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The name of this planet is Zora. But, the people have long since forgotten that name...
Is it a breeze or a storm?
Combat Mecha Xabungle (戦闘メカ ザブングル Sentō Meka Zabunguru) is an mecha anime directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino that aired on Nagoya TV and TV Asahi for 50 episodes between February 6, 1982, to January 29, 1983. Tomino aimed for a more lighthearted tone after finishing Space Runaway Ideon. Xabungle also had a compilation movie, Xabungle Graffiti which added some new footage and changed the ending released on July 19, 1983, nearly six months after the show's finale.
Overview[]
On the distant desert planet of Zora, two distinct civilizations of humans exist: the Innocent, who pioneer culture and science from the safety of their domes, and the Civilians, who live beyond the domes yet rely on the Innocent for the provisions necessary to survive - especially the Walker Machines and landships that allow them to traverse the land. The Innocent have long ago decreed that any crime committed among the Civilians is automatically forgiven if the perpetrator isn't brought to justice in three days. Jiron Amos, whose parents were murdered by ace Breaker Timp Shaloon a week ago, isn't about to let a time limit get between him and justice.
Originally airing in 1982 and enjoying revived popularity due to its inclusion in Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden and Z, Xabungle (long form: Sentou (Combat) Mecha Xabungle, to some Blue Gale Xabungle in deference to its Expository Theme Tune) chronicles Jiron's attempts to get even with Timp, his alliance with the Sandrat bandits, their alliance with culture-obsessed landship captain's daughter Elche Cargo, her issues with ex-employee and would-be suitor Kid Hola, and the eventual one-ship crusade against the Innocent's rule that spawns from Jiron's vendetta.
In the hands of anybody else, this would be a particularly gritty tale of desert justice and class warfare, but with Yoshiyuki Tomino at the helm during his post-Ideon emotional peak, the 50-episode series turns into an over-the-top Humongous Mecha romp dripping with too much humor for a lesser (or darker) mecha anime to properly handle. Heck, even it can't handle the comedy lightly, often breaking the Fourth Wall alongside the Three-Day Rule to poke fun at the cliches of its Super Robot predecessors.
Involvement in Super Robot Wars[]
Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden[]
The Blue Stones become an important plot point in Super Robot Wars Alpha Gaiden, The blue stones are believed to be formed from the Humongous Mecha of after the Preventers time period fighting the Dinosaur and Mycene empires as well as each other, which in turn is revealed to be caused by the ∀ Gundam destroying them all with the Moonlight Butterfly.
There's another possibility for what they are, too. It's said that the Innocent can survive in places that have been cleared of Blue Stones, which implies that they're some kind of pollutant. The Innocent just told the Civilians that they were valuable so that they'd collect them so the Innocent could dispose of them (at least some of the "Ascension of Light" rocket launches from the payment point domes may be them shooting the stuff into space). This leads to some horrific implications when you think about it. What's a dangerous pollutant that's blue? Radioactive cobalt. The reason the world is in ruins could be due to the effects of a Cobalt Bomb, a hypothetical type of nuclear weapon that was never built because the fallout would kill nearly everything on Earth.
Of course, Kashim brainwashes Elche like in the series, but in the final battle with him, he sends out Rosamia Badam in the Psyco Gundam MK II after he'd ERASED HER MIND. If you deploy the Zeta Gundam like you're supposed to, you get a sad moment as Kamille Bidan is forced to shoot her down as she attacks your ship. Then Kashim fires a ton of nuclear missiles he dug up and tries to wipe out every non-Innocent off the face of the Earth. Kamille gives Kashim King nearly the EXACT speech he gave Paptimus Scirocco in his home series and rams the Waverider into Kashim's ship, killing Kashim in the process.
Super Robot Wars Z series[]
Xabungle appears again in Super Robot Wars Z. This time, it follows the movie's storyline, since Arthur is still alive. The Breakers are hired by the Siberian Railroad Company as enforcers.
At one point, Apollo steals Jiron's lizard (which was to be his lunch). After a hilariously serious chase, Apollo licks all over it and eats it in Jiron's face. They then, strangely, bond over their mutual love of lizards. When Gainer confesses his love during an already hilarious scene, everyone gets in on the act, from Kei declaring his undying love for every female character in the entire world to Jiron confessing his love of... lizard stew. You can unlock either the Xabungle Unit-2 or Ray and Charles depending on your route split choices.
Upon being warped into the Hakai-hen world and being confronted by an army of Beastmen, Jiron and Timp form a (very brief) alliance to fight them off. Timp gets abducted by the Beastmen and joins them. Timp gets jailed between Hakai-Hen and Saisei-Hen. Timp, Beck and Kan Yu lead the breakout of a prison where Simon and Viral are being held and proceed to team up. They proceed to lead a revolution in Kamina City with help from Viral and some beastmen later on. In response to the danger, Jiron regains the ICBM Toss.
Appearances[]
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- Xabungle, along with Overman King Gainer, Eureka Seven, Space Emperor God Sigma, Space Warrior Baldios, Gravion were the only series that were present in the first two Z games to be left out of Super Robot Wars ZIII entirely.
- Xabungle is the only one listed that didn't debut in Super Robot Wars Z.
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