Giant Robo
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| Giant Robo | |
 Giant Robo manga cover art | |
| ジャイアントロボ (Jaianto Robo) | |
|---|---|
| Manga | |
| Written by | Mitsuteru Yokoyama |
| Published by | Shogakukan |
| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Sunday |
| Demographic | Shōnen |
| Original run | May 1967 – February 1972 |
| Volumes | 3 |
| Anime television series | |
| GR: Giant Robo | |
| Directed by | Ren Usami (chief) Masahiko Murata |
| Produced by | Hitoshi Hayakawa |
| Written by | SKY Perfect |
| Original run | January 19, 2007 – July 6, 2007 |
| Episodes | 13 |
| Manga | |
| GR: Giant Robo | |
| Written by | Ryoumachi Shiro |
| Published by | Wani Books |
| Magazine | Comic Gum |
| Demographic | Seinen |
| Original run | 2007 – 2008 |
| Volumes | 1 |
| Related works | |
| |
Giant Robo (ジャイアントロボ, Jaianto Robo) is a Japanese manga series by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. The manga, which was first published in 1967, spawned a live-action tokusatsu television series of the same name, as well as a series of original video animations called Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still.
Plot
Part 1
The secret society "Big Fire", scheming to conquer Earth, is furthering Project GR. The special investigation organization of the United Nations dispatches an agent in Country T to interfere with the plan. Daisaku Kusama, a Japanese tourist, is mistaken for the agent and is abducted by "BF".
Part 2
Daisaku Kusama comes back barely alive to Japan with Secret Agent Azuma with GR1. However, "BF" plans an attempt on Daisaku's life to recapture GR1 and they let GR2 and GR3 attack Tokyo.
Part 3
A
Characters
- Daisaku Kusama (草間大作, Kusama Daisaku): A moral teenage Japanese boy who was traveling to T Nation in order to study. Being an Olympic Sharpshooter, he is proficient at wielding firearms. He is calm and collected during battles and often quickly thinks of methods to save the day.
- Azuma (あずま, Azuma): The chairman of the Japanese branch of the special investigation organization of the United Nations. He is dedicated to stopping Big Fire's machinations and serves as Daisaku's mentor.
Mecha
- GR-1: The former Big Fire robot that Daisaku controls, GR-1 is the only thing standing in the way of Big Fire's world domination plan. Built primarily for land combat but overhauled to have flight and naval capabilities in volume 2, GR-1 is powered by a laser beam emitted from its eyes, and a heat ray cannon located on its belt buckle. It is also quipped with a minesweeperon its feet. In GR: Giant Robo, GR-1 is able to manipulate gravity using the bolts on its ankles and wrists, which allows it to briefly move at blinding speeds and punch with more force. This power is increased to allow levitation when it is combined with GR-8 "Dakolar." This also grants it the ability to fire its forearms attached to GR-8's tentacles. GR-1 is at times hinted to be self-aware and will act on its own will to protect Daisaku.
- GR-2: Big Fire's naval combat robot, GR-2 is armed with a rocket punch attack, a psychokineticabilities and its mouthplate hides a powerful beam weapon.
- GR-3: Big Fire's aerial combat robot, it is equipped with rocket launchers in its fingers, a retractable spike in its head and a flamethrower in its chest. GR: Giant Robo replaces the rocket launchers with laser weapons.
- Dakolar: A giant UFO mecha that appears in the first volume, Dakolar bears retractable tentacles to grab and capture items. A version of this mecha is designated GR-8 in GR: Giant Robo and is able to combine with GR-1, increasing its abilities.
- Flying Stingrays: Giant stingray-shaped robots that emerge from the submarine base of the BF team to interfere with the UN's search for a downed hydrogen bomb carrier in the second volume.
- GR-4 "Disaster": Appearing only in GR: Giant Robo, GR-4, nicknamed "Disaster," is a GR discovered in the United States following an underground nuclear weapons test, which heavily damaged it. GR-4 looks nearly identical to GR-1 aside from an all-black color scheme and possesses the same gravity manipulation functions.
Adaptations
Adaptations include:
- Giant Robo (TV series), a 1967-1968 live-action tokusatsu TV series based on the manga. Released in the U.S. as Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot, Stock footage from the U.S. dub of the series was condensed into a TV movie titled Voyage Into Space (1970).
- Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still, a 1990s direct-to-video series reimagining of the manga.
- Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Burned, a 2006 spin-off manga series from the creator of Giant Robo: The Day the Earth Stood Still.
GR: Giant Robo
GR: Giant Robo (GR ジャイアントロボ, GR: Jaianto Robo) is an
GR premiered January 19, 2007. The series finished its run on July 6 of the same year, totaling 13 episodes, with the possibility for two further seasons.[1] As of 2021, the series appears to have been cancelled.
The story takes place at the dawn of the 21st century, when a terrorist organization known as Gigantic Rebellion Operators (GRO) utilizes giant robots built by an ancient civilization known as "GRs" to cause fear and destruction around the world. Meanwhile, the
A pilot for the show was made in 2005, which was a selection of scenes from the 1967 manga in animated form.[2] Due to a change in staff at SoftGarage, the idea of a faithful adaptation of Giant Robo was scrapped in favor for a modern world view. The show also has elements of the Cthulhu Mythos in it, with the Giant Robos originally being ancient machines built to fight off eldritch beings known only as "The Old Ones" that threatened the sanctity of the human race.
References
- ^ Morgan, Jonah. "Exclusive Report: GR-Giant Robo At TIFFCOM 2006". Anime News Service.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "GR: Giant Robo (2007) Original Pilot (Subtitled)". YouTube.
External links
- GR - GIANT ROBO- Official English Website
- Giant Robo (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia