is an
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, 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 Japane ...
series
within
Within may refer to:
* ''Within'' (William Joseph album) (2004), by pianist William Joseph
* ''Within'' (Embraced album) (2000), by Swedish melodic black metal band Embraced
* Within (company), a virtual reality content and technology company ba ...
the
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, 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 Japane ...
series ''
Martian Successor Nadesico
, sometimes referred to as simply , is a Japanese anime television series produced by TV Tokyo, Yomiko Advertising and Xebec and directed by Tatsuo SatÅ, with manga artist Kia Asamiya providing original character designs, Keiji Gotoh servin ...
'' that plays a critical part in the plot thereof. Gekiganger III was designed to mimic 1970s Super Robots, especially ''
Getter Robo
is a Japanese mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. The manga was seriali ...
''. Initially, only
Gai Daigoji and
Akito Tenkawa
The following is a list of characters from the Japanese manga and anime ''Martian Successor Nadesico''. Character names are listed in Western order, with the given names preceding the surnames.
Nadesico crewmembers
;
:
: Born on Mars and ...
are depicted as enjoying the series. Later in the series,
Hikaru Amano becomes the other resident anime fanatic, and towards the end of the series everyone on the ship learns to love the series.
Story
''Gekiganger III'' exists only as brief clips within ''Nadesico'', but a basic storyline can nonetheless be determined. As seen in the
OVA
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
, the story began with Professor Kokubunji (a character similar to the professors seen in other Super Robot series, such as Professor Saotome of ''
Getter Robo
is a Japanese mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. The manga was seriali ...
'') discovering cave paintings somewhere underground placed by the "Super Paleolithic people". The paintings predicted that the Kyo'akk Empire would invade the Earth, and provided plans for a super robot, Gekiganger III.
Other clips seen throughout ''Nadesico'' establish the characters and setting. The main characters, and pilots of the titular robot, are Tenku Ken (A reference to Voltes V's sword name), Umitsubame Joe, and Daichi Akira. The characters are similar in appearance and personality to the Getter Team from ''
Getter Robo
is a Japanese mecha media franchise created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. An anime television series produced by Toei Animation was broadcast on Fuji TV from April 4, 1974, to May 8, 1975, with a total of 51 episodes. The manga was seriali ...
'', as well as having counterparts in ''Nadesico'' itself (most prominently Gai and the Jovian robot pilots).
Also similar to ''Getter'' is the Gekiganger robot, which is made up of three machines: the Gekiga Jet, piloted by Ken; the Gekiga Marine, piloted by Joe; and the Gekiga Tank, piloted by Akira. The names of the machines are similar to three of the component parts of
Combattler V, bringing another 70s mecha anime into the influence on the series.
Like ''Getter'', the machines assemble in three different ways to form three robots: Gekiganger III is formed with ''Jet'' as the head and torso, ''Marine'' as its waist and upper legs, and ''Tank'' as its lower legs, and is similar to ''Getter 1'' in its preference for air combat. Umiganger is formed with ''Marine'' as the head and torso, ''Tank'' as the waist and ''Jet'' as the legs, and is the fastest, but weakest, form of Gekiganger. Finally, Rikuganger is formed with ''Tank'' as the head and torso, ''Jet'' as the waist and ''Marine'' as the legs, and is slow but has great brute strength. These last two, however, switch their best areas of battle from ''Getter Robo'': Umiganger works best underwater and Rikuganger works more on land, whereas Getter 2 was the land-based robot and Getter 3 was for water in that series.
The villains of ''Gekiganger'' are the Kyo'akk Empire, an alien race from the "Dark String Universe" (a galaxy shaped like the
infinity
Infinity is that which is boundless, endless, or larger than any natural number. It is often denoted by the infinity symbol .
Since the time of the ancient Greeks, the philosophical nature of infinity was the subject of many discussions amo ...
symbol). They are led by the Emperor Hyperion, and under him Prince Akara. Throughout ''Nadesico'' we see that Akara sends out many "mecha-monsters" to fight Gekiganger.
There are only a few major plot advancements that occur in ''Gekiganger'', many of which are actually shown out of order in ''Nadesico''. In one clip, a new character, Cowboy Johnny is introduced. He is from America, and pilots the "Texas Robo" machine, an obvious parody of Jack King and the "Texas Mack" from ''Getter Robo''. Another clip features the death of Akara's
sidekick
A sidekick is a slang expression for a close companion or colleague (not necessarily in fiction) who is, or is generally regarded as, subordinate to the one they accompany.
Some well-known fictional sidekicks are Don Quixote's Sancho Panza, ...
, Mii-e Mii-e who was in love with the oblivious prince. Akara himself is killed later after infiltrating a highschool finding to his shock that humans are capable of emotions.
By far the most important plot moment in ''Gekiganger'' is the death of Joe, at the hands of Prince Akara's replacement, General Masaka. In ''Nadesico'', seeing this scene is a major bonding moment between Akito and Gai, and it is seen and heard several times in the first few episodes.
The characters continue to watch ''Gekiganger'' past this point, though not much is known about the remainder of the series. Joe is replaced by a new character, Ryuuzaki Tetsuya, and the Gekiganger III is replaced by Gekiganger V. (Like ''Combattler V'', the V is pronounced as the letter V; the English dub, however, referred to it as "Gekiganger 5"). Eventually, it is seen that Masaka is defeated. The final episode features a battle between the Gekiganger V (upgraded into "Spaceganger") and Emperor Hyperion, which Gekiganger is losing until the original Gekiganger III appears, piloted by Joe. With a final Super Passion Slash and Double Gekigan Fire, Hyperion is defeated. However, by this point most of the ''Nadesico'' characters have given up their fanaticism over Gekiganger; several characters criticize the ending.
OVA
The ''Gekiganger III'' OVA, "Hot-Blooded Great Battle!" includes all clips of ''Gekiganger'' shown in ''Nadesico'', a few never-before-seen clips, and a new "movie" featuring a battle between Gekiganger III and the Super Paleolithic people who designed it. Akara is also seen here, but later allies himself with the heroes against their common enemy. The opening mimics that of
Mazinger Z vs. The Great General of Darkness
is a 1974 Japanese mecha anime, mecha animated film that served as an alternative link between the ''Mazinger Z'' series and the ''Great Mazinger'' series. It basically introduces Great Mazinger to the audience, as well as his enemies from the M ...
, showing pictures of Gekiganger III that children drew, and involves a similar plotline to that movie as well.
Gekiganger within Nadesico
As ''Nadesico'' progresses, we find that the very reason the Jovians (who are really humans) are attacking Earth is because they believe their cause to be just and that their path is the only true righteous one as they idolize the Gekiganger anime series. Toward the end, even Captain
Yurika Misumaru
The following is a list of characters from the Japanese manga and anime ''Martian Successor Nadesico''. Character names are listed in Western order, with the given names preceding the surnames.
Nadesico crewmembers
;
:
: Born on Mars and ...
is a Gekiganger
otaku
is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...
. In the end, the Gekiganger series becomes a lesson on why people should not be narrow minded and think that their point of view is that of everyone else. That their moral code is the only one. A lot of violence and death occurs as a result of the Jovian's adaptation of this point of view into their society and their leader's attempts to preserve this adapted moral code.
Episode 14 of ''Nadesico'', ''Let's go with hot-blooded anime'', is both a recap episode for that series and an episode of ''Gekiganger III''. In that episode, the characters from ''Gekiganger'' watch ''Nadesicos recap episode and comment on it at times. Both the heroes and villains of ''Gekiganger'' draw inspiration from ''Nadesico'' for their new technologies, with Prince Akara copying the Nadesico's distortion field and Professor Kokubunji countering it with the Gekigan Flare, which he later admits was inspired by ''Nadesico''. At the end of the episode, the ''Nadesico'' crew is seen watching the ''Gekiganger'' episode. Despite the continuity paradoxes this relationship causes, this episode is apparently
canon
Canon or Canons may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base
* Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture
** Western ca ...
to ''Gekiganger'', if not to ''Nadesico'', as Akara uses the distortion field again in the movie. The comments made by
Ruri Hoshino
The following is a list of characters from the Japanese manga and anime ''Martian Successor Nadesico''. Character names are listed in Western order, with the given names preceding the surnames.
Nadesico crewmembers
;
:
: Born on Mars and o ...
in regards to the story and how the next episode will get back on track with it at the end of the episode along with the fact that the placing of the episode seems odd giving the events in the episodes before and after episode 14. seem to suggest the Nadesico episode being non-canon at the very least.
See also
*
Story within a story
A story within a story, also referred to as an embedded narrative, is a literary device in which a character within a story becomes the narrator of a second story (within the first one). Multiple layers of stories within stories are sometimes c ...
*
Kujibiki Unbalance
is a three-episode original video animation spin-off of ''Genshiken'' series, as well as a series of three light novels by ''Genshiken'' anime collaborator Michiko Yokote. Within the world of ''Genshiken'', however, ''Kujibiki Unbalance'' ...
External links
*
{{Xebec films
1998 anime OVAs
Anime spin-offs
Comedy anime and manga
Fictional television shows
Martian Successor Nadesico
Super robot anime and manga
Xebec (studio)