Little-known mecha shows

[JasonPratt]

The recent thread on Patlabor (which isn't exactly little-known but doesn't get the kind of exposure as, say, Gundam), reminded me there are... um... less-well-known mecha shows out there.

Good discussion thread topic?

I'd be willing to trade info on a World War II era mecha show (the name of which escapes me right this moment--Kaiten Task Group? something like that. I'll look it up at the house later...) for some information on Orguss, of which I've vaguely heard good things but still don't know much about.

[RedMage]

Gasaraki never seems to have gotten much attention, which is surprising considering its Sunrise pedigree.

OK, maybe it's not that surprising. I've seen the first five episodes, and I while I can't identify a single quantifiable problem with it, it just almost completely fails to move me or draw me in. I want to like it badly, but I can't muster any real enthusiasm. It could just be me, or maybe everybody else felt the same way and that's why it's sort of faded into obscurity.

[ShiroiHikari]

So far, I like Gear Fighter Dendoh. I'm only a few episodes in, but it's highly entertaining, and I don't know anybody else that likes it (aside from my local friends).

[Joshua Christopher]

GaoGaiGar and GaoGaiGar FINAL. The former was just recently released in the US, but unfortunately the show really doesn't get very good until around the 27-episode mark (of 49). GGG is definitely one of the best mecha series ever.

[Ichigo_89]

Giant Robo is usually not the most heard of series around. (but quite good) Dang, I need to check out this GaoGaiGar stuff...

[bigsleepj]

I can remember one called Grandizer (or Grendizer) that I kind of liked, or at least the episodes I saw. It's very old, though.

[termyt]

Well, a lot of shows get hype when they come out, but then kind of fade from view. I mean, how hard would it be to continue a Gasaraki discussion going indefinitely? It had its share back when it was relatively new.

[JasonPratt]

Giant Robo still gets some attention in top-favorite lists at least. (And well-deserved for that; though in many ways it isn't exactly a mecha show. It's more of a superhero team show, with one of the team being a giant retro robot. )

The name of the WWII-era robot miniseries I mentioned, btw, is Kishin Corps. Also known as Alien Defense Force Geo-Somethingorothergeneric Kishin Corps. It's based on a series of novels (I think), and the musical score was written by the composer of the Giant Robo series (also Super Atragon). However, while all those soundtracks are worth buying, BEWARE BUYING THE KISHIN CORPS SCORE!! The only production of it I am aware of, was an orchestral recording before a live studio audience, where someone forgot to turn on the amps for the one microphone hanging above the audience or something. Sound quality is horrible, the number of unique cuts is few, at least _half_ of the album involves the orchestra playing the underscore for a running film of the first important action scene (with dialogue and sound effects--terribly distracting). The weirdest thing about the album is that it ends with the orchestra and choir doing a rendition of the Space Battleship Yamato main theme. HUH!?!? (Same composer maybe ??) This would be marginally more bearable if the sound quality was better, but its inclusion adds insult to injury: I bought this album to hear the Kishin Corps music, you cretins!! (Note: don't get me wrong, I love the music to Uchuu Senken Yamato, aka Star Blazers. First anime I ever watched, back when I was a boy. I own all the original CDs.)

Anyway. Kishin Corps, the anime. Artistic quality is wildly variable (poor to outstanding.) Basic concept is at least interesting, but isn't always coherently delivered. The concept is that at the beginning of WWII, a rogue Japanese military unit absconded with Axis technology (borrowed originally from an alien crash site) to form a small multi-national Allied task force based on three robots built with about 98% WWII-era tech. (Vacuum tubes, etc.) The Nazis build an even better one (the Panzer Knight); Einstein is rescued so we can build The Bomb; aliens keep attacking periodically; and a little boy survives an initial assault on a train evacuating Manchuria (near the start of the war), growing up within the Kishin Corps over the course of the war, until he is allowed to pilot a fourth Kishin robot for the final assault on the alien/Nazi base.

The ending is ambiguous, and I'll put it in spoiler space:

[SPOILER] The Allies decide to nuke the enemy base with an alien-amped nuclear bomb. Instead of just allowing this perfectly sensible plan to proceed--it's out in the middle of nowhere, so civilians won't be hurt--the Kishin Corps volunteers to assault the base themselves first, with the understanding that the bomb is on the way to be dropped. Although they succeed, kind of, the bomb is dropped ON TOP OF THEM ANYWAY! After which there is a sort of nostalgic sequence with all the main protagonist characters dancing and celebrating in beautiful green fields and such, with the Kishin robots placidly standing around in the background. Did they somehow survive after all? Is this supposed to be heaven? What the flaming spew?!? [/SPOILER]


While I can't exactly recommend as a buy, it's worth a rental at least as a curiosity piece. Plus the music is frequently very good.

So--anyone with any word on Orguss?

[Steve Racer]

Anyone else heard of Daimos? I watched it as a kid, and I finally tracked it down and have a VHS.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

I don't know if this counts, but I would say Pilot Candidate counts as being little-known, even though it did have some Adult Swim airtime way back in 2000. I've been trying to find the DVD's in anime stores, but it looks as though I'll have to hit ebay!

[mitsuki lover]

Pilot Candidate was pretty short though.
I finally got Robo Giant and the other two in the mail today so will be taking a look sooner or later.
Hmmm...as far as little known...would Sakura Wars count?From the little I know of the series it has steam powered mecha.

[KhakiBlueSocks]

Pilot Candidate was pretty short though.

13 Episodes long...too short for such a complicated anime! But, it looked really expensive to produce, so I don't blame the creators for stopping at 13!

[Joshua Christopher]

Yeah, everyone knows Giant Robo is my favourite series ever, but right now I'm all about The King of Braves and its burning courage and all that cool stuff.

[JasonPratt]

I'm getting lots of nifty info, though! Thanks! (And keep it coming if possible!)

[mitsuki lover]

Did anyone mention Gad Guard?

[ShiroiHikari]

Brave Express Might Gaine (another "yuusha/brave" series, e.g. GaoGaiGar) probably counts as little-known, at least in the US. There's no official US release, and not all of it is available yet, but I sure did like what I saw of it.

Another little-known series I liked was Armored Trooper Votoms. It dates back to about 1983, and the ending kind of sucks, but the rest of it was decent, if you like "real robot" series.

[rocklobster]

I would definitely say Dual Parallel Trouble Adventure. Very funny. Think EVA meets Tenchi Muyo.

[rsnumber2]

Five Star Stories and A brand(?). My friends produce the garage kits and I've never seen either one! I'm such a bad friend....

[mitsuki lover]

Dual is 13 regular episodes plus 1 special(episode 14).It was created by the same people who created Tenchi.In fact Kazuki may have been named for one of
Tenchi's Juraian ancestors.

[ilikegir33]

Although it may not count as a mecha show, Robot Carnival is pretty darn close. It's really rare but I got my copy on VHS at a Half Priced Books for only $4.95!

[Blitzkrieg1701]

Robot Carnival is a movie, not a show, and it's connections to "Mecha" as we generally understand it are kind of strained... but it's among the coolest anime ever created and in DESPERATE need of more publicity, so good job mentioning it!!!!!!!

[rsnumber2]

Megas XLR!

[mitsuki lover]

Sakura Wars The Movie is now avaible from Rightstuf.I just got my new print
catalog and they have it listed.

[mitsuki lover]

Gad Guard.This illustrates why Anime Unleashed was so fun to watch as they kept airing series that you would never find on Adult Swim.

[Rocketshipper]

I just recently saw Giant Robo. It was pretty good, but I was kind of annoyed with the way it ended, since it just screamed "sequal" but there will probably never be one.

It seems like not very many people have seen Getter Robo. I just discovered this series a few months ago and love it. Musashi rocks ^^. I've seen 3 episodes of the original series (which isn't licenced here ), the 4 episode Shin Getter vs Neo Getter Robo OVA, and the 13 episode New Getter Robo series.

[teigeki_calesa]

The Eldoran series (Raijin-oh, Ganbaruger, Gosaurer) definitely takes the top slots for "Most Obscure Mecha Anime Ever". And not only is it obscure; judging from the climate of teh anime market in the West, looks like this series will not only sink into the unpopularity bog; it will also take a lot of lashing from the so-called critics.