One of the more interesting entries to the 80s mecha anime pantheon is the oft-overlooked Panzer World Galient, but now it is remastered on Blu-ray and is genuinely excellent.
At first glance, Galient looks like another medieval-type isekai anime. However, the setting is far cleverer than that.
Set on the world of Arst, the forces of Marder are conquering kingdoms without hesitation. The latest of which is home to the newly born Prince Jordy.
Assaulted by giant mecha that are inexplicably more potent than anything the residents of Arst can bring to bear, Jordy is rushed away as his father is killed and his kingdom conquered.
In the escape, Jordy’s mother is also captured by Marder’s forces, leaving only the former king’s faithful retainer, Asbeth, to nurture the boy on his own.
Asbeth is also convinced that a mythical “iron giant” known as the Galient can help Jordy fight Marder and reclaim his throne.
From the off, Galient has a lot going on, and it’s fair to say how it progresses is not at all how you would expect.
If the opening plot structure sounds awfully familiar, then that’s because it was used in a similar way for The Vision of Escaflowne, of which Galient is a very clear influence.
It’s also worth mentioning Galient’s whip sword, as that has ended up in various games over the years, from Ivy’s weapon of choice in Soul Calibur to the blade that the Sahelanthropus wields in Metal Gear Solid V.
Even though Galient is an anime from the 80s, I will abstain from spoiling how its narrative progresses, as it is quite different from other mecha anime of the period.
Written and directed by Ryosuke Takahashi, it followed his prior mecha anime of Dougram and VOTOMS. While those were more militarily focused and featured industrial hardware. By comparison, Galient is a very different type of mecha anime and Takahashi did a fascinating job on how it was structured and paced.
The mecha designs were also very interesting. Most of the mecha in the series were designed by Yutaka Izubuchi. However, the titular Galient was penned by veteran mecha designer Kunio Okawara. This was clearly intentional, not only for commercial reasons, as Okawara’s designs were and are hugely popular, but also because the Galient is meant to be set apart from Marder’s forces.
In addition to the TV series included in this set, we also have the OVAs. While the first two are compressed versions of the TV’s story, it’s the third entry, Crest of Iron, that is very special.
This was directed by Masashi Ikeda, who was a fan of mie-type poses from kabuki. These poses are very overt, resulting in a more magical treatment of the mecha and the overall setting, something that Izubuchi’s elegant designs only helped to emphasize further.
Crest of Iron also has some quite nice animation for the period, and even the host TV series holds up very well on that front.
As for this Blu-ray release, it is based on the Japanese 2017 remaster and is entirely pristine in terms of the audio and visuals. It also includes the TV series and the OVAs and, as such, is an entirely comprehensive release.
Apart from that, this is a pretty bare-bones set. There is no English dub or notable extras. I am entirely fine with this though, but the renaming of the various characters in the translation is a tad off-putting. I’m not sure why these were changed, and while they are phonetically fine, it took a while for me to adjust.
In any case, Panzer World Galient is arguably one of Takahashi’s best animated works. It’s also unique in how it treats and resolves the medieval mecha setting. The pacing and structure are also excellent, making for captive viewing even decades later. So if you want to experience the windy plains of Arst, then Galient will definitely be your kind of anime.
Panzer World Galient is available via Amazon for $37.99.
Disclosure: Sentai Filmworks sent me this Blu-ray for the purposes of this review.
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