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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">}}
獣を超え、(Rise beyond beasts,)
人を超え、(Rise beyond men,)
そして、今神になる・・・(And now, become a god...)
それが究極のマシン、(That is the ultimate machine,)
超獣機神ダンクーガ！！ (Super Beast Machine God Dancougar!!)
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 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).