Raideen

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Computer On! God Troping! DESCRIBE RAIDEEN HEEEEEEEEEERE!

Brave Raideen (Yūsha Raidīn) is a Super Robot anime series. Produced by Tohokushinsha, Asahi News Agency and Sunrise, it aired on NET (now TV Asahi) from 4 April 1975 to 26 March 1976, with a total of 50 episodes. The official name being Raideen the Brave, it is mainly known as "Brave Raideen," or "Heroic Rydeen"

After a slumber of 12 millennia, the Demon Empire awakens to seize control of the Earth. Raideen, the giant robot-like protector of the lost continent of Mu, senses the evil presence and awakens within its golden pyramid. A young Japanese boy, Akira Hibiki, is alerted about the Demon Empire by a mysterious voice and rushes to the pyramid. It is soon revealed that Akira is a descendant of the ancient people of Mu who must help Raideen save the Earth.

In typical anime style, Akira is aided by Mari Sakurano, who happens to be the daughter of a prominent scientist, and his friends from the soccer club.

The Brave Raideen series is renowned in Japan as the first to include a giant robot whose origins are mystical rather than scientific; Raideen itself is in fact portrayed as a sentient being. Raideen is also historically noteworthy for being one of the first transforming giant robots (the eponymous hero of Ambassador Magma was an earlier character, although his transformation from robot to rocket ship was not a detailed mechanical transformation). The diecast toy version of Raideen, released in Japan in 1975 by Popy, was the first true transforming robot toy. Brave Raideen was the first anime mecha work of anime director and writer Yoshiyuki Tomino, better known as the creator of Gundam. The latter half was directed by Tadao Nagahama, and may be seen as a predecessor to his famous Romantic Trilogy, consisting of Combattler V , Voltes V and Daimos.

This series was the second collaboration between writer/director Yoshiyuki Tomino and artist Yasuhiko Yoshikazu. The first work to feature both men was Wandering Sun (Sasurai no Taiyō) (1971). The two would later team up again for both Mobile Suit Gundam and Gundam F-91.

There were followup series in the 90s (Chousha Raideen, or Raideen the Superior) and 2000s (simply titled REIDEEN). Chousha Raideen was a Genre Shift (to Henshin Hero) featuring a Five Man Boy Band chosen to guard the secret of Reideen from the Chouma, a race of demons who seek to use the Super Robot to their own evil ends. REIDEEN is the story of Junki Saiga, a teenager whose family has come out into the country to identify the remains of his archaeologist father when he finds himself standing in the way of the powerful Reideen and a group of aliens to wish to steal it. REIDEEN is noted for a seemingly slow style of movement and combat that more realistically depicts the sheer size and mass of the mecha and robeasts.

Despite the word "Yuusha" in the title, it has nothing to do with the later "Yuusha" series produced by Sunrise.

Not to be confused with Raiden, the Shoot'Em Up video game series, or Raiden the Mortal Kombat character.

Tropes used in Raideen include:

• Abusive Precursors: The Youma Empire.
• Action Girl: Ray Asuka
• Animal Mecha: Reideen's alternate shape looks like a bird.
• The Archer: God Gorgon!
  • Rain of Arrows: God Gorgon! Multiple Arrows!
• Atlantis: The lost continent of Mu
• Badass Biker: Akira Hibiki
• Badass Longcoat: Riki Jinguchi
• Benevolent Architecture: After an earthquake, Akira was riding his bike towards the docks. Some chunks of shattered concrete just had the right shape to use them like a springboard.
• BFS: God Blade in REIDEEN
• Big Bad: Emperor Barao.
• Blade Below the Shoulder: God Breaker! Gorgon Sword!
• Blow You Away: Manual Power On! Psychic Rays! God All-phaaaa! Raiiiiii!
• Bragging Theme Tune
• Butt Monkey: On the human side, fat kid Dan Araiso. On the demon side, General Agyaru.
• Calling Your Attacks: Every attack beginning with God on this page
• Clingy Jealous Girl: Mari Sakurano
• The Danza: Akira Kamiya, who voices Akira Hibiki
• The Dragon: Prince Sharkin in the first half of the series, Co-Dragons The Violence Brothers in the second half
• Eldritch Abomination: Emperor Barao, who's true monstrous form is a cross between Satan and Cthulhu
• Evil Is Hammy: With their booming voices, maniacal laughs, and sweeping arm gestures, the demons seem to be in constant testosterone overdrive.
• Evil Laugh: All demons practice this particular form of performance art, but Sharkin is the virtuoso. His laugh is no mere expression of amusement, it's a battle cry.
• Expressive Accessory: General Agyuru's helmet resembles a demoniac head, and its expressions always mirrors General's.
• Expository Theme Tune: "The Radiant Skies, the sparkling oceans. There is no way, I would let them fall into the hands of demons!"
• Expy: The character of Char Aznable was based on Prince Sharkin.
  • Midorino Akira in REIDEEN. You would be forgiven if you confused her with Reika Mishima.
• Falling Into the Cockpit: When Reideen sensed the coming of the Demons, he called Akira by telepathy. Akira led towards Reideen like if he was in a trance. When he woke up he was inside the Reideen's cockpit and surrounded by monsters, and the first thing he did was screaming: "LET ME OUT OF HERE!". Reideen tried calming him down, stating he only needed think what wanted him doing and he would heed his mental commands.
• Five-Man Band: The Raideens in Chousha Raideen.
  • Yusha Raideen had one too:
    • The Hero: Akria Hibiki
    • The Lancer: Riki Jinguchi
    • The Big Guy: Dan Araiso
    • The Smart Guy: Dr. Sarumaru
    • The Chick: Mari Sakurano
    • The Sixth Ranger: Ray Asuka
• Groin Attack: Mari does this to General Agyaru.
• Henshin Hero: Chousha Raideen
• Hey It's That Voice: Akira Kamiya, who did Getter Robo's Ryoma Nagare and Daimos' Kazuya Ryuuzaki.
  • Osamu Ichikawa, who did Sharkin's voice, also played Garuda, Heinel, and Richter.
• Invisible to Normals: The transformed Reideens and Chouma in Chousha Reideen.
• James Bondage: Akira's father was the show's damsel in distress. The indignities he suffered included being turned to stone and tied to a cross (not at the same time.)
• Latex Space Suit: Akira's pilot suit.
• The Legions of Hell: The Youma Empire.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: God Block!
  • Everything's Better With Spinning: God Block! Spin!
• Make Me Wanna Shout: GOD... VOIIICE! GOD... RA MUUUUUUUUUUUU!
• Marth Debuted in Smash Bros: One of the strangest examples of the trope in the history of the medium. Needless to say, it's pretty clear that the guys at Marvel Comics never actually watched this show.
• Malevolent Masked Men: Sharkin wore a cool mask.
• Names to Know In Anime: Masato Shimon.
• The Nudifier: As the heroes of Chousha Reideen find out, you may have been wearing clothes when you transform, but you don't get them back when you revert. One of the Team Mom's main tasks is providing the team with spare clothes.
  • This also is present in the subsequent series, REIDEEN. Between the fact that the robot enforces manditory nude piloting, Junki being a definite bishonen, and him spending a good deal of the early episodes naked, it can be a bit hard to follow the plot.
• One-Winged Angel: Sharkin's 150-foot-tall battle form.
• Panty Shot: Even the monsters wanted to see under Mari's skirt.
• Precision Guided Boomerang: God Boomerang!. Justified at Raideen is a robot and can control its trajectory.
  • Boomerang Comeback: And it tends to make this kind of movements.
• Prophecies Are Always Right: In the ancient chronicle of the land of Mu, it was said when the Age of Demons began, Raideen would awake and battle with the demons. Of course, all of it came to pass.
• Ramming Always Works: God Bird, Change! Chojun Set!
  • Subverted in that we aren't told whether the attack was actually successful. However, it's an actual attack in Super Robot Wars.
  • Detachment Combat: God Bird, Change! Head Cutter!
• Robeast: Fossil Beasts
• Shock and Awe: God Thunder!
• Shout Out: "Raideen" was named after the sumo wrestler "Raiden Tameemon".
  • Who in turn was named after Raiden, the Japanese god of thunder.
• Spell My Name With an "S": Curiously, most merchandising refers to the original 1970s Raideen as Reideen...
• Super Robot Wars: First appeared in Super Robot Wars 3. Later appeared in Alpha, Alpha Gaiden, Compact, Compact 2 Trilogy, MX, and Alpha 3
• Spiritual Successor: According to Rah Xephon director Yutaka Izubuchi, the similarity of designs and powers of the title robots and the basic plots of Rah Xephon and Raideen are intentional... Which is taken to its logical conclusion in Super Robot Wars, where Rah Xephon's debut was in a game which also featured Raideen, and the two shows had a lot of common plot points.
  • Taken beyond the logical conclusion in the fanfic Supernatural Taisen, where Raideen and Rah Xephon are in fact one and the same.
• Team Pet: Ponta the tanuki.
  • Ponta isn't a yokai, just an ordinary racoon dog.
• The Lab Rat: Uber-nerdy Dr Sarumaru, resident computer whiz, who also whips up cool gadgets from time to time.
• The Load: Akira is always surrounded by children who can be counted upon to put themselves in mortal danger every episode.
• Red Eyes Take Warning: Akira's eyes turn red when Raideen is talking to him telepathically.
• Transformation Name Announcement
• Transforming Mecha: Raideen was able to transform into a robotic eagle.
• Tsundere: Mari is a rather high-maintenence girlfriend.
• Turned to Stone: Akira's Father in the first episode.
• Worthy Opponent: Prince Sharkin, who could be described as a literal noble demon.
• Yamato Nadeshiko: Akira's mother, although she's really Ra Mu, not Japanese.