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Genesis Climber MOSPEADA

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This article is about the original Japanese animated series. For the third Robotech series that adapted it, see Third Robotech War.
Genesis Climber MOSPEADA
File:Mospeada Cover.jpg
Promotional art showing the Legioss transformable mecha, the MOSPEADA transformable motorcycle, Yellow Belmont, Houquet et Rose, Ray and Mint Labule.
機甲創世記モスピーダ
(Kikō Sōseiki Mosupīda)
GenreAdventure, Mecha, Military Science Fiction
Anime television series
Directed byKatsuhisa Yamada
Written byKenji Terada, Sukehiro Tomita, Ryo Yasumura, Satoshi Namiki
Music byJoe Hisashi
StudioArtmic, Tatsunoko Productions
Original networkFuji Television
Original run 2 October 1983 – 23 March 1984
Episodes25
Original video animation
Genesis Climber MOSPEADA: Love Live Alive
Directed byKatsuhisa Yamada
Written bySukehiro Tomita
StudioArtmic, Tatsunoko Productions
Released21 September 1985
Runtime50 minutes

Genesis Climber MOSPEADA (機甲創世記モスピーダ, Kikō Sōseiki Mosupīda) (literally "Armored Genesis MOSPEADA") is an anime science fiction series created by Shinji Aramaki and Hideki Kakinuma. The 25-episode television series ran from late 1983 to early 1984 in Japan. MOSPEADA stands for Military Operation Soldier Protection Emergency Aviation Dive Armor, one of the transformable motorcycle-armors the series features. The other primary mecha featured in the show is the three-form transformable fighter called the Armo-Fighter AFC-01 Legioss, which is somewhat similar in design to the VF-1 Valkyrie variable fighter from The Super Dimension Fortress Macross.[1]

Story

In the 21st century, Earth's pollution problems result in the development of a new hydrogen fuel called "HBT" as an alternative to fossil fuels, while mankind colonizes Mars. In 2050, a mysterious alien race called the Inbit invades Earth. Unable to fight off the Inbits, Earth becomes desolate with only a few pockets of human beings scattered throughout the planet. Many of the refugees escape aboard a few remaining shuttles to seek shelter on the Moon. The Inbits set up their main base of operations on Earth, called "Reflex Point", in the Great Lakes area of North America.

However, the Mars colony, dubbed the Mars Base, does not forget about the plight of Earth. Troops are sent in to fight the Inbits from the Moon, only to fail miserably. The Inbits do not attack Mars and show no interest towards the other planets. Surprisingly, the aliens show no hostility towards humans unless they are directly provoked. The Inbits can also sense the presence of HBT and use of the fuel is limited under their supervision, as HBT is a common component in weapons technology. Mars Base becomes a gigantic military factory, producing vast amounts of advanced weaponry and trained troops. In 2080, Mars Base sends in the next wave of troops called the Earth Recapture Force - but it is virtually destroyed despite a technological advantage including the deployment of transformable mecha.

Mars Base deploys the Second Earth Recapture Force three years later but suffers a similar fate as the first fleet. Legioss pilot Stick Bernard turns out to be the only survivor as he crashlands in South America, but his fiancée, Marlene, is killed in the chaos. A holographic recording of Marlene given to Stick just before the operation began gives him the strength to move on and avenge her death. In his quest to reach Reflex Point, he meets the other main characters of the show, forming a group of ragtag freedom fighters in a quest to rid the planet of the Inbit.[2]

As the plot unravels, the purpose of the Inbit invasion is revealed: to find a suitable place to evolve into more complex beings. However, the Inbit do not know that their endeavor actually threatens to cause the extinction of both humans and Inbits and thus, it is up to Stick and his group, with the help of human-like Inbits (Aisha and Solzie), to convince the supreme ruler of the Inbit, the Refless, to flee from Earth.[3]

Characters

The Robotech-adapted names are in brackets: [ ].

  • Stick Bernard (スティック・バーナード, Sutikku Bānādo) (Scott Bernard) (Bin Shimada): A 20-year-old Mars Base lieutenant that becomes stranded on Earth as the Inbit obliterate the defenses of the Second Earth Recapture Force. As a result of the overwhelming force of the Inbit, Stick's fiancée, Marlene (マリーン, Marīn), is killed when her ship attempts to land on the planet surface, leaving Stick angry and bitter. Even after he gathers his freedom fighters together, he often allows his hatred and blind fury towards the Inbit to distract him from the responsible decision-making his friends know he is capable of. In the end, however, he finds his peace again as he becomes aware of his growing feelings for Aisha, despite her Inbit background.
  • Ray (レイ, Rei) (Rand) (Hisao Ōyama): 17-year-old scavenger. He is the historian, optimist, and wisecracker of the group. Originally, Ray was a loner who actually enjoyed teasing the Inbit as they chased him around the territory, but he joins Stick in order to deal a serious blow to the invaders. Extremely resourceful and with a good intuition, Ray is the first in the group who gradually manages to figure out important facts about the Inbits' plans and procedures. He is a huge fan of Yellow Belmont until he learns that the female singer is actually a man. Over the course of the series, he develops deep feelings for Houquet, but she has trouble openly reciprocating them.
  • Mint Labule (ミント・ラブル, Minto Raburu) (Annie "Mint" LaBelle) (Miyuki Sanae (credited as Miyuki Muroi)) : A spirited and precocious 13-year-old girl who was abandoned by her parents. She tags along with the group in order to find a husband, but ends up becoming part of the team. Often considered an annoyance to the rest of the group, Mint is nonetheless loved by her fellow freedom fighters, and proves herself valuable to the mission on several occasions. Her trademark attire is the E.T. cap that she wears. It is not known whether the E.T. stands for the science fantasy movie of the same name or something else.
  • Houquet et Rose (フーケ・エローズ, Fūke Erōzu) (Rook Bartley) (Mika Doi): A 16-year-old former motorcycle gang member and girlfriend to gang leader, Romy. She was severely beaten and taken advantage of by a rival gang when they cornered her away from her group. Houquet initially fights for the helpless and refuses an alliance with Stick, but joins the team after realizing that she would be stronger with them than without them. Eventually she comes to respect her companions enough that she offers to sacrifice herself in order to save the others. Falls in love with Ray, but is unable to open her heart and express her affection to him.
  • Jim Warston (ジム・ウォーストン, Jimu Wōsuton) (Jim "Lunk" Austin) (Tomomichi Nishimura): A 32-year-old maintenance mechanic. Jim initially comes off as the "stupid lunk" of the group, but is soon revealed to be quite intelligent. Jim was once a member of the Mars Base forces, but deserted after failing to save a friend from the Inbit. Though he labeled himself a coward and often sees himself as a liability to Stick's team, the team is quick to object to this, noting Jim's courage and dependability during their repeated encounters with Inbit forces.
  • Yellow Belmont (イエロー・ベルモント, Ierō Berumonto) (Lance "Lancer" Belmont) (Mine Matsuki)/(Hirotaka Suzuoki): A 22-year-old soldier from the Second Earth Recapture Force. Now disguised as a female singer (thanks to his bishōnen appearance) in order to hide from the Inbit and certain locals, Yellow has made quite a name for him/herself as an entertainer, but upon meeting Stick and his friends, Yellow decides to help free Earth from the Inbit. His ability to completely change both his physical appearance and personality (in the Japanese version, this also included his voice) adds to the team's ability to infiltrate towns and cities in order to gather supplies or complete missions. His stage name in Robotech was Yellow Dancer.
  • Aisha (アイシャ, Aisha) (Ariel/Marlene) (Miki Takahashi): A female Inbit changed into humanoid form. (In Robotech, she was given the name Marlene by Scott (Stick) and the others, named after his old fiancée, because when they first met her, they were unaware of her real name.) Suffering from amnesia when Stick's group finds her, she gradually develop human feelings and sympathies, and ends up falling in love with Stick.
  • Refless (レフレス, Refuresu) (Regess) (Noriko Ohara): Supreme ruler of the Inbit. Her only goal is to terraform the Earth in order for her race to take it over. Considers humans to be genetically and socially worthless.
  • Solzie (ソルジィ, Sorujī) (Sera) (Waka Kanda): Second female Inbit to be transformed into humanoid form. Accidentally encounters Yellow as he is bathing in a waterfall, and the encounter leaves her resolve shaken as she slowly begins to fall in love with him. Eventually, she becomes the first Inbit to independently sympathize with the human cause.
  • Battlar (バットラー, Battorā) (Corg) (Hōchū Ōtsuka): Third Inbit to be changed into humanoid form. Unlike Aisha and Solzie, Battlar's experiences with Stick's team leaves him angry and insulted. His repeated defeat in combat to Stick causes Battlar to make his mission of stopping Stick's group a personal revenge.

The English-subtitled MOSPEADA DVD released by Harmony Gold and ADV Films uses the inaccurate names (such as "Stig" Bernard, Mint "Rubble", Houquet "Emrose", and Jim "Austin") derived from fans on Robotech.com and the Robotech Art I book.[citation needed]

Episode list

Japanese
Air Date 		Genesis Climber MOSPEADA
Episode 		Robotech: The New Generation
Episode
1983.10.02 1. Prelude to the Offensive (襲撃のプレリュード, Shūgeki no Pureryūdo) 61. The Invid Invasion
1983.10.09 2. The Broken-Hearted Girl's March (失恋少女のマーチ, Shitsuren Shōjo no Māchi) 62. The Lost City
1983.10.16 3. Showdown Concert at High Noon (真昼の決闘コンサート, Mahiru no Kettou Konsāto) 63. Lonely Soldier Boy
1983.10.23 4. Survival Song Feeling (気分はサバイバル・ソング, Kibun wa Sabaibaru Songu) 64. Survival
1983.10.30 5. Live Inn Plunder Operation (ライブ・イン・強奪作戦, Raibu In Gōdatsu Sakusen) 65. Curtain Call
1983.11.06 6. Support Girl Blues (突ッ張り少女ブルース, Tsuppari Shōjo Burūsu) 66. Hard Times
1983.11.13 7. Fallen Hero's Ragtime (亡き勇者のラグタイム, Naki Yūsha no Ragutaimu) 67. Paper Hero
1983.11.20 8. Jonathan's Elegy (ジョナサンのエレジー, Jonasan no Erejī) 68. Eulogy
1983.11.27 9. Lost World Fugue (ロスト・ワールド遁走曲, Rosuto Wārudo Tonsōkyoku) 69. The Genesis Pits
1983.12.04 10. Requiem of the Battlefield (戦場のレクイエム, Senjō no Rekuiemu) 70. Enter Marlene
1983.12.11 11. Lullaby of Distant Hope (遠い希望のララバイ, Tōi Kibō no Rarabai) 71. The Secret Route
1983.12.18 12. Fortress Breakthrough Boogie (要塞突破ブギ, Yōsai Toppa Bugi) 72. The Fortress
1983.12.25 13. Sandstorm Playback (砂嵐プレイバック, Suna-arashi Pureibakku) 73. Sandstorm
1984.01.08 14. Mint's Wedding March (ミントの結婚行進曲, Minto no Kekkonkōshinkyoku) 74. Annie's Wedding
1984.01.15 15. The Ballad of Breaking Up (仲間割れのバラード, Nakamaware no Barādo) 75. Separate Ways
1984.01.22 16. Trap Reggae (トラップ・レゲエ, Torappu Regē) 76. Metamorphosis
1984.01.29 17. White Night Serenade (白夜のセレナーデ, Hakuya no Serenāde) 77. The Midnight Sun
1984.02.05 18. The Nature of Old Soldier's Polka (老兵たちのポルカ, Rōhei-tachi no Poruka) 78. Ghost Town
1984.02.12 19. Forte of the Glacier City (氷河都市のフォルテ, Hyōga Toshi no Forute) 79. Frost Bite
1984.02.19 20. Birthday Song of the Night Sky (夜空のバースディ・ソング, Yozora no Bāsudi Songu) 80. Birthday Blues
1984.02.26 21. Arpeggio of Murder (殺しのアルペジオ, Koroshi no Arupejio) 81. Hired Gun
1984.03.04 22. New York Bebop (ニューヨーク・ビーバップ, Nyū Yōku Bībappu) 82. The Big Apple
1984.03.11 23. Black Hair's Partita (黒髪のパルティータ, Kokuhatsu no Parutīta) 83. Reflex Point
1984.03.18 24. The Dark Finale (闇のフィナーレ, Yami no Fināre) 84. Dark Finale
1984.03.25 25. Symphony of Light (光のシンフォニー, Hikari no Shinfonī) 85. Symphony of Light

Theme Songs

Opening theme
  • "Ushinawareta Yume o Motomete" (失われた伝説(ゆめ)をもとめて, "In Search of Lost Dreams")
Ending theme

The incidental music was composed by Joe Hisaishi, who would later gain renown for incidental music for the movies of Hayao Miyazaki, though it is accidentally credited, because of a misreading of the name characters, to a "Yuzuru Hisaishi." MOSPEADA is the first anime series to have a jazz-based theme song (Blue Rain).[citation needed]

Malaysian indie band Hujan made a cover of the opening song, with the same title Lonely Soldier Boy. The lyrics are translated from Japanese into Malay (except for the chorus, which was preserved) and was included in the band's album.

Production Staff

Production Notes

The original working titles for MOSPEADA were: Kouka Kihei Vector ("Descent Machine Soldier Vector"), Chou Fumetsu Yousai Reflex Point ("Super Immortal Fortress Reflex Point") and AD Patrol: the story of city police where the main character rides a transformable bike that changes into his partner. The main character designs were created by Yoshitaka Amano, who would later gain renown for his character artwork for the Final Fantasy series.

Each of the Japanese episode titles contains a musical reference. This style of titling would later be used by Cowboy Bebop.

Mechanical designer Shinji Aramaki came up with the transformable motorcycle-powered exoskeleton design while working on the Diaclone series (which later became part of Transformers). When riding his Honda VT250 250 cc motorbike he thought to himself that it was the right size for a person to wear. The bike design was inspired by the Suzuki Katana. The black and white stripes on the Legioss and VR ride armor are a tribute to the Allied invasion stripes in World War II.

Adaptation For The Robotech Universe

Most of MOSPEADA's animation (with edited content and revised dialogue) was adapted for American audiences as Robotech: The New Generation, the third saga of the Robotech compliation series. In Robotech, the Inbit became the "Invid" of the "Third Generation" (also featured in Robotech II: The Sentinels) and the advanced space forces are the returning Robotech Expeditionary Force (REF) that left before the "Second Generation" of Robotech on Earth. Earth's Defense Forces were decimated in the previous saga. Unlike the Invid in the adapted Robotech, the Inbit in MOSPEADA had nothing to do with the Robotech Masters (their sworn enemies in Robotech) and they were just looking for a good planet on which to evolve and reach perfection. Likewise, the REF forces under Admiral Hunter's command that Bernard frequently referred to were troops from the Mars and Jupiter bases which harassed the Inbit, though they were playing a "leave alone" system with humans on Earth.

The show's transformable mecha were also renamed; the Armor Cycles as Veritech Cyclones motorcycles; the AFC-01 Legioss became the VF/A-6 Alpha Veritech; the AB-01 Tlead became the VFB-9 Beta Veritech. Like Macross and The Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, Genesis Climber MOSPEADA was cut and fitted to be part of the Robotech continuum by Harmony Gold and Carl Macek. Character names were generally altered without major changes in characterization, making MOSPEADA the least altered series of the three. Incidentally, it is also the series that has seen the most usage in the expanded universe of Robotech II: The Sentinels and Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles, especially in terms of character, mecha, and ship designs. Unlike Macross, which is owned by Big West, Harmony Gold is free to utilize elements from the Tatsunoko-owned MOSPEADA.

Love Live Alive

After the original run of the television series, an OVA music video titled Genesis Climber MOSPEADA: Love Live Alive was exclusively released in Japan in September 1985. The music video consisted of both old and new footage. The story of Love Live Alive chronicled the events after the ending of MOSPEADA, featuring Yellow Belmont as the main character. The music video focused on Yellow's concert and his flashbacks of past events. In 2013, it was adapted by Harmony Gold into Robotech: Love Live Alive.[4]

References

  1. ^ "MOSPEADA FAQ". MOSPEADA.com. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  2. ^ "MOSPEADA". Tatsunoko Production. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  3. ^ "機甲創世記モスピーダ". Tatsunoko Production. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
  4. ^ Webb, Benjamin (2013-04-04). "Robotech: Love, Live, Alive Announced". Capsule Computers.

Bibliography

  • MOSPEADA Complete Art Works. Shinkigensha, 2009.
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