Grendizer, Jeeg and the robots who defended peace at the end of the Seventies

Grendizer

Once upon a time there was Grendizer and there was the space halberd. But there were also the rotating blades, the rain of fire, the magnetic field, and expanding the horizon, there were the double piercing mallet, the proton beam, the gamma rays, the atomic fists, not forgetting, of course, the solar attack. Just think of the legendary Grendizer's acronym: «I'm calm if you're here. I stay down here and you sprint up there, sentry in the blue go up there ». Robots, the heroes of Japanese cartoons of those years were stronger. More powerful than the terrible enemies they faced in their adventures and, in the minds of many children, capable of overcoming even the climate of restlessness that reigned in a time of tension. Because then in the houses in the evening we watched the news, all together, even with the little ones, who inevitably listened and breathed the anxieties of the moment. Anxiety that was reflected in their cartoons, populated by evil and merciless enemies, but who had no hope against the good, the heroes.

Vai, against the monsters launched by Vega It could happen, at the time, that the evil Yamatai woke up from their millenary slumber, and that disturbing characters such as the perfidious queen Himika emerged from underground, eager to dominate the world , and his collaborators, starting with the rocky minister Amaso, with his stone face surrounded by spikes. At their service the frightening monsters Aniwa, who in each episode have to deal with the weapons and power of Jeeg robot of steel. Likewise, the Daitarn3 was facing the meganoids, ruthless cyborgs commanded by Don Zauker, a disturbing figure with glowing eyes and a brain in plain sight. Really bad villains, scary enough to cause nightmares, but united by a lowest common denominator. The danger comes from outside the earth, or from under the earth, but it is not human. So Grendizer is faced with the troops of King Vega to defend the Earth, while Mazinger has to deal with the Mikenes, the ancient civilization of the Mycenaeans.

Conan the boy of the future: 5 reasons why he is a myth The cartoon made by the master Hayao Miyazaki in 1978 enters the Netflix library from February 1st and we take the opportunity to remember the reasons that make it one of the most beautiful souls ever Earthlings so are they all good? No, of course, there are notable exceptions. One above all, Doctor Inferno, a pivotal character in the Mazinger saga, a mad scientist who followed Hitler. Because the specter of the Second World War is still alive and tangible in these stories, which live as if suspended between the horror that many Japanese designers and authors have seen and experienced firsthand and the fear of what the future may hold. The echo of the Second World War pervades the ships designed by Leiji Matsumoto: the Arcadia of Captain Harlock, with its turrets armed with cannons, as well as the space battleship Yamato, at the time for all children the ship Argo, led by the Captain Avatar. These ships also find themselves forced to fight enemies that come from outer space. Powerful ships, giant robots, warriors with an indomitable soul. These are the defenders of the earth. The reference to wars is strong and continuous, not only to the Second World War, but also to those of more ancient times: large robots have features reminiscent of samurai armor, while robotic weapons, helmets and bosses refer to medieval shapes and Vikings. And yet, in an atmosphere of constant battles, our heroes, the good ones, are often heralds of a radical pacifism.

The kingdom of darkness of evil trembles At the helm of the great robots there are people, with feelings and motivations deep, sometimes conflicting. Not all are human: Daisuke, the heart of Grendizer, is an alien prince from the planet Fleed, just as Kento, the pilot of Daltanious, is the heir to the throne of the planet Helios. Yet they love the land and fight for the land. Daisuke himself, fascinating, mysterious, tormented, would like in every way to avoid reliving the horrors of battles already experienced in his home of origin on our planet, where he found refuge. He would like to have a peaceful existence, but he finds himself forced to take sides, once again, and to put himself back at the controls of Grendizer. Yet his soul is opposed to any form of violence: "Is it possible that you didn't even understand what real strength is?" "Asks an incredulous Alcor, and continues:" a strong man is someone who manages to win without using violence, even if sometimes it is essential to use it to defend himself, violence is the most negative element of man ". Alcor, his interlocutor, is none other than the pilot of Mazinger Z. In short, one who knows something about giant robots.

Haran Banjo, a tragic hero: the echo of the classics under the mask of the Daitarn 3 What if the beloved pilot of the 80's robot had a depth worthy of the highest literature? We attempted an analysis, to be handled with a pinch of irony. After all, Grendizer - Ufo Robot, Mazinger Z and the Great Mazinger are part of a single work with which the author, Go Nagai, carries forward a message of peace. Tetsuya himself, a soldier trained and programmed to be the mind of Great Mazinger, fights against "the darkness of evil". And light cannot but prevail over darkness. Haran Banjo knows something about it, who makes sunlight an invincible weapon, and who at the helm of his Daitarn3 fights, as his motto says, for world peace. The mission to defeat evil is common to all the heroes of that era, so Harlock, the space pirate, an outlaw who made freedom his flag, defends the earth from an enemy invasion because despite everything he loves this world. , and above all because the creature he loves the most lives here. A little girl, Mayu. And Harlock will never allow "a cruel and merciless invader to destroy his illusions."