There are a lot of big names when it comes to mecha titles, especially in the Super Robot category. However, perhaps none of them is as popular and influential as Getter Robo, with the iconic anime series having a huge impact on the genre. The property is soon to celebrate its 50th anniversary, but it might be doing so in the wrong way.
There's currently a Kickstarter campaign for a live-action Getter Robo adaptation, and needless to say, it's an incredibly daunting task for those behind it. Given the track record for live-action adaptations of far more mundane anime properties, there's a lot riding against such an adaptation. Instead, a new anime project would be a far better and more interesting endeavor, especially considering how the most recent Getter Robo was handled.
A Live-Action Getter Robo Is the Worst Way to Celebrate the Series
The original manga and anime versions of Getter Robo were released concurrently in April 1974, and the property went on to become a major success. Created by Ken Ishikawa and mecha/horror legend Go Nagai, the series quickly spawned several follow-ups. The anime proved to be groundbreaking in several unexpected ways, especially via the death of one of the Getter Robo pilots in the finale. Later anime was heavily influenced by this, including a fictional series within the world of Martian Successor Nadesico and the 2000s Gainax classic Gurren Lagann. Thus, it's obvious why fans would celebrate an anniversary project being in the works, but the form that this idea is taking might not be the best.
Visual effects whiz Junya Okabe is currently looking to get a live-action Getter Robo project funded through Kickstarter. Obviously, the special effects won't be at the level of a Hollywood production, which is alarming enough. Getter Robo needs a fairly hefty budget in order to look good and be done justice, and as much heart as the fan project may entail, looking shabby with a low budget and unconvincing CGI is not the way to show that appreciation. It might also give non-fans the wrong impression, resulting in them promptly disregarding the property as a whole due to a less-than-impressive entry that's intended to celebrate it. While the endeavor would certainly be admirable, there's another, much better way to showcase the long-lasting legacy of Getter Robo.
A New Anime Is Just What Getter Robo Needs
The most recent Getter Robo anime was the 2021 adaptation of the manga Getter Robo Arc, which itself was the first newly-animated entry since 2004's New Getter Robo. Unfortunately, the series didn't make much of a splash, and for good reason. Receiving mixed reviews at best from fans, the series was noted for its poor, stilted CGI and cumbersome, obtuse storytelling. It was a project that was for the fans and the fans alone, which made its lackluster quality all the worse. In order to give fans a new show and erase the stain of this failed series, a new Getter Robo anime would be far better than a live-action version.
For one, the property simply works better in animation, at least until affordable technology can properly and seamlessly bring it into the "real world." Secondly, this is the medium that most fans came to know the franchise by as a whole, and turning the clock back 50 years with a remake of the original series or an all-new adventure would allow a new generation to fall in love with the mecha and concepts that made the original anime so great.
By going for classic animation and eschewing live-action and CGI, the basic and neoclassical storytelling wouldn't be bogged down by experimental special effects. Most importantly, it would be a lot cheaper and easier than what Junya Okabe is planning, likely not even needing the funding of a Kickstarter campaign. Given how important Getter Robo has become over the years, anything less than reverence is unfit for its big birthday, and that path would be best trodden with the familiar trappings of previous anime versions.