Attention: English is not my native language therefore my grammar will most likely be often wrong and clunky. So I appreciate any corrections you may make. Daiya so long as you believe in yourself all of our fortyseven souls can become one A classic manga by Go Nagai completely refurbished as a show to introduce kids to the mecha genre it shouldnt be a surprise that Gaikings main theme is a timeless classic such as bonds. Produced by TOEI animation Gaiking: Legend of DaikuMaryu tells the tale of Daiya Tsuwabuki a 13 years old kid that 5 years prior was attacked on its fathers fishing boat and found about the existence of giant monsters and a mysterious dragon who fights it. Now his destiny is to embark on this dragon whos actually a giant warship and fight as the pilot of the Gaiking a giant robot to thwart the monstrous Darius Empires plans to invade and conquer the Earth. He travels through a different dimension inside the planet fighting against enemies to overthrow the Emperor of Darius and bring peace to both worlds. To be more specific Gaikings whole narrative revolves around family bonds but not necessarily the blood type. The main cast the crew of the landair cruiser DaikuMaryu is depicted as one big family. Its perfectly possible to see the already formed relations between crew members the easygoing atmosphere and the relations they forge with the newcomer and protagonist Daya Tsuwabuki trough time. Not only that but a lot of the main plot points are tied with family problems. Daiya is on a quest to search for his father who was captured by the enemy the Darius Empire. And the main heroine Lulu had her parents murdered when younger. Dick the sixth ranger character has a personal feud with his father who doesnt see him as much more than a moneymaking tool. The anime cast is filled with charismatic and memorable characters. All of the main characters go through a lot of development along with the series but even in a cast so distinguished the protagonist sticks out as a great character. Not only his humble and understanding personality makes him a lovable kid rather than the usual brat main character on kid shows hes also the ideal main character for such shows because hes a character kids would both relate and look up to. He is strong and has the most potential in the series like how kids have the most potential between people because they can still become anything while growing up. And at the same time the value he gives to his bonds is grounded on the simple fact that for a kid its family and home environment represent the whole world. Youre really slow arent you? You dont win just because youre stronger. Whoever doesnt give in will be the winner in the end Thats why who will win The ones who will win in the end...are us While animated on an exceedingly low budget Gaikings action scenes never cease to be dynamic and welldirected. Every fight is unique and has an appropriate sense of tension as well as consistent and diverse solutions that make the most of the super robots wide arsenal of weapons. Important fighting sequences receive due attention and always delivers the necessary impact. Among the more than 100 mecha shows I watched low budget yet passionate shows such as and especially Gaiking are always the best ones in the action department. And while were at it in an industry heavily moved by the sales of new toys and products Gaiking is one of the few gems in modern anime to have appropriate powerup arcs. They always come along a great impending danger and prime moments of character development not to mention intense buildup and subtle foreshadows. Powerups are also never banalized and are used with the pretty much the same care from introductions to the last episodes. Guided by the flames of justice and destiny...now its time to embark on a journey of adventure Theres certainly nothing of innovative or groundbreaking in Gaikings narrative. But thats the shows strong suit. Rather than a story full of twists and the unexpected it delivers the expected but with near flawless execution. Everything on the show screams clich. From the destined kid protagonist that has to save another world to the evil empire commanded by 4 evil generals with distinct personalities or the giant robots with stylish techniques and insane power. And its exactly this unpretentiousness that makes every cliche feel so fresh and the whole show a fresh and innocent experience. By the end of the day Gaiking is an actionpacked and fun adventure filled with lovable characters and clichs that truly shows the potential of kid shows and of a committed staff. If youre still able to do the bare minimum of enjoying life and can forgive the lack of resources in the show then I recommend you by all means to watch Gaiking: Legend of DaikuMaryu. FACE OPEN