Robô Gigante

When I was in Kindergarten and First Grade I remember watching these episodes. I think Johnny Sokko was my first crush. I loved all the monsters and that good always won over evil. I also agree that this instilled my love for monsters. I remember going out to a brick pile behind our house with one of my best friends and we tried to build our own Robot out of bricks and wire. I was sooo upset that it didn't come to life. Anyway, I wish they would show these again so I can see how really cheesy they were.

This is a weird one, from back in the late 60s you have this Japanese import, about a kid, a Casio-watch controlled 100 foot flying robot, a guy in a real bad Squid/jellyfish papier-mache mask who shakes a trident alot(he's the evil villain, Emperor Guillotine!), fakey rubber suited monsters, a group of terrorists who shoot plastic machine guys, and intend to take over the world with their 9 inter-changeable members, a '58 Bel-air and some godawful monsters.

You have to see it to believe it-the dreaded Nuclion, a bowling ball/landmine/baby toy from outer space(!!) which rolls downhill and crushes an onslaught of plastic tanks before being hauled up by Giant Robot, who then drops it onto the '58 Belair that the 'Gargoyle Gang' have helpfully piled into(actually, the last guy diving for cover dives UNDER the car...oh its a scream...)...

You have these villains...fanger, silver-faced DrBotanus, who is some kind of Evil Plant wiz, a panther-griffin cross who likes eating toy trains whole, a giant eye Opticus(oh that one is a scream!), and this short guy with a peg-leg, who is sposedly a master of disguise(!?)...God, WHAT were they thinking??

Guys get killed and come right on back without explanation. Take 'Beatnik Man'-one of the head Gargoyle Gang guys. Has the shades, bad greasepaint beard(troweled on by the looks...) and beret. I think he winds up quite dead at least 4 times-shot up by a plastic machine gun, caught in an atomic cherry bomb explosion(don't ask), flattened by Nuclion, etc. At the end, he is now wearing a goatee, but its our guy, Beatnik Man in the flesh...

Bad models, bad acting, bad dubbing--and as a kid, I loved every minute of it! People Do remember it, not from its name but from the content, of seeing Giant Robot(who looks like a silver George Washington in a King Tut get-up...),who flies, shoots missiles outta his fingers, etc.

It is kinda fun in a MST3K way, but not more than that.

I give it *** stars outta **** on the hilarity scale, *1/2 in the actual quality scale. Its a hoot. Yes! See it if you can or dare.

Giant Robo was a comic which was first featured in a weekly comic magazine "Shonen Sunday" in the late '60s by comic artist Mitsuteru Yokoyama, then turned into a TV series. Yokoyama drew another comic featuring a giant robot under a boy's control; the "Gigantor" (Tetsujin Nijyuhachi-go) which also became a TV series (four times). Giant Robo was supposed to be a weapon for the bad guys, but because U7 (Disuke Kusama) first spoke into the wrist watch remote control, it only obeyed his command. Like Gigantor, its first incarnation to TV was acted by a real live actors, then the second series was animated. I have memories of this series like many people who wrote here including having a crush on U5. I don't know what it is about these classic Japanese TV sci-fi but there's something that leaves a lasting impression on people. Yokoyama has another comic with giant robot obeying master's commands (Babyl II or Babyl Nisei) which also became a TV series. He is considered along the likes of Osamu Tezuka (Astro Boy), Ishinomori Shotaro (Kamen Ryder, Kikaida, Go Rangers, Cyborg 009), and Fujiko Fujio (Obake no Q-taro, Doraemon) as a founding father of genre we now call "Manga", and has legion of fans around the world. Just a great show from a great comic artist.

I loved this show when I was a kid. The robot was incredible (keep in mind that there was very little stuff like that for kids back then, you kids today are very lucky...now get off my lawn!) especially with the finger rockets, the pharaoh's headdress, and the pre-flight cheerleader moves.

I recently sought and found a VHS copy (albeit poorly recorded) of the show and realized that you did have to be a kid, uninhibited with today's inundation of CGI and advanced cartooned robots, to enjoy it. But it was a wonderful trip back down memory lane. Now, too find a collection of the old (rubber suited and flashing chest light) Ultra-Man series.

A fun show that I grew up with as a young kid. It influenced my life and I fell in love with monsters since that day. Any DVD companies looking for new ideas. PUT THIS SERIES ON TOP OF YOUR LIST!!!!!!!

OUT OF 10 STARS (10 BEING BEST)

I GIVE "Jaianto robo":

10 STARS:

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