Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh or simply Raijin-Oh was a popular English-dubbed Japanese animated series that aired in RPN around the 90s. Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh or Absolutely Invincible Raijin-Oh was produced by Sunrise and originally aired in TV Tokyo from April 3, 1991 to March 25, 1992. Raijin-Oh's story revolves around a group of elementary school children who are given command of a mecha named Raijin-Oh and their efforts to defend the Earth from the evil Jaaku (evil) Empire. Filipinos would best remember this series for the elementary school students piloting the various mecha that forms into Raijin-Oh. The elementary school children can also transform their school into a mecha base using coins/medals. Let's go down memory lane with Raijin-Oh.
Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh - The Story
Raijin-Oh Series Plot
Raijin-Oh starts with the Jaaku Empire (which literally translates to "Evil Empire") comes to Earth to conquer it. From their fortress they launch a missile that will flood the world with Akudamas, eggs of darkness which hatch into monsters called Evil (Jaaku) Beasts based on things that negatively affects (annoy or frustrate) humans.
The "guardian of light" Eldran appears. Eldran is an Ultraman-like entity who's sworn duty is to protect the universe, particularly the Earth using the heroic robot Raijin-Oh. Eldran attempted to stop the Evil Empire by using Raijin-Oh to prevent the missile from striking the Earth. Raijin-Oh got thrown down to Earth as the missile detonated against Eldran. The mecha crashed into a Japanese elementary school.
Eldran must leave to continue protecting the Earth and entrusted the duty of defeating the Evil Beasts to a classroom full of children in the school where he crashed. Eldran entrusts the children with Raijin-Oh, granting each child a different role to perform in either operating or supporting Raijin-Oh. Eldran also transforms their school itself so it can transform into a command center when Raijin-Oh is needed. Jin, Asuka and Koujii are chosen to lead Raijin-oh. Jin is the leader of the trio who pilots Ken-Oh (literally "Sword King") which forms the torso of the Raijin-Oh. Asuka pilots Hou-Oh ("Phoenix King") which forms the arms and wings of Raijin-Oh. Koujii pilots the Juu-Oh's ("Beast King") with the appearance is that of a lion which forms the legs of the Raijin-Oh. The trio combines all their three robots (Ken-Oh, Hou-Oh, and Juu-Oh) to form the Raijin-Oh when individual robots can't handle the Jaaku Beast. Raijin-Oh is a large humanoid robot (mecha) with wings that trap its opponent with a beam from the Raijin Shield and finish it off with the Raijin Sword.
Later in the series, the Bakuryu-Dragon got discovered by the other students. The Bakuryu-Dragon transforms into Bakuryu-Oh which has the same power as the Raijin-Oh. The Raijin-Oh and Bakuryu-Oh can further combine to form the ultimate robot, the God Raijin-Oh.
Raijin-Oh Opening Theme
Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh Series Intro
"Dream Shift"
Performed by by Kinuko Oomori
Daiji na koto nante jibun de mitsukeru yo
kyooshitsu no mado kara miteru aozora no shita.
Yaritai koto bakari takusan ari sugite
tsukue no mae ni nante jitto shite irarenai.
Hijoo door o akeru tabi ni
mune ga naze ka dokidoki suru.
Atarashii sekai e tobidasu thrill
kimi ni mo oshietai yo.
Hitori ja nai sa*
kujikesoo na toki wa
tatakau yuuki o sasaete ageru yo.
Mirai wa itsumo
bokura ga hero
yume miru chikara wa zettai muteki Raijin Oh.
Ashita no chizu nante jibun de egakeru sa
kakedasu biru no machi kaze ga odotteiru yo.
Sabita fence tobikoereba
hazumu iki ga kirakira suru.
Hajimete no jibun ni deaeru shunkan
kimi ni mo tsutaetai yo.
Fushigi ja nai sa
mune ga atsui no wa
kokoro o tsunai da dareka ga iru kara.
Chikyuu ni ikiru
bokura ga kiseki sa
aisuru chikara wa zettai muteki Raijin Oh.
* Repeat
There have been various anime series that aired here in the Philippines, but this is probably the first one that featured elementary school students as pilots of a mecha. That along with a whole school that transforms into a command center that deploys the (Ken, Hou, Juu) -Oh mechs to form Raijin-Oh are the most memorable parts in this series. I remember rushing home from school every afternoon (being an elementary school student that time) just to catch an episode of Raijin-Oh in RPN-9.
I have vivid memories of each of its episode, but luckily we have home videos and the internet to stream those episodes now. Don't you just love the internet! Besides Voltes V, this is probably one of the most nostalgic mecha anime series that I grew up with. Well, there are other nice mecha series later shown in Philippine television, but a series that has kids piloting a mech is something that Raijin-Oh has been highly noted for not just here in the Philippines but in the whole world.
How about you guys, what are your fondest memories, episodes, mechs, villains, or memorabilias of Raijin-Oh? Share your thoughts about Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh on the comments section below:
