Brave Raideen

Yūsha Raidīn
勇者ライディーン (Brave Raideen)
Genre	Mecha
TV anime
Director	Yoshiyuki Tomino, Tadao Nagahama
Studio	Sunrise, Tohokushinsha
Network	TV Asahi
Original run	4 April 1975 – 26 March 1976
Episodes	50
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Brave Raideen (勇者ライディーン, Yūsha Raidīn^?) is a Super Robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Sunrise, it aired on NET (now TV Asahi) from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, with a total of 50 episodes. The official name being Raideen the Brave, it is mainly known as "Brave Raideen," or "Heroic Rydeen"

Story

After a slumber of 12 millennia, the Demon Empire awakens to seize control of the Earth. Raideen, the giant robot-like protector of the lost continent of Mu, senses the evil presence and awakens within its golden pyramid. A young Japanese boy, Akira Hibiki, is alerted about the Demon Empire by a mysterious voice and rushes to the pyramid. It is soon revealed that Akira is a descendant of the ancient people of Mu who must help Raideen save the Earth.

In typical anime style, Akira is aided by Mari Sakurano, who happens to be the daughter of a prominent scientist, and his friends from the soccer club.

Raideen was able to transform into a robotic eagle.

Cast

• Akira Hibiki
  Akira Kamiya
• Mari Sakurano
  Makoto Kousaka
  Kiyoko Shibata
• Tarou Sarumaru
  Ikuo Nishikawa
• Dan Araiso
  Keisuke Yamashita
• Reiko Hibiki
  Misako Hibino
• Riki Jinguuji
  Makio Inoue
• Rei Asuka
  Kotoe Taichi
• Daisaburou Higashiyama
  Shojiro Kihara
• Prince Sharkin
  Osamu Ichikawa
• Berostan
  Kaneta Kimotsuki
• Barao
  Junpei Takiguchi

Staff

• Directors
  Yoshiyuki Tomino (Episode 1-26)
  Tadao Nagahama (Episode 27-50)
• Storyboard
  Yoshiyuki Tomino
• Original Creator
  Yoshitake Suzuki
• Character Design
  Yoshikazu Yasuhiko
• Animation Director
  Yoshikazu Yasuhiko

Production Notes

• The Brave Raideen series is renowned in Japan as the first to include a giant robot whose origins are mystical rather than scientific; Raideen itself is in fact portrayed as a sentient being. Raideen is also historically noteworthy for being one of the first transforming giant robots (Goldar, from Ambassador Magma, was an earlier character, although Goldar's transformation from robot to rocket ship was not a detailed mechanical transformation). The diecast toy version of Raideen, released in Japan in 1975 by Popy, was the first true transforming robot toy. Brave Raideen was the first anime mecha work of anime director and writer Yoshiyuki Tomino, better known as the creator of Gundam. The latter half was directed by Tadao Nagahama, and may be seen as a predecessor to his famous Romantic Trilogy, consisting of Combattler V, Voltes V and Daimos.

• This series was the second collaboration between writer/director Yoshiyuki Tomino and artist Yasuhiko Yoshikazu. The first work to feature both men was Wandering Sun (Sasurai no Taiyō) (1971). The two would later team up again for both Mobile Suit Gundam and Gundam F-91.

• "Raideen" was named after the sumo wrestler "Raiden Tameemon".^[1]

• According to RahXephon director Yutaka Izubuchi, the similarity of designs and powers of the title robots and the basic plots of RahXephon and Raideen are intentional.^[2][3]

Remakes

Reideen the Superior

A 38 episode remake aired as "Raideen the Superior" (超者ライディーン; Chōja Raidīn) in 1996. This series was directed by Toshifumi Kawase. Five seemingly ordinary teenagers are actually superheroes called "Raideens" and their mission is to fight their enemy the so-called "Super Devils." This series was notably different than the original, more akin to a Super Sentai series or Tekkaman Blade than the original Raideen.

REIDEEN

On January 2007, a twenty-six episode series, simply titled "REIDEEN," began transmission. In this remake, Saiga Junki, a high school student with a gift in mathematics, learns that his archaeologist father, who disappeared years earlier, has died. When going to claim his remains at a pyramid dubbed "Japan's Pyramid," a meteor falls from the sky containing an evil life-form that seeks total destruction. Just as Saiga is put in danger by this life-form, the bracelet that his father left him reacts to the pyramid, and the titular robot is activated. It is now up to Saiga and Reideen to defend the Earth against the mysterious invaders.

International Release

• The series is also considered the first super robot anime to reach a large US audience directly. It was shown on the New York Japanese community channel 47 with subtitles produced by Hawaii's Kiku TV. ^[4]. The series first appeared on US television in June 1976, Sunday nights at 8:00 P.M. on San Francisco, CA's KEMO TV-20 and Los Angeles CA's KWHY TV-22. Later in 1976, the series began running on KMUV TV-31 in Sacramento, CA (Sunday nights; timeslot to be confirmed). The show was also distributed to Japanese-American television stations in Los Angeles and Chicago, and was sponsored by Honolulu-based Marukai Trading Company, who distributed Japanese-produced merchandise to local retailers in localities airing Raideen - according to author August Ragone.

Merchandise

The original toy figures of Raideen (spelled "Raydeen") were introduced to the U.S. market as part of the Shogun Warriors toyline during late 1970s under the Mattel brand, as well as the Marvel comic book based on said toyline.

References

External links

• (English) Yūsha Reideen (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia