| Dai-Guard | |
| 地球防衛企業ダイ・ガード (Chikyū Bōei KiGyō Dai Gādo) |
|
|---|---|
| Genre | Mecha, Comedy, Science fiction |
| TV anime | |
| Directed by | Seiji Mizushima |
| Studio | Xebec |
| Licensed by | ADV Films |
| Network | TV Tokyo |
| Original run | 5 October 1999 – 28 March 2000 |
| Episodes | 26 |
Dai-Guard (地球防衛企業 ダイ・ガード Chikyū Bōei KiGyō Dai Gādo), lit. "Terrestrial Defense Corp. Dai-Guard" is an anime television series, produced and animated by XEBEC, and directed by Seiji Mizushima. It aired from October 5, 1999 to March 28, 2000 on TV Tokyo, ran for 26 episodes. 6 volumes of videos were released on VHS and DVD. The series also had a very brief run (two episodes) on Cartoon Network through Toonami's "Giant Robot Week."
Contents |
The series is based around three office workers of the 21st Century Defense Security Corporation's Public Relations Division 2 who, with the company's giant robot, Dai-Guard, fight interdimensional alien beings called "Heterodynes". Unlike most giant robot anime, Dai-Guard performs on much more realistic physics, making it heavy, slow, and a hassle to control. Also, the Heterodynes seem to be the least of the 21st Century Corporation's problems as they experience opposition in the form of massive damage claims, lawsuits, rivals and a jealous and antagonistic military who wishes to take back Dai-Guard for themselves.
On February 24, 2018, in the Northwest gap of the Sea of Japan, a giant creature appears and goes on a rampage, destroying a major city and killing countless people before being destroyed itself by a weapon of mass destruction known as an "O-E (Over-Explosion) bomb". In the aftermath, a giant robotic weapon system, code-named Dai-Guard, was developed by the military as an alternative to the future use of such weapons. However, further attacks fail to occur, and no sign of the creatures is seen for the next twelve years.
The company that built the robot for the military is compensated by allowing them to keep the useless weapon as a corporate mascot. However, during a security exposition in 2030, a Heterodyne attacks, and the robot is taken into battle ill-prepared and unarmed due to the headstrong nature of one of its pilots. However, that same pilot's same headstrong nature, combined with the talents of his fellow pilots, enable Dai-Guard to be victorious against multiple Heterodyne attacks (to the chagrin of the military that spurned the '100 foot sales gimmick').
As the Heterodyne are a dangerous and adaptable foe yet not an ineffable enemy like the Angels of Neon Genesis Evangelion, potent weapons are developed by the corporation's technical support teams. The grudging assistance of military advisors lead to the discovery of clever tactics, and Dai-Guard's alien fighting soon begins to take a backseat to the bureaucratic troubles and office politics that the Corporation faces. Although everyone involved with 21st Century and the Anzenhosho Army (ANPO) shares the same goal of protecting Japan from Heterodyne attacks, their own personal beliefs often cause much conflict.
The series ends its run not with the final elimination of the Heterodyne threat, but in an epiphany shared by all of the former rivals: The Heterodyne, although a threat that must be faced with impressive technology, are simply yet another disaster to be faced in a dangerous world, no different from earthquakes or typhoons. In a disaster, it is pointless to argue over who is in charge, as deliberating over such trivial matters could cost human lives. There is no need to force a controlled peace or suppress conflicting opinions in order to apply personal solutions when different people have their own specialties that can contribute to the whole operation.
Headstrong, idealistic and impulsive, 25 year old Akagi can be seen as the heart and brawn of the three Dai-Guard pilots. Beforehand, he was merely an office worker for the 21st Century Defense Security Corporation, but he manages to achieve his (anime) dreams of becoming a "Giant Robot pilot." During the return of the Heterodynes, he and his two friends Ibuki and Aoyama become the pilots of Dai-Guard, and intend to put it to use in order to fight off the Heterodyne threat. Akagi loves his job a little too much and manages to stick out among his fellow workers as the more enthusiastic one. However, he is usually at odds with the more bureaucratic methods of his company and his superiors, especially with his recounting of battle reports. Akagi always has the best intentions, even though they usually get him into trouble on occasions. Intriguingly, his distinctive personality makes him a natural as Dai-Guard's primary pilot-he is such a dedicated otaku that he has practically memorized all of the robot's functions and knows exactly what it is capable of at any given time. Additionally, his cartoon-samurai ethical code quickly wins him a place in the hearts of the public. He refuses to take or allow actions that will endanger civilian lives and/or property if there is any alternative whatsoever. He is voiced by Kentaro Ito.
Years ago, during the last Heterodyne attack, Ibuki's father (a scientist whose theories predicted the appearance of the Heterodynes) was killed in the attack. Ever since that incident, Ibuki wanted revenge against the Heterodynes. She becomes the navigator of Dai-Guard for this very reason. However, she learns the less than heroic truth about her father, and it leaves her without an emotional anchor. Ibuki has a rather strained relationship with her stepfather, who at first is against Ibuki piloting Dai-Guard, but becomes the person who helps her understand her father and fight her personal demons in time to save the world with much more clarity. As with Akagi, her personality meshes well with her position as Dai-Guard's navigator-she is so obsessed with details that she can make quick and precise summaries of a Heterodyne's abilities, often noticing subtle flaws in a given Heterodyne that allow the team to destroy it with minimal casualties. She is voiced by Akiko Hiramatsu
Both a veritable ladies man and somewhat mysterious, Aoyama is the engineer of Dai-Guard. Most of the time, Aoyama disappears after work, often taking off early. While his friends believe he is off womanizing, it turns out that Aoyama is caring for his sick mother, who personally does not want to become Aoyama's top priority over piloting Dai-Guard. As his experiences grow during his time piloting Dai-Guard, he meets more people from his past that he once again crosses paths with. Like his fellow pilots, he possesses personality traits that assist him in his role as Dai-Guard's engineer. Aoyama is always looking for ways to save time and effort, so not only does he regulate the robot's systems with clockwork proficiency, but he will intuitively notice methods by which the team can accomplish its goal with less effort. He is voiced by Shinichiro Miki
The president of 21st Century Defense Security. He was previously an army officer, and was the one responsible for ordering the use of O-E Weapons during the Heterodyne attack twelve years ago. Because of this, he is determined to avoid the use of these weapons again, and is thus very supportive of the Dai-Guard team. He was briefly voted out of office by the company's board of directors, but was reinstated when the company began to flounder without him.
The chief and supervisor of Public Relations Division 2. He has a very easy going personality, and is always supportive of his staff. He is voiced by Masashi Hirose.
The aid to Chief Oosugi, who also helps oversee Dai-Guards' operations. He is married with a young daughter. As his daughter has a sickly constitution, he is often concerned with the safety of his family.
At 28, she is the oldest of the girls that work in the Public Relations Division 2 office, and is seen as an older sister figure to the other employees. Her hometown of Hiroshima helps inspire her to help people, on account of what happened to the city during the War. Among the girls employed by the division, she is the most responsible. She is often concerned about the well being of Akagi, and often nags him about his work and health. She is voiced by Michiko Neya
Despite being the second oldest of the office girls at 25, she is very shy, easily flustered, and the shortest member of Public Relations Division 2. However, she is very dependable at doing her job, being the head of accounting for the division. She has a slight crush on Aoyama. Chiaki is voiced by Marina Ono
Tanigawa is the most outgoing of the office girls, and has a hyperactive personality. She is somewhat of an office gossip, often repeating dubious information heard from other parts of the company. She is voiced by Yukari Tamura
Notable for her calm demeanor, Shizuku most often speaks in a low, almost emotionless, tone. However, she occasionally, and randomly, acts out various other characters' behaviors and is known for her sarcastic remarks. She is voiced by Rumi Kasahara
This trio of salary men have almost identical physical appearances and personalities; all three are overweight and easygoing. They are all 27 years old, and began working for the company at the same time. As a result, they work well together. Ishizuka is in charge of the office work, Taguchi is the events planner and coordinator, and Ijyuuin is in charge of domestic public relations. They are voiced by Shoji Izumi, Makoto Higoi, and Katsuyuki Konishi respectively.
The head of Dai-Guard's ground crew, who oversees the repair and maintenance of the robot. His crew is also responsible for the construction of Dai-Guard's new parts and weapons. He is often seen assisting Prof. Domeki, who he harbors feelings for. He is voiced by Hiro Yuki.
An eccentric 17 year old child genius, who is the head of the Technology Division, and the company's resident scientist. She insists that others refer to her as "Professor". She is an expert on the research of Heterodynes, and is also the one responsible for designing new parts for Dai-Guard. She often takes advantage of Sumida's willingness to help her. She is voiced by Mayumi Shintani.
An army officer who is assigned as the Tactical Advisor to the Dai-Guard team. He is originally very strict with regulations, and insistent that civilians should not be allowed to handle the Heterodyne crisis. However, his interactions with the employees of Public Relations Division 2, especially Akagi, causes him to change his views. He eventually becomes one of their biggest supporters in the army, and often risks his own career to help them. Shirota is voiced by Kenichi Ono.
Shirota's former subordinate who is eventually assigned to assist him at 21st Century Defense Security. He is very much like Shirota was at the beginning of the series, obsessed with regulations and rules. He can not understand why Shirota's beliefs have changed so much. Saeki is voiced by Tsutomu Kashiwakura.
Dai-Guard stands 25 meters high, and weighs 156 tons. It is composed of multiple pieces, which were originally transported to the site of battle, and assembled on location. Later, it was divided into three vehicles that did not need assistance to combine, thus eliminating the need for outside transportation. Dai-Guard undergoes various other upgrades over the course of the series, such as replacing the outdated controls and HUDs with more modern components. Both of its forearms can be removed and replaced with various arm attachments, which form the majority of its weapons.
When the army realized that they could not seize the privately owned Dai-Guard, they chose to build their own giant robot to compete with it. Based on Dai-Guard's design, but built with state-of-the-art technologies, this new robot, christened Kokubogar, was far superior to the twelve-year-old Dai-Guard. However, technological advancement did not help Kokubogar's team- Akagi's former robot piloting class professor and two of his students. Unlike the independent and idealistic civilian pilots of Dai-Guard, Kokubogar's pilots were all blindly loyal and obedient soldiers, prioritizing property and money over human lives.
Although its first battle was an outstanding success, the second one was co-opted by interests that wished to study Heterodynes for weapons research, and the creature was captured instead of destroyed. While en route to a third battle, the captured Heterodyne escaped containment and military authorities demanded that the robot ignore the creature attacking the city in favor of destroying the escaped creature - which seemed somewhat antagonized by its capture. It quickly defeated and fused with Kokubogar, then went on a rampage that only became worse when it fused with the third Heterodyne. The military then demanded that the hybrid be destroyed before it could be discovered that Kokubogar had been compromised so as to preserve their public image.
Catastrophe was only averted due to the timely efforts of the entire Dai-Guard team and Shirota's unexpected defection. Once the Army and the team stopped fighting each other, the Heterodyne/Kokubogar hybrid was neutralized with minimal collateral damage and the lives of Kokubogar's pilots intact, making a fact of the Heterodyne battles perfectly clear. If destroying Heterodynes was the only goal, that could be accomplished with WMDs. Thus, those who fought the Heterodyne had to possess more than just weapons and skill, they had to possess priorities that favored the populace over all else - even over the demands of the authorities.
The robot was out of commission for several months, during which relations between the Army and the Dai-Guard team cooled and mutual respect was developed. The team acknowledged the skills and resources of the Army, and the Army acknowledged the team's ideals - their purpose was not merely to serve their superiors any more than the team's was. All of them - the soldiers, the officers, the Dai-Guard team - in truth served the people of Japan.
The repairs were completed in time for the Army to show their new ideals as they assisted Dai-Guard in the final battle depicted in the series. Shirota notes near the end of the series that the Army has commissioned the construction of more Kokubogar units to defend Japan.
Mysterious entities formed from dimensional quakes all around Japan. They form from crystalline hexagons called "Fractal Knots" that act as their nucleus and form into bodies using the matter around them. Although fractal knots replicate themselves indefinitely, if the original is destroyed it will immediately reduce the rest of the body into ethanol. Aside from traveling through dimensions, having Fractal Knots, and being attracted to electromagnetic hot-spots, they have very little in common with each other. The final episode suggests that Heterodyne will never stop appearing, making teamwork between the Army's new team of Kokubogar units and Dai-Guard a necessity.
In September 2011, Bandai released Dai-Guard in the Super Robot Chogokin line. The figure comes with all of the weapons featured in the anime.[1] Kokubogar is set for release as a Tamashii Web Shop exclusive on March 2012.[2]
Dai-Guard makes its video game debut in Super Robot Wars Z2.