Overman King Gainer

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Overman King Gainer
OVERMANキングゲイナー
(Ōbāman Kingu Geinā)
Genre Adventure, Mecha
TV anime
Director Yoshiyuki Tomino
Studio Sunrise
Licensor Flag of the United States Bandai Entertainment
Network Flag of Japan Animax, WOWOW
Original run 7 September 200222 March 2003
Episodes 26

Overman King Gainer (OVERMANキングゲイナー Ōbāman Kingu Geinā?) is a 26 episode anime series written and directed by longtime animator Yoshiyuki Tomino, the creator of the Gundam series. It ran from September 7, 2002 to March 22, 2003 on Japan's WOWOW satellite network.

[edit] Plot

In Overman King Gainer, after an environmental cataclysm, much of the world's population retreated into domed cities called Domepoli, which are run by an organization known as "London IMA" (International Management Authority) and its police arm, "Saint Reagan". However, the Domepoli are maintained and supplied by privatized firms such as the "Siberian Railroad company".

"Exodus", a group that wishes to break away from the control of the railroad companies and the London IMA, is seeking the vaunted land of Japan. As the story begins, championship video game player Gainer Sanga is arrested by Siberian Railroad policewoman Adette Kisler on suspicion of being an Exodus member. Ironically he isn't, but his friends Sara Kodoma and Bero Korissh along with his schoolteacher Mamato Azav are members of the Gauri team, a local Exodus group. At the same time, Exodus mercenary Gain Bijou lets himself be arrested by the Siberian Railroad police.

In the same prison cell, Gain Bijou and Gainer escape and infiltrate the castle of Duke Medaiyu and steal an "Overman", a biomechanical giant robot, which Gainer logs into as his videogame handle: "King Gainer". As Gainer gets the hang of piloting a real Overman, he and Gain encounter shut-in Princess Anna, the Duke's daughter, who wants to see the world and people other than her tutor, Rubov Smettana. Using an annual festival presented by idol singer and co-Exodus leader, Miya Raujin, as cover, the Exodus executes their plan: take much of the Domepolis, block by block, using heavy hauler machines called Silhouette Mammoths and move them over 3000km across the Siberian tundra to Japan. As the Exodus moves out, the Siberian Railroad police chief, Yassaba Ginn, begins to mobilize his forces to stop them. Other obstacles to the Exodus are Kisler's and Jinn's subordinates Javoli Mariera, Kejinan Daddo, and Inge Gam, Siberian Railroad president Kidz Munto, Saint Reagan policemen Artham Boone and Zakki Bronco, and Overman aces Cynthia Rein and Kashimar Burleigh.

[edit] Popular reception

Overman King Gainer was a significant departure from Tomino's tendency to end some of his series with the deaths of many major characters. The series was well received and its unusual opening "King Gainer Over!" performed by Yoshiki Fukuyama (with lyrics by Tomino himself, under his Rin Iogi pseudonym and music by Kohei Tanaka, who composed all the music for the series), which features the characters and even the Overmen themselves performing the dance move known as "The Monkey", and has become a fan favorite.

[edit] External links

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