The second of the space show quadrilogy by Tokyo Movie Shinsha or TMS Entertainment (the others being Ulysses 31, Galaxy High School, and Adventures of the Galaxy rangers) and the third I checked out in recent years after the two others, the last I mentioned I have yet to see. It's yet another one of those shows I didn't grow up on watching, but after reading comments by others about how great it is/was and watching it myself, I wish I had. I already saw the first four episodes and plan to buy the DVD that was released just almost a week ago eventually after I finish seeing the others. Once again, what had I been missing?
Another one to add to my list of '80s cartoons/anime I consider to be the best. Among the true classics. I didn't watch many cartoons featuring robots when I was little/younger (one exception being the CBS Storybreak episode, "C.L.U.T.Z."), but I've been trying to get into more of them. One of the things that is often pointed out about this is the high quality of the animation. Somehow, I think I almost never noticed the difference in quality from show to show years ago, but when I think about this compared to lower quality animated shows, like most any '60s and '70s Hanna-Barbera production, the memories came flooding back. And I never wondered why that was so. I also didn't notice just how much the narrator over-narrated. It seemed or sounded like it was done alright to me.
The series follows five robots (Tor, Bort, Bo, Boo, and Crunch), known as the titular characters, created by the scientist Rob Simmons, to be the defenders of the galaxy for the organizations, the Galactic Patrol and the United Planets, to protect it from the malicious organization, Shadow, led by the cyborg computer and main villain, Umbra. A sixth orbot, Ohno, serves as his assistant, although she can often be naggy. Commander Rondu is the head of the Galactic Patrol. His daughter, Dia, is Rob's love interest, but she's interested in Rob's alter-ego, the Orbot Commander, which he assumes whenever there's danger and is unaware that they're one and the same. Five of the Orbots also combine to assume the mega-bot only when there's danger and to battle whatever opponent they face. Plus, with Rob and Ohno in the beam car, which is in the central core of the mega-bot, that completes the combination so it can function easily. Although each can hold his and her own individually with his and her distinctive, signature powers and special abilities, they do best when they're a collective. Prior to being expanded into a series, there was also a 6-minute short pilot called Broots, which featured prototypical versions of the characters, whose designs hadn't been perfected just yet and the production was still trying to find, and settle in its itself or its footing.
This show also has similarities and pays homage to other space-related shows and movies, such as Star Trek and Star Wars. One positive about this is the exhibition of teamwork. When the Orbots are put together to form one giant Orbot, they're really invincible and unstoppable. It's horse-feathers this program had to get dropped as soon as it was, partly due to that lawsuit by Tonka alleging that it had ripped off the Go-bots. It just goes to show, as it's proof right there, that it doesn't matter whether a show is great or not, whether it's worthy of running or not, that only bad shows should get cancelled and great ones should continue thriving, none of that means jack in the end. I know that Umbra was destroyed once and for all in the last episode. Since that's the case, then had there been a second season, then I presume that would've meant the Orbots would've faced off a new threat/foe. Also, it would've been nice to see if the art would've become crisper. Anyway, everything about this, from the theme song to the writing to the characters to the voice acting is done well. Very little, if any, to complain about at all. This is a not-skip series.
Another one to add to my list of '80s cartoons/anime I consider to be the best. Among the true classics. I didn't watch many cartoons featuring robots when I was little/younger (one exception being the CBS Storybreak episode, "C.L.U.T.Z."), but I've been trying to get into more of them. One of the things that is often pointed out about this is the high quality of the animation. Somehow, I think I almost never noticed the difference in quality from show to show years ago, but when I think about this compared to lower quality animated shows, like most any '60s and '70s Hanna-Barbera production, the memories came flooding back. And I never wondered why that was so. I also didn't notice just how much the narrator over-narrated. It seemed or sounded like it was done alright to me.
The series follows five robots (Tor, Bort, Bo, Boo, and Crunch), known as the titular characters, created by the scientist Rob Simmons, to be the defenders of the galaxy for the organizations, the Galactic Patrol and the United Planets, to protect it from the malicious organization, Shadow, led by the cyborg computer and main villain, Umbra. A sixth orbot, Ohno, serves as his assistant, although she can often be naggy. Commander Rondu is the head of the Galactic Patrol. His daughter, Dia, is Rob's love interest, but she's interested in Rob's alter-ego, the Orbot Commander, which he assumes whenever there's danger and is unaware that they're one and the same. Five of the Orbots also combine to assume the mega-bot only when there's danger and to battle whatever opponent they face. Plus, with Rob and Ohno in the beam car, which is in the central core of the mega-bot, that completes the combination so it can function easily. Although each can hold his and her own individually with his and her distinctive, signature powers and special abilities, they do best when they're a collective. Prior to being expanded into a series, there was also a 6-minute short pilot called Broots, which featured prototypical versions of the characters, whose designs hadn't been perfected just yet and the production was still trying to find, and settle in its itself or its footing.
This show also has similarities and pays homage to other space-related shows and movies, such as Star Trek and Star Wars. One positive about this is the exhibition of teamwork. When the Orbots are put together to form one giant Orbot, they're really invincible and unstoppable. It's horse-feathers this program had to get dropped as soon as it was, partly due to that lawsuit by Tonka alleging that it had ripped off the Go-bots. It just goes to show, as it's proof right there, that it doesn't matter whether a show is great or not, whether it's worthy of running or not, that only bad shows should get cancelled and great ones should continue thriving, none of that means jack in the end. I know that Umbra was destroyed once and for all in the last episode. Since that's the case, then had there been a second season, then I presume that would've meant the Orbots would've faced off a new threat/foe. Also, it would've been nice to see if the art would've become crisper. Anyway, everything about this, from the theme song to the writing to the characters to the voice acting is done well. Very little, if any, to complain about at all. This is a not-skip series.