SAMG Miniforce Dinoid Warrior Rex Kaiser Black Edition

 

 Sometime before the arrival of SG Rex Kaiser D7, SAMG Entertainment released yet another rendition of the popular Rex Kaiser earlier this year. This time, it receives the full “Black Getter” treatment, featuring not just a darker color scheme, but an entirely different vibe, complete with a flowing cape. Released in April 2026, the SAMG Rex Kaiser Black Edition is priced at 132,000 won.

With its sword resting on its shoulder and the cape billowing behind, Rex Kaiser Black exudes a lone-wolf, anti-hero aura reminiscent of Black Getter. It’s a striking reinterpretation that adds a layer of edge to an already solid design.

I was honestly tempted to pick one up, especially since I missed out on last year’s standard Rex Kaiser release. However, the newer Rex Kaiser D7 presents a more compelling option, offering a seven-mecha combining gimmick for roughly twice the price of Rex Kaiser Black, making it hard to ignore from a value standpoint.

That said, Rex Kaiser Black still stands as a fantastic pickup for collectors with the budget to spare. Its bold, stylish design proves that some mecha concepts can go far beyond their origins, delivering something that feels far too cool to be just a kids’ show centerpiece.

Buddy Complex

 Another Mecha anime backlog that I finished recently and turns out it is another Sunrise anime. Buddy Complex is one of those Mecha anime that had overall interesting Props and settings but end up getting mediocre education and the vibe kinda reminds me of Aldnoah Zero for some reason. 

Buddy Complex is your usual Evil Empire vs Federation mecha trope that use Time Travel and Twin Mechs as the centrepiece of its theme. Basically the main protagonist is a High School kid who somehow ended up thrown into 70 years ahead of his original timeline after a fateful encounter with mysterious girl and found himself piloting a Mecha against evil empire. The protagonist somehow possess unusual affinity with an experimental technology that requires high synchronization between two pilots which unleash high capability of particular prototype mecha,

Overall the animation is top quality as expected by Sunrise but story wise, it is rather mediocre due to strict deadline imposed on the production. It is rather difficult to have a decent mecha series with 13+2 episodes and Buddy Complex apparently didn't have the luxury of choice.  Personally I quite like Buddy Complex mecha whether it is the protagonist mech Luxon & Bradyon or the enemy mechs. It is just that the story format of Buddy complex does not allow the series to tap its full potential. I quite like the main villain archetype being a vengeful individual who turned insane and hellbent on quest of vengeance upon the protagonist due to being rejected by the main heroine and a good mecha anime could really make use of this trope. I might get SRW X to see the worth of Buddy Complex and wouldn't mind if the series somehow got merchandise in the future.

Argento Soma

 
 A rather peculiar early 2000s Sunrise Mecha anime that I came across recently. At first I thought this series called Argento Soma would be another of those many failed Evangelion Clones but it turns out to be otherwise, even if it barely qualifies as a Mecha anime. Argento Soma might not be a particularly successful as a Mecha series, but it's storyline is fascinating enough to qualify as Sci-Fi series and still have something in store for the Audiences who are willing to put in the time with the series. 

Surprisingly Argento Soma able to delve with some pyschological theme quite well with its story with having somebody in the production theme for some reason quite well-versed in Shakespearean theme. Not to mention if you able to proceed far enough into Argento Soma, you can trace and appreciate many core themes used in Gundam 00 Movie storyline from this relatively forgotten Sunrise anime.

King of the Braves Gaogaigar

Just like many of my previous backlog projects, Finally I am able to proceed with this one! Gaogaigar was the first Yuusha series I got into and it is definitely one of the best Super Robot anime series. I did even make an article for the series back in 2010 during my college years. Given my lack of writing experience back then, it is definitely part of my plan to revisit Gaogaigar at some point when I started my Yuusha series pilgrimage dating back to 2016.

Given the Significance of Gaogaigar as a Mecha and Yuusha series, this series definitely deserves a full-fledged article dedicated to it just like the Rest of Yuusha peers that had been covered in Realm of Darkness. King of the Braves Gaogaigar as the 8^th and Final Yuusha anime series really stands out. Because Gaogaigar is the culmination of Sunrise studio animation team making good use of their experience from previous Yuusha titles to create a Mecha series that actually succesful at transcending its original boundary as glorified Toy commercials for Takara and one of the best specimens at that.

Actually, I could have written this Gaogaigar article back in 2020 as the assets gathering process was already finished at the time. But due to motivational issues that lead to procrastination and trying to figure out the best way to make best use of the gathered assets, things did happen and I only just got the opportunity to make amend just recently. Compared to the old Gaogaigar article, this one will focus more on overall appraisal and the hindsight view which aims for better appreciations of the Aspects that Gaogaigar did which average viewer might overlook.

Without further ado, I proudly present the final stop of Realm of Darkness Yuusha series blog posts, King of the Braves Gaogaigar!

86 - Eighty Six

 
 One of the better Mecha Anime produced from the Past 10 years that I recently marathoned which is simply called Eighty Six. This is one of the Mecha series sponsored by Bandai that is actually good and turns out to be quite successful compared to series like Sakugan or Kyokai Senki. No wonder the famous composer Hiroyuki Sawano also lent his talent to produce a music for this series.

Kyokai Senki - AMAIM Warrior at the Borderline

 
 Another Mecha anime backlog that I finished recently and this one yet another of those Sunrise's failed potential. Back in early 2020s, I recalled this series called Kyokai Senki was one of the more ambitious project by Bandai and Sunrise studio, as the former invested quite a lot on Model Kits for this particular series. Overall I felt that Kyokai Senki failed to realize its potential despite having solid mecha designs due to severe Mismatch of Characters/Setting/Mechas.

On Hindsight, Kyokai Senki premise is a mix of Code Geass and Full Metal Panic featuring a setting of alternate Modern Japan which somehow got itself annexed by Multiple nations and have the populace live as 3rd class Citizens akin to Code Geass Elevens. The main protagonist is a Japanese Teen who had a fateful encounter with a powerful Prototype Mecha that comes along with Top of the Line AI and join the effort to liberate Japan from foreign military invaders while also fighting against mysterious Rogue Mecha that inflict many destructions on everything it came across.

Just like Muvluv series, Kyokai Senki competence at the Geopolitics department are abysmal and have too much wishful thinking, which is one of the main cause of the failure of the series to become a mainstream success. The series supposed to convey its main audiences which are Japanese Youths to keep persevere despite Japanese constantly declining overall presence and importance on global stage. Obviously given the how Kyokai Senki was poorly executed, it absolutely missed the target while also failed to appeal Global Audiences which are crucial for Bandai's Model Kit sales. I recalled the company I worked for which served as the local Distributors was forced by Bandai Gunpla Division to purchase large amounts of Kyokai Senki model kits which end up as Dead inventories until now. 

Given the failure of the main series, Bandai actually still had a chance to salvage Kyokai Senki given that the short OVA which I probably will cover in the future showcase how the series could work out if executed properly. But I would say Kyokai Senki would be off better to start with alternate gritty settings which have no ties whatsoever to real world to have better shots for proper execution.

Platinumhugen Ordian

 Late 90s to Early 2000s gotta be the era where some really bad Mecha Anime were made. This particular era was quite different compared to 80s as Mecha anime in this time had transitioned from Overstretched Toy commercials. But lacking Solid financial backing from a Sponsor still doesn't prevent some anime studio to come up with really Bad mecha and Platinumhugen Ordian is another Prime example which happened to be directed by Masami Obari. Nowhere as bad as Cybuster which still held the title of the worst Mecha Anime, but this one is quite bad.

The Premise of Platinumhugen Ordian is pretty much about a teenage Male Protagonist with murky past who somehow related to an officer from an Elite Military Organizaion that got robots. In a turns of event, He got roped into piloting a Mecha then experience some PTSDs and then somehow find himself piloting One of the Two Super Robots which is an Ancient Weapon and the only thing that can confront the Black Super Robot counterpart which is piloted by Main Antagonist and bent on mass destruction, deciding the fate of the world with their showdown.

To put it simply, Platinumhugen Ordian is Obari's attempt at emulating and making his own Evangelion series. but given his limitation as Anime Director and lack of Good writer in the project, the series obviously failed spectacularly despite the overall concept is quite interesting. Also don't be fooled with the bulk of the Mecha design in this series which are real Robot, Platinumhugen Ordian is Obari's super robot show through and through.

While Platinumhugen Ordian is pretty much a failure destined to fate into obscurity, the series still got some merits. As expected by Masami Obari, The mecha designs are actually A+ and offer a glimpse of Mecha version of Tekkaman which Obari did contributed back then. But poorly executed storyline definitely make it difficult for average anime fan to get into unless they are Mecha enthusiasist. Also I find another missing piece of Muvluv series from Platinumhugen Ordian. Because Muvluv's pilot suits with distinct Chin Guard and TSF Shiranui is most likely derived from Platinumhugen Ordian.

As much as Platinumhugen Ordian is a failure as Mecha anime, the mecha itself are quite good and I won't mind getting a finished Product for Ordian which is Dangaioh with mini Dragonar Tekkaman.

Promare

  Couple years ago a particular Anime Movie by Studio Trigger called Promare popped up out of nowhere with tons of merchandise. The only thing I remember is that the blue haired Main Protagonist got that same attitude like Kamina from Guren Lagann. I finally decided to give Promare a watch since it was part of Super Mecha Champion collabs for some reason while the latter appear to meet its demise in near feature. Overall Promare is what you will expect from a product made by former Gainax animator team which are never short of Over the Top Mecha series with some attitude. And this movie is the testament that Studio Trigger proves themselves to be capable of thriving without the popular IPs squatted by the Gainax boomer Execs.

 Promare is what you get if Guren Lagann series are mixed with Fire Force and X-Men where Kamina decided to be a Firefighter while Simon become the charismatic Freedom Fighter leader for the oppressed people with Pyrokinesis ability.  All in all Promare did its job properly for a Movie length anime though it will take some more effort to have this series still remembered in the years to come. But if we don't have any legal BS, we could expect Promare will have a good tag team with Guren Lagann in future SRW titles. Wouldn't mind some Pop Up Parade for Lio de Galon though kinda hard to expect one given the time windows has passed. Promare definitely will find a place for Gurren Lagann fans as Lio and Galo's bromance is very similar to Kamina and Simon. I even see many influences in Promare that will carry over in Cyberpunk Edgerunners like the Adam Smasher.

Kannazuki no Miko - Destiny of Shrine Maidens

 One of the Mecha anime that I have been avoiding for long due to the Yuri fanservice but due to recent turn of event I decided to give this series a watch as Hobby industry consider the series worth their time to make some merchandise out of it. Overall Kannazuki no Miko is still a wasted potential like many of its peers, but it got really good song from Kotoko that instantly gives me nostalgic vibe which makes me sticks around long enough to reevaluate the merit of this particular series. I never like Yuri subgenre but Kannazuki no Miko could really thrive If it really had some good writer to execute the ideas behinds the series which are great actually.

As the Kannazuki no Miko Mechatalk serialization has concluded its run I will be updating this article with the Mechatalk article Links for easier access

• Part 1 - Orochi Seven
• Part 2 - Take no Yamikazuchi
• Part 3 - Ame no Murakumo & Orochi
  

Sakugan

 Some mecha anime in my backlog that I finished out of obligation and as expected with many of the similar genre that are released in this period, this one fails to deliver yet again. Back in 2021, Sakugan caught my attention due to the interesting mecha design that reminds me of Tron Bonne series and It was not until I played Super Mecha Champions which had Sakugan Collab around May that I decided to give this series a go.

Sakugan is an adventure story with Subterranean setting where the main protagonist of a young prodigy girl with a big dream sets out on journey to reach the place from her dream, dragging along her deadbeat father who was once an explorer himself. Sakugan could work what its premise but as expected from a  Satelight series which are known for good mecha design yet lackluster storyline. Throughout the span of 12 Episodes, Sakugan fails to make good use of their time leaving the impression of a half finished product. 

To be honest it is understandable that some series are not able to do much within 12 Episodes. However considering the unforgiving environment of Japanese anime Industry, Sakugan won't be even given another cour to finish the story it try to convey unless there are some generous sponsor which doubtful if it is coming from Japan.

Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Brave Bravern

 One of the Mecha Anime from the latest Season that I paid attention recently as the Mecha Designs are quite cool but this one came short and not even Obari could even save this one. Bang Brave Bravern is 12-Episode Mecha anime backed by Cygames which features unlikely buddy duo who fight against typical Alien invasion with a sentient unusually Hotblooded mecha who called himself Bravern. If you want to see a glimpse how veteran Male Seiyuus like Kenichi Suzumura and Tomokazu Sugita perform as Yuusha, then Bang Bravern might fulfill the need

 I paid Bang Bravern a visit for my Super Robot Mecha fix but what I got is a Mecha series ruined by overkill amount of homoerotic Bara fanservice which is very evident on the Ending song itself. I can't really blame on production team for this one because anime nowadays especially the Mecha ones cannot get proper funding without catering to particular demographics with excessive fanservice which just kills off the interest of the Mecha Fans. 

 In the end due to the forced deviation that Bang Bravern have to take in order to get airing, this series will just end up like one of those many anime that will be forgotten soon after it finished its airing and ended up as wasted potential, It is such a shame that Bang Bravern had really good mix of Real Robot and Super Robot mecha designs that won't be used to full potential given the state of the end products. However Bang Bravern do get into SRW DD quite early which is a redeeming feature from the Bara BS and probably one of the reason why Obari do decide to lend some help despite the bleak outlook of the series. If Bang Bravern somehow get another season, hopefully they cut some slack on the Bara fanservice.

Gundam Seed Freedom Movie

 Ever since the premiere in Japan early this year, Gundam Seed Freedom screening is no doubt one of the most anticipated moments by Gundam Seed fans for this year. After SEED franchise being dormant for almost two decades due to some trainwreck from unnecessary drama, Gundam Seed Freedom definitely doesn't disappoint for the fans and personally I got the opportunity to attend the premiere screening on my local movie theater last week. Overall Gundam Seed Freedom Movie is a whole level of a treat for SEED Fans and really live up to the expectation for the long awaited and much needed fanservice for the fans!

SSSS Dynazenon

 The indirect sequel of SSSS Gridman and just like its predecessor, Dynazenon is a brainless fun Mecha vs Kaiju anime. Gridman series always  emphasise on style over substance thus make it rather forgettable anime once the season passed and this one is no different safe for taking rather different approach. If Gridman features an Ultraman as the main character, Dynazenon had a Mecha Godzilla that transform into Giant Super Robot with other vehicles.

 Dynazenon features bunch of Teenage misfits and a young adult Neet who found themselves defending their city against Kaijus after encountering a mysterious guy who possess power to fight against those threat. Personally i like Dynazenon slightly better but the shallow main characters still ruin things for me especially the main heroine. To put it simply Dynazenon is mediocre mecha series that had a rocky start then had somewhat decent resolution before ending things abruptly. Mujina is the best eyecandy and could have more development with the Neet character for better conclusion. In short SSSS Dynazenon is no better than SSSS Gridman but the final verdict could have been better if Studio Trigger could address the continuity issue with the future sequel.

Choujuushin Gravion

 Masami Obari is one of the most influential talent in Mecha Genre and there was a period of time the man tried to make a name for himself by making his own anime series. Among his original works, Choujushin Gravion is arguably one of the Obari's works that are easier to get into. Gravion is essentially the culmination of Obari's experience handling Yuusha series. Overall Gravion is pretty much a Generic Super Robot series as it can get, excelling in Styles but lacks in substance which had been Obari's most glaring flaw.

The first time i was exposed to Gravion was from SRW Z which is more than a decade ago and to be honest SRW had better opportunity to make the series shine compared to the anime. Several things that are unexpected for me with Gravion Anime series are that Gravion's Final Form only show up for few minutes in the last episode and The main protagonist's elder sister relationship with Sandman.

In any case Gravion is still a fun ride if you look for mindless Super Robot action and its lackluster storyline is still better than Gridman.

SSSS Gridman

  Another mecha anime from past few years that i gave a try with higher expectation due to the hype during its debut. SSSS Gridman was a reboot anime adapted from Tsuburaya older series, a company well known for their Ultraman series. During its inception, Gridman was probably created to serve as bridge for Tokusatsu and Mecha featuring Gridman, an Ultraman like character who can power up with giant vehicles to form some sort of hybrid mecha.

 But in the end SSSS Gridman proves to be a disappointment for a mecha fans like me. The series essentially focus too much on style over substance in order to target Teens as the main audience. The storyline of SSSS Gridman gets as barebone as its gets where a group of teenagers team up with Gridman in order to confront Kaijus that attacked their cities while attempting to locate the mastermind of the Kaiju attacks. In defense, 12 episodes can't really facilitate anything complex but i have to say the effort on the story is disappointing because even Yuusha series which are more than 2 decades could come up with something better. The mecha design in Gridman is also a failure for me as they are just feel something cobbled up together instead of being properly designed which make it a big miss. Perhaps Gridman would fared batter if they go with more organic route instead of the blocky mess.

 One thing you won't deny from Gridman is they have very nice eye candy as distraction, Rikka and Takane easily some of the most popular waifus in the period of late 2018/early 2019 being an oversexualized female teenager doing fanservices. SSSS Gridman is probably one of the anime series that you would enjoy more when you turned your brains off and don't think anything too much out of the series. I think Dynazenon would maintain the fanservice level quite well though i doubt the overall value will be any better compared to SSSS Gridman.

Back Arrow

 The latest Mecha anime made by Sunrise early this year that caught my attention since Bandai released some merchandise for this series despite the uncertainty whether the series will turn into hit. Overall Back Arrow had interesting concepts and characters but mediocre execution combined with meh mecha design makes it a mediocre mecha series which are forgettable by next season.

 The story of Back Arrow starts with a amnesiac young man fell from the sky who comes with mysterious power unseen before in the world. Accompanied with companions, the young man traveled around the two major nations that makes up the majority of the world to uncover his past which is tied to the fate of the world which are surrounded by walls of unknown origin on its ends.

 Back Arrow tells the story of the world that serves as the source of nourishment and pruned off if certain parameter exceed the limit which share some similarities with Ranceverse. The issue with Back Arrow using this trope is that the existence of character that exist as reset button is not justifiable enough in the series since it lack the bleakness for these Destroyer type to start exist. Mecha design is probably the weakest part of Back Arrow for me which i find the designs suit more as power armor for a series like Tiger&Bunny.

 Despite its glaring weaknesses, i do find some of the casts to be enjoyable which are rarity for Sunrise mecha series from last decade. The Emperor and Strategist guy certainly takes the crown of honor with the former is a good expy of Master Asia and the latter drives the storyline most of the part. Back Arrow might not be the best Mecha series that Sunrise could offer but i guess it is still more tolerable compared to Valvrave.

Giant Gorg

  A Rare Gem of 80s mecha series and a showcase what Sunrise could do with the genre if they don't make it for Toys Commercial. Giant Gorg is an adventure series which featured Mysterious Mecha named Gorg as the plot device. Instead of typical mecha series that action where the protagonist mecha fights monsters of the week, Giant Gorg falls more on the adventure side. The story of the series take place in a remote island in pacifict where a boy name Yuu tried to uncover the mystery of the island with giant mecha Gorg served as his guide, while fending off private armies of Giant Evil Corporation whose leader had interest on the Relics of advanced civilization relics that lies buried within the island. 

 Giant Gorg is one of the few series that use real-life setting in a mecha which is hard to pull off  considering you only get to see one sided affair between Giant Robot and Modern Military vehicles and it sticks at that level. Nevertheless Giant Gorg did well on the storyline which is quite an achievement for early 80s and the Mecha itself Gorg, exudes a presence of strength to be reckoned despite relying on its own fists most of the time . But obviously Giant Gorg was rather way ahead of its time for 5 years or more considering the consumer market was not ready for this kind of mecha series in early 80s which resulted the series faded in obscurity. In any case if you really want different kind of mecha experience, Giant Gorg worth a try.

Space Runaway Ideon

 

 One of the infamous 80s mecha series made by Tomino that contributes to his moniker as "Kill em all" Tomino and Ideon no doubt serves as an important milestone for mecha series. My first exposure with Ideon was from SRW Alpha 3 where the GM God is the most powerful playable unit which had some nasty side effects if relying too much of its power. Space Runaway Ideon is easily one of the most depressing mecha anime out there as the main casts of the series tried to survive assaults by relentless enemy. 

 As a mecha series, Ideon is rather subpar with lackluster storyline, but the concept that it had is what makes Ideon noteworthy. Ideon's storyline is comparable to what happen if the story of Mobile Suit Gundam is just all about White Base getting chased by Zeons and nothing else. The concept that Ideon tried to convey however is interesting because it is about a destructive power that will consume everything in its path when two opposing sides endlessly fight in vicious cycle of hatred without giving a chance for peace. Evangelion and Shingeki no Kyojin is what comes to mind to series that had similar premise but each went with their own conclusions. As a mecha fans, Ideon is definitely worth a visit despite its weakness and personally i think it has some neat concept art that inevitably poorly executed. If you can't stomach the 38 Episodes slogfest, the movie should work i suppose but To Be Invoked definitely a must watch to see a proper conclusion of the mecha series that had GM God as its titular mecha.

Rewatching GaoGaiGar

 My journey with Yuusha series started with Gaogaigar 10 years ago. It was my gateway toward Super Robot series  and i remember fondly the King of Braves as a very good mecha series with its seemingly endless supply of Hotblood even though i thought the mecha design was rather weird at the time. Now things are coming in full circle as i am ending my pilgrimage of Yuusha series by revisiting this series once again in the full Glory of  Bluray version. As i have completed all previous 7 Yuusha series, i am able to appreciate things that i was taking for granted back then. For instance the monster of the week formula of GGG is quite refined actually, owing to the accumulated experience from its predecessors. As of now i have been marathoning up to 2/3rd of the show and gathering plenty of materials for a proper article that this show deserved. Gaogaigar Final will be probably a separate article because this penultimate title of the Yuusha series deserve much more fanfare.

Densetsu no Yuusha Da Garn

 Gaogaigar was my next destination after completing my Journey of Yuusha series with Mightgaine as I intend to savor the Culmination of the Yuusha series after accumulating experiences with its predecessors. But before I settled my business with King of Braves, i took short detour to Da Garn once again. Being an actual pivotal entry for Yuusha series, I decided to gather materials for to make a much deserved proper article for Da Garn matching my previous Yuusha series post.