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The original Getter Robo (1974) aired in the U.S. as Starvengers, part of Force Five (1980). A number of sequels were produced over the years, including the 1998 Change Getter Robo, which A.D. Vision is releasing as Getter Robo Armageddon. The series purports to pick up where the original left off, after the death of Professor Saotome, the inventor of the Getter Robots, and the conviction of heroic pilot Ryoma for his murder. The artists try to recapture the look of the original series, but many characters are so ugly, they don't look human. Although they were defeated years earlier in the Moon Wars, the Invaders, nasty aliens that consist largely of eyes and fangs, are attacking humanity, and only the Getter Robots can defeat them. The story is notoriously difficult to follow: the characters are underdeveloped, are difficult to distinguish, and have the unnerving habit of returning from the dead. Director Ukata Sato complicates matters by cutting to seemingly unrelated actions at a breakneck pace. The dubbed dialogue, which the actors tend to scream out, often fails to mesh with the subtitles. In one episode, Ryoma says, "No, he wouldn't make such a beast!" but the subtitle reads, "I don't know what he's planning to do with that thing." Fans of Nadesico may have trouble watching this sci-fi epic with a straight face, as it was clearly one of the inspirations for the mecha spoof Gekiganger 3. (Rated 15 and older: grotesque imagery, often graphic violence, tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
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