Getter Robo Armageddon

Getter Robo Armageddon, known in Japan as Change!! Getter Robo (ゲッターロボ), is an OVA released between August 25, 1998, to May 25, 1999, by Bandai Visual and was animated by Brain's Base and Studio OX. The OVA is based on the manga and anime series Getter Robo, created by Ken Ishikawa and Go Nagai. The series adapts numerous elements from previous installments of both the Getter Robo manga and anime entries, in addition to other elements from Ken Ishikawa's library of work, but is an independent story from any other installments.

Plot

The plot opens some time after the Moon Wars, where things for the original cast have taken a turn for the worse. The main character and pilot of Getter-1, Ryōma Nagare, has been framed for the murder of the Getter Machine builder Dr. Saotome after the death of Saotome's daughter, Michiru. However, he is released from jail and is reunited on Earth—unhappily—with his old allies, Hayato Jin and Musashi Tomoe, to fight none other than Dr. Saotome himself, who has seemingly risen from the grave to threaten humanity with his ultimate creation—and most dangerous weapon, the Shin Getter Dragon. The Shin Getter Dragon is a massive weapon powered by the same cosmic Getter Rays which gave life to their machines. However, their efforts to stop Dr. Saotome (not to mention an overzealous Japanese Defense Force), are in vain, as nuclear weapons are used on Shin Dragon.

The resulting explosion and shock wave of Getter Rays wipes out 99% of the human population worldwide.

Characters

Old Getter Team

Ryoma Nagare (流竜馬) – Former leader of the Getter team and pilot of Getter-1, he was framed some time before the events of the OVA for the death of Dr. Saotome. However, when Dr. Saotome seemingly returns from the dead and threatens to start the end of the world, he is released from jail to commit the very murder he was put in jail for, which he is all too happy to do. After the nuclear explosion he seems to have disappeared, but in reality he was transported 13 years into the future, and then returned from the Moon piloting the Black Getter.
Hayato Jin (神隼人) – Former member of the Getter team and pilot of Getter-2, Hayato is manipulative and seems to have ulterior motives. He was the one who helped Dr. Saotome with his plan. He claims to regret helping Dr. Saotome and 13 years after the nuclear fallout, he reappears as the commander of a massive ground battleship called the Tower along with a small army of Super Robots to fight the resurfaced Invaders.
Musashi Tomoe (巴武蔵) – Former member of the Getter team and pilot of Getter-3. After Saotome's supposed death, he took care of Genki, Saotome's daughter. However circumstances forced him back in a Getter, where he was killed by Invaders early in the story.
Benkei Kuruma (車弁慶) – In the Armageddon story Musashi and Benkei have met and are friends, he raises Genki as his own daughter (giving her the name Kei) to protect her identity after the fallout. He plays the mentor role during most of the series but eventually returns to pilot Shin Getter.

New Getter Team

Go Saotome (早乙女號) – Pilot of Shin Getter-1, he is an artificial human created by Dr. Saotome in order to control Shin Dragon. After the nuclear fallout he realizes Kei is Dr. Saotome's daughter and devotes himself to protecting her. He does not seem to age, as he stays exactly the same after 13 years. Although based on the character of Go Ichimonji from Ken Ishikawa's Getter Robo Go manga, the two characters bear little similarity.
Genki Saotome (早乙女元気) – The younger daughter of Dr. Saotome, she becomes traumatized after witnessing what truly happened to her older sister. When the nuclear bomb exploded, the trauma of everything caused her to become amnesic, where she began life fresh as "Kei Kuruma" (車渓), Benkei's tomboyish daughter. As Kei, she pilots Shin Getter-2. Genki's character is a departure from the TV series, as Genki is a boy in that series as the tag-along happy-go-lucky character. Kei is based on the character of Kei Minamikaze from the Getter Robo Go manga, but aside from their appearance and involvement with the Getter Team, they are otherwise unrelated.
Gai (凱) – A large but good-natured guy, he was part of Benkei's group when they ventured to the outside world after 13 years. After Benkei is injured by Invaders, he becomes pilot of Shin Getter-3. He is friends with Kei and seems to have a small crush on her.

Antagonists

Professor Saotome (早乙女博士) – The father of Getter technology, he was supposedly killed by Hayato but mysteriously returned from the dead. He takes a departure from the traditional role by being the antagonist throughout most of the story. He holds a grudge against Ryoma and Hayato because of the death of Michiru, his daughter, and it is this grudge that starts his plans for the end of the world.
Mr. Stinger and Mr. Cowen (スティンガー&コーウェン) – Two mysterious scientists who worked with Dr. Saotome on Getter Energy in the past. However, because of their desire for evolution they have allowed Invaders into their bodies and believe the Invaders are the only ones for the Earth, and therefore the Getter Energy. Along with Dr. Saotome, they are the antagonists of the story. Stinger and Cowen are both based on two characters from Ken Ishikawa's Majuu Sensen. Stinger is based on Dr. Barbia, and Cowen is based on Dr. Shot.
Invaders (インベーダー) – The amorphous creatures which were eradicated in the Moon Wars. However they seem to have resurfaced on Earth, with the intention of reaching Shin Dragon. After the nuclear explosion the Invaders have thrived and spread rapidly across the surface. Invaders have the power to possess humans, mutating them into hideous creatures, as well as survive even if reduced to tiny pieces. They can also assume any shape they want, as they are amorphous in nature. However their one weakness lies in the fact that Getter Rays cause their overevolution, destroying them with enough exposure. Their most distinctive features are their many eyeballs and protruding spikes.

Other

Michiru Saotome (早乙女ミチル) – Dr. Saotome's oldest daughter who was killed in a Getter combining accident involving Ryouma and Hayato. Dr. Saotome believes it was on purpose and holds an intense grudge against them, which starts the events of Armageddon.
Professor Shikishima (敷島博士) – A creepy and odd scientist with a deformed face, he is always beside Hayato and is extremely interested in Shin Dragon's evolution and Go.
Schwartz (シュワルツ) – An American Super Robot pilot in Hayato's army, he usually leads the attacks. It is implied his girlfriend was killed by Invaders in the past. He also has a hatred for the Japanese due to their hiding from the outside world, this causes him to dislike the new Getter Team. However he learns to respect the team after they save his life. He pilots the Stilva, which is a black humanoid robot capable of changing into a stealth fighter.
Gore and Burai (ゴール&ブライ) – The Armageddon continuity's versions of Emperor Gore and Emperor Burai, the main antagonists from the original Getter Robo and Getter Robo G, respectively. In this setting they're cloned humans, made from Ryouma and Hayato's DNA and infused with Getter Rays, in order to control Shin Dragon. However, for unknown reasons became horrible monsters that rampage once awakened, eventually fusing into a giant monster (resembling Burai's Combined Hundred Oni Robot).

type	ova
director	Yasuhiro Imagawa (#1–3) Jun Kawagoe (#4–13)
producer	Shigeru Watanabe Tatsuo Ozawa
writer	Yasuhiro Imagawa (#1–4) Shinzo Fujita (#5–13) Yoshifumi Fukushima (#5–13)
music	Yasunori Iwasaki
studio	Brain's Base Studio OX
first	August 25, 1998
last	May 25, 1999
runtime	30 minutes (each)
episodes	13

Getter Robo Armageddon

Plot

Characters

Old Getter Team

New Getter Team

Antagonists

Other

Episodes

Manga

Controversy

Reception

Release

External links

References