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The Mike Toole Show - Super Robot Island: Dork of the Moon


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Otaku_X



Joined: 25 Nov 2008
Posts: 298
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:47 pm Reply with quote
Machine Robo was Bandai, not Tomy.
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treatment



Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 149
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:55 pm Reply with quote
Mechander's actually a 70's show, Mike. That's why it's still awesome, with its catchy themesong and shark missiles...

Anyway, aside from Voltron (Lion and Vehicle), I don't think the 80's produced much of any of the super robots anymore. At least, not anything actually memorable to me, anyway.

I think the mechas totally replaced the super-robots in the 80's.

Ya know, VF-1, Orguss, Gundam, ScopeDog, etc, etc...

Very Happy
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15279
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 7:55 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
I should love any movie with giant robots in it, right?


What about G-Savior? Rolling Eyes

Quote:
What was your favorite obscure super robot show of the 80s?


Dunno about my favorite, but the ones I want to see here are Raideen, Xabungle, and Jeeg. And that Getter Robo OAV with the cowboy mecha.
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PlainPersonoftheInternet



Joined: 03 Jul 2011
Posts: 2
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:35 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
What about G-Savior?


Hey, don't be hating on what might be one of the most original entry
into Gundam.

Anyway, nice article Mike. 70/80's super robots shows were love, and it is a shame there are not more uncut releases in the US.

As for my obscure 80's super robot show, Del Power X would have to take that position. As it features a robot german-suplexing another robot.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 8:55 pm Reply with quote
I wanted to watch Time Stranger, but I feel like it'd make much more of an impact if I actually knew the show. Too bad only two episodes of GoShogun were subbed that I could find. But I suppose that gives enough background to help understand the setting and characters...

As for other things that were dearly missed, Zambot 3 I've been told is probably one of the best things Tomino ever did. Kind of subverting the super hero robot idea years before that was popular. It's rather interesting just to see how Tomino's development in anime progresses and regresses as time goes on.

As for other robot anime from the 80s, you have almost too many to pick from, and it's pretty much only going to be people accustomed to old stuff who care to watch it. But I suppose it helps now that they're starting to get BluRay releases en masse.
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PMDR



Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 140
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:17 pm Reply with quote
That pic of Leina is from one of the sequel OAVs where she becomes not an alien robot but a sort of Japanese schoolgirl, hence the outfit.

Here more typical outfit of the space suit with red bikini trim is what got her all the attention. She was the Yoko whatshername in the hot pants of the day.

And yes, Leina was the hottie of 1986. There are a LOT of Leina Stol posters and CDs and artbooks and nicknacks and things. Don't ask me how I know. I know. The exchange rate was good back then.

This was pretty common: find the hot chara of the day and market the heck out of it. Anice Farm from Borgman hit the same items in 1988 for the same reasons.

Not many mass-market figures in those days because back then having a figure often meant you made your own garage kit or at least bought a kit and did the assembly and painting yourself, and these were not and still are not common skills.

So now, in 2011, we can go buy a Leina figure and not have to build it. It will probably sell well but I didn't order one. Myself, I don't think it looks an awful lot like the chara and the design of Leina was what was the most interesting thing about her and Machine Robo. The character art was good. The show, shrug.

There was Battle Hackers too.

Galvion is awesomely awesome. And the music was finally released on CD last year. One of the strangest anime soundtracks ever. Most of it sounds like those short clips used for music on hold -but it is SO cool!
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potatochobit



Joined: 26 Aug 2009
Posts: 1373
Location: TEXAS
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:33 pm Reply with quote
ughmmm, since we are talking about the early 80s lets talk about megaloman, now that was a show ahead of it's time
Almost everyone had go-bots but no one's really heard of machine robo, lol
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ljaesch



Joined: 03 Apr 2009
Posts: 299
Location: Enumclaw, WA
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:35 pm Reply with quote
Good article as usual, Mike. Smile I do especially enjoy these articles about the super robot series. Some of the series you've highlighted here and in other articles sound interesting, while some have sounded downright frightening.
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wandering-dreamer



Joined: 21 Jan 2008
Posts: 1733
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 9:46 pm Reply with quote
I would love to know how you accidentally license a show, go out drinking one night with the Japanese executives and wake up the next morning in a seedy hotel with the contract lying in bed next to you?
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PMDR



Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 140
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:26 pm Reply with quote
There was a rumor back in the day that Go Lion and Dancougar both got licensed by "accident" -the problem with both shows being the heavy violence content.

Go Lion got saved by some careful editing and we all know how that turned out.

The licensor for Dancougar (iirc it was 3-B, the Tranzor Z people, but I could be wrong) was either not able to tone it down or didn't manage to sell the show to enough stations and the dub never made it to US TV.

Anyway, the Machine Robo toys did make it to the US under the Machine Robo name not just under the Gobots name. But extremely dull packaging and no obvious TV tie-up probably didn't sell very many. They were on clearance for a loooong time at the local Lionel store.
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Zac
ANN Executive Editor


Joined: 05 Jan 2002
Posts: 7912
Location: Anime News Network Technodrome
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 10:36 pm Reply with quote
I'm pretty sure Justin has told the full Machine Robo story on the podcast at some point, but if he hasn't, I'll pester him to do it on the next episode.
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walw6pK4Alo



Joined: 12 Mar 2008
Posts: 9322
PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:26 pm Reply with quote
PMDR wrote:
There was a rumor back in the day that Go Lion and Dancougar both got licensed by "accident" -the problem with both shows being the heavy violence content.

Go Lion got saved by some careful editing and we all know how that turned out.

The licensor for Dancougar (iirc it was 3-B, the Tranzor Z people, but I could be wrong) was either not able to tone it down or didn't manage to sell the show to enough stations and the dub never made it to US TV.

Anyway, the Machine Robo toys did make it to the US under the Machine Robo name not just under the Gobots name. But extremely dull packaging and no obvious TV tie-up probably didn't sell very many. They were on clearance for a loooong time at the local Lionel store.


And you're best off with Dancougar in Japanese anyway, for Wakamoto. And especially since that's on BluRay, kind of early for an 80s TV series, it was around when Zeta and ZZ were getting released. I just do hope that more of these shows see that treatment since the upgrade in what you can see is remarkable.
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belvadeer





PostPosted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 11:43 pm Reply with quote
PMDR wrote:
Go Lion got saved by some careful editing and we all know how that turned out.


Boy do we ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRHYheM7f00

Unfortunately I can't contribute anything. I was scratching my head the whole time reading this article as I haven't heard of any of the shows Mike mentioned, other than Getter Robo and Mazinger (heard, not watched). I guess asking for a way to watch these old robot shows would be impossible by today's standards. I wasn't much of a giant robot fan either, well other than of Voltron anyway.

Land, sea and air? Hm, then that episode of Dexter's Lab where he and his family form a giant robot from land, sea and air vehicles was kind of a tribute to God Σ?
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FaytLein



Joined: 21 Jun 2008
Posts: 1260
Location: Williamsburg, VA
PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:41 am Reply with quote
The story I always heard about why Voltron was licensed was that WEP had asked Japan for the show "with the lion in it", meaning Future Robo Daltanius, and got GoLion instead.

I am a huge mecha fan, and coming in with Voltron meant I missed out on a lot of cheesy gems like God Sigma, Romantic Trilogy shows, Daitarn 3, Zambot 3 and so on, which burns me up to no end these days. At least I follow Super Robot Wars pretty religiously, so I can at least play as cheesy giant robots.

Oh, and I will definately be there for your panels Mike. I have always wanted to see you in person since the AnimeJump days, and the Dubs that Time Forgot panels on ANN seem both interesting and hilarious. I can't wait!
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twinklestarex



Joined: 15 May 2010
Posts: 30
PostPosted: Mon Jul 18, 2011 12:58 am Reply with quote
Laserion?Yeah that anime is actually good..Its a shame that in the Philippines only 10 episodes were aired around 1986 on ABS-CBN 2. Crying or Very sad

"Blocker Corps"(Striker Force its title in the Philippines and aired around 1979) is one of Nippon Animation and Ashi Production's first mecha animes!Too bad the mecha designs were uglier than Ga-Keen and Jeeg. Laughing
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