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UFO Robo Grendizer (UFOロボグレンダイザー , aka Goldorak or Goldrake in some European countries), was an mecha anime show created by legendary Japanese anime artist Go Nagai. It was shown on Japanese TV in 1975.
The storyline was about a super UFO robot from planet Fleed that was piloted by Duke Fleed, whose planet was destroyed by King Vega invaders. He flees with his UFO robot to Earth, where he hides from Vega's forces, and he is adopted by Professor Umon, and gives him the name Daisuke. However, Vega's forces arrive to Earth, and he is forced to take a stand, along with his friends Hikaru Makiba, Duke's sister Maria Grace, and Koji Kabuto.
The original concept Go Nagai had before the series became proper, was shown in a 1975 30-minute pilot movie War of the Flying Saucers. The movie had the same basic plot, with a few changes: Daisuke appears as the Prof. Umon's son, the enemy was Princess Teronna from Planet Yarban, and the robot's original name was Gattaidar. The series, which started later the same year, is considered another sequel to the Mazinger series, partly because of the inclusion of Mazinger Z's pilot Koji Kabuto, and having giant robots, which made it a "Super Robot" mecha anime.
The Grendizer robot and Daisuke have been included in two short Go Nagai cross-over shows: UFO Robo Grendizer vs. Great Mazinger, and Great Mazinger/Grendizer/Getter Robo G versus the Great Monster.
Grendizer is best remembered as one of the first anime shows to have a huge success in Europe, particulary in France (known as Goldorak)
and Italy (known as Goldrake), where it holds a strong following even today. Grandizer was also one of the most popular anime series ever shown in Arabic countries.
Twenty-six episodes of Grendizer were shown on American TV as part of the multi-mecha show Force Five.
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