#dai-x

Ringing a bell yet? No… It’s okay… The original show was called X-Bomber when it was first aired in Japan and wasn’t a particularly big hit. It wasn’t until it was reworked, retitled and redubbed in English, briefly becoming a popular show in Great Britain, and I am unsure if it ever made it to the USA. If it did, fantastic, because it was an amazing show… It was a cross between Gerry Anderson’s Supermarionation series, using their pioneering voice supermarionation techniques,  Stars Wars and Robotech with its space battle sequences and Godzilla, using a man in a robot suit rampaging around model sets. It blew my tiny little mind (I was only ten at its airing).

The Origins

X-Bomber was created by manga writer Go Nagai, and aired on Fuji TV  in 1980, with a total of 26 episodes. The puppets of X-Bomber were controlled from below the set using rods, and as a consequence were generally seen only from the waist up. Whereas Gerry Anderson’s series were episodic in nature, X-Bomber had an overall story arc, with sub-plots and new characters being introduced as the series progressed, leading to a definite end.

The Plot 

Set in the year is 2999 and the Earth is at peace following the Space Wars. The safety of the human race is ensured by Earth Defense Force (EDF). Shortly before the turn of the fourth millennium, the peace is broken by the appearance of a gigantic alien battle cruiser. The EDF’ Pluto base is completely destroyed and the evil Commander Makara reveals that the same fate awaits the Earth unless the mysterious F-Zero-One is handed over to her. The EDF presses into action an untested, incomplete weapon, codenamed X-Project, from its hidden moon-base. The X-Project is revealed to be a powerfully armed spacecraft named X-Bomber – that contains the three-part modular giant robot Dai-X.

The series then follows the adventures of the crew of the X-Bomber, namely Doctor Benn, Shiro Hagen, Barry Hercules and John Lee who are joined by PPA, Lamia and her guardian Kirara. They set off to discover the nature of the F-Zero-One and try to protect it from the increasingly desperate Commander Makara, her menacing overlord, the Imperial Master leading there hordes of Termoids .

Eventually it is revealed that Lamia herself is the mysterious F-Zero-One, a powerful alien destined to bring peace to the galaxy at the turn of the millennium. The series continues with Lamia gradually discovering her true nature and powers while the Imperial Alliance attempts to capture her and destroy the X-Bomber. The series climaxes with the X-Bomber crew destroying Commander Makara and Lamia finally confronting and defeating the Imperial Master and bringing peace to the universe.

With a sound track by Brian May, (of Queen fame), for a Ten year old this show totally rocked… And was my first exposure to manga style storytelling… Plus you know Dai-X totally rocked!

Stills From Star Fleet (X-Bomber)

Remember that time Brian May got Eddie Van Halen to do the theme for a show he really liked?