Revisiting Janperson

Recently, I've been rewatching my favorite tokusatsu series, Tokusou Robo (Robot Detective) Janperson. It's the 1993 installment of the defunct metal hero metaseries (this series includes Gavan, Shaider, Spielban and Beetle Fighter/Beetleborgs). I remember watching it on channels 5 and 13 back in the mid- to late 1990s here in Quezon City, so it was a memorable habit during that part of my life. I'll leave details about the series that I don't mention here to other bloggers, such as Sean Akizuki's, to fill in,

The Walker Gallia Mecha

A recent subject of my fascination is an old robot that I previously had no interest in, but after learning more, it grew on me. It's the Walker Gallia (sometimes spelled as Galliar) from the 1982 series Blue Gale Xabungle. It's the second mecha that the protagonist Jiron Amos uses in the series.

This robot may look ugly to some, but I like its brutish bulk. The head in reminiscent of the Zaku I from the Gundam series. Its looks are also more cartoonic than in other series, but I accept is as part of the series design. I hope to get the Real Robot Revolution version of this if I have money.

The Cliffjumpers

A few months ago, when I still had funds for buying toys and models, I was able to get these three versions of an iconic, but lesser known Transformers character, Cliffjumper:

Martian Attacker

I once had this robot toy, the Attacking Martian Robot. It's a metal battery-operated robot that walks, and opens its chest to reveal laser guns (which don't actually shoot, but have lights and sounds). It's lost already, but I recall being fond of this toy, as its lights and sounds are of course so enthralling. It's a bit ugly for today's standards, but right now, I wanna have it again.

Design Review: Magna Ryugunou

Perhaps I should focus on what I consider my favorite armor design of all time in heroic costume - Magna Ryugunou from the 2005 Japanese TV series Ryukendo.

Magna Ryugunou is actually the second version of the armor used by the character, Juushirou Fudou, after his first armor was destroyed. Actually, the first armor doesn't look bad either.

              

As you may see, the theme of this design is a dragon head as part of the helmet and other parts of the suit, with all other designs following a sort of fusion between modern technology and ancient jeweled designs. All in all, it's a good combination of a streamlined look with a heavily armored feel, especially on the chest plate.

My only disappointment is that other parts of the body, such as the thighs, loin and forearms, are only covered by spandex, and thus earlier metal hero designs, like Jiban and Janperson, come out as more heavily armored. But the overall effect compensates for this, and Magna Ryugunou remains my most favorite tokusatsu and superhero costume of all time.

The Aesthetics of the Wedge (Carry Over)

The wedge is classified as one of the basic machines in science. However, I see it as one of the basic aesthetic devices. As an artist who loves to draw futuristic armor, vehicles and robots, I like the wedge shape because it looks like it's moving even if it's not. It has a sharp, streamlined feature that just looks dynamic and beautiful. I wonder if "racy" can be applied, hehe.



In the pic above, it looks simple. But an artist or designer can rework the basic shape into something else. Like in the images that follow...