If there’s one thing about GaoGaiGar that I really loved, it was the whole arms race. Fighting Zonders in a crowded urban area was gonna result in collateral damage, so 3G made the Dividing Driver. Then there was the Oil Tanker Zonder; the ignition of all the oil it had absorbed would’ve resulted in a catastrophic explosion, so they had Choryujin and the Eraserhead to redirect the blast into space. And there are many other examples that I can’t list them all, but you get the idea; if a problem arose, 3G always developed something new to counteract it.
That's something that really makes GGG stand out. There's this inordinate amount of planning and creativity to it. There's backup plans too like Projectile X which if you rewatch enough, you notice the screens for it were always there in the background. Volfogg and Taiga both mention it also. It adds this sense of 3G's 3-steps ahead way of doing things. When Goldion Hammer was introduced, it was too powerful to the point it damaged GGG. It doesn't immediately introduce Goldymarg and instead uses the pliers as a substitute. How about the various uses of the tools. Dividing Driver preventing sea pressure crushing GGG, or slowing the Rail Cannon shell. The Gatling Driver's lense focusing of Solitary Wave into a lethal piercing shot. Goldion Hammer being spun like a shield to stop oncoming attacks. And to top it off, Goldion Crusher. As someone else said, to paraphrase 'I like how 3G after just barely surviving a once in a lifetime planetary size enemy didn't just rest and assume they'd never have to fight such a thing again. No they made something with such a thing in mind should it happen again. '
Brave saga using the end-game sword trope that Voltron loved to use. Few things are as hype as GaoGaiGar - the transformation sequence NEVER gets old. Hell and Heaven never stops being awesome. Also - it pays homage to all the super robot anime before it (Mazinger Z, etc). I love this anime, from start to finish. Long live Shishio Guy and the GStone! Courage is it's own reward.
@@EwMatias80s? Nah, the 70s already had mechs using them. Maybe even the 60s might have a couple of super robots that used Swords to finish off their enemies
GaoGaiGar is what reignited my love for Super Robot anime. The music, the robots, everything! I don't know how to describe the feeling i get out of this anime but all i can say is that it feels like a show straight out of my dreams. There's no other way i can describe it. It honestly makes me cry
A hill I'll die on about what makes GaoGaiGar great is that it recognizes its genre's tropes and uses them with common sense without spiting on them. The main robot looks invincible and barely takes any damage like in every other super robot anime? Second episode in, in the command room they actually comment that since it was never actually deployed there are flaws in the combination system, showing a WRECKED upper arm part that was broken by the g-forces BESIDE the rest of the internal damages that happened in battle, and they will need to fix that, both in the mechanical and software side of things. The hero's father looks like an overly peppy old man? In truth he's just taking responsibility for what he believes are his failings and his doing his best to match his son's determination. I could go on and spoil the hell out of a lot of nice details, but I'll restrain myself if anyone wants to check out the series, and sorry for the slight wall of text.
In my opinion GaoGaiGar is not only the very best out of the entire Brave series but it might actually be the best mecha anime show of all time. The show runners, creators, producers, writers, artists, and animators, literally thought up of everything when crafting this amazing show. For example, using the Dividing-Driver to clear a temporary battlefield for allowing both opponents to fight without causing any further collateral damage is absolutely brilliant and that’s just one of the many detailed aspects to the show that make it stand out from all the rest. I also love how there’s not one unlikable character on the show and the main aspect to the show is watching all the mecha battles without having any unnecessary forced drama unlike some other shows (I’m looking at you Neon Genesis Evangelion.) GaoGaiGar is just an all around great and super fun series. There’s just so many things to like about this show and you can tell everyone involved had a blast making it!
appreciated the very detailed retrospective on the show! alot of information I've no idea. But I know Guy's seiyuu also voice shiro armada from 8th ms team too so its also uncanny hearing him there too lol.
I've watched GaoGaiGar myself, while it does get a little repetitive, I still watched it because of how they pulled off the action and transformations, as well as the characters, and ngl the last episode of GaoGaiGar, not Final GaoGaiGar, made me shed tears.
So the primary reason GaoGaiGar failed is primarily due to the fact that the anime fandom at the time strongly rejected robot anime as they felt it was significantly too "old fashioned". This timed with when it came out, really helped hurt those disk sales. The way it came out, without ANY marketing, is quite similar to how a majority of anime was released at the time. The decision not to dub made sense, the people who buy dubbed anime were not buying GaoGaiGar so dubbing it was pointless as those who wanted it would watch it subtitled and its significantly less investment. Great video!
Managed to watch the whole of GaoGaiGar, along with Final, and I absolutely love it. Exactly the amount of ridiculous that I enjoy, but there is one, massive downside to the series: the overwhelming use of flashing ligths. Had a massive migraine from watching it, but I couldn't stop due to the story. So here's a warning: If you have epilepsy, the theme song is your warning to close the screen. If you suffer from migraines, have some meds close.
Fun fact about that tho, from what I heard the series actually aired in the same time span that the infamous Porygon episode incident happened, so you can see that from certain episodes of GaoGaiGar they actually toned DOWN the flashing lights in the villains' lair after the fact.
@@AlexThePyroshark While true, the flashing was still there for some of the Transformations, but the season 1 villain Pasder did basically take most of the flashing with him.
I never knew what impact the brave series had until now, it showed that mechs didn’t have to be a symbol of war. Makes you wonder if it this aspect that later went on to inspire titles like Zoids and Medabots😁
I got into GaoGaiGar after watching the first episode included in one of the Newtype USA dvds. I bought the dvds, but was bummed out when the rest of the episodes didn't get dubbed, still I watched the rest of the series and enjoyed it.
Yeah, i can't help but notice some episodes where GaoGaiGar wants to be a little dark, Episode 2's un-transform as the earliest example, but then they remember that they decided it would be a kids show no matter what, and they roll with it till 2-3 episodes before end. Then they made the FINAL season, and went nuts. I can't see that opening the same way anymore. Guy is such a likable wholesome guy, and so are all the GGG crew. Tho, its kinda annoying that the pink kid always gets into trouble at every encounter, there is also this questionable thing involving this pink kid at ep 49, but i guess i could just ignore it.
Final gets incredibly dark, only to shine bright right before the end. …and then the series ended on a cliffhanger, unresolved for everyone until King of Kings came out.
5:12 This... just... makes my heart soar. The idea that Gao Gai Gar essentially created G-Gundam, one of my favorite anime of all time just makes me love both even more.
I ABSOLUTELY despise it when people dare to offend this beautiful masterpiece GaoGaiGar is clearly THE BEST series in my book (GaoGaiGar superior, Evangelion and Gurren Lagann inferior)
6:04 And now there's an official 10th entry! Not too long ago, the Brave series was given new life in the form of a manga called Brave Universe Sworgrader!
As an avid mecha fan, I'd have to say that the single mecha property GaoGaiGar shares the most similarities with, that I've watched, is kotetsu jeeg from 1975. I mean, hot blooded cyborgs that fuse with an assortment of mechanical pieces, primarily provided by, or enabled by, the female coprotagonist into the titular robot in an elaborate sequence, after shouting a particular and distinctive phrase (BUILD UP!/FINAL FUSION!), as well getting a ton of new gear later on in the show, all of which needs to be provided/approved by the female coprotagonist, one of their most iconic attacks being performed by clasping their hands together, etc
Wish the series got a full dub, they did such an excellent job with the English dub cast for the part that did get an English dub, which say alot since earlier dubs were very hit or miss.
Gaogaigar is what made childhood for me and many other who grew up with it. He is after all the King of Courage! 😊😊 There is a reason he is so well beloved and was remembered as a true classic of the Brave series. The fact that he still got a manga today said alot. 😢, I shred manly tears upon discovering this and seeing Gai himself yell out "Fusion!" in the manga.
Funny you should mention it. GaoGaiGar was more or less raised as the 4th Pillar of Mecha Anime in the recent Super Robot Wars 30 game. Put on such a huge pedastal that it held almost as much plot relevance as Gundam (Real Robot), Mazinger Z (Super Robot), and Getter (Combining Robot) as the representative in chief of 'Brave Robots'. What was once a holy trinity of the mentioned three, 30 basically said 'Y'know what, let's just admit it, Braves are every bit as important to mecha culture and GaoGaiGar is the shining example of Brave robos.'.
@@katomamundara8106 I got the braves series on my cellphone I even got bettermen series on my cellphone. I can't believe that both shows are a part of gaogaigar series.
I don’t think Gaogaigar is a “hidden gem.” It has a decent sized Western fanbase, it appears fairly rrgularly in SRW, and it’s even been getting new official media like the Gaogaigar v Betterman manga. The recent anime Bravern was basically a giant love letter to the Yuusha series it’s a part of, and it’s by far the most famous entry in said series. If you rank mecha franchises by their notoriety, with stuff like Gundam and Evangelion at the top of the list and really obscure 70-80s super robot anime like Gakeen and Baratack near the bottom, then Gaogaigar would probably be in the top quarter of the list at absolute worst. If I was going to name a super robot series that I thought was actually a hidden gem, it’d be something like Tryder G7, Dangaioh, Zeorymer or the J9 trilogy, and even those aren’t really that obscure.
It does help in Trider's case that he's becoming a real mainstay in the Super Robot Wars as well. Been a while since we've seen Dangaioh or the J9s(Braiger, Baxinger and Sasuraiger), tho...
grew up with a ton of mecha and primarily Gaogaigar sets because they were in the bargain bin at my local Media Play and Suncoast and with that it was such a big part of what superheroes were for other I had mecha. This was a well made vid and it's always a joy to see Gaogaiar brought up even mentioning the Yuusha series which I feel people forget.
@@JuzaVoices There's a theoretical braves series isekai (made by the artist who did the knights and magic manga) where the brave hero (who looks a bit like exkaiser) is summoned to another world to battle the demon lord's giant monster army. I swear it's real. It's called Isekai Yuusha G-SHINE.
6:04 #1 rule of the brave universe: We don't talk about Betterman. (I absolutely loved it tho) 7:52 Shouldn't they be in primary school as Mamoru is 8 y.o.?
While I admit - English dub does sound good, but let's be clear - noone beats Japanese Pipin Tarupin in his over-the-top performance! No, like seriously - Nobuyuki Hiyama is not even a classic at this point. He is a legend in voice-acting! Being renown for so many animes and videogames, you can't just replace him. I am so happy that I watched GaoGaiGar back in the time when DVDs were the main way of getting anime. I was lucky to watch it in mid-2000s and it made me love mecha more than anything else. Minor touches, great soundtrack, amazing designs and almost perfect animation made this anime indeed top-notch work of its time.
@@DiggitySlice I wouldn't quite go that far. As a dub, it's doing decently well. It's just... it wasn't following on from a popular franchise with 6 previous entries. I would say it's better to watch in Japanese for Noboyuki though. He's iconic in this show for a reason.
There is actually something special about GaoGaiGar for the SRW series. You see in the SRW series the brave series well its a special kind special introduction. So a history lesson. You might think Brave Exkaiser the very first Brave would the first introduction to the SRW franchise would be the first but Brave Exkaiser would not be introduce until SRW Super Robot Wars X-Ω which was a mobile game that was released in 2015 that never got a proper story to the series. The very first Brave to be introduce to the SRW series is none other you guess it GaoGaiGar with SRW Alpha 2 which was released in 2003. Which was rare at the time since GaoGaiGar was the very first Brave to be introduce to the series but wasn't the one to start the Brave series. The next Brave would me finally be Exkaiser BUT he would not make any further appearance. GaoGaiGar would make a total of 7 appearances where only Might Gain only a total of 4. Betterman which was the second Brave to be introduce only has a total of 3 appearances which itself is a spin off of GaoGaiGar. The latest introduction to SRW is J-Decker. GaoGaiGar is that kind of special.
Those Japanese transformer series are honest to God the best I've seen and I have them on DVD, now you can find full episodes on YT but God I do wish blu ray versions, or UHD versions come out for them, so many people are missing out tbh
@Dragoner Productions Correction, they are only releasing GoaGaiGar, they don't have the rights for the other series. They said this during their last announcement stream. However they did say if GaoGaiGar sold well they would look into the other series. So everyone needs to pick upba copy and support the release
@@kevinkeene474 I'm sure they will, Discotek media is pretty good with acquiring these.... Plus it's kinda their whole business model to begin with, there is only so much old media you can put out there.
@Dragoner Productions I hope they get them top, I'm a long time dedicated Discotek fan and supporter. I've got every super robot series they have put out so far. Fingers crossed we get more. Spread the word
Super robot is my favorite Mecha genre and GaoGaiGar was among one of the more influential stories to my own writing and storytelling. It's so fricken rad.
"I believe the x-factors that truly made it fail in the West were Pokemon... And 9/11." Definitely a sentence I never expected to hear. xD For real tho, REALLY good review for GaoGaiGar! More people need to hear about this show.. ESPECIALLY with it getting a DVD release soon thanks to Discotek (Including the unfinished English dub episodes, so we can finally hear those officially) ...Lets just hope they found a way to lessen the impact of the seizure scenes... Because GOODNESS, if it's still there, pretty sure it'll drive away buyers and those interested. ^^"
This video was really well done! And thanks for summing up how I feel about GaoGaiGar’s fast, but never nauseating escalation! It’s what makes casually watching it a joy! Also that Sunrise Publishing poster at 0:34 is so neat, because it makes me happy that 2018 Sunrise was acknowledging Infinite Ryvius and Idolmaster Xenoglossia- (Also thanks for remembering Betterman, can’t forget the banger that is Chin-Requiem) Can’t wait for the next video of 3G!
Not sure my first choice for "older mech with hair" would go to Cybernetic Guardian. I would have said Juushin Liger since it's the more popular one between the two with there being a wrestler who poses as and is named Juushin Liger as reference to the mech of the show. Also, I can't fully agree with NGE being the answer to the Brave series especially since we know that Shinji is, whether wholesale or just partly, essentially an Amuro Ray expy ("kid has to ride a robot that his dad built and goes through emotional problems as he deals with the expectations placed on him" is a very clear through line between both of them) because the creator is a fan of Mobile Suit Gundam. Lastly, what made the Brave series great was both their message and the robots themselves. Yes, all the people that worked to make the shows should be acknowledged, but no kid is going to bother reading credits. All they'll remember is the meat of the show which is exactly the message and the mechs. That all said, I still liked the video and how you structured it since it made it very easy to follow and understand even if I knew most of that information already.
Really good points you made here! I'm actually considering making a NGE video soon so this is really valuable to bring up. Thank you! You're totally right about the Amuro Ray parallel. I think NGE almost makes itself a combination of those brutal Gundam themes while incorporating it into the brave series' format at the same time. You're makin me think about it more though.
@@JuzaVoices Shinji, in a genre context, is kind of an interesting character. If you're familiar with the genre, particularly Amuro's story in Gundam, and Koji Kabuto's story in Mazinger Z, a lot of how he's built as a contrast stands out. But, I think a big part of Shinji's character, the part that gets lost due to lack of familiarity, is the influence of Ultraman. The Return of Ultraman in particular. Watch that, and rewatch Evangelion, and you notice a lot of parallels. Similar camera shots, lighting effects, even the camera angle of Shinji's unique hand tic when he's stressed is influenced by scenes in Return of Ultraman. Even the seeming roller coaster ride of ups and downs Shinji experiences in relation to Nerv and being an Eva pilot reflects Return of Ultraman's Go Hideki and his relationship with MAT.
In my mind, Exkaiser was the lost G1 Transformers series. Exkaiser himself was like Rodimus x Star Saber, and the story about alien robot factions fighting on Earth always felt the most like Transformers out of the Yuusha series (barring J-Decker's more fleshed out robot cast). If I remember right, Ultra Raker and Dino Geist were originally intended for Transformers but it could just be a rumor.
You sir, managed to hit the nail on the head for why I've never watched the dub of GaoGaiGar outside of some clips here & there. Not because it's bad, but because it's unfinished. If one of those new Anime localization groups that do niche series picks this up, I hope they can get the cast back together to finish what was started all those years ago. Also, if you're planning on making this a series, I am all for it!
The dub is ok at best any way. There isnt much to miss. They pronounce GaoGaiGar three different ways and each actor is inconsistent with which one they use.
Gaogaigar is not only my favorite mecha anime, it may be my favorite anime period, especially if you add the Final ova. I've never seen the other Brave shows though. Just couldn't find them online. The most I saw were like the first 4 episodes of ExKaizar and I'm not even sure those were all subbed.
I had a chuckle during the smash bros showcase for hero when Sakurai explained the DQ 3 hero alt he said that a king of braves is voicing a hero also that English va for gai was also dean venture from the venture bros and the main boy protagonist in summer wars
Just watched your video on NGE. While its not my favorite Super-Robot series, your video was probably one of the best explanations I've seen of it as a whole. I was already an adult when NGE came out, and as a fan of classic series all the way back to Tetsujin 28 and Mazinger Z. I personally found NGE to be depressing and unnecessary. But I know it was trying to be unique, and resonated with many people. However it took me longer to discover the Brave series. I grew up with Transformers, I even knew about the Japanese Sequels before most fans in the west as I had a friend in the 80s whos' family lived in Japan, and would send him random VHS tapes, including some episodes of Masterforce & Victory. However, when I discovered the Brave series many years later, the fact that they were spiritual successors to Transformers, and were trying to reinvigorate the Super Robot genre, I was all in. GaoGaiGar is so much fun, and inspirational. It makes you feel good, and gives you hope that no matter what, no matter how devastated or destroyed you may feel, GOOD will always triumph over evil (quite the opposite of NGE), which is why I love GGG so much!
DUDE your voice reminds me of an old anime I watched as a kid. If you've heard of "Super Book" your voice reminds me of God in that. Like damn, do kick ass narrative audio for Audio books and you'll see me buy (just as soon as I get my life together that is.)
I used to watch this all the time, but nowadays I can't seem to find the English dub videos on TH-cam anymore. There used to be Seasons One and Two on this playlist, but Gunn's Brave Storage (the playlist creator) must have deleted it or something because it's not there now.
I hate mech anime and GaoGaiGar is to me this greatest mech anime ever made, I love everything about it from its thundering orchestral soundtrack to its immense mech fights and creative mechs. I love this anime even the half made English dub with Dan green.
17:08 "Even Evangelion was meta comentary on the Brave Series itself." And... You lost me there. Care to elaborate? Without Shinji having a team of not-transformers to lead, I don't see how Eva comments on the Brave Series any more than it does comments on Static Shock.
The brave series had popularized the formulaic idea of "small child meets big robot and they become best friends while fighting bad guys." Consistently, with Exkaiser, Fighbird, Da-Garn, Might Gaine, J-decker, etc., those would follow that core idea while establishing recurring themes such as relying on your friends and family, never giving up and always being brave in the face of danger. Shinji and Evangelion are the exact opposite in many ways as almost a direct answer to the Brave series. Shinji is the typical age range of the small child protagonists we usually get, but has NO family or friends in which to rely on, gives up OFTEN and is frequently a self-proclaimed coward. Evangelion is basically any of the brave shows, just minus the "brave." Plus, the "robot best friend" angle is way harder on the nose, being shinji's actual mother in unit 01. On top of all that, the 3rd brave entry, Da-Garn, includes "Seiji" as the main character, a mystery girl who blips away when you look away from her, and once again "Alien robots from space." Seems pretty connected to me.
@@JuzaVoices wouldn’t that apply to many super robot series? Evangelion, knowing the creators huge fanboy nature, stuffed as much as he could in there but in a more depressive light though only leaning hard into that light toward the end/latter half while somewhat vaguely there through most of the anime. The depressive light that was there initially was more real robot influence since Amuro Ray went through similar trauma early Shinji went through. Evangelion seems like an answer because of the combination of 10’s of dozens of ideas by using super robot world and scenarios but real robot humans forced to deal with the absurd and navigate the confusion while like real robots, higher ups being shady and having unknown ulterior motives though a bit super robot esque in their presentation. Kinda forgot what I was getting at other Than that I don’t think Evangelion is an answer to anything but just a combination
@@jefferyquick3280 Some combination of mecha, group, poster, sunrise. I can't find it online anymore though aside from in some tweets like this one twitter.com/zetial/status/1036249015652835328/photo/2
I started with GaoGaiGar but just finished watching the whole Brave over the years once most of them that weren’t translated before are now translated I’m fulfilled now
If there’s one thing about GaoGaiGar that I really loved, it was the whole arms race.
Fighting Zonders in a crowded urban area was gonna result in collateral damage, so 3G made the Dividing Driver.
Then there was the Oil Tanker Zonder; the ignition of all the oil it had absorbed would’ve resulted in a catastrophic explosion, so they had Choryujin and the Eraserhead to redirect the blast into space.
And there are many other examples that I can’t list them all, but you get the idea; if a problem arose, 3G always developed something new to counteract it.
That's something that really makes GGG stand out. There's this inordinate amount of planning and creativity to it.
There's backup plans too like Projectile X which if you rewatch enough, you notice the screens for it were always there in the background. Volfogg and Taiga both mention it also. It adds this sense of 3G's 3-steps ahead way of doing things.
When Goldion Hammer was introduced, it was too powerful to the point it damaged GGG. It doesn't immediately introduce Goldymarg and instead uses the pliers as a substitute.
How about the various uses of the tools. Dividing Driver preventing sea pressure crushing GGG, or slowing the Rail Cannon shell. The Gatling Driver's lense focusing of Solitary Wave into a lethal piercing shot. Goldion Hammer being spun like a shield to stop oncoming attacks.
And to top it off, Goldion Crusher. As someone else said, to paraphrase 'I like how 3G after just barely surviving a once in a lifetime planetary size enemy didn't just rest and assume they'd never have to fight such a thing again. No they made something with such a thing in mind should it happen again. '
Brave saga using the end-game sword trope that Voltron loved to use. Few things are as hype as GaoGaiGar - the transformation sequence NEVER gets old. Hell and Heaven never stops being awesome. Also - it pays homage to all the super robot anime before it (Mazinger Z, etc). I love this anime, from start to finish. Long live Shishio Guy and the GStone! Courage is it's own reward.
I was about to say. Sword finishers were already a trope in the 80's.
@@EwMatias I like sword finishers
@@EwMatias80s? Nah, the 70s already had mechs using them. Maybe even the 60s might have a couple of super robots that used Swords to finish off their enemies
yeah im 2 years late but this is my all time FAVORITE anime of ALL FUCKING TIME, thanks for showcasing it!!
GaoGaiGar is what reignited my love for Super Robot anime. The music, the robots, everything!
I don't know how to describe the feeling i get out of this anime but all i can say is that it feels like a show straight out of my dreams. There's no other way i can describe it. It honestly makes me cry
A SECOND ZONDER HIT THE WORLD TRADE CENTER
This shit would’ve rocked so hard if it had aired on Toonami.
It would’ve been perfect for the early 2000s. Just imagine all toy sales they could’ve milked out of it.
Gaogaigar is one of my inspirations for my original super robot fanfic project on DeviantArt.
What's your DA name? I need to see this fanfic!
@@adamshafeeq8685 JetfirePrime. Although, I'm still working on it and I'm not a very good storyteller, though it's very arc driven.
A hill I'll die on about what makes GaoGaiGar great is that it recognizes its genre's tropes and uses them with common sense without spiting on them.
The main robot looks invincible and barely takes any damage like in every other super robot anime? Second episode in, in the command room they actually comment that since it was never actually deployed there are flaws in the combination system, showing a WRECKED upper arm part that was broken by the g-forces BESIDE the rest of the internal damages that happened in battle, and they will need to fix that, both in the mechanical and software side of things.
The hero's father looks like an overly peppy old man? In truth he's just taking responsibility for what he believes are his failings and his doing his best to match his son's determination.
I could go on and spoil the hell out of a lot of nice details, but I'll restrain myself if anyone wants to check out the series, and sorry for the slight wall of text.
To be honest
What made it great
Was that it was a _passion project_ .
In my opinion GaoGaiGar is not only the very best out of the entire Brave series but it might actually be the best mecha anime show of all time. The show runners, creators, producers, writers, artists, and animators, literally thought up of everything when crafting this amazing show. For example, using the Dividing-Driver to clear a temporary battlefield for allowing both opponents to fight without causing any further collateral damage is absolutely brilliant and that’s just one of the many detailed aspects to the show that make it stand out from all the rest. I also love how there’s not one unlikable character on the show and the main aspect to the show is watching all the mecha battles without having any unnecessary forced drama unlike some other shows (I’m looking at you Neon Genesis Evangelion.) GaoGaiGar is just an all around great and super fun series. There’s just so many things to like about this show and you can tell everyone involved had a blast making it!
Discotek media brought Gaogaigar back to the US on bluray, get your copy while you can like i did.
Done! 😉
@@RM2011ish Good cause this year December, Discotek will put out on bluray Gaogaigar Final
@@RodimusPrime1982 FINAL is released on blu-ray April 25th!
@@GinraiPrime666 Oh thank God I was wrong on the date
This is a really well put together video, hope the algorithm embraces it.
Thank you! :D
It’s now on Crunchyroll!!!
I first found this anime from "top 100 anime themes" them years later this video and now your comment. It's destiny that I watch it now
I'm watching it right now!!!
I just bought the blu ray today! I can't wait to sit down and watch this in 1080p
GaoGaiGar would have been PERFECT for Toonami.
Too bad history wasn't kind to its reputation, it would have been a hit.
appreciated the very detailed retrospective on the show! alot of information I've no idea.
But I know Guy's seiyuu also voice shiro armada from 8th ms team too so its also uncanny hearing him there too lol.
Also Might from Brave Express: Might Gaine!
Ironically enough, he was also Viral in Gurren Lagaan.
He was also Uzu Sanageyama from Kill la Kill as well!
Nobuyuki Hiyama really gets around especially with that yell of his
I've watched GaoGaiGar myself, while it does get a little repetitive, I still watched it because of how they pulled off the action and transformations, as well as the characters, and ngl the last episode of GaoGaiGar, not Final GaoGaiGar, made me shed tears.
So the primary reason GaoGaiGar failed is primarily due to the fact that the anime fandom at the time strongly rejected robot anime as they felt it was significantly too "old fashioned". This timed with when it came out, really helped hurt those disk sales. The way it came out, without ANY marketing, is quite similar to how a majority of anime was released at the time. The decision not to dub made sense, the people who buy dubbed anime were not buying GaoGaiGar so dubbing it was pointless as those who wanted it would watch it subtitled and its significantly less investment.
Great video!
Managed to watch the whole of GaoGaiGar, along with Final, and I absolutely love it. Exactly the amount of ridiculous that I enjoy, but there is one, massive downside to the series: the overwhelming use of flashing ligths. Had a massive migraine from watching it, but I couldn't stop due to the story.
So here's a warning: If you have epilepsy, the theme song is your warning to close the screen. If you suffer from migraines, have some meds close.
Fun fact about that tho, from what I heard the series actually aired in the same time span that the infamous Porygon episode incident happened, so you can see that from certain episodes of GaoGaiGar they actually toned DOWN the flashing lights in the villains' lair after the fact.
@@AlexThePyroshark While true, the flashing was still there for some of the Transformations, but the season 1 villain Pasder did basically take most of the flashing with him.
As a transformers fan I've always known The Brave franchise is a weird sister franchise. Interesting video!
I never knew what impact the brave series had until now, it showed that mechs didn’t have to be a symbol of war. Makes you wonder if it this aspect that later went on to inspire titles like Zoids and Medabots😁
Join us GaoGaiGar fans and you too can swear the Oath Sworn Through Courage!
For me it was the psychology of being taught to overcome fear and doubt.
I got into GaoGaiGar after watching the first episode included in one of the Newtype USA dvds. I bought the dvds, but was bummed out when the rest of the episodes didn't get dubbed, still I watched the rest of the series and enjoyed it.
Yeah, i can't help but notice some episodes where GaoGaiGar wants to be a little dark, Episode 2's un-transform as the earliest example, but then they remember that they decided it would be a kids show no matter what, and they roll with it till 2-3 episodes before end. Then they made the FINAL season, and went nuts. I can't see that opening the same way anymore.
Guy is such a likable wholesome guy, and so are all the GGG crew. Tho, its kinda annoying that the pink kid always gets into trouble at every encounter, there is also this questionable thing involving this pink kid at ep 49, but i guess i could just ignore it.
Hana is almost as good of a Zonder-detector as Mamoru is. Just follow her, and they'll somehow be in the same place.
Final gets incredibly dark, only to shine bright right before the end.
…and then the series ended on a cliffhanger, unresolved for everyone until King of Kings came out.
I could listen to your voice forever. Great detail as well!
Finally, a good review for gaogaigar ❤️🥰
5:12 This... just... makes my heart soar. The idea that Gao Gai Gar essentially created G-Gundam, one of my favorite anime of all time just makes me love both even more.
And it’s finally been added to Crunchyroll.
Great video! I love how you go back and forth between the eng and jpn clips of gaogaigar for comparison!
thank you :D I wanted to make sure people understood why both are good
This is the ONLY time when dub was at its peak during those eras. Both the jpn and dub in sync at the same time is just perfect.
I ABSOLUTELY despise it when people dare to offend this beautiful masterpiece GaoGaiGar is clearly THE BEST series in my book (GaoGaiGar superior, Evangelion and Gurren Lagann inferior)
Dude I love the brave series, but gurren lagann will always be my first anime.
This channel is criminally underrated, keep at it 💯
6:04 And now there's an official 10th entry! Not too long ago, the Brave series was given new life in the form of a manga called Brave Universe Sworgrader!
Just watch it. That's all I gotta say. Just watch it.
As an avid mecha fan, I'd have to say that the single mecha property GaoGaiGar shares the most similarities with, that I've watched, is kotetsu jeeg from 1975. I mean, hot blooded cyborgs that fuse with an assortment of mechanical pieces, primarily provided by, or enabled by, the female coprotagonist into the titular robot in an elaborate sequence, after shouting a particular and distinctive phrase (BUILD UP!/FINAL FUSION!), as well getting a ton of new gear later on in the show, all of which needs to be provided/approved by the female coprotagonist, one of their most iconic attacks being performed by clasping their hands together, etc
And now I've got something new to watch!
I just started watching my blu-ray again
Wish the series got a full dub, they did such an excellent job with the English dub cast for the part that did get an English dub, which say alot since earlier dubs were very hit or miss.
Gaogaigar is what made childhood for me and many other who grew up with it. He is after all the King of Courage! 😊😊
There is a reason he is so well beloved and was remembered as a true classic of the Brave series. The fact that he still got a manga today said alot. 😢, I shred manly tears upon discovering this and seeing Gai himself yell out "Fusion!" in the manga.
the beginning of the popular mech in brave ever
Gaogaigar has taken his rightful place with
Mazinger z
Dancouger
Transformers
Voltron
Robotech.
Forgot the Gundam series.
@animeshockz7078 never heard of it. Sorry
@animeshockz7078 thanks for the information. See I learned something new even though it's old. 😀
Funny you should mention it. GaoGaiGar was more or less raised as the 4th Pillar of Mecha Anime in the recent Super Robot Wars 30 game. Put on such a huge pedastal that it held almost as much plot relevance as Gundam (Real Robot), Mazinger Z (Super Robot), and Getter (Combining Robot) as the representative in chief of 'Brave Robots'. What was once a holy trinity of the mentioned three, 30 basically said 'Y'know what, let's just admit it, Braves are every bit as important to mecha culture and GaoGaiGar is the shining example of Brave robos.'.
@@katomamundara8106 I got the braves series on my cellphone I even got bettermen series on my cellphone. I can't believe that both shows are a part of gaogaigar series.
You can tell the love and effort you put into this! It's so informative as well! It's a great video!
Thank you!
I don’t think Gaogaigar is a “hidden gem.” It has a decent sized Western fanbase, it appears fairly rrgularly in SRW, and it’s even been getting new official media like the Gaogaigar v Betterman manga. The recent anime Bravern was basically a giant love letter to the Yuusha series it’s a part of, and it’s by far the most famous entry in said series. If you rank mecha franchises by their notoriety, with stuff like Gundam and Evangelion at the top of the list and really obscure 70-80s super robot anime like Gakeen and Baratack near the bottom, then Gaogaigar would probably be in the top quarter of the list at absolute worst. If I was going to name a super robot series that I thought was actually a hidden gem, it’d be something like Tryder G7, Dangaioh, Zeorymer or the J9 trilogy, and even those aren’t really that obscure.
It does help in Trider's case that he's becoming a real mainstay in the Super Robot Wars as well. Been a while since we've seen Dangaioh or the J9s(Braiger, Baxinger and Sasuraiger), tho...
grew up with a ton of mecha and primarily Gaogaigar sets because they were in the bargain bin at my local Media Play and Suncoast and with that it was such a big part of what superheroes were for other I had mecha. This was a well made vid and it's always a joy to see Gaogaiar brought up even mentioning the Yuusha series which I feel people forget.
That's the whole point. I wish more people knew. Glad you had a good time though
@@JuzaVoices There's a theoretical braves series isekai (made by the artist who did the knights and magic manga) where the brave hero (who looks a bit like exkaiser) is summoned to another world to battle the demon lord's giant monster army. I swear it's real. It's called Isekai Yuusha G-SHINE.
6:04 #1 rule of the brave universe: We don't talk about Betterman. (I absolutely loved it tho)
7:52 Shouldn't they be in primary school as Mamoru is 8 y.o.?
At first, i have a hard time to keep watching it, but then the fight against 4 lords and Pasdar happens...then escalated on Zonuda, and then FINAL arc
This retrospective is one of the keys to victory!
While I admit - English dub does sound good, but let's be clear - noone beats Japanese Pipin Tarupin in his over-the-top performance!
No, like seriously - Nobuyuki Hiyama is not even a classic at this point. He is a legend in voice-acting! Being renown for so many animes and videogames, you can't just replace him.
I am so happy that I watched GaoGaiGar back in the time when DVDs were the main way of getting anime. I was lucky to watch it in mid-2000s and it made me love mecha more than anything else. Minor touches, great soundtrack, amazing designs and almost perfect animation made this anime indeed top-notch work of its time.
Honestly the English version should have just been a side note. If you aren't watching Japanese you aren't watching GaoGaiGar
@@DiggitySlice I wouldn't quite go that far. As a dub, it's doing decently well. It's just... it wasn't following on from a popular franchise with 6 previous entries.
I would say it's better to watch in Japanese for Noboyuki though. He's iconic in this show for a reason.
There is actually something special about GaoGaiGar for the SRW series. You see in the SRW series the brave series well its a special kind special introduction. So a history lesson. You might think Brave Exkaiser the very first Brave would the first introduction to the SRW franchise would be the first but Brave Exkaiser would not be introduce until SRW Super Robot Wars X-Ω which was a mobile game that was released in 2015 that never got a proper story to the series. The very first Brave to be introduce to the SRW series is none other you guess it GaoGaiGar with SRW Alpha 2 which was released in 2003. Which was rare at the time since GaoGaiGar was the very first Brave to be introduce to the series but wasn't the one to start the Brave series. The next Brave would me finally be Exkaiser BUT he would not make any further appearance. GaoGaiGar would make a total of 7 appearances where only Might Gain only a total of 4. Betterman which was the second Brave to be introduce only has a total of 3 appearances which itself is a spin off of GaoGaiGar. The latest introduction to SRW is J-Decker. GaoGaiGar is that kind of special.
HOLY SHIT THAT IDEON CLIP KIDS HEAD GOT DOMED
lol yeah
No death look at final
I heard Gundam X also got buried by Eva. Guess I have a second mecha show to check out.
OPTIMISM, that's the answer.
this was my unti hang over Mecha show when i watch Voltron legendary Defender when covid hit on 2020
Also Shout Factory released all of the Transformers takara series on DVD in the US. It's out of print now sadly
Those Japanese transformer series are honest to God the best I've seen and I have them on DVD, now you can find full episodes on YT but God I do wish blu ray versions, or UHD versions come out for them, so many people are missing out tbh
Discotek media is re-releasing all the brave series starting with the last one on Blu Ray in that crispy 1080p
@Dragoner Productions Correction, they are only releasing GoaGaiGar, they don't have the rights for the other series. They said this during their last announcement stream. However they did say if GaoGaiGar sold well they would look into the other series. So everyone needs to pick upba copy and support the release
@@kevinkeene474 I'm sure they will, Discotek media is pretty good with acquiring these.... Plus it's kinda their whole business model to begin with, there is only so much old media you can put out there.
@Dragoner Productions I hope they get them top, I'm a long time dedicated Discotek fan and supporter. I've got every super robot series they have put out so far. Fingers crossed we get more. Spread the word
Praise for the King of Braves! Great vid man!
I’ve been playing 13:52 - 14:10 about 10 times over the last minute or so. Your buildup and Guy’s two VAs in synch is mesmeric all around
Damn, i'm watching with my friends and yeah, it's a Epilepsy trigger all times the main villains appear on screen
unfortunately, yeah... It just happens way too often
Super robot is my favorite Mecha genre and GaoGaiGar was among one of the more influential stories to my own writing and storytelling. It's so fricken rad.
"I believe the x-factors that truly made it fail in the West were Pokemon...
And 9/11."
Definitely a sentence I never expected to hear. xD
For real tho, REALLY good review for GaoGaiGar! More people need to hear about this show.. ESPECIALLY with it getting a DVD release soon thanks to Discotek (Including the unfinished English dub episodes, so we can finally hear those officially)
...Lets just hope they found a way to lessen the impact of the seizure scenes... Because GOODNESS, if it's still there, pretty sure it'll drive away buyers and those interested. ^^"
This video was really well done! And thanks for summing up how I feel about GaoGaiGar’s fast, but never nauseating escalation! It’s what makes casually watching it a joy! Also that Sunrise Publishing poster at 0:34 is so neat, because it makes me happy that 2018 Sunrise was acknowledging Infinite Ryvius and Idolmaster Xenoglossia-
(Also thanks for remembering Betterman, can’t forget the banger that is Chin-Requiem)
Can’t wait for the next video of 3G!
I remember watching a couple episodes with some older cousins way back when. Definitely one of the reasons I love Mecha series so much now
Not sure my first choice for "older mech with hair" would go to Cybernetic Guardian. I would have said Juushin Liger since it's the more popular one between the two with there being a wrestler who poses as and is named Juushin Liger as reference to the mech of the show.
Also, I can't fully agree with NGE being the answer to the Brave series especially since we know that Shinji is, whether wholesale or just partly, essentially an Amuro Ray expy ("kid has to ride a robot that his dad built and goes through emotional problems as he deals with the expectations placed on him" is a very clear through line between both of them) because the creator is a fan of Mobile Suit Gundam.
Lastly, what made the Brave series great was both their message and the robots themselves. Yes, all the people that worked to make the shows should be acknowledged, but no kid is going to bother reading credits. All they'll remember is the meat of the show which is exactly the message and the mechs.
That all said, I still liked the video and how you structured it since it made it very easy to follow and understand even if I knew most of that information already.
Really good points you made here! I'm actually considering making a NGE video soon so this is really valuable to bring up. Thank you! You're totally right about the Amuro Ray parallel. I think NGE almost makes itself a combination of those brutal Gundam themes while incorporating it into the brave series' format at the same time. You're makin me think about it more though.
@@JuzaVoices Shinji, in a genre context, is kind of an interesting character. If you're familiar with the genre, particularly Amuro's story in Gundam, and Koji Kabuto's story in Mazinger Z, a lot of how he's built as a contrast stands out. But, I think a big part of Shinji's character, the part that gets lost due to lack of familiarity, is the influence of Ultraman. The Return of Ultraman in particular. Watch that, and rewatch Evangelion, and you notice a lot of parallels. Similar camera shots, lighting effects, even the camera angle of Shinji's unique hand tic when he's stressed is influenced by scenes in Return of Ultraman. Even the seeming roller coaster ride of ups and downs Shinji experiences in relation to Nerv and being an Eva pilot reflects Return of Ultraman's Go Hideki and his relationship with MAT.
In my mind, Exkaiser was the lost G1 Transformers series. Exkaiser himself was like Rodimus x Star Saber, and the story about alien robot factions fighting on Earth always felt the most like Transformers out of the Yuusha series (barring J-Decker's more fleshed out robot cast).
If I remember right, Ultra Raker and Dino Geist were originally intended for Transformers but it could just be a rumor.
That being said, I remember G Gundam having dramatic and even tragic scenes as well.
It is indeed a FACE, mecha is a FACE
We really need a redub of Gaogaigar
Fantastic video I’m going to watch it immediately
You sir, managed to hit the nail on the head for why I've never watched the dub of GaoGaiGar outside of some clips here & there. Not because it's bad, but because it's unfinished. If one of those new Anime localization groups that do niche series picks this up, I hope they can get the cast back together to finish what was started all those years ago.
Also, if you're planning on making this a series, I am all for it!
THANK YOU FOR SWITCHING TO ENG DUB
Hidden Gem indeed
The dub is ok at best any way. There isnt much to miss. They pronounce GaoGaiGar three different ways and each actor is inconsistent with which one they use.
Gaogaigar is not only my favorite mecha anime, it may be my favorite anime period, especially if you add the Final ova. I've never seen the other Brave shows though. Just couldn't find them online. The most I saw were like the first 4 episodes of ExKaizar and I'm not even sure those were all subbed.
Some of the series like Goldran and Exkaiser are now available subbed on TH-cam. Many of the rest I got from Nyaa.
I had a chuckle during the smash bros showcase for hero when Sakurai explained the DQ 3 hero alt he said that a king of braves is voicing a hero also that English va for gai was also dean venture from the venture bros and the main boy protagonist in summer wars
勇: Brave 者: Person 勇者: Hero 勇者王: Hero King / King of Heroes
Just watched your video on NGE. While its not my favorite Super-Robot series, your video was probably one of the best explanations I've seen of it as a whole. I was already an adult when NGE came out, and as a fan of classic series all the way back to Tetsujin 28 and Mazinger Z. I personally found NGE to be depressing and unnecessary. But I know it was trying to be unique, and resonated with many people. However it took me longer to discover the Brave series. I grew up with Transformers, I even knew about the Japanese Sequels before most fans in the west as I had a friend in the 80s whos' family lived in Japan, and would send him random VHS tapes, including some episodes of Masterforce & Victory. However, when I discovered the Brave series many years later, the fact that they were spiritual successors to Transformers, and were trying to reinvigorate the Super Robot genre, I was all in. GaoGaiGar is so much fun, and inspirational. It makes you feel good, and gives you hope that no matter what, no matter how devastated or destroyed you may feel, GOOD will always triumph over evil (quite the opposite of NGE), which is why I love GGG so much!
DUDE your voice reminds me of an old anime I watched as a kid. If you've heard of "Super Book" your voice reminds me of God in that.
Like damn, do kick ass narrative audio for Audio books and you'll see me buy (just as soon as I get my life together that is.)
Gaogaigar/brave yuusha
Final End 1990-2000s
Transformers
1984-today
Excellent video Sir, very well done!
the hero we've been waiting 4
awesome video
thank you!
Bruh
Your content is gold, if you have a patreon, I’m donating
Great video, cool channel.
id say guy is more like the mc of steel jeeg
The Japanese is soooooo much better though. Just watch the Japanese from the very beginning.
The weird thing I find about it is that all villains names start with P
Please do a video essay on sailor moon 🌕
I used to watch this all the time, but nowadays I can't seem to find the English dub videos on TH-cam anymore. There used to be Seasons One and Two on this playlist, but Gunn's Brave Storage (the playlist creator) must have deleted it or something because it's not there now.
They most likely got taken down due to copyright.
@@pengy29 God damnit. I loved those. I prefer the English voices to the Japanese ones, honestly.
@@BPJD2004 only half the anime was dubbed too.
There's a new blu ray that just came out a week ago. It has the entire series subbed, with 1-525's full english dub as an option
The English dub is so amazing that I am going to say, “Screw Media Blasters for canceling the dub!”
Great voice
Guy for some reason sounds like Goku in English
I hate mech anime and GaoGaiGar is to me this greatest mech anime ever made, I love everything about it from its thundering orchestral soundtrack to its immense mech fights and creative mechs. I love this anime even the half made English dub with Dan green.
Welp I’m disappointed I can’t watch it anymore
Yo-Ho-Ho!!
Discotek media has made gaogaigar on blu-ray
Give me more
you like NGE?
17:08
"Even Evangelion was meta comentary on the Brave Series itself."
And... You lost me there. Care to elaborate? Without Shinji having a team of not-transformers to lead, I don't see how Eva comments on the Brave Series any more than it does comments on Static Shock.
You clearly haven't watched static shock then. Static is a clear meta commentary on 90's anime.
The brave series had popularized the formulaic idea of "small child meets big robot and they become best friends while fighting bad guys." Consistently, with Exkaiser, Fighbird, Da-Garn, Might Gaine, J-decker, etc., those would follow that core idea while establishing recurring themes such as relying on your friends and family, never giving up and always being brave in the face of danger. Shinji and Evangelion are the exact opposite in many ways as almost a direct answer to the Brave series. Shinji is the typical age range of the small child protagonists we usually get, but has NO family or friends in which to rely on, gives up OFTEN and is frequently a self-proclaimed coward. Evangelion is basically any of the brave shows, just minus the "brave." Plus, the "robot best friend" angle is way harder on the nose, being shinji's actual mother in unit 01. On top of all that, the 3rd brave entry, Da-Garn, includes "Seiji" as the main character, a mystery girl who blips away when you look away from her, and once again "Alien robots from space." Seems pretty connected to me.
@@JuzaVoices wouldn’t that apply to many super robot series? Evangelion, knowing the creators huge fanboy nature, stuffed as much as he could in there but in a more depressive light though only leaning hard into that light toward the end/latter half while somewhat vaguely there through most of the anime. The depressive light that was there initially was more real robot influence since Amuro Ray went through similar trauma early Shinji went through. Evangelion seems like an answer because of the combination of 10’s of dozens of ideas by using super robot world and scenarios but real robot humans forced to deal with the absurd and navigate the confusion while like real robots, higher ups being shady and having unknown ulterior motives though a bit super robot esque in their presentation. Kinda forgot what I was getting at other Than that I don’t think Evangelion is an answer to anything but just a combination
uhhhh NOT hidden, "obvious" gem :P
0:34 Where did you find that picture?
No idea. That was a google image search result
@@JuzaVoices What'd you type in?
@@jefferyquick3280 Some combination of mecha, group, poster, sunrise. I can't find it online anymore though aside from in some tweets like this one twitter.com/zetial/status/1036249015652835328/photo/2
Would you recommend watching the whole Brave series or starting with GaoGaiGar?
Start with gaogaigar. The rest are vastly inferior, almost on purpose. After that, try out Goldran. Its the most fun one of the bunch I think
I started with GaoGaiGar but just finished watching the whole Brave over the years once most of them that weren’t translated before are now translated I’m fulfilled now
🔥🔥🔥
GEMU
GIRU!!