Cool Stuff: Grendizer Returns

A creation of Go Nagai and a cousin of sorts to the famous Mazinger Z, UFO Robot Grendizer was one of many super robot cartoons produced in Japan during the 1970s. The story followed the adventures of Prince Duke Fleed, who flees to Earth with the titular robot after an invasion of his home planet by the militaristic Vega Empire. Naturally the Vega eventually follow him there, so Duke (a.k.a. Daisuke Umon) takes it upon himself to help defend the Earth. At the time Grendizer achieved global success, being well received in Canada, Europe, and several Arabic countries. In Italy it was called Goldrake, and to celebrate the show's recent 30th anniversary in that country the local C4DTeam Animation Studio created this brief CG-animated short. The narrative is simple enough; Grenzider fends off an enemy invasion (against an Italian city, naturally) and shows off its iconic abilities in the process. Not quite Gaiking, granted, but it's still a nice shout out to this old school mecha.




(Hat tip: ToysREvil and Topless Robot)