GEAR Fighter Dendoh (GEAR戦士（ファイター）電童, Gia Faitā Dendō) is a Japanese robot anime television series produced by TV Tokyo, Yomiko Advertising and Sunrise. It was directed by Mitsuo Fukuda, with Chiaki Morosawa handling series scripts, Hirokazu Hisayuki designing the characters and monsters, Satoshi Shigeta serving as mechanical animation director and Toshihiko Sahashi composing the music. The series ran for 38 episodes, from October 4, 2000 to June 27, 2001, on the TV Tokyo network and its affiliates.
The series features many of the production staff and main cast members that worked on the Future GPX Cyber Formula series that concluded in 2000, including Fukuda, Hisayuki, Morosawa, and Shigeta, and many of them went on to participate in the later Mobile Suit Gundam SEED series as well. The production period of the anime was a transitional period in which the production environment for animated works was shifting from the traditional cel coloring and film compositing to coloring and editing on computers, and the percentage of computer production increased in the latter half of the series. Although 3D computer graphics with cel shading were used, they were limited to a small portion of stock shots due to the limited processing power of computers at the time, lack of technical expertise, and budgetary constraints.
Contents
Summary
One day, a shiny object crashed from outer space and burst into flames, from where six colored lights flew away. On the opposite shore, a girl with blue hair staggered along the beach. She had run out of strength and collapsed, but there were two mobile terminals beside her, and a figure came to her aid.
17 years later, the giant fortress "Spiral Castle" of Galfa, a mechanical life form that plans to exterminate the human race, flies to the moon one day. From the fortress, the "mecha-beasts," robots under its command, begin their march toward the earth. Hokuto Kusanagi, a boy who has moved to Hoshimi Town, meets Ginga Izumo, a boy practicing kenpō in the schoolyard of his elementary school. Soon after that, a number of mecha-beasts, which have taken up interceptor satellites, fly in and begin attacking the town. Worried about their families, they hurry home, but on the way they find a lost little girl crying and try to save her. Just as a mecha-beast sets its sights on them and attacks, a giant blue robot breaks through the floor and appears, welcoming the startled pair into its chest cockpit. It is the "Gear Fighter Dendoh," the hope of mankind.
Characters
Ginga Izumo (出雲 銀河, Izumo Ginga)
Voiced by: Yōko Matsuoka
A fifth grader at Hoshimi Elementary School, he is an active boy who prefers to act rather than think. When the Galfa attacked the earth, he and Hokuto were chosen as Dendoh pilots and he was entrusted with the blue Gear Commander. At first, he was proud of being chosen as a Dendoh pilot and underestimated the battle against Galfa. However, as he experienced defeats and setbacks, he matured and awakened to his mission to protect the earth. Although he and Hokuto often clashed, they gradually came to recognize each other.
Hokuto Kusanagi (草薙 北斗, Kusanagi Hokuto)
Voiced by: Naomi Shindō
A fifth grader at Hoshimi Elementary School, he is an intelligent boy who is both thoughtful and decisive. On the day he moved to Hoshimi Town with his family, he encountered an attack by Galfa. He and Ginga are chosen as Dendoh pilots and he is entrusted with the black Gear Commander. Although he is perplexed at having to bear the fate of the earth on his shoulders, he becomes more and more aware of his role as a Dendoh pilot as he witnesses the crisis on the earth. Although he and Ginga, who have opposite personalities, sometimes disagree with each other, they gradually build a relationship of trust.
Vega / Orie Kusanagi (ベガ / 草薙 織絵, Bega / Kusanagi Orie)
Voiced by: Kotono Mitsuishi
The second-in-command of GEAR, an earth defense organization, she was initially scheduled to be Dendoh's pilot. She was an advisor to combat command and supported Dendoh's battles by standing on the front lines herself. She is also an expert in combat, with a number of special weapons, and is skilled enough to go toe-to-toe with the black knight Arthea. One of the people deeply involved in the creation of GEAR, she has a wealth of knowledge about Dendoh, data weapons, and Galfa. Her costume is made of the latest technological materials.
Arthea (アルテア, Arutea)
Gear Machines
Gear Fighter Dendoh (Gear 戦士電童, Gia Faitaa Dendou)
Spec
Height 24.5 meters
Weight 399.8 tons
Knight Gear Oger (騎士 Gear 凰牙, Naito Gia Ouga)
Spec
Height 28.5 meters
weight 401.0 tons
Unicorn Drill
Spec
Height 23.0 meters
Viper Whip
Spec
Height 58.0 meters
Leo Circle
Spec
Height 15.0 meters
Bull Horn
Spec
Height 16.0 meters
Dragon Flare
Spec
Height 27.0 meters
Gatling Boar
Spec
Height 12.0 meters
Chojuuoh Kiba
Spec
Height 17.4 meters
Phoenix Alae
Spec
Height 20.4 meters
Galfa Empire
Seventeen years before the events of the series, Emperor Galfa was a biological manager program from planet Alktos that sought to destroy human life due to how they can and have easily destroyed nature. In an effort to save the environment from human intervention, he created a vast empire of machines to exterminate human life and named the empire after himself. In the final episode Galfa reveals his true form as a six headed mechanical dragon, possibly a reference to The Beast From The Sea or Orochi. After conquering the planet he created a large moon-sized satellite resembling the Death Star that emits an energy barrier that shields the entire planet and not only houses all of his forces, but also is armed with a gravitational cannon that can destroy planets.
Main Forces
Spiral City: flight, green lasers, underside drill, storage, an energy barrier, and an AI terminal program of the same name capable of emitting electricity.
Galfa Sotai: First appear in episode 1. Powers include flight, assimilating beak and hand claws, purple energy bolts from the forehead, beak lasers, and a purple laser pistol. They are often translated as Galfa Soldiers and Robot Beasts.
Witter: First appears in episode 1. Powers include a probe called a chip in his own image that is composed of liquid metal and is armed with a laser pistol, flight, an EMP field that can shut down electronics save for larger mechanical enemies and can slowly drain their energy, a segmented body that can be used as projectiles, pink finger lasers, and can reform as long as his head is intact. He fights Dendoh in episode 21.
Absolute: First appears in episode 1. Powers include a probe called a chip in his own image that is composed of liquid metal and is armed with a laser pistol, a liquid metal body, and speed. He fights Dendoh in episode 26.
Gourmet: First appears in episode 1. Powers include a probe called a chip in his own image that is composed of liquid metal and is armed with a laser pistol, flight, a pink mouth beam that can damage objects as large as the Aldebaran, a super electromagnetic net strong enough to disrupt the use of data weapons, back missiles, and extendable arms. He fights Dendoh in episode 25.
Capture Machine Beast: First appear in episode 2. Powers include flight, a capture tentacle in each of its four underside spikes with them able to create a pink force field, and yellow lasers from the underside.
Aldebaran: Appears in episode 11 and episodes 21 to 25. Powers include light speed flight, an underside tractor beam, and Galfa Guard storage. It serves as Emperor Galfa's space cruiser later commanded by Altiar.
Lagou: Appears in episodes 15 to 19. Powers include flight, super speed, fangs, talons, consuming metal to regenerate, flames from his right head mouth, blue energy balls from his left head mouth, a whip tail, and virus spikes on the fin on his chest. It is not a machine rather it is the cyborg pet of Emperor Galfa. According to Meteo in episode 16 he is 22.2 meters tall, has a 57.5 meter wingspan, and weighs 955.5 tons.
Machine Beasts
Orbiton: Appears in episode 1. Powers include flight, green laser cannons from the right shoulder, and pelvis missiles. Unlike other machine beasts this is mass-produced as eighteen separate creatures instead of just one.
Bloodon: Appears in episode 2. Powers include purple lasers from its four eyes and palms, saw fingers, and extendable arms.
Palaboon: Appears in episode 3. Its only known power is yellow heat beams from the satellite dish on its back.
Scoodas: Appears in episode 5. Its only known power is speed. It can execute a Triple Stream Attack, a homage to the Jet Stream Attack of the Black Tri-Stars from Mobile Suit Gundam.
Mobiluz: Appears in episode 5. Powers include speed and bombs. It can execute a Triple Stream Attack, a homage to the Jet Stream Attack of the Black Tri-Stars from Mobile Suit Gundam.
Camioon: Appears in episode 5. Powers include speed and bombs. It can execute a Triple Stream Attack, a homage to the Jet Stream Attack of the Black Tri-Stars from Mobile Suit Gundam.
Fightersu: Appears in episode 6. Powers include flight, dual torso machine guns, and extendable jawed arms armed with missiles in the mouths.
Siglight: Appears in episode 7. Although it showed no powers in the series it had extendable arms in the game.
Crane: Appears in episode 7. Powers include an extendable claw crane and purple lasers from the top of its body.
Tangil: Appears in episode 7. Powers include floating on top of water, missile pods on the top side, purple lasers from the many eyes on top of the bow and sides,
Professional Machines
Virus: Appears in episodes 9, 10, and 11. Powers include swimming, flight, very powerful red energy balls from the torso, can morph into a fighter that flies at super sonic speeds, and an energy bladed green laser gun with shots that rival napalm. In episode 37 it is depicted that Virus was one of Emperor Galfa's earliest minions.
Lock: Appears in episodes 9, 10, and 11. Powers include flight, a large chest harpoon, swimming, and an extremely high body temperature.
Error: Appears in episodes 9, 10, and 11. Powers include flight, extendable arms, pincer claw hands, and swimming.
Bug: Appears in episodes 9, 10, and 11. Powers include flight, twin energy swords, swimming, a rainbow beam from its head cone, and emitting lightning pillars that can go on for several miles. In episode 37 it is depicted that Bug was one of Emperor Galfa's earliest minions.
Crash: Appears in episodes 9 and 10.Powers include flight, strength, arm missiles, and dual shoulder energy cannons strong enough to destroy small islands. Although it was destroyed before pursuing Dendoh underwater, it is assumed it has the ability to swim like the other five members of Altair's platoon.
Hang: Appears in episodes 9, 10, and 11. Powers include flight, a sword, a red club, a javelin, and swimming. In episode 37 it is depicted that Hang was one of Emperor Galfa's earliest minions. In the game it was also armed with floating mines orbiting it.
Rom: Appears in episodes 21 and 22. Powers include flight, double sided spear that fires pink energy bolts, white energy nets, and a blue forehead beam that amplifies gear commanders.
Ram: Appears in episodes 21 and 22. Powers include flight, a spike ended hammer that fires pink energy bolts, white energy nets, and a red forehead beam that amplifies gear commanders.
Heavy Machines
Spear: Appears in episode 13 although its presence is known at the end of episode 12. Powers include flight, four red spear arms, and green energy beams from the upper section.
Scissors: Appears in episode 13. Powers include flight, launchable crushing beetle mandibles on the head on a tread, and a red heat ray from each wing,
Elecideath Probe: Appear in episode 14. Powers include spear legs, burrowing through ice, a high resistance to cold, and purple eye beams.
Elecideath: Appears in episode 14. Powers include flight, satellite hacking mines, summoning probes, burrowing through ice, a high resistance to cold, orange and purple head lasers, and can swim at 500 kilometers per hour.
Filla: Appears in episode 15. Powers include flight, stinger tipped tendrils, tiny mines from its leaves, and purple lasers from each shoulder.
Skasha: Appears in episode 16. Powers include flight, mouth rockets, pink lasers from its four arms, and can split itself in half and use both halves to entrap enemies in a yellow electrical field as it crushes them with its body.
Defender: Appears in episode 17. Powers include flight, four remote pink energy barrier generators, and a pair of turbines that fire liquid nitrogen.
Diver: Appears in episode 18. Powers include flight at 5000 knots, swimming as far down as ten kilometers underwater at 131 kilometers per hour, sharp teeth armed with laser cannon at each very end of the mouth, and a powerful tail. According to Dendoh's data it is 308.5 meters long although in actual length comparison it is barely over 100 meters.
Azaroth: Appears in episode 19. Powers include flight and dual green laser cannons.
Babulto: Appears in episode 20. Powers include flight, crab claw arms armed with flamethrowers, and explosive foam from its mouth.
Video game
GEAR Fighter Dendoh has spawned one platform title for the PlayStation. It was released in 2001.
Dendoh was also featured in the Super Robot Wars series of Japanese simulation games. It has appeared in 2002's Super Robot Wars R for the Game Boy Advance and Super Robot Wars MX for the PlayStation 2 and its PSP version.
Homage Weapons
In episode 24 of the series, Dendoh is forced to fight without the aid of data weapons, forcing it to use an arsenal of weapons that are homages to various early mecha anime. This incarnation has been dubbed as Full Armor Dendoh.
3-Tube Cannon and 9-Tube Missile Launcher: On the left and right shoulders, respectively; these weapons are a homage to Xabungle, specifically its full armor mode.
Beam Rifle: On the right hand; this weapon is a homage to the original Gundam's beam rifle.
Bow and Energy Encased Arrows: On the left wrist; this weapon is a homage to Raideen.
3-Barrel Missile Launcher: On the right ankle; this weapon is a homage to the Zaku 2 from the original Mobile Suit Gundam.
Super Dendoh Yo-Yos: Stored on the hips; these weapons are a homage to Combattler V.
Double Tomahawk: Stored on back; these weapons are a homage to Getter Robo G's form of Getter Dragon.
Dendoh Sword: Stored on the back of the waist; this weapon is a homage to Voltes V.