Scallion

GaoGaiGar is the kind of show that makes you want to climb out of your bed on Saturday mornings and plop down in front of your PC or TV with a bowl of cereal. It's nostalgic in a lot of ways, but brings a lot of new things to the table. While it could easily be classified as a typical "monster of the week' show, with gimmicky enemies, moral lessons (in the first episode, you almost expect to be lectured about recycling) and clever plans by the good guys ending in an explosive finishing move, it manages to break from the formula at the halfwaypoint, and delve into serious territory. And by serious, I mean awesome. Like the newest gartastic super robot hit, Gurren Lagann, GGG grows from what you'd expect to see in a series with cyborgs and talking, transforming robots (giant toy ads) into something...epic-- and I use this word very deliberately. The over-the-top characters play a big part in this. Guy Shishio is a badass without even trying. He's a man's man, who'll never give up, no matter how difficult the odds. While this kind of character is a staple for super robot shows, Guy takes hot-blooded to new levels with his ridiculous screaming, speeches, and Zonder-breaking. He's a static character, but he's so likable that you don't really mind. I don't usually faun over voice actors, but Nobuyuki Hiyama (you'll know him as Viral from TTGL and Link from the Zelda games) does an excellent job. His yells and dramatic speeches have real weight behind them-they'll blow you away. Guy's English voice, Michael Sinterhisnameistoocomplicatedtospell does a very commendable job filling out Guy's shoes-I'd send him a bottle of throat spray if I could. The rest of the human characters are relatively stock as well, but none of them are forgettable-especially Taiga, the Commander of the Gutsy Geroid Guard's Japanese branch. You owe it to yourself to watch this show, if only to see his dramatic pointing. Really, that guy can point. Despite the male-oriented nature of the show, there are plenty of strong female characters who play their part in the GGG epic, and aren't just fanservice, either. Guy's girlfriend and technical support also plays a role that you won't expect. One of the few characters that gets some decent development is the magical boy protagonist Mamoru-a refugee from an alien civilization that is the key to victory on more than one occasion. I can hear you groaning already, but trust me-you'll learn to love him more than you ever thought you would. Like Transformers before it, the robot members of the GGG (you're going to see that letter a lot, so get used to it) are characters as well. They're sentient, and have distinct (and cheesy) personalities, from the ninja police car intelligence agent Volfogg (yes, this is an amazing combination, and unlike vodka and soy milk, it will not give you a headache) to the American-made rock-and-roll bard-class bot Mic Sounders XIII. Even though they're stock characters and, well, robots, you end up feeling for them. The titular robot, while not sentient itself (or is it), has a character all its own. In the beginning of the show, GaoGaiGar moves like a creaky, slapped together bucket of bolts-it's been hastily built to defend the earth from the approaching threat from space, and it shows. The signature combination sequence barely works, and the finishing move, Hell and Heaven, damages GaoGaiGar and is slowly killing its pilot. Even until the end, GaoGaiGar cannot handily defeat any enemy without the help of the other members of the team, and the clever way the writers find a way for it to win despite its limitations serve as a handy way to break up the monotony that usually plagues shows like this. The silly-looking design aesthetic that permeates GGG (the robot) and the show doesn't detract from how brutal it can be. GaoGaiGar breaks its enemies in the most literal fashion every episode. Even with the over-the-top antics, the show separates itself from other super robot shows, and the other Yuusha/Brave series by grounding it with a sense of plausibility and strict continuity that you don't see in a lot of anime. One look at the gorgeously animated stock transformation sequence is proof of the ridiculous attention to detail in GaoGaiGar. While most super robots are known for their "unpossible" transformations, GaoGaiGar is covered in tiny vents, treads, panels and blinking lights that you'll only catch for a glimpse. Even the inside was completely drawn out in the concept art, and you can see the mechanical designs (even for a pink VW van!), along with fictional specifications in the eyecatches. All of this comes to a frothy, delicious head with the few plot twists and "keys to victory" scattered through the series. When you see some of them, you'll gasp, and want to go back and look for them in every episode. It gets even more ridiculous when a seemingly useless and innocuous prop becomes the key to victory in the spectacular OVA GaoGaiGar Final! (Seriously, you'll shit a brick.) The music is nothing short of a triumph. There's an amazing leitmotif going throughout, from the "Final Fusion" gattai scene to the GGG's theme, and of course, Mic Sounder's amazing power up songs. You'll be humming them on the way to work or school. All of the pieces of the show coalesce into something both familiar and wonderful. You know a series is worth watching when you wonder what you ever did before you'd seen it, and GGG is one of the rare anime titles that I'd put up on that lofty pedestal. It's a true labor of love, filled with fanservice for every stripe. Like the show itself, the message of courage and perseverance might seem cheesy at first, but it not only grows on you, but envelops you, in a way that few other shows can. It's must see for super robot fans, and I'd encourage everyone to buy the DVDs. If you know me well, you know that I don't like paying for anime. Fuck Luffy, I'm the true Pirate King. If you see an anime DVD on my shelf, then you know I think it's not only worth the money, but one worth celebrating. It's probably the highest praise I can give any series. Any effort this grand deserves to be compensated for. I highly recommend it.

dragonflames

King of the Braves GaoGaiGar most definitely earns its title of King. This show is everything right with a super robot anime. GaoGaiGar has a fun story, colorful cast of humans and robots and it's loud, blood boiling, in-your-face action that makes you want to yell attack names along with the show. So with all that said, lets get to review. FINAL FUSION, APPROVED. Story 9/10 The story is a basic Super Robot anime. It revolves around the members of Gusty Geoid Guard, Or GGG for short, as they deal with attacks from the Zonders, who are an alien machine race. The first 25 episodes are prettystandard monster of week, which mostly serve as a way to slowly introduce new characters and weapons for GGG. Please be aware that this show was meant to sell toys. After that though, the series begins to grow and the real plot begins to unfold, and that is where it really shines. Art 10/10 The Art is very well done for a show done in the late 90's. It has well defined lines and bright vivid colors which create very crisp visuals. Everything in this show has its own identity and nothing blurs together. Sound 10/10 Oh, this is what makes a super robot go from good to fantastic. GaoGaiGar has some of the best sounds and OST in any anime I have watched; and I have heard stuff from aldnoah.zero and Attack On Titan. Every sound from Golion's roar to the G stone charging up is uniquely its own. I especially liked the sound they use for the machine noises when robots are combining. GaoGiaGar also has a great OST. Evey character has his or her theme song to go with them; the most memorable being GaoGaiGar Final Fusion theme. The voice work in GaoGaiGar is top notch with Hiyama Nobuyuki voicing Guy. I just loved hearing him yell out, "HIKARI NI NARA!!" Characters 10/10 With every Super Robot anime the selling point is the robots and GaoGaiGar delivers it in tenfolds. The hero of this story is a cyborg named Guy who is a man's man boiling to the brim with courage and bravery who is also a symbol of hope to everyone else. Guy is also accompanied by fellow brave robots, the twin rescue brothers HyoRyu, who claim collective and his hothead brother EnRyu who is a shoot first ask questions kind of person. There is also the Ninja Police Intelligence Officer Volfogg. On the human side the most predominate would be Mamoru. Hes a kid with the unlikely ability to purify the Zondar cores. There are many more but you get the idea, its a colorful cast of robots and people that you can't help but love. Overall, I really did enjoy GaoGaiGar. It delivers on everything that a Super Robot Show should. Yeah, there are faults. Namely, it takes time to build up to its main plot point. If you can't stand monster of the week formula, it probably won't do much for you, but if you enjoy over-the-top crazy robot fights with yelling and more courage than you can handle, this is the show for you. Gutsy Geoid Guard, Mobilize! 10/10