Episode 8 left Getter Robo Arc in a lot of chaos. The Andromeda Stellaration not only continued their attacks on the planet Earth, but they also started their attacks with the Dinosaur Empire before the Getter Robo Arc and Gettersaurus could make it through the portal to the Andromeda Stellaration. It’s gotten so bad that General Kongming with his insects of the Stelleration stopped Kamui, Baku, and Takuma from getting to the Getter Robo Arc. So yeah, the most dramatic thing to end on.
So immediately, we get the follow through to everything that happened previously. The first being the last great moment of the Black Shin Getter Robo saving the D-2 Getter Units and the mysterious transformation movements from yet another attack from the Stoker before completely disappearing until later. It’s very interesting that we only get to see Gou alive in these segments with no mentions of Ryoma or Tehir anywhere. Is Gou the only one that survived the through the trip of the Getter portal. I don’t think we will ever figure that out.
While that is happening, the Andromeda Stellaration’s attacks get worse and worse in the depths of the Dinosaur Empire. Entire cruisers of Dinosaur ships are being destroyed by these insects with the Gettersaurus barely doing any better. Also, there was Kongming holding up the Getter team with Takuma completely losing his mind until Kamui gave him the slap to keep focus. Then again, having an image of McDonald alongside Kongming in front of him. The crew finally being able to escape his insect clutches was so powerful and visually great. Go Getter Robo Arc!
I do have to say or ask about quite a few things regarding Kongming’s motivations here. While I understand the Andromeda Stelleration’s motivations of not wanting to be destroyed, the fact that they really don’t think they are invading when they are is a little frustrating in its own right. It takes so much of their layered thought processes and reasons into the realm of just being a bad guy for the sake of being so. Especially when they look so far down on human and dinosaur kind alike as mere insects (considering their use of insects) is something else. Getter ray destruction or nothing, right?
The final segment of the episode with Gou in the Black Shin Getter Robo sacrificing his life force to start the broken portal. Oh man, I’ve only known Gou from several locations and pieces of media myself, but he has suffered a lot in the show and he’s always been a very fun character to watch here and everywhere else. The Getter Robo Arc and the Gettersaurus riding into the future into the portal with the past supporting them? Always powerful things. Now there is only the future and Musashi of all people with a military force waiting on the other side? What craziness is this? Can’t wait to see more.
Well, the visuals were a bit better this week because this was the more emotionally poignant episode that needed more flare behind it. For the most part, it was there. Lots of big designs of Dinosaur Empire water ships fighting against insects that were definitely copy and paste forms. Some of which I get because this is a very limited production that did the insects as easily and cheaply as possible here. All the work on the Getter units, other units, cruisers, and the insects movement and direction wise were pretty decent. Some easily still frames, some decent 3D alongside some that were just lacking. All together, decent at best with assigned highs and lows.
A great emotional piece of an episode here. Very large movements of fleets of all kinds and robot movements as well that were minimal but emotional charged pieces of sacrifice here. The visuals themselves were, as mentioned, not bad enough to take away from the overall sacrifice. A good episode all around I think. Not the best one in the series but I don’t think there has been a legitimately bad one either. Hmmm.
Mechanical Anime Reviews 
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