Grendizer


UFO Robot Grendizer, also known as Force Five: Grandizer in the United States, is a Japanese Super Robot anime television series and manga created by manga artist Go Nagai. It is the third entry in the Mazinger trilogy. The anime television series was produced by Toei Doga and Dynamic Planning and broadcast on Fuji TV from October 5, 1975, to February 27, 1977, and lasted 74 episodes. The robot's first appearance in the United States was as a part of the Shogun Warriors line of super robot toys imported in the late 1970s by Mattel, then in Jim Terry's Force Five series, both under the title Grandizer. It was widely popular in the Middle East, France, French-speaking Canada and Italy.

Plot

The Vega homeworld has become unstable due to the exploiting of Vegatron, a powerful radioactive ore. Seeking to expand his militaristic empire and find a substitute planet to settle upon, the ruthless King Vega unleashes his armies—composed of flying saucers and giant robotic monsters—and turns first against neighbors such as Fleed, a highly advanced but peaceful world. The once verdant, idyllic Fleed is turned into a radioactive wasteland. Too late, the only known survivor of the royal family, the Crown Prince Duke Fleed, manages to steal the Grendizer, the robotic embodiment of the Fleedian God of War, from the Vegan invaders who plan to use it to spearhead their invasion fleet. Grendizer is a giant monster robot that interfaces with Spacer, a flying saucer that enables the robot to fly.
Fleeing Vegan space by flying at faster than light speed, the Duke enters our solar system and switches course to Earth, making a rough landing in Japan, on the slopes of Mount Fuji. He is befriended by Doctor Umon, a noted scientist who oversees a research laboratory called the Space Science Lab near a small ranch. The kindly Umon takes in the young humanoid alien as his son, under the assumed name of Daisuke, and assists him in hiding Grendizer. Taking the name Daisuke Umon, Duke Fleed works at the ranch run by Danbei Makiba.
Roughly two years later, Koji Kabuto, after studying abroad, returns to Japan in a flying saucer he personally designed and built, called the TFO. He heads to the Space Science Lab after hearing of multiple sightings of "flying saucers". He plans to contact the aliens if possible and make peace with them. Daisuke, however, scoffs at the notion and fears that these aliens, the Vegans, led by generals Blaki and Gandal, are preparing to attack Earth. Koji ignores his warnings and flies out to meet the incoming saucers, only to discover the horrible truth. In order to save Koji and protect his adoptive homeworld from destruction, Daisuke is forced to return to his true identity as Duke Fleed. He unearths Grendizer from its hiding place under the lab and sets off to fight his enemies.
The Vegans establish a base on the far side of the Moon and start to attack Earth from there. Koji discovers Duke Fleed's true identity and their bitter rivalry soon turns to friendship. The daughter of Danbei Makiba, Hikaru, also discovers Daisuke's secret and becomes a pilot in order to assist him despite his objections. Later on, it is revealed that there were two more survivors from planet Fleed: Duke's younger sister Maria Grace Fleed and a man who had rescued her and fled to Earth, raising her under the guise of her grandfather. Caught in a crossfire between Grendizer and a Vegan beast, he reveals to Maria that she is the last survivor of the royal family of Fleed before dying from his wounds. Maria swears revenge on Grendizer and its pilot. She tries to ambush Duke, Koji and Hikaru at the Space Science Lab, but the fight is short. Maria's attacks bring Duke's necklace into view and the truth is revealed. The lost siblings are reunited at last and Maria becomes the last addition to the team.
As the conflict nears its end, it is shown that Duke Fleed was engaged to King Vega's daughter, Princess Rubina, prior to the attack on Fleed. When Rubina discovers that planet Fleed is no longer polluted with Vegatron radiation and that her fiancé is alive and well, she rushes to Earth to bring him the good news. Unfortunately, one of King Vega's generals uses this opportunity to ambush Duke Fleed, and Rubina is killed when she takes a shot aimed at Duke. This makes Duke even more determined to wipe out the Vegan menace once and for all.
King Vega decides to gather his remaining forces and make an all-out attack on Earth, destroying the Moon Base to coax his troops into fighting to the end and finally succeed in invading Earth and taking it as their new home planet. Duke and company go out to intercept them in Grendizer and the newly designed space combat Spazers. After a fierce battle, they finally manage to destroy the Vegan mother ship along with King Vega himself. Soon afterwards, Duke and Maria bid a tearful farewell to Earth and their friends and return to help reconstruct planet Fleed.

Episodes

#Air dateTitleSaucer Beast/Vega Monster
110/5/1975兜甲児とデュークフリード 円盤獣・ギルギル
210/12/1975ああ! わが大地みどりなりき 円盤獣・ガメガメ
310/19/1975危機迫る白樺牧場 円盤獣・バルバル
410/26/1975若き血潮は紅に燃ゆ 円盤獣・ゴルゴル
511/2/1975炎の愛を夕陽に染めて 円盤獣・ドムドム
611/9/1975大空を斬る闘魂 円盤獣・ダムダム
711/16/1975たとえ我が命つきるとも 円盤獣・ギンギン & 円盤獣・フイフイ
811/23/1975地球の緑はあたたかい 円盤獣・ダルダル
911/30/1975許されざる怒りを越えて 円盤獣・ジルジル
1012/7/1975あこがれは星の彼方に 円盤獣・グリグリ
1112/14/1975黒い太陽の中の悪魔!! 円盤獣・バリバリ
1212/21/1975虹の橋を渡る少女 円盤獣・ガニガニ
1312/28/1975狙われたグレンダイザー 円盤獣・ゲルゲル
141/4/1976ボスボロットがやって来た!! 円盤獣・ドリドリ
151/11/1976遥かなる母への手紙 円盤獣・ガルガル
161/18/1976こころにひびく愛の鐘 円盤獣・フルフル
171/25/1976小さな生命を救え! 円盤獣・ギバギバ
182/1/1976発進! 秘密ルート7 円盤獣・ガデガデ
192/8/1976恐怖のエアロライト! 円盤獣・ゴズゴズ
202/15/1976決死の雪山脱出作戦 円盤獣・ベドベド
212/22/1976決戦! オーロラの輝き 円盤獣・ゲドゲド
222/29/1976花一輪の勇気 円盤獣・ギロギロ
233/7/1976激流に叫ぶひかる 円盤獣・ギスギス
243/14/1976危うしデュークフリード! 円盤獣・ドグドグ
253/21/1976大空に輝く愛の花 円盤獣・ダリダリ
Movie3/20/1976Grendizer vs. Great MazingerJinji/Gubigubi/Koakoa
263/28/1976スカルムーン総出撃! 円盤獣・ウルウル, ギドギド & ハドハド
274/4/1976猛攻撃! グレンダイザー 円盤獣・ウルウル & ハドハド
284/11/1976闇夜に響く悪魔のベル 円盤獣・ベルベル
294/18/1976さらば 宇宙の友よ! 円盤獣・デラデラ
304/25/1976赤い傷跡のバラード 円盤獣・ゴダゴダ
315/2/1976空に花咲け! ボスの友情 円盤獣・ライライ
325/9/1976母に向って撃て! 円盤獣・ザウザウ
335/16/1976必殺! ミュータントの最後 円盤獣・ザリザリ
345/23/1976狼の涙は流れ星 円盤獣・ゴメゴメ & ゴンゴン
355/30/1976飛べ! ダブルスペイザー 円盤獣・ブンブン
366/6/1976燃える大空の誓い! 円盤獣・ジラジラ
376/13/1976翼にいのちをかけろ! 円盤獣・ガンガン
386/20/1976ひかる、涙のドッキング! 円盤獣・ドイドイ
396/27/1976奇襲! ベガ星突撃隊 円盤獣・ウラウラ
407/4/1976激突!炎の海原 円盤獣・ブイブイ
417/11/1976マリンスペイザー出動せよ! 円盤獣・ガモガモ
427/18/1976危機! 研究所よ立ち上がれ 円盤獣・ガウガウ
437/25/1976隕石落下! 謎の孤島 円盤獣・グメグメ
448/1/1976祭りの夜円盤獣が来る! 円盤獣・ドズドズ
458/8/1976燃えろ! ドリルスペイザー 円盤獣・ゴドゴド, ベガ星蟻
468/15/1976空からサメが降って来た!! 円盤獣・ガリガリ
478/22/1976湖が地獄の火を吐いた! 円盤獣・ガドガド
488/29/1976地の底に悪魔がいた! 円盤獣・ダクダク
499/5/1976赤い夕陽に兄を見た! 円盤獣・デキデキ
509/12/1976暗殺!! 兜甲児を消せ 円盤獣・フビフビ
519/19/1976大接近!! 悪魔の星 円盤獣・ガレガレ
529/26/1976ベガ大王軍団大移動! 円盤獣・グルグル, 円盤獣・ドモドモ, ベガ獣・キングゴリ
5310/3/1976死闘! キングゴリを倒せ ベガ獣・キングゴリ
5410/10/1976謎の恐怖! 日本海溝 ベガ獣・バニバニ
5510/17/1976恐怖! 悪魔の怪気球 ベガ獣・グレグレ
5610/24/1976危機を呼ぶ偽博士! ベガ獣・ダイダイ, ベガ獣・ザミザミ
5710/31/1976吼えろ! ぼくの怪獣 ベガ獣・ブドブド
5811/07/1976悪魔にされたグレンダイザー! ベガ獣・ベニベニ /偽グレンダイザー
5911/14/1976ああ! 少年コマンド隊 ベガ獣・ダキダキ
6011/21/1976午後七時東京タワー爆発!! ベガ獣・ズネズネ
6111/28/1976特攻スパイ大作戦! ベガ獣・グワグワ
6212/5/1976戦慄! 白鳥が来た日 ベガ獣・ゴエゴエ
6312/12/1976雪に消えた少女キリカ ベガ獣・ズメズメ
6412/19/1976東京全滅五分前! ベガ獣・グドグド
6512/26/1976兜甲児一本勝負! ベガ獣・ザスザス
661/2/1977死の海底400M（メートル）! ベガ獣・ワグワグ
671/9/1977決死の海底基地爆破 ベガ獣・イブイブ , ベガ獣・ラグラグ
681/16/1977吹雪の中のマリア ベガ獣・ブエブエ
691/23/1977父に捧げる愛のオーロラ ベガ獣・ガイガイ
701/30/1977涙は胸の奥深く ベガ獣・ガビガビ
712/6/1977悲劇の親衛隊長モルス ベガ獣・ジガジガ
722/13/1977はるかなる故郷の星 -
732/20/1977この美しい地球のために ベガ獣・グラグラ
742/27/1977永遠に輝け! 二つの星 ベガ獣・グラグラ

DVD releases

The licensed dubbed version for some French-speaking countries was officially announced in 2006. In 2005, a major crisis led Toei to take legal actions against DVD customers, all French megastores, and two major French anime publishers in France, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland and Luxembourg. The crisis started with the official release of unlicensed Goldorak DVD by Manga Distribution and Déclic Image websites and on eBay. By November 28, 2005 the Manga Distribution and Déclic Images publishers were sentenced to pay €7,200,000 to Toei and Dynamic Planning for selling unlicensed DVD boxes.
As of 2013, following an agreement with Toei, an official, "fully remastered and uncensored" DVD release of the complete series is available on the French market. The series has also aired on Mangas TV.

Production information and staff

Source

Dynamic Superobot Wars and Dynamic Heroes

UFO Robot Grendizer returns in 2002 in the 6th chapter of "Dynamic Superobot Wars" and in 2004 in Dynamic Heroes —also known as Nagai Go Manga Gaiden—Dynamic Heroes and as Go Nagai Manga Heroes Crossover Collection—Dynamic Heroes, a Japanese manga based in several works of Go Nagai, including most of his most famous robots, such as Mazinger Z, Getter Robot and Great Mazinger. It was originally published as a monthly manga magazine e-manga from Kodansha, from June 2004 to July 2007.