The combination of Medieval Fantasy and Giant Robots is nothing new in Anime and Manga, though nor is it especially commonplace. Given the monumental number of Mech series that have come out in Japan, it might be surprising to realize how few of them take place in a Medieval and/or Fantasy setting.
I'm not entirely sure when and where the idea first appeared but I know my first exposure to it was in the early-to-mid 80s. It was during this period, as I've mentioned in prior posts, that I first became aware of Japanese Anime that hadn't yet left Japan. Amid the initial dozen or so series that I was made aware of were two that fit the rare category in question.
While other kids across the United States were falling in love with He-Man and The Masters of the Universe and Thundercats, I was watching Aura Battler Dunbine and Panzer World Galient.
My next 31 Day Character Challenge entry comes from a Mekton II campaign I ran very much influenced by these aforementioned Mecha Anime. As such, I thought it might be a good idea to discuss these two shows as they aren't among the Mecha series familiar to the average Western Anime fan.
I'm adding in a third series to this post as well, The Vision of Escaflowne. Even though it came out long after my Medieval Mekton game was over, it remains a favorite and one I think about from time to time. The reason for this is that Escaflowne definitely influenced my later Giant Robot Fantasy projects, most notably when I run Wares Blade.
Aura Battler Dunbine
One of my early favorites as I was really getting into Anime, Aura Battler Dunbine was written by none other than Yoshiyuki Tomino, the prolific novelist, anime screenwriter, director, songwriter, and creator of Mobile Suit Gundam.
The plot revolves around motorcross cyclist Sho Zoma, who
following an accident on his bike, ends up in the Medieval Europe-esque Fantasy
Realm of Byston Well. It is a world of knights, castles, and the faery-like
Ferario. The main draw of the series were the Aura Battlers, insect-like Giant
Robots used by the kingdoms of Byston Well as weapons of war.
These six meter
plus Mecha are powered a semi-spiritual energy called Aura. Certain people have
especially strong Auras and are therefore able to function as power-supplies to
these Mecha, making them Aura Warriors. As it turns out, beings from our world
seem to have more powerful Auras on average than Byston Well natives, making
visitors a much coveted resources for the armies of various nations.
There was a lot more to this series then this simple summary of course but suffice to say it was quite an involved tale. This show had quite an impact on me. The key to this series
was its characters and said character drove the plot more so than anything
else. Relationships, romances, enemies becoming lovers, lovers becoming
enemies, dealing with war's effect on individuals, and what some people will do
to have power over others were all explored throughout the shows 40 episodes.
Additionally the Mecha designs were quite distinct and
different, though I'll admit they didn't impress me that much at first. It
wasn't until I discovered that the original plan was for the Aura Battlers to
appear both more insectoid and more like knights. These first concepts were
deemed impractical if they wanted to be able to make reasonably priced toys,
models, and other merchandise with the robots so they were altered to more
practical configurations. Later animations were able to realize designer Kazutaka
Miyatake's original ideas, which were further developed by other creatives.
Old Aura Battler design vs. later redesign based on original intention.
Panzer World Galient
A favorite series of the late, great Allen Halden and a major inspiration for his own epic campaign, Panzer Dreams (I mean, it's in the title). Broadcast from October of 1984 to March of 1985, Panzer World Galient ran 25 episodes and initially followed a fairly simple story. The protagonist was Prince Jordy Volder, operator of the Mecha known as Galient, who fought against the villainous conqueror Marder.
Intriguingly, the Medieval world they were on, Arst I believe, turns out to be just one planet in a large interstellar union. The setting played a role both subtle and surprising in the series and serves as a great example of how to subvert expectations while adding something to the context of the narrative.
The Mecha designs are both very typical and traditional for the time but distinct enough that the look of Galient has always been memorable to me. It isn't as flashy as some or as intimidating as others but its definitely a classic.
The Vision of Escaflowne
Created by Shōji Kawamori with Sunrise Studios and directed by Kazuki Akane,
The Vision of Escaflowne is the story of a high school girl named Hitomi Kanzaki, who finds herself transported to a fantastical world called Gaea after witnessing a boy appear in her world fighting a dragon. After reaching Gaia, Hitomi becomes involved in a war when the Zaibach Empire attempts to conquer Gaia. The young Dragonslayer from earlier is revealed to be Van, the King of Fanelia. Finding an additional ally in Allen, an Asturian Knight, Van teams with him and Hitomi to try and defeat the Zaibach Empire and free his world.
Van's advantage in this battle is his mystical, transforming Mecha, The Escaflowne. Additionally, Hitomi's appears to possess psychic powers and fortune telling abilities while on Gaia, possibly related to or even stemming from her long time interest in tarot cards. Soon, it becomes apparent she is the key to awakening the full power of Escaflowne and thwarting Zaibach's plans
The Vision of Escaflowne aired rom April to September of 1996 on TV Tokyo in Japan. It was eventually broadcast on Animax, a channel set up by Sony, that allowed it to be shown in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and elsewhere in Asia. 'Region 1' countries were able to see it thanks to its release in those areas by Bandai Entertainment. The series is currently available for viewing on Crunchyroll.
Escaflowne was a favorite of myself and many of friends in my old New Jersey Gaming Group, as well as my ex-wife. While the world and its nature are very specific and different from those of Wares Blade, there are elements of the two that remind me of each other. It's hard to put my finger on. Something in world building perhaps. The sense of mysticism in a world with Giant Robots really comes through in Vision of Escaflowne, giving the story a unique atmosphere.
I've spoken about Wares Blade, Japan's classic Magic and Machinery TRPG several times now and I am considering running it again. As such, I started to think about the various inspirations for the game and for other games like it. What else is like it? At this point there are actually quite a few. Relatively recent examples include Armour Astir: Advent and Knights of the Round Table: Academy.
I feel this idea requires further deliberation.
Ever onward...
AD
Barking Alien
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