The Brave series (Japanese: 勇者シリーズ, Hepburn: Yūsha Shirīzu) is a Japanese toy and anime franchise originally produced by Sunrise (now the primary division of Bandai Namco Filmworks), Nagoya TV, Victor Entertainment and Tokyu Agency, originally created by Takara (now Takara Tomy).
The franchise ran from 1990s to 2000s, producing eight official series and several side media including Original Video Animations (OVAs), toys, and several memorabilia in Japan.
It was one of Sunrise's most notable productions in the 90s, and its run played a key role in the reintroduction of the Super Robot genre to the Japanese mainstream.
[4] Takayuki Yoshi, who in that time, was a producer at Sunrise, cited that he was worried about this situation and was one of those who wanted to create robot works and characters that could compete with Toei and Bandai's Super Sentai series.
",[3][4] and as this was Sunrise's first project for children in a long time, the animation production side, led by Inoue, solidified the basic pattern of the series, which involves robots that transform from vehicles and that can combine with each other.
[9] In response to its popularity, the franchise was also developed in various media such as OVAs, games, and drama CDs in addition to the TV series.
[10] Both companies' partership is solid during the production of the series, however in 1994, during the first airing of The Brave Police J-Decker, Sunrise was acquired by Bandai through capital acquisition.
[13] As a result, GaoGaiGar was produced with the intention of it being the last in the series, and unlike previous works, Sunrise was proactive in proposing ideas for things like robot designs and took a leading role in production.
"[15] During the Takara-Tomy merger in 2006, the Brave series wasn't part of the franchises that will carry over to the new company, with the intellectual rights to it were sold to Bandai Namco Entertainment.
[17] Vehicles familiar to children, such as police cars, ambulances, fire engines, airplanes, and bullet trains, are transformed into the brave robos.
The enemy "Geister" characters in Brave Exkaiser (save for their leader, Dino Geist) were actually designed off of the first-generation Dinobot toys, for instance.
Many of the Da-Garn toys have light-piped eyes thanks to transparent pieces of plastic in their heads, a design element which many Generation 2 Transformers share.
Fully titled Brave of Light Photogrizer, the show would involve designs based on, at the time, the new technology of digital cameras and then-modern cell phones.
Just like in Exkaiser, the Braves are digital alien spirits possessing bodies made by VARS (Valiant Attack and Rescue Squad).
Generally, GaoGaiGar storyline is considered to be the 'side-story' while Baan Gaan served as the main event, with other Yūsha participate in either of the story.
But in a surprise attack, he lost his physical body and his soul was split into the weapon's six elements: fire, water, earth, air, light, and darkness.
Motovarion is a motorcycle that interface with a jet, an armored fire truck, and an amphibious bullet train that can combine into 3 different robots: Saber, Ace, and Max Varion.
The CM Company did make toys of Baan Gaan and Mach Spherion, but not of the Varion robots or train brothers.
Up until recently, the events of Baan Gaan has been adapted into an ongoing Web Novel by Ukyo Kodachi and illustrated by Shiro Tsunashima.
Character designer Hirokazu Hisayuki and director Mitsuo Fukuda used the concepts from the first Brave Saga game in the anime Gear Fighter Dendoh, with the plot and concept similarities between Dendoh and Baan Gaan are extremely numerous including the mechanics for how the machines combine with their animal-robot helpers, an emphasis on a running conflict between two particular Super Robots (one blue and one red), the dual-protagonist structure, and the idea of child pilots fighting with the support of a group of older pilots and technicians (VARS in Baan Gaan, and GEAR in Dendoh).
Following Dendoh, Sunrise took a final stab at resurrecting the Brave style of television series by having some Dendoh staffers return to work on Machine Robo Rescue, based on a modern-day reworking of Bandai and PLEX's own Machine Robo toy line.
Takara briefly returned to the Brave series' overall premise—that of producing interstitial properties with themes similar to that of Transformers—with the release of Dennou Boukenki Webdiver and Daigunder.
Both properties yielded anime television series featuring transforming robots with either their own minds or the ability to "meld" with heroic children, and toys that could interact with TV screens as video games.
15 years later Takara again returned to the Brave-like premise once again this time collaborating with OLM, Inc. to create shows like Tomica Hyper Rescue Drive Head Kidō Kyūkyū Keisatsu, Tomica Bond Combination Earth Granner and Shinkansen Henkei Robo Shinkalion THE ANIMATION.
He is also created a tribute to the franchise in the form of Gravion in 2004 by studio Gonzo and later in the 2024 anime series Brave Bang Bravern!, which is produced by Cygames Pictures.