G-on Riders

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Title:	G-on Riders G-on らいだーす (Japanese)
Overall:	Buy
Keywords:	2002, Action Comedy, Artificial Girls, Bishounen, Fan Service, Harem, Kawaii, Mecha, Modern, Parody, Romance, Sci-Fi, Silly-funny, TV, Weird
Notables:	ASANO Masumi Animation - Shaft HISAKAWA Aya KURATA Masayo TAMURA Yukari
In a near future time when alien attacks have become a common event, a secret (Japanese) organization called the GRA (GRAND RIFUREKUTO AMUDO, Grand Reflect Armor) has developed a very effective defense. Using a technology developed by Dr Sanada Mio, which she calls the 'G-On', certain young students wearing glasses (hence the "G" in the title) are able to harness their strong feelings and manifest those abilities and weapons that prove effective against the alien attacking units. The GRA has sponsored an elite high school to help identify and develop the students who have this ability in the hopes that they can defend not only Japan, but also the earth from the alien invaders. A new transfer student, Yuki becomes involved in an alien attack on her first day at her new school. She proves be brave enough to directly confront the alien invader first hand in an attempt to recover her lost underwear, and while escaping, she happens to land on and meet a cute fellow student named Ichiro. During some tests, Yuki proves herself to be one of those rare individuals who has the G-On ability. So along with the other two G-On Riders, the Christian Crusader warrior, Sela-sama and the traditional Miko Shrine maiden, Yayoi-chan, they defend their school from repeated attacks of some very silly and strange alien mega-robots. 13 episodes (+1 extra episode) 1:29min Series Opening - YouTube Video

Episode Details
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 98, 99, 100, 1893

Overall	Art	Animation	Character Design	Music	Series Story	Episode Story	Reviewer

Buy 4							Stretch	#
G-on Riders I first heard of G-on Riders back when I was helping in an attempt to devise a new formula which would use keywords to select "best bets". This show was playing hell with the formula because practically every keyword available had been applied to it (they've been trimmed back considerably since then)! Yet, having finally watched it myself, I was surprised to find that the one keyword which it most brought to my mind was missing--"Silly-Funny" (that problem has been corrected). Using the dictionary, a definition of that term would be "shows which have a funny, happy, innocent tone and characters which display a distinct lack of common sense"--which seems to fit G-on Riders to a T. The "funny" aspect goes without saying. as I understand it, humor results when things happen that are not what one expects, yet in a way they still make sense. If, like so many other shows, an established formula had been closely followed, then it would be easy to predict what was coming and the humor would have to suffer. But you never know what to expect from G-on Riders!* For example, out of nowhere the Principal and alien defector Ai-chan take to composing poetry and reading it to each other--a sort of mutual admiration society. This show is hilarious in so many ways. As for a "happy, innocent tone", yes, there's a good deal of fanservice, even ecchi, going on, but it's all played for laughs, and is genuinely funny. Forgive me if I don't feel particularly guilty after watching fanservice--indeed, I found the inexperienced teenage tactics that the cast members used to attract the attention of the opposite sex to be kind of cute(maybe we need a new keyword, "Silly-Naughty-Funny"). Main character Yuki is the very definition of innocent (or is it naive?) as she remains completely oblivious to carnal thoughts. Supposedly the Earth is in danger of alien conquest, or of being destroyed altogether, but it quickly became clear to me that this was a "comedy first, action second", sort of show. After all, how seriously can you take the threat to the Earth when the "enemy" consists of a handful of adorable alien children, who need an "Andro-maid" to look after them, and are only trying to make some money anyhow? Finally, there's the "distinct lack of common sense", which is a term which could be applied to practically the entire cast--from Yuki's tactic for dealing with Riro-chan, to Pao-chan's addiction to video games, to pretty much everything the Principal does. The final episode reminded me of the way Excel Saga wrapped up--a naughty, risque episode to complete a series that wasn't particularly politically correct to begin with. I really cannot think of anything wrong with this series! The music and artwork were great. The show just "flows" beautifully, with each episode being both hilariously funny and part of a well-designed overall plotline. The plot, of course, is so bizarre that there's no need to take it seriously--one of the hallmarks of true comedy! One reviewer described Yuki and the Riders as being "largely vapid protagonists", to which I would say that taking them seriously (i.e., expecting detailed, well-developed personalities) would likewise only distract the viewer from the comedy which is this series' backbone. You can tell how seriously the show's makers were taking it from the title they gave the climactic episode--"Full Force Strawberries". There's nothing wrong with giving comedy priority over drama--especially when the comedy is handled as well as it was in G-on Riders! My favorite line: "I hate punks with cheap costumes!" --Yuki P.S: Why did I wait so long to rewatch this series? I've watched a lot of anime since the first time around, and still the cleverness, the wit, and the overall pleasing effect of this show stands out. I'm tempted to track down the names of the principal staff members of this series, and search for other titles they've worked on. Episode 14 had the jaw-dropping effect (in a good way) as I was hammered with a succession of some of the most blatantly suggestive humor I've ever seen in anime. This show will always be a favorite of mine--I'm surprised it has never been R1 licensed (maybe because a lot of the intentional stereotypes wouldn't be recognized by someone who wasn't Japanese?). G-on Riders forever! Maybe that's why so many different keywords seemed appropriate! Last updated Wednesday, January 09 2008.*

Rent 4	8	8	8	8	8	9	Jan-Chan	#
G-on Riders (posted November 2004) After a first watch, I was ready to take a proverbial torch to this series, but the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that I had really missed the mark. This series was in fact a well-written and very understated (subtle or stealth) parody. While the writers don't go out of their way to call attention to what they are doing, but they have (gleefully) pillaged, plundered and plagiarized most all of this stories thematic elements and plot concepts from so many other series. When I watched G-On Riders for a second time, I was able to find a strong measure of humor and whimsy at their cleverness, and I found it to be very fun (if only just watch for what I could recognize what came from so many other anime series), and as long one does not take it with ANY measure of seriousness, you might be able to laugh along with the story. This series is just too difficult to try to describe in any coherent manner, so please permit me just babble along for a bit. Yuki is invited to attend a special high school where she meets a cute boy and a couple of other friends, and they have a number of adventures. And then everyone in the series falls in love with someone else, which usually means with Ichiro, who is the typical girl-shy-repressed-high-school student - who is really in love with Yuki - not that she has a clue. And the pervert of high school principle wants to be in love with everyone, not that anyone really likes him. So while all of the good guys are teenagers, the bad guys are a female trio of aliens, who look and behave like twelve-year-olds, (Pao-chan, the cat-eared-girl is really kawaii!!!) but we all know that twelve-year-old girls can't really be bad, and so they are probably just misunderstood. But they do create some very cute giant robots with which to attack the school. And the bad-girl-trio have Zero, a really sexy android-maid who is really strong and who succeeds in defeating the three G-On girls, so Ichiro has to reveal that he is really is a cyborg, and who can transform into the ultra-manly Cosmo-Banchou, wearing a cool black trench coat and peaked cap emblazoned with the Japanese character for (VERY) MALE. Banchou confronts Zero, which activates her maiden circuit, and then she begins to have romantic feeling for him too! And thereafter when ever Ichiro gets stimulated by a cute girl (or woman or sexy android), his male circuit activates and he transforms into Cosmo-Banchou, which he is trying to hide from everyone, but since they all already know his secret, he spends a lot of time running around for nothing. We all know that the more a guy runs away, the more the girls will chase him. And when the trio of alien invaders are defeated (well, actually they becomes friends with the G-On team), it prompts the really BAD alien shows up ..... which results in a really BIG battle ..... then everyone is taken captive ...... a few more secrets are revealed ..... everyone agrees that high school principle REALLY is a pervert!! ..... WOW, the earth is going to be destroyed .... another big battle scene with lots of cute girls........then someone says Sister?.....and then we might agree oh, never mind.......and then the comes the very happy ending Right!!! (HEY!!!! I worked really hard on this review. So don't knock me!!) And there is episode number 14, in which the scriptwriters ask the question .. how ecchi can an anime episode get without being formally classified as being hentai? ... and the answer is VERY VERY ecchi. After Zero asks for a day off (which is permitted under the Cosmo-maid law #189 - one day off each year) and she wanders up to Ichiro to steal a kiss from him. This sets off Sela-chan and Yayoi-chan, who wonder if Ichiro is really into mecha-girls. They both worry to an extreme, and begin to actively chase Ichiro with the intent of seducing him with their 'natural' charms...(ECCHI!!!). So episode 14 is ecchi no, I misstated ..episode 14 is VERY ECCHI!! ECCHI!! ECCHI!!. After I understood the series, I really enjoyed it. In the first 13 episodes, there is a lot of fanservice, and even more in a suggested or implied manner..and then there is episode 14 - ECCHI!!! ..well, you have been warned. Last updated Saturday, May 28 2005.

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