Psycho Armor Govarian (サイコアーマー ゴーバリアン, saiko āmā gōbarian, also romanized as Psycho Armor Gobarian and Psychoarmor Govarian) is a Japanese anime television series created by Go Nagai. It was produced by Knack Productions and TV Tokyo. The series was originally broadcast from July 6, 1983 (1983-07-06) to December 28, 1983 (1983-12-28) in Japan.[1][2] Besides Japan, it was also broadcast in South Korea in 1988 by MBC where it was known as 사이코아머 고바리안 or 싸이코 아머 고바리안. It is also known as 海王星戰士 in Taiwan and 超能裝甲哥巴里安 in Hong Kong. The anime is considered a mix of Genma Taisen, Mazinger and Gundam.[3]
Premise
The Garadain Empire has exhausted the primary resources of their native planet, so they send different space expeditions to find a new world where to live. One of their main objectives is planet Earth. However, Zeku Alba, an alien scientist, decides to rebel against the imperial rule and flees towards the Earth, where he gathers a group of children gifted with the power of "psychogenesis", an ability that consists of creating solid matter from psychic energy.
The most gifted of the squadron is Isamu, a young orphan whose family was killed in the first attack of the Garadain Empire. He is able to generate the powerful robot Govarian, an armor with which he can battle the alien monsters and is able to regenerate thanks to the psychic energy of the pilot. Helped by two other robots created by his teammates, Isamu, aboard the robot Govarian, defends the Earth in the long war against the alien invaders.
Episodes
#
Title
Directed by
Written by
Original airdate
01
"Warrior Born In Flames" "honō no naka senshi tanjō" (炎の中戦士誕生)
Directed by : Seiji Okuda Storyboarded by : Satoru Kumazaki
Yoshihisa Araki
July 6, 1983 (1983-07-06)
02
"Psychic Power Warrior First File" "chōnōryoku senshi fāsuto fairu" (超能力戦士ファーストファイル)
Directed by : Kazuya Miyazaki Storyboarded by : Satoru Kumazaki
Yoshihisa Araki
July 13, 1983 (1983-07-13)
03
"Warrior Woman Meria’s Passionate Hatred" "josenshi meria no atsui nikushimi" (女戦士メリアの熱い憎しみ)
Directed by : Hiroshi Yoshida Storyboarded by : Satoru Kumazaki
Yoshihisa Araki
July 20, 1983 (1983-07-20)
04
"Battleground Merry-go-round" "senjō no kaiten mokuba" (戦場の回転木馬)
Kazuya Miyazaki
Hideki Sonoda
July 27, 1983 (1983-07-27)
05
"Mischievous Twins Melody" "wanpaku sōko no merodī" (わんぱく双児のメロディー)
Tatsuya Kasahara
Katsuhiko Taguchi Yoshihisa Araki
August 3, 1983 (1983-08-03)
06
"Rampaging Space Rider" "uchū no bōsō raidā" (宇宙の暴走ライダー)
Makoto Nagao
Yuji Watanabe
August 10, 1983 (1983-08-10)
07
"Our Battle" "ore tachi no tatakai" (俺たちの戦い)
Yasuo Ishikawa
Yoshihisa Araki
August 17, 1983 (1983-08-17)
08
"Buster, Vanished with the Rainbow" "niji ni kie ta basutā" (虹に消えたバスター)
Kazuya Miyazaki
Hideki Sonoda
August 24, 1983 (1983-08-24)
09
"Loving and Hating Family" "ai to nikushimi no famirī" (愛と憎しみのファミリー)
Directed by : Yuji Asada Storyboarded by : Satoru Kumazaki
Katsuhiko Taguchi
August 31, 1983 (1983-08-31)
10
"The Springtime of Atlas’s Youth" "atorasu no seishun" (アトラスの青春)
Directed by : Yoshinori Nakamura Storyboarded by : Makoto Nagao
Yuji Watanabe
September 7, 1983 (1983-09-07)
11
"Front Line in Hyperspace" "akūkan saizensen" (亜空間最前線)
Tatsuya Kasahara
Hideki Sonoda
September 14, 1983 (1983-09-14)
12
"Pursuit of Domson’s Army" "tsuigeki domuson gundan" (追撃·ドムソン軍団)
Directed by : Hiroshi Negishi Storyboarded by : Makoto Nagao
Yuji Watanabe
September 21, 1983 (1983-09-21)
13
"Fierce Battle at the Space Colony" "gekisen supēsu koronī" (激戦·スペースコロニー)
Directed by : Isao Harada Storyboarded by : Mitsukazu Yamatani
Yoshihisa Araki
September 28, 1983 (1983-09-28)
14
"Demondos Blows Up" "gaika demondosu dai bakuhatsu" (凱歌·デモンドス大爆発)
Directed by : Kazuya Miyazaki Storyboarded by : Satoru Kumazaki
Sayumi Mizunaga
October 5, 1983 (1983-10-05)
15
"Garadain’s Palace in the Mysterious Dimension" "you jigen garadain shiro" (妖次元·ガラダイン城)
Directed by : Takao Motohashi Storyboarded by : Kiyomu Fukuda
Hideki Sonoda
October 12, 1983 (1983-10-12)
16
"Escape! Love Left Behind" "dasshutsu! nokosa reta ai" (脱出!残された愛)
The head of the main mecha of the series, Govarian, is similar to the head of Mazinger Z and Great Mazinger. This was done on purpose by Go Nagai and Dynamic Planning in accordance with the demand of production company Knack. In South Korea, it was presented as being part of the Mazinger series along with Groizer X.[3] Other than that, Psycho Armor Govarian has no real relationship to any of the Mazinger series.
Opening theme: "Lonely journey" (孤独の旅路~LONELY JOURNEY~, kodoku no tabiji Lonely Journey), lyrics by Tomoaki Taka, composition by Shunji Inoe, arrangement by Neverland & Hiroki Harada (chorus), song by Tomoaki Taka.
Ending theme: "Lullaby" (ララバイ, rarabai), lyrics by Tomoaki Taka, composition by Shunji Inoe, arrangement by Neverland, song by Tomoaki Taka.
Insert song: "It's LOVE" (It's LOVE ~それは愛~, It's LOVE ~sore wa ai~), lyrics by Tomoaki Taka, composition by Shunji Inoe, arrangement by Tatsumi Yano, song by Tomoaki Taka. This theme is used in the last episode.
Insert song: "Yuhi no Omoi" (夕陽の想い, Yūhi no Omoi, translated as "Thought of the sunset"), lyrics by Tomoaki Taka, composition by Shunji Inoe, arrangement by Tatsumi Yano, song by Tomoaki Taka.
"Lonely Journey" and "Lullaby" have been used in several music collections in arranged versions sung by Hironobu Kageyama.
Media
Home video
The series was released in VHS format during the 1980s in 6 volumes by RCA Columbia Pictures Home Video Japan.[6] In 2006-03-25 a DVD-box set containing the whole series was released by the company Japanese company BM3 with the standard number OHK-27.[7][8]
During Otakon 2018 on August 12, Discotek Media announced a 1-disc SD on BD release of the entire series for a future release.[9]
Picture books and manga
Besides the main TV series, two series of picture books were released, one by Shogakukan and the other by Asahi Sonorama.[10] Also a short manga serialization, with the art of Tatsuo Yasuda (another pen name of Tatsuya Yasuda), was published in the children's manga magazine Yoiko published by Shogakukan from August 1983 (1983-08) to February 1984 (1984-02).[10][11]
Toys
Some toys and action figures based in the robots of the series were released, including several South Korean bootleg versions.[12] The official figures were made by the company Poem.
Soundtracks
Four vinyl records were released during 1983 by King Records. The first one, an EP called Psycho Armor Govarian - Lonely Journey, contains the opening and ending theme, both of them performed by the Japanese group Neverland.[13] The second EP, called Psycho Armor Govarian - It's LOVE, contains the themes "It's LOVE" and "Yuhi no Omoi". Also performed by Neverland, both themes have lyrics by Tomoaki Taka, composition by Shunji Inoe, arrangement by Tatsumi Yano and are sung by Tomoaki Taka.[14][15] The last two are full LP album containing the BGM of the series and the opening and ending themes.[16][17][18][19]
Title
Type
Artist
Standard number
Release date
Psycho Armor Govarian - Lonely journey
EP record
Neverland
K07S-3052
July 1983 (1983-07)
Psycho Armor Govarian BGM Vol.1
LP album
Tatsumi Yano
K22G-7144
September 1983 (1983-09)
Psycho Armor Govarian - It's LOVE
EP record
Neverland
K07S-3063
October 1983 (1983-10)
Psycho Armor Govarian BGM Vol.2
LP album
Tatsumi Yano
K22G-7173
December 1983 (1983-12)
The opening and ending songs of the series are included in several CD compilations of anime series.
Title
Label
Standard number
Release date
Nagai Go Hero Densetsu: Kotetsu Majin Hen
First Smile Entertainment
FSCA-10204
January 17, 2002 (2002-01-17)
Nagai Go Hero Densetsu: Kijin Sugosen Hen
First Smile Entertainment
FSCA-10210
February 20, 2002 (2002-02-20)
Super Robot Tamashii The Best Vol.1: Super Robot Hen
Be! Smile
BSCH-30001/2
October 22, 2003 (2003-10-22)
Super Robot Tamashii The Best Vol.2: Super Robot Hen 2
Be! Smile
BSCH-30003/4
November 19, 2003 (2003-11-19)
Getter Densetsu + 10: The Legends of GETTER
Be! Smile
BSCH-30013
March 10, 2004 (2004-03-10)
Kageyama Hironobu Best & Live
Be! Smile
BSCH-30014
April 7, 2004 (2004-04-07)
Super Robot Tamashii The Instrumental: Super Robot & Real Robot Hen Vol.1
Be! Smile
BSCH-30030
December 1, 2004 (2004-12-01)
Super Robot Spirits Shudaika Best Collection
Be! Smile
BSCH-30037
July 6, 2005 (2005-07-06)
Nagai Go Dynamic!! The chronicle
Be! Smile
BSCH-30040
December 21, 2005 (2005-12-21)
The Best!! Super Robot Spirits: Super Robot Studio Recordings
Be! Smile
BSCH-30063/6
July 11, 2007 (2007-07-11)
Super Robot Spirits: Non stop mix Vol.3
Be! Smile
BSCH-30086
July 9, 2008 (2008-07-09)
The Best!! Super Robot Spirits: The Best Karaoke songs
^ ab"Picture book". Psycho Armor Govarian (in Japanese). Japan. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
^"Kokusai Kodomo Toshokan e". Go Hon Tankyu Nisshi (in Japanese). Japan: Go book quest. 2003-08-19. Archived from the original on 2012-09-29. Retrieved 2009-06-01.
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