King of Braves GaoGaiGar

	Copyright © Nagoya TV/Sunrise Broadcast 5:00 - 5:30pm Saturday		—by Keith Rhee Shows such as GUNDAM, MACROSS, and PATLABOR may have steered the mecha genre towards maturity and sophistication, but the classic "kid with shiny giant robot" mold that these newer shows sought to escape from is alive and well. In fact, with their gritty storylines, likable characters, and flamboyant mecha designs, some of the newer "kiddie shows" deserve a closer look. One such example is the Brave Robot series from "giant robot" veteran Sunrise. The series, which includes shows such as BRAVE POLICE J-DECKER and COMMAND OF BRAVES DAGWON, features sentient mecha working together with their human teammates to fight the forces of evil. The latest entry in the pack is KING OF BRAVES GAOGAIGAR, a truly mighty show with regards to its story, style, and attitude.
			The prelude starts with a couple driving home in a storm. The wife wishes upon a falling star for a child of her own, when the falling star impacts in front of the couples' car and throws them out of their vehicle. The object turns out to be the mecha lion Galeon, who opens his mouth to reveal an infant wielding a mysterious stone around his neck. Ignoring her husband's warnings, Ai cradles the baby, after which Galeon departs for space. The kindhearted couple name the child Mamoru and raise the kid as their own. Little did they know what fate had in store for Mamoru (though I'm sure the manner in which he was delivered to them should've been a clue...). Galeon reappears six years later, this time in pursuit of an entity known as EI-01. The mysterious object smashes the shuttle of Shishio Gai and impacts in Tokyo, burrowing itself underground. Not only does the benevolent lion return the mortally wounded Gai safely back to Earth, he also brings with himself a vast array of advanced technology, enabling Gai's father to rebuild his son into a cyborg (thus saving his life) and to create a secret defense team known as the Gutsy Geoid Guard, aka the GGG or "Three-G". Meanwhile, EI-01 begins to secretly absorb vehicles and machinery from the city above, under the cover of night, over the course of the next two years. The year is now 2005, and the Zondar forces, living beings fused with inorganic machinery, are ready to make their move. Seeking out individuals with weaknesses such as hatred, sadness, or broken dreams, the Zondar offer the victims a chance at power and revenge, then use Zondar Metal cores to mutate them into Zondarians and assimilate them into the fold. The GGG have been preparing for this threat, however. As the first Zondarian makes its appearance and wreaks havoc (taking Mamoru and his classmates hostage), it is confronted by the mighty Galeon and Cyborg Guy. The two fuse together to form GaiGar, but encounter more difficulty fighting the beast, at which point the GGG commander authorizes the risky "Final Fusion" sequence. Adding components from a stealth bomber, a bullet train, and a drill tank, GaiGar turns into the mighty GaoGaiGar for the first time and proceeds to pound the living daylights out of the Zondarian.
			Using the destructive power of Hell in its right hand and the protective power of Heaven in its left, GaoGaiGar rips the Zondar metal core from the monstrosity. Just as Guy is about to destroy the core in rage, Mamoru appears out of nowhere screaming "STOP!", flying with fairy wings and bathed in a green glow. As the GGG members stare in amazement, Mamoru then proceeds to transform the core back into a human being, and flies off before the GGG can figure out the identity of the mysterious boy. Thus begins the classic tale of good versus evil, as Mamoru joins forces with Cyborg Guy, GaoGaiGar and the rest of the Braves to put up a struggle to rid Earth of the Zondar threat. So what's there to like about this show? The attitude. First off you have the mecha, which look like stylized Transformer robots and exude sheer coolness (in fact, Sunrise deliberately styled the mecha in GaoGaiGar and the preceding Brave Robot shows after its competitor series). The fully assembled GaoGaiGar projects a sense of mass, power, and 'tude seen previously only in shows such as KISHIN HEIDAN or GIANT ROBO. The attacks and weaponry are equally impressive to look at, though many hardcore fans may perceive them to be cheesy or childish. Among some of GaoGaiGar's arsenal are the Dividing Driver (a gigantic screwdriver that creates a nullspace, allowing the Braves to fight without inflicting property damage to the surroundings) and the Goldion Hammer, which looks like a gigantic toy squeak hammer. (Trust me, this looks a heck of a lot more impressive than it sounds). The other Braves have equally odd-sounding but cool-looking skills at their disposal, such as the Eraser Head (which absorbs and dissipates explosive energy so as to prevent harm). My personal favorite are the Mike Sounders and their array of compact discs, which enable them to send out shockwaves, dissipate enemy barriers, and revive other Braves who are low on power. There is also the story of the Braves, who are utterly convicted and determined to destroy evil and bring justice to the world. In a day and age where too many protagonists tend to be whiners or cynics (most of the Gundam pilots come to mind), the utter conviction of the Braves is a refreshing and heartwarming change. This isn't to say that the characters are one-dimensional, however; many of the characters have their own dreams, fears, hopes and motivations that the viewer can identify themselves with. I even felt for the assimilated Zondarians, originally ordinary people with lost hope and broken dreams. A positive side-effect of Mamoru reversing the Zondar process is that, in being turned back to human, the characters are rid of their weaknesses and restored with hope. Indeed, "positive change" seems to be what GaoGaiGar is all about. Don't let the "kiddie" branding fool you, folks—this is TRANSFORMERS on steroids. Sure, some aspects of the show clearly exhibit aspects that are geared towards younger audiences. But the show has much more to it than meets the eye (no pun intended), and once you get past some of the initial aspects, the show becomes very enjoyable.