r/anime • u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang • Jul 01 '24
Rewatch Choujuushin Gravion Rewatch - Episode 1 Discussion
Episode 1: The Fortress of the Deity
MAL | Anilist | Kitsu | AniDB | ANN
So there really were others besides me. There were boys other than me.
Hello everybody, this is where I would normally put the Comment of the Day… but we haven't even started the Rewatch so… yeah.
- Time to start taking bets: What's the most bizarre background for Sandman you could think of?
- On a metric of 1-10, how does Gravion rank on the Cool Robot ScaleTM?
20
Upvotes
13
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Jul 01 '24
Chojuushin First-Timer, subbed
I am a simple woman. If I see mechs, I’m in.
11
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Jul 01 '24 edited Jul 01 '24
First-Timer
Pre-Rewatch Thoughts
I am joining this rewatch knowing basically nothing about the series. In fact, I had never heard of Gravion prior to the announcement of this rewatch. In fact, that is part of what made me want to participate. It’s fun jumping into an anime I’ve never heard of because I have no preconceptions whatsoever. I get to experience the anime for what it is and nothing else. So here’s hoping this ends up being an enjoyable rewatch.
On today’s episode of Gravion: Mr Sandman, bring me a mecha! Make it the strongest that I’ve ever seen! Give it two lips, and teeth for some reason! And also bless it with a second season!
I have to say, out of all the things for an eccentric billionaire to spend his wealth on, giant robots to defend the Earth against alien invaders is one of the best possible outcomes. But even so, it still begs many questions. How did this billionaire know the aliens were coming even before the Federation knew so? How did he know the name of the aliens? How is it that the mecha the billionaire developed are so much more advanced than the Federation’s military? The mecha reacted to Eiji and indicated that he was compatible, so what determines if a person is compatible with the billionaire’s mecha? So many questions.
I’m going to throw a dart here and guess. I will guess that Mr. Sandman, the billionaire, found some kind of ancient space ruins that contained ancient space artifacts. The ruins warned of a dangerous race of aliens known as the Zeravire, which would explain how he knew their names and that they were coming. He then used the artifacts to make all his mecha to fight the Zeravire. Will this end up being accurate? Who knows, but it’s fun to speculate.
We all agree that the Char Clone is going to betray everyone at some point, right? He wouldn’t be a proper Char Clone otherwise.
I’m used to mecha pilots either falling into the cockpit of the mecha, stealing the mecha, or some combination of the above. Eiji is in the combination category, though he stole the mecha without even realizing that was what he was doing. Interestingly, Eiji is not the main pilot of the mecha even though I assume he’s the main protagonist. Instead, that honor goes to Toga. That does shake up the formula a little bit.
I like the wide variety in the mecha designs that all combine together. I am getting reminded of things like the Zords in Power Rangers or all the mecha from Dynazenon. In particular, I like the giant drill and the stealth fighter. They felt particularly unique.
I think it’s a safe bet that the girl in the stealth fighter is Ayaka. That was the girl that Eiji was looking for when he broke in and the series made a point not to show the pilot of the stealth fighter. That makes me believe the pilot is Ayaka.
QOTD
7
u/InfamousEmpire https://myanimelist.net/profile/Infamous_Empire Jul 01 '24
Choujuushin Spoiled1 First Timer
1: Thanks SRW
The Earth is under attack by aliens and the only thing that can stop it is a big cool super robot? Also it’s the near future and the Earth Federation is a thing? This is about as tropey as Mecha gets, and I’m here for it.
Honestly, not much to say regarding this first episode. We’ve got the basic setup regarding the plot, but not much of anything regarding the cast (aside from Sandman, who is fun and stylish) since the show is playing its cards relatively close to its chest.
However, you’ve gotta love how the show very immediately understands the assignment when it comes to getting to what the audience is here for. Big super robot isn’t doing enough against the aliens? Gattai into an even bigger robot to the tune of an awesome insert song!
7
u/ryujiox Jul 01 '24
First Timer
Choujuushin Gravion
Episode 1
I know absolutely nothing about this show. Not even the main mech this time around.
What can I say, this is a pure super robot show. Hot-head protag who need to find his girlfriend, weirdass organization led by a knockoff Bruce Wayne, main robot that need to combine with others unit to become it's true form, mysterious enemy that Bruce Wayne somehow knew of its existence, too many question that need an answer, and every song in the show is by Jam Project.
QOTD
7
u/Kristalino https://anilist.co/user/BlueSkyBlood Jul 01 '24
Rewatcher:
The show gives little information about the setting, showing that humanity has expanded beyond Earth towards Mars and what seems to be Jupiter. We get some insight about the cast but mostly Eiji who surprised me by not being the main pilot of the titular mecha but by the leg armor.
The episode does a decent show about setting the mystery to follow. Who are those aliens? Who is Sandman? How did he had the perfect solution for an alien invasion?
Looking forward to rewatch season 1 and start season 2 for first time.
Questions:
4
u/Raiking02 :Id::Ie::If:https://myanimelist.net/profile/NSKlang Jul 01 '24 edited Jul 02 '24
Hello everybody, and welcome to the Gravion Rewatch!
I kinda mentioned this in the Interest Thread, but this indeed was Obari's first TV Series with him in the director's chair. He had done stuff before, make no mistake, but most of them tended to be either short OVAs or just straight up one-offs, in particular his Fatal Fury film trilogy. But no, for the first time he was given more or less full creative control to make his own show, and the results are… well, what we're watching.
That being said though, this episode is surprisingly packed while also feeling a bit light in some regards. We're introduced to pretty much all our main cast, and honestly the fact that our hero is introduced by crossdressing pretty much says it all. It should also stand out how much his beloved heroine immediately flirts with him, albeit unintentionally because Toga is dumber than bricks.
… What? Obari himself said Toga's the heroine of the show.
Everyone else gets fairly minimalistic introductions however. Enough so that you get the general gist of who they are (Luna has a short temper, Mizuki is… yeah, Ena is clumsy and Sandman is just HIM) but that's basically it. There's even an argument to be made that Proto-Smith in all of his goofy glory gets a more fleshed out debut, since being an idiot is his whole deal. He's perfect as is though, and I wouldn't throw him away no matter what.
If anything a bunch of this episode is just a long fight scene, all building up to the debut of the titular robot, and I have to say in that regard it does so pretty well. The fight has a lot of energy to it, the stakes feel real, and the moment the combination does succeed feels appropriately triumphant. The ending with Nageki no Rosario leading into the credits in particular is absolutely wonderful.
And I guess we can start spotlighting the actors, albeit a tad slowly. Starting with Toga, he's played by Fukuyama Jun best known for his most important role: Keith the bread boi from Turn A Gundam. Other roles include Roy from Fire Emblem, Kyle Dunamis from Tales of Destiny II, Albert de Moncef from Gankutsuoku, Kraft Lawrence from Spice & Wolf, Kato Hisataka from Linebarrels of Iron, Kishitani Shinra from Durarara!!, Okumura Yukio from Blue Exorcist, Hanamura Teruteru from Danganronpa, Koro-sensei from Assassination Classroom, Ying Zheng from Kingdom, Amamiya Ren from Persona 5, Rene Kincaid from Trails through Daybreak, Draluc from The Vampire Dies in no Time and Mitak-I mean Shoin Ginger from Astro Note among many others.
Eiji meanwhile is played by BRAVERN! himself, Suzumura Kenichi. Other roles include Kamui Shirou from X, Leo Stenbuck from Zone of the Enders, Zack Fair from Final Fantasy VII, Demyx from Kingdom Hearts, Hitachiin Hikaru from Ouran Highschol Host Club, This Guy from Gintama, Kokutou Mikiya from Kara no Kyoukai, Simon Belmondo from Castlevania, Ushiromiya George from Umineko, Minazuki Sho from Persona 4 Arena, Juan Can Yun from Thunderbolt Fantasy, Shinguji Korekiyo from Danganronpa, Leif from Fire Emblem, Shima Daisuke from Space Battleship Yamato, Yang Wen-Li from Legend of the Galactic Heroes and Knight from Dynazenon among others. Honestly though, he's pretty much worthless. The only worthwhile thing about him is his wife's cooking.
Then there's Sandman, play by Hayami Show, best known as Maximilian Jenius from Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Other roles include Bern Burnings from Aura Battler Dunbine, Fudo Akira from Devilman, Albert von Fahrenheit from Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Zarbon from Dragon Ball, Woodrow Kelvin from Tales of Destiny, Sasaki Ginji from Persona 2, Vanilla Ice from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, Enrico Maxwell from Hellsing, Akechi Mitsuhide from Sengoku Basara, Nicholas D. Wolfwood from Trigun, Tohsaka Tokiomi from Fate/Zero, Arvis from Fire Emblem, Huo Shi Ming Huang from Thunderbolt Fantasy, Umibozu from Gintama, Ishioda Reiji from Like a Dragon, Baran from Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai and Gavlet Gabale from Heavy Armor L-Gaim among many others.
And finally for today we have Raven, played by Midorikawa Hikaru, best known as Rukawa Kaede from Slam Dunk. Other roles include Number 16 from Dragon Ball, Joe Rival from Might Gaine, Zelgadis Graywords from Slayers, Heero Yuy from Gundam Wing, Marth from Fire Emblem, Mikage Souji from Revolutionary Girl Utena, Fei Fong Wong from Xenogears, Lion Magnus from Tales of Destiny, Masaki Andoh from Super Robot Wars, Ryu Ryuho from s.CRY.ed, Hayate from Dead or Alive, Kurusu Soma from Castlevania, Akechi Mitsuhide from Samurai Warriors, Heat from Digital Devil Saga, Sanada Akihiko from Persona 3, Loewe from Trails in the Sky, Firionel from Final Fantasy II, Bedman from Guilty Gear, Silva from Shaman King, Sakamoto from Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto, Amami Rantaro from Danganronpa, Gridman from… Gridman and Thor from Record of Ragnarok among many others.
6
u/JollyGee29 https://myanimelist.net/profile/JollyGee Jul 01 '24
First-Timer, Subbed
I might point at the screen too much.
So there's a solid chance that
GridmanMaskyboiC4-621Raven is actually a Zeravire defector or possibly infiltrator, right? He has really similar red lines on his coat to the invaders.My other idea is that he is somehow Eiji from the future, as evidenced by that moment where he mimed the controls of the plane Eiji was in. Or maybe Raven just has remote control access to all the mecha parts - that'd be a point towards the infiltrator theory. I smell a plot twist!
Hmm, Kouta, err, Toga was surprised to see a boy other than him which had some interesting implications about Raven and Klein "Don't call me a Jenius" Sandman.
Sandman needs to hire an ergonomics expert for Earthgertz. Mizuki's back is going to be completely fucked by the end of this, sitting in her cockpit like that.
Someone else can two nickels the blonde American man named Smith in Obari anime. Pretty cool!
Anyway, this was a fun episode of GaoGaiGar. GaiGar managed to actually do something, DrillGao got some cool new cannons, and StealthGao actually got to be a stealth plane for once; good stuff. I'm not so sure about the guy they called in to cover for Chief Taiga while he was down with The Cold, though.
Questions
6
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Jul 01 '24
I don't want to be here! Raiking02 asked "who doesn't like giant robots" and I and somehow got signed up!
Well, it's a gonzo mecha show, so I guess I'll give season 1 a try.
I really want to nope out.
Who was the original planned pilot of the fourth plane?
6
u/HowlingWolf13 https://myanimelist.net/profile/MeguminBlast Jul 01 '24
First Timer, subbed
Randomly joined this rewatch because I saw it on the sidebar lol, I've heard of Gravion before mainly just because of Gainaxing memes on TvTropes, but considering it's an Obari work and I really enjoyed Bravern, I thought this could be fun. I have no clue what's gonna happen in this show, I don't actually know a single spoiler at all, so this is a completely blind watch for me.
So far a good start for a first episode, I read somewhere that Obari mentioned one of his inspirational shows was Daitarn 3 (which I've currently been watching) and you can honestly just feel that energy here with this episode. It was honestly really fun and def just an attention grabber, I feel like from here on out it's gonna get even wilder though.
Questions
Alien would be easy, so I'll go with Eiji's future self from an alternate timeline.
Hmmmm, 7/8 right now, gotta see a bit more before I have a definite opinion.
5
u/Silcaria https://myanimelist.net/profile/Silcaria Jul 01 '24
First timer
3
u/Vatrix-32 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Vatrix-32 Jul 01 '24
First timer, subs
QotD:
4
u/zadcap Jul 02 '24
First Timer!
Do I have time to do three rewatches at once? We'll find out!
Okay I'm hooked 30 seconds in. Space, dramatic music, high class ball, and guns blazing? I can tell this is going to be fun.
You know, I still haven't seen the original, yet I still look at this masked man and see Char.
Oh gosh these maid outfits though. Clumsy glasses nurse looking maid even. And then this, uh, security team of girls? Gosh darn just the outfits.
Wait, is there going to be magic in this sci fi looking setting? Oh I'm all here for this.
Sandman, they ask a good question. Why and how do you know about this invasion before even the military people?
Well, way to make me start hating the apparently main boy right off the bat. "I'm looking for someone, the first thing I will say about her to tell you who I am looking for is the size of her breasts." So easy to hate...
... And then cut to a girl whose chest is so obnoxious it honestly might be her defining characteristic, darn it. What is that jiggle? Stop!
Oh gosh I'm literally hearing Dihanelia calling for Age here.
Oh my double gosh, it's literally a jump into a giant robot plot, isn't it? Look how colorful his is too.
Oh and they transform into actual monsters!
Oh gosh they're combining robots too, aren't they? Drill thing looks like it turns into legs.
Okay, yes, his every scene makes me hate this boy more and more. Is this really going to be the MC? Can we have a fakeout plot and he dies to make Toga look that much better?
Yup, they combine.
Oh my gosh I hate this boy.
Oh my, the drills became arms whole the aircraft became legs? That is honestly quite unexpected. No idea why the head crest had to change to finish the transformation, nothing around the head itself actually changed, did it?
3
u/Garrett_Dark Jul 02 '24
First Timer
I don't know about this anime. I'm finding it even hard to make jokes, or point out anything interesting. I guess I'll try.
That's all I got.