It cannot be said that Goldorak left its mark on an entire generation of viewers, fascinated by the adventures of Prince Actarus and his giant robot from outer space.
After its first broadcast at Récré A2 in July 1978, the animated series delighted fans who sang various titles in playgrounds in the name of the Prince of Euphoria.
The first titles that touched the childhood of many viewers are the famous Accours vers nous, prince de l’espace, performed by Enrique Forte. The Japanese version was simply taken by adapting the French texts.
Enrique Fort also sang the last few songs called “Go Fight Your Enemy”. The song will also be controversial due to some of its lyrics.
At the time, the term “race” sparked controversy two months after Grendizer went on the air. The leaders of Antenne 2, including Jacqueline Joubert, head of the youth department, believe that the punishment “You will save our race” has a racist connotation.
Then they make the radical decision to censor those end credits. “There was a protest in the channel. Everyone said that Antenne 2 was broadcasting a racist cartoon for children,” explains Jacques Canestriere, who collaborated with Bruno-René Houche on the import of Goldorak in France.
Even if the viewer does not see racism at all in this print, perceiving an obvious reference to the “human race”, it is still pointless to support a work of SF that is considered violent and aggressive.
In the late 70s, Japanese anime didn’t have a good reputation, and any excuse was good to blame them. Thus, Jacqueline Joubert was forced to air the series, as the contract was signed before her arrival as head of the youth department.
Be that as it may, after this controversy surrounding singer Enrique’s very belligerent titles, the decision was made to change them. The management then entrusts the keys to a young 16-year-old artist, Noam Camiel. The second edition of the series “Goldorak the Great” will become the most popular. Millions of copies would flow in, making Noam the star of his time.
Goldorac’s third title is interpreted by Jean-Pierre Savel, who will later be sung by Niki Larsson. Entitled “The Legend of Actarus”, it is a re-orchestration of Enrique Forte’s Accours vers nous with new lyrics.
Savel also performs the final credits: “The Prince of Cosmos”.
In 1982, the credits took another turn to illustrate a repeat of the series, “And the Adventure Continues,” sung by Lionel Leroy.
The artist also sings the end credits: “La justice de Goldorak”.
Finally, in 1987, Japanese anime credits specialist Bernard Minet (Knights of the Zodiac) performed “Goldorak, Go! Go, Fulfill Your Destiny”. This is the last French print to be made for the series.
Finally, we look at the original Japanese credits.
Grendizer is available on DNA. Which is the best generic for you? Here we have a weakness for Noam, but I’ll let you discuss that!
Source: allocine
Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.
