GENERAL INFORMATION

I really didn't want to do this, but I suppose it would be stupid if I made this webpage and not include a short summary on what Dangaioh is actually about, as well as some other stuff. So here it goes:

SUMMARY

Dangaioh is basically a sci-fi/mecha anime in 3 episodes. The story revolves around four main characters, which are the members of the Dangaioh team. They are: Mia Alice (19 years old), Roll Kuran (20), Pai Thunder (22) and Lamda Nom (14). All for youths are Espers. That is, all four youths have the natural ability to wield potent psychic powers. They are brought together when they were abducted and brainwashed by Professor Tarsan. Tarsan works for Garimos, a powerful inter-galactic warlord, but he is also an opportunist. Tarsan brought together the Dangaioh team so they could pilot a devastating transformable robot-mecha called Dangaioh.

Subjected to a harsh regime by Tarsan, the Dangaioh team rebels and runs away, taking the mechas used to form Dangaioh with them. They are soon pursued by Garimos' forces. This starts the adventures of Dangaioh. Along the way, Tarsan decides to betray Garimos and become the team's mentor. The Dangaioh team now fights against the evil of Garimos' criminal regime as well as slowly uncovering their pasts (which Professor Tarsan had wiped from their minds).

THE OAVS

I won't make this long because I assume you have already seen Dangaioh. If you haven't, then I don't want to spoil too much (or bore you too much, either). Let's keep this short and sweet.

OAV 1

Here we are introduced to the Dangaioh, the Dangaioh team and the principal enemies (ie. Gil-Burg, the right-hand man of Garimos and Garimos, the criminal warlord). After several fights, we discover the nature of Dangaioh (and Pai Thunder's background). What makes it so powerful is the fact that it is powered by the extraordinary psychic powers of its four pilots. However, Roll Kuran is the heart of Dangaioh and while the others are indispensible, only Roll can pilot the machine. In order to flush the Dangaioh team out, Gil-Burg attacks Mia Alice's homeworld (Earth). Here the Dangaioh team pledges to fight Garimos' evil.

OAV 2

The Dangaioh team is now united and with purpose. However, the past comes back to haunt them, most notably little Lamda Nom. Before Lamda joined Dangaioh, she was the princess of a planet that was destroyed by Garimos' fleet. Her handmaid never forgave the royal family for this, and she has come seeking revenge with her mercenary companions. Armed with a powerful mecha that could rival Dangaioh's strength, tough decisions and sacrifices have to be made.

OAV 3

This time, the past catches up with Roll Kuran. Roll was once a resistance fighter upon his homeworld and he was betrayed by several of his closest comrades. They now work for Garimos and Roll returns to try to make amends. Gil-Burg, after licking his wounds from his previous confrontation with the Dangaioh team, is now eager for vengeance. The path is fraught with danger, especially for Roll and Mia. Can Dangaioh overcome these new challenges? Victory is elusive and defeat can be just around the corner.....

WHAT DO PEOPLE THINK OF DANGAIOH?

I find this interesting. Personally, I'm not too sure about Dangaioh. I really like the character and mecha designs. The plot is passable, but I know there is lots better (eg. Evangelion, Rah Xephon). If I bear in mind that this was made in 1987, I would say that it's pretty good. Even though I think Mia Alice is the best anime girl created, I would never ever go as far as to say that Dangaioh is one of the best anime I've ever seen. However, there is something strange about Dangaioh that can draw you in, especially if you see it more than once. No other anime has this "property" to it. I wish I could explain what this "property" is, but it goes beyond words. The result is I am of two-minds: between outright admiration for this rough-gem of an anime to disappointment over something that was not properly pieced together. Oh, hell, I guess I love it more than hate it because I made this website!

As for what other anime fans think, I'm fascinated. No other anime I know of has such polarised opinions. People seem to either really love this anime or they hold it in the utmost contempt (maybe we should get everyone into a big stadium to duke it out!). From what I can tell, I would say the people who loved it are a bit further ahead.....

WHY PEOPLE LOVE DANGAIOH
1. By far the BIGGEST reason by 10,000 light years is excellent mecha design. Most people who say they love the mecha design would also say that it can stand up to anything offered by anime today. Even people who hate Dangaioh admit the mecha is of a high standard.
2. Original character design. These characters are not the generic types you see so often in anime today (this is especially true of the females). It has a distinguishable style to it.
3. Good animation. The animation was superior to most other animes created at that time.

 

WHY PEOPLE HATE DANGAIOH
1. A simplistic plot that was unoriginal, disjointed and tedious.
2. A really, really bad English dub.
3. A lack of character depth and development.
4. Uninspired combat sequences and/or not enough of them.

 

To put this in perspective, almost everybody agrees that the Manga Video release is inferior to the original releases. Most people who claim to hate the OAVs have seen the Manga Video release. A good portion of the people who support Dangaioh have seen the subtitled original or some other original Japanese source. Maybe such a polarisation could be the result of the different ways this anime was released in the West. I would hazard to guess that this is a major factor.

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