Dancouga: Super Beast Machine God

About Dancouga: Super Beast Machine God

Dancouga: Super Beast Machine God (超獣機神ダンクーガ) arrives as an action anime by Ashi Productions (1985), and the premise is easy to summarize. What the story covers: Deep in outer space, the emperor Muge plots his next conquest - an out-of-the-way planet known as Earth. Mustering all the forces of his own personal Empire of Death, the Emperor is by far the most formidable foe humans have ever faced.

Further in, now he's even more fearsome thanks to the defection of Shapiro Keats, a strength-hungry Earthling reborn as an Empire informer. Army after army crumbles in the face of an onslaught of the Empire's seemingly indestructible robots. Now there's a team that just might be able to stop them: an ace pilot named Shinobu, Sara (Shapiro's one-time girlfriend), and Ryo, a very unlikely young hero.

In an action series like this, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. Shinobu Fujiwara (Kazuki Yao) and Shapiro Keats (Norio Wakamoto) are two of the characters you will meet early. This one is best suited to viewers who like fast, high-impact fights. At 38 episodes in total, it is easy to plan a viewing schedule.

Production & Appeal

Ashi Productions is the studio behind Dancouga: Super Beast Machine God, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Within the action category, fight choreography, pacing and sound design carry much of the weight. With a 6.7/10 score, it is more of a niche pick than a universal crowd-pleaser. Voice casting, including Kazuki Yao as Shinobu Fujiwara, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. Released in 1985, it competed with that season's other new series for attention.