Grander Musashi

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Grander Musashi


caption = "Grander Musashi" first manga cover.
ja_name = グランダー武蔵
ja_name_trans = Guranda Musashi
genre = Adventure, Fantasy, SportInfobox animanga/Manga
author = Takashi Teshirogi
publisher = flagicon|Japan Shogakukan
demographic = Kodomo
magazine = flagicon|Japan Coro Coro Comics
first = November 1996
last = February 2000
volumes = Infobox animanga/Anime
title =
director = Takayoshi Suzuki
studio = flagicon|Japan Nippon Animation
network = TV Tokyo
first = April 2 1997
last = September 24 1997
episodes = 25Infobox animanga/Anime
title = Grander Musashi RV
director = Takayoshi Suzuki
studio = flagicon|Japan Nippon Animation
network = TV Tokyo
first = April 4 1998
last = December 26 1998
episodes = 39

nihongo|"Grander Musashi"|グランダー武蔵, also named as "Super Fisher Grander Musashi" and "Musashi The Great", is a Japanese manga series created by Takashi Teshirogi and was adapted into two anime seasons. It is a fishing sport anime which teaches audience on various fishing methods. The targets of this anime are usually towards families and teenagers which teaches us to appreciate nature and not destroy it. The main theme of this anime is protecting mother earth from being destroyed by techonology and greed of humans. This anime had influenced many audiences to fish for sport, as well as giving a good message to preserved nature. Grander Musashi is also supported by the Fishing Club in Japan and at the ending credits, they show the gallery of Bass type fish they captured.

It is divided into two seasons which are Grander Musashi and Grander Musashi RV.

Plot in Grander Musashi

Musashi lives with his father. His mother left them three years ago, but Musashi believes she will come back to them. One day they move from Tokyo to a village in the countryside. Musashi hates living in the countryside and asks his father to take him back to Tokyo. He wonders if his mother will be able to find him in their new home.

Soon after moving to the countryside, Musashi happens to see a man fishing for bass with a decoy fish. Musashi is fascinated by lure fishing. He learns a lot from the man, and discovers that his mother's father was a grand champion of bass fishing. Musashi feels that fishing could lead him to his missing mother. He shows a marvelous talent for lure fishing and takes trips with his friends he first meet, Mio and Suguru to many places around the world in search of various incredible fish. Through fishing, Musashi comes to enjoy living amongst nature.

Plot in Grander Musashi RV

Musashi Kazama and his two friends, Mio and Suguru continue their journey by travelling around the world in search of seven mysterious objects of fantastic power called "Legenders" the legendary lure in the form of a fish which give more power to attract fish and if uses too much, it will either give destruction or hope. Legenders are said to grant anyone who catches them the power to change the world. Unfortunately, Musashi ends up competing with several other fishermen who share his ambition of capturing a Legender.

Tournament

Every Fisher in the world had dream to become the best Fisher. In order to gain the title, each Fisher have to go around the world, capture the biggest and best quality of Bass type fish which is the hardest challenge because Bass fish like to be in quiet places and doesn't easily tricked by any lure. The challenge gets tougher when the place is unstable, whether it caused from nature, or by the Fisher themselves. Fisher must utilize their best technique combine with their lure and their angler strength to win the tournament.

Legender

Legender is the legendary lure which is obtain when Fisher reach their limit or winning the battle. It assume to have great power which ultimately change the world. The Legender is shaped based on their behavior and feeling.

*Hawk Legender - Works best in sunlight, it has sharp gripping hooks to prevent fish from escaping.

*God Legender - The most powerful Legender. It can catch any kind of fish, no matter what weather conditions, no matter how fast the fish is.

*Shark Legender - A lure with deadly speed in water, but has fragile hooks that can't reel in any fish heavier than 50 lbs.

*Scissor Legender - Shaped like a crab, it has retractible pincer-like hooks, and can catch more than one fish.

*Dragon Legender - A very long lure, it's segmented parts can make it look like living bait in the water, raising the chances of catching a fish quickly and easily.

*Spider Legender - Works best in mud or muddy water. It can break through the hard mud pots that some aestivating fish hide in.

*Angel (Devil Legender) - Formerly a very dangerous lure with very sharp hooks, it changed into a safer lure when it is used under the intention of pure fishing, not hurting other Fishers.

Fisher

Musashi Kazama
"Voiced by": Urara Takano

*Main lure: King Orcaizer
*Legenders: Hawk and God

Musashi possesses a sense of fair play and he is an honorable fisherman. He always cares for mother nature like BB and Masatsugu but sometimes a little bit reckless in handling his lure. As he get more experience, he able to control his lure thus become the legendary fisher. He couldn't think of closer friends than Mio and Suguru.

BB

*Main Lure: Dragon
*Legender: Dragon

She is usually very protective of Mother Nature and was Musashi's rival competitioner and Suguru's love interest. BB trusted and believed in her Dragon lure and even cared for her Dragon unlike Musashi who was so reckless and thoughtless of his Legender Hawk. Because of that, Musashi was unable to contain his own Legender. She defeated Musashi in battle to gain the second Legender but at a great price. Her Dragon was shattered, causing BB to weep. However when she was granted her own Legender, her lure was reborn into a Legender.

Carl Amann

*Main lure: Giga Bass
*Legender: Shark

He is ruthless and hot-tempered thus acted with little patience. He doesn't mind interfering with other fishermen and has no concern for the mother nature. He didn't learn to value life until he met Marlene. With Marlene's help, Carl finally caught his own legender but with an exchange Marlene's life. When Carl witnessed Marlene's sacrifice that led to her death, he finally understood how important the life is thus he swore to honor her memory. After what was happen, the third Legender Carl caught was transformed into a lure called Shark.

Yun

*Main Lure: Top Clarken
*Legender: Scissor

He is always deceitful and he's not the guy to fight fairly and considered himself to be a loner and doesn't want friends except his pet. However he fell in love with Mio whom he retold his origin to. After he owe to Mio, Musashi and Suguru who aided him all the way, he was able to win his own Legender. When Yun received the fifth Legender, it was in his hands. At first he was reluctant to open his hands, fearing it might be a Devil Legender. But encouraged by Mio, Musashi and Suguru, he opened his hands to reveal his Legender was a Scissor. Yun rejoiced as he knew he earned the Legender.

Masatsugu Hattori

*Main lure: G-Cobra
*Legender: Spider

He is a trained ninja with a code of honor. He is deeply concerned for the mother nature and has a sense of fair play. He battled with Kuki in a fight to claim the sixth Legender because he had to protect the fishes from Kuki's reckless ravages. He won the battle with the aid of Musashi, BB, Carl and Yun and thus earned his own Legender. Everyone waited until Masatsugu's Legender Lure was revealed to be a spider. Yun commented that it is a fitting lure for a ninja.

Kuki Jr.

*Main lure: Skeleton Minnow
*Legender:Devil/Angel

He is son of Kuki Sr. who was once Musashi's enemy. Kuki is always ruthless and doesn't object to using lowly tricks or deceptions to win his fights. He claimed his own Legender while competing with his rivals although he hasn't earned it. So Kuki's Legender was Devil Legender which has possessed him. But when he competed with Musashi for a final time and refused to let his Legender kill Musashi, he has changed. When his heart had changed, so has his Legender which transformed into an Angel Legender.

Supporting character

Jimdeletable image-caption

Mentor and friend to Musashi. He teaches all the basic move Musashi needs and always give advice in order to excel in fishing. He is the person who Musashi first met in the countryside which Musashi's father want to move in.

Mio
"Voiced by": Maya Okamoto

A friend of Musashi. She develops an interest in Yun and believes in him when he was innocent of the charge of stealing Kuki's lure. She also have her own lure, which in the end of the series, her lure become Legender.

Suguru
"Voiced by": Kouji Tsujitani

Another friend of Musashi. Sometimes he argues with Musashi but is willing to help him when he needs it. Suguru has a crush on BB, Musashi's rival. He also have his own lure, which in the end of the series, his lure become Legender.

Theme song

Grander Musashi:

*Opening Theme - Suteki Wa Jikan by Pip Pops
*Ending Theme - Kyou Wa Nana Iro

Grander Musashi RV:

*Opening Theme - Chase the Wind by COA
*Ending Theme - Kimi Ni Makenai Youni by Satoko Yamano

Reference

* [http://www.angelfire.com/anime4/ichirou_ohgami/musashi.html http://www.angelfire.com/anime4/ichirou_ohgami/musashi.html] <
* [http://www.serebiiforums.com/showthread.php?t=122289 Serebii.Net]
* [http://www.nurs.or.jp/~h_ozawa/manga/glidermusashi/1.html http://www.nurs.or.jp/~h_ozawa/manga/glidermusashi/1.html]

External links

* [http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=2238 Grander Musashi on Anime News Network]
* [http://www.nippon-animation.co.jp/work/super_grander_musashi.html Nippon Animation] (Japanese)