The wait for Grendizer U is soon to be over, with the show’s premier right around the corner and fandom hype keeps dialing up with each new announcement given from tie-in prequel manga to the merchandise lines seeming to loom over our heads. In anticipation, Studio GAINA has revealed various images and a synopsis from the titular first episode of the remake of Go Nagai’s classic manga and anime originally released in 1975 and ran until 1977.
The following are the brief synopsis and screencaps provided to Japanese Pop Culture News Site Natalie (which can be found here):
A man who fell into the desert has no memory. Named Daisuke by his rescuer, he quickly forms a bond with Koji Kabuto. As unidentified forces invade Earth, the giant robot Grendizer emerges.
The first episode already seems to be making the show feel more international with Daisuke landing in what seems to be in the Arabian Regions of Western Asia, which could be a tip of the cap to the huge stamp Grendizer has on the Arabian Peninsula due to the show’s themes striking a chord with many of the countries in it such as Lebanon. The inclusion of Mazinger Z is much appreciated, and I wonder how this series will incorporate the mecha into the show as Kabuto Koji plays a role in the series (albeit not really major). The screenshots do give some view into the character’s personalities with a particular standout of mine is Sayaka appearing to have a very hot blooded attitude to her facial expression, I really hope this entails she’ll have plenty to do in the series and personally showcases why her redesign WORKS very well.
In addition, several character sprite sheets have been revealed of the central cast, showcasing their full designs for this interpretation:
In my personal opinion, these redesigns really do give off a stronger visual understanding of who each character is and what they will bring to the table in dynamics. Daisuke gives that young, yet kind naivety vibe to his design compared to the more mature, hardened looking Koji Kabuto (who arguably still looks rather bishounen) or the hot blooded vibes of Sayaka sporting her foggy eyes and striking purple locks. It brings joy to see character designer Sakamoto Yoshiyuki respect the original designs but twist them into new ways that feel fresh yet recognizable as the characters.
In short? I’m very excited to watch this show and see what Studio GAINA, director Mitsuo Fukuda (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED) & scriptwriter Ichiro Okouchi (Code Geass, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury) have in store for this series and I just really hope it is as good as I am hoping it will be.
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