what's so great about

[davemerrill]

new Let's Anime column about CHORIKI ROBO GALATT,
or "Galatt The Great", a largely forgotten comedy science fiction anime series about cutesy helpful robots that transform into larger, more destructive robots through the scientific wizardry of a professor who has a deeply disturbing interest in underage girls. COMEDY GOLD!!

Comments

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Galatt is one of those shows that seems to have suffered from bad timing, coming out just as Nintendo was sucking the life out of anime (as in Yen spent by kids was shifting from anime goods to Nintento carts). Five or so years later, when the Sega Master System and such had come out, Galatt would have been the right show at the right time with a 16-bit game tie-in.

Unless you want to count Wataru as 'Galatt take 2' which, given the Tommy Ashida chara work....

[davemerrill.livejournal.com]

I actually kind of do count Wataru and Granzort as shows with the same ethos, the same approach. Galatt would have done better with a popular video game tie-in to be sure. In fact I'm sure you can purchase video games with similar themes to events that occur in Galatt right now, what with all the groping ero-games and all. Ew.

Seriously, though, the 1984 market was over-saturated with Sunrise robots; there's only so many product lines that kids' allowances can support. Once Z Gundam got cranked up the oxygen in the room wasn't gonna be there any more for anybody else, really.

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Galatt really fell into a very odd zone. Something strange was going on. For a Sunrise show it got very little merchandising support, it's like Bandai (who didn't yet own Sunrise) didn't care so they cranked out a couple of 'contractual obligation' model kits and the three hero robots as transforming toys (which are pretty damn hard to find from what I hear, I'm glad I have my Jambu/Galatt!).

but oddly, the toys were released by Bandai's plastic kit division!

Galatt and Gaient had the double whammy curse. Both shows didn't go on nearly as long as planned and I could never find out why, altho I assume it was timeslot, ratings and the flood of all the other anime at that time. Galient pretty much killed Takara's interest in sponsoring anime (insofar as plastic models, they still worked with Sunrise on toys, see the 'Brave' series) leaving Bandai to rule the world.

[ferricide.livejournal.com]

in 1984 the famicom market hadn't really taken off. super mario bros didn't come out till 9/1985. then again, maybe it was busy enough to kill b-list shows. probably.

i dunno. i just felt like talking about video games. because. yeah.

[tochiro998.livejournal.com]

Really? I was working at Kay Bee Toys in '84, I seem to recall something going on with the Nintendo deal, even as we had the speed table filled with Atari 2600 carts and a bunch of Coleco Colecovision Adam game/computer systems. Man, I wanted one of those SO DAMN BAD...

20/20 hindsight, I would have bought every Coleco game cart and add-on, as well as each case of the Bandai Godaikin toys (super markdown deadstock sale price! who wouldn't buy a $70 robot toy for $10?) as they came off the truck. So many things I missed because I thought I had all the time in the world to buy them.

anyway. I do recall the big push was in '85, my new job in Ft. Wayne, we actually had one of those Nintendo Roadshows at our mall. Man they sure had hopes for that robot thing. Really pushed that part of the system.

[ferricide.livejournal.com]

yeah, the famicom didn't hit the US (as the NES) till 85 (and just in test market till 86.)

it came out in 83 in japan, but didn't really go apeshit till 85 (and super mario bros. of course.) it was popular before that -- really popular -- but that redefined everything.

[childings.livejournal.com]

I found a youtube video of the OP/ED of this a million years ago and had no idea what it was, other than it looked really weird (and very Toriyama)

Here's the OP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwpp8Y7rOX4) and ED (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9GAmJMZbRE&feature=related) if anyone's interested (the video I had found was removed, but it had a bonus toy commercial in the middle, I forget what series)