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- @5{GIANT ROBO (PART ONE) - REVIEW
- @6}by zYLAX / PTK
- @1
- Giant Robo, apart from being the most
- unoriginal name to come of Japan for a
- long time, is Manga Video's latest
- release on to the unsuspecting public.
- @6
- ^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^/\^
- @1
- The story behind Giant Robo is set in
- a world dependant on the Shizuma
- Drive, a new energy source which is
- totally renewable. Everyone classes
- the Drive as perfection itself but, of
- course, there is a shadow on the
- scene.
-
- Big Fire is a terrorist organisation
- whose main objective, like every other
- terrorist organisation you see in
- films, is world domination. In order
- to do this they aim to recreate "The
-
-
-
-
- Tragedy", an incident in Bashtarlle
- during the testing of a prototype
- Shizuma Drive in which almost a third
- of the world's population were wiped
- out in one fell swoop. The incident
- is shrouded in mystery and all we
- learn of it in this episode is of the
- Dr Franken Von Folger.
-
- But don't worry The International
- Police Organisation and it's Experts
- Of Justice are here to protect us
- against the might of Big Fire's
- Magnificent Ten. I know the names are
- verging on the corny side but don't
- let it discourage you. This really is
- one of Manga's gems.
-
- The Giant Robo of the title, as you
- would expect, is a massive fuck-off
- metal motherfucker that is voice
- commanded by the 12 year old Diasaku
- Kusama. Why is it that a stupid
- little kid that probably doesn't know
- how to blow his nose gets a chuck of
- metal death for Christmas? Most kids
- will settle for a PC ...a chuck of
- plastic shyte!
-
- The other Experts Of Justice include
- Ginrei (a young woman with a shady
- past that is not revealed until
- episode five), Tetsugyu (a fat bloke,
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- who has a soft spot for Ginrei and
- oftens feels her attention to him is
- compromised by Diasaku's presence) and
- Taisou (a martial artist and general
- tough guy, but he likes nothing better
- than to drink loads of rice wine with
- Tetsugyu whom he classes as his
- younger brother).
-
- Whereas some of the more prominent
- members of Big Fire (and all round
- people you wouldn't like to meet in a
- dark alley after you've spilled their
- pint!) are Lord Alberto (the leader of
- Big Fire, who has a grudge against
- Taisou for ripping one of his eye's
- out), Ivan (Lord Alberto's sidekick,
- and altogether sneaky bloke), Genya
- (son of the mysterious Dr Franken Von
- Folger, who has taken leadership of
- Big Fire) and Mr Ko-Enshaku (a
- mysterious character that remains
- loyal to protecting Genya).
- [5
- What hits you about Giant Robo is the
- quality of the animation. The
- creators have opted to put more work
- into the animation, rather than
- drawing the artwork in any detail.
- This means that the finished
- production has a more cartoony look to
- it, but works great.
-
- This first episode has to be classed
- as good value for money as it's
- duration is listed as 30 minutes on
- the inlay, but it runs for a least 45
- minutes on the actual video. So, for
- only £5.99 it has to be one of Manga's
- better buys.
-
- Overall, Giant Robo is a classic piece
- of anime hidden behind some truly
- awful names. The series is split into
- seven parts.