Gravion
Publisher
ADV
Director
Masami Obari
Production
Fuji TV, GONZO
Country of origin
Japan
Format
Series
Running time
13 episodes
Year
2002
Gravion vol 1: Divine Steel (eps 1-5)
By John Huxley
29th Jun 05  It’s a well documented fact that robots are cool. That’s not an opinion, it’s an etched in stone fact. Which should make piloting a robot one of the coolest jobs ever, right? Well, try telling that to the pilots of the Gravion. Unlike a certain whiney teenager - let’s just call him Shinji for now - Gravion’s pilots must share the limelight and each control a specific section of the giant robot. So while Shinji prances around to classical music, Gravion’s poor pilot is stuck inside a 30ft leg taking orders from the other three limbs. Unfortunately there isn’t a pilot in his butt, though I guess there’s always Gravion Zwei... A few neat touches aside, the storyline is pretty standard fare for a show of this type. In a lone effort to thwart the alien threat of the Zeravire, mysterious and eccentric billionaire Sandman has developed the ultimate fighting machine - Gravion. With conventional weapons seemingly useless against the ever-changing Zeravire, Gravion’s unique ability to transform from several smaller units into the awesome God Gravion could well be humanity’s last hope of survival. Piloting the Gravion are several young orphans who must overcome their differences if they hope to defeat the Zeravire and save the day. Much like Voltron and Power Ranger before it, Gravion’s focus is not an individual hero but a group of people who must cooperate in order to succeed. This group dynamic helps to create a more interesting scenario on and off the battlefield as our motley band of youngsters - conveniently housed in Sandman’s gothic castle - quibble amongst themselves. Yet predictably it’s their friendship in the face of adversity that always prevails; the varying facets of their personalities often put to good use on the battlefield. Admittedly this is probably nothing new to the average super robot fan - in fact it’s down right generic. However, taking the viewpoint that Gravion is more homage than update, it’s easy to appreciate the solidity of what’s on offer here. And with much of Gravion taking place inside the walls of Sandman’s castle (which amusingly rests atop a massive pedestal), you’ll be grateful that the characters are a mostly likeable bunch. From the excitable Eiji to the emotionally stunted Toga, they’re a colourful collection of misfits that should hold your interest for the remainder of the series despite their jarringly stereotypical tendencies. At this point in time much of the focus appears to be aimed towards Eiji as the mystery of his missing sister plays an integral part of the storyline, although the other characters do get a good deal of screen time regardless. As is the case with many shows of this type, a single episode may be ‘dedicated’ to a particular character, in which their various backgrounds and motivations will be explored. It’s a timeworn storytelling device yet it still works well within the context of the genre. However, all this character development comes at a price - Gravion features no real villains to speak of. Where Mazinkaiser and Power Rangers lent their bad guys a very distinctive personality, Gravion’s Zeravire is a faceless threat much like its equivalent in Dai-Guard and Evangelion. There are a few nasty government types sneaking around, but as of yet nothing has really been made of this so we’ll have to sit tight and see how things develop - the suggestion is that there’s someone specific behind the ‘alien’ attacks, which would separate the Zeravire somewhat from the abstract threat of the shows mentioned earlier. Regardless, Gravion doesn’t waste much time developing its villains which - for better or worse - leaves the vast majority of the screen time to our heroes. Understandably for a show based around giant mechs, the action takes up a good chunk of each episode. And thanks to some stellar animation (but no 3D?) and robust direction from Gonzo they’re a pleasure to watch, the exaggerated gesticulation of the gargantuan combatants perfectly in-tune with the cartoony nature of the genre. You’re unlikely to find the kind of intricately staged action that graced Evangelion in its better moments or even the gritty realism of Gundam, but you will find plenty of rocket powered flying fists and unnecessarily lengthy transformation sequences. In a clever twist on the age-old tradition of shouting the name of the move performed in order to make it appear more dramatic, Gravion’s control system forces its pilots to simultaneously press a button whilst activating the voice-recognition with a hefty scream. This is just one of many neat touches that pepper Gravion and help to distinguish this as a homage rather than a straight remake, freeing itself from all the baggage associated with a known license in the process. The design of the Gravion itself isn’t dissimilar to Voltron, a show I’m sure many of you will probably remember quite fondly. Some may consider its intricate design a little too fussy for their own tastes, yet it definitely radiates with that certain kind of ‘cool’ only giant ass-kicking robots can offer. If there was a model toy available, I’d snap it up without hesitation. Its striking angular design distinguishes it from the simple, rounded Go Nagai mechs of the late 70's, falling more inline with the Voltron and Power Rangers robots of the 80's and early 90's. This would also fit in nicely with the group dynamic evident in all three shows. Incidently, if you’re interested in mech timelines (pertaining to Japanese culture, at least), http://www.zincpanic.com/series/743.html is a good place to start. Well, back to Gravion. While the mechs are undoubtedly influenced by the anime of old, the relatively modern character designs would appear to be slightly at odds with the otherwise overarching retro ethos. Attractive and detailed though they may be, Gravion’s ridiculously extravagant characters wouldn’t look out of place in any number of recent sci-fi related anime. Yet somehow, next to the Gravion’s exuberant styling and gaudy colour scheme, these characters find their place. An intriguing combination of retro homage and modern update, Gravion’s aesthetic is symptomatic of the series as a whole. However, the two sides are far from even; whilst the overbearing retro vibe will immediately appeal to super robot fans, there’s not quite enough innovation here to attract newcomers to such a specific genre. By now you’ve probably already decided if Gravion is a show that appeals to you - and if that impulse is there I urge you to act. Not only because there are so few super robot shows that reach our shores, but also because it’s a genuinely entertaining anime that only the most stoney-faced of critics could fail to enjoy. Oh, and see if you can’t find a copy of Voltron or Tranzor Z (Mazinger Z) while you’re at it!
R2 DVD Notes
Features: English 5.1 and Japanese 2.0 audio, English subtitles, design sketches, clean open/close, Japanese trailer, ADV previews, insert with extra Gravion story
Release information: UK: 20th June 2005, ADV
Notes: Understandably ADV have chosen to promote this first volume of Gravion with a picture of the pretty Luna slapped on the front cover; I’m sure the fact that she looks like she’s just walked out of a kinky sex shop (which is actually true of all Gravion’s female characters, if that tells you anything...) won’t hurt sales. Taking second place, God Gravion’s only slightly phallic drill attachment completes an attractive design along with the large, bold logo. There’s no alternate cover but there is a neat 8-page foldout booklet included alongside the DVD. One side lists several mechanical designs and sketches while the other is dedicated entirely to an original story called ‘G’s Tragedy’. Apparently written by script writer Fumihko Shishige, this short story is hardly best seller material but makes for a fun read and is really a great inclusion nonetheless. Sadly the DVD reveals few extras of any note - there’s some design sketches, an original trailer and a clean open/close; nothing that will keep you distracted for more than a few minutes. A promising package let down by an average DVD, I have high hopes ADV can deliver something more substantial for the final two volumes of Gravion.
-- John Huxley 29th Jun 05
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