Alexander

Posted Monday, January 23, 2023

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Mook's Manga recommendations #1 GETTER ROBO

Getter robo is a five part mecha series starting in the 70s as the first combining robot ever! Getter Robo starts as a simple super robot story but evolves (😉) into a cosmic horror story across both space and time by the final entry. I should warn you that the story doesn't get spectacular until the third entry but the first two entries are still really strong classic shonen stories. The thing that sets getter robo apart from other super robot manga from the 70s is the cast. Ken Ishikawa the creator really knows how to make likeable but incredibly violent characters following a brain, body, and heart dynamic. In the first series the brains is Hayato Jin the pilot of Getter 2 despite his serious nature he's just as wild and insane as the rest of the getter trio, the body is Ryoma Nagare the protagonist, the pilot of Getter 1, and the blueprint for what is known as "the ishikawa protagonist" he's wild charismatic, ridiculously violent, but a blast to watch as he tears his way through dinosaur mechs (if you want an explanation read getter robo), and lastly the heart who in the first entry is filled brilliantly by musashi tomoe who's there for mostly comic relief but goes on a compelling character arc that makes you feel really proud and kind of sad. The rest of the manga follows this character dynamic throughout all the next main trios the only weak character of the bunch is Benkei Kuruma the third pilot in the second manga (Getter Robo G) he's kind of a blank slate and doesn't get much to do but in later entries he solidifies himself as a worthy edition in the manga. And Getter Robo G is the only "just ok" entry in this manga especially nowadays as the creator went back to remaster and extend certain sequences even adding a few more to tie G into later events in the series. After G is done you are officially beginning what I think to be one of if not the greatest manga sagas ever made in my opinion of course which I won't spoil at all you should go into it blind after reading G. The reading order is: Getter Robo, Getter Robo G, Getter Robo Go, Shin Getter Robo, and Getter Robo Arc which you will have to watch the recent anime for if you want to get the full ending due to the creator tragically dying in 2005. But don't worry if you find yourself wanting some more getter robo after you've finished all that (and chances are you will this stuff is like manga heroine) there are three beautiful short non canon anime for you to sink your teeth into but they're best experienced after reading the manga not to mention all the spin offs which I recommend you researching beforehand because some can be extremely hit or miss. Overall I consider this franchise to be my favourite of all time but there's a huge retrospective on youtube linked here if links even work on this app: https://youtu.be/B8OKlITEXRQ