Giant Robo: The Animation: “The Day the Earth Stood Still” is, on the face of things, an anime adaptation of Mitsuteru Yokoyama’s classic manga of the same name, most familiar to American audiences as the inspiration for a late 60s-early 70s TV series, released stateside as “Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot”. But the GR OVAs (Original Video Animation) ended up being so much more. Director Yasuhiro Imagawa (who went on to make quite a career out of retro mecha anime) was not allowed to use any of the supporting cast and situations from the manga/TV show, but instead turned the production into an homage to all of Yokoyama’s work, combining character’s from throughout the artist’s body of work into an all-new story. From the original GR, only Daisaku Kusama (“Johnny Sokko” on the TV show, Robo’s 12-year-old controller), the titular mecha, and the name “Big Fire” (originally the entire villain organization in the manga/TV series–called “Gargoyle” in the US–but used in the anime as the name of the evil BF Group’s leader) remain. But the genius of the show is not in its ability to adapt a beloved property from years gone by but rather in its determination to turn everything the viewer would expect from it on its head. The whole thing is so unexpected that it really takes until about the fourth episode before it becomes clear that, in Giant Robo, anything is possible, nothing is sacred… and no character–especially none of the heroes (the Experts of Justice)–is safe. You won’t see anything coming in this one, I assure you.

Whereas most anime action series have the requisite wacky action episodes that showcase the fun, humor and excitement to be had by all the colorful characters and then transition into the serious climax towards the end, Giant Robo is all climax. The openings of the OVAs hint at dozens of mecha battles that have taken place in the past, with images of BF robots that we never see in the videos themselves (but look closely, because every opening is a little bit different, with different mecha offering tantalizing hints at the adventures Daisaku and Robo have had over the years). The experience is of coming in on a long-running anime in the last few episodes–the episodes where you find out all the secrets and learn that these seemingly fun-loving heroes are flawed–and often in GR, tragic–characters with pasts and backstories that are much richer than anyone could have guessed. The music is a combination of the mecha shows of the past and operatic pieces that are amazingly unique for an anime and adds to the grandeur of the storyline being told.

It’s a shame that the previous reviewer seems to have only watched the first episode or so. This anime deserves better than that. If you are a lover of anime (especially an old school anime fan) this is one you simply cannot miss. Be delighted by the colorful cast of characters… but don’t get too attached to any of them. You won’t see where it’s all going until it’s almost done, and by then, you won’t be able to look away! Great, great anime!