Space Cobra (Space Adventure Cobra)

Lonely salaryman Johnson laments his meager life, longing for a world of travel and excitement. But after engaging in a hallucinatory experience, he recalls vivid memories of a legendary space pirate named Cobra. WIth the Psychogun attached to his left arm, Cobra had travelled across space with his partner Lady Armaroid. The two formed an infamous team feared by authorities and loathed by the Pirate Guild—a conglomerate of the most powerful pirates in the galaxy,

Back on Earth, an encounter at a casino changes Johnson’s life, as his winnings bring him face-to-face with the manager—Pirate Guild boss Vaiken, whom he’d seen defeated by Cobra in his dream. Recognizing Johnson as the disguised Cobra, Vaiken attempts to exact revenge—but instead activates the Psychogun hidden under Johnson’s left arm, triggering his repressed memories and alerting Lady Armaroid.

Now after besting Vaiken once again and with his memories restored, Cobra leaves hiding and sets out to stop the Pirate Guild’s interstellar mafia. He and Lady Armaroid traverse space, continuing their life of high-stakes adventure while aiding those wronged by the Guild’s members.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Edit

Background

No background information has been added to this title. Help improve our database by adding background information here.

Edit

Related Anime

Adaptation:	Cobra
Alternative version:	Space Adventure Cobra, Space Cobra Pilot
Sequel:	Cobra The Animation: The Psycho-Gun

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Cobra

Main

Nozawa, Nachi
Japanese

Armaroid, Lady

Main

Sakakibara, Yoshiko
Japanese

Crystal Bowie

Supporting

Kobayashi, Kiyoshi
Japanese

Duck

Supporting

Tsujimura, Mahito
Japanese

Rodock, Lucia

Supporting

Sugiyama, Kazuko
Japanese

Doug

Supporting

Ootake, Hiroshi
Japanese

Royal, Dominique

Supporting

Takashima, Gara
Japanese

Tavege

Supporting

Utsumi, Kenji
Japanese

Bob

Supporting

Komiyama, Kiyoshi
Japanese

Zeek

Supporting

Ooki, Tamio
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Dezaki, Osamu

Director, Storyboard

Ooga, Shunji

Episode Director

Takeuchi, Yoshio

Episode Director, Chief Animation Director

Terasawa, Buichi

Script, Original Creator

Edit

Opening Theme

"Cobra" by Yoko Maeno

Edit

Ending Theme

"Secret Desire" by Yoko Maeno

Reviews

Sep 27, 2009

Rampant

Recommended

I am putting the conclusion first for those who do not care about details: this is a typically solid '80s series, one more focused on fun and action than fleshing out deep character qualities. It has a lot of foibles, but nothing that should keep you from skipping the series if you like action and adventure focused anime.

This series is kind of like what you would get if you took Space Captain Harlock, but if instead of going the route of incredibly self-serious and subdued it went for of goofy and flamboyant. You can see the difference really starkly comparing the flashbacks, where Cobra has ... long hair, talks much more seriously, and the music becomes more dramatic, with the less serious present where Cobra looks goofy.

I first became excited by this series when Cobra was thinking really hard about his past, and then suddenly the art zoomed into a box like 1/12th the size of the screen with his face, resembling a mirror I guess, and then this randomly propagated five times in a diagonal line. I became even more excited when the first climactic battle scene had soft jazz playing, which was surreal and hilarious. It is the little details like this that make the series great if you watch out for them, and it is refreshing to have a series where the humor relies on wit instead of events like random school chase scenes (Code Geass) or how much food someone eats (too many anime to even try to single one out).

As you can see from the summary, the series has three really nice arcs, with some shorter one shots and the like at times too, which gives you three different thoughtful stories. Fans of anime that really ramp up just how incredibly evil and malicious the enemy empire is might be disappointed here, since the main foe (The Guild) is, for the most part, more of an entity that Cobra is constantly annoyed by rather than a big bad that is so evil it must be taken down at any cost.

Regarding character, Cobra is unfortunately a little too much of your typically invincible hero. You never feel any urgency of a possible loss for Cobra, and indeed none ever comes. I do like how this series approaches the morals of the characters. The girls are sexual instead of sexually indignant all but once, taking compliments in stride even if they turn Cobra down. Although Cobra tries to generally save people, he certainly has no qualms about killing them. I think this is the first time I have seen or read anything like this that the hero does not constantly puzzle the moral quandary of whether or not a bad guy should die.

One rather large character problem is that Cobra's sidekick, Lady, basically has no reason to be there. Lady either sits around waiting to rescue him when he finishes kicking ass, or she gets captured, giving Cobra motivation to kick someone's ass. This is probably not a series to watch if you become upset by subtle/overt chauvinism (whichever you would decide this series has).

The voice acting is around the high quality level of any well funded '80s series. The music is never bad, but the main climactic theme is overused. The music is probably most exciting in any club scene, where the anime rather charmingly struggles to futurize '80s club life.

The art is not the best art ever, but it is rather consistent. Rather amusing is that before commercial breaks and at the end of episodes the art becomes bolder and sketchier to try to strike an emphatic capturing of the boldness that the audience should be feeling...when often it is not really there.

Open

Gift

Jun 2, 2014

THEAnimeHERO

Recommended

Being titled as "Space Adventure Cobra" in the states, this is the best anime of the Cobra franchise as it balances action, comedy, sci-fi, adventure & overall appeals to a male audience. If you like this anime then you should like every other installment to the Cobra series.

Set in a "Star Wars like" world, Space Cobra begins with our main character Johnson (other times Joe Gillian) goes to a club where they offer "Trip Movies" granting people to be in a dream-like state & experiencing pleasure. Johnson's experience however, causes him to regain his lost memories; discovering he used to be a space pirate named ... Cobra. With his memories recovered & the aid of his android partner named Lady, Cobra is tired of his peaceful lifestyle so he decides to pick up the pirate life & go on space adventures in a manly style. Armed with his signature "Psycho Gun", Cobra has a big bounty on his head where his enemies include the Galactic Patrol & The Guild, (a mafia consisted of other space pirates.)

The series tends to be episodic but has a story arc every now & then. The first few episodes being 1-12 is the longest arc as it serves as the introduction to Cobra; displaying what can be expected in the series as a whole. Much of the highlight of Cobra is the creativity being put into the universe & science fiction as it features a wide range of aliens, robots, technology & even sports such as the Rug Ball episodes 16-19. Space Cobra excels in giving action & new content in every episode making it highly rewatchable.

Another good aspect is the animation as the director Osamu Dezaki (Black Jack OVAs, Golgo 13 The Professional, Rose of Versailles) once again delivers his signature directing style with interesting angles & dramatic still shots. I believe this anime granted Dezaki more creative freedom due to the sci-fi content of Cobra as it allowed for various color schemes. In short, The Movie for Cobra & this series have the best stylized animation being a very colorful & eye pleasing anime of the early 80's. Too some this may not seem like a big deal but for the animation it had in 1982, this is an accomplishment as it wasn't until the late 80's & early 90's when anime series began to have a consistent look & multi-color approach to their shows. (Examples include Toei's work in Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, Fist Of The North Star 2, etc.)

As expected in most episodic animes, if you don't like the main character you won't enjoy the series. Cobra as a character is inspired by the French actor Jean-Paul Benmondo, however Cobra also comes off as a mix of James Bond & Han Solo. Usually being depicted as a woman loving badass, Cobra can behave goofy at times but feels natural much like Lupin & Ryo Saeba. While we don't see an in depth look into his character we do understand what kind of person he is as more episode are watched. By the end of the series we see Cobra as a bit of an anti-hero as he tends to steal & kills various enemies of both genders but upholds chivalry towards certain people who ask for his help. He is often seen as selfish & uncaring, but deep down he has a good heart as seen in episode 26.

Cobra is a manly anime that appeals to those who like to see a space adventure where a manly pirate goes up against robots, aliens,& pirates which also delivers plenty of eye candy with its multicolored universe filled with sexy women. If you enjoyed this series then you should have no problem with watching the additional anime series being "The Psycho Gun, Time Drive & Cobra The Animation 2010". Thankfully, the recommendations list for this series is mostly accurate as the other animes that you may enjoy include the following. (Lupin the 3rd, Dirty Pair, Golgo 13, City Hunter, Goku Midnight Eye etc.) As a final note, Space Adventure Cobra has great opening & closing themes which you will occasionally listen to.

Open

Gift

Jan 31, 2015

ggultra2764

Mixed Feelings

Cobra mostly follows our titular hero and his cyborg partner Lady Armaroid in their adventures traveling space as they cross paths with an intergalactic criminal organization called the Pirate Guild, which he was a former member of. In a way, the series has parallels to Lupin III as Cobra is an anti-hero due to his criminal background, a shameless flirt with the "woman of the day" that accompanies him on his adventures, is deceptively smart despite his smug attitude and is not afraid to kill off members of the Pirate Guild that he crosses paths with. The series also mixes around comedy, adventure and the ... occasional dark developments to compliment the title's premise.

However, Cobra does have quite a bit to it that allows it to distinguish itself from the famous anime thief. Unlike Lupin, Cobra isn't completely episodic with its story as there are several arcs scattered throughout the series in which Cobra comes at odds with criminal activity linked to the Pirate Guild. The most notable ones that stick out from this consist of a fairly long arc where Cobra tries discovering the whereabouts of an ultimate weapon connected to triplet sisters, the famous Rug Ball competition and Cobra crossing paths with influential Guild leader Salamander. The series also offers up some rather creative implementations of its sci-fi premise such as Cobra's spaceship able to shift its form, his Psycho Gun, a diverse number of alien and robotic threats confronted by Cobra and the mentioned Rug Ball game. The series is also not as slapstick as Lupin as it has a somewhat more realistic bent to it despite its sci-fi setting.

Still, the show isn't without its imperfections. Like Lupin, Cobra does dabble into a few episodes that feel rather out of place with its setting and premise such as an episode where our lead crosses paths with a trouble-making genie. In addition, the series is a bit on the chauvinist side as mostly every relevant woman in this series is dressed in some kind of revealing attire, often get lusted for by Cobra and other men in the series and we usually get nude shots of them. Episodes also suffer from a fairly repetitive plot structure at points with Cobra gawking with attractive women and not being seriously challenged by most enemy Pirate Guild threats, with only Crystal Boy and Salamander being serious threats to our lead.

Visually, Cobra is rather dated as its animation style is a product of its time with the way character and scenery designs are drawn. However, the makers of the series do surprisingly well with concealing its rather limited animation as it was rather hard for me to notice shortcuts. Also, I did not notice many instances of degradation of character detail during distant camera shots or scenes of heavy movement that took place onscreen

Overall, I'd think of Cobra as a somewhat more serious spin of Lupin III having its own unique pros and cons. It is not as episodic as Lupin and features some nice elements of world building from its sci-fi lacking from the gentleman thief's title. However, Cobra is a bit more chauvinist in its treatment of women and suffers from some of the similar issues Lupin has with its episodic storytelling format. Regardless, Cobra still offers enough to give it its own unique feel and is mostly trying to have fun with the adventures and antics of its titular lead. If you're a fan of 80s anime, Space Adventure Cobra is a memorable title of the era that is worth checking out at least once.

Open

Gift

More stacks

Interest Stacks

Old is Gold (Pre-90's Classic Anime)

by Ash_li

50 Entries · 119 Restacks

Anime that influenced videogames like grandia/lunar

by jyagan0

26 Entries · 3 Restacks

MANLY Anime - Starter Pack

by EterTC

36 Entries · 55 Restacks

More recommendations

Recommendations

More news

Recent News

North American Anime & Manga Releases for September

Here are the North American anime & manga releases for September Week 1: September 1 - 7 Anime Releases Africa no Salaryman (TV) (Africa Salaryman) Complete Coll...read more

Aug 31, 2020 2:34 PM by ImperfectBlue | Discuss (1 comment)

Q3 2020 Anime & Manga Licenses [Update 9/19]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of anime and manga licensed in the second quarter (Jul-Sep) of 2020. Summer 2020 anime which were licensed befo...read more

Jun 25, 2020 6:32 PM by Snow | Discuss (18 comments)

More discussions

Recent Forum Discussion

Poll: Space Cobra Episode 2 Discussion Alcoholicide - May 25, 2014	10 replies	by Caio_CRVG »» Jan 7, 8:46 PM
RIP The Legend Sashhz - Sep 26, 2023	2 replies	by DansTesReves »» Sep 27, 2023 6:54 AM
Poll: Space Adventure Cobra Episode 31 Discussion Fronzel - Apr 11, 2012	12 replies	by SoldierDream »» Jul 5, 2023 9:34 PM
Poll: Space Adventure Cobra Episode 1 Discussion Fronzel - Mar 28, 2012	14 replies	by Ag2003gg »» Mar 30, 2023 12:49 PM
Poll: Space Cobra Episode 18 Discussion Alcoholicide - Jul 7, 2014	7 replies	by T3chol3gTr3ndi »» Feb 8, 2023 2:04 PM

Recent Featured Articles

Top 16 Best Space Anime of All Time [Updated]

We all enjoy looking up at the night sky, and watching the stars. And quite often we wonder what exactly is going on...out there in deep space. Fortunately, there's a ton of excellent space anime which will clue us in and make our imaginations run wild!

by MisterD98

495,676 views

Collection

Top 15 Anime Pirate Characters

While pirates are still a very real threat even today, the timeless idea of the pirate has been somewhat romanticized in modern media. Here are 15 of the best and most renowned.

by NicWat10

117,306 views

Collection

Space Cobra

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Streaming Platforms

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Cobra

Armaroid, Lady

Crystal Bowie

Duck

Rodock, Lucia

Doug

Royal, Dominique

Tavege

Bob

Zeek

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

Recent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Space Cobra

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

Available At

Resources

Streaming Platforms

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Interest Stacks

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

Recent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-