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Dino Mech Gaiking (TV 1/1976)

Have you seen this? want to / seen some / seen all

Alternative title:
Daikū Maryū Gaiking (Japanese)
Festival de los Robots: El Gladiador (Spanish)
Gaiking
Gaiking Il Robot Guerriero (Italian)
Great Sky Dragon Gaiking
Великий Небесный Дракон Гайкинг (Russian)
大空魔竜ガイキング (Japanese)
Themes: mecha
Objectionable content: Mild
Plot Summary:
Earth is still in danger: aliens from planet Zeraz are willing to invade our planet because theirs is being swallowed by a Black Hole. Led by Great Darius and his four generals, they begin seeding death and destruction. When an ESP warrior is killed by aliens, professor Hi-Tech understands the danger and builds the huge Space Dragon (Daiku Maryu) piloted by Pete, and the gint robot Gaiking whose pilot is Sanshiro Shiwobuki, an ex-baseball player. Daiku Maryu is a big dragon shaped spaceship and his head is the Gaiking torso. When the Gaiking enters the action, Daiku Maryu launches other Gaiking's components and then it re-unite neck with tail, becoming unbreakable.
The story chronicled the battle between the crew of the semi-transformable carrier Daikū Maryū and the Super Mecha Gaiking against an invading race of aliens from the planet Zela, whose home planet is facing destruction by a black hole. The robot Gaiking was piloted by a baseball star named Sanshiro Tsuwabuki (Sanshiro's name was changed to Aries Astonopolis for the English version of the show with the carrier being called the "Great Space Dragon", a literal translation of "Daikū Maryū". Gaiking was notable for being one of the few super robot series to take place in real places outside of Japan, and for being the first Super Robot series to have a mobile carrier for the chief robots.
User Ratings: 41 ratings have been given [details]
 Masterpiece: 1 vote (sub:1)
 Excellent: 5 votes (sub:4, dub:1)
 Very good: 7 votes (dub:3, sub:2, raw:1, others:1
1 Spanish dubbed
)
 Good: 13 votes (sub:6, dub:3, edit.dub:2, ?:1, others:1
1 Spanish dubbed
)
 Decent: 8 votes (sub:5, ?:1, dub:1, others:1
1 Spanish dubbed
)
 So-so: 5 votes (sub:3, raw:1, others:1
1 Italian dubbed
)
 Not really good: 1 vote (others:1
1 Indonesian dubbed
)
 Weak: -
 Bad: -
 Awful: -
 Worst ever: 1 vote (sub:1)
Seen in part or in whole by 110 users, rank: #4987 (of 9535)
Median rating: Good
Arithmetic mean: 6.805 (Good−), std. dev.: 1.7139, rank: #4610 (of 9642)
Weighted mean: 6.854 (Good), rank: #4265 (of 9642) (seen all: 7.19 / seen some: 6.16 / won't finish: 5.71)
Bayesian estimate: 7.013 (Good), rank: #3293 (of 7243)
Running time: half hour per episode
Number of episodes: 44
Episode titles: We have 44
Vintage:
1976-04-01 to 1977-01-27
1986 (Colombia - Cadena Uno)
Opening Theme:
"Daikū Maryū Gaiking" (大空魔竜ガイキング; Dino Mech Gaiking) by Isao Sasaki, Columbia Yurikago-kai and Koorogi '73
Ending Theme:
"Hoshizora no Gaiking" (星空のガイキング; Gaiking in the Starry Sky) by Isao Sasaki
Official website:
Links: We have 2
Trivia: We have 3
Comment:
When the series was first aired in Japan, Toei Animation credited Kunio Nakatani, Akio Sugino, and Dan Kobayashi as its original creators to avoid paying royalties to Go Nagai, the series real creator. This resulted in a legal battle between Nagai and Toei that lasted for 10 years.
Licensed in 1980 by Jim Terry Productions as part of the Force Five series.
News: Show:
In Memoriam (Dec 31, 2009)
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Blu-ray (Region A)
    Dino Mech Gaiking - The Complete TV Series (Sub.Blu-ray) 2023-01-31 (from $49.95)
DVD (Region 1)
    Gaiking - The Movie Collection (Dub.DVD) 2013-01-15 (from $39.99)
    Dino Mech Gaiking - The Complete Original TV Series (Sub.DVD) 2016-06-21 (from $59.95)

Japanese staff
Japanese cast
Director: Tomoharu Katsumata
Series Composition: Masao Maruyama
Scenario: Masao Maruyama
Script: Kunio Sakatani 
Screenplay:
Haruya Yamazaki (15 episodes
eps 3, 7, 10-11, 16, 19, 21, 25-31 odd, 34-36, 41
)

Hikaru Arai (ep 17)
Shōzō Uehara (16 episodes
eps 2, 4, 6, 13-14, 18, 22-24, 30, 33, 37, 39, 42-44
)

Sōji Yoshikawa (9 episodes
eps 5, 12, 15, 20, 26, 28, 32, 38, 40
)

Susumu Takaku (eps 1, 8-9, 17)
Yū Yamamoto (ep 8)
Unit Director:
Akinori Ōrai (11 episodes
eps 2, 5, 10, 17, 21, 24, 31, 34, 41, 43-44
)

Hideo Takayashiki (eps 11, 18)
Kunihiko Okazaki (eps 20, 39)
Masamune Ochiai (ep 7)
Masayuki Akehi (ep 38)
Shuji Iuchi (5 episodes
eps 6, 23, 25, 30, 36
)

Takeshi Shirato (eps 4, 9, 13-14)
Tomoharu Katsumata (5 episodes
eps 1, 8, 16, 26, 35
)

Yasuo Yamayoshi (7 episodes
eps 15, 19, 22, 28, 33, 39, 42
)

Yōichi Kominato (eps 3, 12)
Yūgo Serikawa (4 episodes
eps 27, 32, 37, 40
)

Original creator:
Akio Sugino
Dan Kobayashi
Gō Nagai
Mitsuru Kaneko (as Kunio Nakatani)
Character Design:
Akio Sugino (original concept design)
Kazuo Komatsubara
Takeshi Shirato (settings)
Animation Director:
Akio Sugino (eps 11, 18)
Kiyomu Fukuda (ep 3)
Masamune Ochiai (5 episodes
eps 7, 12, 23, 27, 33
)

Masayuki Uchiyama (eps 4, 9)
Moriyasu Taniguchi (7 episodes
eps 2, 8, 15, 19, 24, 28, 39
)

Takeshi Shirato (14 episodes
eps 1, 6, 13-14, 16, 20, 22, 25, 30, 32, 35-36, 38, 43
)

Takuo Noda (7 episodes
eps 5, 10, 17, 21, 26, 31, 41
)

Yoshinobu Aohachi (eps 37, 40)
Yoshinori Kanada (eps 34, 44)
Yuki Kinoshita (ep 42)
Mechanical design: Dan Kobayashi (original concept design)
Animation:
Akio Sugino (OP, ED)
Kumiko Kitahara (ep 6)
Editing: Masaaki Hanai
Key Animation:
Takuo Noda (eps 34, 44)
Yoshiaki Kawajiri (OP)
Yoshinori Kanada (7 episodes
eps 5, 10, 17, 21, 26, 31, 41
)

Music Selection: Shigeru Miyashita
Production manager: Yoshiro Sugawara
Recording: Hideyuki Tanaka
Sound Effects: Akihiko Matsuda
Theme Song Composition: Shunsuke Kikuchi
Theme Song Lyrics: Kogo Hotomi
Theme Song Performance:
Columbia Yurikago-kai (OP)
Isao Sasaki (OP)
Koorogi '73 (OP)
Akira Kamiya as Sanshirou Tsuwabuki

Hidekatsu Shibata as
Dr. Daimonji
General Desmont
Kan Tokumaru as
Dr. Dunkel
Fan Li
Keaton Yamada as
Gen Sakon
General Killer (eps 6-44)
Kenichi Ogata as
Bunta Hayami
Emperor Darius
Makio Inoue as Peter Richardson
Mami Koyama as Midori Fujiyama (debut)
Noriko Tsukase as Hachiro
Osamu Katō as
General Asimov
Yamagatake

Eiko Masuyama as Emelda (ep 40)
Jouji Yanami as
Captain Po (ep 32)
Madmad (ep 11)
Kaneta Kimotsuki as Chin (ep 39)
Kazuko Sugiyama as Lisa (ep 8)
Keiichi Noda as #803 (ep 3)
Makio Inoue as General Killer (eps 1-5)
Mami Koyama as Lasa (ep 3)
Masako Nozawa as Tom Richardson (ep 9)
Masatō Ibu as
Cain (ep 31)
Dr. Sun (ep 18)
Nobuyo Tsuda as Witch Doctor (ep 36)
Noriaki Wakamoto as Chan Mei (ep 39)
Noriko Ohara as Erica (ep 21)
Noriko Tsukase as Rosa (ep 3)
Takeshi Watabe as Wilder (ep 34)
Yūji Mitsuya as George (ep 18)
Japanese companies
Film Developing: Toei Chemical Industry
Music Production: Columbia Music Entertainment
Production Cooperation: Sunrise
English staff
English cast
Director: William Winckler (WW Dub)
Translation: Elizabeth Ellis (Discotek)
Executive producer:
J.F. Oya (WW Dub)
Kōzō Morishita (WW Dub)
William Winckler (WW Dub)
Producer:
Jim Terry
Michael Gonzales (WW Dub)

Additional Subtitle Editing: Salvatore Marrone (Discotek)
DVD Producer: Cliff MacMillan (WW Dub; Shout! Factory DVD)
Editing:
John Sudderth (WW Dub)
Michael Champey (WW Dub)
Sharon Rutter (WW Dub)
Illustration: Eamon O'Donoghue (WW Dub; Shout! Factory DVD)
Menu Design: David Hood (Discotek)
Packaging Design:
Andrew Robinson (WW Dub; Shout! Factory DVD)
David Hood (Discotek)
Subtitle Timing: Elizabeth Ellis (Discotek)
Barbara Goodson as Midori Fujiyama (Nebula; Uncredited; Force Five; ep 1)
Marieve Herington as Midori Fujiyama (WW Dub)
Marla Scott Frumkin as Midori Fujiyama (Nebula; Uncredited; Force Five; eps 2-26)
Richard Rossner as Sanshiro Tsuwabuki (Aries Astonopolis; Uncredited; Force Five)
William Winckler as Sanshiro Tsuwabuki (WW Dub)

Barbara Goodson as Hachiro (Bobby; Uncredited; Force Five; ep 1)
G. Larry Butler as Dr. Daimonji (WW Dub)
John Hostetter as
Dr. Daimonji (Professor Hightech; Uncredited; Force Five; eps 1-25)
Narrator (Uncredited; Force Five)
Pete Richardson (Uncredited; Force Five)
Marla Scott Frumkin as Hachiro (Bobby; Uncredited; Force Five; eps 2-26)
Paul Oberle as Pete Richardson (WW Dub)
Richard Rossner as Emperor Darius (Uncredited; Force Five)
Robert Axelrod as Emperor Darius (WW Dub)
Robert Tousignant as Hachiro (WW Dub)

Bradford Hill (WW Dub)
David Gerrold (WW Dub)
Donald F. Glut (WW Dub)
Kimberly Woods (WW Dub)
Kyle Rea (WW Dub)
Larry Butler (WW Dub)
Paul Oberle (WW Dub)
Shy Pilgreen (WW Dub)
English companies
ADR Production: William Winckler Productions (2009)
Broadcaster: Syndicated
Internet Streaming:
ShoutFactory TV
Tubi TV
Licensed by:
Discotek Media (2015)
Jim Terry Productions (License expired)
Shout! Factory (2012)
Production: Toei Animation (2009 William Winckler Productions dub)
Spanish staff
Spanish companies
Theme Song Performance: Guillermo Aguirre (a.k.a Santiago)
Broadcaster:
Cadena Uno (Colombia)
Gamavisión (Ecuador, 2020)
TV Patín (Ecuador, expired)
Distributor: Cau Cau - Pro Pu Eve Ltda. (Latin America)
Soundtrack: Saban Records
Spanish cast
Edgar Wald as Fan Li
Jesus Barrero as Brandon (Sanshiro Tsuwabuki)
Maru Guzmán as Marissa Morgan/Midori Fujiyama
Italian cast
Italian staff
Dubbing Director: Gabriella Rasero (from ep 27 on)
Script: Marco Danieli (from ep 27 on)
Translation: Amanda Ronzoni (from ep 27 on)
Francesco Bulckaen as Sanshiro Suwabuki (eps 27-44)
Romano Malaspina as Sanshiro Suwabuki (eps 1-26)

Willy Moser as Fan Li

Alessio Puccio as Hachiro (eps 27-44)
Andrea Lala as Desmon (eps 1-26)
Carlo Reali as Dankel (1st voice; eps 1-26)
Dario De Grassi as Black Darius
Diego Michelotti as Killer (eps 1-26)
Diego Reggente as Dottor Daimoji (eps 1-26)
Erasmo Lo Presto as Dankel
Fabrizio Latini Vidale as Hakiro (eps 1-26)
Fabrizio Vidale as Hakiro
Federica De Bortoli as Midori Fujiyama (eps 27-44)
Giorgio Locuratolo as Black Darius (eps 1-26)
Guido Sagliocca as Ashmov (1st voice)
Laura Boccanera as Midori Fujiyama (eps 1-26)
Leo Valeriano as
Dankel (2nd voice; eps 1-26)
Yamatake
Luciano Marchitiello as Narratore (eps 27-44)
Luigi Ferraro as Bunta Hayami (eps 27-44)
Massimiliano Alto as Sakon (eps 27-44)
Massimo Rossi as Peat Richardson (eps 1-26)
Maurizio Romano as Fanli (eps 27-44)
Monica Gravina as Lisa
Nanni Baldini as Yamatake (eps 27-44)
Oliviero Dinelli as Sakon (2nd voice)
Pierluigi Astore as Black Darius (eps 27-44)
Renzo Stacchi as Ashmov (eps 1-26)
Riccardo Rossi as
Pella (eps 1-26)
Tony (eps 1-26)
Rino Bolognesi as Dottor Daimoji (eps 27-44)
Roberto Del Giudice as Bunta Hayami (eps 1-26)
Rodolfo Bianchi as Sakon (eps 1-26)
Stefano Crescentini as Peat Richardson (eps 27-44)
Italian companies
Broadcaster:
GBR (from 1979)
Italia 7
Quinta Rete (from 1994)
Tele Milano (from 1979)
Distributor:
Cinitalia Edizioni (eps 1-26)
Yamato Video (Italy)
Dubbing:
Cinitalia Edizioni (eps 1-26)
Promovision (from ep 27 on)
Tagalog staff
Tagalog companies
(none)
Broadcaster: MBS-4
Tagalog cast
(none)

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