GIANT ROBO THE ANIMATION - The Day the Earth Stood Still Episode. 5 The Truth About Bashitarle! The Bygone Days of the Boy's Youth... The Hidden Secrets of the B.F. Organization, part 1 The Terrifying Destroyers, the Magnificent Ten The most Talented Ones, the Magnificent Ten. The terrifying ones with powers said to far surpass the agents of the International Police Organization, will at long last convene in Episode 6. At that time, will any hope of victory remain for Daisaku and company? (The Dazzling) Cervantes ------------------------ A man specializing in mental attacks that directly manipulate the target's mind (unlike senjutsu). Because the personalities of the other members of the Magnificent Ten are too strong, he cannot make contact and guess their plans, but because Albert and he alone respected each other, a combination was possible. He is the only member of the Magnificent Ten whose face matches that of the members of the "Oil Dollar" society, and this fact has been utilized in numerous operations as his name indicates, but during the chain reaction-like "Domino Operation" that attempted to seize control of the world, he was defeated and killed by Taisou. Furthermore, because the "GR Project" was too large and too important, the Magnificent Ten were rotating charge of it, and it was during his watch that Dr. Kusama's defection (in "Birth") occurred. Doki (the Direct Descendant) ---------------------------- A man skilled in physical skills and martial arts, who especially loves to fight with his seven-segment staff. Although he is a member of the Magnificent Ten, normally the execution of his plans is doled out to B or C class agents, and he is for some reason strictly forbidden to enter into battle until the very last by a group of unidentified servants known as the Keppuu-Ren[1]. Why he is permitted to have such special assistants is mystery even within the Magnificent Ten, but from the way he follows their instructions in public and private life, it almost appears that they are protecting him. Albert (the Impact)[2] ---------------------- A character who can freely control shockwaves. He has always wanted to defeat Taisou with his own hands after Taisou destroyed his best friend Cervantes and his right eye during the "Domino Operation", but since his fated rival chose to defend the lives of his friend more than his own, he has become surrounded by thoughts of hopelessness and purposelessness. Furthermore, having believed the objective of the B.F. Organization to be world domination, he holds doubts that the purpose of the current "Earth Cessation Operation" is nothing other than the extermination of all mankind, and has even begun to question the very intentions of Big Fire himself. What he will do from now on surely merits the closest of scrutiny. Juujouji (of the Chime of Life) ------------------------------- The bearer of the most intelligence within the Magnificent Ten. Skilled at Taoism, he can breath life not merely into the dead, but into _all_ things lacking life. He is also superlative at the control of robots, and his life force is located in a different dimension from normal people (including the rest of the Magnificent Ten). The words he speaks almost seem to come from another world. Zangetsu (the Midday) --------------------- His face, along with his abilities, have been surrounded by those mysterious bells, but he is surely an important character not only to the G.R. world but also to Daisaku himself. As the newest addition to the Magnificent Ten, the reason for his name being added to their ranks is given in the back story, but why he was promoted for undertaking the "G.R. Project", possibly the biggest blot on the B.F. Organization's record due to its failure and the theft of G. Robo, is a major mystery. GR-2 (Giant Robo #2) -------------------- Invented as Giant Robo's sibling, designed for aquatic combat. Is equipped with a large water-jet propulsion system, which ingests water at the shoulders and expels it from the torso and leg section, enabling it to move extremely swiftly under water. Is particularly well suited for long-range combat with its detachable arms, and for direct physical assault with the large crescent- shaped ram on its forehead. Dr. Kusama ---------- Daisaku's father, and originally director of the Weapons Division of the International Police Organization. But due to the vehemence of his wish to answer his dying wife's last words, "Can happiness be obtained without sacrifice? Can time pass without sorrow?", he decided to cooperate with the B.F. Organization's "GR Project". But inside his heart... Gallop ------ Originally, a small elusive robot with the ability to fly, in this story only the head section appears. It might seem small in comparison to G. Robo, but because it was available on short notice it was able to put Ginrei and the others in quite a pinch. Furthermore, because its searchlight-equipped eyes can separate and move around independently from the body, it can cover its blind spots. Survey Postcard Q&A Director Imagawa Keeps on Candidly Answering Your Questions! ------------------------------------------------------------ - Director Imagawa Looks like Yoshihiro Tatsuo Toukyou Prefecture, O.N., male This is installment 2 of the "Who Does Director Imagawa Look Like?" series that began in the previous episode. And sure enough, Mr. Yoshihori Tatsuo definitely looks like Director Imagawa. On top of that, the Oosaka-born director has been a fan of Mr. Yoshihiro's, and during the making of "Mr. Wiseass", they say he requested that Mr. Yoshihiro participate, not just as a guest character, but even up to singing the songs for the album! (Bandai Visual) - My friend, a fan of Murasame, is crying. Will he have an opportunity to do something down the road? Also, when did Albert start referring to himself as "washi"? (It was "watashi" up through Episode. 2...) Gunma Prefecture, K.F., female Starting with the first question, in the latter half of the series, Murasame will become what Daisaku sees as an "adult", in opposition to Tetsugyuu. and the reason you haven't seen him much up until this point was to accomplish that. So, please tell your friend to by all means look forward to the following episodes. Especially episode 6, which is scheduled to be his and Daisaku's story. As for the second question about Albert's mode of self- address.....sorry, it's my fault! - It seems this series is also quite popular overseas, so does a recasted version exist? Saga Prefecture, H.U., male An English language version exists. The part where I thought, "I lost!" was how the "The impending future..." intro bit starts with the shout of the word "If". It was just so cool! I take off my hat to this unexpected show of taste from America. However, if I may be permitted to say so, since neither me nor the other staff participated in the recasting, the first impression of the characters' debut will determine the drama - in other words, it's made without an eye to the subplots going on. I guess this couldn't be helped, but it's kind of a shame for the people who were in contact with the original, so I'm hoping that if there are any further recastings we'll be able to help. In addition, a Cantonese and Italian language version are in the works. - Did Youshi die? What about Ko-Enshaku? Kanagawa Prefecture, N.M., male Youshi did, without question, pass away. However, Ko-Enshaku has a mysterious existence within the G.R. world, so he is above questions of life and death.... It's a shame I can't say in more than deep-meaning words, so please pardon me. - The existence of the Experts is very appealing, but what does it mean? Miyagi Prefecture, Y.A., male Actually, as far as the existence of the Experts and the Agents is concerned, a collosally deep meaning is being concealed. However, since it is intimately connected with the fundament of the world, please forgive me for not commenting in detail. - Will the Giant Monster Sphere be broken and Gaia emerge at the end? Toukyou Prefecture, D.N., male It wasn't Gaia, but I was planning to have GR-4 come out when I was first planning the show. However, that went away due to the "The Birth of Zangetsu the Midday" stuff. - Now that his foe is gone, what will become of Albert-sama? I want him to face an even bigger foe. Gunma Prefecture, Shissin Shinshi, male Those watching Episode. 5 may be wondering what will happen to him. But fear not, his flower will bloom once again! - Did Taisou-san reaaaaaaly die? Pleeeeease tell me you won't kill any more characters (guess not, huh?) Oosaka Prefecture, Yamazaki Mariko, female I've gotten a _lot_ of letters like this from people, but he'll be appearing again later in the series so please look forward to that. But, even if you ignore the TV series, the OVAs, and the manga, if an opportunity arises to make more episodes, I'll be able to show you the "Domino Operation" set in the past where he was active, so please cheer us on toward making that a reality. - The cast of "G.R." are way cool, but how'd you decide on them? Toukyou Prefecture, Shiroda Tomohiro, male Basically, I just asked them all to participate. But what I can't figure out is why they all agreed to come on (Director Imagawa the Western-film maniac is being selfish. That's all it is (smiley) Bandai Visual's Matsumoto). But truly there's nothing so enjoyable as having such incredible people as these appearing in a show. "G.R." couldn't have been made into such a successful work without them, and I think the casting for "G.R." is one of the most triumphant things about it. - Will all the members of the Nine Great Lords of Heaven be gathered? Ishikawa Prefecture, Kitade Yoshiwa, male Sorry, but all of them aren't going to be gathered in these episodes; in fact, not all of their characters are concocted. However, inside my head I've been thinking about, besides Taisou the Spiritual Buddhist and Silent Chuujou, Marshal Kanshin, Rinchuu the Panther Cub-Headed, and Dick the Shepard (smiley). I _really_ want to draw the aforementioned fight between Kanshin and Koumei somewhere. - Does the International Police Organization have any robots besides G. Robo and Tetsujin #28? Hyougo Prefecture, T.K., male They don't have as many as the B.F. Organization, but they do have a few here and there. However, normally they're a hindrance when attacking and on the theory that enemies should be defeated by a person's hands, and it is written into the story that the International Police Organization has not much will to rely on robots. - We haven't seen Go the Scholar fight much at all; _can_ he actually fight? Aichi Prefecture, N.I., female Of course, he can fight using his fans freely. However, he's an Expert whose specialty lies in using his brain, and he's not the sort of person to charge of to the front lines to fight the enemy personally, so you won't see him recklessly charging onto he battlefield. - Genya seems like a pretty resourceful person, but if he uses his teleportation will his life disappear too? Ehime Prefecture, N.F., female Yes, that's correct. In this world, teleportation is considerably dangerous, and is posited as a double-edged sword-like in this story. - The most natural guess for Ginrei's lover would be Prof. Go, but it seems like it could also possibly be the Chief.... At least I don't think it's Tetsugyuu. (sorry) Kyouto Prefecture, A.O., female Her lover will become clear in Episode. 7. But, I think there's a lot of people who already know who it is... (smiley) - Is there some deep reason that the Magnificent Ten are mostly from the East? Kanagawa Prefecture, T.S., male Nope, that's just my preference. (smiley) Because I like "Suikouden", I took the basic line of characters appearing in "G.R." from there. Plus, a large number of other Eastern characters also showed up. Actually, the "magnificent" in "Magnificent Ten" came from the images of the 108 Heros and the word "hero". - Was there some standard way you decided to split characters from the same "Suikouden" up and make them enemies. Fukuoka Prefecture, K.T., male In the image inside my head, I split them up saying, these are enemies, and these are allies. In other words, there was nothing like a clear standard. - Taisou-san....and even Youshi-san... (cries) They really were a good couple, even until their last moments. If at all possible, could you please show us the "start of their relationship"? Kagawa Prefecture, K.K., female The two of them meet in "Domino Operation". You'll have to excuse me all the particulars, but the scar on Youshi's breast is from back then. Since I want to draw this episode in sequence with "The Birth of Zangetsu the Midday", please somehow give us your support to make that a reality. We're counting on you. - Why is G. Robo called the "Mightiest Robot on Earth"? 1. Because of past victories, 2. As a B.F. Organization codename, or 3. Because it's not "Mightiest" but rather "Nastiest".[3] Oosaka Prefecture, A.T., male Of course, it's because it's strong, but if we include the meaning of the character for "evil" not just as a joke, it's still "Mightiest on Earth". - Is it true that several people on the production staff died? Nara Prefecture, H.G., male Not at all. But certainly everybody is falling apart both in mind and body. (smiley) - They all died, didn't they. I was really enjoying Tetsugyuu becoming more and more of a good person. Toukyou Prefecture, T.N., male He wanted to throw away his childhood past, but he hadn't yet become an adult either. Tetsugyuu's growing up, and Daisaku's growing up - I'm going to be showing more of that. To be clear, this was the plan from Episode. 1 onward. That this goal was far exceeded is due to the creative talents of Iizuka Shouzou. Characters like Tetsugyuu could be said to be my ideal of masculinity. For displaying him this spendidly, I am deeply moved and deeply grateful. For the preceding story and Tetsugyuu's growing up, please look once more to Iizuka-san's impassioned creation. I'm sure you'll be able to grasp his magnificence. And I want to say this to all the seiyuu. All the characters have a _magnificently_ "real" feel to them. And in this episode there are new characters that appear, but thanks to Yashima Tadaaki-san and Hasama Michio-san's drive, even though they didn't have many lines, they gave the marvelous impression of fitting right in, as though they had existed in the world from before. There is nothing more pleasurable than being able to assemble such a gathering of fantastic seiyuu. And I think... that all of you too will find this work enjoyable. In the next episode, Episode. 6, the Magnificent Ten assemble at long last, and move to stop the International Police Organization. What will the outcome of the battle be?! Chapter/Tracks Side 1 1. Title 2. OP - B.F. Organization vs. International Police Organization 3. Subtitle 4. Chief Chuujou's Departure 5. The Mysterious Bandaged Man 6. Tetsugyuu Searches 7. Tetsugyuu and Ginrei's Discouragement 8. Daisaku's Descent (1) 9. Genya's Threat 10. Albert the Impact 11. Genya's True Feelings 12. Daisaku's Fall (2) 13. Daisaku and Genya (1) The Bygone Days of the Boy's Youth The Birth of Zangetsu the Midday 14. The Father, Dr. Kusama's, Last Words 15. Zangetsu the Midday 16. Murasame Kenji - Do or Die 17. The Dazzling Cervantes, and GR-2 18. GR-1 19. "Can Happiness Be Obtained Without Sacrifice...Can Time Pass Without Sorrow..." 20. Daisaku and Genya (2) 21. Ginrei's Thoughts 22. Ginrei and Tetsugyuu, their Love 23. Ryouzanpaku: The Twin-Tailed Scorpion's Rescue Party[4] Sho Kikou - Kaei Shin Sanzan - Koushin Kichuu the Firce Tiger General Shuutsuu the Little Overlord Kaichin the Two-Headed Snake Kaiho the Twin-Tailed Scorpion Goyou the High Wisdom Star 24. Issei Doujin 25. Issei Doujin vs. the Mysterious Bandaged Man 26. Doubts Among the Twin-Tailed Scorpion's Rescue Party 27. The Deciding Battle Between Tetsugyuu, Ginrei, and Genya (1) 28. Eyecatch Side 2 29. Eyecatch 30. The Deciding Battle Between Tetsugyuu, Ginrei, and Genya (1) 31. Ko-Enshaku's Attack 32. Genya and Ginrei (namely, Emmanuel and Farmehrle) 33. Tetsugyuu's Confession 34. Ginrei's Flight The Bygone Days of the Boy's Youth The Tragedy of Bashitarle 35. Fogler and Shizuma, as Scientists 36. The Scheme of the Shizuma Development Team Professor Shizuma Dr. Duncan Doctor Tranbo Professor Shimure 37. Emmanuel and Farmehrle's Unease 38. Go the Apprentice 39. The Flight of the Shizuma Development Team 40. The Tragedy of Bashitarle Franken von Fogler 41. Go the Scholar's Thoughts (namely, the second Go the Acolyte) 42. "Unknown Tears" 43. Genya's Persuasion 44. Between Genya, Daisaku, and Ginrei 45. Gallop's Assault 46. The Onslaught of Giant Robo 47. Rescue by Murasame Kenji and Issei Doujin 48. The Fate of Albert the Impact 49. Ending Staff Title 50. Next Episode Preview 51. Next Episode Title "Sin and Punishment - All For the Sake of Big Fire" Translator's Notes ------------------ [1] "Keppuu-Ren" literally means "Blood-Wind Team". [2] This character is known as "Shougeki no Albert". "Shougeki"-"ha" means "shock-wave" (which is Albert's special power), but "shougeki" by itself can mean "crash" or "impact". It might be a bit more consistent to call him "Albert the Shock", or "Shocking Albert", but since all permutations of that that I could think of sound ultra-lame in English, I have taken to calling him Albert the Impact. [3] As many Oosakan's are wont to do, this person is making a joke. He replacing the character for "strong" (the "kyou" in "saikyou") with one meaning "evil", "unlucky", etc. [4] All of these people come from ancient Chinese literature. Me not being ancient, Chinese, or sufficiently literary, this sucks. All the names are presented in a standard format, three kanji for the family and given name, and then a two kanji nom de guerre. The ones that really don't translate well are: "Shokikou" - "Little Season Light" "Shinsanzan" - "Stronghold of the Three Mountains".