Kishin Corps...
At a time when Pioneer was new to the anime distribution business, I picked up the VHS version of Kishin Corps...
Kishin Corps is a tale of international espionage, alien invaders and giant robots in a W.W.II setting. Way back in the misty dawn of time, I wasn't aware that I'm not really a fan of giant robot shows. Anime was fairly rare at the time, so, if one wanted to have an anime fix, one picked whatever was available. Kishin Corps was released around the same time that Tenchi Muyo and Phantom Quest Corps were released and Pioneer had established a good track record for releasing the types of shows that appealed to my tastes. So, I decided to give Kishin Corps a try. As it turns out, I was not all that impressed. I used to have Kishin Corps on subtitled VHS volume. I gave Kishin Corps a 1 out of 5. In the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep Kishin Corps in my archive.
Kishin Corps is a tale of international espionage, alien invaders and robots as they were meant to be. The story, which unfolds in WW II-era China, follows the struggle between Nazi forces, the Manchurian wing of the Japanese army and an elite force known only as the Kishin Corps for possession of a handful of extra-terrestrial control modules which make possible the construction and operation of immense machines.
As much as the story however, it is the style of art and character design which makes Kishin Corps special. The mechanical beasts of Kishin were created with a retro-realistic style and the dark, brooding backgrounds give it a drama uncommon in animation and reminiscent of Disney's Sleeping Beauty or Ralph Bakshi's Lord Of The Rings. The overall effect is what Animerca magazine's Julie Davis described as, ...that very special kind of awe and wonder found at the heart of the very best old-time 'giant robot' shows... the magic of the machine.
Volume 1
Mission Call For Kishin Thunder
The year is 1941. In Manchuria, China, a train is boarded by Japan's Kanto Army under GENERAL SHINKAI, looking for Dr. Takamura and his black box, when a group of mysterious ALIENS descends from the sky. Takamura's young son, TAISHI, escapes with the box to find himself cornered by the Kanto Army and the aliens... suddenly a giant robot appears to save him -- this is the Kishin Corps and KISHIN THUNDER!
Volume 2
Surprise Attack! Battle Of The Island Fortress
The Kanto Army has Taishi's module and in an island fortress is nearing completion of their own fearsome Kishin robot to serve Shinkai's mad plans for world domination. But during testing, a use of the module causes the aliens to appear, an opportunity for the Kishin Corps to attack with Kishin Thunder, the amphibious KISHIN DRAGON and the airborne KISHIN WIND... the battle is on!
The Battle Operation Runaway Train
When the Kanto Army transports their half-completed robot on a camouflaged train, Kishin Corps uses their KISHIN EXPRESS to ambush them along a stretch of double track. Suddenly another train appears headed straight for Kishin Corps, while bombers attack from above. Can Kishin Corps find the only way out?
Volume 3
Kishin vs. Panzer Knight - Part 1
July 1943. The Kishin Corps must aid in the ESCAPE of the world-famous physicist Professor Albert from Switzerland to the U.S., where he is to play a critical part in initiating atomic research. The escape runs into a major obstacle however, in the form of the Nazis own new robot -- PANZER KNIGHT!
Kishin vs. Panzer Knight - Part 2
Taishi's friend Jack, seeking revenge on Maria Braun for her betrayal and the destruction of the children's hideaway home in the second episode (actually the actions of her twin sister, Eva), steals the fourth module. The Kishin Corps and the Kanto Army locate the CONTROL MODULE simultaneously, and a fierce BATTLE between Kishin Thunder and Panzer Knight rages through the city, while the aliens' strange relationship to the modules becomes clearer.
Volume 4
Storming The Base Of The Alien Foe
Hitler has cemented an alliance with the aliens. On Rugen Island in the South Seas, which seems to the nexus for the appearance of the aliens in our world, the Nazis have built a SECRET BASE for the mass construction of Panzer Knights. The Kishin Corps heads for Rugen, but the U.S. plans an attack of its own with Glamour Girl, a prototype atomic bomb.
Youth To The Rescue
Kishin Corps climaxes with an epic BATTLE on Rugen Island between Panzer Knight and the entire Kishin Corps, including KISHIN FOUR. The plans of the aliens become clear as they begin to take over the Panzer Knight bodies. The plane carrying the atomic bomb Glamour Girl flies toward the island. Can the Kishin Corps destroy the alien's nucleus and Panzer Knight in time, or will they all have to face a deadly hot date with a Glamour Girl?
Kishin Corps is a tale of international espionage, alien invaders and giant robots in a W.W.II setting. Way back in the misty dawn of time, I wasn't aware that I'm not really a fan of giant robot shows. Anime was fairly rare at the time, so, if one wanted to have an anime fix, one picked whatever was available. Kishin Corps was released around the same time that Tenchi Muyo and Phantom Quest Corps were released and Pioneer had established a good track record for releasing the types of shows that appealed to my tastes. So, I decided to give Kishin Corps a try. As it turns out, I was not all that impressed. I used to have Kishin Corps on subtitled VHS volume. I gave Kishin Corps a 1 out of 5. In the aftermath of the Ultimate Otaku Fall Cleanup, I decided not to keep Kishin Corps in my archive.
