ThemechaAnime genre was once one of the biggest genres in the medium, and over the years, it has played a major role in the development of anime around the world. This saw Super Robot anime and the more militaristic Real Robot anime rule the roost in the 1970s, 1980s, and even part of the 1990s. Ironically, one of the most underrated entries combined elements of these stories with aspects seen in isekai classics.
Panzer World Galientwas the final part of a spiritual "trilogy" of mecha anime, but it was vastly different from its predecessors. Eschewingmilitaristic "Real Robot" storytelling, it was instead a fantasy mecha anime, and easily one of the best examples of this subgenre. In fact, it arguably inspired the world of a notable mecha fantasy isekai anime, despite being much more esoteric in comparison.
Panzer World Galient Is One of the Best — and Most Underrated — Fantasy Mecha of All Time
Airing for 25 episodes between 1984 and 1985,Panzer World Galientis set in the world of Arst, a medieval fantasy setting that would, in most cases, seem like an odd place for mecha action. The protagonist is Prince Jordy Volder, who is one of many who use the powerful and gigantic armors known as Panzers. Using his own armor of Panzers is the evil conqueror Marder, who seeks to control other worlds after taking over Arst. Thankfully, Jordy's panzer, the legendary Galient, is able to take on many of these opponents.
Compared to more realistic mecha likeMobile Suit Gundam,Galientwas a mecha anime in a fantasy world, and the designs reflected this. Galient and other Panzers had regal, almost knight-like designs, all while still clearlylooking like giant robots. There were even centaur-like Panzers, taking the place of knights on horseback. It helps that the animation was especially good, making these designs truly pop. The anime's story also felt analogous to many fantasy tropes, with the protagonist being an adventurous young nobleman seeking to save his land and reclaim his throne. When combined with how popular mecha anime was at the time, this should have all been a recipe for success. Unfortunately, this veritable classic has been almost completely forgotten by all but the most hardcore mecha fans.
While the popularity of the mecha genre should have been an advantage forPanzer World Galient, it also helps to explain why works such asPanzer World Galientnever took off during the heyday of mecha. By 1985, the genre was finally seeing the release ofMobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the first sequel to the original 1979 anime. This release significantly undermined the popularity of other mecha anime, and it didn't help that there had already been so many major new mecha anime by that point. After all, by that time, fans were more than aware of the kinds of tropes they expected from the genre, so it might have been hard to sell a deviation from this path.
Toy sales were not exactly massive whenGalientwas released, especially since there seemed to be a disconnect between the aims of the anime and what the sponsors for its production wanted. This was an era in which sponsors were key to producing anime, and there was already a growing culture around it.model kits for mecha anime. Again, the change in tone and subgenre ofPanzer World Galientmay have added to this, as the military toys of other mecha anime had been very successful. As a result, the production forGalientwas somewhat muddled, and its intended 50-episode run was cut short to 25 episodes. Due to these issues, it somewhat makes sense that the anime went under the radar, and it wasn't brought to the West on physical media until 2024. Nevertheless,GalientHis influence was felt in a later anime that went on to be a much bigger hit.
Panzer World Galient Foreshadowed One of the Best Isekai Ever
The isekai genre was not always so overdone in anime, and it actually saw several entries in the 1980s and 1990s that are now considered classics. In fact, the 1990s featured one ofthe most beloved isekai anime ever made, withThe Vision of Escaflownebeing a beautiful blend of genres. Featuring elements of shojo romance, mecha, fantasy and isekai, it's the quintessential combination of these archetypes and highlights each of their strengths.
The Vision of Escaflownewas inspired byPanzer WorldGalient, with the designs of the latter reflected in howEscaflowneemphasized fantasy elements. Now,Escaflowneis seen as one of the best examples of the isekai genre, showcasing how many of the previous decades' examples of these stories compare to current fare. Today's isekai are often generic in how they utilizefantasy and medieval elements, typically coming off as tired parodies of old tropes. On the other hand, works such asGalientactually made their fantasy worlds feel alive, and the same goes for Gaea inEscaflowne.
The legacy of mecha isekai lives on, with the past decade seeing the success of another example.Knight's & Magicis an oddly-named anime that perfectly combines a fantasy world with giant robots, and the protagonist is even a reincarnated mecha anime fanboy who uses his knowledge of mechs in this new world. This was likely inspired by the rise of isekai, the renewed interest in fantasy anime and the similar revival of mecha anime. While it's unlikely thatGalientWill see any sort of revival as a major brand, but it has seen a slight reappraisal, with the Blu-ray allowing fans to finally give it the attention and praise that it deserves.
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