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GENERAL INFORMATION
This section is far from complete.
G Dangaioh is an anime that aired in Japan from April to July in 2001. It is a direct continuation of Toshihiro Hirano's Dangaioh series which consisted of 3 OAVs which ran from 1987 to 1989. It is a 13 episode series that is set on the planet Earth 17 years after the events of the original OAV series. The main stars of G Dangaioh are 3 high school students who are selected by the organisation AGWARUDA to be pilots of the new Dangaioh mecha. But why is this robot named Dangaioh when the people of Earth had no idea of the original Dangaioh's struggle against Garimos' evil empire? What is the connection? Click on the thumbnail below to see the original promotional poster:
BACKGROUND
Over a decade before the G Dangaioh story begins, middle school student Miya Shikitai said goodbye to her parents and left one morning for school. She could never have known that an explosion was minutes away from decimating everything in the surrounding area for hundreds of kilometres, yet Miya was somehow spared and amidst the rubble of her Japanese village, a strange voice called out to her....
With a alien robot incident that occured in Tokyo in September 1987 fresh in their minds, two brilliant scientists, Dr. Danjou Katou and Dr. Gunji Yonamine work on a classified project to develop a defense against this new threat, a threat that told humanity they were not alone in the universe. With Dr. Yonamine's connections in Japanese industry, the two doctors were able to create a secret research facility on an island in the Okinawa chain which became known as Futakami Island. Through years of research, they managed to create a prototype robot they believed could counter the unknown alien threat which could return to Earth at any moment. But the two doctors now had a major disagreement: Dr. Katou wanted the robot to be unmanned and powered by artificial intelligence, hence lowering costs of production and allowing more to be mass-produced. Dr. Yonamine feared such robots would not be reliable and run the risk of breaking down, or worse, running amok. Dr. Yonamine proposed the robot be completed with a cockpit for a human pilot. The committee that funded the creation of Futakami Island listened to both sides and finally concluded that the robot should be manned. Dr. Katou's increasingly erratic behaviour led the committee to expel him from the project.
Following the expulsion of Dr. Katou, the project continued. When the prototype was finally completed, it was tested. Disaster. The prototype unit malfunctioned and exploded, killing the test pilot and many of the research staff. But Dr. Yonamine would not be deterred....he knew this robot would be Earth's only hope if the aliens ever chose to return. Using his personal connections in the giant conzerns of Japanese industry, he regained financial support and recruited a new staff of researchers. Among them was a woman named Miya Shikitani.......
Miya Shikitani was a mechanical engineer who seemed to have all the answers to the shortcomings of the first prototype. One of the primary factors why the original prototype malfunctioned, she reasoned, was because the stress of such power was too great for one human to bare. She proposed that the new robot be composed of 3 units with a pilot for each to share the burdens that would be placed upon them. To make up for the reduction in effectiveness that three lesser robots would incur, she designed the robots to integrate into one large combat unit that she dubbed "Dangaioh". Thus the three "Dangaioh Numbers" robots were born. In choosing the criteria for the three pilots, Miya proposed the selection of teenagers since they were fit, open to new ways and easily adaptable. Thus with the recruitment of 3 teenagers into the organisation now known as "Agwaruda", thus begins the story of G Dangaioh.
CHARACTERS
KUYA AMAGI
Kuya is the pilot of Dangaioh Burst (the spirit of Dangaioh), one of the three robots that combines to form Dangaioh. He's the unofficial leader of the group. A rather reserved boy, Kuya is a good marksman with a pistol. Kuya had an older brother called Susumu, an expert swordsman who disappeared whilst on a secret government project. Kuya still uses the meditation techniques taught to him by his brother. Kuya is attracted to Manami. He is a student in class1-C. He's 15 years old, his blood type is A and his birthday is the 31st of December.
MANAMI MISHIO
Manami is the pilot of Dangaioh Flail (the brain of Dangaioh), one of the three robots that combines to form Dangaioh. A high school student that attends the same school as Kuya and Hitomi, she is in class 1-A. Manami is gentle and intelligent and has been revealed to have a photographic memory. She's 15 years old, her blood type is AB and her birthday is the 28th of January.
HITOMI CHIDOU
Hitomi is the pilot of Dangaioh Cross (the heart of Dangaioh), one of the three robots that combines to form Dangaioh. Hitomi attends the same school as Kuya and Manami, although she is in class 1-D. An active girl, she excels at the martial arts but is often boisterous and without tact. She's attracted to Kuya but, in the typical tomboy fashion, won't be honest with her own feelings. She's 16 years old, her blood type is O and her birthday is the 5th of May.
MIYA SHIKITANI
30 years old, she is the chief designer of Dangaioh. She is also the sole survivor of an incident that destroyed a large tract of Japan 17 years ago. For the past 10 years, she has been working with Dr. Yonamine at the Agwaruda facility in order to improve the performance of the "Dangaioh Numbers" system. However, Miya herself doesn't seem to fully understand the modifications that she specifies to be built. How can that be?
GUNJI YONAMINE
Dr. Yonamine is the commander of the Agwaruda base. 40 years old, he is the co-creator of the prototype Dangaioh unit. He is able to maintain the Agwaruda facility on Futakami Island through his connections in the Japanese governement, self-defence forces and heavy industry. A man with a heavy weight on his shoulders, he values discipline and order.
CHIHO KAZAMAKI
Chiho is the chief medical officer on the Agwaruda base. She has a shadowy past most people are not aware of. More liberal and easy-going than Miya Shikitani, she can sometimes be at odds with her over how far to push the physical and mental limits of the three Dangaioh pilots.
KYOKO TAMAHARA
Kyoko is one of the 8 main operators at the Agwaruda base and the only one that works within the central command centre when Dangaioh is on an operation.
RYUKO SHIMA
Ryuko is the public relations officer of the Agwaruda base. The eldest of the support girls, she is looked upon by the others like a big sister.
KASUMI YAMAGATA
Kasumi is the reserve pilot for the Dangaioh team. She's Kuya's junior and is often impatient, longing to become a permanent member of the pilot's roster.
KOZUE MORI (bad pic, huh?)
Kozue is the head mechanic of the Agwaruda base and leads her team in the heavy demands that maintaining the Dangaioh mechas require.
KAORI TSUKISHIRO
Kaori is the personal assistant of Miya Shikitani. At 11 years old, she is the youngest of the operators of the Agwaruda base. Showing the potential to develop into a strong "ESPer", she also has a crush on Kuya.
MIA ALICE
One of the pilots of the original Dangaioh, Mia left Earth in 1987 to secretly fight against an evil intergalactic empire. Mia has strong psychic powers which allows her to devastate things around her by will, but this is checked by her compassionate nature. What is her connection to Earth's new Dangaioh unit?
KYOJI REISEN
Kyoji is a mysterious young man that is shadowing the movements of the 3 Dangaioh pilots. He shows signs of having a strange power.....is he an ally or an enemy of the Dangaioh team?
DANGAIOH MECHA
DANGAIOH
This is the creation of Dr. Yonamine and Miya Shikatani. It is a combination of 3 robots, known as Dangaioh B, X and F. Operated by 3 pilots, Dangaioh has a combination of attacks. Unfortunately, prolonged use of Dangaioh places immense stress upon the pilots and if they remain combined too long, there is a chance they will die.
DANGAIOH BURST
Also known as Dangaioh B and Dangai Numbers 1, this unit is piloted by Kuya. Due to the fact that this unit places the most stress upon a pilot, it was given to Kuya, who was seen as physically strong enough to handle the unit. Burst forms the head and chest of Dangaioh when merged and gives the pilot of Dangaioh Burst primary control of Dangaioh itself. Allone, it primarily uses projectile weapons, such as pistols and rifles.
DANGAIOH FLAIL
Also known as Dangaioh F and Dangai Numbers 2, this unit is piloted by Manami. Not built for physical combat, Flail's role is electronic warfare, jamming, analysis and recon. When merged into Dangaioh, Flail forms the body. In combat, its primary weapon is a cloud of electronic beacons that disrupts enemy functions.
DANGAIOH CROSS
Also known as Dangaioh X and Dangai Numbers 3, this unit is piloted by Hitomi. Of the three Dangai Numbers, Cross has the heaviest armour and highest power output, due to the fact it houses the main engine for the merged Dangaioh, of which it forms the legs. In battle, Flail engages in close quarter combat, using kicks and punches that are augmented by Dangaioh's engine.
SABER SONIC
Alone, the Dangai Numbers cannot fly. The Saber Sonic unit is used to launch and transport the Dangai Numbers from the Agwaruda base to the area of operation. The Saber Sonic also allows the Dangaioh units to hold onto them like a hang-glider that allows them an aerial advantage over their enemies before they touch down.
MAIN ARTWORK SKETCHES EPISODE GUIDE
PRODUCTION INFORMATION THE DANGAIOH HOMEPAGE
