Starring: Some Japanese people and a big ass Robot

Episode One: Dracolon, the Great Sea monster

THE STORY:  Its hard to watch this without a slight twinge in my heart for my childhood days. Anyone younger than myself that watches this will probably think its plain garbage....but man, back then in the mid to late 70's...I loved this show. I used to come home from school with my friends and a few cousins and we'd veg in front of the TV to Wee Willy Webber's Colorful Cartoon Show. Does anyone remember when there used to shows like that? Dr. Freex? (I only mention Freex because I know through email convos that he remembers some of the shows I do...like Astro Boy and the Mighty Hercules. Joe at Opposable Thumbs probably knows what I'm talkin' about, too....he's seen Giant Robot)

Well, Johnny Sokko used to come on between episodes of Ultra Man and 8th Man back then (sometimes Marine Boy...anyone remember Marine boy? Dr. Freex?)

Johnny Sokko was a young Japanese kid that gained control of a giant flying robot...called imaginatively, Giant robot. The earth was under attack by The evil emperor Guillotine and his mob of earthling foot soldiers, the Gargoyle Gang.

Johnny Sokko is on a trip, to, well, we don't know. We just know he's on a boat and he meets fellow passenger, Jerry Mano. Jerry is posing as a writer, but he's actually a secret agent for UNICORN, an organization pledged to defend mankind. That sounds more dramatic than what is shown. First off, James Bond Jerry is not. He blows his cover after talking to Johnny, a twelve or so year old kid, in two minutes. But that's not Jerry's biggest problem. Just as he and Johnny are getting to know each other, the sea monster, Dracolon attacks!

Dracolon is the first of the creatures that Guillotine sends to Earth to further his invasion plans. You know, even as a kid I wondered how Guillotine planned on conquering the planet when he brings giant monsters one at  at a time to earth. After all, the creature may smash one city, but that's not conquering the earth. I mean even when this series was made we as human beings could destroy a city...a lot faster I might add...and that's still not going to get instant global domination. One of these days I'm going to study the Japanese fascination with giant robots and monsters.

After jumping overboard Johnny and Jerry wash up on a seemingly deserted island. This is where we first get to meet the Gargoyle Gang. They have a base on the island and they quickly capture the two shipwrecked travelers. Johnny and Jerry are quickly interrogated by the Gargoyle commander, Spider but manage to escape. A running gun battle ensues, one that will leave you in stitches if you're twisted like me. Machine guns seem to be ineffective when shooting at two running people in narrow corridors. Honestly the Gargoyles need to get a practice range. I don't see how they could possibly miss Johnny and Jerry. Just when our heroes seem to be cornered though they step accidentally into an elevator and are transported to a lower level of the base. That's where they first see the Giant Robot and meet Dr. Lucius Guardian. Guardian created the robot under duress from Gargoyle, to use as a weapon to conquer the earth. He show Jerry and Johnny the remote control wristwatch that orders the robot telling them that the huge machine man will obey the first voice it hears but needs an infusion of atomic energy to activate it. Guardian must be a great scientist to create such a thing, but an idiotic person in general. He hands Johnny the watch while explaining this and promptly the young pup speaks into the mic. (which automatically makes him the first person to speak to the robot and thus control it.)

The evil Gargoyles close in on the lab with our heroes and Guardian holds them off while Jerry and Johnny escape. He's planted an atomic bomb in the lab hoping to destroy the base and thwart Gargoyle. Jerry and Johnny escape to the beach as the bomb goes off. Surprisingly its a tiny atomic explosion. It was strong enough to destroy the base but not the robot...and its atomic power activated the massive man of metal!

Johnny orders the robot to fly him and Jerry back to Tokyo. Just in time, too. Guillotine has ordered Dracolon to destroy the city. Johnny controls the robot ordering it to destroy Dracolon. During this battle Johnny orders the robot to use various weapons that he honesty couldn't know about. "Atomic Punch"? "Missile Launchers"? How does this kid know this crap? We're not supposed to worry about that though. I know as a kid myself when I first saw this show I didn't. I just wanted to see the robot kick monster ass.

Throughout the series, the special effects look cheap even for the time it was made. In the VHS tapes that I have released by Orion Home Video, they use some of the monsters several times. While it kind of adds to continuity, I think it was an effort to stretch an anemic budget in the show. You know, that doesn't matter. It was still entertaining. Call it a nostalgic feeling of mine, or what you will...I miss those days when I believed a giant robot defended mankind from evil invaders and big freaking monster stomped Tokyo on a daily basis. This show wasn't as cool as Ultra Man, but for those of us who remember watching it, it was definitely fun.

Best Lines: "Now, Giant Robot....into motion!"-Johnny's first command to the robot. Interesting how he doesn't say it into the watch.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) So the preferred method of conquering Earth is to land your spacecraft in the pacific, wait for several months and then unleash one giant monster to crush a few ocean liners? Wow. I thought world domination involved a little more than that.

2.) Dracolon was a pretty weak monster. I find it hard to accept that a few battleships couldn't have taken care of him. And since there's such a threat why are people even still travelling that way?

3.) Its never told where Johnny was going or why he was alone without parental guidance on the ship. I always wondered about that. If Johnny's parents ever made an appearance on the show I don't remember it.

4.) Once again an alien with obviously superior technology uses it in ineffective ways. How can Guillotine arrive in an interstellar spaceship but still require help from Earthling minions? Wouldn't a being with such vast knowledge and power be able to humble us easily? I guess not with that silly mask he wears. I think he's supposed to be a squid but Guillotine just looks like a guy in a bad squid mask.

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  How does Johnny know the commands and weaponry of the robot?

I don't know about you, but I'd really be freaked by a giant sea monster...and then if a giant robot showed up too....well, I'd require constant medical care for the rest of my life!

Hey, wouldn't there be radiation from an atomic blast? I guess the untold story of Johnny and Jerry is how the died a horrible death of cancer years after the Guillotine threat ended.

Why didn't Guardian use the robot himself to escape. He made an atomic bomb, which had the power to activate the robot without Gargoyle finding out. He also had the control watch. This guy is a brilliant scientist?

I am so glad that my mother didn't dress me in suits with short pants when I was kid. What is it with Japanese boys and sub atomic shorts?

Episode 2: Nucleon, the Magic Globe

THE STORY:  Forget everything you heard about a giant meteor impact causing world wide destruction. When a definitely huge-ass meteor crashes into a mountainside near a village in Japan it just leaves a sizable crater. A small military force is sent to investigate and as the helpful narrator tells us, a few scientists. Hilariously the narrator informs us that the first fear is that the meteor is radioactive and the scientists are relieved to find out that it isn't. I'll bet they are since none of them nor the army guys are wearing any kind of radiation suits. I guess if it was radioactive they'd just all say "Well, we're screwed! Too bad we didn't think of any precautions in case it was radioactive!" Yeesh. The narrator also tells us that the meteor is made of a mineral unknown on Earth but attach no special importance in that. These guys are scientists?

Meanwhile Johnny Sokko and Jerry are at UNICORN HQ watching scientists there test the Giant Robot's powers. Apparently this episode takes place a day or so after the first episode. The Robot passes each test with ease, and the UNICORN chief exclaims that no power known can harm the robot. He then asks Johnny if he'll join UNICORN and use the Giant Robot to help defend the world against GARGOYLE. Johnny quickly agrees and is made UNICORN agent U7. (Jerry is U3) The chief also tells Johnny to keep his status as an agent secret, even from his parents. That raises a question, one that I wondered about even as a kid watching this show. Where are Johnny's parents? I don't recall seeing them in any episode of the show! And how could they not know he's a UNICORN agent? During the run of the show Johnny is out all hours of the night fighting evil, hanging around Jerry and generally never being in school. Perhaps in the Japanese version they establish that he's an orphan or something, but it really doesn't make any sense here. Strangely enough GARGOYLE knows who Johnny is and that he controls the Giant Robot and that he's a UNICORN agent. (and they say American parents don't pay enough attention to their kids)

Anyway, Emperor Guillotine contacts his minion, the Gargoyle Gang leader, Spider. For once he's actually got a decent and plausible plan. Guillotine wants the Giant Robot back and to that end he's brought the monster Nucleon to earth. He orders Spider to use the Nucleon to draw the Giant Robot out so that they can capture it by capturing Johnny. Nucleon, a giant ball really, bursts out of the meteor and rolls down the hill smashing the village. You have to hand it to the Japanese Defense Forces...they react pretty damn quick. faster than you can say "Godzilla" they have tanks on the move attacking Nucleon. Unfortunately the tanks are about as effective as they are against Godzilla...Nucleon, who can sprout tube like appendages and jets out of various holes on its surface easily destroys them. Johnny and Jerry are sent to the seen, and upon witnessing the destruction call on Giant robot.

Nearby Spider springs his trap. Basically the Gargoyle Gang just runs up to our heroes and knocks them out. Spider tells his assistant, Beatnik guy, that without instructions from Johnny the Robot will simply stop moving and they'll be able to capture it. Okay, first of all, I don't know if the dude's name is Beatnik Guy. I made that up. But you have to see this guy! With his jaunty black Gargoyle Gang Beret, black sunglasses and goatee you'd expect to see him in a  bar somewhere plucking a cello and spouting Satre'. Also, Giant robot doesn't seem so formidable if he just stops moving the instant Johnny is incapacitated! Besides Johnny commanded the robot to destroy Nucleon...why would the Robot freeze in mid-battle because Johnny isn't directing it's every move? Isn't an order to "destroy that thing!" sufficient? Well, it doesn't matter. The robot freezes in mid-motion and Nucleon captures it, and flies it to Guillotine's undersea spaceship. Back at UNICORN HQ, Chief Azuma intuits that Johnny and Jerry are in danger when the radar scope shows the robot to be travelling in a strange manner. (being dragged by Nucleon) With the rest of the UNICORN agents he goes to the rescue. The UNICORN men manage to stop Spider and his Gargoyle Gang before they leave the scene with Johnny and Jerry and engage in a running gun battle. Spider recalls Nucleon to deal with them. Nucleon returns and begins an aerial assault forcing the UNICORN agents to run for cover. The gunfire awakens Johnny who in turn awakens Jerry. Johnny uses his communicator watch to call Giant Robot. The Robot, receiving the command, flies from Guillotine's undersea base and renews its battle with Nucleon. This time however Nucleon gets the worst of it. As the Gargoyles retreat Johnny tells Giant robot to stop the enemy. By stop I guess he meant kill, because the Robot throws Nucleon onto their car causing it to blow up in a pretty good explosion. (Don't worry...Spider and Beatnik Guy get killed or captured supposedly all through the series always to return, kinda like Captain Scarlet. Anyone remeber Captain Scarlet? Dr. Freex?)

Victorious, Johnny, the Robot and Jerry fly back to UNICORN HQ while Emperor Guillotine in his base swears that he will never stop until he has conquered the Earth. The helpful narrator tells us that Johnny and the Giant robot have proved their great power and have many adventures ahead of them.

If the episodes I have on Tape are in order than this is the first episode where we see Johnny and Jerry use their rocket packs to fly. Its really a funny thing to see two people stand there and raise their hands like Superman expecting to fly. After they do this the scene cuts to obvious "toy men" flying. Admittedly, its a decent low budget effect, and one that maybe kids from my day won't laugh at. Today's kids? Oh, I'm sure they'd roll their eyes at it.

Best Lines: "Giant Robot won't make a move without that kid...so the kid will go to the laboratory where he can be brainwashed by the hypnothon!"-Spider tells Beatnik Guy his plan after he captures Jerry and Johnny.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Amazingly while UNICORN is testing Giant Robot's abilities Jerry leans over and asks Johnny if the robot can withstand the "Heat resistance Test". Johnny says "Uh huh" as if he actually knows. How the hell would he know and why is Jerry asking him? The kid didn't build the thing!

2.) Spider should have considered killing Johnny instead of capture. Even if that meant the robot would no longer obey any commands it would still make Spider the winner! Without the Robot no one would be able stop all of the other monsters at Guillotine's command.

3.) Dialogue indicates that GARGOYLE thought Nucleon was a match for the Giant Robot. I don't see how, since the Robot took all of three minutes to destroy it. Don't they at least have specs on this thing?

4.) So Guillotine manages to recapture the Robot stolen from him in the first episode and doesn't have any contingency plans just in case Johnny wakes up and orders the robot back into action? How'd this clown conquer anything? I would have at least told Spider to take Johnny's control watch.

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  GARGOYLE must have crappy equipment. The UNICORN scientists track the robot flying at Mach 19, but the GARGOYLE gang scientist says he can't track the robot because its moving to fast.

The UNICORN agents react faster than the Japanese Defense Forces. How'd they possibly get to the countryside before Spider and his gang left with their prisoners?

Y'know, Giant robot must have missiles to spare because it sure doesn't aim when it fires at monsters.

Giant Robot also has a strange interpretation of "Stop". The Robot must have intended to kill the Gargoyle Gang when it dropped Nucleon on them.

I'd really like to see Johnny's home life. What twelve year old kid would be able to keep it secret that he has control over an unstoppable Giant Flying Robot? I wouldn't be able to and I'm a grown man! I'd be calling the Robot to fly me to Cancun on weekends. I'd probably be sitting on the robots shoulder outside my bosses window saying "Now, Who can't have the day off?".

Episode 3: The Gargoyle Vine- A strange Plant

THE STORY:  Guillotine brings his sinister agent, Dr. Botanus, to Earth. Botanus has silver skin, red lipstick, a protruding brow and really bad teeth. His mission is to use the deadly Gargoyle Vine to conquer the earth. Even though Botanus boasts that only he can control the Gargoyle Vine, he needs to seek out the help of earthling scientist, Dr. Dorian.

Botanus makes an appearance at Dorian's home, but the aged scientist refuses to help GARGOYLE with its evil schemes. Yeah, like they were offering him a choice. Botanus has Dorian kidnapped and taken to GARGOYLE HQ. Because Dorian won't willingly hatch the Gargoyle Vine seeds, Botanus operates on his brain, temporarily putting the man under his control. The GV seeds are ugly things, but hatching one takes only a few minutes of pouring gunk on it. I wonder why Botanus didn't do it himself. After Dorian has hatched one the conditioning wears off and he again refuses to aid Botanus. Disgusted, Dr. Botanus tells the Gargoyle Gang to get rid of him. I guess the Gargoyles have a strange concept of that because I thought he meant "kill him". Apparently they thought it meant "Take him home".

Meanwhilst, Johnny and Jerry have been assigned by Chief Azuma to look into the disappearance of Dorian. Earlier that day they met by accident, Dorian's young granddaughter, who told them he was missing. Actually, even before that the little girl told a policeman that he was missing....the cop just shrugged it off, telling her if he didn't come back soon, to let him know. For Pete's Sake, the girl is only like TEN! What kinda cop is that?

Johnny and Jerry find Dorian drugged in his home, and they find his notes on the Gargoyle Vine (how'd this old man know anything about a plant from another planet that no one heard of until Guillotine came to Earth?) Dr. Botanus appears, steals the notes from them (yoink!) and then vanishes. Johnny and Jerry quickly take Dorian to a hospital. Chief Azuma and U5 go to the hospital, but just then Spider and his men put the now potted Gargoyle vine in a restaurant. Within minutes the plant grows to Godzilla size and begins destroying the city with multiple whip like appendages sprouting from its main trunk. (That makes it sound cooler than it looks, trust me.) Johnny calls for the Giant Robot.

The robot arrives and puts on a pitiful showing. Within seconds the massive metal man is entwined in the vines and falls over, helpless. Back at the Hospital, Dorian regains consciousness...probably due to his granddaughter shouting "Grand daddy! Grand daddy! Grand daddy!" over and over and over with a high pitched voice. He tells Chief Azuma that the vines can't withstand electricity. Azuma relays the information to Johnny. Luckily giant Robot still entwined in the vines is next to a transformer that must have a gazillion and a half volts in it. (One would think with the vine smashing everything in sight it would have come into contact with a live wire itself by now.) The Giant Robot reaches with its foot to touch an active line, and the resultant power surge blows the Gargoyle Vine to tiny bits. Once again, the Giant Robot is victorious!

As our heroes fly home, Emperor Guillotine tells Dr. Botanus he'll give him another chance to conquer earth and destroy the Giant Robot.

Best Lines: "There he is...the flying Robot...the Gargoyle Vine will tear out his transistors! Mwahahahahaha!"-Dr. Botanus.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Dr. Dorian is the only one that knows how to grow a gargoyle vine? But Dr. Botanus brought the damned thing from space! How would Dorian even know about it? I've seen no indication in the series that this takes place in the future or anything. Besides, after Botanus forces Dorian to comply all he does is mix a few jars of chemicals to do the deed. Now if Botanus and the Gargoyle Gang knew what chemicals were needed to hatch the vine why didn't they do it themselves?

2.) Is Johnny related to Kenny from the Gamera movies? At UNICORN HQ he makes the obvious statement of "Gargoyle must be planning to attack us again." when Chief Azuma tells the agents of Dr. Botanus arriving on Earth. Everyone acts like that's a stroke of genius. Boy, its a good thing that kid was there....

3.) Botanus needs to have a talk with the Gargoyle Gang....he tells them to get rid of Dorian because they don't need him anymore and so they wall him up in his own home. Alive. Dorian merely steps out of the wall and passes out. (in a scene you have to see to get its craziness....how'd Dorian get through that dinky hole?)

4.) Dr. Botanus does brain surgery on Dorian to make him obey....with a big [unwrite]ing rotating saw! Like one you'd expect to see in a woodworking shop! And it works! Even more fantastic, it leaves no scars! Boy, these space men can do anything!

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  Man, Dr. Botanus should have packed a toothbrush when he came from space. His teeth are more yellow than a banana.

Spider and his men are imbeciles! Why dress up as florists and deliver the Gargoyle Vine to some restaurant? All they had to do was leave it in a park or an alley or something.

Didn't it occur to GARGOYLE that the vine's weakness against electricity would make it a fairly easy to kill monster?

When Jerry and Johnny meet Dorian's granddaughter, Jerry tells her he nearly hit her with her car. I guess so if he was Mr. Magoo. The girl was in the road, yes, but she wasn't crossing it she was walking on it and there's no way Jerry could not have seen her in time to stop given the speed he was going. He could have just swerved around her, to be honest.

Episode 4: Monster Ligon-Tyrox, a strange monster

THE STORY:  Even for a kids show this episode was kind of stupid. Entertaining in a way but as a kid I thought it was a little goofy.

Guillotine sends Dr. Botanus to Arabia to destroy the world's oil supply. Botanus decides to capture a man named Egon, who is a brilliant engineer and designer of the Ultrasonic drill. I don't know why he just does. Oh, I do know why...Egon just happens to be Mitsuko's...UNICORN agent U5's brother. I guess they needed a way to involve her in the script. Botanus has the monster, Ligon-Tyrox destroy the oil refineries...and miraculously no one saw this giant creature do it.

Back in Japan Chief Azuma is concerned when there's no communication from the Arab branch of UNICORN. He sends Jerry to investigate and allows Mitsuko to go when she tells him that her brother Egon is missing in Arabia too. Johnny wants to go, but is told he can't. Jerry and Mitsuko fly to Arabia in a UNICORN jet. Johnny and the giant robot fly alongside so he can say goodbye, but Johnny notices a Gargoyle Gang bomb on the plane. He warns Jerry and Mitsuko in time for them to eject. Chief Azuma senses that there's more danger in this mission than he anticipated so he orders Johnny to fly with Jerry and Mitsuko via Giant Robot to Arabia.

Let me digress for a moment...can Johnny just fly around with the Robot whenever he wants? I'm sure that the chief didn't give him permission to fly up there with the Robot just to wave goodbye. Wouldn't the appearance of a Giant Robot play havoc with Air Traffic? Speaking of which how come Mitsuko didn't know Johnny was there with the robot at first. Don't UNICORN planes come with radar?

Anyway, three days later, Johnny, Jerry and Mitsuko find a pyramid in the desert. As corny as that sounds, they do, and apparently its an unknown pyramid....just standing there. I almost expected them to say "Open Sesame" to get in, but they don't have to...there's a freaking DOOR in it! Upon Entry they find two things...a pendant that belonged to Egon and Ligon-Tyrox! The monster is immobile,  though. It mustn't have rung any bells with the three agents because they soon retire to the Hotel Arabia (oh brother!) A gargoyle agent tries to kill them, but they manage to defeat him and meet the only survivor of the Arab UNICORN branch, Haseel. (who is of course a Japanese man dressed up like Sinbad so we'll think he's an Arab.)

Later that...day...Johnny and Jerry are sleeping (good thing they're on the case!) while Mitsuko slips away to the pyramid alone. She witnesses Dr. Botanus taking Egon into the monster. The monster's foot opens up at one of its nails providing a door! She gets cold cocked by a Gargoyle agent and taken prisoner too.

This is the silliest part of the thing...the monster is a robot, but its a robot with rooms and corridors etc. Botanus and the Gargoyle men ride inside of it. Imagine if the statue of Liberty could walk. Would you want to be inside of it when it moves around?

Luckily for Mitsuko, Johnny woke up and followed her. He sneaks into the monster himself intent on rescuing her. He tries to radio Jerry, but Jerry's snoozin' and I guess he's a heavy sleeper. Botanus activates the monster and the sides of the pyramid fall over, freeing the beast. It goes on a rampage, after testing out its drill horn, which I guess is why Botanus wanted Egon's help. (He can build a giant walking monster-robot with rooms and corridors and bathroom facilities but he can't build his own drill?) Ligon-Tyrox heads for the oil fields to smash them, and Haseel wakes Jerry up.

Seeing the danger, Jerry gets in touch with Johnny and tells him to get out of the monster and call Giant Robot. Johnny orders the robot to come and we see that the Immense Man of Metal has been hiding in the ocean off of the coast. The Robot flies to the rescue and engages Ligon -Tyrox in combat. Johnny frees Mitsuko, Egon and several other men and they flee out of the monster's foot....which you would think would be hard since the monster is still fighting Giant Robot. Johnny also left a bomb in the beast, and when it explodes, the Gargoyles lose control of Ligon-Tyrox. Giant Robot uses his "Radion Eye beams" and blows a hole in the monster, then throws it to the ground, defeated. Once again, UNICORN wins the day!

Best Lines: "That rotten kid! He planted a bomb!"-Dr. Botanus...who shouldn't have known what happened. He wasn't even aware that Johnny was inside the monster.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Wow. Imagine what damage those gargoyle machine guns could do if they left bullet holes in the men they just shot.

2.) Its a good thing Johnny eats lots of carrots. There is now way he could have seen that bomb from any appreciable distance. And don't the UNICORN agents have any kind of pre-flight checks? The thing was just stuck there on the tail of the plane in ...uh...plain sight!

3.) Okay...a pyramid in the middle of the desert (in Arabia? Wouldn't that be Egypt?) with a DOOR? Even as a kid I thought that was kind of silly. When Johnny and his friends go inside of it they find Ligon-Tyrox, immobile. Didn't they report this to anyone?

4.) How long does it take the Robot to fly from Japan to Arabia? Jerry, Johnny and Mitsuko have to sit in the robot's hands for the entire trip...what if you have to pee....and wouldn't it get real cold real fast?

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  Ligon-Tyrox must have a TARDIS-like interior....that's the only way you can explain how there can be all these roomy corridors, control rooms and dungeons in there. And why aren't the people in it being thrown around when the monster moves?

Where'd Johnny get that bomb...matter of fact...where'd he get those Arabian genie clothes?

Egon is a jerk. He refuses to comply with Dr. Botanus, so Botanus has his men shot one by one. When the last guy is dead he gives in. Egon, you moron! All your friends are dead now! Why give in at this moment unless you're afraid Botanus is going to kill you now!?

How sharp are those UNICORN badges? Jerry throws his like a shuriken throwing star and disarms a Gargoyle agent. I wouldn't want something that sharp on my clothes all day long.

So, Ligon-Tyrox destroyed the oil fields at the beginning of the episode yet no one saw him do it? Dialogue indicates that no one has seen the beast until it shows up later in the show.

Once again, I wonder what exactly the Giant Robot can do on its own and what it can't. In the 2nd episode Spider tells his men that the robot will just stand still if Johnny isn't able to direct it. Even though in that episode Johnny told the robot to destroy Nucleon it froze the instant Johnny wasn't able to direct its attack. But in this episode the Giant robot shows up and instantly attacks Ligon-Tyrox. All Johnny ordered it to do was come. So now the robot must have some degree of independent operation.

I like the way the Robot walks up to Johnny and the good guys after Ligon-Tyrox has been beaten. The UNICORN agents are all celebrating and congratulating each other and the robot shuffles there in a manner that says "Hey, guys, I'm uh, kinda hurt from fighting that giant monster...guys?".

Episode 5: Destroy the Dam

THE STORY:  As a kid I didn't realize it, but this episode makes it clear that the show had a pretty skimpy budget. I say that because instead of  a new monster, the Giant Robot has to do battle with the Gargoyle Vine again.

This time Dr. Botanus has placed the plant creature in the middle of a lake. He tells his fellow evil-spaceman, Dangor the Executioner, that the vine is inactive in the water so they drain the lake. (Yeah, that makes sense...how'd he get to be "Doctor" Botanus...that would imply brains) Anyway, Commander Azuma meets with government officials to talk of how to deal with the Gargoyle Vine. It hasn't moved, its just standing there in a dried up lake bed. Azuma warns the ministers that GARGOYLE must want them to attack it, so it must be a trap. The ministers of course, don't listen. Kind of like that old Dr. Who episode "The Claws of Axos" where no one listens to the Doctor when he tells them the aliens that just arrived are a threat. Only not as cool. You know its bad when a Dr. Who episode outstrips your budget!

Anyhoo, the ministers order an attack. Which is just what Dr. Botanus wanted. The energy from the missile attack fuels the Gargoyle Vine. It comes to life and starts...well, wiggling around at first. Jerry and Johnny go see Dr. Dorian from episode 2, the expert on space plants. Luckily they arrive just before Dangor and some GARGOYLE agents kidnap him. Dorian confirms Azuma's fears...firing at the Gargoyle Vine only makes it stronger. Azuma orders the UNICORN agents to go to the lake and help evacuate the village, just as the government launches another attack. This attack makes the GV even stronger. It begins spewing out red hot projectiles of lava. (Its a plant. How's it do that?) Johnny is sent to the scene with Giant Robot but told not to attack the plant directly. Luckily Johnny notices a nearby dam. When he tells Azuma this, Dr. Dorian, who until now has been wallowing in despair, realizes that if the water is released it will fill the lake bed and weaken the GV. (Why hasn't this plant left the lakebed, Dr. Botanus? Kinda hard to conquer the world if your monster just occupies a dried up lake!)

Giant Robot smashes the dam refilling the lake bed. Then Johnny orders the Robot to attack the vine. After a short battle the robot fires its finger missiles into the plant's mouth causing it to explode! The day is saved once again!

Back at GARGOYLE HQ, Emperor Guillotine is steaming mad about this latest defeat. In anger he destroys the groveling Dr. Botanus!

Best Lines: "The whole story is just nonsense...sure those scientists keep trying to tell us what to do....you know, I just don't listen!"-The minister refuses to listen to Dr. Dorian and Commander Azuma.

"Oh, that darn plant!"-Johnny is angry that the Gargoyle Vine seems to be getting more powerful.

"That's it! It could work! the water held in that dam could easily pour down! That will cause the heat energy to go way down in the plant...now then that will cause the mouth to relax...then when it opens shoot rockets into the mouth!"-Dr. Dorian has a light bulb moment on how to kill the monster. It doesn't make any sense but, hey, he's a scientist.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Dr. Botanus calls earthlings stupid? He says that the Gargoyle vine is inactive in the water, so why'd the put the damned thing in a lake and drain it? They could have just found somewhere, say, on land and unleash it. Moron.

2.) WHAT?! The minister says he doesn't want to bring the Gargoyle threat into the equation while considering what action to take against the Gargoyle Vine because it might cause a panic? What kind of nut is this guy? There's a giant plant from outer space in the middle of a lake! I'd think the people would be panicked already.

3.) I said it before but it bears repeating....Botanus, get a toothbrush, man! I wouldn't open my mouth if my teeth were that crummy looking. I guess they don't floss on whatever planet he comes from.

4.) Why wasn't the village evacuated before the first bomb attack on the Gargoyle Vine? Man, whoever's running this operation needs to read up on a few manuals.

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  Botanus sends Dangor the executioner to fire a bullet with a recorded message at Commander Azuma just to scare him? What kind of idiotic plan is that?

Why is Dr. Dorian scared of the Gargoyle Vine so much? They know how to kill it! The robot already killed one by using electricity in Episode 2! Didn't they take any notes about this?

What the hell is Dangor carrying? A plastic dinosaur head?

Episode 6: The Transformed Humans

THE STORY:  I don't get it....maybe the episodes on my VHS tapes aren't in the order they were aired in...because even though we saw Dr. Botanus get vaporized by Emperor Guillotine in the last episode he's back in this one with Guillotine telling him he'll give him one more chance.

UNICORN is having a secret meeting and the man in charge of it is Kyoto branch leader, Suzuki. Suzuki is travelling by train when the monster, Ligorian appears! (Ligorian is the same monster as Ligon-Tyrox...guess they blew this episode's budget on the tank attack!) Ligorian swallows the train (!!) and a Gargoyle agent that I call Eyepatch captures Suzuki. Eyepatch is a weird one...he has an Eyepatch obviously and this crazy looking white outfit with black diamonds on it with a black cape. Oh, well, he looks better than Dangor from the last episode. Dangor's suit looked like the prison uniforms you'd see in a Three Stooges short!

Back at UNICORN HQ, Commander Azuma is concerned about the train's disappearance. He sends Johnny and Jerry with a briefcase full of secret documents to Kyoto. I wonder about his judgement though. Why send Johnny? First off wouldn't his parents wonder where he went? (not that this show concerned itself itself with that) and plus, Johnny is basically too valuable to risk as UNICORN does. Why send the kid on potentially deadly missions when he's the only one that can command Giant Robot?

While UNICORN is doing this, Dr. Botanus is interrogating Suzuki. He doesn't find anything out though, because Suzuki doesn't know anything! All of the information on the meeting wasn't known to him, because he won't get his orders until the meeting. Orders that are in the briefcase that Johnny and Jerry have. Botanus then subjects Suzuki to an operation which makes him an inhuman slave. He sends the now enslaved man to get the briefcase.

While meeting with Kyoto's UNICORN agents Johnny and Jerry are shocked when Suzuki walks in. Out of all the people on the missing train, he's the only one to be seen again! Suzuki doesn't offer any explanations. Under the control of Dr. Botanus he asks Jerry for the briefcase. Jerry naturally refuses but he tells Suzuki what hotel he and Johnny are staying at. After returning the hotel, Jerry and Johnny prepare for an attack by GARGOYLE that they know must be coming. Eyepatch Guy and Dr. Botanus soon arrive and steal the briefcase.

Johnny and Jerry then visit the home of Suzuki. His young daughter tells them that Suzuki's been acting strangely. Jerry then apprehends the strange-acting Suzuki, telling him that he's taking him to HQ for some answers. (They should have done this before! I mean, its obvious that he was captured by GARGOYLE....geez) Unfortunately the driver is like Suzuki....a transformed human. Jerry finds out the hard way that you can't knock a transformed human out...for some reason they have ultra strength. Suzuki gasses the two UNICORN agents and takes them to Dr. Botanus' spaceship, hidden beneath a lake. Johnny tries to summon the Giant Robot, but is unconscious before he can do it. Back at UNICORN HQ, Mitsuko tells Commander Azuma that a faint transmission from Johnny came through, but was too weak to activate the Giant Robot. Fearing the worst, the Chief and the UNICORN agents head to Kyoto. meanwhile, trapped in the under the lake spaceship of Dr. Botanus. Botanus demands that they tell him about the secret UNICORN meeting. When they tell him to get bent he leaves a death trap bomb thing in the cell and tells them they have five minutes to either talk or die. With his hands bound Johnny can't open his watch to summon the Robot. Jerry attempts to do so with his lips, while the timer ticks away. One of Botanus' men tells him that the operation on Suzuki is wearing off and he's turning normal again. Botanus just chuckles to let him become human again and then they'll kill him.

Botanus lets his monster Ligorian loose. The giant beast rampages on the countryside, wiping out UNICORN agents (we don't see this but an agent tells Azuma that the men have been wiped out) and burning a tank battalion with his flame breath. Jerry manages to flip open Johnny's watch and Johnny calls Giant Robot for help. The robot flies to the rescue. Somehow Johnny knows about Ligorian (though he shouldn't...he's a prisoner in the ship and the monster hasn't actually been seen or named until now) and tells Giant robot to defeat him. The robot makes short work of Ligorian and then travels under the lake. By all rights Johnny and Jerry should be dead by now. Its bad enough that we all know they have passed the five minute time limit that Dr. Botanus gave them, but while the Robot is fighting Ligorian there's a cut to Johnny and Jerry saying "Twenty seconds left!" and so on. Oh well, the Robot locates the ship and in a muddled way manages to crack it open without killing Johnny, Jerry and Suzuki who we only know is there in the cell because Jerry says "Get Suzuki...the robot can fly us all out!" The robot frees the UNICORN agent and flies out into the sky. Sitting in the robot's hands, Johnny tells Azuma by radio that he's taking Suzuki to a hospital.

Now I wonder if Dr. Botanus is still alive? The last we see of his ship its exploding! Giant robot smashed it! But then he was vaporized and still lived.

Best Lines: "No they don't...and its a good thing, since Gargolians do."-Dr. Botanus to Suzuki when told that humans would kill innocent passengers on a train to capture one man.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) There is no way that Ligorian swallowed that train by lying down on the tracks! And that was an express train? That dinky little train (an obvious toy) looked as much like an express train as "Trolley" from Mister Rogers Neighborhood does.

2.) If I were Dr. Botanus I'd have fell over laughing when Suzuki says that humans would not kill all of those innocent passengers on the train. Right. what planet is HE from. Botanus should have just given Suzuki a history book and a newspaper and told him to read it.

3.) How the hell can GARGOYLE be so ineffective with powers like this? Dr. Botanus and Eyepatch Guy have the ability to teleport, obviously. Botanus has done it before and Eyepatch guy can change form! Yet these morons can't beat UNICORN?

4.) The Giant Robot defeats Ligorian by throwing it on a bridge, thus smashing the bridge. Hmmmm...maybe they should tweak his programming against causing unwarranted property damage!

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  Dr. Botanus tells Johnny and Jerry that he'll kill them with some kind of bomb or something if they don't tell him where the secret UNICORN meeting is being held. When they refuse he starts the timer on the device and leaves...Johnny then says "He meant it!" Uh, yeah of course he meant it you stupid kid! Even if Botanus hadn't killed all of the people on the train, not to mention the people he killed in previous episodes, he's tried to kill you personally less than a day ago! What makes you think he wouldn't mean it!?

How does Johnny know the monster is called Ligorian? He doesn't even see the creature! He's in a GARGOYLE cell, so he shouldn't even know the monster is attacking!

They can't seem to get the scale right in this....Giant Robot picks up Dr. Botanus's spacecraft, but either Botanus and the men aboard shrink to get in it or the Robot is a lot bigger than it looks.

Episode 8: Dragon, the Ninja Monster

THE STORY:  Guillotine's latest plan is pretty ridiculous, but hey, maybe the evil Genius knows something I don't. He wants to put the world in turmoil by starting a war between two tiny nations, Albion and Sylvania. in order to do this he uses Dragon, the Ninja monster to capture an Albion jet and a Sylvanian submarine. The two countries blame each other and threaten to go to war.

UNICORN is called in on the matter. (wouldn't the UN handle this?) On a small island they have a summit to discuss ideas on how to diffuse the situation. All of the international UNICORN leaders are present. (Which makes for a small crowd. There doesn't seem to be many nations with a UNICORN branch. I did notice that there seems to be no US UNICORN leader!) Commander Azuma, Mitsuko, Jerry and Johnny arrive on the island. They all await the arrival of Canadian UNICORN chief, Lloyd. (The Canadian UNICORN has been mentioned in previous episodes...I guess the Japanese really like the Canadians!) Lloyd has been detained however...by Guillotine! In his place, a disguised Spider attends the meeting. Spider also brings a time bomb in his briefcase, one that he plans on using to kill all of the UNICORN leaders with.

Johnny notices something is strange and catches the Gargoyle Gang at the gate. He's almost overpowered but Jerry arrives. Johnny overheard the Gargoyle men talking about the bomb, and while he and Jerry get into a gunfight with the Gargoyles he summons Giant Robot and radios Mitsuko at the meeting. Mitsuko finds the bomb and runs out of the building with it, but its about to go off. Just then Giant Robot arrives, and swoops down from the sky, snatching the bomb (which should have gone off by now...maybe the Robot reset the timer too....right) Johnny orders the Robot to drop the bomb on the retreating Gargoyle Gang, once again blowing them up. But then Dragon appears and begins smashing the building! A disembodied voice lets us know "Good thing we evacuated!" as the monster runs rampant. The giant robot instantly engages the beast in combat. Though Dragon can disappear and reappear at will he's no match for the robot. The Robot deals a few good licks and the Ninja monster tries to fly away. The Robot blasts off and gives chase. The monster is forced to Earth and the Robot delivers his "Megaton Punch" (like Popeye's Twister punch I guess) knocking him into the ocean. Then Dragon explodes, revealing the stolen Jet and submarine. ( Did he eat them?What the [unwrite]?) Johnny and the robot fly the missing hardware back to the rightful countries thus averting a war.

In his base, Emperor Guillotine fumes over this loss! He'll get that Darn Johnny Sokko and his flying robot, yet!

Best Lines: "Be quiet! I need silence!"-Mitsuko tells the assembled UNICORN leaders to be silent so she can locate the bomb...funny thing is no one said anything!

"Confound that Johnny Sokko and his flying robot!"-Guillotine rages at his defeat.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) Oh boy, this is hilarious....you can tell that the submarine captain is the only one there on the set! That's on top of the crappy "war" footage displays toy tanks and quick cuts to a few army scenes from previous episodes. Its really funny to watch!

2.) So, Albion and Slyvania are going to war and this is going to destroy the world so Guillotine can take over? Methinks they must smoke the whacky weed on Guillotine's home planet if he thinks that'll work.

3.) These guys on security don't notice that UNICORN leader, Lloyd from Canada changed from a white guy to a Japanese guy?

4.) It looked cool kind of...but I can't believe that Giant robot flew down and grabbed what to him must be a teeny tiny suitcase, only inches from Mitsuko, and then flew up again, without injuring her.

4.) Okay, in Episode 2 I wondered how much independent action the robot could take on its own. In this episode it seems to have a mind of its own. First of all, when Johnny first calls him to the scene he didn't know or tell the Giant Robot to get the time bomb, yet the Robot, seeing Mitsuko trying to get rid of it, flies down and scoops it up. Then after the bomb threat has been disposed of Mitsuko radios Johnny and tells him a monster is attacking the building. The Robot, standing there near Johnny turns his head in a "What the [unwrite]?" fashion. So not only did it hear what Mitsuko said, it reacted to it. When the Giant Robot engages the ninja Monster there are several times when Johnny will shout something like "Use your Megaton punch!" and the Robot turns and looks down as if to say "Good idea, but I can handle this!". I might add that this was by far the best fight the Robot has had....only because the Robot seems to act with a degree of independent thought in its actions. 

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  Was Spider going to sacrifice himself in order to blow up the UNICORN leaders? He was in the room right next to the bomb he planted!

Spider can change pretty damned quick! After the bomb is discovered he's seen in his GARGOYLE uniform in what can only be a few minutes of time.

Why would the monster have the jet and sub inside of it? Guillotine is a nincompoop. Despite the defeat of his monster the war he wanted to cause could still have happened if he hid the stolen hardware somewhere else! You'd think a guy with a head as big as Guillotine's would have a brain to match.

The scale is all wrong when the Robot is seen flying the Jet and the sub back to their owners.

Episode 8: The Gigantic Claw

THE STORY:  This is the final episode I have on my tapes.

A new metal called QQV is discovered. Its transparent and its impervious to even the Giant Robot! UNICORN is pledged to protect the secret, and the scientist who created it says he wants to give to the world for peaceful purposes. I can't think of how that's going to happen, but there ya have it.

GARGOYLE of course wants the metal themselves. Spider and his Gargoyle Gang plot to steal it. Posing as UNICORN agents they bluff their way into the lab where the secret is kept. They almost make it out without trouble but their cover is blown at the last minute. Still, they have the briefcase with the secret formula and run. Johnny and Jerry arrive and give chase, but Spider has an ace up his sleeve...he call on Claw his giant robot monster!

Claw is just that...a big freaking metal hand! The Claw runs Jerry and Johnny off of the road and in desperation they use their jet packs to try and escape it. The Claw follows so Johnny calls Giant Robot. The robot takes flight and arrives just in the nick of time. After a short aerial tussle with Claw, Johnny decides to retreat. The robot scoops him and Jerry in its hands and outruns claw. On the Ground watching spider gleefully cackles that the Claw made even the Giant robot run!

But his laughter is to be short lived! When he opens the case before Emperor Guillotine he finds a smoke bomb not the QQV plans! (UNICORN sure plays fair. Why not a real bomb and take out some Gargoyle agents?) Guillotine is not amused. Fortunately for Spider he gives the Gargoyle Gang another chance. Spider has bugged a room where UNICORN plans to make a new arrangement for the QQV metal. The formula is to be transported to the United Nations in New York. The route is kept secret, but Spider's bugs let him hear it....even though Johnny and Jerry have swept the room and found a lot of bugs!

With this knowledge Spider ambushes the UNICORN convoys. He manages to capture Jerry and Johnny and has them tied up in an alley. Mitsuko finds out about this by monitoring radio transmissions and arrives in time to free them. Meanwhile Spider has ordered the Claw to attack the convoy with the plans and Commander Azuma. Johnny and the Giant Robot fly there and do battle with the Claw. The Claw and the Robot at first exchange missile fire, but then the claw clamps down on the robot. Luckily Johnny is there and orders the robot to spin as fast it can to shake the Claw loose. After that its downhill for the Claw as the robot evades its attacks and then blasts it with its finger missiles. Then the Robot uses its flame thrower breath causing Claw to explode. The Gargoyles are almost overpowering the UNICORN cadre when the robot shows up forcing them to surrender, even though Spider himself escaped. With the Gargoyles wrapped up, the QQV metal is safe.

Best Lines: "A black car!"-Johnny notices the black car following them and since its a BLACK car it must be the bad guys. Oooh boy.

"Its a hose...I guess he thinks its a gun."-Johnny and Jerry laugh at the gas station attendant not realizing he's a gargoyle gang member.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:

1.) The part where the Claw is chasing Johnny and Jerry's car is so fake its laughable. I know they probably had a low budget, but come on. That scene makes any episode of Ultra Man look like Star Wars.

2.) Good Grief! When Commander Azuma wants to check the room for bugs the general tells him its been checked this morning. Still Johnny and Jerry find FOUR bugs in obvious...and I mean obvious places! Who checked the room before? Homer Simpson? To make it even crazier, the Gargoyle Gang has one more bug that wasn't found in a fake spider! These guys really really want to know what UNICORN is talking about.

3.) I take it back....the part with the fake toy car spinning on the oil slick has got to be the single fakest effect used that I can recall seeing in anything!

4.) Once again, the Gargoyles have Johnny in their power yet don't take the precaution of making sure he can't in any way shape or form call the Giant robot.

4.) No wonder UNICORN has to fight Spider every two days. When they round up the rest of the Gargoyle Gang and notice Spider isn't there they just say "Looks like he got away again." Gee, think maybe looking for him might help. He can't have gotten too far in thirty seconds!

NUDITY AND SEX:  none

HUH?:  What? Jerry bragged that UNICORN cars are built to handle attacks yet the attack by the Gargoyle Gang punctured the fuel tank? Wouldn't that be something to be protected on a  car, especially a "UNICORN" car? They run out of gas and Jerry explains the tank must have been hit...then Johnny says there's a gas station just ahead. So what? There's a hole in the tank!!! That's like trying to fetch water with a bucket with a hole in the bottom! Boneheads.

GARGOYLE went through a lot of trouble to get this secret QQV metal. How'd they know that Johnny and Jerry would stop at that gas station? They couldn't so that means they must have went through all of the trouble to set a man there with a gun disguised as a hose "just in case".

THE FINAL JUDGMENT: This is a show that not everyone will enjoy, but fans of giant monster movies might like it. I don't know if Orion Home Video has released anymore of the episodes in their "Retro Classics" but if you have the hype on that I'd like to know. I miss this show...I remember faintly some other episodes from my younger days. There was one where the Robot fought a giant eyeball (!!) and had to shut it by using its "Belt buckle" that extended in a way that made me and my cousin crack the kind of jokes that made my grandma smack us...and there was another episode where a second Giant robot went berserk! I also remember the final episode where the Robot confronted Guillotine himself! I know its been made into a cobbled together movie called "Voyage into space" but I haven't seen that in years! If anyone has a copy email me! I'd love to trade something for it! All in all, Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot is an enjoyable little journey through yesteryear. A definite must for fans of the genre!