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Space Runaway Ideon

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Space Runaway Ideon
File:Ideonlogo.jpg
Screenshot of an Ideon eyecatch
GenreDrama, Mecha, Science Fiction
Anime
Space Runaway Ideon
Directed byYoshiyuki Tomino
StudioSunrise
Anime
The Ideon: A Contact
Directed byYoshiyuki Tomino
StudioSunrise
Anime
The Ideon: Be Invoked
Directed byYoshiyuki Tomino
StudioSunrise

Space Runaway Ideon (伝説巨神イデオン, Densetsu Kyojin Ideon), also known as Legendary Giant God Ideon, was an animated television series that aired on Japanese television from 1980 to 1981, followed by two feature films released in 1982. Ideon was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, and was the series he produced immediately following his most famous work, Mobile Suit Gundam. Its mechanical designers were Submarine (series) & Higuchi Yuuichi (movies) and its characters were designed by Kogawa Tomonori.

Plot

Template:Spoiler Space Runaway Ideon begins in 2300, far enough in the future that mankind has begun colonizing other planets. On the planet Solo in the Andromeda Galaxy, a group of archeologists had come across the mysterious remains of the Ideon—three large armored trucks with the ability to transform into a godlike mecha. They also come across a large spaceship. For six months they had diligently restored the machines but failed to get the giant tanks to move. Suddenly, a humanoid alien civilization known as the Buff Clan comes across Solo.

Karala, the daughter of the Buff Clan's military commander flies down to the planet against orders to investigate (her commanding officer, Gije, is reluctant with her, due to her standing and the fact that he once was a soldier under her father). She is pursued closely by commrades sent by Gije, but they lose sight of her. Assuming the "aliens" (Earthling colonists) have attacked Karala, the Buff Clan begins to attack. Cosmo Yuki, the protagonist of the series, climbs aboard one of the three tanks and, when it initially forms the Ideon, fends off the first assault, repelling Gije's men.

This is a short respite, though, as another force is sent down soon after. Bes Jordan, leader of the sparce military force stationed with the colonists orders that the Ideon tanks be armed with missles, but while that's happening the cities on Solo are obliterated by the Buff Clan soldiers. An air raid siren is sounded and the survivors, using the Ideon for protection, board the spaceship found with the Ideon (known as the "Solo Ship") and flee. The survivors travel from planet to planet, constantly pursued by the Buff Clan who desire the Ideon for themselves along with the mysterious energy source behind them, known only as "Id" or "Ide".

The Ideon is piloted by several Solo Ship crew members, but the main pilot is Cosmo Yuki.

As the crew of the Solo Ship fight and survive further, the true power of the Ideon begins to slowly be revealed with terrifying results. Although the crew often latches onto various hopes and optimism, as the death toll of the crew rises and the devastation surrounding them increases, the crew of the Solo Ship slowly begin to despair. Eventually turned away by their own world out of fear, what fate awaits this lost ship and its inhabitants?

Like Mobile Suit Gundam before it, the series originally met with rather low ratings and was cancelled after only 39 of its scheduled 43 episodes aired. However, an enormous demand for a release of the final unaired episodes followed the show's cancellation, and two movies were produced to end the series.

The two movies, A Contact and Be Invoked, were released as a double bill in 1982. A Contact featured clips from the first 32 episodes of the TV series. Be Invoked featured a modified version of the final episode of the TV series, in addition to those episodes that never aired, finishing off the Ideon saga once and for all.

"Kill 'Em All"

The apocalyptic ending of Be Invoked was unexpected by many and cemented director Yoshiyuki Tomino's "Kill 'Em All" reputation. Characters on both sides of the final fight were given extremely gruesome death scenes: a very young character being decapitated by gunfire, for instance, was seen as particularly shocking at the time. Not only is the entire cast ultimately killed off, but eventually the Ideon and crew are destroyed in the climax of the film, producing a blast so powerful that all life in the entire universe is destroyed as well. In the film's tragic but slightly ambiguous ending, the souls of all the characters float in space, finding each other and becoming spectators to the rebirth of the universe at the series' conclusion.

Devastating endings had been done before in anime (most notably in Tomino's 1977 work Zambot 3), though Ideon, with a death toll comprising the entire population of the universe, is still considered by many to feature the bloodiest ending of any anime, and perhaps even the bloodiest in film history.

Amusingly, Tomino himself has stated in an issue of Newtype that although Ideon is one of his favorite works, he himself wonders sometimes how he could come up with such a depressing ending at the time. Tomino tended to do this often because he often wished to never make sequels to his work, quite ironic considering how long Gundam has lasted. Although even in all of his mass death endings there was at least always a chance for a followup, the same can't exactly be said about Ideon.

Influence

The influence of Ideon on Japanese animation, despite its rough beginnings and infamous ending, has been enormous. It was rated #10 among the greatest anime series as compiled by famous anime magazine Animage (counting popularity, influence, and opinion).

Space Runaway Ideon is a predecessor of sorts to Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion and deals with many of the same issues[1]. There are a number of homage shots in the Evangelion movies in which certain scenes are mirrored from Be Invoked almost perfectly. The Neon Genesis Evangelion series also ends in a similar fashion, with two theatrical releases: the first part (Death) being composed largely of clips from the already-released episodes, and the second part (Rebirth/The End of Evangelion) made up of new animation devolving into apocalyptic territory much like that of Be Invoked, right down to overtones of rebirth.

In many ways, Ideon was a first of its kind. It has been considered to be the prototype of the modern dark and twisted science fiction anime such as the above-mentioned Neon Genesis Evangelion, Akira and Tomino's own beautiful but bleak Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Although it is debatable as Mobile Suit Gundam is often considered the first anime to show a truly grittier side of science fiction, Ideon undeniably has a very distinct presentation and plot style which had never been seen before, specifically with the series' emphasis on making the audience feel for the characters and their struggle against a hopeless scenario as opposed to just watching the Ideon do battle or feeling for the overall theme.

Other media

The titular mecha, characters, and other aspects of Space Runaway Ideon also make appearances in two of the Super Robot Wars series of anime mecha crossover games: Super Robot Wars F Final and 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha.

Reflecting its status in animation, the Ideon is considered one of the most powerful mecha to ever appear in the series, rivaled only by Genesic GaoGaiGar and the Dis Astranagant, all of which have infinite levels of energy in their respective series. Ideon has a gauge known as the Ide Gauge which, similarly to Limit Breaks in Final Fantasy VII, increases as Ideon is attacked. As it rises, the Ideon's all-around capabilities increase dramatically (including Ideon's EN becoming infinite) and the unit unlocks three weapons, Zen-houi (All Directional) Missile, Ideon Sword, and Ideon Gun (both Ideon Sword and Ideon Gun are available in both a "normal" version and a MAP version). The Ideon Gun is particularly powerful. Along with an attack power of 9999, enough to destroy most lesser enemies in one hit, the MAP version has a massive blast radius, often almost covering the battlefield. It is one of the most dangerous attacks in the Super Robot Wars series.

Although rather difficult and dangerous to use in Super Robot Wars F, in 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha the Ideon is possibly quite overpowered due to its massively increased ease of use.

In 3rd Super Robot Wars Alpha, the apocalyptic ending of Ideon is one of three possible endings in the game and is arguably the worst of them all. This ending is triggered during scenerio 56, the final Ideon scenerio. If a certain decision is made by the player, the tragic events of the Ideon finale play out with an unavoidable conclusion. All pilots on your force even state comments of hopelessness as they attack anything when this ending is triggered, to further the feeling of dread upon the horizon. This ending is only available upon the second playthrough, and while it is something most players should see at least once, it also ends the overall game earlier than usual (The actual game length is 60 levels), and also doesn't count as a finished game, so it is recommended in most cases that this ending be avoided.

The Ideon also appears in a non-canon crossover manga with Gundam, Mobile Suit Vs. Giant God: Gigantis' Counterattack, with story and artwork by Yuichi Hasegawa. In this story, set in Universal Century 0090, the Federation sends Amuro Ray to recruit Judau Ashta to help deal with a group of Zeon remnants. While this seems routine, the Zeons have uncovered what they call the "Giant God", namely the Ideon (which is never actually called Gigantis within the story). While investigating, Judau learns that the Zeons are planning on using Minerva Lao Zabi's Newtype powers to awaken the Giant God and get their revenge. Unfortunately, it goes out of control and begins attacking anything in sight. As Judau infiltrates the Giant God, Amuro (along with Char Aznable) fight to distract it. As he nears Minerva, the spirit of Karala and her baby appear, explaining that Ideon remade the universe because it hoped that a new type of human - namely, Newtypes - would be the universe's salvation from war. But since this turned out not to be the case, the Giant God was sent to remake the universe again. Judau also learns that he is the reincarnation of Ideon protagonist Cosmo Yuki, and violently opposes this plan. With Amuro's help, he manages to free Minerva and shut Giant God/Ideon down before it can do any more harm.

Yoshiyuki Tomino's name comes up in the story, as Amuro explains the myth of Giant God (the events of the Ideon series) to Judau, suggesting that he exists in the Gundam world much the same way Marvel Comics and its more prominent staff members such as Stan Lee exist within their own world.

Trivia

  • The "faster-than-light" transportation technology used in the world of Space Runaway Ideon is called "DS Drive Technology" (short for Dimension Space Drive) and 'warping out' is often referred to as 'DS out'-ing.
  • "DS" is pronounced 'デス' (De-su) in Japanese and shares the same katakana and pronunciation as the Japanese transliteration of death.
  • Tomino himself would make two cameo appearances in Ideon. The first was in episode 6 when the crew of the Solo Ship gathered to plan their next move. His second appearance would be near the end of Be Invoked, appearing in a spacesuit on the Solo Ship's deck with storyboard illustrations in his hands.
  • Ideon made a number of homages to Tomino's Mobile Suit Gundam, which had immediately preceded Ideon. A Haro appears in an exploding shuttle in the second episode; Amuro Ray himself makes an appearance in episode 7 (although he doesn't say anything and is very easy to miss); in this same episode Karala refers to a nebula named the "Gundam Nebula"; and a poster of Char appears in episode 18.
  • The Ideon is portrayed as perhaps the most powerful giant robot in all anime, and possibly one of the most destructive devices in all media in terms of raw destructive power. Although it is at first, a rather humble weapon in comparison to other mecha, brandishing only an array of missiles and cannons as well as limited melee this changes gradually as the series progresses and the protagonists delve further into the Ideons' secrets. The great mech's overall performance increases to incredible heights of speed, durability, and power; even its most basic weapons increase their potency dramatically such as the cinematic "All Missiles" attack where all of the Ideon's now Ide powered missiles are launched all at once at great speeds destroying literally fleets of ships in one attack. Without a doubt, Ideon's destructive power reaches godlike status when three distinct weapons are discovered.
  • Black Hole Cannon, which as the name implies, creates a miniature black hole capable of massive destruction. So much so that the cannon devastates half the surface of an entire planet upon its initial use. While devastating, this is only the tip of the iceberg as this is Ideon's least powerful super weapon.
  • Discovered next is the Ideon's powerful Ideon Sword, a palm emitted beam of pure light which may be used as a sword. While the beam's destructive power is immense, its most peculiar quality is its length. While adjustable, the maximum length of the sword is depicted as being quite possibly infinite.
  • However, none of the Ideon's weapons can compare to the awesome destructive power of the infamous Ideon Gun, infamous due to the distinction of being quite possibly one of the most devastating attacks in anime history. A massive blue cannon constructed during the Solo Ship's brief stay on a moon base based off of plans uncovered on the ship, the Gun is directly powered by the Ideon's Ide energy to produce an enormous white wave of energy which destroys literally anything in its path, including starships, planets, and perhaps even galaxies. This cannon's initial use is so awesome, that it is treated as almost a bittersweet moment as the crew of both the Ideon and the Solo Ship truly begin to realize the frightening power they've uncovered.
A total contrast to its humble first foray, the Ideon's capability is nothing short of awe inspiring as well as a little scary. At one point in the series, for instance, the Ideon uses Ideon Sword to cut an entire planet in half when the Ideon's pilot Cosmo is so enraged by the inhabitant's violent execution of a beloved crew member that he retaliates with lethal force. This level of destructive power is akin to only a few other giant robots in anime, such as that of the Gunbuster series, although it can be argued when considering that the Ideon is able to battle nearly an entire planet's military force, not to mention Ideon's apocalyptic ending that its title of "Most powerful Giant Robot" is unchallenged.
  • The Ideon itself also boasts the distinction of being one of the largest mecha in anime history, standing at a whopping 105.0 meters tall. In terms of sheer size, it's fifth only to Gunbuster and Danguard Ace, both standing at 200.0 meters tall (the largest Robots yet portrayed in any anime), and Daitarn 3 and Daikengo which both stand at 120.0 meters. The largest protagonist robot in general is the SDF-1 Macross, which in robot mode stands at 1200.0 meters although if it should be counted as a ship or an actual mecha is a subject of debate. This is if you don't count the Angel 'Lilith' from Neon Genesis Evangelion, which stands over 1,000 miles tall, and whose wings nearly touch the moon.
  • In the series' conclusion, it is mildly hinted that the cast may be reborn one day in the new universe, although like the ending of Evangelion this is mostly up to the viewer's interpretation.

Cast

Character Actor Character Actor
Cosmo Yuki Yoku Shioya Bes Jordan Hideyuki Tanaka
Kasha Imhof Fuyumi Shiraishi Karala Ajiba Keiko Toda
Sheryl Formosa You Inoue Gije Zaral Kazuo Hayashi
Deck Afta Tatsuya Matsuda Banda Lotta Eiko Yamada
Moera Fatima Hideki Sasaki Rapoh Famu Unknown
Lin Formosa Keiko Yokozawa Ashura Novak Unknown
Fard Malaka Sanae Takagi Joliver Ira Shiozawa Kaneto
Harulu Ajiba Youko Asagami Doba Ajiba Takkou Ishimori
Damido Pechi Banjou Ginga Daram Zuba Shojiro Kihara
Gindoro Jinma Seizo Katou Kitty Kitten Rumiko Ukai
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