Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos

Machine Robo: Revenge of Cronos (マシンロボ クロノスの大逆襲) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Ashi Productions. It ran on TV Tokyo from July 3, 1986 through May 28, 1987.

A large portion of the Machine Robo toy-line was exported and sold by Tonka in America as GoBots and Rock Lords. To date, only 15 episodes of the series have officially been released with English subtitles on three DVDs by Central Park Media.

Story
The story takes place on the mechanical world of Cronos. A band of villains called the Gyandlar have come to the planet in search of the mythical energy know as the Hyribead.

Heroes

 * Rom Stol (played by Kazuhiko Inoue)
 * Master of the martial art Tenkū Chūshin Ken (天空宙心拳 literally Sky Space Heart Fist). Using the Wolf Sword Kenrō (剣狼), Rom can combine with Kenryū and Baikanfū for more power. Height: 186 cm, Weight: 880 kg.
 * Kenryū (Blade Dragon)
 * Larger robot body of Rom Stol. At the peak of light energy, Kenrō can cross the dimensional barrier and call forth Kenryū. When Rom combines with Kenryū, his power increases by tens. When the combination is complete, he says, "Wherever there is darkness, there is light. Wherever there is evil there is also good! The emissary from the heavens, Kenryū, is here!"
 * Baikanfu (ViKung-fu)
 * Largest robot body of Rom Stol and summoned at Rom's command of "Heaven, Earth, Fire and Water, grant me the power!". When Baikanfū synchronizes with the planet's energy, he can draw upon the power of nature itself.
 * The deluxe Rom Stol/Kenryu/Vaikungfu toy was a remold of DX Bunshin Gattai Tōshi Gordian (aka Godaikin "Gardian").


 * Leina Stol (played by Yuko Mizutani)
 * Younger sister of Rom, she also can use Tenkū Chūshin Ken when necessary. She is very close to Rom and gets jealous when other women get too close to him.


 * Blue Jet (played by Shinya Ōtaki)
 * A swordsman of the Jet Tribe. He can turn into a jet. Fights with "Tenkū Shin Ken (天空真剣, Sky True Sword)" style. He is the Renegade Fitor in the GoBots series.


 * Rod Drill (played by Kōichi Hashimoto)
 * Happy-go-lucky member of the Battle tribe. Transforms into a drill-tank. He is the Renegade Screw Head in the GoBots series.


 * Triple Jim (played by Toshiharu Sakurai)
 * Transforms into a helicopter and a car. Acts as a fussy caretaker to Leina.


 * Kirai Stol (played by Junichi Kagaya)
 * Chief of the Cronos tribe and master of Tenkū Chūshin Ken martial art. He taught the art to his children Guardi, Rom, and Leina as well as Blue Jet, Rod Drill, and Bug Newman. He is killed in the first episode after refusing to tell the evil Gyandler about the Hyribead. He bequeaths the sword Kenrō to his son and tells him to fight the evil Gyandler to protect his planet.


 * Battle Flex
 * Rom's sentient jeep. Recolor of Galoob's Power Machines Flex monster truck toy.


 * Land Giant 32
 * 32-wheeled transport/repair vehicle. Can separate into three vehicles: Leader 16, GripIron, and TurboJet. An import of Galoob's Power Machines Giant Command 32 vehicle.


 * Tough Trailer (played by Hiroshi Yanaka)
 * Remold of Titan Boy from Choushinsei Flashman.


 * Pro Truck Racer (played by Nobuaki Fukuda)
 * Remold of Titan Boy from Choushinsei Flashman.


 * Dash Machine Robo
 * Remolds of Bandai's Zenmai Kahen Winch Robo line. Released as "Secret Riders" GoBots in the U.S.


 * Battle Gyror
 * Battlancer
 * Land Fighter


 * Rock People
 * Battle Rock
 * Mecha Rock
 * Guts Rock
 * Mask Rock
 * Magna Rock
 * Cross Rock


 * Jewel People
 * DiaMan
 * RubyMan
 * AmberMan


 * Wheelmen
 * Hot Rod Joe
 * F-1 Jack


 * Power Riser: A mecha similar to the Power Loader from Aliens. Used in the latter episodes by Leina & Rom.

Villains

 * Gadess (played by Shigezō Sasaoka)
 * Leader of the Gyandlar.


 * Grujios (played by Minoru Inaba)
 * A giant pink slug that lives encased in a robot body.


 * Diondra (played by Hiroko Takahashi)
 * Female Gyandlar commander.


 * Garudi (played by Yōsuke Akimoto [evil], Show Hayami [good])
 * Gyandlar martial artist. Underneath his giant robot exterior is Rom's long-lost older brother, Guardi Stol, who has been brainwashed. Carries the sword Nagase (流星 Shooting Star).


 * Devil Satan 6 (played by Kenichi Ono)
 * Six monstrous robots that can combine into the giant Devil Satan 6 robot. In the anime they are referred to by number instead of name. Released in new colors as the Renegade combiner Monsterous in the GoBots toyline.


 * 1) Gillhead (played by Kenichi Ono): The head. Speaks Kansai dialect for some reason. Weapon: Nunchaku.
 * 2) Barabat: Left arm. Weapon: Tonfa.
 * 3) Deathclaw: Right arm. Weapon is the Sasumata.
 * 4) Gurogiron: Torso. Weapon is the Wolf Tooth Staff (狼牙棒 Láng-Yá Bàng).
 * 5) Eyegos: Right Leg. Weapon is Kusarigama.
 * 6) Blugoda: Left Leg. Weapon is Azure Dragon Sword (青龍刀 Qīng-Lóng Dao).


 * Evil Rock People
 * Devil Rock
 * Geiger Rock
 * Double Rock
 * Amazon Rock
 * Bloody Rock
 * Sand Rock


 * Varigale X
 * A type of spaceship used by the Gyandlar. The toy is a remold of Jaguar Vulcan from Taiyou Sentai Sun Vulcan.

Guest Characters

 * Kina (キナ) (played by Chieko Honda)
 * Daughter of the Gyandlar yakuza bull warrior Jingi. Has a brother named Koron.  Reincarnated in the OVAs as Nami Kojima.


 * Sophia (played by Kyoko Hamura)
 * A female Leo Clan warrior. Transforms into a lioness. Reincarnated in the OVAs as Kyoko Yoshida.


 * Rury (played by Yūko Kobayashi)
 * Female martial artist that inherited her late father's dojo. Blue Jet's love interest.  Her OVA incarnation is Yuko Sato.


 * Min (played by Yoshino Takamori and Yumi Takada)
 * Daughter of the Hirai Village leader.


 * Sara (played by Yoshino Takamori)
 * A female Scooter Robo. Reincarnated in the OVAs as Sara Yamada.


 * Bug Newman (played by Yoku Shioya)
 * Renegade Tenkū Chūshin Ken disciple. Mastered the forbidden poison fist "Dokushu Tō".

Staff

 * Narration: Show Hayami
 * Story editor: Hideki Sonoda
 * Character designs: Nobuyoshi Habara

Theme songs

 * "Machine Robo Honō" by MARTIN (1st opening)
 * "Shouri no Machine Robo" by Masato Shimon (2nd opening)
 * "Aoi Heart no Stranger" by Ema Watanabe (ending)

Leina Stol in Wolf Sword Legend
When Revenge of Cronos left off, Rom and Leina had crossed a dimensional barrier. Their physical forms changed from robot to human and they were separated with blurred memories. Leina Stol is incarnated as Reina Haruka, a Japanese schoolgirl. As the story progresses, she meets up with Rod Drill, Blue Jet, Triple Jim, and Rom; all of whom are now human.

Lightning Trap - Leina & Laika
Taking place in the middle of the Wolf Sword Legend feature, this story centers on Leina Haruka, whose plane has been hijacked by a group of thugs led by the supernatural wizard Zarik. At this point, the series has no resemblance whatsoever to the Machine Robo toyline that spawned it.

Video games
Machine Robo was featured in three of Banpresto's Super Robot Wars series, beginning with SRW Compact 2: Part 2 & 3 in 2000 on the Wonderswan. All three parts of SRW Compact 2 were remade in 2002 as SRW Impact on the PlayStation 2. In 2004, the series was included in the PS2's SRW MX's line-up, as well as the PSP port of the same.

Trivia

 * Most of the appearances of Rom Stol are similar to the style of Sergio Leone Westerns in terms of the "overall feel" of the scene as well as the background music.
 * In France, where the imported Robo Machine/Gobots toyline was still a success, the show was dubbed and broadcast as La Revanche des Gobots (Revenge of the Gobots) The show was dubbed as a sequel to the American series Challenge of the GoBots
 * In episode 23 of the series, the titular mecha Z Gundam makes its appearance in one of the battle scenes. It is colored orage in Waverider mode but when it got captured and thrown in the ground, its colors were the same as its Z Gundam counterpart. Although it's not shown but Sunrise is involved in the production of that episode before Machine Robo Rescue was created.

Related Links
Machine Robo: Battle Hackers