13 episodes. Airs 19/01/07.
The
website has a synopsis now (in English thankfully), along with plenty of character info and artwork. The GRs are some of the most distinctive in anime; GR1 especially with its Egyptian-like stylings. Love the look of the characters also and the use of flat colours in their design.
Quote:
The time is 20XX.
Mysterious huge robots called "Giant Robo (GR)" started to appear all over the world and destroy cities. The earth was covered with fear. And their next target is Japan! The hero of this animation Daisaku Kusama, who works in a diving shop, encounters a mysterious girl, simply called V who leads him to make a contract with an enormous robot "Giant Robo 1 (GR1)" at the ancient ruins (Minami Yonaguni Island) in Okinawa.
He made a contract with UNISOM (good guys) and was approved to be a commander of GR1. Thus his battle has begun against GRO (bad guys) and creates a lot of dramas. Before long, Giant Robo of the 21st century will ask the world the true meaning of its power.
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If this sounds familiar or cliche, just remember GR did this first in 1967 (and before you and I were born probably). So this is a modern retelling, dispensing with the Cold War setting of the original, but it has the backing of its original creator Mitsuteru Yokoyama (who sadly died in a fire a few years back).
The inclusion of the Yonaguni Island
ruins is quite interesting. The ruins are a series of
possibly man made pyramids and structures that have been linked to the fanciful theories about Mu and Atlantis, aliens, crop circles and whatever. Anyway it's a neat bit of trivia and ties in with the GRs being created by a 'mysterious ancient race with supernatural power'.
I have fond memories of the Giant Robo OAV though I can't quite believe it's 14 years old! Anyway it was one of the first decent animes released in the UK (that didn't have tentacles in it). But there's no sign of Big Fire, Ginrei (possibly my first anime crush) or Dr.Shizuma and his miraculous drive so guess this'll all be based on the original. I'm looking forward to it.