SEISENSHI DUNBINE (Holy Warrior Dunbine) 2/5/83 - 1/21/84 Known as "Aura Battler Dunbine" in English, this fan-fave series was set in the other-dimensional land of Byston Well, a doppelganger of Earth populated by dragons, castles, kingdoms, and of course, gigantic robots. This SF-Fantasy cross-over was a huge hit among anime fans in Japan, but unfortunately, this older crowd wasn't all that interested in buying Clover's toys of the characters. SAIKYOU ROBO DAIOJYA (Strongest Robo Daiojya) 1/31/81 - 1/31/82 This early-eighties series was a throwback to earlier "super robot"-style shows. Dioja itself, which is often romanized as "Dioger," "Dioja," and "Diogia," among many others, was a giant robot created through the combination of three smaller robots. The show's general plot is loosely based on the story of Mito Koumon, a famous figure from the Tokugawa Shogunate of feudal Japan. MUTEKI KOUJIN DAITARN 3 (Invincible Man of Steel Daitarn 3) 6/3/78 - 3/31/79 Daitarn continued the colorful tradition laid out by the success of Zanbot 3, although it featured a super robot that transformed into three distinct modes ("Dai-fighter," "Dai-tank," and "Daitarn 3") rather than splitting into three vehicles. The show featured a spacy theme; the (human) main character and his family escaped from an alien concentration camp on Mars, hotwired Daitarn, and took off for Earth. Think of it as "Gone in Sixty Seconds" with robots instead of cars. Or maybe not. KIDOU SENSHI GUNDAM (Mobile Suit Gundam) 4/7/79 - 1/26/80 Considered to be one of the most influential and successful animated works ever created, Gundam is considered to be Japan's answer to the "Star Wars" franchise. Creator Yoshiyuki Tomino has said that he was inspired by Robert Heinlein's novel "Starship Troopers." Although the mechanical characters set a new standard for detail and realism at the time, the show's roots in traditional hero-robot design can be seen Gundam's bright color scheme and samurai-esque "helmet." AKUU DAISAKUSEN SRUNGLE (Outer Space Mission Srungle) 1/21/83 - 1/27/84 Conceived as a giant-robot version of the "Mission Impossible" series, Srungle featured mechanical designs so focused on realism that they resembled household appliances or construction equipment rather than giant robots. Featuring the tactical exploits of "The Gorilla," a guerilla (get it?) team for hire, Srungle featured a young Tom Cruise in his first leading role. Just kidding. MUTEKI ROBO TRYDER G-7 (Invincible Robo Tryder G-7) 2/2/80 - 1/31/81 Named for the seven gravity-defying transformations embodied in the title character. The fact that the pilot was supposed to be an elementary schooler was an interesting twist (or annoying, depending on your point of view). Although it aired in the wake of the Gundam phenomenon, Tryder G-7 was a "super" rather than "realistic" robot series. SENTOU MEKA XABUNGLE (Battle Machine Xabungle) 2/6/82 - 1/29/83 Often described as "Gundam set in the Wild West," Xabungle features the exploits of cargo-carriers battling for business and profit on Planet Zora. Relying on giant robotic vehicles called "Walker Machines" for combat, the main cast lived on board a giant transforming "landship" called Iron Gear. Xabungle was unique in that it was the first anime show to feature two (rather than the standard one) protagonist robot characters -- halfway through the series, the Xabungle robot was joined by a newly-developed robotic homeboy called "Walker Machine Galliar." MUTEKI CHOJIN ZANBOT 3 (Invincible Superman Zanbot 3) 10/8/77 - 3/25/78 The first independent production of world-famous animation house Nippon Sunrise (later known simply as "Sunrise,") Zanbot 3 is considered to have been a sort of "dry-run" for the Gundam series. Featuring spectacularly colorful and unique mechanical designs (a smaller robot called "Zanbo Ace" combined with two vehicles to form the titanic "Zanbot 3"), the fresh look and feel of the series made it a smashing success.