The Brave Raideen Fan Club (RFC) Interview Translation - Brave Raideen Roman Album (Tokuma Shoten, 1980)

The following is an interview from the Brave Raideen Roman Album, published by Tokuma Shoten in 1980, published 5 years after Brave Raideen aired. Brave Raideen, cemented firmly in Japanese history as one of the highest grossing, well received mecha anime of its era, couldn't have done so without the support of its fans. More uniquely, Brave Raideen's success was further bolstered in infamy thanks to a devout group of female fans, the Raideen Fan Club (also touted as the RFC eponymously). 

The Raideen Fan Club's earliest inception historically is documented in this translation, which spans three pages total. Information about the fan club that is not noted in the following interview will be noted in another bit of criticism that I am currently drafting. 

(the image byline states that the photograph is of Rika and Mari Sugiyama, both main organizers of the Raideen Fan Club)

Interviews with fans: Memories of Sharkin's Tears!!

At the Raideen fan gathering, the venue was overflowing with fans, whereas broadcasting stations were still eager to rebroadcast the show. 

Interviewer: What is Raideen's appeal to women?

Rika: I like Raideen; the characters and story were fresh, and Raideen was a robot that didn't look like an ordinary robot. It was too good and I love everything (about it).

Mari: Mr.Yasuhiko (Yoshikazu Yasuhiko)'s drawings are wonderful, and I think the designs are also good. I think there is a shoujo manga-like aspect to the drawing style. I also like the characterization of the characters. 

Rika: I think of Raideen at least once a day. While there are many anime that are quickly abandoned after their broadcast ends, I think the reason why Raideen's fans never leave is because of its charm. 

Mari: It had a mysterious feel to it, and it didn't have the ruggedness of an actual robot show. There was nothing unnatural about the mysteries (in the show). I like the gag scenes and the scenes between Akira and Mari are cute.

Rika: No matter how much others imitate, I don't think I can do anything better than Raideen.

The Masculine and Nihilistic Charm of Chikara Jinguji:

Rika: I think Akira has a beautiful appearance, his body lines are beautifully drawn, and Kamiya-san (Akira Kamiya)'s voice is so lively. I like him the most. Akira's role I think is a hit role for Mr. Kamiya.

Mari: Its good that he doesn't have a lot of snobbishness that tends to be seen in heroes, and that he's just a boy. 

Rika: Akira has a honobono (heartwarming) and fun feeling. 

Mari: He doesn't like being forced to ride Raideen, and I think it's good that a normal boy would feel this way. 

Rika: Sharkin is the most dangerous of all villains. It was a good, fresh character and a whole new pattern for a villain. My favorite episode is episode 9, where he took off his mask and showed his true face.

Mari: In episode 27, the scene where Sharkin dies was a scene that made me cry. I felt as though I was in his shoes.

Rika: It left a lasting impression. I liked the scene most when Akira said "Sharkin, if only you were my ally...".

Mari: The fact hat Sharkin  could move the main character to say these words is amazing. Many fans say that Sharkin's masculinity is attractive.

Rika: At first, I was a little jealous of Mari (Mari Sakurano), but I don't think she's that cute of a character. The character's settei and voice actress changed in the middle of broadcasting, but as Akira's lover, (Mari's) first part was good. 

Mari: Rei (Rei Asuka) is gone, and Mari takes over Rei's role, and her mascot-like presence suddenly takes on a new strength.

Rika: Chikara Jinguji has a good resoluteness at the very end. His resoluteness has a masculine and nihilistic feel to it... 

Mari: I think he was in a calm and balanced mood that balanced with Akira. However, I didn't like the idea of him being shot down immediately. 

Rika: When he died near the end, I was like, "Oh? Why did he die?" Despite being so moved, Jinguji's death was taken rather lightly. I felt like I'd been teased. I don't think they could have won without Chikara Jinguji.

Mari: I think there is an aspect to his death in that he died in vain.

(The poster advertises Raideen's 1st launch on TV, with sponsors such as Poppy and Columbia Records named)

Rika: Rei has been mysterious ever since her debut. 

Mari: It was a little dissatisfying that Rei's mystique brought out Raideen's mystique, but suddenly she just loses her supernatural powers and becomes a normal girl. 

Rika: I was expecting her powers to come out at the end, but that didn't happen, so I'm also dissatisfied. 

Mari: Sharkin, Mari, Jinguji, and Reiko are our four favorites, but I think Raideen stood out. Towards the end, Lemuria appears. After recounting Mu's recollection, it takes on a new level of mystique. 

Rika: Therefore, it doubled its charm. I think Lemuria is an integral part of Raideen's mystique. 

Mari: Without Lemuria, Raideen is just a regular robot. With Lemuria's psychic powers, the power of Mutron (of the star La Mu) is demonstrated because of this.

Rika: Compared to Lemuria and Akira, I think the father (Ichiro Hibiki) was neglected. There's a line (towards Ichiro)  from Lemuria that goes "You're fine, but what about Akira..."

"Popular in Foreign Countries"

"Raideen" is very popular in foreign countries as well, especially now since the cost is very high and near impossible to make a decent TV animation. In America, works like Raideen are received with great surprise. It seems to have taken. 

Neil Diamond, an American singer-songwriter, became obsessed with Raideen while he was spending time with his son, who just so happened to be watching. Its a well known story that this was the first time he became conscious of Japan (from watching Raideen). 

Some fans may have seen the two rock singers wearing Raideen shirts in the May 1978 issue of Montly Mojo. From a single photograph without any explanation, I can instinctively know that there are others enthusiastic about Raideen in a foreign country. Also, in Taiwan, pirated version of Raideen called "Dendenkijin" has been published. 

Rika (cont.): But I feel sorry for the father. 

Interviewer: What about other things?

Rika: I feel attached to Agyar, despite his grotesque appearance. He was a fun villain. 

Mari: Also, the Godbird is the best. It has a very sophisticated way of transforming and is very beautiful in terms of design. Its a a refreshing sight once it breaks through the enemy. I like the way that the straightness of the beak and wings are utilized in the way it attacks. 

Rika: The elaborate drawings and the explosion scenes are a perfect match. 

The Number of Fan Club Members Has Reached Nearly 1,000:

Interviewer: Rika, I hear you are the president of the fan club. Please tell us your motivations about establishing the group. 

Rika: It was because I wanted everyone to know what I like, and because I wanted to preserve the goodness of Raideen. At first, I didn't think there were many fans of Raideen, but my friends found them. So together with about 30 of my friends, we launched it in January of last year. 

Interviewer: What's the group's current member status?

Rika: We have nearly 1000 members. We publish a bulletin called "Mutron" every two months, but its not possible to publish on a regular basis. The number of members has increased and now its very saturated. If the number increases any further, we will not be able to handle it, so we are no longer recruiting. 

Interviewer: Are you currently discontinuing membership? That's a shame. Thank you so much for your time today. 

"Mutron" is a fan club magazine edited by Rika Sugiyama. There are plenty of contents, such as stories, voice actor interviews, member's opinions, and other impressions. Its a work that does not seem to have very sloppy editing.