Copyright © Yamada Masaki, Chuokoronsha, Pioneer LDC Inc.

ALIEN DEFENDER GEO-ARMOR (KISHIN CORPS) has everything you could possibly want from a retro-style giant robot anime. Just look at all the nifty items this four-volume box set from Pioneer offers: a gargantuan locomotive racing across Asia; spunky orphans fighting for their survival; creepy white aliens that drop out of the sky with machine guns; a robot that can fly, another that can swim and one that just kicks ass. There's even a song and dance routine somewhere near the beginning of the third volume. And then the giant Nazi robot appears!
Based on a novel by Yamada Masaki, KISHIN CORPS takes all of these extravagant elements and blends them into a thoroughly enjoyable 240 minutes of anime. There is so much going on in this series, so many characters and so many plot twists, I was afraid that KISHIN would get bogged down with too many good things. However, I am pleased to report that it succeeds in delivering solid entertainment featuring superb animation coupled with an original, rewarding story line that really makes you care about the characters.
The setting of KISHIN CORPS is World War II where the Axis and Allies are not only fighting against each other, but they are also combating strange creatures that descend from space and brutally attack. We follow the adventures of Takamura Taishi, the teenage son of the scientist who discovered how to use the aliens' technology to create the colossal Kishin robots: mankind's only defense against the enigmatic invaders. Three Kishin are currently in service: Kishin Thunder for ground combat, Kishin Dragon for amphibious and underwater warfare, and Kishin Wind for aerial assaults. However, while the Kishin Corps was created by the Allies to turn back the aliens, the Japanese and Nazi militaries are both trying to use Kishin technology to create weapons of mass destruction. A three front war is thus engaged, as the heroic Kishin Corps must fight the aliens while preventing the Kanto division of the Japanese army and a whole lot of Nazis from developing their own Kishin robots.
Be warned, however, that KISHIN CORPS does require a degree of patience in the viewer. This series takes it sweet time in developing the plot and in introducing the characters and their machines. I wouldn't say that it is slow-moving or plodding in any way; just be prepared to let the story coalesce at its own pace. Throughout the course of the series, a tremendous variety of characters emerge from all sides of the conflict (except maybe the aliens). Their interactions are fluid and dynamic as the plot judiciously avoids cliches about how heroes and villains should behave. Many characters change their allegiances dramatically in the course of the show, and the anime reveals their motivations with honest conviction. While the giant robots might be the central attraction of KISHIN CORPS, this anime does a better job than most in fleshing out the human beings surrounding these machines.
The mecha really are pretty damn cool. Huge and fearsome in a dangerous, don't-touch-your-grandfather's-war-souvenirs kind of way. The animators tried to remain true to WWII era technology, so these robots are chock full of enormous fans, bouncing gauges, spinning cranks and exploding vacuum tubes. A few even need to have their propellers manually jump-started, just like old school airplane engines. There is a tremendous amount of screen time devoted to the preparation of the robots and the enormous vehicles that transport them, revealing a true otaku's fascination with the nitty-gritty of military hardware.
The animation of KISHIN CORPS is elegant and powerful. Clean, sharp lines and vivid colors make the characters and machines truly amazing to observe. The action is quick but detailed, while the dramatic moments are exquisitely choreographed as well. The sequences where the aliens get squished by the Kishins are particularly exhilarating, whereas another scene that shows blood rolling down a character's hand in the rain is especially effective.
One item worth noting is that the character designs are so widely disparate, it seems as if each individual had his or her own designer. Even though Goto Masayuki is credited with the design, each figure has his or her own exclusive style, and the only thing the characters share is that at least one feature is extravagantly exaggerated: big hair or big eyes or big ears or a big beard or just one big eye, etc. At first that dissimilarity annoyed me, but on further reflection I think the unique designs heighten the characterizations and fall just short of caricature.
At times, the music is a little over the top. Wada Kaoru's heavy orchestration at times nearly makes KISHIN CORPS take itself too seriously, with yammering choruses or crashing cymbals. Fortunately though, for the most part, the score adds to the action on screen rather than distract from it.
With subtle drama and twisting intrigue, complex heroes and fearsome villains, plus the coolest giant robots from the first half of the century, KISHIN CORPS has it all. Epic in proportions and generous in its delivery, KISHIN CORPS is the complete package conveniently boxed up for your viewing pleasure.

Released (in N. America) by Pioneer LDC Inc.
VHS Color/Stereo Hi-Fi, 240 minutes.
DUB: $59.98, CAT # PIBX-0007D
SUB: $59.98, CAT # PIBX-0007S
Available now in the USA
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