Giant Gorg: Standing Tall on the Head of My Dream

In October 2011 I made a two-part list titled Twelve Anime I Want to Review... But Can't (Anytime Soon, at Least), and over the course of the following nine years, I've knocked them out one at a time. Kingdom of Chaos - Born to Kill? Done in 2013. Fuma no Kojirou: Seiken Sensou-hen? Done in 2012 (& re-done in 2019!). GR -Giant Robo-? Done in 2018 for Mecha Month. Engage Planet Kiss Dum's original TV version? Done partially this year via Demo Disc Vol. 16 (& a full review for Kiss Dum R afterwards). AWOL -Absent WithOut Leave-? That was Review #150 back in 2014! Examurai Sengoku? That just happened via Demo Disc Vol. 18 last month. Get Ride! AMDriver? Demo Disc Vol. 6 in 2017. Hareluya II BØY? Also in 2012. Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos? It was the first "Single Series" Demo Disc (Vol. 4) in 2016. Touma Kijin Den Oni? Demo Disc Vol. 10 in 2017. King of the Braves GaoGaiGar Final Grand Glorious Gathering? Reviewed in the same Mecha Month as GR -Giant Robo- in 2018.

That's eleven down, leaving only one left to review & put an end to this original list. No better time than just before the 10th Anniversary to do this, so it's finally that "Gorg Time" to switch over to that "Gorg Channel"!

Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is one of those rare mangaka that actually went on to direct at least one anime (Hi, Monkey Punch!), and while "Yas" doesn't have quite the same legendary & acclaimed resume as Katsuhiro Otomo does, he has one thing that Otomo cannot claim the same to: Directing a TV series. Airing from April to September of 1984 for 26 episodes, Giant Gorg is not just the only time Yas ever directed an entire TV series, but it's also the only anime-original work he ever directed, as everything else he did was either adapting from his own work or was an adaptation of someone else's. You'd think that this being Yas' only TV series might mean that he had a bad experience making Giant Gorg, turning him off from directing more, but from all accounts it was actually quite the opposite; this was likely just an experiment for him. In a 2012 interview with the Hokkaido Shimbun, Yas revealed that the anime was originally meant to debut in the fall of 1983, but the show's sponsor asked for a delay, since they couldn't figure out a concept to sell merchandise for it at the time. Yas, however, simply used this extra time to allow him & his staff to simply produce the anime well in advance; because of this, the home video release started happening extremely fast for the time. Unfortunately, a more extreme variant would happen for its English release, as Bandai Entertainment originally announced at Anime Expo 2001 that it was starting a new sub-only DVD label called "Sunrise Classic Action", with Giant Gorg & Blue Comet SPT Layzner listed as the debut titles. Unfortunately, neither anime ever saw release, with the only word that came out being that the masters Sunrise had sent Bandai were tinted blue, for whatever reason. Anyway, it wouldn't be until April 2015 that Discotek Media announced that it had license rescued Giant Gorg (sorry Layzner, but you're still abandoned), with a sub-only DVD boxset finally coming out in January 2016; it has since also become available via streaming on services like Crunchyroll, Tubi TV, & RetroCrush. In a nice touch, Discotek's translation is done by David Fleming, the same man that was hired for the original Bandai release; in fact, it's plausible that Fleming had translated the show back in 2001, and Discotek got that translation.

Personally, I first experienced some of Giant Gorg at Otakon 2008, when I came upon a screening of the first few episodes in one of the video rooms (back when Otakon still screened fansubs), so now it's finally time to see if this show is just as cool as I remember those few episodes being all those years ago.

Halloween Day, 1998 (you know, the future). After his father passes away in a freak car accident, Yuu Tagami follows the recommendation from a letter Dr. Tagami left his son to head to New York City & meet Dr. Tom Wave, one of his old students. Dr. Tagami became fascinated with New Austral Island in the South Pacific, which suddenly raised up from the ocean & attached to the small Old Austral Island that was originally there, but then suddenly vanished from all official satellites, and Dr. Wave is similarly obsessed. After Yuu meets up with Wave & his little sister Doris, plus their dog Argos, Dr. Wave's apartment is suddenly attacked by GAIL, an organization that also has a vested interest in Austral & wants anyone else who's interested dead. With the help of a mysterious man known only as "the Skipper", who seems to have his own reasons for helping, Yuu & the others eventually manage to make their way to Austral, which GAIL is currently in control of, & slowly start to discover the secrets the island holds within, including a giant blue behemoth that the indigenous people of Austral call "Gorg", which Yuu quickly befriends.

At first glance, one would think that putting Giant Gorg in Mecha Month would be totally incorrect, and that's simply because "Da Blue Guy" itself doesn't appear a single time in the first three episodes, aside from the OP/ED sequences & the eyecatches. Instead, Yas has the first three episodes be all about Yuu & the others simply making their way to Austral Island, which itself is filled with all manner of thrills & suspense. Right from the first episode we see Yuu & the Waves running from GAIL assassination within the first 10 minutes, and the end teases that they've been shot & murdered into the Hudson River. Also worth mentioning now that every single episode of Giant Gorg (minus the last one, of course) ends with the text "TUNE INTO THE NEXT/The same GORG time/The same GORG channel", which is simply amazing. Anyway, Episodes 2 & 3 show them joining the Skipper & making their way to the West Coast so that they can fly to Samoa & then take a boat to Austral Island, always on the run from GAIL & even having to deal with the Cougar Connection, a criminal organization run by Lady Lynx (who the Skipper seems to have a past with) that simply wants Austral's secrets for no other reason than to mess with GAIL. These first three episodes are just as exciting, wild, crazy, & thrilling as I remember them being all those years ago, and definitely more than make up for a distinct lack of the big guy in blue. The show's pacing does slow down after these episodes, and it's for totally understandable storytelling reasons, but make no mistake: Giant Gorg has an utterly amazing introductory trio of episodes.

Once you hit the halfway point of Episode 4, though, the anime finally introduces Gorg itself, and makes no attempt at being coy about it: Yuu's in mortal danger, and Gorg just appears to save the day. As for the titular giant, I will admit that I went into this anime expecting Gorg to be nothing more than a steel golem, similar to that of Tetsujin 28, but with its own consciousness; while Yuu can command it, Gorg is more than capable on its own. Therefore, I was definitely shocked when Episode 6 has Gorg reveal to Yuu that not only does its chest open up to reveal a cockpit, but the original pilot was still housed inside for so long that the intake of fresh air makes the pilot crumble to dust! That being said, Gorg is very much still Tetsujin-esque in that it is fully sentient & can still behave on its own, with Yuu only doing the occasional bit of explaining or the like; Yuu isn't outright commanding it, like Shotaro Kaneda would Tetsujin. Likewise, Gorg fights more like a golem-like figure would, so it mostly does things like punching, kicking, swatting, & the like, though the Skipper does equip Gorg with a giant cannon it can shoot with, which it's a natural at... Only to then use said cannon as a giant bat & killer golf club when it runs out ammo, which is amusing. Gorg's existence also ties into the "ancient alien civilization" plot point that gets brought up every now & then, before becoming the main plot thread for the second half.

This brings us to our cast, which features a strong & enjoyable group of heroes. Yuu is always ready & willing to take a risk if he feels it's the right thing to do and is willing to try new things, but in the end he's still a young teen. For example, he freaks out when he shoots someone in the leg with a gun, but still pulls the gun out later when he wants to protect Doris, with the two obviously caring for each other, but never actual going forward with those feelings. Speaking of Doris, while she isn't exactly an "action girl" by any means, she is still endearing in how she has no problem speaking her mind & caring about the safety of those around her; I do wish she was more self-sufficient, however. Dr. Wave is easily the comic relief character, always prat-falling off of stuff or banging his head on low ceilings, but he's at least good for that, and never becomes annoying; there's even one quick shot where he was shown wielding a gun, ready to help, so he does mean well. Then we have the Skipper, a complete mystery man in terms of backstory for almost the entire show, but is instantly shown to be 100% reliable & ready to protect everyone he works with, and his mix of quick wit & saying-it-like-it-is attitude makes him instantly likable, though his mysterious nature should make you wonder how much of him is but a facade. Rounding things out are Alois & Sara, two Austral natives of around Yuu & Doris' age who join them in their journey & are very much more of an item than Yuu & Doris are; Alois' habit of doing things without thinking first is his main Achilles' heel, though. Finally, there's Tominic, another Austral native who's primarily the driver of the amphibious APC that everyone rides & follows Gorg in, and he fits role well. Since he never appears in the OP, I honestly thought Tominic would get killed off at some point for dramatic tension, but I'm happy to say that he remains a constant cast member all throughout.

Unfortunately, while the heroes are rather well done, the same sadly can't be said for a large majority of the villains. When it comes to GAIL, there are a number of notable named ones (second-in-command Mr. Gotoh, Col. O'Donnell, Capt. Boehm, researcher Dr. Haeckel, or even Jeff the Secretary in the first three episodes), the only one of any real note is Rod Balboa, head of the Austral base & grandson of Roy Balboa, the mastermind behind GAIL itself. Rod looks to be a cocky playboy of a leader, but in reality is very crafty & more than willing to get his own hands dirty when needed, often leading attacks on Gorg himself; he also knows the value of retreating, & would prefer to not waste the lives of soldiers. If anything, Rod looks to have absorbed all of the personality originally intended for all of GAIL's higher-ups. As for Lady Lynx & the Cougar Connection, they actually don't really factor into the plot for the first half of the series, only making a handful of appearances. Episode 13, though, does start to give Lady more of a presence, as we find out her backstory with Rod (ex-lovers & cohorts), and we get more of an idea for her need to simply screw GAIL over. At the very least, Lady's cohort Davey is enjoyable in a simple "lovable oaf" way, which puts him well above any of Rod's cohorts, who either die rather suddenly or get next to nothing in terms of an actual personality beyond "vaguely evil"; the best we get is Dr. Haeckel being revealed as another assistant Dr. Tagami had, alongside Dr. Wave. Now, to be fair, we eventually do get needed character development for both Boehm & Gotoh, but this isn't until the last few episodes, and by then it's definitely a bit too late.

This then brings us to a simple question: Is Giant Gorg even really a "mech anime"? As you watch the show, especially once Gorg itself appears, you see that Yas really had no interest in following standard mech anime tropes & the like. Really, this anime feels much more like Yas' take on old movie serials, ones which follow a heavily serialized story that require moviegoers to continually come back for the next part of the story; the "Tune in" endcards may reference Adam West's Batman, but they're definitely used like old serials. That being said, there's no doubt that Gorg itself is indeed a giant robot, but more in the style of Tetsujin 28 or Astroganger, i.e. the oldest guard which often isn't imitated in the genre, even to this day; to be fair, though, the use of aliens is more Giant Robo than Tetsujin. After Episode 15, though, we start to see more of Gorg & its "Guardian" ilk when Yuu & Doris start finding out the truth behind everything, which in turn also transitions to plot from an adventure serial to more of a 50s sci-fi serial, as things go pear-shaped once the secret hidden within Austral comes to the surface, threatening not just the people on the island but humanity at large, and our heroes & (some of the) villains have to come together to stop everything from going to Hell, including the island's very existence once the governments GAIL has been working with to keep Austral a secret decide that it's simply better for the island to not exist, period. That being said, this second half does feel a bit more "mecha" in execution, if only slightly, and Yas even breaks the breaks the mold a bit with the ending. One can even see it as Yas addressing how many mech anime of the time, much like humanity itself, were about shooting things first, instead of trying to reason things out first. So, yes, Giant Gorg is indeed a "mech anime", but it most certainly does it in a very different fashion.

While Yoshikazu Yasuhiko is the creator & overall director of Giant Gorg itself & would do the character designs, direct the animation for all but three episodes, & drew the storyboards for two episodes early on, he did NOT write the individual episodes themselves. That would be handled by the duo of Masaki Tsuji & Yumiko Tsukamoto, the former being a highly experienced anime writer dating all the way back to the original Astro Boy, while the latter is the wife of novelist Aki Tomato & wrote a little bit for anime during the 70s & 80s. The two had a mostly even split (Tsuji wrote 14, Tsukamoto wrote 12) & actually alternated every two episodes or so, but the end result is extremely solid, with a generally constant flow to the plot that keeps things from getting boring, befitting the movie serial similarities; there are slight lulls here & there that slows things down a bit much, but they're generally short. Another nice touch with the writing is in how well it deals with subtlety, especially when it comes to notable plot reveals at the end. If you pay attention you can figure things out yourself, but otherwise the writing doesn't dwell on things leading to major reveals too much, to the point where the reveals don't feel too obvious. Yas also never directed a single episode himself, instead leaving that to the quartet of Mamoru Hamatsu (11 episodes), Hideyoshi Oga (7 eps), Kazuhito Kikuchi (6 eps), & Norio Kashima (2 eps). As for the character designs, Giant Gorg is a perfect example of Yas' take on the Tezuka Star System, as fans of his other works will notice a bunch of "recastings", especially from Gundam. Yuu is a younger Kamille Bidan (or Arion, from the manga & movie of the same name), Rod sometimes looks like Char Aznable (especially whenever he wears shades, which is often enough) mixed with a little Jerid Messa, Dr. Haeckel is Apolly Bay, Roy Balboa is Jamitov Hymen if the latter was more rotund, Lady Lynx is a modified Rosamia Badam, and so on. This isn't a complaint by any means, just a fun little thing to point out.

As for the music by Mitsuo Hagita (Gundam 0083, Record of Lodoss War), who's known more for composing individual songs for musical artists & not complete scores, it's a solid orchestral score that does a great job accentuating specific scenes, especially when it comes to giving a moment a good, mysterious vibe. Unfortunately, though, it's not exactly an especially memorable one, as none of the background music sticks with me much for long. However, it's still a very good soundtrack, make no doubt about that. That being said, the real treat is the OP theme, "Bright Eyes" by TAKU, bassist & co-vocalist for rock band The Crazy Rider "Yokohama Ginbae" Rolling Special; yes, that is indeed the full name of the band. Anyway, "Bright Eyes" is an upbeat, catchy, & just plain pleasant song that instantly gets stuck in your head & merits never skipping at all when watching the show. It's also amusingly similar to a old sitcom theme song, as seen by mechaficionado (& friend of the blog) Tom Aznable's video where he puts the footage to the theme song for Perfect Strangers... and it fits damn well. As for the ED theme, "Believe in Me, Believe in You" by STEAVE, it's a fittingly slower-paced ballad that works well as a way to wind down after the adventure/sci-fi aesthetic kept you watching.

Finally, we have the voice cast lead by the legendary Mayumi Tanaka in one of her earlier (i.e. pre-Dragon Ball) roles, and she's just great, giving our lead a relatable & hopeful energy, while also still showing that he can be taken deadly serious when need be. Meanwhile, Doris is voiced by Kazumi Amemiya, an actress who had a very small career in anime voice acting during the 80s, with this role looking to be her biggest, as it's the only one she'd actually reprise later in life (for Sunrise Eiyuutan R & 2 for the PS2 in 2000 & 2001), before retiring in 2004. As it is, Amemiya does a good job with Doris, and while I certainly had some small issues with the character's tendency to complain more than do anything helpful, Amemiya did a good job carrying that forward. Dr. Wave is voiced by Keaton Yamada, with him actually switching from his birth name of Shunji to his current Buster Keaton-referencing nom de plume a little after the halfway point of this show. Similar to Amemiya, Yamada does a great job with Wave & his main role in this show, namely his semi-useless comic relief nature. The Skipper is played by the late Masao Imanishi, who was known more for J-Dramas & voicing over Hollywood actors, and he's easily one of the best performances here, doing a great job as making the character completely likable, while also giving the feeling that he is hiding things. Fittingly, Shuichi Ikeda plays Rod, perfectly fitting the character's dual playboy/sly leader personality, & the same is true for Gara Takashima's Lady Lynx & her boisterous personality. Really, the only voice that always felt off would be Yuko Sasaki as Sara, as her voice always sounded much too mature, not matching well with the character's actual age; she did a fine job, but it just didn't sound right. As for the rest of the solid cast, we have Kouji Totani (Boehm), Fumihiko Tachiki (Tominic), Asami Mukaidono (Alois), Saburo Kamei (Davey), Daisuke Gouri (O'Donnell), Masayuki Kato (Mr. Gotoh), & Mitsuo Gunji (Manon, the alien leader), the last of which is such a mystery man that searching his name in kanji just results in Giant Gorg, even though he did a pretty good job for a literal no name.

Even though Bandai Entertainment's ill-fated "Sunrise Classic Action" label never came to be, the fact that Giant Gorg was chosen to be one of the anime to launch it with, alongside the generally beloved SPT Layzner, meant that it had to be a good show; even in 2001, it was old enough that it wouldn't have been a random pick. Thankfully, this anime is indeed not just "good" but really damn excellent, even with its few faults, and it's just more proof of the talent Yoshikazu Yasuhiko has as a storyteller. Even if he didn't have literal direct involvement in stuff like the writing & individual episode direction, he knew who would be talented enough to deliver his vision through, and his talent as an animator made sure that the show always looks good, from start to finish. Of course, having that extra time to make the show in advance, because the sponsor had no idea how to market it, definitely helped. Without a doubt, if any bit of this anime sounds cool, then by all means watch it, as it is easily available legally. It's outstanding that Discotek decided to rescue Gorg from its originally abandoned English fate, though it also just makes it all the more depressing that SPT Laynzer has yet to be saved from that same void, but one can always hope.

At least now that original list of anime I wanted to review can finally be put to rest. As for the second list I did in 2015? While I certainly can do some of those, and already have, a few are in literal "lost" territory, so that likely will never be completed, and I'm okay with that.

Anime © Sunrise