Synopsis
A man who fell into the desert has no memory. He was picked up by Koji Kabuto and named Daisuke. While the days seem to be peaceful, an unidentified phenomenon appears in the skies above the world’s major cities. It was Vega Star, a military force from a star system far away from Earth. Humanity is overrun by Vega, which is far superior to Earth’s weapons. Mazinger Z soars above the pool of water, Earth’s last hope faces an uphill battle against saucer beasts. In the midst of this desperate situation, a legendary hero appears out of dust. Riding on board is Daisuke, who turns out to be Duke Fleed, the prince who was forced to flee his home, planet Fleed…
(Source: Manga Productions)
Comments
Caesar E.S. (The Indonesian Anime Times)
I cannot tell you just how excited I was when I first heard news of an upcoming anime reboot of UFO Robo Grendizer. This was manga legend Go Nagai‘s favorite robot, a series beloved in France, Italy, and the Middle East, yet somehow is the only one out of the other famous robot works he created or co-created (Mazinger Z, Getter Robo) that had yet to receive an anime sequel or remake. Finally, finally ol’ ‘Dizer gets his chance to shine again!
But after watching the first episode, I’m leaning on the side of caution that this goes well. It’s not that it’s bad or disappointing- on the contrary, there’s much to love here. It’s neat to see protagonist Duke Fleed make his crash landing on Earth not in Japan, but in Saudi Arabia instead. It is co-produced by Saudi Arabian company Manga Productions, after all. It even had its world premiere with screenwriter Ichiro Okuichi in attendance at a theatrical showing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Then again, one could also ask: why is it that invaders from space only seem to target Japan?) It’s nice to see the worldwide love for mecha anime fans have had across the years be acknowledged like this, similar to the Philippines’ live-action production of Voltes V: Legacy. I also enjoyed seeing the appearance of Mazinger Z, sporting an appearance more similar to its original manga incarnation, and holding out on its own before the robot is brutally obliterated in a handicap fight.
It’s the appearance of the titular Grendizer itself that’s the highlight of the first episode, flying in to save the day in one fell swoop, making the enemies that beat Mazinger into submission look like absolute chumps. The updated design looks amazing- reminiscent of the HG Grendizer “Infinitism” model kit that retains all the original elements but adds more modern-looking lining and details. I had my reservations, but the 3DCG elements and fights looked quite impressive.
Yet it’s all the other parts of the show that don’t feel quite there yet, despite its star-studded production staff. In contrast with the high-octane opening and ending sequences, everything outside of the 3DCG mecha action scenes feels like they fall a bit flat. I’ve talked about the problems facing mecha anime, especially with how difficult it is to create 2D hand-drawn mecha animation. But it’s a bit of a letdown to see that even a highly anticipated show such as this has trouble with the 2D hand-drawn scenes of their characters. This is a shame, because I don’t dislike Yoshiyuki Sadamoto‘s updated takes on the character designs, and the characterizations themselves feel right at home. Hiro Shimono‘s Koji Kabuto feels like the Koji Kabuto we’ve seen across so many iterations of Mazinger Z, and Miyu Irino‘s Duke Fleed nails the melancholy and gravitas of his character, befitting the tragic figure that Duke is.
Is it worth watching for the few action-packed minutes of Mazinger Z fighting until the very end, followed by the money shot of Grendizer rescuing Mazinger’s severed head? Absolutely. Does the show look like it knows which scenes to maximize and spend its resources on? I believe so. Does it feel like all the other parts could’ve been better than what we have in the final product? Yes.
So for now, I’m cautiously optimistic. I just hope that we’ll get to see even more quality scenes of ‘Dizer befitting the love and admiration people all over the world have for it.
Facts and Figures
| Original work | “UFO Robo Grendizer” by Go Nagai |
| Casts | Hiro Shimono as Koji Kabuto Minami Tanaka as Grace Maria Fleed Miyu Irino as Duke Fleed Nao Toyama as Hikaru Makiba Sumire Uesaka as Sayaka Yumi |
| Director | Shun Kudo, Mitsuo Fukuda (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, Future GPX Cyber Formula) |
| Scenario | Ichiro Okouchi (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion), Tatsuhito Higuchi |
| Character Design | Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Neon Genesis Evangelion, Summer Wars) |
| Opening theme | “Kaishin no Ichigeki” by GLAY |
| Ending theme | “Protect You” by BAND-MAID |
| Studio | Gainax |
| Official Site | https://grendizer-official.net/ |
| @grendizer_anime | |
| Broadcast date | 5 July 2024 (1623 GMT/2323 WIT), 6 July 2024 (0123 JST) |
Screenshots and Trailer
The Indonesian Anime Times
