[ci skip] First draft of the Dancougar post

content/post/2021-02-09-blast-from-the-past--super-beast-machine-god-dancougar.md

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+---
+categories:
+- Anime
+comments: true
+date: 2021-02-09 23:26:43+01:00
+disable_share: true
+toc: true
+draft: true
+featured_image: /images/2021/02/dancougar-resized2.png
+omit_header_text: true
+tags:
+- general
+- anime
+title: 'Blast from the past: 超獣機神ダンクーガ (Super Beast Machine God Dancougar)'
+---
+
+{{< figure src="/images/2021/02/dancougar-logo.png">}}
+
+<blockquote>
+    <p class="f5 lh-copy">獣を超え、(Rise beyond beasts,)<br />
+    人を超え、(Rise beyond men,)<br />
+    そして、今神になる・・・(And now, become a god...)<br />
+    それが究極のマシン、(That is the ultimate machine,)<br />
+    超獣機神ダンクーガ！！ (Super Beast Machine God Dancougar!!)<br />
+</blockquote>
+
+This is the iconic, and undoubtedly over-the-top, quote from the anime this post is about, 超獣機神ダンクーガ, that is *Super Beast Machine God Dancougar*.
+
+To be honest, *Dancouga* would be probably a better spelling, since it's a play on the kanji 断空我 (which are read as *dan-kuu-ga*), and according to the series, they mean "我を空にして煩悩を断つ" (*Empty the self and break off from the worldly desires*), supposedly inspired by Zen (but it's actually just made up, as far as I can tell).
+
+I've been interested in the series for the past 30 (!) years, but I've never had the occasion to watch it properly (save for a handful episodes around that time, but I didn't know a single word of Japanese back then). The occasion presented itself recently, so, like [my previous post on Galaxy Angel](https://www.dennogumi.org/2011/05/a-retrospective-view-galaxy-angel/) I'm making a retrospective post about it.
+
+## What is this series about?
+
+Dancougar is a giant mecha anime which aired on TV (TBS) from April 5th to December 27th 1985, totalling a total of 38 episodes, animated by Ashi Production (葦プロダクション). The series actually did not have a "proper" ending, which was added as part of a "summary" OAV which recapped the whole series, 失われた者たちへの鎮魂歌（レクイエム）(*Requiem for the fallen*), with the English title of *Requiem for Victims*, out in april 1986. A second OAV, *GOD BLESS DANCOUGA*, was released roughly a year later. Lastly, a series of 4 OAVs were released between 1989 and 1990, with the title 白熱の終章 (the *blazing last chapter* or *blazing ending*).
+