I think I’ve occasionally mentioned this hypothetical list of anime shows I have of series I want to see, so I thought I’d start addressing some of them here. Sexy Commando used to be one of them, back when I used to buy the Japanese Newtype (in an attempt to relive the alien thrill of the grey import videogame scene of the late 80s/early 90s) the ads for the LD of the show would appear regularly, and non-typical design always caught my eye. Hallelujah II Boy was another once I learnt it was written by Giant Robo OAV overlord Yasuhiro Imagawa. I’ve since seen both those, Sexy Commando being one of my favourite series of all time, and Hallelujah II Boy being a merely competant comedy that I have no inclination to see more of beyond the 3 episodes I have seen.
Way back when (1996) I started getting copies of the second volume of V-Max magazine when it was being published by R Talsorian Games and had various bits and bobs in it for their Mekton RPG. There was a brief mention in there of Giant Gorg, a OST review if I recall correctly. They didn’t really discuss the actual series, but the name itself made me want to see it.
Gradually gaps got filled and I found out about the plot. It’s a mish mash of Atlantis/Mu/Lemuria myth, ancient astronaut theories, 80s corporate villainy and a character based on Woody Allen. And a giant robot more in the mould of Daimajin (see also Godmazinger and NeoRanga) than the piloted robots of the post-Mazinger era.
While some 80s shows have begun to get some fansubbers attention (and in the case of TMS shows potential official release), Giant Gorg seems off the radar still. Which is a shame as judging by the following clip of the OP animation, it has really charming character and mecha designs. Yoshikazu Yasuhiko the main creative force behind the show is better know in the west as the director of the Crusher Joe movie and Venus Wars, as well as various Gundam character designs.