, also known as The Unchallengeable Daitarn 3, is a Japanese anime television series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino and Hajime Yatate, and animated by Sunrise. It was first broadcast on Japanese TV in 1978. The series lasted for 40 episodes. The opening theme Come Here! Daitarn 3 is sung by Makoto Fujiwara. Despite being moderately successful in Japan, the series became very popular abroad, especially in Italy during the early 1980s.
Between 1989 and 1992, Tomino wrote several spin-off novels, which are collectively known as the .
Plot
Sōzō Haran was a brilliant scientist who was conducting research on Mars. He created a form of cyborg life with the ability to think for itself. These cyborgs, dubbed the , soon ran out of control and killed Dr. Haran along with his whole family, save his youngest son, the 16-year-old Banjō Haran. Banjō escapes from Mars on a rocket with a solar-powered super robot called Daitarn 3, which was built with the special metals of Mars. Now 18 years old and living on Earth in a luxurious mansion, Banjō fights against the Meganoids and their leader, Don Zauser and his second in command Koros, with the aid of his faithful butler Garrison, his two gorgeous companions, Reika and Beauty, and an orphan boy named Topo. Together they must stop the evil Meganoids which aspire to turn all humans into cyborgs and thus "improve" the human race.
History
Some of the staff fresh from Zambot 3 worked with Tomino on the Daitarn 3 project. The suave nature of the hero, Banjō Haran, was a direct attempt at capturing some of the spirit of the James Bond movies, which can be seen in the fact almost as much action takes place with Banjo, Reika Sanjō (ex-Interpol agent) and Beautiful Tachibana (also called "Beauty") playing superspies as Banjō fighting against Meganoid robots in Daitarn 3. Other important characters were Garrison Tokida, Banjo's trusted butler, and Toppo, a comic-relief character who gets rescued from a Meganoid-hijacked city block in Episode 2, and then stays with Banjō and company for no apparent reason.
The presence of faithful and reliable butler Garrison is a homage to Batman's character Alfred and others in similar American superhero series.
An interesting point to note is a light comedic element running through the whole series – the Meganoid foot soldiers exert some of their own personality with witty banter, bringing a fresh change to the silent drones which permeated super robot series previously.
Characters
Main characters
Meganoids
, also spelled Don Zauther, Don Zauker, and Don Zaucer.
Other characters
Daitarn 3
Height: 120 meters. Weight: 800 tons Power Source: Solar Energy-powered Pulse Ion Engine.
Weapons
Daitarn Zanber: A pair of swords stored in the legs. Daitarn Fan: A pair of fans used to deflect enemy projectiles. Daitarn Javelin: A forked javelin stored in the left leg. Daitarn Hammer: A mace on a chain stored in the left leg. Daitarn Missile: Missiles launched from within the pelvis. Daitarn Snapper: A pair of grappling claws on hooks stored in the hips. Daitarn Web: The star on Daitarn 3's torso that can be used like a boomerang. Cross Dart: Energy nets stored in the hands. Sun Laser: A red solar laser from the forehead orb. Daitarn Cannon: A cannon in each foot. Daitarn Barrier: A solar powered force field Sun Attack: This attack is usually followed by the "Daitarn Crash" (Daitarn finishes the enemy with a flying downward kick). Sun Attack Scattershot: A modified version of the Sun Attack, which attacks at a weaker but wider arc capable of destroying large numbers of lesser enemies.
Alternate forms and vehicles
Daifighter: Daitarn's plane/spaceship form. Can reach speeds of near light speed while in space. Armed with rockets from the wings, a pair of missile launchers, twin lasers, and a powerful laser on the front called the Daitarn Laser. Length: 80 meters. Width: 50 meters. Max Speed: Mach 20. Daitank: As the name suggests, the tank-like form of Daitarn. Armed with a pair of cannons called the Double Cannon, a missile launcher on each side, and a shuriken called the Daitarn Web. Length: 80 meters. Mach Patrol: Banjō's police cruiser-like car which can transform into a plane resembles Ford Thunderbird MK6. When in plane form, it is referred to as the Mach Attacker. As Mach Attacker it has a pair of bladed wings called the Mach Blades and balloon-like mines from its rear called the Mach Balloons. As Mach Patrol it can release spikes called the Mach Picks and has a remote controlled box that contains firearms.