Blue Comet SPT Layzner


Blue Comet SPT Layzner, sometimes translated as Blue Meteor SPT Layzner, is an science fiction anime series produced by Sunrise between 1985 and 1986. Its original creator was Tsunehisa Itō and Ryōsuke Takahashi; the latter served as the director..
It tells about an alien invasion and subsequent totalitarian world occupation and resistance in a timeline where the Cold War still continues.

Premise

The story takes place in 1996, where humanity is advanced enough to develop long-range space travel, as well as bases on both the Moon and Mars. However, the Cold War tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union have not ended; rather, they have escalated as both sides build military facilities in space, and the shadow of nuclear conflict looms over humanity, both on and off Earth.
Meanwhile, on Mars, an exchange program created by the United Nations to promote peace and understanding is about to begin; the "Cosmic Culture Club", consisting of 16 boys and girls, as well as their instructor Elizabeth, arrives at the UN Mars base, and are being welcomed by the staff. Among the passengers is Anna a 14-year-old girl who serves as the narrator for the story.
Suddenly, four unidentified humanoid robots classified as Super Powered Tracers are detected, engaged in fierce combat with each other. The UN base is caught in the crossfire and quickly destroyed, killing all but six members of the "Cosmic Culture Club"—Elizabeth, Arthur, Roan, David, Simone and Anna, leaving them stranded on an inhospitable planet that has suddenly become a battlefield. As the battle ends, the lone SPT standing lands next to the terrified group and opens up revealing a pilot, who simply announces to them, "The Earth has been targeted".
The robots who destroyed the UN base were the creation of the Grados, an alien race, from the Udoria system, who came to the Sol system for the purpose of conquest, seeing an easy victory as the two superpowers raged against each other to exhaustion—however, this could also be described as an act of pre-emptive self-defense; the Gradosian supercomputers have determined that humanity will eventually cease its infighting and become powerful enough to spread through the galaxy, posing a destructive threat to even the far off Grados.
However, there were two Grados opposed to the plan: human astronaut Ken Asuka, assumed lost during a deep space mission but discovered by the Grados, and his son Null Albatro. As the Grados prepared their invasion fleet, Eiji stows away on board one of the ships and steals their most powerful and advanced weapon, the SPT-LZ-00X Layzner before fleeing, seeking to warn humanity of its impending invasion. It was here where he was attacked. Aside from the Layzner, the surviving humans have now become very important to the Grados; as the only human eyewitnesses to the aliens and their power, the six are the only ones who can convince the warring powers to stand down from destroying each other, and focus on the greater threat.

Theme songs

Opening: "Melos no Yōni Lonely Way
Ending : "Go-fun Dake no Wagamama
Ending : "La Rose Rouge

Cast

had plans to release the series in the US in Summer 2001 but never did. The official story is that they got damaged, blue-tinted video masters from Sunrise and were unable to acquire replacements. In 2005 Bandai's license to SPT Layzner and Giant Gorg expired.

Video games

This series was included in Super Robot Wars J for the Game Boy Advance and Super Robot Wars GC for the GameCube. It was also featured in Shin Super Robot Wars and Super Robot Wars 64 with a primary storyline role of all the Super Robot Wars it has appeared in. In its recent appearances, the unused Layzner Mk-II design that briefly appears in the credits sequences of the "1999" arc has been an unlockable Unit. Characters such as Gale and Julia have also been able to join your side after convincing processes. Ru Kain and his Demon Death Platoon are frequent adversaries, as are most of the mass-produced SPTs.
The series also appears in the Another Century's Episode games, with the Layzner & Zakarl being playable in the first game and also the Greimkaiser & Bloodykaiser make appearances as CPU-only units. The sequel, Another Century's Episode 2, follows the basic plot of the series but adapts it to the setting produced by the combined plots of the anime involved. For example, Eiji's first appearance is just after the resolution of Martian Successor Nadesico, and the SDF-1 Macross's fold removes the heroes from Earth long enough for Grados to establish control over Manhattan. The heroes return in time to aid the resistance, and Eiji finally joins the team officially along with Domon Kasshu after they fight off the Demon Death Platoon and several Gundam Heads.
The series also appear in Harobots, because they are from a Sunrise series. This series' units can act as 'wild' units, or player units.