God Ginrai - Into the Sky!!
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 It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Optimus! | ||||||
| "God Ginrai - Into the Sky!!"[1] (God Ginrai - Sora e!!) | ||||||
| Production company | Takara, Toei | |||||
| Airdate | 25 October 1988 | |||||
| Writer | Toyohiro Andō | |||||
| Director | Yoshikata Nitta | |||||
| Animation studio | Toei | |||||
| Continuity | Japanese Generation 1 cartoon continuity | |||||
With the Bomber Project completed, Ginrai heads for the moon, and the battle of his life!
Synopsis
[edit]BlackZarak is still on his way to the Moon to meet with Overlord.
As work proceeds apace on the final stages of the Autobots' Bomber Project, Metalhawk follows up on Phoenix's report of a Decepticon attack on the Weather Observatory Moon Base, but proves unable to contact the personnel there. This, of course, is due to the fact that Mega and Giga have attacked the facility and imprisoned its staff. The prisoners attempt to mount an escape, lasering their way through the door of their makeshift cell and splitting into two teams, but Giga and Mega have been watching them via the security monitors. Giga stops the escape of one group by intercepting them in a corridor and blasting them with a freeze ray. A second group of escapees, however, manages to use the time their comrades have bought them to beam a message to Earth, which is received by the Autobots.
The Autobots wonder what Overlord's business is on the Moon, but as Hawk is about to organise a mission to rescue the Moon base staff, they receive a transmission from Grand. Grand informs them of BlackZarak's approach on the Moon, and they realize the Decepticons' intentions to meet up with him there. Shūta's mind turns to what would happen to the Autobots if BlackZarak is allowed to reach Earth, and the scenario he imagines horrifies him.
Ginrai, Lightfoot and the Headmaster Juniors review the status of the Bomber Project and its projected result, which Lightfoot says will have immense power. Still, they decide that Ginrai will have to defeat Overlord before BlackZarak reaches the Moon, as a fight against both Decepticons at once would be terrible odds. Ginrai's thoughts are consumed with his previous defeat at the hands of Overlord and the inevitable impending rematch. When he punches a wall in anger, Minerva observes as he winces, having aggravated the injuries which linger from his battle with Overlord. She tells Shūta and Cab, and when they approach Ginrai in the middle of his training, he asks them to spar with him the following day.
Cab and Shūta are actually able to hold their own against Ginrai until Lightfoot arrives to tell them all that the Bomber Project has been completed. Everyone returns to British Motors to view the finished "Godbomber", and Ginrai is intent on merging with it and heading for the Moon right away. Metalhawk refuses, telling Ginrai that he cannot save the Earth all by himself, but Ginrai presses on regardless, to cries of support from the Headmaster Juniors and affirmative words from the other Pretenders. Ginrai fuses with Godbomber, becoming "God Ginrai" for the first time, and immediately takes off into space.
Devil Z observes the launch of God Ginrai and informs Mega and Giga, who merge into Overlord and intercept Ginrai in space before he reaches the Moon. With the increased power of Godbomber, Ginrai proves much more resistant to Overlord's attacks and is able to mount a powerful defense against the Decepticon's assault, shrugging off the same firepower that so injured him last time. Having taken damage, Overlord retreats back to the lunar surface with the intention of stalling for time until BlackZarak arrives, and Ginrai gives chase, determined to finish it.
Arriving at the moonbase, Ginrai prepares to end the battle with a Chōkon Power-enhanced blast from his Godcannon. Before he can fire the weapon, however, a beam of energy strikes him, knocking him to the ground, and he turns to see the imposing form of BlackZarak towering over him! The Autobots on Earth observe the new arrival and conclude that it's the Decepticon whom Grand has been battling. The Juniors believe he will be no match for God Ginrai. BlackZarak impales Ginrai's shoulder with his spear and kicks him to the ground, but the Autobot leader is filled with determination to protect Earth at any cost. Rising to his feet, Ginrai is caught between his two greatest enemies yet, ready to take everything they've got!
Featured characters
[edit](Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
|
Human Autobots |
Human Decepticons |
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Notes
[edit]Animation and technical errors
[edit]- Shūta's Autobot insignia has a white crest as he says Ginrai will lose "with that attitude".
- Despite the clapping sound effect as the Godbomber is revealed as completed, none of the workers actually appear to be clapping.
- The road that the Godbomber takes off from prior to merging with Ginrai doesn't match the location.
Continuity notes
[edit]- Overlord arrived on the Moon in the previous episode. The recap clip of said arrival actually contains clips of the moonbase's destruction which weren't in that episode.
- The Autobots have been working on the Bomber Project, in preparation for the coming of BlackZarak, since "Life? Death? The Desperate Lightfoot". That episode also featured the sole previous appearance of Grand Maximus, who returns in this one.
- Ginrai was defeated in battle by Overlord in "Super Ginrai Gets Blown Away in the Desert!?"
Trivia
[edit]- Some genius decided that it would be best to have BlackZarak first appear in robot mode in Shūta's daydream. Oh, brilliant idea there, genius, way to preserve the dramatic flow of the narrative. Moron.
- The Decepticons don't seem particularly surprised that Ginrai is still alive, considering Mega and Giga thought they'd killed him during their first battle with him.
Foreign localization
[edit]English
- Title: "Battle for the Moon" (Omni Productions dub)
- Original airdate: December 16, 1990
Russian
Home video releases
[edit]- DVD
2003 — Transformers: Super-God Masterforce — DVD Box 02 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — The Takara Collection Vol 2 — Transformers: Super-God Masterforce (Metrodome)
2007 — Transformers — The Complete Takara Collection (Metrodome)
2008 — The Transformers: Super God Masterforce (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Japan Generation 1 — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2012 — Transformers: The Japanese Collection (Shout! Factory)
2012 — Transformers Japanese Collection: Super-God Masterforce (Shout! Factory)
References
[edit]- ↑ "宇宙" means "space" or "universe". However, in this episode, it is pronounced as sora, meaning "sky".
