MediaWiki - User contributions [en]

Brave (franchise)

2012-02-17T10:52:56Z

MexCraziness:

{{disambig2|the franchise that uses designs from ''Transformers''|the ''Car Robots'' character|Emissary}}
[[Image:Fighbird groupshot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Like Transformers, except every robot has a face plate, something long sticking out of its head, and a gold chest. And they [[Wikipedia:Kunio Okawara|look like]] [[Wikipedia:Gundam|Gundam]].]]

'''Yūsha''' (勇者, also known as the '''[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave]]''') is a (non-Transformers) [[franchise]] that [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] and [[wikipedia:Sunrise_(company)|Sunrise]] created after the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] anime ran its course in Japan. The Brave Series consists of eight individual series that were released one after the other from 1990 to 1998 with corresponding TV shows in Japan. The last show in the series received a follow-up OVA beginning in 2000.
Although none of the series storylines are connected to one another<ref>Although the storylines are not interconnected, there are some small connections between the series. For example, the reason Fighbird joined the Space Guards is that he admires Exkaiser. (This connection is stated in the ''Encyclopedia of Fighbird'', published by Keibunsha.) Also, there are some small cameos of human characters between shows, and some [[Character model]]s, such as Draias and Guard Diver, are reused in subsequent series. Lastly, the ''Brave Saga'' video games [[retcon]] the storylines of the shows so that they link up.</ref> the basic format of each series is similar. Usually a kid befriends/creates/becomes a sentient robot, and together they fight a great evil threatening the Earth. The main robots combine with other vehicles and robots to become larger robots, and additional teams of sentient robots combine amongst themselves to form larger robots as well. (This structure is the same as the one used by the Autobots from ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Transformers: Victory]]''.) The Brave Series has been described as a cross between Transformers and the [[wikipedia:Super_Robot|Super Robot]] genre of the late '70s and early '80s.

The Brave series consisted of:

* 1990: [[wikipedia:Brave_Exkaiser|Brave Exkaiser]]
* 1991: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of the Sun: Fighbird]]
* 1992: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of Legend: Da-Garn]]
* 1993: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_Express_Might_Gaine|The Brave Express: Might Gaine]]
* 1994: [[wikipedia:Brave_Police_J-Decker|Brave Police: J-Decker]]
* 1995: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_of_Gold_Goldran|Brave of Gold: Goldran]]
* 1996: [[wikipedia:Brave_Command_Dagwon|Brave Command: Dagwon]]
**1997: [[wikipedia:ja:勇者指令ダグオン水晶の瞳の少年|Brave Command Dagwon - The Boy with Crystal Eyes]]
* 1997: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar]]
** 1999: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar_FINAL|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar FINAL]]
** The Saint Of The Braves: Baan Gaan (Cancelled, later made into a game.)

Toys for these robots were created in two sizes: DX ("deluxe") versions that contained more gimmicks and more complicated transformations, and STD ("standard") versions that contained fewer [[gimmick]]s and more limited transformations (often resorting to partsforming), but often also higher [[Show-accuracy|accuracy]] in reproducing the look of the robot from the anime series. Generally, the transformation of the robots was created by Takara, while the look of the robots was created by [[wikipedia:Kunio_Okawara|Kunio Okawara]], a legendary Sunrise mecha designer.

==Relationship to ''Transformers''==
The initial concept designs for ''Brave Exkaiser'', the first Brave Series, were intended to be Transformers designs. While the Brave robot Ultra Raker was very far along at this stage, the Max team and King Exkaiser bore little resemblance to their final designs.

The Brave toys also have design elements similar to ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Transformers, which were released around the same time as the Brave toys. For example, many of the ''Brave of Legend'' toys have [[Light-piping|light-piped]] eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many ''Generation 2'' Transformers share. The ''Goldran'' DX toyline contains many projectile launchers, something Generation 2 shared as well. In particular, the ''Goldran'' toy "Advenger" contains a rotor-launching gimmick identical to that of [[Rotor Force]] from ''Generation 2'', and the "Captain Shark" figure has a Gatling-gun style launcher, the same as ''Generation 2'' [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]]. Lastly, the elbows of Leon from DX Leonkyzer contain ball joints, a design element that gained much broader use during ''Generation 2'' and even more so during the ''Beast Wars'' toyline.

[[Image:DeathsaurusAndRedGeist.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And to think, Red Geist's toy doesn't even have any remolding.]]The Brave Series also reused character designs and toys from previous ''Transformers'' series. It was not uncommon for the recycled designs to appear in a Brave TV show, but not in toy form. These designs were often significantly augmented to distinguish them from their Transformer counterparts. For example, the four Geister henchmen in ''Exkaiser'' have all-new faces, body detail, and color schemes. Of the designs that did appear in toy form, some of them were remolded to reflect these changes, whereas others were simple recolors. (A complete listing of the reuses follows in the section below).

Similarly, subsequent ''Transformers'' lines have also been influenced by the Brave Series. The Japanese [[Mini-Con]] [[Kingbolt]]'s coloration and characterization are [[homage]]s to the Brave series ''Exkaiser''. Also, the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] featured many homages to the Brave series ''King Of Braves GaoGaiGar'', most notably the way [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] combines with [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]], which is similar to the way GaoGaiGar combines with Goldymarg and Stealth Gao respectively. This similarity is also evident in [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]'s transformation sequence being almost identical to Volfogg's. The cinematography for ''[[Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' Optimus Prime's stock-footage combination sequence with his [[Prime Force]] limbs is also very reminiscent of Brave series stock footage. The [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] characters [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are similar to Enryū and Hyōryū from ''GaoGaiGar'', both with respect to their elemental motifs and method of combination. ''Animated'' also has a brief cameo appearance by ''Dagwon'''s [[Dug Base|Dag Base]]. ''[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Esmeral (SG)|Esmeral]]'s color scheme is based on Red Geist, a redeco of [[Esmeral (Victory)|her ''Victory'' counterpart]]'s [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|husband]].

Despite the Brave Series' reuse of many Transformers molds and character designs, Brave toys have never been reused in a Transformers toy line. This is likely because the characters that the toys represent are owned by Sunrise. That said, a Brave mold was finally reused in 2008, when Might Kaiser's trailer was modified and included in Takaratomy's ''[[wikipedia:Tomica Hero: Rescue Force|Tomica Hero: Rescue Force]]'' as part of the toy Zero Fire.

One striking difference between the Brave Series and ''Transformers'' toy lines is that very few villain robots were released in the Brave Series. This is in sharp contrast to most of the ''Transformers'' series, in which heroes and villains are released in relatively equal numbers (with the exception of ''[[Zone (toyline)|Zone]]'' and ''[[Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''). Generally speaking, the lack of villain toys is more the norm for such toylines in Japan, with the various ''Transformers'' lines (save for aforementioned two) being the exception.

==Toys and character designs recycled from ''Transformers''==
'''Note:''' ''Italicized names'' are non-toy characters.

===''Exkaiser''===
* [http://youtu.be/pCoGs3mQcl4 Green & Blue Raker] — Originally designed with [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/toyark/98174-brave-386.html#post5402246 Transformers in mind] but released under the Brave banner as Transformers had been phased out at the time.
* ''[http://youtu.be/54Onss3GyaY Armor Geist]'' — [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/rmPP2kRP5DM Horn Geist]'' — [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/rRY8gky0PQE Ptera Geist]'' — [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/kuJTrWuy68Y Thunder Geist]'' — [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]

===''Da Garn''===
* [http://youtu.be/_37zYGQow00 Red Geist] with Red Breaster — [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Tigerbreast]] (no [[Eaglebreast]])

===''Might Gaine''===
* ''Atlas Epsilon'' — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* ''Atlas Mk.II'' — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* [http://youtu.be/E89XiJOWzIo Gōryū] with Oowashi — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Speeder]]
* [http://youtu.be/PBkMnRnv3pw Hiryū] with Hayabusa — [[Sonic Bomber]] and [[Sonic]]
* ''Mega Sonic 8823'' — [[Sonic Bomber]]

[[Image:BraveShadowmaruKagerouModels.jpg|thumb|250px|One ninja is deadly. A bunch of ninjas are cannonfodder. Two ninjas are... um...]]

===''J-Decker''===
* [http://youtu.be/xGFHTcC5tlo Duke Fire] — Transformation very likely based upon [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Notes|New Rodimus]].
* ''Kagerō'' (literally ''Mirage'') — [[Sixshot]]
* [http://youtu.be/ZLYgYX7IxLA Shadowmaru] — [[Sixshot]] (featured a new head, chest, chest fins, beast head, and entirely new set of weaponry to incorporate a ninja motif; also has slightly more articulation since the bar connecting the lower legs to each other was removed)
* The Micromaster Stations [[Hot House|1]][[Ironworks|2]][[Greasepit (G1)|3]][[Airwave|4]] (sans Micromasters and including non-transformable Brave Police figures; never appeared in the show)

===''Goldran''===
* [http://youtu.be/xMZgEc78A6Y Death Garry Gun] with Missile Gear — [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] and [[Shotbomber]] (cannibalized trailer launchers)
* ''[http://youtu.be/z0ObWFgDfls Revibaron]'' — [[Sonic Bomber]] with parts from [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/uE7caCCFWKc Zazorigun]'' — [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]

===''Dagwon''===
* Dag Base — [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]] (significant remolding, cannot combine with Star Convoy)
* [http://youtu.be/ei2MgBwc8Iw Thunder Dagwon] — [[Galaxy Shuttle]] (significant remolding, including an additional motorcycle/robot that combines for the shuttle's robot mode)

==Note==
<references />

==External links==
*[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Series at Wikipedia]]

*[http://www.yusha.net/ Official Sunrise Brave Series website]

*[http://gaogaigar.wikia.com/wiki/GaoGaiGar-Betterman_Wiki The GaoGaiGar-Betterman Wiki].

*[http://mamao2.cside.com/ MAOMAO2's Room (Japanese)]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=98174 The TFW2005 forum Brave thread]

{{stub}}

[[Category:External properties]]
[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]

Brave (franchise)

2012-02-17T10:52:11Z

MexCraziness:

{{disambig2|the franchise that uses designs from ''Transformers''|the ''Car Robots'' character|Emissary}}
[[Image:Fighbird groupshot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Like Transformers, except every robot has a face plate, something long sticking out of its head, and a gold chest. And they [[Wikipedia:Kunio Okawara|look like]] [[Wikipedia:Gundam|Gundam]].]]

'''Yūsha''' (勇者, also known as the '''[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave]]''') is a (non-Transformers) [[franchise]] that [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] and [[wikipedia:Sunrise_(company)|Sunrise]] created after the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] anime ran its course in Japan. The Brave Series consists of eight individual series that were released one after the other from 1990 to 1998 with corresponding TV shows in Japan. The last show in the series received a follow-up OVA beginning in 2000.
Although none of the series storylines are connected to one another<ref>Although the storylines are not interconnected, there are some small connections between the series. For example, the reason Fighbird joined the Space Guards is that he admires Exkaiser. (This connection is stated in the ''Encyclopedia of Fighbird'', published by Keibunsha.) Also, there are some small cameos of human characters between shows, and some [[Character model]]s, such as Draias and Guard Diver, are reused in subsequent series. Lastly, the ''Brave Saga'' video games [[retcon]] the storylines of the shows so that they link up.</ref> the basic format of each series is similar. Usually a kid befriends/creates/becomes a sentient robot, and together they fight a great evil threatening the Earth. The main robots combine with other vehicles and robots to become larger robots, and additional teams of sentient robots combine amongst themselves to form larger robots as well. (This structure is the same as the one used by the Autobots from ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Transformers: Victory]]''.) The Brave Series has been described as a cross between Transformers and the [[wikipedia:Super_Robot|Super Robot]] genre of the late '70s and early '80s.

The Brave series consisted of:

* 1990: [[wikipedia:Brave_Exkaiser|Brave Exkaiser]]
* 1991: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of the Sun: Fighbird]]
* 1992: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of Legend: Da-Garn]]
* 1993: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_Express_Might_Gaine|The Brave Express: Might Gaine]]
* 1994: [[wikipedia:Brave_Police_J-Decker|Brave Police: J-Decker]]
* 1995: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_of_Gold_Goldran|Brave of Gold: Goldran]]
* 1996: [[wikipedia:Brave_Command_Dagwon|Brave Command: Dagwon]]
**1997: [[wikipedia:ja:勇者指令ダグオン水晶の瞳の少年|Brave Command Dagwon - The Boy with Crystal Eyes]]
* 1997: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar]]
** 1999: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar_FINAL|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar FINAL]]
The Saint Of The Braves: Baan Gaan (Cancelled, later made into a game.)
Toys for these robots were created in two sizes: DX ("deluxe") versions that contained more gimmicks and more complicated transformations, and STD ("standard") versions that contained fewer [[gimmick]]s and more limited transformations (often resorting to partsforming), but often also higher [[Show-accuracy|accuracy]] in reproducing the look of the robot from the anime series. Generally, the transformation of the robots was created by Takara, while the look of the robots was created by [[wikipedia:Kunio_Okawara|Kunio Okawara]], a legendary Sunrise mecha designer.

==Relationship to ''Transformers''==
The initial concept designs for ''Brave Exkaiser'', the first Brave Series, were intended to be Transformers designs. While the Brave robot Ultra Raker was very far along at this stage, the Max team and King Exkaiser bore little resemblance to their final designs.

The Brave toys also have design elements similar to ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Transformers, which were released around the same time as the Brave toys. For example, many of the ''Brave of Legend'' toys have [[Light-piping|light-piped]] eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many ''Generation 2'' Transformers share. The ''Goldran'' DX toyline contains many projectile launchers, something Generation 2 shared as well. In particular, the ''Goldran'' toy "Advenger" contains a rotor-launching gimmick identical to that of [[Rotor Force]] from ''Generation 2'', and the "Captain Shark" figure has a Gatling-gun style launcher, the same as ''Generation 2'' [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]]. Lastly, the elbows of Leon from DX Leonkyzer contain ball joints, a design element that gained much broader use during ''Generation 2'' and even more so during the ''Beast Wars'' toyline.

[[Image:DeathsaurusAndRedGeist.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And to think, Red Geist's toy doesn't even have any remolding.]]The Brave Series also reused character designs and toys from previous ''Transformers'' series. It was not uncommon for the recycled designs to appear in a Brave TV show, but not in toy form. These designs were often significantly augmented to distinguish them from their Transformer counterparts. For example, the four Geister henchmen in ''Exkaiser'' have all-new faces, body detail, and color schemes. Of the designs that did appear in toy form, some of them were remolded to reflect these changes, whereas others were simple recolors. (A complete listing of the reuses follows in the section below).

Similarly, subsequent ''Transformers'' lines have also been influenced by the Brave Series. The Japanese [[Mini-Con]] [[Kingbolt]]'s coloration and characterization are [[homage]]s to the Brave series ''Exkaiser''. Also, the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] featured many homages to the Brave series ''King Of Braves GaoGaiGar'', most notably the way [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] combines with [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]], which is similar to the way GaoGaiGar combines with Goldymarg and Stealth Gao respectively. This similarity is also evident in [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]'s transformation sequence being almost identical to Volfogg's. The cinematography for ''[[Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' Optimus Prime's stock-footage combination sequence with his [[Prime Force]] limbs is also very reminiscent of Brave series stock footage. The [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] characters [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are similar to Enryū and Hyōryū from ''GaoGaiGar'', both with respect to their elemental motifs and method of combination. ''Animated'' also has a brief cameo appearance by ''Dagwon'''s [[Dug Base|Dag Base]]. ''[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Esmeral (SG)|Esmeral]]'s color scheme is based on Red Geist, a redeco of [[Esmeral (Victory)|her ''Victory'' counterpart]]'s [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|husband]].

Despite the Brave Series' reuse of many Transformers molds and character designs, Brave toys have never been reused in a Transformers toy line. This is likely because the characters that the toys represent are owned by Sunrise. That said, a Brave mold was finally reused in 2008, when Might Kaiser's trailer was modified and included in Takaratomy's ''[[wikipedia:Tomica Hero: Rescue Force|Tomica Hero: Rescue Force]]'' as part of the toy Zero Fire.

One striking difference between the Brave Series and ''Transformers'' toy lines is that very few villain robots were released in the Brave Series. This is in sharp contrast to most of the ''Transformers'' series, in which heroes and villains are released in relatively equal numbers (with the exception of ''[[Zone (toyline)|Zone]]'' and ''[[Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''). Generally speaking, the lack of villain toys is more the norm for such toylines in Japan, with the various ''Transformers'' lines (save for aforementioned two) being the exception.

==Toys and character designs recycled from ''Transformers''==
'''Note:''' ''Italicized names'' are non-toy characters.

===''Exkaiser''===
* [http://youtu.be/pCoGs3mQcl4 Green & Blue Raker] — Originally designed with [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/toyark/98174-brave-386.html#post5402246 Transformers in mind] but released under the Brave banner as Transformers had been phased out at the time.
* ''[http://youtu.be/54Onss3GyaY Armor Geist]'' — [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/rmPP2kRP5DM Horn Geist]'' — [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/rRY8gky0PQE Ptera Geist]'' — [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/kuJTrWuy68Y Thunder Geist]'' — [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]

===''Da Garn''===
* [http://youtu.be/_37zYGQow00 Red Geist] with Red Breaster — [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Tigerbreast]] (no [[Eaglebreast]])

===''Might Gaine''===
* ''Atlas Epsilon'' — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* ''Atlas Mk.II'' — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* [http://youtu.be/E89XiJOWzIo Gōryū] with Oowashi — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Speeder]]
* [http://youtu.be/PBkMnRnv3pw Hiryū] with Hayabusa — [[Sonic Bomber]] and [[Sonic]]
* ''Mega Sonic 8823'' — [[Sonic Bomber]]

[[Image:BraveShadowmaruKagerouModels.jpg|thumb|250px|One ninja is deadly. A bunch of ninjas are cannonfodder. Two ninjas are... um...]]

===''J-Decker''===
* [http://youtu.be/xGFHTcC5tlo Duke Fire] — Transformation very likely based upon [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Notes|New Rodimus]].
* ''Kagerō'' (literally ''Mirage'') — [[Sixshot]]
* [http://youtu.be/ZLYgYX7IxLA Shadowmaru] — [[Sixshot]] (featured a new head, chest, chest fins, beast head, and entirely new set of weaponry to incorporate a ninja motif; also has slightly more articulation since the bar connecting the lower legs to each other was removed)
* The Micromaster Stations [[Hot House|1]][[Ironworks|2]][[Greasepit (G1)|3]][[Airwave|4]] (sans Micromasters and including non-transformable Brave Police figures; never appeared in the show)

===''Goldran''===
* [http://youtu.be/xMZgEc78A6Y Death Garry Gun] with Missile Gear — [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] and [[Shotbomber]] (cannibalized trailer launchers)
* ''[http://youtu.be/z0ObWFgDfls Revibaron]'' — [[Sonic Bomber]] with parts from [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/uE7caCCFWKc Zazorigun]'' — [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]

===''Dagwon''===
* Dag Base — [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]] (significant remolding, cannot combine with Star Convoy)
* [http://youtu.be/ei2MgBwc8Iw Thunder Dagwon] — [[Galaxy Shuttle]] (significant remolding, including an additional motorcycle/robot that combines for the shuttle's robot mode)

==Note==
<references />

==External links==
*[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Series at Wikipedia]]

*[http://www.yusha.net/ Official Sunrise Brave Series website]

*[http://gaogaigar.wikia.com/wiki/GaoGaiGar-Betterman_Wiki The GaoGaiGar-Betterman Wiki].

*[http://mamao2.cside.com/ MAOMAO2's Room (Japanese)]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=98174 The TFW2005 forum Brave thread]

{{stub}}

[[Category:External properties]]
[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]

Brave (franchise)

2012-02-17T10:45:23Z

MexCraziness:

{{disambig2|the franchise that uses designs from ''Transformers''|the ''Car Robots'' character|Emissary}}
[[Image:Fighbird groupshot.jpg|right|250px|thumb|Like Transformers, except every robot has a face plate, something long sticking out of its head, and a gold chest. And they [[Wikipedia:Kunio Okawara|look like]] [[Wikipedia:Gundam|Gundam]].]]

'''Yūsha''' (勇者, also known as the '''[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave]]''') is a (non-Transformers) [[franchise]] that [[TakaraTomy|Takara]] and [[wikipedia:Sunrise_(company)|Sunrise]] created after the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] anime ran its course in Japan. The Brave Series consists of eight individual series that were released one after the other from 1990 to 1998 with corresponding TV shows in Japan. The last show in the series received a follow-up OVA beginning in 2000.
Although none of the series storylines are connected to one another<ref>Although the storylines are not interconnected, there are some small connections between the series. For example, the reason Fighbird joined the Space Guards is that he admires Exkaiser. (This connection is stated in the ''Encyclopedia of Fighbird'', published by Keibunsha.) Also, there are some small cameos of human characters between shows, and some [[Character model]]s, such as Draias and Guard Diver, are reused in subsequent series. Lastly, the ''Brave Saga'' video games [[retcon]] the storylines of the shows so that they link up.</ref> the basic format of each series is similar. Usually a kid befriends/creates/becomes a sentient robot, and together they fight a great evil threatening the Earth. The main robots combine with other vehicles and robots to become larger robots, and additional teams of sentient robots combine amongst themselves to form larger robots as well. (This structure is the same as the one used by the Autobots from ''[[Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers: Victory (franchise)|Transformers: Victory]]''.) The Brave Series has been described as a cross between Transformers and the [[wikipedia:Super_Robot|Super Robot]] genre of the late '70s and early '80s.

The Brave series consisted of:

* 1990: [[wikipedia:Brave_Exkaiser|Brave Exkaiser]]
* 1991: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of the Sun: Fighbird]]
* 1992: [[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Fighter of Legend: Da-Garn]]
* 1993: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_Express_Might_Gaine|The Brave Express: Might Gaine]]
* 1994: [[wikipedia:Brave_Police_J-Decker|Brave Police: J-Decker]]
* 1995: [[wikipedia:The_Brave_of_Gold_Goldran|Brave of Gold: Goldran]]
* 1996: [[wikipedia:Brave_Command_Dagwon|Brave Command: Dagwon]]
**1997: [[wikipedia:ja:勇者指令ダグオン水晶の瞳の少年|Brave Command Dagwon - The Boy with Crystal Eyes]]
* 1997: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar]]
** 1999: [[wikipedia:The_King_of_Braves_GaoGaiGar_FINAL|The King of Braves: GaoGaiGar FINAL]]

Toys for these robots were created in two sizes: DX ("deluxe") versions that contained more gimmicks and more complicated transformations, and STD ("standard") versions that contained fewer [[gimmick]]s and more limited transformations (often resorting to partsforming), but often also higher [[Show-accuracy|accuracy]] in reproducing the look of the robot from the anime series. Generally, the transformation of the robots was created by Takara, while the look of the robots was created by [[wikipedia:Kunio_Okawara|Kunio Okawara]], a legendary Sunrise mecha designer.

==Relationship to ''Transformers''==
The initial concept designs for ''Brave Exkaiser'', the first Brave Series, were intended to be Transformers designs. While the Brave robot Ultra Raker was very far along at this stage, the Max team and King Exkaiser bore little resemblance to their final designs.

The Brave toys also have design elements similar to ''[[Generation 2 (toyline)|Generation 2]]'' and ''[[Beast Wars (toyline)|Beast Wars]]'' Transformers, which were released around the same time as the Brave toys. For example, many of the ''Brave of Legend'' toys have [[Light-piping|light-piped]] eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many ''Generation 2'' Transformers share. The ''Goldran'' DX toyline contains many projectile launchers, something Generation 2 shared as well. In particular, the ''Goldran'' toy "Advenger" contains a rotor-launching gimmick identical to that of [[Rotor Force]] from ''Generation 2'', and the "Captain Shark" figure has a Gatling-gun style launcher, the same as ''Generation 2'' [[Dreadwing (G2)|Dreadwing]]. Lastly, the elbows of Leon from DX Leonkyzer contain ball joints, a design element that gained much broader use during ''Generation 2'' and even more so during the ''Beast Wars'' toyline.

[[Image:DeathsaurusAndRedGeist.jpg|right|300px|thumb|And to think, Red Geist's toy doesn't even have any remolding.]]The Brave Series also reused character designs and toys from previous ''Transformers'' series. It was not uncommon for the recycled designs to appear in a Brave TV show, but not in toy form. These designs were often significantly augmented to distinguish them from their Transformer counterparts. For example, the four Geister henchmen in ''Exkaiser'' have all-new faces, body detail, and color schemes. Of the designs that did appear in toy form, some of them were remolded to reflect these changes, whereas others were simple recolors. (A complete listing of the reuses follows in the section below).

Similarly, subsequent ''Transformers'' lines have also been influenced by the Brave Series. The Japanese [[Mini-Con]] [[Kingbolt]]'s coloration and characterization are [[homage]]s to the Brave series ''Exkaiser''. Also, the [[Cybertron (cartoon)|''Cybertron'' cartoon]] featured many homages to the Brave series ''King Of Braves GaoGaiGar'', most notably the way [[Optimus Prime (Armada)|Optimus Prime]] combines with [[Overhaul (Cybertron)|Leobreaker]] and [[Wing Saber (Energon)|Wing Saber]], which is similar to the way GaoGaiGar combines with Goldymarg and Stealth Gao respectively. This similarity is also evident in [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]]'s transformation sequence being almost identical to Volfogg's. The cinematography for ''[[Energon (cartoon)|Energon]]'' Optimus Prime's stock-footage combination sequence with his [[Prime Force]] limbs is also very reminiscent of Brave series stock footage. The [[Transformers Animated (franchise)|Transformers Animated]] characters [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] are similar to Enryū and Hyōryū from ''GaoGaiGar'', both with respect to their elemental motifs and method of combination. ''Animated'' also has a brief cameo appearance by ''Dagwon'''s [[Dug Base|Dag Base]]. ''[[Shattered Glass (franchise)|Shattered Glass]]'' [[Esmeral (SG)|Esmeral]]'s color scheme is based on Red Geist, a redeco of [[Esmeral (Victory)|her ''Victory'' counterpart]]'s [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|husband]].

Despite the Brave Series' reuse of many Transformers molds and character designs, Brave toys have never been reused in a Transformers toy line. This is likely because the characters that the toys represent are owned by Sunrise. That said, a Brave mold was finally reused in 2008, when Might Kaiser's trailer was modified and included in Takaratomy's ''[[wikipedia:Tomica Hero: Rescue Force|Tomica Hero: Rescue Force]]'' as part of the toy Zero Fire.

One striking difference between the Brave Series and ''Transformers'' toy lines is that very few villain robots were released in the Brave Series. This is in sharp contrast to most of the ''Transformers'' series, in which heroes and villains are released in relatively equal numbers (with the exception of ''[[Zone (toyline)|Zone]]'' and ''[[Return of Convoy (toyline)|Return of Convoy]]''). Generally speaking, the lack of villain toys is more the norm for such toylines in Japan, with the various ''Transformers'' lines (save for aforementioned two) being the exception.

==Toys and character designs recycled from ''Transformers''==
'''Note:''' ''Italicized names'' are non-toy characters.

===''Exkaiser''===
* [http://youtu.be/pCoGs3mQcl4 Green & Blue Raker] — Originally designed with [http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/toyark/98174-brave-386.html#post5402246 Transformers in mind] but released under the Brave banner as Transformers had been phased out at the time.
* ''[http://youtu.be/54Onss3GyaY Armor Geist]'' — [[Snarl (G1)|Snarl]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/rmPP2kRP5DM Horn Geist]'' — [[Slag (G1)|Slag]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/rRY8gky0PQE Ptera Geist]'' — [[Swoop (G1)|Swoop]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/kuJTrWuy68Y Thunder Geist]'' — [[Sludge (G1)|Sludge]]

===''Da Garn''===
* [http://youtu.be/_37zYGQow00 Red Geist] with Red Breaster — [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Tigerbreast]] (no [[Eaglebreast]])

===''Might Gaine''===
* ''Atlas Epsilon'' — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* ''Atlas Mk.II'' — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* [http://youtu.be/E89XiJOWzIo Gōryū] with Oowashi — [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]] and [[Speeder]]
* [http://youtu.be/PBkMnRnv3pw Hiryū] with Hayabusa — [[Sonic Bomber]] and [[Sonic]]
* ''Mega Sonic 8823'' — [[Sonic Bomber]]

[[Image:BraveShadowmaruKagerouModels.jpg|thumb|250px|One ninja is deadly. A bunch of ninjas are cannonfodder. Two ninjas are... um...]]

===''J-Decker''===
* [http://youtu.be/xGFHTcC5tlo Duke Fire] — Transformation very likely based upon [[Hot Rod (G1)/toys#Notes|New Rodimus]].
* ''Kagerō'' (literally ''Mirage'') — [[Sixshot]]
* [http://youtu.be/ZLYgYX7IxLA Shadowmaru] — [[Sixshot]] (featured a new head, chest, chest fins, beast head, and entirely new set of weaponry to incorporate a ninja motif; also has slightly more articulation since the bar connecting the lower legs to each other was removed)
* The Micromaster Stations [[Hot House|1]][[Ironworks|2]][[Greasepit (G1)|3]][[Airwave|4]] (sans Micromasters and including non-transformable Brave Police figures; never appeared in the show)

===''Goldran''===
* [http://youtu.be/xMZgEc78A6Y Death Garry Gun] with Missile Gear — [[Sky Garry (ROC)|Sky Garry]] and [[Shotbomber]] (cannibalized trailer launchers)
* ''[http://youtu.be/z0ObWFgDfls Revibaron]'' — [[Sonic Bomber]] with parts from [[Deathsaurus (Victory)|Deathsaurus]] and [[Dai Atlas (Zone)|Dai Atlas]]
* ''[http://youtu.be/uE7caCCFWKc Zazorigun]'' — [[Scorponok (G1)|Scorponok]]

===''Dagwon''===
* Dag Base — [[Grandus (ROC)|Grandus]] (significant remolding, cannot combine with Star Convoy)
* [http://youtu.be/ei2MgBwc8Iw Thunder Dagwon] — [[Galaxy Shuttle]] (significant remolding, including an additional motorcycle/robot that combines for the shuttle's robot mode)

==Note==
<references />

==External links==
*[[wikipedia:Brave_series|Brave Series at Wikipedia]]

*[http://www.yusha.net/ Official Sunrise Brave Series website]

*[http://gaogaigar.wikia.com/wiki/GaoGaiGar-Betterman_Wiki The GaoGaiGar-Betterman Wiki].

*[http://mamao2.cside.com/ MAOMAO2's Room (Japanese)]

*[http://www.tfw2005.com/boards/showthread.php?t=98174 The TFW2005 forum Brave thread]

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[[Category:External properties]]
[[Category:Japanese franchises]]
[[Category:Non-Transformers toylines]]