The Space Giants: 60s Japanese TV

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Golly gee, wasn't that amazing cinematography?

Now let's introduce our heroes.

Click on any thumbnail for a full-sized, slightly blurry picture.

Goldar, a fifty-foot robot, saves the world (that is, Japan) from monsters in rubber suits. He gives pompous, stilted speeches that are even more lethal than the missiles he shoots out of his chest.

Silvar, his wife, is a human-sized robot in a silver lamée tutu who usually has to call Goldar to help her finish off monsters in rubber suits.

Methusan, the token Old Wise Man (you can tell by the paste-on beard), lives with them in the bottom of a volcano named Olympian. He is the brains of this operation.

Gam, a robot boy modelled on their human friend Miko, was created by Methusan to be the son of Goldar and Silvar. A likely story. In fact, Goldar is dumb as rocks, and has not realized that his wife cheated on him with Methusan. (Or so we hope, since the alternative is too horrible to contemplate.)

Accompanied by an insanely cheerful soundtrack -- especially appropriate when parts of Tokyo are being crushed by a monster in a rubber suit -- all three members of the robot family can turn into rockets. This is the earliest example of transforming robots in Japanese TV. Since Miko (see below) often rides in Gam's cockpit, one can consider them forerunners of Mechs as well.

 

Friends

Miko Mura is the plucky Japanese boy on whom Gam is modelled. Goldar gives Miko a magic whistle with which to summon the robot family whenever Japan is attacked by monsters in rubber suits.

Tomoko Mura, Miko's mom, is the perfect Japanese housewife. She looks worried a lot.

Ito Mura, Miko's dad, is the erstwhile news reporter who's always trying to get the scoop on the latest monster in a rubber suit.

 

Enemies

In addition to the ubiquitous monsters in rubber suits, Goldar and his friends and family must often face...

The arch-villain Rodak, who gesticulates menacingly in his black Nerf armor while making evil overlord speeches.

The sinister Lugo Men, who turn into blue glop when shot.

Rodak's high-tech spaceship, which looks like a Batarang on a string.