is a 75-episode
anime
is hand-drawn and computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japanese, (a term derived from a shortening of ...
television series
A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed be ...
, created by
Ryosuke Takahashi and
Sunrise
Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects.
Terminology
A ...
, and aired in Japan from October 23, 1981 to March 25, 1983 on
TV Tokyo
JOTX-DTV (channel 7), branded as and known colloquially as , is a television station headquartered in the Sumitomo Fudosan Roppongi Grand Tower in Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, owned and operated by the subsidiary of listed certifie ...
. A 1983 full-length feature film, ''Dougram: Documentary of the Fang of the Sun'', summarized the series.
Plot
The series begins in a desert on the colony planet Deloyer, where the remains of a destroyed robot are resting as a red-haired woman is standing in front of it. The woman hallucinates what appears to be a group of armed soldiers alongside the robot in a non-destroyed state. A man named Rocky appears, leading to the woman running into his embrace where she cries tears of joy. After this, the series flashes back to an earlier time, in order to explain the circumstances leading up to the first episode.
Malcontents on the Deloyer colony agitate for the independence of their world from the Earth
Federation
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government ( federalism). In a federation, the self-govern ...
. In an unexpected coup, the elected Governor declares
martial law
Martial law is the imposition of direct military control of normal civil functions or suspension of civil law by a government, especially in response to an emergency where civil forces are overwhelmed, or in an occupied territory.
Use
Marti ...
and sets himself up as absolute
dictator
A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a small clique. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to rule the republic in tim ...
. With the approval of the Federation, he rules the planet with an iron fist. In reaction, a ragtag group (including the governor's estranged son) rises in open
rebellion, using a powerful prototype
Combat Armor: the ''Dougram''. Their goal is the end of the dictatorship and total independence from the Federation's influence.
The story follows the actions of the guerilla freedom fighters known as "The Deloyer 7". The war is fought across the planet Deloyer as the Federation vigorously pursues the rebels. The series is noted for its realistic use of not just the combat armors and support vehicles, but also military tactics. The series also followed a wide range of characters and political intrigue, with many shady characters switching sides throughout the series.
Crinn Cashim is the show's main character. Son of Governor Donan Cashim, he becomes trained in piloting the Soltic Roundfacer by Jacky Zaltsev, a Federation Ace, because of his father's political connections. When his father appears to be overthrown by a coup led by Colonel Von Stein, he pilots a Roundfacer while Federation forces battle Garcia's forces. He is stunned to learn that his father has actually sided with Von Stein in a secret plan, and eventually becomes angry at his father's forces in how they deal with the rebellion following the coup. Following a meeting with Dr. David Samalin, who introduces him to a combat armor he has designed, the ''Dougram'', Cashim and his friends form ''The Fang of the Sun'' and join the rebellion against the Federation.
Voice actors
Combat Armors
In S.C. 140 (''Dougram'' time system, meaning Space Century), the Federal military asked for an all-terrain heavy-weapon system to deal with the varied geographic conditions of the colony worlds. Only two companies made it through the extensive requirements testing: Abitate and Soltic.
Abitate's F44A "Crabgunner" was a 12-meter, 4-legged walking tank. Soltic's own H8 "Roundfacer" was humanoid, with a single pilot located in the head. The simpler Crabgunner became the mainstay of the early Federation forces, but it was the Roundfacer that would revolutionize mechanized warfare. As the rebellion grows in number, the Federation introduces new models of Combat Armors to oppose it, many of them designed to fulfill specific roles (desert fighting, cold weather deployment, etc.). Unlike other anime, these new machines are production models and rarely one-of-a-kind prototypes (the Dougram itself being the most notable exception). Combat Armors used by the Sun Fang rebels are marked with a gold-bordered red triangle. The Federation Occupation Forces use gold chevrons to indicate the division they are assigned to (1st, 2nd, or 3rd).
The following list showcases the machines seen in the show. The terms "Soltic" and "Abitate", actually represent the names of the companies that built the combat armors, not the names of the machines themselves. The "common names", if any, are given in quotes.
First Generation
*Abitate F44A "Crab Gunner": Height: 12.2 m. Weight: 34.621 tons. The first Combat Armor, its design nevertheless influences further designs, although its shortcomings become apparent in battles facing other Combat Armors. In terms of weapons it has a linear gun on its top, armed with a 12.7mm machine gun on the cannon's top, a 30mm machine gun on their front, and a 7-tube missile pod on each side of the body.
*Abitate F44B "Tequila Gunner": Height: 12.13 m. Weight: 35.001 tons. First introduced in by Locke, the Tequila Gunner is used in a support role, much of the time battling the Deloyer 7 team from a distance. In terms of weapons it has a linear gun on its top, armed with a 12.7mm machine gun on the cannon's top, a 30mm cannon in their front, and a 7-tube missile launcher on each side with two under the cockpit. Each side also had a balcony for gunmen. Once the Desert Gunner is developed, the Tequila Gunner is phased out.
*Abitate F44D "Desert Gunner: Height: 15.87 m. Weight: 35.914 tons. These six-legged armors are apt at negotiating treacherous sand banks in desert environments where bipedal mecha like Dougram, having more weight-per-inch ground pressure, are particularly clumsy and less effective. In terms of weapons it has a linear gun on its top, a 30mm machine gun on their front, and a 9-tube missile pod on each side of the body. Their judicious use by the veteran Garcia Company brings Dougram dangerously close to total defeat.
Second Generation
*Nicholiev AG-9 "Cabarov: Height: 9.36 m. Weight: 15.692 tons. A support Combat Armor that only appears near the series, and one of the few Combat Armors not designed by Abitate or Soltic. Unlike other models it is capable of 360 degree rotation at the waist. In terms of weapons it has a double linear cannon on the right side of the head, a 6-tube rocket pod on each hip, and three 30mm machine guns in each side of the head.
*Soltic H8 "Roundfacer": Height: 10.02 m. Weight: 20.965 tons. The mainstay of the Federation's Combat Armor forces, the Roundfacer is versatile and easy to produce. Its service runs right up to the final fight against the rebellion. In terms of weapons it has a 25mm chain gun in each wrist, a 9-tube missile pod on the right shoulder, and can wield either a hand linear gun which acts as a giant machine gun or a mag launcher which acts as a giant grenade launcher. The left shoulder is armed with a shield. Roundfacers can be stripped of their armor for a camouflage suit in heavy foliage terrain. For aerial assaults it can be given a giant hang glider.
**Soltic H8-RF "Korchima Special" (24th Battalion Custom): Height: 10.09 m. Weight: 21.004 tons. This is an upgraded version of the Roundfacer, and only four of them are produced, and used by am elite Federation unit known as the ''Korchima Battalion''. It incorporates a Laser on its forearm in-place of the Roundfacer's Linear Gun, and a powerpack for extended service. The Korchima Special is arguably more powerful than the Dougram, although Cashim's piloting skills gives him the upper-hand. Like standard Roundfacers these can be given a giant hang glider for aerial assaults.
*"Dougram": Height: 9.63 m. Weight: 20.120 tons. Exclusively developed by Samlin, the Dougram is based on the Federation's Roundfacer, and is able to use parts from salvaged Roundfacers to keep it running. During the series, the Dougram is customized for various missions, such as utilizing a Hang Glider like the Roundfacer, or a set of anti-aircraft guns to combat the Federation Duey helicopters that Cashim faces all-throughout the series. Its primary weapons consist of a linear gun on the right arm, a chaingun in the left arm, and can be given a turbopack for high jumping and has a large linear cannon that can be mounted on the left shoulder. The final version is known as the ''JAGD Type'' which replaces a set of smoke launchers on the sides of its head with a rocket pod similar to those mounted on the Roundfacer.
*Abitate T-10B "Blockhead": Height: 11.78 m. Weight: 31.102 tons. Really a prototype than a production model, this version of the Blockhead sports a red paint job and appears in a group of three that surprise the Deloyer 7 team. In terms of weapons it is armed with a mag launcher which acts like a giant grenade launcher or a double barreled anti-armor rifle, a 6-tube missile launcher on the left shoulder, and a double barreled machine gun turret on the head. Future Blockheads appear as the ''C Type''.
**Abitate T-10C "Blockhead": When the ''B Type'' proved successful, the Federation mass-produces the ''C Type'', and it becomes one of the main weapons used by the Federation alongside its Roundfacer units.
*Soltic H-102 "Bushman": Height: 9.38 m. Weight: 18.951 tons. A light-weight Combat Armor originally designed for mountainous terrain. In terms of weapon it has a 6-tube bullet pod on each side of their head and a mag launcher which acts as a giant grenade launcher. The left shoulder is armed with a shield.
*Soltic H404S "Mackerel": Height: 8.7 m. Weight: 19.917 tons. The only amphibious Combat Armor shown in the series, and is used in conjunction with the Federation's Naval Fleets and during a massive D-Day type of landing against rebel forces. In terms of weapons it has a pair of 7-tube missile launchers in the abdomen and eight anti-armor guns in each wrist due to the arms being so large they could not operate normal combat armor firearms. It was capable of swimming up to 24 knots while underwater.
Third Generation
*Soltic HT-128 "Bigfoot": Height: 11.64 m. Weight: 27.043 tons. The largest and most powerful design of the Combat Armors developed by the Federation, it is used in winter conditions high up on the Kalnock mountain range. In terms of weapons they had a double barreled anti-armor rifle, a pair of smoke dispensers on each side of the neck base, and a 6-tube rocket pod on the left side of the head. While able to contribute to rebel losses, they were are unable to defeat the Dougram.
*Hasty F4X "Ironfoot": Height: 8.94 m. Weight: 29.963 tons. Originally a Federation design, the rebellion incorporates a number of them when an entire Federation army group switches sides during the conflict and joins the rebellion. In terms of weapons it had a linear gun on the right arm, a 9-tube missile pod on the left shoulder, and three smoke dispensers on the left side of the torso. It also goes by the nickname "Hasty".
*Abitate F35C "Blizzard Gunner": Height: 10.368 m. Weight: 29.65 tons. Deployed late in the series, the Blizzard Gunner becomes one of the main weapons used by the Federation in the region of Kalnock. In terms of weapons it has a linear gun on the main body, a 7-tube missile pod at the top, a 30mm cannon on the left side of their front, and three smoke dispensers on each side of the body.
Influence
''Dougram'' was one of the first successors to the "
Real Robot
Mecha anime and manga, known in Japan as and , are anime and manga that feature robots (mecha) in battle. The genre is broken down into two subcategories; "super robot", featuring super-sized, implausible robots, and "real robot", where robots are ...
" genre created by ''
Mobile Suit Gundam
, also known as ''First Gundam'', ''Gundam 0079'' or simply ''Gundam '79'', is an anime television series, produced and animated by Nippon Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcastin ...
''. The popular mechanical designer
Kunio Okawara
is a mechanical designer in the Japanese anime industry. Okawara was the first in the industry to be specifically credited as a mechanical designer. He designed mecha for the ''Gundam'' and ''Brave Series'' franchises, as well as those of numerou ...
produced the designs for both shows. ''Dougram'' featured a similar plot centered around a small team fighting a running battle with a powerful enemy, using an advanced giant robotic prototype combat armor. The show was a surprise success, especially considering the heavy emphasis on military tactics which slowed the pace of the story, and further confirmed that military 'giant robot' science-fiction was here to stay. Takahashi and Sunrise would go on create a follow-up series, ''
Armored Trooper Votoms
is a Japanese military science fiction mecha anime series produced by Nippon Sunrise, created and directed by Ryosuke Takahashi and featuring mechanical designs by Kunio Okawara. Following directly in the footsteps of Takahashi' ...
'', which used similar styling and themes but was otherwise unrelated in plot, characters or setting.
Merchandising
Toymaker
Takara
Takara Co., Ltd. (株式会社タカラ) was a Japanese toy company founded in 1955. In March 2006, the company merged with Tomy Co., Ltd. to form Takara Tomy. The Takara motto was 遊びは文化」("playing is culture").
Products Toys
In 1 ...
was the show's main licensee. They made a very successful plastic
model kit
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
series, a large number of
diecast toys, and also released several strategy
wargames
''WarGames'' is a 1983 American science fiction techno-thriller film written by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes and directed by John Badham. The film, which stars Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, and Ally Sheedy, follow ...
set in the ''Dougram'' world. The latter included tiny, unpainted diecast combat armors as playing pieces; additional scale accessories were available separately.
The diecast toys were produced in three sizes. The 1:144 scale "Collection Series" featured a hollow diecast body and leg structure, with plastic detail parts. The "Dual Model Series" (in two scales, 1:72 and 1:48) featured a zinc-diecast
endoskeleton
An endoskeleton (From Greek ἔνδον, éndon = "within", "inner" + σκελετός, skeletos = "skeleton") is an internal support structure of an animal, composed of mineralized tissue.
Overview
An endoskeleton is a skeleton that is on the ...
upon which plastic armor pieces were attached. Although the imported toys were physically identical to the Japanese ones, the packages were modified for American shelves. The 1:144 scale boxes had sleeves to be hung from pegs, while the larger toys had English-language stickers glued over the original boxes.
Takara also produced a magnetically jointed Dougram and several soft-vinyl toys. Although the vinyls did not have specific scales, they appeared to be between 1:100 and 1:60 scale. Toy manufacturer Seven, a Takara spin-off devoted to low-end toys, produced several plastic and rubber Dougram toys as well.
Dougram appeared in the ''Harobots'' games alongside crab gunners and roundfacers. Dougram and both enemy combat armors reappeared in ''
Brave Saga'' with more combat armors appearing in ''Brave Saga 2'' including Desert Gunners, Cabarov, and Blockheads as well as MP-2 Dueys.
Release outside Japan
Neither the film nor the television series were released in
North America. However, plastic
model kit
A model is an informative representation of an object, person or system. The term originally denoted the plans of a building in late 16th-century English, and derived via French and Italian ultimately from Latin ''modulus'', a measure.
Models c ...
manufacturer
Revell
Revell GmbH is an American-origin manufacturer of plastic scale models, currently based in Bünde. The original Revell company merged with Monogram in 1986, becoming "Revell-Monogram". The business operated until 2007, when American Revell was ...
released many of Takara's ''Dougram'' kits as characters in their ''
Robotech Defenders
The Robotech Defenders are a line of scale model kits released by Revell during the early 1980s with an accompanying limited comic series published by DC Comics. Contrary to what their name seems to imply, the "'Robotech Defenders'" are not part ...
'' series, and Takara sold much of their
diecast toy line through American toy stores in the mid-1980s.
In the mid-1980s,
American gaming company
FASA Corporation
Fasa ( fa, فسا, Fasā, also Romanized as Fassa) is a city and capital of Fasa County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 110,825, in 33,379 families. Fasa is the fourth most populous city of the province. The city date ...
used the vehicle designs of the show for its ''
Battletech
''BattleTech'' is a wargaming and military science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2001, which was in turn acquired by Topps in 2003; and published since 2007 by Catalyst Game Labs. The tradema ...
'' miniature
wargame
A wargame is a strategy game in which two or more players command opposing armed forces in a realistic simulation of an armed conflict. Wargaming may be played for recreation, to train military officers in the art of strategic thinking, or to s ...
and
role-playing game. The first edition, then named ''BattleDroids'', actually included two
Japanese 1/144 model kits from ''Dougram''.
FASA
Fasa ( fa, فسا, Fasā, also Romanized as Fassa) is a city and capital of Fasa County, Fars Province, Iran. At the 2016 census, its population was 110,825, in 33,379 families. Fasa is the fourth most populous city of the province. The city date ...
was later sued by
Playmates Toys
Playmates Toys Limited is a Hong Kong toy company. The company was founded in Hong Kong in 1966 by Sam Chan as Playmates Industrial, manufacturing dolls for other companies. In 1975, Playmates began marketing their own line of pre-school toys, ...
and
Harmony Gold USA
Harmony Gold USA, Inc. was an American film and television production company. It was founded in 1983 by Egyptian-born Frank Agrama and is managed by his daughter, Jehan F. Agrama.
In 1976, Agrama sold broadcast rights from Paramount Pictures ...
for using designs from ''
Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and th ...
'' (for example, ''Valkyrie'' fighters renamed ''Stinger'', ''Wasp'' and ''Phoenix Hawk'').
Catalyst Game Labs website: "Sometimes Things Just Don't Go As We Want Them To"
/ref> The lawsuit was settled and as a result, post-lawsuit ''Battletech
''BattleTech'' is a wargaming and military science fiction franchise launched by FASA Corporation in 1984, acquired by WizKids in 2001, which was in turn acquired by Topps in 2003; and published since 2007 by Catalyst Game Labs. The tradema ...
'' products no longer feature the designs taken from ''Macross
is a Japanese science fiction mecha anime media franchise/ media mix, created by Studio Nue (most prominently mecha designer, writer and producer Shōji Kawamori) and Artland in 1982. The franchise features a fictional history of Earth and th ...
''. However, in the years since, the designs from ''Macross'', ''Dougram'', and ''Crusher Joe
is a series of science fiction novels written by Haruka Takachiho and published by Asahi Sonorama from 1977 to 2005 (an additional trilogy was published between 2013 and 2016). During the late 1970s one of the founding fathers of Studi ...
'' have since been re-introduced, albeit with completely original artwork.
The ''Dougram'' tabletop battling game also came out in 1984, the same year ''Battletech'' (''BattleDroids'') was released in America.
See also
* ''Dallos
is a science fiction OVA series released in 1983. It was conceptualized by Hisayuki Toriumi, who also wrote the script and directed it with Mamoru Oshii. It is widely considered not only the first OVA released but also the first animated dir ...
''
References
External links
*
{{Sunrise films
1981 anime television series debuts
1983 anime films
Mecha anime and manga
Real robot anime and manga
Sunrise (company)
Bandai Namco franchises