Dangaioh

Cross fight!

Dangaioh - Hyper Combat Unit (破邪大星ダンガイオー or 破邪大星弾劾凰, Haja Taisei Dangaiō?) is an anime OVA series produced by AIC studios and released in Japan in 1987. Dangaioh featured character designs by creator Toshihiro Hirano, mechanical designs by Shoji Kawamori, animation direction by Masami Obari, and key animation by Hideaki Anno. A sort-of sequel named Great Dangaioh (破邪巨星Gダンガイオー, Haja Kyosei Gureito Dangaiō?) ran in 2001, but was a flop.

It starts when a young girl named Miya Alice wakes up all of a sudden in a spaceship, frightened and confused and with her memories erased. A strange voice tells her that she's been abducted and transformed into a cyborg, due to her extremely strong Psychic Powers; soon she and other people in her same situation will be sold out as cyber soldiers to the highest bidder, alongside the Super Robot Dangaioh.

Miya, however, only wants to go back home. She also has a vague hint of who she truly is... she remembers having been a Ordinary High School Student in Tokyo. Soon she meets up with the other three potential Dangaioh pilots: former La Résistance member Roll Kuran, Hot-Blooded Pai Thunder, and Naive Everygirl Lamda Nom. The four decide to team up and see what they can do to recover their freedom and fight their common enemy: their potential employer, Captain Garimoth....

Tropes used in Dangaioh include:

Action Girl (With an astonishing ratio of three action girls to one guy with the Dangaioh pilots. One of the girls is the team leader. They're all on the same level or stronger than the guy. And said guy actually aknowledges it. A very nice break from the norm.)
Beware the Nice Ones (Miya is a Yamato Nadeshiko, yeah. But do NOT push her around too much. And do NOT threaten her team.)
Biting the Hand Humor (The first episode of the OVA had the AIC building (Dangaioh's production company) destroyed by the invading bad guys.)
Bittersweet Ending ( Gil Berg is defeated at the end of the third episode, but at the cost of not only Dr. Tarsan but Team Dangaioh as well!)
- Actually, Garimoth only thinks the Dangaio Team were destroyed; they survive, albeit unconscious and adrift in their severely damaged mecha
Broken Bird (Pai, Shazara)
Butt Monkey (Tarsan almost never gets some respect)
Calling the Old Man Out ("My name is NOT Barius! I'm Pai Thunder! And you are NOT my father!"
Daddy's Little Villain (Subverted tremendously: Pai was actually Barius, the daughter of Garimoth, and had a Face Heel Turn once she recovered her memories. But when Garimoth told her to kill Roll before taking her back, Pai rebelled and rejoined the group.)
Supporting Protagonist: Roll isn't the main character, but he does pilot Dangaioh.
Dynamic Entry (Roll's first apparition was pulling this to save Miya. Later, Miya and Lamda pull this as well to save Pai and Roll from Garimoth.)
Fallen Princess ( Lamda)
Five-Man Band:
- The Heroine: Miya
- The Lancer AND The Big Guy: Pai
- The Smart Guy: Roll , ironic, given that he is the one who pilots Dangaioh
- The Chick: Lamda
- Mentor: Dr. Tarsan
For the Evulz (Gil Berg mentions this as this motivation)
Gag Dub: This, presumably.
Laser-Guided Amnesia (The four pilots are given this, but they start recalling their past lives pretty soon.)
Lightning Bruiser: Roll can use his Psychic Powers to enhance his own speed and physical endurance.
Important Haircut ( Lamda originally had long hair, but when she became a Fallen Princess, she had to cut it so she wouldn't be recognized by others.)
If You're So Evil Eat This Kitten ( Garimoth, to Pai/Barius. She says "Hell NO!")
Karma Houdini ( Gil Berg)
- Don't worry, this Karma Houdini gets a just-deserved Karmic Death in the Super Robot Wars Compact 2 Trilogy, Super Robot Wars Compact 2 and Super Robot Wars K. Video for K right here. Video for IMPACT here
Mighty Glacier (Pai uses her powers to enhance her strength)
Mind Over Matter (Miya is a very powerful telekinetic)
Musical Pastiche (Pretty much the whole OST, since a lot it is recycled from Michiaki Watanabe's earlier compositions from Iczer-1, Great Mazinger and most notably the Laser Blade theme from the first trilogy of the Metal Heroes franchise.
Names to Know in Anime: Mayumi Shou (Miya), Akira Kamiya (Roll), Naoko Matsui (Pai), Maya Okamoto (Lamda), Shigeru Chiba (Gil Berg), Takeshi Aono (Tarsan), Masako Katsuki (Shazara).
Ordinary High School Student (Miya used to be this)
Phlebotinum Rebel (The four kids didn't like to be kidnapped and turned into killing machines. What did they do? They decided to fight back. Ironically enough, the guy that kidnapped them in the first place winds up being their mentor.)
Proud Warrior Race Guy (Pai, who even refuses to team work and address Miya's leadership because Miya's much more peaceful. She's actually really Barius, the daughter of pirate warlord The Banker/Garimoth. Once her father tries to force her kill one of her classmates and Miya bails her out, she accepts Mia as the leaderess.
Psychic Link (The kids can read each others's thoughts due to their enhancements)
Psychic Powers
Rocket Punch
She's Got Legs (The three girls have good sets of legs.)
Shrinking Violet (Lamda. Miya starts like this, but is more of Yamato Nadeshiko)
Sliding Scale of Cynicism Versus Idealism (Surprisingly cynical, for a Super Robots series)
Super Robot
Super Robot Wars (Compact 2 Trilogy, Impact and K)
Tunic over Slacks (Worn by all four members of Team Dangaioh at the start of episode 3.)
Yamato Nadeshiko (Miya)