#gai daigoji

[mars-gallavanger]

[kamille-is-real]

[captaintylorslog]

Martian Successor Nadesico

(1996-1997)

[grub-dot-website]

Little aestivalis wallpaper I threw together from an original character model sheet I found online!

[therosecrest]

[over-the-time-flow]

...where were we?

Both happy to meet a fellow Gai, Daido and Daigoji pledge to get along well.

The rest of the Nadesico's pilots introduce themselves as well. Akito is both a pilot and a cook, and the rest are the sporty Ryoko, the quirky Hikaru and the gloomy Izumi.

The bridge crew introduce themselves as well; Megumi Reinard is in charge of comms, and Haruka Minato is the helmswoman.

As is standard at this point, Uribatake Seiya, the Nadesico's mechanic, shows interest in tinkering with the Excellence.

Finally, Banjo Haran, who spoke up earlier, finally formally introduces himself. He's one of the richest men on the planet, and he's accompanied by three assistants; Reika Sanjo, an ex-Preventer, Beautiful Tachibana (ACTUAL BIRTH NAME), the daughter of the head of a tourism conglomerate, and Garrison Tokita, the eternally coolheaded yet noticeably quirky butler. Together, they use the Daitarn 3 and their various skillsets to crush the ambitions of the wicked Meganoids.

Raul is aptly stunned at the idea of someone having a personal butler in this day and age, especially one as stereotypical looking as Garrison, but that's rich people for you.

So from now on, the group will remain here at the GEAR HQ and act as needed. Until then, they'll just remain on standby, hanging out at the base, which is rather large and has a lot of ways to pass the time.

It's a VERY old-timey Super Robot setup, and one that i'm surprised isn't more common in SRW games; it makes for a very comfy feel all throughout, and i think if this game was properly translated, the setting would be a lot more appreciated. It's a lot easier to imagine Ryuugo "Nightmare Delinquent Boss of Hokkaido" Netsuma and NeurodivergentTeen McRealRobotProtag sitting around and talking about the weather around the water cooler when just hanging out and shooting the shit at the base is their status quo than on a grand continent spanning adventure where every single day they have to emergency deploy and fight 5 waves of enemies from 8 different shows (though they will definitely be doing that in this game still).

The group only has one issue. Right now, having been merged, they're not really the "Nadesico crew" or the "Frieden crew", or the "Preventers", nor are they even "GEAR"; the official denomination for their group is the Earth Sphere United Nation Defense Force, or ESUNDF for short. While certainly functional, it's very long (ESPECIALLY in japanese), and, well... it just doesn't sound cool. Shibuya concedes that this is true, and they decide to try and pitch names. How long could it take?

...no, seriously

Ruri: "...8 hours later..."

Well, everyone's at an impasse. No one can settle on a good name. Which means it's up to the player!

The default (and canon, probably) name is Round Knights, which to me evokes less "The Knights of the Round Table" and more Gladimon from Digimon, but it certainly sounds cooler in japanese. Plus, it has an R in the name to match the game's name, and alluding to the Knights of the Round Table is particularly apt considering some later plot implications.

All that said, however, when i'm faced with the option to rename something, i can't help but feel the urge to be silly with it overtake me. Imagine naming the team something stupid like "TUMBLR" and having the final 15 chapters be full of villains saying shit like 「おおのれTUMBLR…貴様たちさえいなければ…！！」 in their dying breaths... Still, i wouldn't want to pull a Shirogami Kodama just because of a fit of contrarianism, so you can all rest easy; we're going with Round Knights.

Onto the rollcalls!

[skull001]

4 fictional characters that mean the world to me.

1.- Amy Rose (Sonic the Hedgehog)

2.- Roy Fokker (Super Diomension Fortress Macross)

3.- Daigoji Gai (Martian Successor Nadesico)

4.- Yamcha (Dragon Ball)

[droolphobia]

WAAAAAAA HE'S HERE! i didn't expect a Nadesico slip, that was a nice surprise 😭 this is so cool I'm so happy!

[fortheloveofmecha]

Don’t Deadname Gai Daigoji!!!

[hellish-selfship]

My OC/Insert Chiemi, and her bf Gai!!

[lemgambino]

But in space, no one can hear you scream...

[scope-dogg]

Knight’s and Magic: Final Thoughts

Isekai anime have been very popular in recent years, and 2017′s Knight’s and Magic was one of many cashing in on that trend, with the added twist of being a mecha series. However, what many may not realise is that the Isekai genre of anime was originally born out of the mecha genre, with the first Isekai anime arguably being the 1983 classic Aura Battler Dunbine by Yoshiyuki Tomino. While Isekai has split off and diversified into its own extremely prolific and popular genre, mecha has kept a foothold within it, and subsequently some of the greatest mecha shows have been fantasy-themed, with great titles like Magic Knight Rayearth and The Vision of Escaflowne following in Dunbine’s footsteps over the years, so really Knight’s and Magic should be viewed rather as the continuation of a fairly long tradition of fantasy mecha rather than Isekai but with robots. Adapted from the early volumes of a currently ongoing manga by the same name, it’s a short series, but one with high production values, superb mechanical design and entertaining action. It’s also a series that I ultimately simply cannot stand.

The plot setup is that Tsubasa Kurata is an unassuming but highly talented programmer working in contemporary Japan - or at least he is until he’s killed in a road traffic accident. As he dies, he has but one regret - that he’ll no longer be able to live with his hobby of building plastic model kits of giant anime robots. As is often the case with such a setup, he finds himself reborn into a fantasy kingdom called Fremevilla as the son of nobles called Ernesti Echavalier. However, to his joy, he finds out that the main weapon for fighting back against these monsters is the Silhouette Knight, a kind of gigantic magic-powered mecha. Thus, he devotes himself to the art of learning everything there is about these machines and one day building and piloting one of his very own.

There’s nothing really wrong with this premise, but Knight’s and Magic is flawed in how one-track it is. The show’s really only about one thing - how robots are cool. Of course, I agree that robots are cool. Knight’s and Magic’s lineup of robots in particular is very cool, both in their form and unique functions. However, anyone who’s actually a fan of the mecha genre knows that just having cool robots isn’t enough to carry a show - you have to have compelling characters and interesting narratives. The all-too-frequently trotted-out line of “[x mecha show] is actually good, unlike the rest of the genre, because it focuses on the characters instead of just the robots” is probably the single most effective thing you can say if you want to piss off a mecha fan, because that sentence describes literally every mecha show that was ever worth a damn, even going back to the genre’s roots in the 70s. However, it arguably doesn’t really describe Knight’s and Magic. The series’ creators come off as just as obsessed with robots as its main character, and it comes at the expense of the characters and setting. Each new episode comes with a cool new robot or a cool upgrade for an existing one, but practically none of them feature development of the setting or its characters. Fremevilla and its neighbours never come off as anything more than “generic fantasy kingdom”, the supporting cast are all cut from extremely generic-feeling moulds, and Ernesti never undergoes any growth or exhibits any notable character traits beyond “likes robots.”

Now, there have been several characters in mecha anime who are in large part defined by their dedication to giant robots as an ideal, or simply to their aesthetic, and some of these are truly excellent characters. For instance, Gai Daigoji from Nadesico, Akagi Shunsuke from Dai-Guard, Noa Izumi from Patlabor, Sei Iori from Gundam Build Fighters, or the Super Robot Wars Original character Ryusei Date. The difference between all of these and Ernesti is that being fans of robots isn’t the only thing that makes them relatable or endearing characters, whereas in Ernesti’s case it’s basically the only thing that defines his personality. It also doesn’t help that he’s perhaps the biggest Mary Sue main character that I’ve seen in a mecha anime. His gimmick is that his past-life experience as a programmer also makes him profoundly adept at magic, and that he’s a genius Silhouette Knight designer. He’s always totally successful at everything he tries and everyone loves and respects him for his accomplishments. Ironically, it’s this that makes him an unlikable character for the viewer, because, again, he has no real admirable qualities beyond liking robots and being good at making and using them. It’s a character’s struggles and tribulations that ultimately make them truly sympathetic, and Ernesti is never really challenged until right at the very end of the series, and ultimately that challenge only feels like a mild speed bump for him. This results in a series that despite all its cool robots and flashy battles is fundamentally dead as a story at its core.

However, all of this simply describes a series that I would find boring and mediocre rather than one I actively disliked in a serious way. However, this is arguably the first series I’ve watched since Gundam Seed Destiny that really ground my gears quite badly, and it all boils down to one specific moment in the show’s narrative. To explain why, I need to diverge from my usual review format and spoil not only this show, but also it’s forefather, the original mecha Isekai, Aura Battler Dunbine. I really don’t think spoilers for the former is anything to worry about but spoiling the latter is probably more of an offense. As such, the remainder of this review is below this spoiler cut:

Dunbine is not everyone’s cut of tea. It’s old, has bad animation, it’s long-winded and has a sometimes confused and scrambled narrative in accordance with some of Tomino’s worst habits. However, it was also a work of great imagination that really delivered on communicating a valuable message in some engaging ways. It’s a message that Knight’s and Magic cheerfully and infuriatingly tramples all over. Let me explain.

In Knight’s and Magic, the show’s hero is an outsider who enters into a fantasy world and uses his real-world knowledge to bring about a revolution in technology. This also happens to be the chief descriptor for a major character in Dunbine too.

However, this isn’t the description of the show’s protagonist, Show Zama.

It’s the description of the show’s villain, Shot Weapon.

Shot Weapon is the creator of the Aura Convertor, the technology that powers the show’s mecha, the Aura Battlers, and other weapons besides. The introduction of this technology destroys the peace of Dunbine’s world, Byston Well, and causes it to descend into anarchy and bloodshed. However, the real devastation doesn’t occur until Shot’s creations are transported back into our world, where they inflict destruction almost beyond imagining. Ultimately, Shot Weapon’s actions condemn him to a punishment of being forced to live forever in Byston Well in a state of eternal suffering, like Cain after murdering his brother Abel. Dunbine’s ultimate, most crucial message is that those who manufacture weapons and spread death are to be condemned.

Knight’s and Magic gave itself the exact same opportunity to deal with this exact same theme. The show’s final arc is that a kingdom called Zaloudek has accumulated vast military power and used it to invade its neighours. We get to see as they descend into a neighbouring kingdom, slaughter its just and rightful rulers and install themselves as tyrants. Now, enter Ernesti and his friends at the conquered kingdom’s borders. At this point he’s achieved his aim of creating his own unique robot called the Ikaruga, and in its first battle effortlessly dispatches the Zaloudek soldiers guarding the border. In the aftermath, he examines the wreckage of a destroyed Zaloudek Silhouette Knight. He and everyone else see the obvious - this machine, the Tyranto is based on Ernesti’s designs. Previously, one of the prototype Knights he’d constructed in an earlier arc was stolen by a mysterious foreign agent, and now it’s become clear what happened to it. The source of the military strength that’s fuelling Zaloudek’s ambitions of conquest are the new technologies that he created, reverse engineered from the stolen mecha. As he looks upon the wreck of the Tyranto, the show is presented with a unique opportunity to do something that it’s thus far not done - challenge its protagonist with the consequences of his actions. Sure, Ernesti is not exactly the same as Shot Weapon - he only wanted to create robots because he thought they were cool, while Shot Weapon wanted power. However, in this case the end result has been the same - death, destruction and oppression. Ernesti has a chance to think about whether the things he’s done are right and acknowledge that he’s at least somewhat responsible for the disaster that’s played out, even if it’s just to acknowledge that he has a duty to set things right by beating Zaloudek. This is an opportunity for him to grow as a character for the first time.

The show swerves this opportunity without flinching.

Sure, Ernesti does liberate the kingdom in the end, but it’s clear that it’s not as a result of any real moral calling. He just wanted to build more robots and fight with them. His motivation in the final battle is that he wants to destroy the enemy’s flying battleship because he’s worried that battleships might replace Silhouette Knights if he doesn’t. He remains a totally one-dimensional character right to the end.

As I said before, Ernesti’s obsession with cool robots arguably mirrors that of the creators of this show, if its myopic focus on them is anything to go by. Perhaps this seems extremely out of character for me to say, but this is an infantile obsession. Yes, I like giant robots, but I don’t like them so much that I miss the point. The core of not only the real robot genre that both Knight’s and Magic and Aura Battle Dunbine belong to despite the fantasy trappings of the show, but arguably of the mecha genre as a whole, is that technology can be a force of destruction and great evil when not used responsibly. Yes, the protagonist mecha in these shows are meant to be heroic, but only in their opposition to those who’d use technology as a tool of death and oppression. This is the core of the soul that makes mecha as a genre compelling. It’s a point that Knight’s and Magic completely misses and why it’s fundamentally a failure. It’s as if it’s trying to be what the mecha genre’s detractors try to paint it as.

That said, despite my misgivings there is entertainment to be found if you only want dumb action. But I’d highly encourage you to check out any alternative. If you want a fantasy mecha series, Dunbine, Escaflowne and Rayearth are all much more compelling stories than this - even ones I’m not so keen on like Panzer World Galient and Ryu Knight are fundamentally more interesting as stories than this. If you want a story with a mecha fanatic in the lead role, you’re much better off watching Patlabor or the chronically underrated Dai-Guard instead.

[captaintylorslog]

Martian Successor Nadesico

(1996-1997)

[final-mazin-blade]

Aesthetic: Real Robot Pilots who pilot like they're in a Super Robot. See Gai Daigoji, Judau Ashita, Shiro Amada, and Lowe Gule to name a few.

[therosecrest]

[over-the-time-flow]

Super Robot Rollcall: Gai Daigoji

Gai Daigoji

"A true ally of justice doesn't let himself get dragged down by the past! Muster your courage, and let's carry out justice together!!"

Source Material: Martian Successor Nadesico Age: 18 Height: 185 cm Hobbies: Biking, Karaoke Favorite foods: Curry, Steak Voice Actor: Tomokazu Seki Character Designer: Keiji Gotoh

The TRUE main character of Nadesico, Gai Daigouji is a central character to the show, its plot, its themes, its sex appeal, its comedy, and most of all, its heart.

Characterized by his burning passion for mecha anime, Gai Daigoji is a man of the people. He'll share the tapes for episodes that were long thought to be gone, he'll educate you on the highs and lows of the classic Super Robot Anime, Hot-Blooded Robo Gekiganger (both 3 and V, though he's not as big of a fan of the V's design), the sort of trivia that only hardcore fans could divulge (such as the existence of the Dragon Ganger!)... If the topic is super robots, Gai's got your back.

Gai was the original pilot of Akito's Aestivalis, but had to relinquish it to the inexperienced cook due to a grievous injury he suffered during his training. As Gai was being wheeled away to safety, he asked Akito to retrieve his dearest treasure from the cockpit of the machine; just then, the enemies attacked, and being in the cockpit already, Akito had no choice but to deploy. Though no match for Gai's skill, he held his own decently enough to earn Gai's respect, and once his injuries healed some, they would fight side by side on multiple occasions.

Though after the first few episodes Gai seemingly loses relevance in the story, this is only the impression you get from a passing glance. By the time this shift occurs, you have already been trained to ask yourself where Gai is whenever he's not onscreen, and once you start asking yourself that, you start to notice that his presence and influence are directly driving the story forward, and this only becomes more apparent as the narrative unfolds. It's no exaggeration to say that Gai is quite possibly the most important character to both the greater narrative of Nadesico and to Akito himself.

if you've seen nadesico and you think i'm joking you might wanna rewatch it

Also, he's my second favorite character present in this game!

Gai's stats are all solidly alright. He's better at Melee than Akito and he's the most sturdy of the Nadesico crew, but these are both rather low bars, all things considered. His Defense specially is very strangely low for a Super pilot. But his Spirit Command learnset brings it all together; he gets absolutely EVERYTHING a Super pilot would like to have. Of note is Valor being here from the very start, making him a potent bosskiller.

He does suffer a bit from the Neo Getter Team issue of a lack of survivability Commands, but much like the Gekiganger trio, the Nadesico crew works best together, and with Akito at his side, he'll show the mettle any true Super pilot ought to be able to display. Couple that with the Gekiganger 3's versatility, and you'll find Gai able to both tank hits and dodge them effortlessly.

Fun Fact: Gai has a cameo in episode 23 of Dai-Guard, another banger mecha anime also made by Studio Xebec!

Gekiganger 3

Source Material: Hot-Blooded Robo Gekiganger 3 Material Constitution: Gekiganium Alloy

Built based on ancient cave inscriptions left by the Super-Ancient-Race, it was designed to protect the freedom and brilliance of humanity from the ambitions of the Kyoakkians. Utilizing the skies, the sea, the land and mankind's power, its three distinct forms allow it to adapt to different situations. The Gekiganger 3 is what gives humanity the strength to heed their dreams which call for tomorrow. Now muster your courage and shout with me:

LET'S GEKIGA IN!!

You'll have to forgive the strange adaptation of the design. The GBA must have not been able to handle the Gekiganger's more traditional look, so they had to make design changes.

Much like the Neo Getter, the Gekiganger has three forms; one for Air, one for Land, and one for... Space, strangely. the Umiganger IS traditionally meant to be the aquatic one, as the name implies, but perhaps for balancing reasons, it's adapted into a Space-use form here.

Also perhaps for balancing reasons, the Gekiganger can only change forms inbetween stages. It's a baffling decision, but it's likely in order to keep it standard with the other Nadesico pilots' Aestivalis units. This standardization is necessary because the Gekiganger (and the Umiganger, but NOT the Rikuganger) has a secret weapon, the Double Gekigan Flare, which can only be done alongside Akito's Aestivalis, a representation of Gai and Akito's unshakeable bond.

Though it has noticeably low Armor for a Super in all forms but Rikuganger, it makes up for it in all forms thanks to its signature Gekigan Field, which ends up allowing it to display far more hardiness than you'd expect it to, given proper investment. Coupled with Gai's high level of Potential, lategame it's rather common to see it at 25% health, dodging everything and deflecting what does hit it entirely without taking any damage. Do not underestimate the Gekigan spirit.

Fun Fact: In-universe in SRW R, Gekiganger 3 (the TV show) is over 100 years old, implying that the Getter Robo's design was either inspired by it or, strangely, predicted by it. A different SRW game (Impact, i believe?) goes further and outright acknowledges this by having it stated outright that when Gekiganger was made the technology seemed far off and unrealistic, but by the time the game takes place, technology had naturally advanced far enough that such a concept was doable. For a real world comparison, think of all the old cartoons that basically predicted smartphones and tablets.