Megaton-class Musashi, a new IP from LEVEL5, is a sci-fi/robot series whose anime aired at the same time as the game was released. The first half of the series wasn't very exciting, perhaps because it was unclear whether it was for kids or adults, or realistic or supernatural, but by the end it was incredibly interesting! Megaton-class Musashi has received such praise, and it is clear that it was made with a great deal of respect for previous sci-fi and robot anime works. Robot anime are often made with respect for previous works, and sometimes new works are created influenced by previous works, so it may be a tribute to the respect, but we have compiled a list of some works that may have been influenced by them!
Influenced Works #1: Space Battleship Yamato
A science fiction anime that aired from 1974 to 1975. This work is a pioneer of science fiction and robot anime, and has influenced many works. The story is about a long space journey to receive a radiation removal device from the planet Iscandar, after the Earth has been invaded and contaminated by aliens.
This is the influence! ?
First of all, one possibility is that the name of the main character, Yamato Ichidaiji, comes from Yamato. One of the characters, Ryugo Hijikata, bears a strong resemblance to Ryu Hijikata, a character in the series. The setting is that the Earth is polluted by an alien invasion, and they continue their journey to fight back.
Influenced Work No. 2: Getter Robo
A manga by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa, and a work that aired from 1974 to 1975. Many series have been released since then. The Reptites sleeping deep underground attack the Saotome Laboratory to prevent the development of the Getter Rays, which are their natural enemy. The story is about the Getter Robo, which transforms and combines with three high school students, Ryuma Nagare, Hayato Jin, and Musashi Tomoe, to confront the Reptites.
This is the influence! ?
Musashi is operated by combining three mechas and three high school students. These settings are similar to the Getter Robo system. The name Musashi is also the same as the character Tomoe Musashi from Getter Robo. However, in that sense, the name Musashi is somewhat ominous. One of the characters, Momoka Saotome, may have a name derived from Getter.
Influenced Works 3: Super Dimension Fortress Macross
The first work in the Macross series, broadcast in 1982. The story depicts the conflict between the crew of the 1,200m-long super-giant battleship Macross, which is equipped with a habitation system, and the aliens known as the Zentradi, as well as cultural reconciliation.
This is the influence!?
The name of the character Asami Hikaru in Musashi is the same as that of the main character Ichijo Hikaru in Macross (though the pronunciation is different), and the characters for "sha" (sand) and "ka" (addition) are the same for the characters in the characters for Hayase Misa and Sayaka Minami in Musashi. The story is also influenced by the theme of conflict and reconciliation with aliens, and the fact that it is a gigantic battleship equipped with a habitation system is also the same.
Influenced Works #4: Ideon, the Legendary Giant
An anime that aired from 1980 to 1981. The alien Buff Clan and Earthlings are suspicious of each other, and they clash armedly due to cultural differences. The Earthling immigrants fight back with a giant Mechaideon that they unearthed during the aliens' transfer, and escape into space on the excavated spaceship Soloship, but the Buff Clan relentlessly pursues the Soloship.
This is the influence! ?
It shares some similarities with Ideon in that they keep fleeing from the alien invasion, the aliens on the Dracter camp are genetically almost identical to humans, and they are able to have children. The hairstyle of the character Kota Akutagawa is reminiscent of Ideon's protagonist, Yuki Cosmo, and the fact that he has a child with an earthling matches that of Sayaka Minami and Karara Ajiba (and their final moments as well).
Influenced work No. 5: Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans
Another work of the Gundam series, the first series was broadcast from 2015 to 2016, and the second series was broadcast from 2016 to 2017. The story follows the protagonist, a boy soldier named Mikazuki Augus, and his leader, Orga Itsuka, who takes on the role of bodyguard for Kudelia Aina Bernstein, a girl who advocates the ideal of Mars independence, and struggles to survive while facing enemies including the security organization Gjallarhorn.
This is the influence! ?
The heroine, Ashem Raia, is treated in a similar way to Kudelia from Iron-Blooded Orphans. Although she was a clumsy character at first, she gradually shows her inner strength and pursues her ideals, and experiences the death of her bodyguard. Also, at the end of the first season, she is thrown into a desolate environment and meets a thief named Victor, who she approaches to make a deal with, which is similar to the plot of her asking the Tekkadan to be her bodyguard.
Influenced Works #6: Buddy Complex
An anime that began airing in 2014. One day, high school student Watase Aoba is suddenly attacked by an unidentified robot and is saved by his classmate Yumihara Hina. Aoba is caught up in the robot's explosion and Hina tells him that "Dio is waiting for him," and he suddenly finds himself piloting the Valiancer "Luxion." The story takes place 74 years into the future from 2014, when Aoba was in the world. Aoba seeks refuge with Dio, the pilot of the Bloodion, which is the counterpart of Luxion, and the crew of his mother ship, Cygnus, and joins forces with Cygnus to search for the missing Hina.
Is this the influence?
The most memorable character in Buddy Complex, Bizon Jerafil (CV: Sakurai Takahiro), and Grifferth Gred (CV: Sakurai Takahiro), the supreme commander of the Dractor who appears in Musashi, have many similarities, such as appearing normal at first, becoming obsessed with the heroine, and then showing signs of insanity.
【Megaton-class Musashi】A summary of works that have influenced it
I've put together a list of works that seem to have influenced Megaton-class Musashi! Of course, robot anime itself tends to be produced with respect for previous works, so it's hard to say for sure, but it's still clear that this is a work that respects various works. I think there are many more works that have been influenced by it! If you like robot anime, you'll really enjoy this work, so I hope you'll also watch the second season that will be broadcast!
