A new anime has been produced after 40 years. Of course, existing fans are excited, but why is it so popular?
For those of you who are just getting to know Grendizer, let us introduce you to some of the glorious history that Grendizer has established around the world!
“UFO Robot Grendizer” was created by Go Nagai, who is also known for “Devilman” and “Cutie Honey.” “Mazinger Z” was broadcast from December 1972 to September 1974, followed by “Great Mazinger” from September 1974 to September 1975, and this was the next series to be broadcast.
The main character is Duke Freed, but the main character from “Mazinger Z,” Koji Kabuto, and the heroine, Sayaka Yumi, also appear.
The planet Freed in the Vega Nebula is destroyed by an invasion by the Vega Alliance Army led by King Vega, a ruler who plans to conquer the universe. Prince Duke escapes using the UFO Robot Grendizer, which combines with the Spacer flying saucer, and makes it to Earth.
Duke is saved by Genzo Umon, the director of the Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, and is adopted by him, living as an Earthling under the name “Daisuke Umon.”
Two years later, Koji Kabuto visits Director Umon and meets Daisuke, but the two end up falling out. Meanwhile, the Vega Star Alliance attacks Earth, and Daisuke witnesses Kabuto’s machine, the TFO, being attacked. He gets on the Grendizer and heads off to help. At first, the two are at odds, but they come to respect each other and vow to fight for Earth.
“UFO Robot Grendizer” is popular worldwide, and in France it was broadcast under the title “Goldorak,” with an average viewership rating of 75% and a peak of 100%.
The method of calculation of TV ratings is different from that in Japan, where the ratings are calculated based on the share of viewers by time period (a number that represents the total number of households with the television turned on, set at 100), but there’s no doubt that it is extremely popular.
An event will be held locally in 2021, and the museum’s enduring popularity has led to a remake of the bande dessinée (hardcover manga).
This work is also said to have sparked a boom in Japanese anime in France, and is so popular that a game produced by a French game company, “UFO Robot Grendizer: Even if it Costs Me My Life,” is scheduled to be released in 2023.
In addition, in Italy it was broadcast under the title “Atlas Ufo Robot,” which also had a peak audience rating of over 80%.
It is also popular in the Middle East, including Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Egypt and Kuwait.
The new film, Grendizer U, was produced in collaboration with Manga Productions, a leading creative content company based in Saudi Arabia.
When the new work was announced at the “Akiba Love! Festival 2023” held in Akihabara, Tokyo on August 5, 2023, not only Nagai and others were in attendance, but also Manga Productions CEO Isao Bukhari.
“The return of Grendizer is an exciting development for anime fans around the world. We are proud to bring you this series with such a rich history and vibrant fanbase,” said Bukhari.
Manga Productions has erected a 33.7m tall “Grendizer” statue at Boulevard World, a theme park in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The statue is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s largest metal sculpture of a fictional character.
世界的にヒットしたハリウッド映画『パシフィック・リム』は日本のロボットアニメに大きな影響を受けていることで知られています。その続編『パシフィック・リム：アップライジング』公開時には、『マジンガーZ』とのコラボアートが公開。
そこには、グレンダイザー、ゲッターロボ（ゲットマシン）まで描かれているというファン感涙もののアートに仕上がっていました。
イラストを手がけたダイナミック企画の永井一巨氏は「両作品のKAIJU級のカッコよさをこの一枚のアートで少しでも感じていただければ幸いです！」とコメントを寄せていました。
『グレンダイザーU』は豪華すぎるメンバーがスタッフに参加。総監督には『機動戦士ガンダムSEED』、『新世紀GPXサイバーフォーミュラ』の福田己津央氏、キャラクターデザインには『新世紀エヴァンゲリオン』、『ふしぎの海のナディア』、『サマーウォーズ』の貞本義行氏、音楽には『ONE PIECE』、『サクラ大戦シリーズ』の田中公平氏が名を連ねています。
さらに、シリーズ構成は『コードギアス 反逆のルルーシュ』『革命機ヴァルヴレイヴ』の大河内一楼氏、メカニックデザインには『アーマード・コア フォーアンサー』、『機動戦士ガンダム 水星の魔女』の稲田航氏らが参加。
福田総監督は『アキバ大好き！フェスティバル2023』で「50年前の作品ではあるけれども、リブートでもリマスターでもなく、まったく新しい作品になればいい」と宣言。「兜甲児くんもカッコよく描いていますし、デューク・フリードは『ちょっと暗いかな？』という印象ですが、いろいろ背負ったキャラクターになっています」と、キャラの見どころを明かしています。
昭和の時代に世界的人気を誇った『グレンダイザー』が豪華すぎるスタッフによって令和の時代にどんな形で復活を遂げるのか楽しみです。
現在、PVも第3弾まで公開されており、ファンの間でも様々な考察が行われています。兜も登場するようですし、一体どんな展開になるのでしょうか……。
ファンの方はもちろん楽しみにしていますが、前作を見ていなくても楽しめるアニメになっているのは間違いないと思います。今回の盛り上がりで『グレンダイザーU』が気になっている方はぜひアニメをご覧になってみてください。
誰も見たことがない『グレンダイザー』の世界が広がっているはずです！
[文/藤野ごんべえ]
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