Goldorak

I knew it as Goldrake in my childhood in Italy and I love it above all other cartoons. Japanese animation was massive in Italy at the anime with all sorts themes from mechs like Goldrake, Gundam, Jeep Robot, Mazinga and Daitarn 3 or Captain Harlock to the weird and sinister like Bem to the sweet and romantic like Heidi and Lady Oscar. All massively popular. I would love to see a live action version of Goldrake but the japs are napping on this subject whilst Hollywood subjects us to imitations like Transformers and Pacific Rim for a perceived western audience.

Being in North America, I only got 26 episodes of the whole series as a kid. The only reason I remember it is because of the "movie" we rented so often, where Jim Terry Productions had taken scenes from several eps and cut them together, with some fresh voiceovers.

I just got hold of the entire series in Japanese with English subs this year. I had NO idea it had so many underlying themes, like belonging, protecting the environment, learning to rely on others, PTSD, and more. And Hikaru/Brenda's story arc was awesome.

My only gripes are the 70s-style comic relief. Danbi/Panhandle is annoying as hell, whether in English or Japanese. Boss is annoying, and Banta/Carlos usually is, too. It is also very plot-driven, e.g., Koji/Lance lights sticks of dynamite to free Hikaru from a seaweed trap...underwater. And sometimes Duke Fleed/Orion Quest uses the spazer to tag-team against a foe, and sometimes he doesn't. That sort of thing.

But was also the predominant way of writing cartoons back then. That they tackled such heavy themes as the after-effects of war on a person really surprised me.

Oh! One other thing that was so beautiful: almost every episode ends with a view of the sun, either direct or as a background. It was a lovely touch to show that this show is Japanese.

The American version that I watched as a kid erased almost all signs of the show's actual location. Given the American-style ranch, it was easy to do. And although I haven't watched the full French series yet, I've noticed the erasure, too, where possible. Heck, even the subtitles of the Japanese original that I have sometimes erase "Japan" or "Japanese" for English speakers.

But to demonstrate with actual dialogue from the scene in ep 1 where Koji lands his TFO at the ranch:

1. Japanese original: Koji confirms he's Japanese (he says, "Nihonjin"), not an alien.

2. American dub: "I'm more human than you are!" 3. French dub: "I'm a friend."

So, all in all, a beautiful series that's tons of fun, and you can hear the voice actors having fun while they're at it.

"Grendizer, go!"

Cult series across France, Belgium, Italy, Quebec, as well as some part of the Arabic world, like Tunisia. The show was a huge hit for children growing in the late 70s or early 80s. Adults may find it somewhat repetitive, unless they have an interest for anime and mangas. It has been designed with a target audience of 5 and 6 y.o. boys in mind.

Crappy English tranlastions can account for part of its lack of success in the English-speak world. One UK translation is supposed to be correct, more respectful of the original.

A web search should reveal more than a few fan sites. The series ran on French tv (FR2, FR3 and TVA) from 1978 to 1989.

A lot more imaginative than what most shows offer today--although its not a family show, just a children show. ;-)))

I grew up watching this anime in Arabic and I can still watch it today. Please note that the English dubbed version of this anime is horrible and I would claim it is unwatchable. It was so bad that the translations were canceled after about 8 episodes (out of 72) I believe. If you want to see this anime, get the original Japanese with English subtitles and avoid the dubbed version like the plague.

I really believe that this cartoon helped shape my personality somewhat because it introduced me to the idea of heroes in a clear and direct way. Daisuki is a clean cut hero similar to Superman in the Western world, except in a giant robot. He always did good and never wavered which I believe is a good lesson to teach kids. Unlike Supes however, Daisuki had to get his hands dirty and there was a lot of killing in this show. The deaths usually happen during battle with the bad guys getting blown up. There is nothing overly gross or graphic so don't worry about questionable content however bad guys do die in this show as do some not so bad guys. I don't know about you, but I hate how western cartoons have degenerated to be politically correct. They end up breeding soft kids who are easy prey for bullies and whatnot. I don't think there is anything politically correct about avoiding human violence to a minimal degree and if anything it is good to show how a hero should behave in the face of wrong. Note that I am about as liberal a person as you will find and I think that this show is perfect for kids. People are too quick to forget that nations are founded by those who fight, not those who get run over or run away. The world already has too many underachieving ninny whiners and I am tired of it. Its important to have courage and not be passive in the face of evil people so you can bet your petuty that my kids will be watching this anime as they get older.

Grendizer is a lot better than many modern anime and cartoons but its old. This was made in the 70's so you cannot expect modern quality animation. The show is also a bit repetitive but so are many other TV shows, cartoons and anime so I don't didn't knock it down too much for that. I really do wish that this anime is remade to modern technology and with deeper script but for now, this gets the job done.

OK, the animation may be stiff and the characters cardboard, but this show carries great memories for thousands of people around the world. Mildly successful in Japan, "Grendizer" aka "Goldorak" or "Goldrake" was one of the first Japanese cartoons to achieve such great success and retain a cult following for such a long time. Even today, the struggle of the hero Actarus (aka Duke Fleed) against the evil hordes of "Great Strateguerre" Vega give me shivers down my spine! BTW, among the corny aspects of the show, which add to its appeal : why the heck does Vega keep sending his giant robots ONE BY ONE (gettings their asses kicked by Grendizer episode after episode) instead of sending them all in one big assault? Beats me. Talk about a lousy galactic overlord! Seeing a Grendizer episode is like a fountain of youth to me ! I just can't get enough of its cheesy charm!