| Type: | tv series |
| Director: | Seiji Okuda |
| Music: | Tatsumi Yano |
| Studio: | Knack Productions |
| Network: | MegaTON (TV Tokyo) |
| First: | July 6, 1983 |
| Last: | December 28, 1983 |
| Episodes: | 26 |
| Type: | manga |
| Author: | Go Nagai |
| Illustrator: | Tatsuo Yasuda |
| Publisher: | Shogakukan |
| Demographic: | Children |
| Magazine: | Yoiko |
| First: | August 1983 |
| Last: | February 1984 |
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 to in Japan.[1] [2] Besides Japan, it was also broadcast in South Korea in 1988 by MBC[3] where it was known as Korean: 사이코아머 고바리안 or Korean: 싸이코 아머 고바리안. It is also known as Chinese: 海王星戰士 in Taiwan and Chinese: 超能裝甲哥巴里安 in Hong Kong. The anime is considered a mix of Genma Taisen, Mazinger and Gundam.[4]
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.
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. Other than that, Psycho Armor Govarian has no real relationship to any of the Mazinger series.
Source(s)
"Lonely Journey" and "Lullaby" have been used in several music collections in arranged versions sung by Hironobu Kageyama.
The series was released in VHS format during the 1980s in 6 volumes by RCA Columbia Pictures Home Video Japan.[7] 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.[8] [9] During Otakon 2018 on August 12, Discotek Media announced a 1-disc SD on BD release of the entire series for a future release.[10]
Besides the main TV series, two series of picture books were released, one by Shogakukan and the other by Asahi Sonorama.[11] 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 to .[12]
Some toys and action figures based in the robots of the series were released, including several South Korean bootleg versions.[13] The official figures were made by the company Poem.
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.[14] 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.[15] [16] The last two are full LP album containing the BGM of the series and the opening and ending themes.[17] [18] [19] [20]
| Title | Type | Artist | Standard number | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psycho Armor Govarian - Lonely journey | EP record | Neverland | K07S-3052 | |
| Psycho Armor Govarian BGM Vol.1 | LP album | Tatsumi Yano | K22G-7144 | |
| Psycho Armor Govarian - It's LOVE | EP record | Neverland | K07S-3063 | |
| Psycho Armor Govarian BGM Vol.2 | LP album | Tatsumi Yano | K22G-7173 | |
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 | |||
| Nagai Go Hero Densetsu: Kijin Sugosen Hen | First Smile Entertainment | FSCA-10210 | |||
| Super Robot Tamashii The Best Vol.1: Super Robot Hen | Be! Smile | BSCH-30001/2 | |||
| Super Robot Tamashii The Best Vol.2: Super Robot Hen 2 | Be! Smile | BSCH-30003/4 | |||
| Getter Densetsu + 10: The Legends of GETTER | Be! Smile | BSCH-30013 | |||
| Kageyama Hironobu Best & Live | Be! Smile | BSCH-30014 | |||
| Super Robot Tamashii The Instrumental: Super Robot & Real Robot Hen Vol.1 | Be! Smile | BSCH-30030 | |||
| Super Robot Spirits Shudaika Best Collection | Be! Smile | BSCH-30037 | |||
| Nagai Go Dynamic! | The chronicle | Be! Smile | BSCH-30040 | ||
| The Best! | Super Robot Spirits: Super Robot Studio Recordings | Be! Smile | BSCH-30063/6 | ||
| Super Robot Spirits: Non stop mix Vol.3 | Be! Smile | BSCH-30086 | |||
| The Best! | Super Robot Spirits: The Best Karaoke songs | Be! Smile | BSCH-30094/7 |
Besides its series related media, Govarian has appeared in other media. The most prominent is its appearance in the clips that were included at the end of the DVDs of Shin Getter Robot tai Neo Getter Robot. Govarian appears alongside Great Mazinger, Venus A, Getter Robot G, Kotetsu Jeeg, God Mazinger and Groizer X to rescue Mazinger Z and Aphrodite A, but are defeated and in turn saved by Shin Getter Robot and Grendizer just before the arrival of Mazinkaiser.