Of Giant Robots and Alien Invaders

So I have in my DVD collection (MCS edition) a large number of anime series. I am most proud of my Shin Getter Robo and Mazinkaiser DVDs, since I grew up watching the forefathers of these relatively new animes.

Shin Getter Robo and Mazinkaiser are remakes of the popular Go Nagai cartoons Getter Robo and Mazinger Z. Although the new releases are so far off the original story that I am sort of confused with what's going on. Take, for example, Shin Getter Robo. In the series I got (Armageddon) there are dozens of Getters strewn about. I thought there was only supposed to be one? And in Mazinkaiser there were already two Mazingers in action before the former arrived.

Not that I mind, it makes the story more real to have more than one giant robot. It's just that I'm only starting to catch up with their stories now. So I have to do "research" online to find out what I missed.

Fortunately not all of them are related, story-wise. I think Shin Getter Armageddon's story is not connected to the original. At least I think that way because I know Benkei died in the original and was replaced by Musashi. Plus in Shin Getter Robo vs Neo Getter Robo, Musashi dies too. Well, he does die in Armageddon, leaving Benkei the lone Getter 3 pilot.

I'm starting to ramble here.

Anyway I just finished watching all Mazinkaiser and Getter Robo DVD's I have and I must say that the art is awesome. There's something about anime that I really enjoy, specially the style of art shown in the anime I watched. Heavy trace lines, nice colors.

And the perspective when the super robots pose. Ahh. I know when they are drawn that all rules of perspective and foreshortening are broken, but there's something about the way they pose. You know the perspective isn't right, but the way they pose is still so damn heroic. And awe inspiring. Makes me want to draw again.

I feel lucky that I was born when I was. I know there will be more improvements in the future that I may not get to experience, but now is the perfect time to be alive. You have a wide collection of DVDs available (in MCS and also the legit kind). And you can find almost anything you want on DVD. Cartoons, TV series, old movies, NBA games, wrestling, and others.

But back to the topic.

I noticed that in both Mazinkaiser and Shin Getter we always end up fighting some sort of alien invader. And I find it strange that only one (or a few) super robots can hold off a huge-ass horde of alien invaders. Why do they strike one robot at a time? What are our giant robots made of? How come they don't blow up as easily as our airplanes and why can't we make airplanes made of the same metal as the giant robots?

Coming from a fan these questions are stupid. You're supposed to suspend your disbelief and enjoy the show. But if you ever want to make a parody of super robots then you could probably think those questions and add them to the story.

That's it. Off to breakfast.

Out.