Gasaraki completed

 
So, I finally finished the 1990s Mecha series GASARAKI. It does a good job of trying to depict the combat robots realistically, the actual problems they would face on a real-world battlefield, and what would be needed to overcome the inherent
difficulties of the bipedal design. The series interweaves Japanese mythology and Medieval History with the present day, hints at reincarnation, etc., and even integrates cultural practices like ceremonial dancing in very awkward and unintentionally comedic
ways. I might react differently if I were Japanese with a better understanding of the social and historical context, but as an ignorant
Gajin, I can only point and laugh and snicker at some of the clunky dialogue. The ADV Films crew deliver their lines with sincerity, it’s not their fault that what they’re saying is at times patently ridiculous. 

 
The film is also very politics heavy and the greatest weakness by far is just how goddamn talky the story is; it really wrecks the pacing of the anime and there are many extended scenes of characters sitting across from each other giving
deeply thoughtful lectures to each other about the philosophical underpinnings of their project and their critical analysis of what’s wrong with contemporary Japan and how it can learn from the past to build a better future for itself.
 
The villains of the story are Japanese elites of a very traditionalist and nationalist mindset, very arch-conservative and right-wing, but the story lets them expound their views and seems to lend some tragic sympathy to their views. Indeed,
there is a possible segment of the audience who would view the villains as tragic heroes who fail rather than cheer for the ostensible young protagonists. The main antagonist, Mr. Nishida, wants to provoke a confrontation with the United States and also usher
in a period of economic devastation to Japan that he hopes will break the amoral, narrowly consumerist ambitions of contemporary Japanese and return them to a more noble, purposeful agrarian past that eschews technology altogether. However, he’s undermined
by an ally, the head of Gowa clan, for whom although they share a common goal to smash the existing Japanese state, and launch a coup’d’etat together, their ultimate goal is the advancement of their own power and absolute dominance, much in the manner of his
medieval ancestor. His ambitions are stopped by his brother, Yushiro, and a female mech pilot, Miharu, who have a special affinity beyond normal humans for piloting the robot mecha.
 
It seems in this version of Medieval Japan there were terrible Mecha-style monsters resembling Golems, known as the Gasaraki, that could also be piloted by a certain class of knights and were capable of wreaking great destruction upon the
land. These Gasaraki were sealed away deep underground, never to be used again, but the Gowa Corporation has uncovered their ancient burial grounds and brought these Gasaraki back into the modern world. The ancient, Golem-like Gasaraki are even more powerful
and terrifying than modern Mecha known as TAs, or Tactical Armors. There are a few flashback episodes of the Gasaraki operating in Medieval Japan, and we can see that Yushiro and Miharu lived in those times as well, their contemporary namesakes being reincarnations
of their ancestors. Yushiro is a civilian contractor and test pilot assigned to a JSDF mecha unit testing their TAs. He is more skilled than any of his military counterparts and the Gowa Corporation tries and fails to find a way to reproduce Yushiro’s special
abilities via drugs, with disastrous results for the unfortunate test pilots.
 
The Gasaraki re-enters the plot one final time, but more as a gateway to a mystical realm than as an actual combat unit. Mystical things happen and the heroes are judged worthy and returned to earth to live out their natural lives, while
the wicked are annihilated by divine judgement. 
 
It’s a really weird show and worth watching, I guess, but I only saw it because it’s available on Hoopla digital through my local library. I wouldn’t recommend going out of one’s way to acquire used copies of the original ADV Films DVD
release.