

Brave Bang Bravern!
勇気爆発バーンブレイバーン
In a world where humanoid armored weapons known as "Titatonostrider" ("TS" for short) are used in warfare, troops from various countries converge on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, including Ao Isami of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and Lewis Smith of the United States Marine Corps. Isami and Smith cross paths during battle, but suddenly, their teams are attacked by an unknown enemy, scattering soldiers and sending their forces into disarray. In order to save their friends and survive on the deadly battlefield, they must fight with every ounce of courage and pride that they can muster. (Source: Crunchyroll News, edited)
In a world where humanoid armored weapons known as "Titatonostrider" ("TS" for short) are used in warfare, troops from various countries converge on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, including Ao Isami of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force and Lewis Smith of the United States Marine Corps. Isami and Smith cross paths during battle, but suddenly, their teams are attacked by an unknown enemy, scattering soldiers and sending their forces into disarray. In order to save their friends and survive on the deadly battlefield, they must fight with every ounce of courage and pride that they can muster. (Source: Crunchyroll News, edited)
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KANLen09
March 28, 2024
Brave Bang Bravern - *OP song plays, churns up* "Bang Bang, Bang Bang, Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang, BBRRRRAAAAAVVVVEEERRRRNNNNN!!!" *Explosion SFX* You have my sincere congratulations for being part of the spiritual revival of a long dead franchise. What defines a dark horse? The Cambridge Dictionary describes it as such: "a person who is not expected to succeed in or unexpectedly wins an election, race, or other competition", or how the Mirriam-Webster Dictionary worded the definition even better: a usually little-known contender (such as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing". And in this season, get ready for a wild goose chase of a showthat will have you constantly be duped, bamboozled, bait-and-switched, especially for fans of this VERY specific theme in all of the history of its genre: Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern a.k.a Brave Bang Bravern!, in collaboration with Cygames and produced by their in-house studio, and directed by the man, not the myth, but THE legend himself: Masami Oobari. The good ol' fashioned Super Robot show is NOT dead yet, and it makes a triumphant return into relevancy! Who, if not ANYONE, saw this coming, if any AT ALL!? "When I was a kid, I wanted to be a hero. What I really wanted to be...was a Titanostrider pilot." This is the life calling of the man who belonged in the US Marine Corps's 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force: 2nd Lieutentant Lewis Smith. He is part of a joint AD-RIMPAC military exercise between the Americans and Japanese, of which he meets a close buddy that will fight alongside him for the rest of the series: 2nd Lieutentant Isami Ao of Japan's Ground Self-Defense Forces's Special Armoured Group. The two brothers who are working together, are met by fate...because out of nowhere, mysterious enemies start invading their military ground in Oahu, Hawaii, and causing everyone to burst into panic mode. You see, the normal Real Robots that both forces have, are the standard Titanostrider a.k.a TS robots, mechs that are only good from invasions to exercises in say, reconnaissance missions and the like. And these mysterious enemies? They're Deathdrives, Super Robots who rely on the power of humans to pilot them. And why do they know this? Because there is only one entity that knows this, and it's their biggest ally ever *cue Isami's "Where is that music coming from!?" Pikachu moment*: Bravern, the Superhero Robot who will be their salvation to defeating the Deathdrives. It's incredibly creative how this show has managed to hook, line and sinker everyone by being secretive until its eventual reveal. To give some context, the Brave series was a Japanese-only old school mainstream franchise which was once produced by Sunrise, made from the remnants of the failed marketing of Transformers (yes, that Michael Bay movie franchise) in Japan, which didn't really resonate all that much with its people. Instead, at the time, the toy company Takara (now Takara Tomy) and Sunrise decided to develop a new franchise, which would spawn new toy lines and a soon-astounding anime series, with the common theme being "Bravery", the interaction between the robot "Brave", who has a heart and the boy who enters its heart and bears the will of the mecha, the union of the robots, and other unique themes. There is also no direct relationship between each series in terms of world view or time, so therefore, almost all the works are different to each other in terms of themes and motif. Bear in mind that the Brave series would go on to inspire and spawn big-name franchises like Gundam with Sunrise at the helm from the 1980s to today. So then, where does the legendary director Masami Oobari stand in all of this? First of all, he's actually more known as the mecha and character designer, who's worked on shows like Ashi Production's 1983-1984 Special Armored Battalion Dorvack, the Japanese translation of Transformers (outsourced by Toei Animation to them sometimes), and Studio Pierrot's 1984-1985 Star Musketeer Bismarck as an animation director, with the big break at the age of 19 when he got his first major break of landing the role of mecha designer on the same studio (Ashi Production)'s 1985 Dancougar – Super Beast Machine God series. His signature mech designs basically carried his name throughout the mid-1980s and onwards from said Dancougar series to the various Brave series: Sunrise's 1991 series The Brave of Sun Fighbird, 1994 series The Brave Police J-Decker, and the most recent up to that point, Gonzo's 2002 to 2004 Gravion serie, which he personally created and directed the series alongside renowned mecha designer Kunio Okawara, the FIRST man in the Japanese industry to be credited as one. So, for mecha fans all around the world who are well-acquainted with the Masari Oobari name, it shouldn't really come as a surprise...or is it? When you put Masami Oobari and the spiritual Brave successor in the hands of Cygames (the company who brought you Granblue Fantasy and Princess Connect! Re:Dive to name a few), the surprises don't stop there. Even the Teaser PV released was as vague as it would get for everyone both suspecting and unsuspecting that we would be getting a new mecha project series, and just about the only clue would be the way that the title is stylized in the old-school Brave series logo of all things. But this original show does one thing and one thing only: be the biggest liar that it has ever been. Cygames has always been the company to do unorthodox things, and when the main PV dropped nearer to the anime's release, it was NOTHING of the sort, leaving people to think that it's a Real Robot show. The kicker comes when Episode 1 dropped, it BLEW up the entire social internet commentary that the show IS indeed the old-fashioned Super Robot show that Masari Oobari has been known for. At this point, you're probably wondering: "Is this it, is this all it is?", to which I say from the point of Cygames and Masami Oobari: "Do you think that our collaboration together on this original show will be as predictable as it is?" The bait-and-switch will continue, right after this. The two brothers fated for each other, Isami and Lewis Smith, parallel as they may be, they both have different ambitions as fellow military mech pilots, trying to name a name for themselves. But all of this changes when Bravern comes out of nowhere to defend the humans from the Deathdrives, and for every attack he does, he has to shout his name in the most jovial manner. The kicker is that after he saves the humans, he only acknowledges Isami and warrants him to become his pilot. Suddenly, you're being bamboozled again: this is NOT just a Super Robot, but a Super REAL Robot! The thing is, Isami is a rather reserved man who wants to deal as much damage as possible, at the cusp of as less casualties as possible, and even the most minute of the Death Stranding vibes will force him into turmoil. On the other hand, Lewis Smith embodies the fight of any typical loyal American citizen, and wants to offer himself in exchange for Isami to pilot Bravern, which he gets rejected, saying that the fusion between human and robot will be unstable...NOT knowing that his nightmares with Bravern will become a pivotal point in the series to come. Bravern himself has a fair few enemies of the Deathdrives, the one closest would have to be Superbia, the Super Robot who has been dealt by his hands and wants a re-match against him to prove supremacy. I did mention earlier that in every beating heart of the Brave, there is an entity who bears that will, and in Superbia's case, comes across a mysterious alien girl who only knows the words "Ga-ga-pi!" whom Lewis had the rather unfortunate way of getting to know her. With the help of Isami and the military's help, the young girl is deduced for not just her constant child-like annoyance, but her real intentions as Lulu, for which every Super Robot as a "Lulu" to pilot them. That alone, makes the Brave connection between mecha and pilot even more of an importance when it comes to the overarching unpredictable plot, which will keep you pumped from start to finish. Also, like every other old-school mecha series, you'd be unwise to NOT pair attacks while calling out your name, each and EVERY time, and Bravern does this to great effect. When it comes to the production, you know that when Cygames are given free rein to do whatever they want to do, they REALLY mean every single nitpick of the word, especially when it's with someone like Masari Oobari. I have long since awaited their in-house studio CygamesPictures's next work with this show, based on the fact that's proven with the anime adaptation of one of my favourite mobage games of all time: Princess Connect! Re:Dive. Anyone that has watched the series will know the bombastic, nonsense nature of the show with balls-to-the-wall striking action and beautiful animation to boot, and Brave Bang Bravern! is exactly just that and more, just splendid. Old-school mecha fans, ARISE, for your old-school opening song is dutifully respected, beautifully composed and well-crafted as a love letter to a whole genre. The feeling of anticipation when you hear Bravern's VA Kenichi Suzumura, the titular mech just singing his own song out with brilliance and gusto, singing "Bang Bang, Bang Bang, Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang, BBRRRRAAAAAVVVVEEERRRRNNNNN!!!", along with the inclusion of the SFX, which IS essential to any old-school mecha show to get its full unadulterated vibes. Bravern's OP is a banger of a song that is both the epitome of a sing-along karaoke song, and legitimately one of (if not) the best and memorable OP songs of the season. Think about how Bravern would feel if he found out that you skipped his theme song!? For the ED, it's a whole lot of close-up interactions between the VAs of Isami and Lewis, but I heavily implore you that the emotionally musical song is part of the entire story plot in and of itself, with the fact that "Is it gay to be shirtless in the rain with your homie while you both sing about your intense feelings for each other as you delicately hold hands? YES." The inherent gay-ness is on full display, but there's meaning to it and not done without reason. If you had told me that I was going to get a honest-to-good old school mecha anime in 2024, I would have thought you were INSANE. But this is THE reality, and I have nothing but praises for both Cygames and Masami Oobari in unironically creating one of the best underrated and ignored/underestimated surprise shows of the Winter 2024 season, WITHOUT A DOUBT. Literally NO ONE saw this coming, and for all its worth, I'm glad that I got to experience a childhood that I never had with the Brave series, now with its spiritual successor, thanks to Masami Oobari. Also, Crunchyroll, you may have goofed up almost missing this show out by a week, but you've redeemed yourself to let everyone watch this magnificent show about gay men expressing their feelings for one another, be it by mecha or just pure human interaction. If you're intending to watch the masterpiece that is Yuuki Bakuhatsu Bang Bravern a.k.a Brave Bang Bravern!, it's one of those anime that works best if you just jump into it with as little foreknowledge as possible. And if you do, I promise you with my 2 hands that this show will be one hell of an unforgettable ride: a literate Abridged take of the Mecha genre. "Are we ready to rock? Ga-ga-pi! Welcome to the Super Robot franchise, my friends, time to expand your catalogue with Hard Work, the Power of Friendship, and BRAVERY!" Bang Bang, Bang Bang, Bang Bang Bang Bang Bang, BBRRRRAAAAAVVVVEEERRRRNNNNN!!!" *Explosion SFX*
whiteflame55
March 28, 2024
My pick for the most surprising anime of the season. I found myself loving this one for a variety of reasons, but first, I’ve got to talk about that premise: Top Gun with aliens invading a la Independence Day but giant robot Kamina from Gurren Lagann comes to save the day. That sounds like a mess, and while it kind of is, this is a show that revels in the mess. It leans in hard as the robot Bravern diagetically blasts his theme music from its cockpit (projecting his opening animation background behind him like a boss), proclaims that his pilot Isami is its soul mate,and proceeds to devastate Death Drive alien robots (all of whom have personalities that are some variation of absurd in the best way) with abandon. It helps that Isami and many of the characters in this series are very unlike those in Gurren Lagann – they have no idea what the fuck is going on and they (aside from Lewis Smith) are not anime protagonists by nature. A small touch I love: they don’t wait for an opponent to monologue or have a problem using their full power from the get-go. The series does not let you get fully comfortable with its premise, either, as Bravern and gang face down an array of increasingly ridiculous robot foes. The number of ways this series goes sideways consistently surprises and delights. And oh man, is this show homoerotic as all hell. Those Top Gun feels come through in spades in the early parts of this series, but when that ED kicks on (easily one of the best EDs of the season), it rocks the house with two shirtless bros singing their feelings. There are so many moments where Isami and Lewis or Isami and Bravern are just having the best bro moments or, in some cases, going quite a bit further. These are some of my favorite relationships of the season, whether they’re just being bros or something more. As for the narrative, it does have direction and momentum to it, though it’s probably the most basic aspect of the series… if you can call it that. The crazy anime nonsense is on full display in some of these episodes, some of which feels over the top even for the more bombastic series. And yes, it gets dour in places, though the series never stays in the doldrums too long. Hell, even when things seem at their darkest, the only solution is to fire on all cylinders and become the impossible source of light in the darkness. Yes, this series was absolutely fine being as absurd as it could be as it kept going, and that’s as it should be. We needed some Spirit Bomb/color change/power-of-friendship/multi-fusion nonsense, and anyone who says differently just doesn't appreciate good fun. Like with similar series, it would have been pretty easy from the start to guess how this one would end, but I'd be shocked if anyone could guess what kind of wild ride it would take to get there. Just a joy from start to finish.
nanakibh
April 2, 2024
Are you a fan of shows like GaoGaiGar and Samurai Flamenco? Tiger & Bunny, perhaps? Then there's something here for you. This is a show about a 9m tall robot who is madly in love with his pilot. Which is amazing. Bravern revels in the absurdity of its own premise, taking full advantage of it at every opportunity. If there's anything to criticize about this show, it's the fact that it can feel cramped because the creators were (self-admittedly) trying to cram as much into 12 episodes as humanly possible. It's an easy flaw to forgive because it's just a sign of the passion thatwent into creating this masterpiece. I think that some might be disappointed that this isn't strictly a show about giant robots. Don't be mistaken, it's definitely a show about giant robots. But it's also a story about a love that transcends time and space. You might be surprised, but it's impossible to make it through all 12 episodes without acknowledging that the fulcrum of the show is the explicitly romantic relationship between its two main male characters. While their relationship is frequently a source of humor, the jokes never feel meanspirited even once. It's treated with sincerity from start to finish. It was a truly refreshing watch in that regard. I think that it's best to go into Bravern without knowing anything. Its twists and turns are half of the fun. However, it definitely tries to fool you into thinking that it's JUST a serious military drama at first, which it isn't. Don't be fooled by the main keyart filled with beautiful women, either. They're in the show, but their screentime is miniscule compared to the male leads. This is a great show to watch twice. Once you learn its major twist, the whole show can be viewed with different eyes. All I can do is applaud the writers for their attention to detail. Who is this show for? I'm not sure. But it was definitely for me.
Klabautermann
March 30, 2024
For the love of god, please watch this fucking masterpiece. Peak animation, peak over-the-topness, peak comedy. Everything you ever wanted to get out of a mecha anime, parodied to hell and back and packed into twelve extremely easy to watch episodes that will leave you craving more. All that being said, god-forbid you try to take anything too seriously or question the plot too much - it's entirely not what the anime wants from you. Sit back and enjoy how much this title seems to indulge the goofiness of itself and anime as a genre. There is little I can say the other reviews haven't pointedout in the terms of content, so I'll wrap it up with a single sentence - Top gun meets mecha while subtle homoerotic tones shift into full on gay tension, and boy oh boy is every second of it a treat for every one of your senses. At the time of writing this, it only just wrapped up, but God I hope this one becomes a cult classic. It's like nothing I've ever seen in anime, and chances are something like this will never be made again. Much like its title implies, the creators decided to gather their courage, and man did they wrap this up with a bang. Even if it turns out not to be your cup of tea, you'll be able to appreciate it all, from story and characters to sound and animation, because it shows: everything in here was made with love.
JJMFREAP
February 17, 2025
The best way I can describe this anime is as follows - I'm not sure what the hell I just saw, but I am sure that I liked it! Bang Bravern is just a bundle of fun dipped in weirdness so if you just wanna kick back with some giant robot fun, look no further. You've heard of cute girls doing cute things and (hopefully) also of BIG MEN DOING MAN SHIT. Well, this can best be described as BIG MECHS DOING MECH SHIT. Right, you know how the saying goes that if you took Fist of the North Star and dipped it in pure unfiltereduncontaminated Gay, you'd get JoJo's Bizarre Adventure? Well, if you took Gundam and gave it a homosexual treatment of comparable potency, you'd get Bang Bravern. I have no idea why this anime is so aggressively gay. I don't mean that as a criticism by the way and I'm not calling this woke or anything. It's just an objective observation. I can definitely tell that all the gayness was included because the creators felt it appropriate, not because of some ulterior motive. There was an actual boys love anime airing the same season as this and it got outgayed by Bravern. It must be some cruel joke that the creators filled this anime with many cute girls and then made every single male vehemently gay. I really don't know what else to say about this, it's just what it is. Take of this what you will in whichever hole you prefer. On the story itself, I always like to say, in order for anything involving mecha to be good, it has to be built on the fundamental concept that giant robots are fucking cool. I can confidently say that Bravern fits that criteria. It's evident that the creators of this love mecha and are very well acquainted with a lot of the cliches and stereotypes about them. So instead of fighting it, they embraced it and went full ham. They made the mechiest mecha show ever and added enough humour to show that they're self-aware about it. The show relishes in its own absurdity and that's a huge part of what makes it so fun. Plus, the bond between a pilot and his mech is a common topic among these stories, but I don't believe I've ever seen one about the mech and the pilot being gay lovers that are into each other and the whole thing playing out as some unholy mix between saving the world and saving a relationship. Points for originality I guess. The story at times is very stupid in the best of ways and at others it somehow loops back to being somewhat poignant somehow. Whatever it is, despite the experience intentionally riffing on cliches, it actually stayed shockingly unpredictable from beginning to end, keeping you on your toes both for its plot twists and ridiculous punchlines. On a technical level, the anime is superb. The animation is top quality, using some spectacular 3D animation for all the mech stuff and some nice expressive 2D for the character moments. The two also blend together really nicely. There's some really competent direction here too with some great shot composition, transitions and scenes. Almost every episode has some throbbing action to keep the adrenaline and other fluids flowing and each action scene was executed very well. Sounds are adequately punchy in that characteristic sci-fi way. The music was pretty awesome, especially the opening and ending, which will both definitely get stuck in your head like gay propaganda for months to come. The voice acting is stellar too. From the crisp homoerotic chemistry of the main cast, to the bombastic taunts of the mechs to Lulu's autistic screeches, it's all perfect for the story. I loved Mechjiro Tsuda, he was my favourite. Overall, if you're coming in here expecting a serious, philosophical tale about war and collaboration, boy is this gonna be a rude awakening. Bang Bravern is just a new unique twist on what we all know and love about mecha anime, embraced to the fullest. When we imagine our dream mecha in our minds and what it can do, we imagine Bravern. Well, probably marginally less gay, but I digress. Point is, this anime was designed for fun first and foremost and at that it succeeds with flying colours. Rainbow colours probably. CyGames are showing once again that despite mostly animating utter nonsense, they are a shockingly competent studio with loads of talent and skill under their belts. Just thinking that this studio is gonna bless us with the peak that is Kagurabachi soon makes me quake with anticipation. Godspeed, you fabulous bastards! BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BUREIVAAAAAAAAAAN!
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