Generator Gawl

— by Darius Washington

I haven't seen a good battlesuit series in a while. After TEKKAMAN BLADE and DETONATOR ORGUN ended, I've sort of been in a dry spell for about 8 years now. Will GENERATOR GAWL cure my hunger or leave me starving?
In the first episode on the tape, Masami is getting ready for her fast food job. However, her mother doesn't want her to go to work since the notorious "Fast Food Stalker" is on the loose. At the same time, three young men materialize in the park and end up fighting a large metal monster, under cover of a thunderstorm.
The next day, the three men are contemplating their mission. It seems some big tragedy is going to occur within the next year and they've come from the distant future to prevent it. The problem is their enemies discovered the trio's intentions, and they only have three months to stop the disaster. The group includes a brooding, serious scientist named Koji, his level-headed colleague Ryo and hot headed Gawl, who is hiding a very powerful secret: he can transform into an armored warrior in times of need. However, Gawl has another problem to overcome first: hunger. So he sets out to the local fast food place and ends up in all kinds of trouble.
Over the next couple episodes, the group eases into the local high school society. They become very popular with the girls (mostly by explaining calculus and biology during class) while clandestinely looking for Professor Nekasa, who is expected to do something catastrophic in the near future. Unfortunately, two other professors at the school have taken a deadly interest in these guys.
Written by Tatsunoko Pro Project Room (Hmm. Didn't Tatsunoko do TEKKAMAN BLADE?), GENERATOR GAWL is typical of the transforming superhero anime genre. However, it covers the basics very well. The characters' developments are rather interesting to watch, with depth being added without too much over-the-top slapstick comedy devices. Their interactions are fun to watch, especially Gawl and Masami. Designer Oguro Akira did a nice job creating these people.
The mecha designs of Teraoka Kenji are rather peculiar, though. The monsters (called "Generators") are typical action fare, but Gawl's suit seems like an alien (the kind Ellen Ripley kills in the ALIEN series) with slightly human properties. Something tells me this will be explained as the series goes on.
All these elements have been nicely woven together by director Mizushima Seiji. I also liked the strangely schizoid transformation sequences, which haven't recycled any footage yet. Of course, it's only been three episodes, but I'm an optimist.
I wasn't necessarily an optimist when I realized that it was going to be a dub I'd be reviewing. However, A.D. Vision has surprised me once again. The voices, while not necessarily well-acted at times, are very well-directed. I didn't find myself cringing at all, even at the American nuances inserted into the dialogue.
Is GENERATOR GAWL the battlesuit show I've been waiting to see? There are probably 23 more episodes left to watch, so I'm not sure yet. However, given the quality of the first volume, and my newfound enthusiasm for ADV's dubs, I believe anything's possible.

Released in North America by A.D. Vision Inc.
VHS, 75 minutes
Dubbed
#VHSGG/001D
$19.98
Available now in the USA
Where to buy