Galactic Cyclone Braiger

ぎんがせんぷうぶらいがー

Aired: 1981 - 1982

A television anime produced by Kokusai Eigasha and broadcast on TV Tokyo affiliates. The first installment in the cult 'J9 Series' of robot space-operas, which would continue with Baxinger and Sasuraiger. Set in a 22nd-century outer-solar-system frontier overrun with drug-trafficking, corporate corruption and political collapse, the story follows the 'Cosmo Rangers J9' - a hard-boiled five-person crew of mercenary trouble-consultants who, for one million dollars a day, take on cases too dangerous, too dirty, or too politically inconvenient for the official authorities, piloting the colossal combining super robot Braiger to crush whatever stands in their way. With its noir-flavored character design, slick mature SF setting, and an iconic Masayuki Yamamoto-composed opening 'Galactic Cyclone Braiger' performed by Isao Taira, Braiger occupies a unique stylistic niche in early-1980s super-robot anime and remains a beloved cornerstone of the J9 cult fandom.