Mighty Orbots - The 1984 animated series

November 30, 2020

Mighty Orbots (in the original Japanese マイティ・オーボッツ, Maiti Ōbottsu) is an American and Japanese animated series of super robots from 1984, created thanks to a joint collaboration between the animation studio TMS Entertainment and Intermedia Entertainment in association with MGM / UA Television .

The animated series was directed by seasoned anime director Osamu Dezaki and features Akio Sugino's character designs. The series aired from September 8, 1984 to December 15, 1984, Saturday morning in the United States on ABC.

History

Mighty Orbots was developed from an idea pitched by Fred Silverman, possibly in response to the popularity of other robot-related properties. The original six-minute "pilot" featured a slightly different version of Mighty Orbots called Broots (pronounced "Brutes"). Rob and Ohno looked similar to their "finished" selves, although definitely more similar in the late 70s.

The Orbots, while having the same names as the finished product, are slightly different and obviously unfinished. Their combined form aka “Super-Broots” would also go through further developmental evolution before becoming Mighty Orbots. It was produced by Tokyo Movie Shinsha and Intermedia Entertainment in association with MGM / UA Television for both the United States for television broadcast and for Japan via home video.

Unlike many other shows of its kind, Mighty Orbots wasn't simply a translated Japanese import. The series was directed by veteran of the anime industry Osamu Dezak. The storyboard of Dezaki's brother, Satoshi Dezaki, the character designs of Akio Sugino and the animation of Shingo Araki.

The main theme song used in the introduction of the show and throughout the series was created by Steve Rucker and Thomas Chase, with lead vocals provided by Warren Stanyer. The music was composed by Yuji Ohno.

The series only lasted a season of thirteen episodes, mainly due to a lawsuit between the show's creators and toy manufacturer Tonka, who accused them of causing confusion in the brand with the "Mighty Robots, Mighty Vehicles" ad campaign. of their GoBots franchise.

The episodes aired on ABC and some episodes were later released on VHS by MGM / UA Home Video. Despite its short duration, the series today has a dedicated fan base. The narration of the series was done by voice actor Gary Owens, who was the voice of Hanna-Barbera's Space Ghost in the 60s and Dynomutt, the straight man of Dog Wonder Blue Falcon in the late 70s.

Production

The 23rd century, the future is a time of robots and aliens. The people of Earth have joined with several other peaceful alien races to promote peace across the galaxy, forming the United Planets. As part of the United Planets, the Galactic Patrol - a body of law enforcement - works to maintain order, under the leadership of Commander Rondu.

However, a powerful criminal organization called SHADOW is trying to destroy both the Galactic Patrol and the UP Led by Lord Umbra, a huge cyborg computer, SHADOW employs sinister agents and incredible plans to attack and one day rule over all corners of the known galaxy. .

There is one thing that helps fight SHADOW: Ingenious inventor Rob Simmons - secretly a member of the Galactic Patrol - creates six special robots that can use their unique powers to fight against Umbra's forces. Together, these robots can team up to form a giant robot called Mighty Orbots, to fight for truth, justice and peace for all.

Mighty Orbots is one of the few Saturday morning cartoons to have a definite series finale: the final episode, "Invasion of the Shadow Star," ends with a sequence in which the homeworld SHADOW is destroyed and the arch-villain Umbra defeated "once and for all."

This differs from most other animated series, where the villain always ran off to fight another day.

Characters

Hero characters

Rob Simmons - A brilliant inventor and scientist, he is the creator of Mighty Orbots and as such is also a secret member of the Galactic Patrol. In general, he poses as a mild-mannered robotic engineer and fumbles around his lab complex (in an unnamed location) on Earth, but when needed, he uses a transformation matrix to change out of his normal lab clothes - called the Omni-Suit - in the uniform and helmet of his alter-ego, the Orbot Commander. It is from this alternate person that the rest of the Galactic Patrol publicly knows about him, including Dia. Only Commander Rondu knows that bespectacled Rob and heroic Orbot commander are one and the same.
Rob has curly blonde hair and blue eyes. He can summon Orbots from their charging chambers with a remote signal from a device he wears on his wrist. Drive the Beam Car; a special vehicle that acts as a "command center" when linked within the central body of Mighty Orbots. From there, he and Ohno can fire Mighty Orbot with maximum effectiveness in battle.
Voiced by Barry Gordon (English) and Yū Mizushima (Japanese)

Commander Rondu - The main leader of the Galactic Patrol, Rondu is of a race of alien humanoids who somewhat resemble Earth humans (except he has almond-shaped eyes and pointed ears, similar to archetypal fantasy elves; could also be a reference to the species Vulcan from Star Trek). Rondu is a calm and wise leader and, as he appears throughout the series, has been in charge of the Galactic Patrol for many years. He serves alongside his daughter, Dia, who serves as a senior officer. Only Rondu knows the secret identity of the Orbot commander, as well as the six robots (who apparently also have a dual identity).
Rondu has long silver-white hair and facial hair and gray-white eyes. It exhibits formidable psychic powers; something that must be the key to his race (since a space pirate named Shrike wanted to use his "unique life force" to power a super weapon in the episode "Raid on the Stellar Queen").
Voiced by Don Messick (English) and Shozo Hirabayashi (Japanese)

Day - A senior officer and agent of the Galactic Patrol, Dia serves under the command of her father and is considered one of the "best" agents in the force. She is a good spaceship pilot and warrior, but occasionally finds herself in danger, needing to be rescued by Mighty Orbots. He has a charm and apparent love interest in the Orbot commander, but he doesn't see his alter ego, Rob, as anything more than a good friend and fellow peacemaker (he is unaware that Rob and the Orbots commander are the same).
Dia has long silvery white hair and dark eyes. In addition to being highly skilled in combat, stunts, and flying ships, Dia often captures SHADOW's agents in a force field projector stored in a bracelet on his left arm. It is never said if he has the same psychic powers as his father. It is mentioned in “Operation: Eclipse,” however, when she volunteers to help her father in the mental battle with Dreneon, who is a member of the same race that works for Shadow.
Voiced by Jennifer Darling (English) and Atsuko Koganezawa (Japanese)

The Orbots

Ohno - The first robot on the team, so named for its propensity to exclaim "Oh, no!" and most likely most important of all, Ohno resembles a small girl in size and demeanor with the "hen" personality of a bossy little sister that can often get on Rob and others' nerves. Exuberant, yet supportive in his role as Rob's assistant, Ohno helps keep the lab and the rest of the team running. Sometimes she feels neglected and unappreciated, but through thick and thin she's always there to lend a hand to the team (and a grouch when needed).
Ohno's primary colors are pink, red and white. When Mighty Orbots forms its gestalt form, it is Ohno who completes the final circuit "link" that allows the full power of the giant robot form to kick in. Without this vital piece, Mighty Orbots cannot become fully functional (a flaw that was once exploited by Umbra under the machinations of the Shadow Agent named Plasmus, in the episode “The Wish World”). If necessary, Ohno can operate the controls himself for basic functions, but the combat is simply too demanding without the commander on board. Ohno also carries the necessary repair tools and reload kit if Orbots are caught out of this world away from their basic reload chambers.
Voiced by Noelle North (English) and Miki Ito (Japanese)

Tor - A conceited and portly male robot with a voice like Link Hogthrob, he is the strongest of the five team members. Although very often described as somewhat slow and with a high opinion of himself, Tor has had the ability to think down to earth during battles with SHADOW monsters and henchmen. Kind and sympathetic to his friends, albeit often with a good-naturedly selfish macho attitude that annoys his teammates, Tor is sometimes the de facto leader (when Rob - as commander of the Orbots - doesn't lead them directly at the time. ), but will take inspiration from others when the situation deserves it.
Tor's primary colors are silver, red, and blue. When forming the gestalt form of Mighty Orbots, Tor retracts his arms and legs into himself to form the central body and head.
Voiced by Bill Martin (English) and Tessho Genda (Japanese)

Bort - A lean, skinny male robot with a nervous personality and a voice like Lou Costello, he is the only member of the team who is the most useful because he was built with quick-change circuits and other abilities that allow Bort to literally reconfigure himself. in any machine or device he can think of. Often showing a lack of self-confidence, Bort is portrayed as clumsy, indecisive and depressed. However, when the chips are down, Bort always manages to win for his team.
Bort's primary colors are silver and blue. When he forms the gestalt form of Mighty Orbots, he retracts into a square unit that forms the lower right leg. While connected, he can use his quick-change circuits to change Mighty Orbot's hands into a variety of offensive and defensive weapons.
Voiced by Jim MacGeorge and Ken Yamaguchi (Japanese)

Bo - One of the three female members of the robot team, she is the most outgoing, assertive and self-confident woman on the team. Sometimes she likes to play practical jokes, but sometimes they can backfire (like when she removed Crunch's appetite chip, only to break it when they needed it in the episode “Trapped on The Prehistoric Planet”). She is a caring soul and will do what she can to support her teammates. It has the ability to manipulate the elements - fire, water, wind, etc. - to be used in a myriad of offensive and defensive effects (air turbines, water geysers, etc.).
Bo's primary colors are pale yellow and orange. When it forms the gestalt form of Mighty Orbots, it transforms to become the left arm, which forms a hand after being connected to the main body. Through his connection, he can channel his elemental powers throughout the body of Mighty Orbots.
Voiced by Sherry Alberoni (English) and Akari Hibino (Japanese)

Boo - The third female member of the team and Bo's twin sister, she is the most shy of the team and speaks softly, but can prove to be as brave as her twin in combat, even defending herself and others (especially when Boo pranks go too far). Boo has the ability to manipulate light and energy in ways that would seem "magical"; she can make herself and others invisible, create force fields, levitate objects, and even teleport. It can also channel energy to form optical illusions and holograms.
Boo's primary colors are white and yellow. When he forms the gestalt form of Mighty Orbots, he transforms to become the giant robot's right arm. Like Bo, he can channel his defensive abilities throughout the larger body, allowing him to benefit from all of its "magical" effects.
Voiced by Julie Bennett (English) and Hitomi Oikawa (Japanese)

Crunch - A robust male robot (sic "chubby") whose personality seems to be focused on one thing; in a nutshell, Crunch loves to eat. Its core ability — coupled with its steel trap-like jaws and teeth allow it to consume any available material (metal, stone, glass, circuitry, garbage, etc.) and digest it so it can be converted into energy. He is often a comic relief subject due to his eating habits. Crunch seems naïve, but he proves to have some brains, and is a good friend and a solid and supportive personality.
Crunch's primary colors are purple and black. When forming the gestalt form of Mighty Orbots, Crunch forms a square unit that forms the lower left leg. While connected, Crunch also acts as a backup power source for the giant robot and will sometimes detach so it can consume all available items to give its teammates a much-needed power boost.
Voiced by Don Messick (English) and Ikuya Sawaki (Japanese)

Bad characters

Lord Chade - The leader of SHADOW, Umbra is a huge biomechanical computer the size of a planet's core; often depicted as a large globe with a mouth, a rudimentary nose and five eyes. It is through his efforts, organizing himself through his henchmen and agents, that Chade strives to conquer the galaxy. Operating from within a huge base called the Shadow Star, which is essentially a Dyson sphere, or a shell around a star capable of capturing all available light, his network of informants and spies keeps him in the know of any development within the United Planets. The Shadow Star's weapons and defense systems are so creepy that a direct assault by Galactic Patrol forces is considered out of the question. The Shadow Star can generate so much power that it can move under Umbra's direction, and any sector of space it occupies will be totally under the Shadow's control.
Umbra himself has no real means of directly fighting his enemies, so he employs huge monsters, sinister aliens, and elaborate plans to combat the threat of the Galactic Patrol and Mighty Orbots.

draconies - A SHADOW agent, who works with Chade in a diabolical plan to discredit and defeat the Orbots. He works with a duplicate giant imposter robot, named Tobor, who resembles the assembled gestalt form of Mighty Orbots. Together, they first attack the peaceful peoples of the galaxy to make the Galactic Patrol believe that the Orbots have become evil. Then, after the Orbots were tried and sentenced to "life" on the Big Planet Prison, Draconis - who had managed to infiltrate the prison and set himself up as chief warden - would subject the Orbots to grueling, humiliating and deadly tasks that would destroy them. . However, Draconis and Tobor were exposed and eventually defeated by Dia and the Orbots.

Capt. Shrike - The leader of a band of space pirates, Captain Shrike lashes out at unsuspecting ships and travelers from within the Sargasso star cluster; where his secret base lies. He fought against the Mighty Orbots after hijacking a ship of the line, the Stellar-Queen, to use his hyperdrive engine along with Commander Rondu's life force to create a super weapon.
Shrike uses a cyber eye to control her Master Computer, as well as stun her enemies with a stasis beam. Using her Master Computer, Shrike used Rondu's life force to create a creature called Titan (who looked like a Japanese Oni), to fight the Mighty Orbots.
Shrike was the only villain who wasn't a SHADOW member.

plasma - A shape-shifting alien, Plasmus was ordered by Chade to find a weak spot in Mighty Orbots so that SHADOW could destroy them. Plasmus discovered that Ohno was a key to Mighty Orbots' power, after tricking her into traveling to the World of Wishes, where she was transformed into a human girl. Plasmus later fought the Mighty Orbots in the Emerald Nebula in an attempt to defeat them, but was pushed into a hyperbend and was never seen again.
Plasmus could change his form to resemble any kind of non-robotic life form. Mostly it traveled as a mass of gaseous, green / white vapor, which is what appeared as it transformed. Additionally, it could tap into energy and matter to increase its strength and mass exponentially.

Episodes

Magnetic Menace (September 8, 1984, written by Michael Reaves and Kimmer Ringwald) - Bo and Boo go to see robot rock stars Dragos and Drax in concert, unaware that they are SHADOW agents.
The Wish World (September 15, 1984, written by Michael Reaves) - Ohno worries that Rob doesn't like her because she is a robot and travels the Wishworld to become human.
Trapped on the prehistoric planet (September 22, 1984, written by Marc Scott Zicree) - Agent SHADOW Mentallus lures the team into a world populated by deadly monsters.
The Dremloks (September 29, 1984, written by Michael Reaves) - SHADOW takes control of the minds of a race of Ewok-like aliens.
Devil's Asteroid (Oct 6, 1984, written by Buzz Dixon) - The Mighty Orbots are framed as raging threats and sent to Devil's Asteroid Prison for 999 years of hard labor.
Raid on the Stellar Queen (October 13, 1984, written by Marc Scott Zicree) - Luxurious ocean liner The Stellar Queen is captured by pirates as Bort struggles to feel worthless on the team.
The Jewel of Targon (October 20, 1984, written by David Wise) - While on patrol, Bo, Bort and Crunch find a beautiful gem and Bo decides to return home to Earth, unaware of its deadly secret.
The Phoenix Factor (October 27, 1984, written by Donald F. Glut and Douglas Booth) - A number of machines, including Ohno, have been infected with a virus that drives them mad.
Leviathan (November 3, 1984, written by David Wise) - SHADOW took control of a huge whale named Leviathan to steal the solar sphere from his underwater grave.
The Cosmic Circus (November 17, 1984, written by Donald F. Glut and Douglas Booth) - The Orbots infiltrate a circus used by Umbra by posing as The Flying Robotis.
A Tale of Two Thieves (November 24, 1984, written by Buzz Dixon) - Crunch befriends a boy (The Kid) unaware that the child is working with a thief (Klepto) who stole the Proteus Pod with the intention of selling it to SHADOW.
Operation Eclipse (December 1, 1984, written by Marc Scott Zicree) - Rondu's old friend Drennen meets the Orbots and claims he has a way to stop the Umbra. But does it have an ulterior motive?
The Invasion of the Shadow Star (December 15, 1984, written by Michael Reaves) - The Orbots stumble upon projects from another robotic team and fear being replaced. They decide to fight the Umbra alone, at the risk of their own lives.

Technical data

Gender Adventure, Comedy, Mecha
Author Barry Glasser
Anime television series
Regia osamu dezaki
Product George Singer, Tatsuo Ikeuchi, Nobuo Inada
Written Michael Reaves
Music Yuji Ohno
Studio MGM / UA Television, TMS Entertainment, Intermedia Entertainment
Licensed: Warner Bros. (via Turner Entertainment Co.)
Original network ABC
Transmission date 8 September 1984 - 15 December 1984
Episodes 13