Brave series facts for kids

The Brave series (also known as Yūsha shirīzu in Japanese) is a popular Japanese toy and anime series. It was first made by Takara (now Takara Tomy) and animated by Sunrise. This series ran from 1990 to 2000. It created eight main TV shows, plus other things like special videos (OVAs), toys, and collectibles. The Brave series was very important in the 1990s. It helped bring back the "Super Robot" type of anime to many people in Japan.

Today, Bandai Namco Filmworks owns the rights to the series. They bought Sunrise, the studio that made the shows, in 1993.

History of the Brave Series

How the Brave Series Started

The Brave series began because of a toy company called Takara. They had some disagreements with Toei Animation about continuing the Transformers toys in Japan. After Transformers became less popular, Takara decided to work with the animation studio Sunrise. Together, they wanted to create a brand new series of shows and toys. A Japanese candy company, Kabaya, also helped fund the series.

At first, the Brave series was made for very young children, aged 3 to 5. The first show, Brave Exkaiser, was kept simple. It avoided complicated stories and settings. But as the series went on, the stories became more complex. They also started to appeal to older kids and even adults. The last show, The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, became very popular with many different fans. Because of this success, the series also made OVAs (special videos), games, and audio dramas.

The Brave series ended because of a few reasons. Newspapers reported that robot anime would stop because fewer babies were being born in Japan. Also, video games were becoming very popular. Reports also said that the TV ratings and toy sales for the series were slowing down.

In 2006, Takara and Tomy merged to form Takara Tomy. However, the Brave series was not included in the new company's plans. Its rights were sold to Bandai Namco Entertainment.

Main Ideas of the Brave Series

The main idea in every Brave series is "Bravery." Each show explores how a robot, called a "Brave," interacts with a human boy. These robots have their own feelings and wills. They can also combine with other robots.

Each Brave series tells a different story. They are not directly connected in terms of their world or timeline. This means each show has its own unique themes and ideas.

The robots in the series are called "Brave Robo." They often transform from vehicles that kids know well. These include police cars, ambulances, fire engines, airplanes, and bullet trains. This was done so children could easily connect with the robots. Brave Robo can talk and are divided into three types:

• Advanced life form type: Their life or spirit is transferred into a machine, turning it into a robot.
• Super AI type: Humans build these robots and give them very smart, human-like minds.
• Fusion type: The main human character can combine with a Brave robot.

Robot Designs and Toys

The main hero robots in the Brave series were designed by Kunio Okawara. He is a famous robot designer from Sunrise. In most shows, there is a main hero robot. This robot is usually the most expensive toy. It is often supported by one or two teams of robots that can combine. Later, the hero robot gets more partners to become even stronger. The strongest form of the hero robot is often called its "Great," "Dai," or "Super" form.

Some supporting robots and enemies in the Brave series looked like older Transformers toys. For example, the "Geister" enemies in Brave Exkaiser were based on the first Dinobot toys from Transformers.

The Brave toys also had similar design elements to Transformers toys from the 1990s. Many Da-Garn toys had light-up eyes. The Goldran toys had many projectile launchers. These features were also seen in Transformers toys of that time.

Toys for these robots came in two sizes:

• DX ("deluxe") versions: These toys had more cool features and more complex transformations.
• STD ("standard") versions: These had fewer features and simpler transformations. However, they often looked more like the robots from the anime show.

Takara usually created how the robots transformed. Okawara designed how they looked.

Brave Series Overview

There are eight main shows in the Brave Series. A new show was released every year from 1990 to 1997. Each show had more than 40 episodes. Every series takes place in its own separate world. No new TV shows are planned for the near future.

Here are the main series, listed by when they first aired:

• 1990: Brave Exkaiser (Japanese: 勇者エクスカイザー, Hepburn: Yūsha Ekusukaizā) (48 episodes)
• 1991: The Brave Fighter of Sun Fighbird (Japanese: 太陽の勇者ファイバード, Hepburn: Taiyō no Yūsha Faibādo) (48 episodes)
• 1992: The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn (Japanese: 伝説の勇者ダ・ガーン, Hepburn: Densetsu no Yūsha Da Gān) (46 episodes)
• 1993: The Brave Express Might Gaine (Japanese: 勇者特急マイトガイン, Hepburn: Yūsha Toukyū Maitogain) (47 episodes)
• 1994: Brave Police J-Decker (Japanese: 勇者警察ジェイデッカー, Hepburn: Yūsha Keisatsu Jeidekkā) (48 episodes)
• 1995: The Brave of Gold Goldran (Japanese: 黄金勇者ゴルドラン, Hepburn: Ōgon Yūsha Gorudoran) (48 episodes)
• 1996: Brave Command Dagwon (Japanese: 勇者指令ダグオン, Hepburn: Yūsha Shirei Daguon) (48 episodes, plus 2 special videos)
• 1997: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar (Japanese: 勇者王ガオガイガー, Hepburn: Yūsha Ō GaoGaiGā) (49 episodes)
• 1999: Betterman (Japanese: ベターマン, Hepburn: Betāman) (a spin-off of GaoGaiGar with 26 episodes)
• 2000: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final (Japanese: 勇者王ガオガイガー FINAL, Hepburn: Yūshaō Gaogaigā Fainaru) (8 special video episodes)
• 2005: The King of Braves GaoGaiGar Final Grand Glorious Gathering (12 episodes)
• 2016: King of Kings: GaoGaiGar VS Betterman (Japanese: 覇界王～ガオガイガー対ベターマン～, Hepburn: Hakaiō ~Gaogaigā tai Betāman ~) (a novel series with 33 chapters)
• 2023: Brave Universe Sworgrader (Japanese: 勇者宇宙 (ブレイブユニバース)ソーグレーダー, Hepburn: Bureibu Yunibāsu Sōgurēdā) (a web manga series)

Only GaoGaiGar and Betterman have been officially released in the United States. Their licenses have changed hands over the years.

Planned but Unmade Shows

Before GaoGaiGar ended, another show called Photogrizer was planned. It was going to be called Brave of Light Photogrizer. This show would have featured designs based on digital cameras and cell phones. However, it was never made.

Other Brave Stories and Games

Brave Saga and Brave Saga 2 Games

The Saint of Braves Baan Gaan is a series that only appeared in the first Brave Saga video game for the Sony PlayStation. Sunrise, the animation studio, even considers Baan Gaan the ninth Brave series, even though it was never a TV show. They made animated scenes for the game, showing transformations and combinations.

In Baan Gaan, the "Braves" are alien spirits. They take over toys used in fighting tournaments. The main character, Shunpei Serizawa, helps the alien Baan fight evil forces. Baan combines with a truck to form Baan Gaan. Other characters also combine to form different robots. Baan Gaan can also combine with three support drones (a narwhal, an eagle, and a saber-toothed tiger) to fight in different places.

Brave Saga 2, also for PlayStation, brought together almost all the characters and robots from the Brave series. It used the idea of "parallel universes" to explain how different series could be in the same story. The story of GaoGaiGar was a side story, while Baan Gaan was the main event. The game also suggested that events from older Brave series inspired later ones. For example, the events in The Brave Fighter of Legend Da-Garn led to the creation of the police department in Brave Police J-Decker.

New Century Brave Wars Game

Brave Wars was the first and only Brave series game made for the PlayStation 2. It featured a new robot called Quantum Leap Layzelber. A boy named Chyota partners with Layzer, a robot that transforms into a sports car. Layzer combines with a jet to form Layzelber. Layzelber fights evil knights trying to conquer different universes. Layzelber can also combine with other vehicles to form different forms like Sky Layzelber or Ground Layzelber.

This game also included Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh, a show from the Eldran series. This was because both the Brave and Eldran series featured transforming and combining robots. Also, the toy companies, Takara and Tomy, later merged. This allowed Raijin-Oh to be part of the game, along with some Brave series robots.

Influence of the Brave Series

The Brave Series had a big impact on other anime and manga shows that came after it. For example, the anime Gear Fighter Dendoh used many ideas from the first Brave Saga game. This included how robots combined with animal helpers, the idea of two main robots (one blue, one red) fighting, and child pilots working with older experts.

After Dendoh, Sunrise tried again to make a Brave-style TV series with Machine Robo Rescue. This show combined the classic Brave storytelling with a huge toy line. It also tried to mix 2D animation (for characters) with 3D animation (for robots). While the toys were popular, the 3D animation was criticized. The show didn't become as popular as the original Brave Series.

Takara also returned to the idea of making shows similar to Brave series. They created Dennou Boukenki Webdiver and Daigunder. These shows featured transforming robots that had their own minds or could combine with heroic children. Their toys could even interact with TV screens as video games. More recently, Takara has worked with another studio to create shows like Tomica Hyper Rescue Drive Head Kidō Kyūkyū Keisatsu and Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion THE ANIMATION.

For a while, Bandai Namco Filmworks did not plan to continue the Brave Series. However, in 2023, they announced the web manga series Sworgrader. This is considered the ninth official installment. The franchise celebrated its "30th Anniversary" in 2020 with a special exhibit.

See also

In Spanish: Serie Yūsha para niños