GIANT ROBO THE ANIMATION - The Day The Earth Stood Still Episode. 1 The Black Attache Case THE ADVENT OF THE STEEL "GOD OF DESTRUCTION"[1] UPON THE EARTH!! Yamaki Yasutou (Overall Producer) --------------------------------- A human who, by himself, leads nothing but an insignificantly small existence. Who, in addition, is barely old enough to merit the term "boy" and must fight against a sea of troubles, struggling against impossible-seeing odds in an attempt to win... Such tales have been told since ancient antiquity. In recent times, they take the form of myths and legends, and these days have become the subject of programs and novels... In animation, as well, this enduring theme is depicted in great quantity, no, in the _greatest_ quantity of all. However, when most recent animations try to depict this theme, they become buried in their own philosophy and situations. Have they not lost the catharsis that works of this theme are supposed to have had since the beginning? As a reflection on this point, this "Giant Robo the Animation" is a more purely entertaining work, as it were a "SF action film"... I wanted to make it with the best staff and characters that properly conform to the theme, as an adaptation of Mr. Yokoyama Mitsuteru's creation. In other words, it is a return to a certain original seed. However, I don't think we're posing as a retrospective. I think this is because being able to embrace a purer inspiration is the greatest joy for the people actually making the animation. However, by saying that I am in no sense trying to deny what this animated work has accomplished. After all, it's what this "current" age has wished for. And so of course "GR" also contains some "modern" themes. If not, it would presumably be nothing more than a remake of past films. Ancient inspiration, portrayed with modern techniques. That is "Giant Robo". Imagawa Yasuhiro (Director) --------------------------- "Giant Robo the Animation" begins here. However, this "The Day The Earth Stood Still" story doesn't have the typical sort of first episode where the hero Daisaku meets his robot. It is intended as a close-up for the climax of the story which was told in the final episode of the TV series. Why did I do this? Because I thought of it as being assembled in deference not to the structure, but as a "character-driven drama". You might be thinking, isn't that precisely why one should begin with a normal first episode? But to do so would be to depend on stereotypes for the characters' attitude, disposition and drama, both for the audience and for the creators. The reason that recent works of animation all give the impression of being alike is presumably because of how strong this trend has grown recently. However, I didn't want to make "GR" into the sort of work that displays the same old development. That was the greatest reason I tried to depict an episode towards the climax of the later half of the series. However, I don't mean to say any intention of skimping on structural things like the world model. Rather, I intend to make maximum use of it to make the drama interesting. The part of that I'd like you to pay special attention to is this: the science is futuristic and the moral outlook is modern, but the setting has the same sense that something mysterious is afoot found from the Taisho era until the early days of Showa. An aesthetic that, in the so-called Information Society of today where everything the world over is within reach of our understanding, has disappeared. A world where plotting and intrigue are alive: that kind of world is the setting for this story. A complex human portrait, unfurled amidst a world steeped in mystery from the past. The farther we go, from episode 1, 2, 3, and on, the more densely woven the mysteries will get, with hints in various forms situated (obliquely) throughout the story like a crossword puzzle, with the answer finally floating to the surface in the final episode. We absolutely won't let you get bored. I'd greatly like you to watch the story from here out. Kusama Daisaku[2] ----------------- A boy who became fated to fight against the B.F. Organization after being voice registered as the controller of the world's mightiest robot weapon, Giant Robo. After his father, Robo's creator, and his loving mother were killed by B.F. Organization agents while trying to let him escape, he is all alone in the world. An ordinary adolescent would be surrounded by various sufferings due to the pain and sadness of bearing these things in his heart, but realizing that many people had been sacrificed to protect him and G. Robo, he is a stolid boy who will not make his feelings public and do things to cause the people around him any further trouble. What experiences will he, this sort of person, have from now on, and how will he grow up?... That is the theme of "Giant Robo". Giant Robo (GR-1) ----------------- One of three robots created by Daisaku's father, Dr. Kusama, as part of the B.F. Organization's mysterious "GR Project". It has the mightiest combat capabilities for terrestrial combat. It only obeys the words of its voice-registered commander, but its form when confronting enemies and displaying its immense latent power should perhaps be referred to as the Steel "God of Destruction"[1]. G. Robo is the last, best hope of the International Police Organization against the robots of the B.F. Organization. Chapter/Tracks ------------- Side 1 1. Opening Title 2. Opening 3. Gathering of the B.F. Organization 4. The Third Attache Case 5. Railway Chase 6. Tetsugyuu the Black Whirlwind 7. Railway Robot Transformation 8. Scramble![2] It's Name is Giant Robo! 9. Plot of the B.F. Organization 10. The Notre Dame Cathedral - The Great Paris Fault Upheaval 11. Analysis at the Peking Branch 12. History of the Development of the Shizuma Drive 13. Chuujou's Conjecture 14. Return of the Airship Greta Garbo - Retrieval of G 15. Daisaku's Report 16. Murmurings in the Medical Room 17. Shizuma Drive System 18. Scenery from the Hill Side 2 19. Underground Isolation Room - Go, Troubled 20. The Tragedy of Bashitarle (Donijetti, singing "Unknown Tears" from the opera "Desert of Love" [by Mauriac] 21. Inside the Great Paris Fault 22. Peking Airport 23. The City, By Night 24. A Moment in the Bar 25. Be Afraid! Albert the Impact 26. Explosive and Jet Propelled - Taisou on the Counterattack! 27. Doubts on the Highway 28. Appearance of Uraenus 29. Robo, Auto Guard Engage! 30. Next Episode Preview 31. End Title [STAFF list suppressed, for now at least] Translator's Notes ------------------ [1] The original uses the word "ki-shin", with the characters for "machine" and "god". There is a homophone, using the "ki" as in "oni", which can mean a "destructive god", so I adopted that here, trusting that the "Steel" preceding the phrase would retain enough of the original mechanical connotation. [2] Although "Daisaku" is a normal enough name, it should be noted that it means "great work". Heartening to see how Daisaku's value in his parents' eyes was even greater than the GR series their efforts produced. [3] "Scramble" as in "sortie"; as in "scrambling" fighter jets for battle.