Sceriffi delle stelle

Saber Rider was an amazing, albeit obscure television cartoon show when I was a kid - I remember watching it when I was 9 years old or so, and I wish I could find it to this day just for the nostalgia alone.

It was unlike any other action cartoon show of the day, and they actually managed to throw in "real" violence via a twist to the story line, and get away with it.

I don't know much of the show's production history, but judging from the art and animation it looks as if it was anime inspired, perhaps an embryo in the slow but steady culture shift, the infusion of anime and western culture's fascination with it.

But I prattle on.

If you can find it, get it, watch it.

This cartoon/anime was a weird one. It had futuristic robots, weapons, and vehicles in a wild west setting. The Star Sheriffs was also a strange blend of characters types. Saber was the leader spoke with a british accent and carried a sword instead of a gun. Colt was the typical cowboy type complete with accent and layed back attitude (and his own theme song). April was the female member who was skilled with computers, and Fire-Ball was the race car driver who had a quick temper. The Sheriffs main enemies were called Vipers and they came from another dimension. When the Vipers got shot they didn't die, they were transported back to their dimension. That was something I didn't like about this cartoon/anime. The Vipers should die when they get shot and to allow them to keep coming back again is pretty lame especially for an anime cartoon.

At the climax of each episode the Star Sheriffs would pilot a Giant robot named Ram-Rod and would do battle with a giant enemy of some sort. This cartoon is very similar to Voltron and is almost as repetitive. If you liked Voltron, you'll like this one. If you can find it that is, I've never seen this cartoon repeated on TV since it came off in the late eighties.

Lets get one thing straight, Saber Rider is NOT in Robotech's League, not even close. Robotech raised the bar for cartoons when it came out in 1985. I have yet to see a cartoon/anime series that EXCEEDS it terms of character and plot depth and development.

I was one of the lucky people who became interested in this show while it was still on the air. At first glance, it may look like just another giant robot show, and a silly one at that with cowboys and the like, but if you look closely, there is more to this show. Great Action, amazing soundtrack, character depth, and a solid series plot.

World Event Productions (http://www.wep.com/) have finally released some episodes of the show on DVD (I just ordered my copy) and I wanted to share that with others. Its worth checking out if you've never seen the show, and those of you who are already fans, this is a great chance to relive the memories, and maybe even convince WEP to release the complete series on DVD.

Yes, there were some severe "alterations" during the English adaptation of this short anime series, but nothing so serious to detract from the action sequences and the good/evil rivalry. The story itself became quite intriguing as the series progressed, and the action sequences became more varied and extravagant as the budget increased after its first season (1984) in Japan. I especially enjoyed the music and themes, however I will be the first to admit it's no Macross. Mind you, I'd choose Saber over watching Robotech any day. ;-)

Only 3 video tapes were ever released to market (by Fries Home Video), with 2 episodes each, and all from early in the first season. Sadly, if you didn't develop a fondness for it during the late 1980's syndication, you may never know the real adventures that took place out in the New Frontier.

A few hours ago me and some friends of mine had a talk about the cartoons we were watching when we were kids... And Saber Rider was one of those everyone agreed was really AWESOME!! Here in Greece, this series used to be EXTREMELY popular when I was a kid back in the late 80's - early 90's (like most things back then, it took a couple of years for it to make it here).

One of the things I remember most distinctly is the theme.. Man, especially when the narrator tells the summary of the episode and there is that guitar solo on the background... Fantastic! One of our friends even remembered certain plots, such as the one with Jessy Blue and the covalt cannon (those who remember, know exactly how much that trouble that guy brought to our heroes)!

Anyway, to all anime fans out there I recommend this with all my heart. Surely, those giant-robot elements aren't very original (but served quite well for the times of giant-robot comparisons back in the age of innocence :p) however you're really going to enjoy it a lot. Pick a few episodes up, especially if you can from the later seasons and take a journey to the worlds of the New Frontier...