By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)
Sunrise’s animated series Panzer World Galient (機甲界ガリアン) is being released in Japan on Blu-ray for the very first time. The 25 episode series that originally aired on Nippon Television from 1984 to 1985 and spawned 3 original video animations (OVA) will be sold as part of a 5 double-sided disc box set. Galient has been previously released on DVD, first in 2008 as part of the “Anniversary” release and again in 2011 as part of Emotion’s “the best of” series. But this is the first time Galient episodes will be taken from the source tapes and remastered in high definition. All 25 episodes of the series plus the three OVAs (Earth Chapter, Sky Chapter and Crest of Iron) will be included in the Blu-ray box set.
Galient was directed by Ryōsuke Takahashi (Ozuma), written by Sōji Yoshikawa (Cyborg 009) with mechanical designs by Yutaka Izubuchi (WXIII: Patlabor the Movie 3). Both Takahashi and Yashikawa worked on the Armored Trooper VOTOMS series that premiered the year before. Galient‘s opening and ending themes were composed and performed by EUROX, a progressive Japanese rock band formed in 1984.
By James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)