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HIKARU'S TRILOGY (EPISODES 37-39)
Nearly 9 months have passed since the beginning of the anime (ep 37 get aired on 13th June 1976), and some major changes in the production staff have already happened. Tomoharu Katsumata (director) and Keisuke Fujikawa (writer) have left the team, but the show has still good ratings, even if constantly decreasing since ep25. But Katsuta and Nagai seem to not care about this possible issue and they continue to develop the story they like without hesitations. After all, after ep23 and mostly ep25 (which by the way gave a big exposure to the anime even in the press) the story has become what they thought it should have been, and now the time has come for a new big change.
Daisuke is ill, destined to die in an unknown time: he could not be able to fight properly as in the beginning of the serie, due to the pain at the arm. Vega’s war strategy is more insidious after Zuril’s arrival. Umon has found a good way to enhance Grendizer abilities – the Double Spacer and its possibility to be connected with the robot – but it could not be enough. The Authors had this basic idea of the hero’s weakness which requires help from other people to succeed (an incredible thematic totally unknown to previous animes and actually never adopted later in the same way), but at the same time they started to develop also the theme of the war of attrition changing to a war for survival. The Roman Album does not explain if the idea of the spacers came first so they chose Hikaru as a second driver on its basis or if it was instead the idea of developing Hikaru in a certain way that let the inspiration of more spacers come. From the tone of the interviews in the Roman Album, and seeing what happens in the narrative arc, I tend to believe to the second case, even if I cannot be sure. Hikaru’s development is clearly aimed to let her have a role different from the simple “girl from the countryside” before the spacers plot introduction, there is no “change of direction” in the “Venusia’s Trilogy” (as I call it  ). Anyway, eps 37-39 are crucial in the anime story, and once again a trilogy sees the writing team dividing his duties in the order Mashima-Tatsuta-Mashima.
EPISODE 37 (PART 1)
Just to underline the fact that ep37 is a turning point of the story, Kazuo Komatsubara takes the role for the last time as Artistic Director of an episode. And as a last gift, he applies a change of design to Daisuke and Hikaru’s clothes. Pay attention: only to Daisuke and Hikaru. Please don’t tell me this is a casualty or Komatsubara did not have enough time to devise a change of suit also for Koji... I personally don’t find a different explanation on the change of BOTH and only THEIR clothes that they were not intended to show only Hikaru’s change of role soon coming (which is quiet obvious) but also Daisuke’ change of attitude towards life after the happenings of ep30.
I always had the impression that Daisuke and Hikaru somehow agreed the change of clothes between them before the episode. He could have changed his outfit some days before – after all Mizar and Rigel don’t say a comment on the matter – so Hikaru decided to change dress approach (well, yes, it’s a real modification of approach towards herself I would say) too. Please note also that the new clothes of Daisuke and Hikaru have the same design, just as if they had planned them together.
  
Hikaru’s speech to her father has always been a matter of great interest between female Grendizer fans  What a girl!
Danbei: Go back home and change your dress!
Hikaru: You are retrogressive. This is today fashion. Who’s decided I cannot wear a skirt I like?
 
Danbei: I’ve decided it!! I don’t like it, and that’s all!
Hikaru: Well, I will wear this dress anyway even if you dislike it!!! I guess Daisuke instead likes it very much...
Hikaru’s final words seem to confirm that her change of outfit was somehow discussed with Daisuke before, as she clearly supposes to know his own tastes. Again, viewers are not told directly and explicitly anything, but once more in Grendizer visual aspects are crucial. When Daisuke sees her first, while Goro and Danbei are playing with the machine-gun, his expression is surely surprised,
but soon after, during Goro’s speech, he is smiling.
it’s true, he turns away at a certain point to go back to work without telling a word, but how could he express his appreciation about Hikaru’s outfit in front of her upset father?
See what happens in the following scene at the farm (one of my favourite one of the whole anime). And, my dear French friends, please sit down in a comfortable chair because you are going to discover something new. Daisuke is feeding a horse, while Umon calls him asking to take Grendizer in order to help Koji.
Hikaru arrives without him noticing her and listens to the call. Daisuke turns to rush to the Centre and runs into Hikaru; they stay in front of each other looking deeply in the eyes. Listen to this dialogue:
Daisuke: Hikaru ...
Hikaru: I have heard the call, Daisuke. You must fight again.
Daisuke: Yes.
Hikaru: Daisuke, I am aware you could lose your life in the battle and you could not come back again. I... I would like you to not go (shaking her head then looking again at him in the eyes). I hope one day this horrible war will end and you will stay with me, forever with me.
  
Daisuke looks at her, then he puts both his hands on her shoulders.
Daisuke: Hikaru, nothing will give me more happiness than your affection. Don’t be afraid, they won’t kill me. So don’t worry and wait for me. See you soon!
Then, driving the motorbike, Daisuke says to himself:
Daisuke: I'm sorry, Hikaru.
Well, I am probably only a stupid romantic girl, but I understand here that Mr. Daisuke has told to the viewers he loves Miss Hikaru (well, actually he told her it too, but she knew it already as she does not show any surprise at his words). Nice, it was time I clearly remember myself jumping up and clapping at the scene.  I could be satisfied for this episode only on the basis of this scene, but actually Mr. Mashima is a very kind guy and has more and more surprises coming soon...
(to be continued)
Edited by joe 7 - 11/11/2019, 18:40
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