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HIKARU MAKIBA: THE ROLE RE-ASSESSMENT (EP49-61)
DAISUKE'S PAIN
Just as for ep25, ep34 and – later – ep63 and ep72, ep49 seems to be centred around a new character introduction (in this case Maria Grace), and this is certainly true, but there are further plots in this episode: the first one being the proof that a fourth spacer driver would be very helpful in battles (a wise way to justify the introduction of Duke Fleed’s sister in the story). But this is not enough. A further plot is subtle introduced, and it’s referred to the return under the stage light of the poisoning injury. In ep49, Daisuke is shown as nearly totally unharmed facing vegatron radiations,
and we can understand that each meeting with them will cause a worsening of his sickness. We have evidence of this from the fact that, differently from the past, when, despite the pain, Duke Fleed could somehow continued to fight, or anyway he took a short time to recover, from ep49 on, everytime he faces vegatron radiations he has a bad physical response, worsening from episode to episode. Other examples: ep51,
 
ep64,
 
ep70,
ep71.
If he has always known that he was sentenced to death, anyway, the idea to die due to his injury could have been in his mind a remote perspective, after all. Now, instead, he must realise that, in addition to the problems of the issues of the war (at the moment Vega empire needs to conquer Earth in order to survive), he has a very short time still available for living. There is no cure on Earth for his injury, so he cannot do anything else than observing it worsening day by day and hoping it won’t reach the critical point before the war with Vega ends. Daisuke’s life has consequently now a different perspective. May we suppose that Hikaru’s life should face a change of perspective too?
Well, yes, here is where I believe lays the tricky storytelling approach in the new phase of the anime. Daisuke and Hikaru love each other, but they know they are going to be separated by death very soon, independently from the war. So, a change in their psychology is logical. Especially for what Hikaru is concerned, who now must support the man she loves not only in a terrible fighting, but in managing his approach to his own death too.
Everybody must die, we all know it, but how to reach psychologically that moment is a different problem, and depends from people's personalities and also from life circumstances. Dying suddenly in an accident car is different to dying for a long illness, for both the persons involved and their beloved ones. It’s true that Daisuke, on the other hand is facing happy moments, as he has unexpectedly found alive his sister, but this cannot completely overcome the thought of his death approaching soon in his soul. And the only person who is able to comfort and support him properly is Hikaru.
 
Maria Grace is only a teen with an unfinished ego, Koji is a good guy, but he is completely involved by his relationship with Maria Grace and anyway he can’t be a psychological support for Daisuke for this problem. Only Umon and Hikaru could be able to support him properly. And it’s exactly what happens.
This is my personal explanation to the apparent change of personality of Hikaru after Maria Grace’s introduction. Ufo Robot Grendizer seems to turn into a “childish” anime changing the focus to the new couple (Koji and Maria Grace) but in reality the “adult” story is continuing, like a silently river which flows in the deep of a mountain and waits to find the proper exit to see the light.
HIDDEN, BUT DEEPER, FEELINGS
I think the Authors wanted to underline a new change in the lovestory between Daisuke and Hikaru: they cannot plan a future together, but they want to live anyway the short time still available, possibly peacefully, despite the war. So, Hikaru becomes apparently a quiet girl, often worried for Daisuke, losing her strong personality (Chiyoko Kawashima, Hikaru’s Japanese dubber, confesses in the Roman Album that at one point she started to feel like a fool as the scripts required from her only to say “Daisuke-san” endlessly…). In reality, Hikaru has not lost a single piece of her stamina, but she must “divert” it from defending herself to protect her man from a psychological point of view. In other words, she must change her sentiments: from being in love for Daisuke to love him. She has finally completed the process she started in ep25 after the meeting with Naida. But the Authors could not leave totally the lovestory subject in complete hiding. Shozo Uheara’s comeback in eps 52-53 let us face a little hint about how much deep is the link bonding Daisuke towards Hikaru. Once she is captured by the gorilla (in the Italian version, it is only a monster which has taken an hostage to force the Team to approach it and it is not “in love” for Hikaru - here Gerdha refers to VF (French Version) discussion on French forum),
  
Daisuke becomes irrational for a moment and he makes a strategic mistake, getting too much close to the monster, allowing it to cut away an arm to Grendizer.
 
But this is not enough, as soon after Daisuke - for the first and last time in the anime - decides to leave alone Grendizer in order to rush to save Hikaru.
 
 
He has never abandoned his robot a single time during a battle before, but now Hikaru, being in such a danger, is considered by Duke Fleed as deserving such an exception.
 
From ep54 to ep61, Hikaru's involvement in episodes slowly decreases, and Marine Spacer is not much required in battles under the sea. In ep57, Hikaru is even totally absent, while in ep59 she is shown only a brief moment as the “coffee-woman” of the situation.
Nevertheless, we can still see her in some important situations. In ep55, her joint action with Maria Grace saves the situation;
in ep58, her intuition about the fake identity of “Grendizer” driver shows how deep is her bond with Daisuke;
 
the final scene of ep61 shows the two-couples scenario very clearly.
  
But there is another aspect of Hikaru’s personality which, despite the “low profile” in the scripts, nevertheless is subtle developed, from ep49 on: her relationship with Maria Grace. Some old discussions in the forum have already rightfully underlined that Hikaru takes slowly the role of an older sister towards Maria Grace, but I would like to point out also the fact that the princess, after an initial blunt approach (ep50 after the training with Drill Spacer, when Maria Grace remarks that her driving abilities comes from her fleedian origins), starts to treat Hikaru with respect and I would say caring. I personally believe Maria Grace knows that Hikaru is his brother’s girlfriend. In fact, in ep50 Daisuke replies immediately to his sister’s speech in defence of Hikaru.
 
 
Then the princess faces his behaviour in ep53:
  
So, she can understand immediately how important is Hikaru in Daisuke’ life. Despite the few occasions the scripts gives to the two girls to interact in this phase of the story, it’s enough clear what kind of relationship they are undertaken.
It’s November 1976. Ufo Robot Grendizer ratings have now reached again a “safe” level, viewers are satisfied, the new relationship network between characters has been developed enough. The appropriate moment to launch the “final arc” of the anime has finally arrived.
Edited by joe 7 - 21/11/2019, 23:34
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