Goliath the Super Fighter

Synopsis

Five teenagers from Edo City go to a strange rocky island, where they uncover the mecha that Doctor Hoarai had been developing to defend against an imminent invasion by a race of subterranean rock people. The scientific community had mocked Doctor Hoarai for his warnings that such an attack would occur. The teenagers decide to help the doctor—who had died but transferred his consciousness into a computer—by piloting the vehicles and protecting Earth. Thus, the Gowapper 5 Godam team is formed! With the giant combat robot Godam at their side, the Gowapper team, led by Yoko Misaki, must confront the endless ranks of the inhuman subterranean beings.

Background

Gowapper was the first super robot anime to feature a female as the leader and main character. The concept of a group of young adults gathering to fight evil can be seen in other Tatsunoko works such as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman and in manga written by Tatsuo Yoshida and Ippei Kuri, but as of 2008, the only other Tatsunoko production featuring a female lead is Time Bokan 2000: Kaitou Kiramekiman. Gowappa 5 Gordam has a bright theme song and light-hearted situations, but the story also includes more serious parts, and there are episodes that end on a rather bitter note.