#Kotetsu Jeeg

[retrosofa]

I recently started watching Patallio and Kotetsu Jeeg.

While I've always adored Patalliro, I've actually only seen a handful of episodes over the years. Since all but the last two episodes have been translated, I decided to start from the beginning again. I'm not sure if this is an unpopular opinion or not but I don't find Patalliro himself funny. Like his interactions with his royal court are insanely unfunny to me. But I love when he messes with Bancoran or Maraich! This show is also so shamelessly gay and horny, it blows my mind. I really appreciate the love Toei put into this one.

Kotetsu Jeeg is basically Cutie Honey if you took away the sex appeal and style. I'm not kidding. Before anyone blows up my inbox, yes, I am aware they're both Go Nagai creations. But still. The overall premise and format is very similar to Honey. The main villain, Queen Himika, looks exactly like Sister Jill. The villains are after a mysterious item hidden inside of the main character. There are also little bits and pieces recycled from other Go Nagai properties too. This isn't necessarily a bad thing though.

I'm about 12 episodes in and I dig it. I do absolutely hate Hiroshi's outfit and Jeeg itself has a really strange design. But the overall concept is cool! My biggest issue so far is that Hiroshi is extremely unlikable and there are some weird plot holes. Namely, it's unclear who does and doesn't know Hiroshi is Jeeg. Hiroshi has a rival named Don, who spends the first few episodes thinking Hiroshi might be Jeeg but so far hasn't figured it out yet. In one episode Don talks like he knows for sure (and Hiroshi even transforms in front of him) but then two episodes later he's clueless about Hiroshi's true identity. It's very weird.

I really like Miwa, who acts as Hiroshi's companion. She's pretty badass and is usually the one saving Hiroshi. I was worried this was gonna be another Sayaka situation but thankfully the misogyny is toned down in Jeeg. Excited to watch the rest of this.

[selketshaula]

DYNAMIC SUPER ROBOT ALLIANCE

[everydaydg]

(a few) Episode Interludes

[wanderersrest]

An Abbreviated History of Mecha Addendum 1: Assemble the Forces!

Welcome to the first addendum to An Abbreviated History of Mecha! Today, we'll be looking at some of the media that came out in the 70's and before. A lot of the shows covered here are ones that were fairly big in their own right, especially when compared to the juggernauts of the era like Ultraman, Mazinger Z, and Getter Robo. What should also not surprise anyone with a lot of the shows listed here is that a bunch of the shows listed here have one Go Nagai and Dynamic Planning attached to them in some manner.

Because of course he is.

And I should note: unlike in An Abbreviated History of Mecha proper, the addendums will not be listing these entries in chronological order. This primarily because a) I need to get back into the groove of writing one-off posts (especially after The Devil That is Capitalism), and b) there are a lot of things that slipped out of the cracks, and I treasure my sanity.

Anyways, let's get down to brass tacks.

Daiku Maryu Gaiking (1976) and Gaiking: The Legend of Daiku Maryu (2005)

Daiku Maryu Gaiking (or Dino Mech Gaiking) is a 1976 giant robot series known for having plots take place in real world locations outside of Japan and also for featuring the first ever use of a carrier ship for the titular giant robot Gaiking. Gaiking is also somewhat infamous due to Toei trying their absolute hardest not to pay Go Nagai since he and Dynamic Planning created the series.

Toei would revisit Gaiking in 2005 with the release of Gaiking: the Legend of Daiku Maryu, which would feature a largely unchanged Gaiking and Daiku Maryu but feature a completely different main character.

Kotetsu Jeeg/Steel Jeeg (1975) and Kotetsushin Jeeg (2007)

Created by Go Nagai immediately following the success of Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger, Kotetsu Jeeg alongside its sibling series UFO Robot Grendizer would help to cement Nagai's legacy as one of the big mecha creators in the canon. Kotetsu Jeeg would receive a sequel in 2007, Kotetsushin Jeeg. The sequel was directed by Jun Kawagoe of Getter Robo Armageddon and Mazinkaiser SKL fame and features JAM Project performing the OP Stormbringer.

In other words, Kotetsu Jeeg beat Mazinger Z to the punch with the distant sequel. Or I guess you could say it beat Mazinger Z to the rocket punch?

Eh? Get it? No? Okay...

Planetary Robot Danguard Ace (1977)

Danguard Ace is one of the many mecha shows that came out in the wake of giants like Mazinger Z and Getter Robo. This series is noteworthy for being Leiji Matsumoto's first and only foray into the giant robot genre of mecha.

And hey, guess who's currently the owner of the Danguard Ace property?

It's Go Nagai and Dynamic Planning.

Abassador Magma (1965)

Ambassador Magma is a manga series created by Osamu Tezuka. It would also receive a tokusatsu series shortly after, with one of its big accomplishments being that it would be the first tokusatsu series aired in color. Specifically, it would beat honorary mecha show Ultraman to the punch by about six days.

Invincible Robot Trider G7 (1980)

Something to always keep in mind with the history of mecha is that Mobile Suit Gundam was not initially a hit. Invincible Robot Trider G7 serves as a good reminder of this, as it was an anime series produced by Sotsu (as in the very same Sotsu that also produced the original Gundam alongside Sunrise). Airing at around the same time as Space Runaway Ideon, Trider G7 would mark the beginning of giant robots being used in the deep recesses of space alongside Ideon.

Future Robot Daltanious (1979)

I couldn't find a good gif for Daltanious without watching the series myself, so we'll have to make do with this promotional image instead.

Future Robot Daltanious is a 1979 anime series that had Tadao Nagahama as its original director for its first couple of episodes before he left to direct the seminal Shoujo series The Rose of Versailles (a series that really should be treated as an honorary mecha series due to its influence on anime and manga as a whole). Even though he only worked on the series for about thirteen episodes and passed away before he could come back to work on it, Daltanious is still treated as one of his shows alongside Combattler V, Voltes V, and Daimos.

Daltanious is also an important series for those familiar with the Brave franchise, as Daltanious is the design inspiration for both Exkaiser and GaoGaiGar.

Super Robot Red Baron (1973) and Super Robot Mach Baron (1974)

Super Robot Red Baron would come onto the scene in 1973 as the giant robot tokusatsu shows would wane in abundance due to their expensive natures. Red Baron, and later its sequel series Mach Baron, would serve as a sort of swan song as it would also have to compete with one Mazinger Z for the hearts of children all across Japan. Giant robot tokusatsu wouldn't go away altogether though, and we'd see this with the next and arguably one of the weirdest entries both here and in the canon of comic book history.

Toei Spider-Man (1978)

In cooperation with Marvel Comics (yes really), Toei would put out their own version of Spider-Man towards the end of the 70's. Note that this is specifically in a post-Kamen Rider/Super Sentai world, so Spider-Man in this series is less "quippy teenager living up to his uncles words about great power and great responsibility" and more "the warrior of hell fighting aliens" (although, I'm pretty sure either Peter Parker or Miles Morales have fought the forces of hell at this point).

Also Spider-Man in the Toei series pilots a giant robot named Leopardon to fight giant alien monsters. This may be funny, but Leopardon is important because it is what inspires Super Sentai to include giant robots in all of their future shows.

Also, to the folks at Marvel. Sony and the production crew behind the Spiderverse films: when are we going to get Toei Spider-Man in the Spiderverse films?

Jumbo Machinder/Shogun Warriors

Image source: Shogun Warriors unofficial website

Finally, to round out today's post, how could I not mention the Jumbo Machinder line of toys. All jumbo machinder was was a line of toys based off of popular giant robot shows like Mazinger Z, Gettero Robo G, Brave Raideen, Gaiking, and many more (also Godzilla and Rodan had their own machinder toys). The toys all came with spring-loaded projectiles and were immensely popular with kids back in the day.

Mattel would eventually get the distribution rights to these toys, bringing them over to the US as the Shogun Warriors. Mattel would also ask Marvel Comics to write a comic series for the Shogun Warriors that would explain why all of these largely unrelated giant robots were working together.

Thank you for reading this addendum to An Abbreviated History of Mecha. Normally, I'd do a conclusion section, but I feel like I'd have to follow up with another Addendum post.

[no1ryomafan]

As literally the only Shin Jeeg fan on this planet in modern times-both a exaggeration but also not-I try not to get upset about it because if there’s one thing I learned with Fandom is the smaller the better especially when it’s equates to a literal empty desert and fan content is purely self indulgent so having a fandom doesn’t matter-

But man if I ain’t gonna complain how Shin Jeeg designs go hard but I CANT FUCKING DRAW THEM �� Why couldn't there be at least one actual Jeeg artist maaaan.

Also consider this a Shin Jeeg design appreciation post.

[navek15]

Starting a trend of describing your current writing project with just 4-6 images. They can range from matching the tone of your work, showing the primary inspiration, or the aesthetic of your project.

Here’s mine:

Have fun in the reblogs!

[pinguinodirovere]

Jeeg Robot d'acciaio

Opening dell'omonimo anime, (si è la versione famosa di: Avanti un altro, lo show di Paolo Bonolis) :D

[evolution-toy]

We work on these figures. We are very particular about creating figures that are as close to the TV models we saw when we were small children !

[megdrawsiguess]

of course I make my first jeeg art I decide to post on here a fucking shitpost 💀 I have never seen a single ep of Grendizer and only seen shin jeeg-hence the Kenji cameo Heh-but with people telling me Duke is a cowboy and Hiroshi LOOKS like a cowboy, I couldn’t resist.

[ktwgallery]

[chloegettabeaaaaaaaaaaaaam]

I think it's incredibly funny the ending for kotetsu jeeg is the full uncut song and it makes the ed last nearly 3 minutes

[manuart79]

(via "Robo Head Jeeg" Classic T-Shirt for Sale by Manuart79)

[selketshaula]

Kotetsu Jeeg by Kazuo Nakamura

[everydaydg]

Alright lets do this.

[polariod240]

Does Kotetsu Shin Jeeg have a fandom? If not, I'll start with "oh my god I'm at episode 2 and I want Kenji and Saotome to be endgame somehow"

[navek15]

My first model kit review