It’s 1976 and The usa – gripped by Bicentennial fever and torn between folksy peanut farmer Jimmy Carter and clumsy Washington insider Gerald Ford – is about to be transformed without a raze in sight by a remodeling large robot! Or would were, had any person seen.
BRAVE RAIDEEN, the pioneering Morning time/Tohokushinsha monumental robot frosty keen movie with the stop-notch anime trade pedigree (Yoshiyuki Tomino, Tadao Nagahama, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko) that brought the phrase “Depart In!” to nationwide prominence and alerted us all to the specter of satanic Fossil Beasts, now now not handiest was the foremost reworking monumental robot anime TV hero, however also was the foremost reworking monumental robot anime TV hero to create onto American broadcast television. Perform we come by more trivial?
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| Raideen with KIKU-TV subtitles |
Summer of 1976 seen Japanese-language UHF television stations all over The usa – Recent York, Chicago, California, Hawaii – become monumental robot battlegrounds as a subtitled version of BRAVE RAIDEEN burst over the airwaves. Joined by shows admire CYBORG 009, CAPTAIN HARLOCK, and, um, GETTAIGER THE COMBO-CAR, these anime collection would become key figures within the embryonic American anime fandom of the day. Portion of BRAVE RAIDEEN’s legacy were two kid’s books distributed by Pentacon, a Hawaii-essentially based entirely Japanese import outfit.
These kid’s books – printed in glossy beefy coloration on heavy paperboard stock – were merely English versions of identical Japanese editions (printed in Japan perchance on the the same presses busy cranking out indestructible kid’s books in line with Daimos, Candy Candy, Galaxy Explicit, et cetera).
However although transmission dates “recede-into” the previous, the fable of Raideen continues to encourage. What is the legend? Akira Hibiki, Seaside Excessive College soccer personnel captain, one day listens to the voices in his head who repeat him that he’s truly descended from the Mu Empire civilization. Easiest he can psychically preserve watch over Raideen, which is their feeble large monumental robot hidden inner a mountain. And he’s got to attain it just correct now because the Demon Empire (who truly adore the precise Satan), led by blonde swish-boy Prince Sharkin, is about to attack the Earth with their legions of flying monster Dorohome and unfavorable Fossil Beasts!
Fortuitously for Earth, Akira’s lady friend Mari is the daughter of a prominent scientist- the highest buddy of Akira’s absent father – who has constructed a monumental scientific advanced just offshore in explain to exercise monumental-science and the lost technology of Mu to strive against the Demon Empire. This science center is amusingly housed inner a monumental clam shell. Assembling a personnel of science fighters known as “Cope Rundar” (tough guy, bespectacled tidy kid, aged bike gang deb Asuka Rei), in conjunction with Akira and Raideen they protect the peace of Earth!
As a duration portion BRAVE RAIDEEN is jam filled with 70s signifiers admire large lapels, spoon-bending Uri Geller ESP, extra special animal-themed monumental vehicles, and Akira’s fringed jacket. However the monumental robot drama of RAIDEEN is a notch or two up from the monster-of-the-week stuff coming from rival Toei- the Nagahama – Tomino mixture manner pathos and tragedy lurk around every nook for our heroes. The local populace comes to remorse being the battleground for every Raideen/Fossil Beast strive against, Akira begins to wonder if he’s being taken over by Raideen, and Mari, whose panties are proven with alarming frequency, is jealous of Asuka Rei and every other female who dares to appear within the point out. Blended with a stirring marching band theme and jazz-rock songs to be used encouraging Raideen to strive against and/or to exhibit when it’s time for Raideen to transform into the God-Hen and slam his pointy beak straight through the coronary heart of yet one other Fossil Beast, BRAVE RAIDEEN is nothing however difficult.
Two lackluster remakes and about a hundred thousand utterly different Raideen toys are proof that inner every anime fan lurks the fierce want to hop onto their bike, clutch a sweet soar off a ramp, hurl yourself into the air while hollering “FADE IN!” and combine with a sentient, millennia-faded monumental robot to protect Earth. Who says the 70s must accumulated be over? Now not me!
Neatly, excluding for the monumental lapels, those can also additionally be over. RAIDEEN! USE THE “GOD GO-GUN”!!!
-Dave Merrill
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