Uchû no kishi Tekkaman Burêdo

When this was 1st (and as i can recall only) time on Sky in England, I was fortunate to watch it on an old sky channel, and was blown away. really it was the 1st of few anime series ive seen and possibly remains my fav cos few people know of it, and if it came out on dvd, i'd seriously consider buying it.

Story is basic, earth invaded by aliens and mysterious figure 'teknoman' takes up the fight for earth, and gradually the war swings in earths favour (thanks to some technology & tactics)

4.999/5

"Uchû no kishi Tekkaman Burêdo" was a memorable TV show in my childhood. Nowadays it's rare to hear people talking about it, simply because this genre(Sci-fi hero) in this form(manga TV series) has been saturated by stylish drawings, parody characters and slowly becoming obsolete. However, I was brought back to it after almost 14 years, seeing it in Japanese-dubbed version. I must confess this is simply the best show in the genre to date.

The first thing dwelled in my childhood memory is the ultra-sad undertone of the story. I remember being so reluctant to see the characters being killed and all the suffering involved, yet still being caught by the characters. Now I am 22, but I can still feel the hearts given to the main characters. Tekkman Blade(in Japanese version D-Boy) was my all-time favorite sci-fi hero. Contrast to many hero shows, he is not a stereotypical "savior" role. Actually, he is the most broken, messed-up person in the whole story. His introduction into the story is simply anti-hero,namely,ignoring every warning, kicking everyone in his way, becoming even more arrogant after acknowledged by the earth defense superiors. He's like a little jerk who's given a super gift. But episode after episode, the reasons behind his personality issues became clear. And a broken, crying soul started to emerge from his incredible physical abilities. In most cartoons, the protagonist will eventually become a respected leader or something like that. But D-boy stayed an anti-hero. He's not fighting for love for all the human. Instead he's fighting because he had been put into a cursed liability to eliminate all his family, that would end up the same way despite his choice. This brought the show to a conclusion as controversial as classic among audiences. To reflect again on it, I had to admit this show is not simply for children, no wonder the Americans edited it so heavily. But the supporting characters were never so fresh and significant in a cartoon. Aki(Japanese version,Blade's girlfriend) has all the good qualities of an Eastern girl, yet she's not a cheap chick screaming all around. She's the mental support to Blade(D-boy), so fragile yet so persistent that even awed the enemies. Their connection, relationship is also developed very naturally and positively. Other characters, like the captain's wife who was only on screen for 10 minutes and ironically gave D-boy an important lesson that he remembered only for hours, definitely gave audiences a punch in the stomach. During the viewing, you would ask yourself how insignificant each person's life is, especially in a holocaust. The final battles were absolutely epic and had a deep touch of Eastern cultures, and the entire show's climax was also the strongest in all mangas.

Visually, it is dated. But underneath the simple colors and special effects is a good story, most fortunately the story is not shadowed by any visual elements. Despite the inconsistent art direction that had a negative effect on the production value, Tekkman Blade told a story that contains maybe the best implemented sci-fi concepts in a cartoon form. The strategies of both human and aliens are clearly developed. The orbital circle had a deep irony in it that humans reach hands to the space so desperately only to give the enemies a better invading base. The way the aliens conquer another species is also memorably detailed and well developed. Come to terms of artistic value, you have to give it to Tekkman that simple animation CAN tell a great story.

Finally, this 48-episode TV show is gonna stay in my memory for very long, and I am willing to tell this story to my child in the future. It's still inspiring after all these years.If you like good character-driven story and detailed, subtle writing in Sci-fi genre, Tekkman Blade is for you.

When I watch this:

When I first started watching this series on television,I have to say that this show was awesome. I got to see some of the episodes,and they were great. I was disappointed when they took the show off the air.I had to watch it again. But when I learned that Media Blasters was going to release it on DVD.I had to get my hands on it,and I did. But when I bought this series on DVD,it had the same episodes that were seen on television.

Characters:

The characters that I liked in the show are:Blade,Shara,Balzac,and Teknobot aka Pegus,and Ringo.Another thing I want to mention that in the TV Version of Teknoman,the main character who becomes Teknoman was named Slade. But it was cool to have the main character being named Blade,instead of Slade. Another character that had a different name in the show was Dagger.In the TV Version,he was known as Gunner. But Dagger is a better name in the DVD version. Another thing about the series,is the character in the TV version of Teknoman have the same lines as the DVD version.

Quotes: Another thing that I liked about this show are the lines that the characters say,and here are some that will make you laugh,(Friend or Foe episode)STAR:I THINK ID RATHER MARRY A SPIDERCRAB! RINGO:YA..WELL THE NEXT TIME I RUN INTO ONE OF THEM,ALL ASK IT TO SEND OVER SOME CANDY AND FLOWERS.OH WELL...SO MUCH FOR THE GARDEN OF EDEN IDEA.YOUR LOSS!(Bold Soldier boy episode) BLADE: Pegas, attack mode. I'm glad you're named after a flying horse. PEGAS: Why? BLADE: You talk as well as you fly. They could have named you Mr. Ed. (Axe Trap Episode) Maggie: Hey, great hunter. It's obvious we should have been on foot from the very beginning. Ringo: Why didn't you suggest it, then? Balzac: Now, now children. Stop arguing and I'll buy you some ice cream. Maggie: Oh, goody goody goody. (Sword Strike Episode) Ringo: Eighth floor, notions and lingerie. Star: Ringo, put a cork in it. (Beginning of the End Episode)Balzac: Did you pack us a lunch? Mac: Silly me, I forgot. Tina: Your Teknosuits and counter-flux polarizer are on board. Ringo: Right. Balzac: A grilled cheese sandwich and crackers would have been nice, you know, some little thing we could nibble on. I'm starving. Jamison: I'll have a big juicy steak waiting for you when you get back. Meanwhile, the fate of the world is a bit more important that your stomach, so get to work. Sad part: I think the most saddest parts in the series was the death of Blade's Sister,Shara. It was a shame that we only get to see her in some of the episodes,and it was sad to see her die after being killed by Saber. And I also feel sad to see Balzac taking his own life to kill Teknoman Sword. The voice cast: The series features the great voice talents of Barbara Goodson,Bob Bergen,Kerrigan Mahan,Tom Wyner,Julie Maddalena,Michael Forest, Michael McConnohie (famous for Transformers,and Vampire Hunter D), Michael Reynolds,Richard Epcar (famous for Fushigi Yugi),Simon Prescott,Wendee Lee ,and others.

So in closing ,if you like the series,and plan to collect it.Then this is the one. You will see what I mean,and then see Tekkaman Blade II.

This beats all the mecha Oav's on the planet, hands down. From Gundam, Guyver and even the childhood favourites Tranformers, this rocks! The actual plot isn't really original, you know epic war, protagonist warrior to rid the Earth from destruction. But if you take away all the cliche attachments, you get a thoroughly enjoyable series of pure anime action. A must see for all manga/anime fans!

I think the second and concluding series was only aired in Japan and America and was titled Tekkman Blade, however i dont think it used the Teknoman continuum as all the characters were designed in a more child-like orientation, quite sad really...

I saw the version of this show aired on UPN years ago; I was young and into science fiction like that. However years later I purchased the Japanese DVD collection as well as the sequel OVA.

Having watched the entire series subtitled. I can honestly say a lot of emotional impact was lost when brought over to the USA. However this show has a pretty decent plot set up and generally propels you into a drama that has action to spare.

The story takes place at the end of the 22nd century in the Japanese version. And centers around an invasion by an alien race that first takes over an orbital space ring. This ring has solved many of the problems caused by manufacturing on earth (pollution woes being one of them). And enabled mankind to set forth for the stars.

A mystery man appears battling on the space ring one day using weaponry that is not Earth manufactured and eventually becomes key to winning the war against the alien invaders.

This series is worth the time spent getting into it. Though the animation is of the quality one would expect from when it was released over a decade ago. If you like action series with character motivation that is believable, then this show is for you.