Yesterday, I expect that I pleased a lot of people with my choice for a track from a 90’s anime. We had the SRW T version of Yuusha-Oh Tanjou, the main theme of The King of Braves GaoGaiGar. Today, well, I’m about to upset at least some people. This next one’s from a series that, at least in it’s original context, didn’t stick with me.

Also, SPOILERS!!! for multiple SRW games and the anime series in question.

Day 26: Track from a series you don’t like – Gekiganger 3 (Martian Successor Nadesico) (SRW W)

Yeah…when I first gave Martian Successor Nadesico a try, I initially thought that it was pretty good. This lasted all of three episodes before my favorite character, Gai Daigouji, was killed off. After that…I dunno, the show just lost a lot of it’s zest. Nadesico is just as much a riff on popular robot anime as it is it’s own robot anime. Gekiganger 3, an anime within the Nadesico anime, is an obvious parody of Getter Robo.

And Gai Daigouji was a clear parody of the hot-blooded, otaku, doesn’t-quite-get-the-gravity-of-the-situation character archetype. In the first episode he breaks his leg while posing in his mech, he shows clear resentment for the fact that the Nadesico’s cook gets to save the day, and he’s an ardent such an ardent fan of Gekiganger that he carries around a miniature projector so that he can watch it whenever he wants.

Yet there’s also a little more to him than that. When the Nadesico is taken over by a mutiny, his over the top attitude inspires Akito Tenkawa, the aforementioned cook, to lead a breakout and once again pilot a mech to defend the Nadesico. So when he was shot and killed in episode three, it felt like the series just lacked a certain dynamic that his character provided, and I also felt that it became a little too self-aware as a result.

However, this is not the case in many a Super Robot Wars title. Most games that feature Nadesico will allow you to save Gai if certain conditions are met, and he’s given quite a bit of dialogue for a secret character in those titles. But arguably my favorite reinterpretation of Nadesico that involves Gai’s survival is in Super Robot Wars W.

Midway through that game there’s a timeskip of about six months. This causes several series to move on to their immediate sequels. This includes Nadesico moving into the plot of it’s sequel film, MSN The Prince of Darkness. In short, this was supposed to be the first of a trilogy, but was met with such negative reception that the other two films were never made.

Every time that PoD has appeared in SRW, though, it brings about an ending much more satisfying that the original plot. And not only does this apply in W, but Gai Daigouji and another character, Tsukumo Shiratori, survive their deaths in MSN by default and are given roles in PoD. So yeah, arguably the best version of PoD, unless you count the games that outright prevent the events of the movie.

Oh right, the song. Duh, that’s why we’re here. Gekiganger 3 is the main theme of the aforementioned anime within the Nadesico anime. And this is it’s only appearance in SRW, which is truly a shame. It’s got enough punch and zest to stand alongside the anime that it parodies, including Getter Robo. Well, one can only hope that one day we can once again unleash the Double Gekigan Flare with this theme playing in the background.

In any case, I think I’ve taken up enough of your time with my opinions on Mantian Successor Nadesico. So next time I’ll take up your time talking about a song from a Super Robot Wars game that isn’t a Strategy RPG. Yes, such games do exist.