of the series loses out is in the naming of the weapons, and the commands that Actarus utters to activate those weapons. The French names are, in general, mysterious spacey-sounding words that would be cool in any language. In the original Japanese, the series used the common anime idea of using English words, which may sound familiar to people who understand english but to most Japanese people sound... mysterious and spacey-sounding!

But unfortunately, in English, the translators missed the boat and in most cases simply used the exact terms that were used in the Japanese version! Now while those words may have sounded most cool when heard by Japanese ears, the exact same words are all either too functional & boring ("Hand Beams") or just too corny sounding ("Space Thunder!") when you hear them spoken in English for English by an English voice.

In the Philippines, a different English dub (performed by local talents) was used. Here, the names chosed for the the weapons had a unifying theme- each weapon was designated by a letter in the Greek alphabet. Cornofulgure was called "Alpha Rays," Pulvonium was "Beta Rays" and the Retrolaser beams were "Gamma Rays". The Clavicogyre were "Sigma Slashers;" when combined to Asteroache, they became the "Sigma Scythe." And so on and so on.

Here is a table of many of the commands that Actarus uses in French vs. English vs.Italian.

French English Italian
Metamorphos Orion Quest Goldrake!!!
Goldorak Go! Launch! Fire!
Grandizer go!
(Varies by episode)
Goldrake, avanti!
Megavolt Hydro Phasers Pioggia di Fuoco
Planitronk Spin Saucers Lame Rotanti
Missile Gamma Spin Drill Missili Perforanti
Transfert Grandizer Go! Giravolta Spaziale
Autolargue ??? Balzo Cosmico
Pulvonium Hand Beams Disintegratori Multipli
Cornofulgure Space Thunder Tuono Spaziale
Retrolaser Rainbow Wave (Sometimes Rainbow Beam) Raggio Antigravita
Fulguropoing Screw Pressure
Screw Pressure Punch
(Varies by episode)
Colpo di Maglio
Meteopunch Dizer-Punch Maglio Perforante or Doppio Maglio Perforante
Clavicogyre Shoulder Boomerangs Boomerangs Elettronici
Asteroache Double-sicle Alabarda Spaziale
Recuperation Dizer-Jump ???
Cabre ??? Allineamento
Arrimage ??? Aggancio
Megamach ??? Velocita Sub-Fotonica

One last note: So far, every version of Goldorak that I've seen (French, English, and Arabic) uses variations of the same music as the original Japanese version, both the theme songs and the background music. Good thing, because that's really cool music!