Gasaraki - MyAnimeList.net

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In ancient Japan the Gowa family create a demonic Armour in order to defeat their enemies. Hundreds of years later this armor is exploited by the Gowa in the development of Tactical Armor for military usage and the usurpation of Japan.

Gasaraki (ガサラキ) is a Mecha anime television series produced by Sunrise. It was written by Ryousuke Takahashi, who also created the series with Sunrise and shared directorial duties with Goro Taniguchi.

The series centers on Yushiro Gowa who pilots a bipedal weapons system known as a TA, short for Tactical Armor. The series is marked by an exceptionally detailed and convincing treatment of mecha design and operation, a part of the Real robot sub-genre of Anime. Much of the initial plot is driven by means of news reports, the style of which is heavily influenced by the coverage of the first Gulf War by CNN.

Set in the near-future the series is formed around political narratives that concern a fictional war between the US and the fictional Middle Eastern country of Belgistan, much like the Gulf War. An influential Japanese family, the Gowa, produce a bipedal weapon, the TA. When US military forces attempt to seize the capital they are systematically wiped out by what appear to be rival TAs. The Gowa Family seizes this opportunity to demonstrate their weapon system, and civilian pilot Yuushiro Gowa and the military squad to which he is attached are deployed to Belgistan. There, he meets rival TA pilot Miharu, with whom he seems to share a deep spiritual bond.

The series has a mix of futuristic and historical narratives and includes elements of Japanese culture, such as Noh and Shinto, rigid family hierarchies, corruption of government by Zaibatsu and Samurai appear throughout the series.

Gasaraki consists of 25 television episodes which were first aired on TV Osaka from October 4, 1998, to March 28, 1999. It was released on VHS and DVD in North America and the UK by ADV Films.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasaraki