No mention of giant robots, let alone robots of the more “realistic” persuasion, can hardly be made without mentioning Mobile Suit Gundam. It is arguably the most prolific franchise with animation productions, comics, novels, toys, models and untold other numbers of merchandise that fans will invariably spend their money on for almost three decades now. In fact, trying to cover the entire franchise in one article is awfully ambitions and, I’m afraid, cannot be done to do it justice. So, we’ll consider this the first of three parts.
Mobile Suit Gundam solidified the “real robot” genre which didn’t involve aliens from space, spirits or gods embodied in robots or wacky bell-bottoms. The real robot genre features robots as the tools of war, human conflict in said war and, particularly in Gundam’s case, the stench of death that permeates through war. It keeps some tropes of the genre - the idea of teenager pilots - and puts spins on them that aren’t entirely unrealistic (in most cases).
Judo. It’s a Japanese word known the world over, regardless of boundary, language or nationality, which conjures its own images much like hearing sushi or sayonara. In the world of sports, it is Japan’s earliest contribution to world athletics. What started in the late nineteenth century as safer form for practicing Japanese “unarmed” martial arts became a a sporting event within Japan and quickly around the world thanks to a handful of individuals. What better metaphor is there for the turbulent emotions of a young lady in high school who wants to shop, date and learn the makings of a good housewife and her grandfather’s aspirations of her claiming Olympic and national victories on the mat than the very pushing and pulling required for executing the majority of Judo’s throws? Cross-generational, cross-gender and cross-mat goals charge head-to-head in Yawara!: A Fashionable Judo Girl.
Obviously, Disney aims Power Rangers at young children. They try to keep things a little family friendly. At the same time, they have to expose the youths of America to multiculturalism. Every Ranger team has been multiracial, which makes families a little out of place. Still, it has happened. In the theme of being with the family this Thanksgiving, we’ll dive into the family tree of Rangerdom.
And no, I don’t know the source of Cosby Zordon, but it seems fitting.
There are a lot of stereotypes about Japanese animation. First, there are the big eyes and small mouths. More negatively, people immediately think of schoolgirls being raped by giant tentacle monsters. But if there are two stereotypes about Japanese animation and comics that are almost unique to the respective mediums, it’s magical girls and giant robots. And here is your weekly dose of said robots.
If one were to speculate as to why robots became popular in Japanese animation, I’d argue that it was because of market successes from shows like Tetsuwan Atom and Tetsujin 28-gou (each known respectively as Astro Boy and Gigantor in North America) in the 1960s. One could probably argue that hokey science fiction films, especially those of the 1950s that were exported to Japan, could have also nurtured a few ideas to spin themselves into an entire sub-genre of science fiction animation, which would further break itself down into sub-sub-genres over the next four decades.
Big Lots apparently sells a few Ultraman games, if you look at the right one. I’ve found Power Fighter, The Little Adventure, and The Ultimate Fighting.
… and they require Windows, which I temporarily do not have, so I can’t tell you jack about how they play.
Well, sorta. I’m going to keep this quick and short. The New XBox Experience should be up for you, and with that, you can activate Netflix streaming. While looking through what I could add to my queue (watching Cashback right now, and added Heroes Season 3 for future reference), I found an epic classic:
Nick Fury: Agent Of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Yes. The character immortalized by Samuel L. Jackson in the new Marvel movie universe, was first played by another legend. David Hasslehoff.
Add it it your queue, watch it when you’re as ticked at Marvel as Hiro Nakamura is, and love the Hoff.
Additionally, David Hasslehoff is new playable character in Pain. I might have to get that.
In the second episode of Engine Sentai GoOnger, the set of Rangers almost doubles. GoOn Black and GoOn Green (tenatively known as “Wolf Ranger” and “Shark Ranger”, although technically it’s orca-themed) join the other three GoOngers. They have different morphers, and along with three sentient mecha, they can form GunBir-Oh. No idea what this will be called in America, as of yet.
Syoaran and the gang are on the mission of their lives: tracking down the remnants of Sakura’s memory across the multiverse, and trying to make her life whole again. Their adventure takes them to a world of magically-powered creations, followed by a world of two warring tribes (who happen to have some love in between). With every trip, they gather another bit of Sakura’s memories—and make me want to block out a few of my own of this series.
Kamen Rider Dragon Knight was set to start February 21st on CW4Kids.