Getter Robo
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Categories: Articles lacking sources from February 2008 | All articles lacking sources | Articles that may contain original research since February 2008 | Anime and manga articles needing expert attention | All pages needing cleanup | Cleanup from February 2008 | Articles to be merged since February 2008 | Anime series | Getter Robo | Mecha anime and manga | Shunsuke Kikuchi | Super Robots | Anime of the 1970s | Japanese television series | Featured in the Super Robot Wars Series
Getter Robo (ゲッターロボ - Gettā Robo) is a Super Robot manga series created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, as well as an anime series produced by Toei Animation. The series was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4 1974 to May 8 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. Getter Robo is often credited as the first combiner robot in anime history, although the Astroboy series featured combining robots in a few episodes in the previous decade.
PlotThe plot involves three strong-willed teenagers from the same high school: soccer player and martial artist Ryoma Nagare, rebel loner Hayato Jin and Judo master Musashi Tomoe, who pilot three specially designed combat jets which can be combined together in different forms to form three different kinds of giant robots, Getter-1 (used for aerial combat), Getter-2 (for land-based conflicts), and Getter-3 (for undersea battles). They were assembled by Prof. Saotome, who conceived the Getter Robo project as a means of deep-space exploration, but became instead Earth's first line of defense against the Dinosaur Empire, which is a civilization of reptile-like humanoids, who evolved from the now-extinct dinosaurs that roamed the earth millions of years ago. They have lived many years underground, and they now want to reclaim the Earth as theirs and destroy humanity. The series was groundbreaking in the anime mecha genre: for the very first time, it introduced the concept of separate machines combining to form a Super Robot. Using three jets, Getter Robo could combine in three different ways to create three different versions of Getter Robo for different conditions and situations. This idea was originally discussed during the creation process for Mazinger Z (the first Super Robot to be piloted internally), but was dropped and then developed for Getter Robo. This combination idea proved to be a very powerful concept that has been used in the super robot genre ever since. Also, by adding three pilots to the robot was able to add an element of teen drama, probably influenced by the already popular anime sci-fi team show Gatchaman or G-force (better known in the U.S. as Battle of the Planets). CharactersGetter Team
Dinosaur Empire
Sequels and remakesGetter Robo GThe last episode of the Getter Robo series showed the defeat of the Dinosaur Empire, but with a high price: the death of one of the Getter Robo pilots, Musashi Tomoe. It also introduced a new enemy, the Clan of the 100 Devils, who at that very moment were preparing an invasion of Earth from space. This would be the basis of a sequel with a new, improved version of the original robot, piloted by Ryoma, Hayato, and newcomer pilot Benkei Kuruma. The series, called Getter Robo G, would not be as long and successful as the first one, lasting 39 episodes. The new robot and its pilots were also featured in the Go Nagai short features Great Mazinger vs Getter Robo G and Great Mazinger, Grendizer, Getter Robo G: Decisive Showdown! Great Sea Beast, despite the fact Getter Robo was conceived as existing in a different universe from the Mazinger/Grendizer continuity. G also became famous in the U.S. as it was included in edited form as part of the Force Five robot series produced for the American market, where its name was changed to Starvengers. Additionally, toys based on the Getter Robo mecha were licensed by the U.S. toy company Mattel and sold under the company's Shogun Warriors toy line. Getter Robo GoAfter some years, the franchise was revived in 1991 with the new series Getter Robo Go, directed by Yoshiki Shibata, and featuring a new robot and an all-new team. Despite lasting 50 episodes, it was considered a noncanonical flop. Nevertheless, the manga of Getter Go is considered one of Ken Ishikawa's best works, featuring the Shin Getter Robo for the first time. The OVA remakes use a lot of ideas, characters and situations from Getter Go manga. Despite this, the influence and popularity of the original show continued in Japan, and it found a way to stay with fans through video games (like the Super Robot Wars game series, in which the Getter Robo is one of its lineup mainstays) and other merchandise. The series was even spoofed successfully in the mecha anime series Martian Successor Nadesico, where the anime-within-anime Gekigangar III was a direct pun (and homage) to the Getter Robo legacy, among many other super robot series. Retro-OVAsThe concept was re-invented in 1998 with the retro-styled OVA Shin Getter Robo or Change!! Getter Robo: The Last Day of the World (released in America as Getter Robo: Armageddon). Giant Robo director Yasuhiro Imagawa was to direct the OVA, but had a falling out with the studio after Episode 3. The OVA ran 13 episodes and was presented as the sequel to a story - which was never actually animated - about the Getter Team fighting a race of amorphous aliens called "Invaders." This production made use of an animation style reminiscent of the old Getter Robo and other 70's anime shows with thick, sketchy lines. The mecha design for the Shin Getter Robo was first used in the video game Super Robot Wars 4 from 1995 on the Super Famicom and was adopted by the OVA with a redesigned look. Several fans of the original series complained about the OVA's story and characters, which were radically different from the TV series in many ways, including the recasting of Professor Saotome as a villain and the return of Musashi Tomoe. Two years later, the same staff returned for the four-part OVA Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo which ditched the Shin OVA plot and used a continuity closer to the original. The OVA introduced a Getter Robo design which is suspiciously similar to the one in the Getter Robo Go series as well as characters from Getter Robo Go that are closer in personality to those found in the original manga than the anime adaptation. Many fans consider this OVA to be a form of redemption for the unpopular Getter Robo Go anime, which was considered by many to be a flop in comparison to the highly praised Getter Robo Go manga. The OVA also included a three part miniseries that lasted five minutes called Dynamic Super Robot's Grand Battle which shows several Go Nagai created robots doing battle with the Mycene empire from the anime Great Mazinger. The short included appearances by Getter Robo G and Shin Getter Robo. A New StoryIn 2004, director Jun Kawagoe produced a new OVA called New Getter Robo, this time being a re-telling of the Getter Robo story. In this new story humanity is under attack by demonic creatures called Oni. As in the original stories, Dr. Saotome creates a series of Getter-Ray-powered robots to fight the monsters, culminating the creation of Getter Robo. Both the robot and the Getter Team were redesigned for the new series. Getter Robo is more detailed and mechanical-looking than its earlier forms, and all three pilots - Ryoma, Hayato, and a combination of Musashi and Benkei's archetypes named "Benkei Musashibou" - are more violent and antiheroic. Ryoma is now a street fighter, Hayato a bloodthirsty, psychotic gang leader, and Benkei a hedonistic and gluttonous apprentice monk. This remake is considered truer to the original story and spirit of Getter Robo (it was especially more faithful to the original manga version) than the previous remakes and sequels. 13 episodes were produced for this OVA. Getter Robo basic statsGetter MachinesGetter Robo is composed of three jet-like vehicles piloted by one of the three pilots. Eagle is the red jet, controlled by the pilot of Getter-1. Jaguar, the white jet, is used by Getter-2's pilot. Getter-3's operator uses Bear, the yellow machine. All three are armed with missiles, but are generally very weak and never used in combat unless absolutely necessary. They also appear when the pilots use the Open Get verbal command to break up the current form, so that they can change into another or so they can dodge an enemy's attack. Getter-1(Formed from Eagle+Jaguar+Bear)
Getter-2(Formed from Jaguar+Bear+Eagle)
Getter-3(Formed from Bear+Eagle+Jaguar)
Video GamesThe various Getter Robos are mainstay characters in the Super Robot Wars series by Banpresto, usually found in the super deformed style which the series is popular for; Getter appeared in almost every non-original exclusive installment with Gundam and Mazinger (except for Judgement, in which Getter does not take part). The Getter Robos also received their own turn based strategy game similar to the Super Robot Wars series for the Sony PlayStation titled Getter Robo Daikessen!. This game featured the various versions of Getter Robo from the manga and anime and OAVs produced until that point, as well as an original version piloted by a trio of ninja women. See also
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