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When you think about the future how often do you forget about the giant mecha? Never. That’s what I thought. Gad Guard and Heroic Age give you glimpses into futures filled with mecha battles!

In Gad Guard we are faced with a less-than-bright future. The worlds natural resources are slipping away and only the richest of the population get full access. With the world divided into units this story focuses on Unit Blue. In Unit Blue you find Gold Town for your rich and carefree, Day town for your average middle class, and Night town the slums of Unit Blue. In night town all electricity is shut off at midnight and doesn’t come back on until dawn. This is where the hero of our story lives. Haijiki is a young kid going to school and working as a delivery boy to help make life more comfortable for his mother and sister.

While out on a delivery Hajiki comes in contact with a gad. Hajiki’s emotions rise and react with the gad causing it to transform into a giant mecha he later names Lightning. The world of Gads opens up to Haijiki and he fights battle after battle. Katana the anti-hero of the show is defeated by Hajiki and Lightning early on. The rage and loathing of Katana’s defeat brings to life his own Technocode(mecha) named Zero. With more Gads coming together the fights get more intense forcing them to leave their childhood thoughts behind as they search for the meaning behind the Gads.
What I liked most about Gad Guard was the artwork. The mecha have a kid cartoon look but still manage a grown up refined feeling. I really liked that just by giving them human eyes they never really felt like traditional mecha. I couldn’t look at them and think of machines. They felt like sentient beings from the start and being born from increases in human emotion makes them that much more interesting.  The color palate consists of a lot of grey tones but there is occasional use of bright vibrant colors that really pop in this drab future. What I didn’t like so much was actually Hajiki. His personal story didn’t really pull me in. I loved Katana! I wish the story was more focused on him. Who doesn’t love the anti-hero?

The series comes in a lovely four disc slim box set with the clear cases for more eye candy artwork. All in all this series probably won’t make it to any of my favorites but it wasn’t a bad show. It’s fun to step outside of your normal tastes and try something you normally wouldn’t like. This definitely doesn’t fall into my normal palate of anime but I’m glad I got to enjoy it!

Heroic Age the complete series parts one and two actually rocked my world! I watched all 26 episodes straight through. I couldn’t stop! I was lucky to be on vacation otherwise…. Well you know. Bad stuff.

Long ago the Tribe of Gold created the universe. The first race to reach into space was the Tribe of Silver, then the Tribe of Bronze, then the Tribe of Heroes. The last race to reach space was the Tribe of Iron, which would be us humans. The Tribe of Gold decided to leave the universe for another but before they left they raised a human boy who had within him the Tribe of Heroes.  This is where the awesome that is Heroic Age begins.

The Tribe of Silver is now the most advanced and powerful race and has declared itself as the ultimate ruler of the universe. They don’t have much love for the Tribe of Iron and seem very determined to cause the extinction of the human race. Princess Dhianeila of the Tribe of Iron is sent on a mission to try and find humanity’s savoir, the boy raised by the Tribe of Gold. Dhianeila found Earth’s savior on a ruined planet living peacefully with his native friends. The boy they find is Age. Within him is the hero Bellcross and together they will protect and fight for the Tribe of Iron. The ultimate goal is for humanity to once again inhabit their original solar system that was taken from them as well as find the knowledge that the Tribe of Gold left behind.

I love love love this Story! Dhianeila is amazing! She can’t literally kick ass but she is a strong woman. I love strong women! Dhianeila is loved by her people and while she doesn’t want to rule she doesn’t run away from her duties. Millions of beings bowed to her and offered her assistance even when it could mean losing their life. She also had a very cool power. In the universe ships travel on starways, they’re like space highways, and if you leave one you risk being lost in space. Dhianeila can find her way through space without the starways. She spends most of the story on the astral plane watching over Age and helping to guide her ship.

Age and Bellcross are worth swooning over. Age is innocent without being dumb. He doesn’t lie or go back on his word. He is also strong. Bellcross is the hero within Age. Age is able to use Bellcross’s power to transform into a huge mecha and fight for the Tribe of Iron. The union of human and hero classifies him as a Nodos which apparently makes it possible for him to breathe and talk in space. That turns out to be a very good power.

Everything about this anime makes me giddy. There’s so much I want to tell you about but I can’t because I don’t want to ruin the story for you. The art is bright and feels dreamy. The nodos look like majestic organic monsters. They are graceful but have a jagged ferocity that fuels the battles. Probably what I truly love most about Heroic Age are the characters. There are tons of strong women. I cannot think of even one woman in the series that was not strong in some way or another. There were women fighters, healers, guardians, and rulers. Having emotion was actually praised and rewarded by the flow of the story. The thin box sets are adorned with gorgeous scenes from space and alien planets. The cases themselves showcase artwork of the characters that hint at things to come. I highly recommend getting this anime and devouring it immediately!

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