Robô Gigante

How could I ever forget Johnny Socko and his flying robot! I started watching the show when in 1979 at the age of 6. I remember it being on TV for a couple of years, I suppose when I was about 8 or 9 – would have been the last time I watched the show.

Johnny Socko and his Flying Robot was my favorite TV show growing up then as a child. Among my other list of favorites (at that age of 6ish to 8ish years old): Batman, Lost in Space, Superman, Leave it to Beaver, G-Force, Incredible Haulk, Greatest American Hero, and yes even Dallas…. Put at the top of that list: Johnny Socko and his flying robot! I remember I had my own fleet of Socko Robots that I made out of Legos. I wanted my own giant robot so bad! There is one episode that seems to stick out…and that is the one where the Giant Robot loses his eyes… or they get messed up real bad and the poor giant robot can’t see anything… and he’s thrashing about knocking over any thing his arms hit. And wasn’t there a show where the Giant Robot turned on Johnny and all the good people of the world? Ha ha ha…. I remember when the Robot lost his eye sight, Johnny was crying over it. Amazing the things you remember from when your child.

I keep looking for VHS copies of this TV show to no avail. It would be nice if the SCI FI channel would re run this TV series! Also, the actor that played Jonny died in 1997.

Aah, childhood, those halcyon days, all those memories associated with them are indelible. I was five years old, and our neighbors had just got a new television. In India, we had only one TV channel then and the programs were more related to news based items or were culture oriented. Watching a Egyptian mummy faced robot fighting monsters was a dream for me as well as for every other kid I knew. I remember how hard I cried when the giant robot lost his eyes and also during the episode where he was beaten badly, I envied Johnny so much. Today I know the special effects are much much better and there are a plethora of new sci- fi based programs but they cant even hold a torch to good ol' Johnny and his robot.

For the people of my generation this is as good as gold. C'mon Johnny quit playing games, come back. I miss you.

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.

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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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.