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Brave Command Dagwon
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| Brave Command Dagwon | |
![]() Cover of the series' first DVD Box, depicting En Daidouji and Fire Dagwon | |
| 勇者指令ダグオン (Yūsha Shirei Daguon) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Mecha, Action |
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by | Tomomi Mochizuki |
| Produced by | Hitoshi Kako Koji Takamori Mami Ohara Youichi Honna Takayuki Yoshii |
| Written by | Kenichi Araki |
| Music by | Edison |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Original network | ANN (Nagoya TV) |
| Original run | February 3, 1996 – January 25, 1997 |
| Episodes | 48 |
| Original video animation | |
| Brave Command Dagwon: The Boy with the Crystal Eyes | |
| Directed by | Tomomi Mochizuki |
| Produced by | Hiroyuki Birukawa Koji Takamori |
| Written by | Hiroaki Kitajima |
| Music by | Tatsumi Yano |
| Studio | Sunrise |
| Released | October 22, 1997 – December 28, 1997 |
| Episodes | 2 |
Brave Command Dagwon (Japanese: 勇者指令ダグオン, Hepburn: Yūsha Shirei Daguon) is a Japanese anime series begun in 1996, created by Takara and Sunrise under the direction of Tomomi Mochizuki (who also wrote episodes for the show under the penname Go Sakamoto) and was the seventh and penultimate entry in the Brave (Yūsha) franchise.
Earth is the target of the former Sargasso prisoners who seize control of Sargasso and attack our planet - to counter this, alien officer Brave Alien selects five (and then later seven as the series progresses) teenage boys from Earth to receive the wrist-worn DagCommanders that transform them into the series' title team, the human equivalent to "brave" warriors.
Drawing inspiration from anime franchises which feature transforming heroes as well as anime stock footage hero transformation sequences like live-action tokusatsu franchises (e.g. Super Sentai and its Western counterpart Power Rangers), the selected teenage protagonists transform into special DagTector (ダグテクター, DaguTekutā) battle suits, by activating their DagCommanders' transformation function with the transformation call "Try Dagwon", which grant them pseudo-elemental powers and attacks as well as protection, weapons, tools and amplified physical power. If that is not enough, they have personal basic mecha at their disposal which can turn into humanoid forms as a part of Fusion Combination (融合合体, Yūgō Gattai), a process that sees a character (hero, villain, or otherwise) merge with their mecha not in the sense of a physical merger but in a style where the character transforms their body into anti-matter, like they became an illusion or ghost, and becomes an embodiment for their mecha's humanoid transformation, the mecha serving also as a way of assuming a mecha form. If even greater power is needed, the heroes can merge with additional support units (or perhaps each other) to strengthen their Fusion Combination transformations by forming a physical mecha combination.
In addition to the title protagonists, other friendly beings soon arrive on Earth to aid their efforts of fighting Sargasso - for example: Gunkid, whose own transformations include a tank, jet or the hand-held Infinity Cannon (無限砲, Mugen Hō), was initially on Sargasso's side before he decides to support the Dagwon team, and Lian, a robot that transforms into a sword who later becomes Gunkid's teacher.
The protagonists also have DagBase (ダグベース, DaguBēsu), a base which En, one of the Dagwon team's members, uses one ability of: Super Fusion Combination (超融合合体, Chō Yūgō Gattai), a form of Fusion Combination which is slightly stronger than the basic kind as a user assimilates DagBase, transforming themselves and DagBase into DagBase Robo (ダグベースロボ, DaguBēsu Robo).
Composition
[edit]This series consists of 48 episodes, first aired on Nagoya TV from February 3, 1996, to January 25 next year. Its success, despite children being put off by its male bishōnen superhero theme and instead finding an audience in women who are fond of male bishōnen main characters (especially male bishōnen protagonists and male bishōnen superheroes), warrants the two-episode O.V.A. The Boy with Crystal Eyes (水晶の瞳の少年, Suishō no Hitomi no Shōnen), which came out in September 1997. The show is currently not licensed in the US as is the status with all the other entries in the Brave franchise, except the franchises' last incarnation to span an anime presentation:The King of Braves GaoGaiGar.
Team
[edit]En Daidouji (大堂寺 炎, Daidōji En)
[edit]Voiced by Kōichi Tōchika
The fire warrior.
The stereotypical hot-headed, juvenile-delinquent-like and determined type. Reckless, short-tempered and stubborn to a fault, but also brave, fearless and a loyal friend. En often locks heads with Kai, who just so happens to be his superior in school. He develops a close friendship with Ryu in the beginning of the series. En's basic mecha is Fire Stratos (a Lancia Stratos HF police car). His first auxiliary mecha is Fire Jumbo, based on a Boeing 747 jumbo jet (Fire Jumbo is equipped with two sub-ordinates: Fire Ladder, based on a Morita ladder fire truck and Fire Rescue, based on a Toyota HiMedic (H100) ambulance). His second auxiliary mecha is Fire Shovel, based on an excavator - from Fire Shovel's debut (number 31) onwards, Fire Jumbo, after restoration, becomes used less to the extent of not being used at all, instead used only for combination into Super Fire Dagwon.
| DagTector | Fire En |
| Fusion Combination | Fire En + Fire Stratos = DagFire |
| Blazing Combination (火炎合体, Kaen Gattai) | DagFire + Fire Jumbo = Fire Dagwon |
| Herculean Strength Combination (剛力合体, Gōriki Gattai) | DagFire + Fire Shovel = Power Dagwon |
| Super Blazing Combination (超火炎合体, Chō Kaen Gattai) | DagFire + Fire Jumbo + Fire Shovel = Super Fire Dagwon (Note: Super Blazing Combination is executed only if DagBase's special Super Blazing Combination Light-Wave (超火炎合体光波, Chō Kaen Gattai Kō-Ha) is fired upon the components (specifically if DagFire has performed Herculean Strength Combination prior) - the transformation begins instantly. (One fatal downside is that En, for a time, is rendered unconscious from this combination because the power is seriously strong)) |
Kai Hirose (広瀬 海, Hirose Kai)
[edit]Voiced by Takehito Koyasu
The speed warrior.
Kai is head of the student council and practitioner of Kendo. He is almost always seen carrying a shinai which he uses to enforce the rules at school. He also tries to remind the team of their job and that it's not only fun and games, but does not always succeed since his strict, no-nonsense personality tends to rub them the wrong way. Kai's mecha is Turbo Liner which is based on a 300 Series Shinkansen.
| DagTector | Turbo Kai |
| Fusion Combination | Turbo Kai + Turbo Liner = DagTurbo |
| (Super) Coupling Combination ((超)重連合体, (Chō) Jūren Gattai) | DagTurbo + DagArmor + DagWing (+ DagDrill) = (Super) Liner Dagwon |
Shin Sawamura (沢邑 森, Sawamura Shin)
[edit]Voiced by Jin Yamanoi
The weapons warrior.
Shin is a luckless flirt with girls and has an alarming tendency to get shot down whenever he talks to one. In spite of this, he is friendly and good-natured. He is also skilled at martial arts, as seen when he uses Judo to stop a purse-snatching in the first episode. Shin's vehicle is Armor Liner, based on an E1 Series Shinkansen.
| DagTector | Armor Shin |
| Fusion Combination | Armor Shin + Armor Liner = DagArmor |
| (Super) Coupling Combination ((超)重連合体, (Chō) Jūren Gattai) | DagTurbo + DagArmor + DagWing (+ DagDrill) = (Super) Liner Dagwon |
Yoku Kazamatsuri (風祭 翼, Kazamatsuri Yoku)
[edit]Voiced by Hiro Yūki
The sky warrior.
Shy and a bit geeky, Yoku is the brains of the team. He is very knowledgeable and computer savvy. He also likes to study strange and unusual things. Yoku's vehicle is Wing Liner, based on a 400 Series Shinkansen.
| DagTector | Wing Yoku |
| Fusion Combination | Wing Yoku + Wing Liner = DagWing |
| (Super) Coupling Combination ((超)重連合体, (Chō) Jūren Gattai) | DagTurbo + DagArmor + DagWing (+ DagDrill) = (Super) Liner Dagwon |
Ryu Hashiba (刃柴 竜, Hashiba Ryū)
[edit]Voiced by Atsushi Kisaichi
The shadow warrior.
Calm, mysterious and a puzzle even to his team members. He's the only one to have "subordinates": transforming beast mecha stored in the form of cards. He was the last of the team to achieve his mecha fusion. Ryu develops a close friendship with En in the beginning of the series. Ryu is one of two members of the team who does not gain any new after-Fusion-Combination forms after gaining one. Ryu's basic mecha is Shadow Jet, based on an F/A-18 Hornet.
| DagTector | Shadow Ryu |
| Fusion Combination | Shadow Ryu + Shadow Jet = DagShadow (Note: Dragon Plasma Burn, one of DagShadow's attacks, requires DagShadow assuming a special Shadow Dragon (シャドードラゴン, Shadō Doragon) transformation) |
| Machine Beast Combination (機獣合体, Ki Jū Gattai) | DagShadow + Guard Beasts, a team of three transforming beasts-to-humanoids (Guard Tiger, Guard Wolf, Guard Hawk) = Shadow Dagwon |
Geki Kuroiwa (黒岩 激, Kuroiwa Geki)
[edit]Voiced by Hisao Egawa
The ground warrior.
Geki has a rivalry with En, who injured his arm in a fight at Geki's old school. He is even more short tempered and impatient than En and has a serious crush on Maria. Geki had something of a misguided view on being a hero at first, but eventually became a valuable member. His Fusion Combination transformation combines with Kai's, Shin's and Yoku's own to assemble the super form of an already existing mecha combination. Geki's vehicle is Drill Liner, based on a JNR Class C62 steam locomotive (while Drill Liner is designed as a steam engine, it is unknown if it is based on either a complete steam engine which actually steams or a steam engine that is an electricity-powered visual replica model and which steams only for display reasons - this is due to a steam engine being used as the template of a mecha).
| DagTector | Drill Geki |
| Fusion Combination | Drill Liner = DagDrill |
| Super Coupling Combination (超重連合体, Chō Jūren Gattai) | DagTurbo + DagArmor + DagWing (+ DagDrill) = Super Liner Dagwon |
Rai Utsumi (宇津美 雷, Utsumi Rai)
[edit]Voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi
The thunder warrior.
An alien officer who appears later in the series. He is very good-looking, which earns him the unwanted advances of practically every female student at the boys' school. Rai hates the attention and it easily embarrasses and flusters him. Like En, his Fusion Combination transformation is a stand-alone mecha and does not combine with the others. His auxiliary mecha Thunder Shuttle's transformation into the body of Thunder Dagwon is based on NASA space shuttle. Like Ryu, Rai doesn't combine with any other mechs to achieve an upgrade. Rai's basic vehicle is Thunder Bike, based on a sidecar motorcycle .
| DagTector | Thunder Rai |
| Fusion Combination | Thunder Rai + Thunder Bike = DagThunder |
| Thunder Combination (雷鳴合体, Raimei Gattai) | DagThunder + Thunder Shuttle = Thunder Dagwon |
Allies
[edit]Humans
[edit]- Maria Tobe (戸部 真理亜, Tobe Maria)
- Voiced by Miki Nagasawa
- En's classmate. Because she is very interested in occultism, she is often implicated into the commotion of aliens. She and En have been friends since they were 9 years old, they often quarreled with each other. But she gradually came to love him.
- Manabu Tobe (戸部 学, Tobe Manabu)
- Voiced by Naomi Nagasawa
- Maria's younger brother. His nickname is "Gaku". Because he is very interested in Dagwons, he is often implicated into the commotion of aliens, too.
- Erika Serizawa (芹沢英里加, Serizawa Erika)
- Voiced by Yuko Mizutani
- A high school reporter trying to find out the identity of Dagwon and later becomes Shin's love interest despite her not liking him and having affection for his alter ego DagArmor.
- Yukari Fujii (藤井 ユカリ, Fujii Yukari)
- Voiced by Kumiko Nishihara
- A junior high student and a friend of Yoku.
- Minako Hashiba (刃柴 美奈子, Hashiba Minako)
- Voiced by Hiroko Konishi
- Ryu's younger sister. She has the power to foresee the future by dream, and predicts the revival of Fire Jumbo.
- Souichi Asahiyama (朝日山 壮一, Asahiyama Sōichi)
- Voiced by Yū Shimaka
- The principal of Sankai High School.
- Haruka Ijuuin (伊集院 遥香, Ijūin Haruka)
- Voiced by Ken Shiroyama
- The vice-principal of Sankai High School.
- Nagisa (渚)
- Voiced by Mika Kanai
- Kai's younger sister who is more lean-back than her brother. She only appears in the OVA.
Aliens
[edit]- Brave Alien (ブレイブ星人, Bureibu Seijin)
- Voiced by Jōji Nakata
- An alien police officer who chooses the team's members. He is killed by Mado and Gedo in retaliation for killing Hido.
- Sword Alien Lian (剣星人ライアン, Ken Seijin Raian)
- Voiced by Yutaka Hirose
- A warrior whose people, the Sword Aliens, were exterminated by Arch Seijin a long time ago. His transformation from humanoid is a sword. He joins forces with the title protagonists after they prove themselves regarding their worth to him and he learns a lesson about personal revenge vendettas - common ground is established.
- Gunkid (ガンキッド, Gankiddo)
- Voiced by Miki Nagasawa
- Formerly named Gundroid T96, a young artillery youth who used to be corrupted by Sargasso, but eventually turns to the side of good by joining Brave Command Dagwon - Lian, as such, proceeds to become Gunkid's teacher. His transformations from humanoid are a jet, a tank and the Infinity Cannon (無限砲, Mugen Hō) (which can be used by both Fire Dagwon (Gunkid sends out a waist-mounted connector when Fire Dagwon is the user - Gunkid attaches his Infinity Cannon transformation onto this connector. The power of the Cannon is so strong that when used by Fire Dagwon, a recoil forces the user back) and Power Dagwon (Power Dagwon's all-purpose Power Arm which is mounted on the left upper arm goes into the ground so that Power Dagwon, when the Infinity Cannon fires, is not forced back. Power Dagwon uses an in-built connector stored in the right shoulder).
- Luna (ルナ, Runa)
- Voiced by Yumi Fukamizu
- An alien Dagwon officer and a galaxy-elemented warrior. Luna comes to Earth in the middle of the series and creates Fire Shovel after Fire Jumbo's temporary destruction. She is kidnapped afterward and brainwashed by Hido into his bidding. Kai is able to free her after he tries to kill Hido. She is also shown to have feelings for him. She has no basic (and therefore Fusion Combination) and ehancement mecha (and therefore physical mecha combination) like the others, but flies a fighter ship instead. She wields a lipstick-beam rapier in her DagTector armor.
| DagTector | Galaxy Luna |
- Kenta (ケンタ, Kenta)
- Voiced by Tomoko Ishimura
- The OVA's title character. Although shy-natured he is of a race of crystal-like aliens called the Deandozol that drain the energy of stars unless they are killed in juvenile form. In order to stop him, Kenta himself uses and merges the Dagwon team's powers into a new humanoid mecha which is used for his own destruction.
Major antagonists
[edit]- Arch Alien
- The first major villain in the series. He is responsible for exterminating the Sword Aliens a long time ago. He wears black knight-like armour and is revealed to look human underneath his armour when he is defeated by Lian.
- Warugaia Seijin Brothers
- Hido
- Voiced by Masahito Yabe
First-appearing in his human disguise, crashing into Luna's ship as she is leaving earth, kidnapping and then brainwashing her into doing his bidding. He tries to have her kill Kai who is able to break the brainwashing. He is killed by Brave Seijin.
- Gedo
- Voiced by Takashi Nagasako
- The muscle of the brothers. Killed by Power Dagwon & Lian
- Mado
- Voiced by Koji Ishii
- The leader of the three. Killed by Super Fire Dagwon with Lian and Gunkid
- Genocide
- Voiced by Ryuzaburo Otomo
He is responsible for the Sargasso prison break. His power is machine and organism possession. He manipulates the prisoners throughout the entire series when his asteroid-like body crashes into Sargosso and takes over the prison's computer system. He was thought to be killed when Sargasso was split in half by DagBase. He survives and possesses Fire Jumbo (also transforming into the body of Fire Dagwon), creating a barrier of hatred that consumes the Earth. Finally killed when En forces a combination into Super Fire Dagwon and self-destructs in space.
Minor antagonists
[edit]- Sandoll Alien: Appears in episode 1. Powers include a capsule form for space travel, palm sand missiles, reformation after body part or entire body destruction and a two-or-more-Sandoll combination to form a slightly stronger Sandoll kind. Upon combination with each other they acquire the ability to shoot concentrated sand from the torso.
- Zargoss Alien: There are several antagonists who spin off of or are in some way related to this Alien that appear in episodes 2, 8, 16 & 31 or exclusively in either some or at least a minimum of one of these 4 episodes:
- Zargoss Soldier: Powers include super speeds, explosive saliva, invisibility, eye lasers and human disguise transformation capabilities. Reappear in Brave Saga.
- Zargoss Robo: Powers include levitation, invisibility, underside energy bolts, eye, torso, and pelvis energy beams, and torso lasers.
- Mognel: Appears only in episode 8. Powers include burrowing, hypnotic snoring that becomes more powerful over time, a rubbery body with a high resistance to cold, and a powerful tail. Reappears in Brave Saga.
- Sister Zargoss: Appear only in episode 31. Powers include flight, acid streams from the mouth, and super speed. They are the elites of the Zargoss Seijin.
- Queen Zargoss: Appears only in episode 31. Powers include eye energy bolts, an energy field, and mouth energy bolts that convert objects into stone. She is the leader and possible mother of the Zargoss Seijin.
- Gallon Alien: Appears in episode 3 with an 18-episodes-later reappearance. Powers include a life-draining slime body, emitting electricity, body spears, and a high resistance to heat.
- Death Pulse Alien: Appears in episode 4. Powers include levitation, circular saw top probes, and an electrical force field. This Alien has a 'Robo' relation that appears one episode before episode 4, the 4th episode being the appearance of this Alien after the Robo's first appearance:
- Death Pulse Robo: Appears in episodes 3 and 4. Powers include flight, swimming, an underside drill, fast spinning, and four flamethrowers on the top of the body.
- Electron Alien: Appears in episode 5. Powers include planetary travel in an orb of light, emitting electrical bolts and balls, body conversion into electricity, electricity-absorption-powered size increase, an electric force field and electric-blade-spawning from the hands.
- Chaos Alien: Appears in episode 6. Powers include flight, possessing objects and reinforcing their structure, and reformation.
- Guardroid: Appears in episode 7. They are the former jailer robots of Sargasso before a cosmic storm hits the prison and accidentally releases the prisoners - they are then made assistants of the antagonists. They are armed with an assault rifle.
- Gososa: Appears in episode 7. Powers include flight, Guardroid storage, a black hole cell, a pair of punching arms armed with palm lasers, and a 16-tube rocket pod.
- Space Locust: Appear in episode 11. Powers include sharp teeth and flight. They serve as the personal minions of Arch Alien.
- Gallabird Alien: Appears in episodes 9 and 21. Powers include flight at mach 8, hurricane winds from the wings, a grapple tentacle in the forehead, and acid streams from the mouth. Reappears in Brave Saga.
- Zamuza: Appear in episode 9. Powers include growth by eating, wall crawling, and mouth webs. Reappears in Brave Saga.
- Killad Alien: Appears in episode 10. Powers include absorbing defeated enemies using a forehead laser to absorb their powers and teleportation.
- Evolved Killad: Assumed in episode 10 with a reappearance 11 episodes later. Powers include gorilla-style strength, tiger-style agility and fangs, a tank cannon on the left shoulder, a pair of missile launchers on the right shoulder, jet-powered flight, and projectile resistance. After absorbing a destroyer class warship his new body weapons consist of machine gun turrets, a missile pod and a triple-barreled howitzer cannon while his body gains a resistance to blades.
- Armor Alien: Appears in episodes 12 and 21. Powers include a ball form capable of planetary travel, burrowing and self-defense against most objects, iron consumption, thick head armor and launchable needles from the mouth. After eating enough iron it can grow launchable spikes in its ball form.
- Wildy Alien: Appears in episode 13. Powers include a heat reflective sword, high jumping, and can cause illusions from his single eye.
- Wildon: Appears in episode 13. Powers include flight and mouth flames. It serves as the mount for Wildy.
- Rod Alien: Appears in episode 14. Powers include flight and an electric whip for each arm.
- Griffin: Appears in episode 14. Powers include flight, mouth energy bolts that rival napalm, mouth sonic waves, armored wings, growth over time, a high resistance to heat, and lasers from the forehead emerald.
- Succubus: Appears in episodes 15 and 21. Powers include human disguises, hypnotic eyes, extendable tentacle fingers, teleportation, electric capture rings from her staff, size changing, and mouth flames.
- Phoenix Alien: Appears in episodes 17 and 21. Powers include a high body temperature, levitation, mouth flames, an egg-like regenerative core with telekinetic properties and black electric bolts, and fire absorption. Reappears in Brave Saga.
- Vander Alien: Appears in episode 18. Powers include hypnotizing children and entrapping them in spheres of light, floating on top of water, tentacles in his stomach, and flight. Reappears in Brave Saga.
- Drangran Alien and Drangran Spider: Appear in episode 19.
- Drangran Alien's powers include extendable tentacle limbs, painful screams, and when wearing their bio-suits are armed with right wrist lasers.
- Drangran Spider's only known power is emitting webs from its mouth.
- Space Seed Plant: Appears in episode 19. Powers include destructive vines and acidic spores upon blooming.
- Nouvelle Alien: Appear in episodes 20 and 21. Powers include a barrel-less laser pistol and flying saucers armed with jade converting energy bolts and spike missiles.
- Hydron Alien: Appears in episode 21. Powers include levitation, teleportation, reviving the dead, a bone scythe, summoning wormholes, holograms, and combining with revived spirits to form a skull-like tank.
- Demos: Appears in episode 22. Powers include flight, teleportation, emitting lightning bolts from his hands, a sword made of electricity, and size changing.
- Mekaju Alien: Appears in episodes 23 and 24. Powers include draining the life out of surrounding plant life, a grid energy barrier, reformation, and solar radiation absorption to power the Infinity Cannon. He is the former owner of Gunkid.
- Cameron Alien: Appears in episode 25. Powers include flight, shape-shifting and body bombs.
- Demaka Alien: Appears in episode 26. Powers include merging into the environment, levitation, projecting images with his eye-like body, and turning into a cockroach.
- Mouser Alien: Appear in episode 27. Powers include reproduction by mitosis by consuming nutrients and super speed.
- Mouser Robo: Appears in episode 27. Powers include flight, a mouth tractor beam, four energy cannons on the nose, energy beams from its launchable wired arms, gun turrets around the body, armor thick enough to withstand the Infinity Cannon, stunning energy bolts from the arms, and can release a drill from said arms.
- Gumopider Alien: Appears in episode 28. Powers include levitation, forehead and palm webs, solidifying clouds, wings that can control web movements, and eye lasers.
- Radonpa Alien: Appears in episode 29. He possesses no known powers.
- Death Cop: Appears in episode 32. Powers and tools include a slicing whip from the right wrist, a laser pistol, and Fusion Combination with his ship. He is a former Dagwon officer who turns to crime. Death Cop faces En in a fierce battle over the course of his appearance.
- Death Cop Powered: The Fusion Combination of Death Cop and his ship into a mecha body form assumed during his battle with En. Powers include a three-barreled machine gun in the left wrist, high jumping, a slicing electric whip in the right wrist, an energy saber stored in the left hip, and a powerful energy cannon called the Death Buster that is similar to the Infinity Cannon.
- Futtoba Alien: Appears in episode 33. Powers include levitation, weather manipulation, and hiding in a cumulonimbus cloud.
- Pat Alien: Appear in episode 34. Their only known power is having a metallic armored body.
- Heavy Machine Robo: Appear in episode 34. Powers include flight, four grapple claw arms, and storing metal in their canister-like body.
- Patrol Machine Robo: Appears in episode 34. Its only known power is a pair of claws for arms.
- Savalas Alien: Appears in episode 35. Powers include a flying orb that can manipulate water and has a high resistance to cold, swimming, and sharp claws.
- Pulse Alien: Appears in episode 36. Powers include converting his body into electricity and eye beams.
- Trucker Alien: Appears in episode 37. Powers include a turbine in its back used for speed and morphing into different types of trucks. Upon fully evolving he is armed with a pair of missile pods, a pair of machine guns on h its face, a cannon on its "scalp", and remote tires armed with a pair of spikes.
- Ashura Shura: Appears in episode 38. Powers include a human disguise, telepathy, six spider legs from the back, and extendable arms.
- Zelma Alien: Appears in episode 41. Powers include flight, weather manipulation, tentacles that emit black energy bolts, a force field capable of emitting energy beams strong enough to obliterate mountains in one hit, and energy shockwaves and hurricane-force winds from below the head section.
- Bomber Alien: Appears in episode 43. Powers include flight, spawning explosions around him, and a nuclear bomb within his body.
- Battle Robo: Appear in episode 44. Powers include flight and a beam machine gun.
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (誕生!勇者高校生) | Directed by : Gorō Taniguchi Storyboarded by : Tomomi Mochizuki | Kenichi Araki | February 3, 1996 |
| 2 | (空中都市作戦) | Araki Otoba | Kenichi Araki | February 10, 1996 |
| 3 | (ダグファイヤー戦闘不能) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Kenichi Araki | February 24, 1996 |
| 4 | (最終兵器を破壊せよ) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Kenichi Araki | March 2, 1996 |
| 5 | (ファイヤーダグオン発進せず) | Yasuhiro Minami | Toshifumi Kawase | March 9, 1996 |
| 6 | (ゲームオーバー) | Gorō Taniguchi | Kenichi Araki | March 16, 1996 |
| 7 | (サルガッソの謎) | Masamitsu Hidaka | Kenichi Araki | March 23, 1996 |
| 8 | (キケンな眠り) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Yoshiyuki Suga | March 27, 1996 |
| 9 | (昆虫大パニック) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Hiroaki Kitajima | March 30, 1996 |
| 10 | (強さを我が手に) | Yasuhiro Minami | Yasunori Yamada | April 6, 1996 |
| 11 | (復讐の10万光年) | Gorō Taniguchi | Kenichi Araki | April 13, 1996 |
| 12 | (新たなる仲間) | Araki Otoba | Toshifumi Kawase | April 20, 1996 |
| 13 | (炎の新必殺剣) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Yoshiyuki Suga | April 27, 1996 |
| 14 | (心優しき宇宙獣) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Yasunori Yamada | May 4, 1996 |
| 15 | (暴走ダグアーマー) | Yasuhiro Minami | Hiroaki Kitajima | May 11, 1996 |
| 16 | (閃光のダグベース) | Gorō Taniguchi | Kenichi Araki | May 18, 1996 |
| 17 | (弱虫ツヨシと宇宙石) | Directed by : Araki Otoba Storyboarded by : Yusuke Yamamoto | Yoshiyuki Suga | May 25, 1996 |
| 18 | (マリアの幽霊退治) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Toshifumi Kawase | June 1, 1996 |
| 19 | (ダグオンNO.6) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Kenichi Araki | June 8, 1996 |
| 20 | (突撃!ダグドリル) | Fumitsuki Himuro | Yasunori Yamada | June 15, 1996 |
| 21 | (男!涙の友情合体) | Gorō Taniguchi | Hiroaki Kitajima | June 22, 1996 |
| 22 | (風に舞う白い羽根) | Directed by : Araki Otoba Storyboarded by : Masamitsu Hidaka | Mutsumi Nakano | June 29, 1996 |
| 23 | (宇宙の大樹) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Go Sakamoto | July 6, 1996 |
| 24 | (その名はガンキッド) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Go Sakamoto | July 13, 1996 |
| 25 | (誓いの無限砲) | Fumitsuki Himuro | Kenichi Araki | July 20, 1996 |
| 26 | (ねらわれたガク) | Tomomi Mochizuki | Hiroaki Kitajima | July 27, 1996 |
| 27 | (猫が消える日) | Gorō Taniguchi | Toshifumi Kawase | August 3, 1996 |
| 28 | (去りゆく君へ) | Araki Otoba | Yasunori Yamada | August 10, 1996 |
| 29 | (青い星の戦慄) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Mutsumi Nakano | August 17, 1996 |
| 30 | (地球氷河期5分前) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Kenichi Araki Go Sakamoto | August 24, 1996 |
| 31 | (剛力!パワーダグオン) | Directed by : Gorō Taniguchi Storyboarded by : Masamitsu Hidaka | Kenichi Araki | September 7, 1996 |
| 32 | (噂の刑事エン&ゲキ) | Directed by : Megumi Yamamoto Storyboarded by : Fumitsuki Himuro | Yoshiyuki Suga | September 14, 1996 |
| 33 | (嵐を呼ぶ学園祭) | Directed by : Isao Torada Storyboarded by : Akira Oguro | Hiroaki Kitajima | September 21, 1996 |
| 34 | (エン、成層圏で戦う) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Mutsumi Nakano | September 28, 1996 |
| 35 | (電撃登場ダグサンダー) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Kenichi Araki | October 5, 1996 |
| 36 | (サルガッソの支配者) | Gorō Taniguchi | Yasunori Yamada | October 12, 1996 |
| 37 | (幽霊トラックを追え!) | Fumitsuki Himuro | Yoshiyuki Suga | October 19, 1996 |
| 38 | (復活の白い翼) | Isao Torada | Mutsumi Nakano | November 2, 1996 |
| 39 | (吠えよ!ライアン) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Hiroaki Kitajima | November 9, 1996 |
| 40 | (望まざる対決) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Kenichi Araki | November 16, 1996 |
| 41 | (禁断の超合体) | Gorō Taniguchi | Yasunori Yamada | November 23, 1996 |
| 42 | (割れたダグテクター) | Fumitsuki Himuro | Yoshiyuki Suga | November 30, 1996 |
| 43 | (勇者たち宇宙へ) | Directed by : Isao Torada Storyboarded by : Akira Oguro | Go Sakamoto | December 7, 1996 |
| 44 | (攻防!ダグベース) | Kazuhito Kikuchi | Hiroaki Kitajima | December 14, 1996 |
| 45 | (奇跡の勇者たち) | Kunihisa Sugishima | Yoshiyuki Suga | December 21, 1996 |
| 46 | (サルガッソ大爆発) | Directed by : Yasuhiro Matsumura Storyboarded by : Gorō Taniguchi | Kenichi Araki | December 27, 1996 |
| 47 | (燃えろ!炎の勇者エン) | Fumitsuki Himuro | Kenichi Araki | January 18, 1997 |
| 48 | (オレたちの未来へ…) | Tomomi Mochizuki | Kenichi Araki | January 25, 1997 |
References
[edit]External links
[edit]- 勇者指令ダグオン (Japanese) - Sunrise's Brave website's official Brave Command Dagwon index
- Brave Command Dagwon (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- 勇者指令ダグオン 水晶の瞳の少年 OVA (Japanese) - official Brave website page for the OVA
- Brave Command Dagwon (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
Brave Command Dagwon
View on GrokipediaPlot
TV Series Storyline
The storyline of Brave Command Dagwon centers on the Sargasso penal colony, a distant space prison operated by the Dagwon Interstellar Police Force to contain the galaxy's most dangerous alien criminals.[1][2] These prisoners stage a massive breakout, seize control of the facility, and direct their forces toward Earth in a vengeful invasion, aiming to use the planet as a base for further conquests and revenge against their captors.[1][2] To counter this threat, the alien officer Brave Seijin selects five ordinary Japanese high school boys—En Daidōji, Kai Hirose, Shin Sawamura, Yoku Kazamatsuri, and Ryū Hashiba—and grants them DagCommanders, wrist-mounted devices that enable them to transform into hybrid human-robot warriors known as the Dagwon team through dramatic henshin sequences. These transformations, reminiscent of Kamen Rider-style activations with epic team dynamics, involve shouting "Try Dagwon!", striking poses, and donning personal energy armors called Dagtectors, after which they fuse directly with their mecha vehicles.[1][4][5] Armed with these personal mecha vehicles, the initial all-male team defends Earth from waves of Sargasso escapees and their monstrous attacks by launching special attacks and escalating power through combined forces, while balancing their secret heroic duties with everyday school life, personal relationships, and the strengthening of friendships and resolution of rivalries among the boys.[1][4] As the invasion intensifies, the team expands with the addition of two more male members—Geki Kuroiwa and the alien Rai Utsumi—bringing the total to seven warriors and unlocking the ability to form advanced combined mecha, such as Super Fire Dagwon, to combat larger-scale threats in intense battles against alien invaders.[2][4] Major conflicts arise against the Warugaia Seijin Brothers—Hido, Gedo, and Mado—who emerge as primary antagonists in the series' latter half, orchestrating elaborate schemes to subjugate Earth through deception, brainwashing, and massive assaults from their Arch Castle base.[1][2] The narrative builds to a climactic confrontation with Genocide, a bodiless super life form that possesses mecha and seeks to assimilate Earth itself, forcing the Dagwon team into a desperate battle of wills and firepower that ultimately results in the antagonists' defeat and the destruction of the Sargasso threat.[1][2] Throughout the 48-episode arc, the series explores themes of friendship, courage, personal growth, and the resolution of rivalries, as the teenage protagonists evolve from reluctant fighters into a unified force capable of safeguarding their world.[1][4]OVA Storyline
The two-episode OVA Brave Command Dagwon: The Boy with Crystal Eyes (original title: Yuusha Shirei Dagwon: Suishou no Hitomi no Shounen) was released in Japan on October 22 and December 28, 1997, serving as a direct continuation to the television series following fan demand for additional content.[6][7] Set one year after the Dagwon team's victory over the Sargasso invaders, the story depicts a restored peace on Earth, with the high school-aged heroes—led by En Daidōji—resuming ordinary lives focused on school and youth. En encounters and rescues Kenta, an amnesiac boy with striking crystal-like eyes, who is fleeing from a group of pursuers wearing sunglasses. En shelters Kenta at his home, treating him like a younger brother, but this act draws the attention of former ally Rai Utsumi, now leading the Kafal Squad of the interstellar Space Police Organization. Rai demands Kenta's surrender, revealing the boy's possession of extraordinary powers linked to ancient alien technology that could endanger the planet if uncontrolled.[6][8] The Dagwon team becomes divided over protecting Kenta from extradition, leading to internal conflicts and battles among its members as they confront the Space Police, who view the boy as a potential threat akin to past invaders. Through Kenta's arc, the narrative explores themes of destiny, loyalty, and the burden of hidden powers, as his true nature as an alien entity capable of mimicking abilities and draining life energy emerges. The storyline resolves with the team's integration of a new mecha form, Final Dagwon—a combined humanoid robot formed from their machines—which is ultimately used to fulfill Kenta's wish for self-destruction, preventing him from becoming a universal danger while affirming the heroes' bonds of friendship.[9][10][4]Production
Development and Staff
Brave Command Dagwon served as the seventh installment in Sunrise's Brave (Yuusha) franchise, a long-running series of mecha anime co-produced with toy manufacturer Takara to promote transformable robot toys following the conclusion of their Transformers licensing in Japan.[11][1] The collaboration between Sunrise and Takara, which began with Brave Exkaiser in 1990, emphasized innovative toyetic designs and episodic storytelling centered on heroic teams battling cosmic threats.[1] The series was directed by Tomomi Mochizuki, known for his work on romantic and dramatic anime, who brought a focus on character-driven narratives to the franchise's action-oriented format.[1] Kenichi Araki handled series composition and script supervision, contributing to the overarching story arcs, while individual episodes featured scripts from writers such as Go Sakamoto and Hiroaki Kitajima.[1] Character designs were created by Akira Oguro, who crafted the youthful, relatable appearances of the protagonists, and mechanical designs were led by veteran Kunio Okawara, whose work on the transformable Dagwon robots echoed the modular, combinable mecha from earlier Brave entries.[2][1] Drawing influences from predecessors like Brave Exkaiser, Dagwon retained core elements such as dramatic transformation sequences and team-based robot combinations to heighten the excitement of battles against alien invaders.[2] A key creative decision was to center the story on high school students as protagonists, shifting from the adult or child leads of prior series to foster greater relatability among the target young audience.[12] Compared to earlier Brave productions, Dagwon featured a more streamlined animation style suited to its faster-paced, Sentai-inspired structure, reflecting adjustments in budget allocation toward toy promotion and character-focused episodes amid the competitive 1990s anime landscape.[5] This approach prioritized dynamic mecha action sequences over the elaborate environmental details seen in series like Brave of Gold Goldran.[2]Broadcast and Release
The television series Brave Command Dagwon premiered on February 3, 1996, on Nagoya TV in Japan, airing weekly on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m. JST for a total of 48 episodes until its conclusion on January 25, 1997.[1][5] The series was produced by Nagoya Broadcasting Network and Tokyu Agency, with episodes running approximately 23 minutes each.[13] Following the TV run, an original video animation (OVA) titled Brave Command Dagwon: The Boy with Crystal Eyes was released direct-to-video in Japan, consisting of two episodes on October 22, 1997, and December 28, 1997.[7] The voice cast featured prominent Japanese actors for the main characters and supporting roles. The Dagwon Team leads included Koichi Tochika as En Daidouji (Fire En), Takehito Koyasu as Kai Hirose (Turbo Kai), Jin Yamanoi as Shin Sawamura (Armor Shin), Hiro Yuuki as Yoku Kazamatsuri (Wing Yoku), Atsushi Kisaichi as Ryu Hashiba (Shadow Ryu), and Hisao Egawa as Geki Kuroiwa (Drill Geki).[14][15] Human allies were voiced by Kappei Yamaguchi as Rai Utsumi (Thunder Rai), Miki Nagasawa as Maria Tobe, and Kikuko Inoue as Anna.[16] Major antagonists included Joji Nakata as Brave Seijin.[16] The same primary cast reprised their roles in the OVA.[17] Internationally, Brave Command Dagwon has seen limited licensing and distribution outside Japan, with no official English-language release or broadcast in North America as of the mid-2000s, and it remains unlicensed in major Western markets as of November 2025.[18] During its original run, the series achieved moderate success, particularly among younger audiences, bolstered by extensive merchandise tie-ins from Takara, including action figures, transforming toys like the DX Lian and Hyper Gattai Liner Dagwon sets, and promotional chocolate figures from Kabaya.[19][20] In 2025, Kotobukiya announced new figures as part of their Brave series lineup, including Fire Dagwon.[21] Specific viewer ratings from the 1996-1997 broadcast period are not widely documented, but the franchise's toyline contributed to its commercial viability within the Brave series lineup. Rebroadcasts on Japanese networks in later years, such as through anime blocks, have not involved notable censorship or edits beyond standard content adjustments for time slots.[1]Characters
Dagwon Team
The Dagwon Team comprises seven core protagonists, primarily high school students empowered by alien technology to transform into armored warriors known as the Dagwon, serving as Earth's primary defenders against extraterrestrial invaders. Selected through wrist-mounted Dag-Commanders that enable fusion with specialized vehicles, the team balances everyday adolescent life with high-stakes combat duties. Initially consisting of five members recruited following a devastating alien assault on Earth, the group expands to include two later additions, fostering a dynamic of rivalry, camaraderie, and mutual growth amid constant threats.[1][22] En Daidouji, the hot-headed and reckless leader of the Dagwon Team, transforms into Fire Dagwon by merging with the Fire Stratos, a high-performance sports car modeled after a Lancia Stratos police vehicle. His stubborn determination and unyielding bravery drive the team's frontline assaults, though his impulsiveness frequently sparks internal conflicts, making him the emotional core of the group.[22][23] Kai Hirose, a strict and rule-abiding speed enthusiast, assumes the role of Turbo Dagwon and de facto leader of the Liner sub-unit, transforming via the Turbo Liner motorcycle for rapid maneuvers. As En's disciplined counterpart, Kai's no-nonsense approach ensures tactical cohesion, often tempering the leader's rash decisions while excelling in high-velocity pursuits.[22] Shin Sawamura serves as Armor Dagwon, the team's weapons specialist and defensive powerhouse, who operates the heavily armored Armor Liner vehicle. Flirtatious yet comically inept in romance, Shin's judo expertise and reliable combat prowess provide essential firepower support, contributing a lighthearted levity to the team's intense operations.[22] Yoku Kazamatsuri, the intellectual aerial ace of the group, becomes Wing Dagwon by piloting the Wing Liner jet for superior air superiority. His curious and knowledgeable demeanor, particularly regarding extraterrestrial phenomena, positions him as the strategic brain, offering analytical insights that complement the team's physical might.[22] Ryu Hashiba embodies Shadow Dagwon, the enigmatic stealth operative who commands the Shadow Jet fighter for covert missions with ninja-like precision. Calm and reserved, with a profound affinity for animals that underscores his mysterious aura, Ryu provides subtle yet crucial aid to En, enhancing the team's versatility in shadowed engagements.[22] Geki Kuroiwa, a fiery third-year high schooler recruited as the sixth member, transforms into Drill Dagwon using the Drill Liner, a drill-equipped ground vehicle suited for burrowing assaults. His short-tempered and impatient nature fuels a rivalry with En, yet this tension reveals a deeper mutual understanding, strengthening the team's resolve during ground-based offensives.[22][4] Rai Utsumi, the seventh and final addition from the planet Jinrai, operates as Thunder Dagwon with the Thunder Bike, enabling devastating electric-based attacks. A respectful and composed young alien officer who joins mid-series, Rai's good looks draw unwanted attention, but his earnest integration bolsters the team's interstellar perspective and energy manipulation capabilities.[22][4] The Dagwon Team's dynamics evolve from an abrupt initial recruitment—where the original five members receive their powers during an emergency evacuation—to a tightly knit unit forged through relentless battles and personal trials. Clashing personalities, such as En's hot-blooded leadership against Kai's by-the-book rigidity or Geki's competitive edge, initially hinder cohesion but ultimately cultivate profound bonds, exemplified by Ryu's quiet loyalty and the group's collective embrace of Rai as an outsider ally. This interpersonal growth underscores their role as not just warriors, but a surrogate family defending humanity.[1][22]Human Allies
Maria Tobe serves as the primary human ally to the Dagwon team, acting as their coordinator by providing critical intelligence and strategic support from a makeshift command center in her school's Occult Research Club room.[24] As En Daidouji's classmate and childhood friend at Yamakai High School, she discovers the team's secret identities early in the series after En protects her from an alien attack, fostering her romantic interest in him while motivating her to assist in their missions.[25] Her passion for the paranormal often draws her into incidents, allowing her to analyze alien threats and relay vital data to the Dagwon members via communication devices, emphasizing her role in logistical aid without direct combat involvement.[24] Manabu Tobe, Maria's younger brother and a devoted fan of the Dagwon team, offers emotional encouragement through his enthusiastic support, often attempting to uncover their identities in ways that highlight civilian admiration for their heroism.[25] At 10 years old, he embodies youthful bravery by rushing to aid during crises, such as alerting authorities or evacuating civilians, which indirectly bolsters the team's morale and helps maintain their secrecy among the public.[25] Other school friends, including Erika Serizawa and Yukari Fujii, provide moral support to individual Dagwon members without engaging in battles, reinforcing themes of human resilience. Erika, the assertive head of the broadcasting club, develops a connection with Shin through her journalistic pursuits, occasionally aiding in information gathering that aligns with the team's efforts to protect the city.[24] Yukari, a gentle classmate of Yoku from middle school, offers personal encouragement during key moments, such as her farewell before moving abroad, which strengthens Yoku's resolve against alien invasions and underscores everyday human bonds amid extraordinary threats.[24] These allies collectively assist in concealing the Dagwon team's dual lives as high school students, coordinating civilian evacuations during attacks, and demonstrating ordinary people's courage in the face of extraterrestrial dangers.[25]Alien Allies
The alien allies of the Brave Command Dagwon team consist of extraterrestrial beings who provide crucial support against the escaped criminals from the Sargasso space prison, drawing from their own histories of loss and redemption linked to the colony's turbulent past. These allies hail from races affected by the Sargasso inmates' conquests and internal corruptions, motivating them to aid Earth's defenders in restoring cosmic order.[18] Brave Alien, also known as Brave Seijin, serves as the primary recruiter for the Dagwon team, originating from a guardian race tasked with policing interstellar threats like the Sargasso colony. As an officer of the Dagwon Interstellar Police Force, he selects human youths to empower as Dagwon warriors, granting them the ability to transform using DagTector suits to combat the prison's escapees who seek to conquer planets. His involvement stems from the guardian race's long-standing duty to contain Sargasso's dangers after its original penal function was subverted by powerful inmates, positioning Earth as the next target in their expansion. Brave Alien's strategic oversight ensures the team's cohesion, though his direct role diminishes following early confrontations with Sargasso leaders.[26][2] Gunkid, a robotic entity originally designated Gundroid T96, begins as a tool corrupted by Sargasso's influence, designed for destructive artillery operations within the colony's chaotic hierarchy. Created as a young, childlike unit for frontline assaults, he defects after encountering the Dagwon team, providing heavy firepower through his Infinity Cannon form while offering comic relief with his naive personality and impulsive antics during battles. Under mentorship, Gunkid's redemption arc ties directly to Sargasso's history of weaponizing technology against its guardians, as his reprogramming by the prison's overlords aimed to bolster their invasions; his turn to the heroes reflects a broader theme of reclaiming corrupted assets from the colony's legacy of rebellion.[18][27] Lian, the last survivor of the Sword Seijin race from Planet Sword, joins as a reconnaissance specialist and melee combatant, leveraging his skills to scout enemy positions and devise strategies against Sargasso forces. His backstory is rooted in tragedy: his homeworld was frozen and destroyed by Arch Seijin, a self-proclaimed emperor who seized control of Sargasso early in its history, using the prison as a base for genocidal conquests across the galaxy. Driven by vengeance yet evolving toward teamwork, Lian transforms into sword modes for enhanced strikes and aids in countering the very criminals who enabled Arch Seijin's rise, motivated by a desire to prevent other worlds from suffering Sargasso's exported tyranny. His alliance with Dagwon marks a shift from solitary revenge to collaborative defense, strengthening Earth's resistance.[18][28]Major Antagonists
The primary antagonists in Brave Command Dagwon are the cosmic threats originating from the interstellar prison Sargasso, whose escape initiates the series' central conflict on Earth. Arch Seijin, self-proclaimed Emperor of the Universe, serves as the overarching leader among the Sargasso escapees, directing their invasion efforts with a fortress known as Arch Castle that enables widespread planetary disruptions.[24] His actions include deploying kaiju-like monsters to trigger natural disasters, such as sea upheavals and abnormal weather patterns aimed at freezing Earth, all orchestrated to assert dominance over the planet.[29] Genocide emerges as the ultimate antagonist, a non-corporeal super lifeform that has infiltrated Sargasso and manipulated its inmates from the shadows throughout the series. Possessing no fixed body, Genocide infiltrates machinery and minds to execute its schemes, culminating in a possession of Fire Dagwon to incite infighting among the Dagwon team and extend a conquest field over Earth.[24] This entity represents the pinnacle of destructive chaos, seeking not mere conquest but a total fusion with Earth to subjugate its inhabitants at a fundamental level.[29] Both antagonists are driven by deep-seated revenge against galactic authorities—the Dagwon Interstellar Police Force—for past defeats and imprisonments, compounded by an insatiable desire for planetary domination to rebuild their empires. Arch Seijin's vendetta traces back to the destruction of his homeworld, fueling his genocidal campaigns against races like the Sword Aliens, while Genocide's manipulations amplify the escapees' chaos to achieve universal perfection through absorption.[29] Their key schemes involve relentless monster deployments for resource extraction and terror, alongside psychological corruption attempts on the Dagwon team, such as brainwashing allies and hijacking their mecha to turn heroes against each other. Arch Seijin is ultimately defeated in a climactic duel with the Sword Alien survivor Lian, using a simulated black hole battlefield, while Genocide perishes in a mental realm confrontation with En Daidoji, shattering alongside the possessed Super Fire Dagwon in a sacrificial explosion.[24]Minor Antagonists
The minor antagonists in Brave Command Dagwon primarily consist of the Warugaia Seijin Brothers and various Sargasso prisoner mutants, serving as tactical enforcers in the alien invasion of Earth.[30][31] The Warugaia Seijin Brothers—Hido, Gedo, and Mado—form a trio of scheming siblings who operate under the overarching leadership of Arch Seijin, deploying kaiju-like monsters on a weekly basis to test and overwhelm Dagwon forces.[32][30] Hido, the eldest, specializes in deceptive tactics including human disguise and energy beam attacks, while Gedo and Mado provide brute force through laser transformations and magnetism manipulation, respectively; together, they orchestrate assaults that escalate from initial probes to coordinated multi-pronged invasions.[33][32] Their deployments emphasize disposable shock troops, ensuring that failed operations do not compromise higher strategic goals.[31] Complementing the brothers' efforts are the Sargasso prisoner mutants, escaped alien criminals from the Sargasso planet who possess unique abilities tailored for disruption and conquest.[30] Representative examples include Electron Seijin, capable of absorbing electrical energy to amplify its size and unleash bolt attacks, and Killad Seijin, which drains power via a forehead laser for temporary invulnerability.[30][31] Illusion-based threats like Wildy Seijin, using a single eye to generate deceptive visions, and Succubus, employing hypnotic gazes and teleportation for psychological warfare, further diversify their arsenal.[30] These mutants function as disposable forces in invasion tactics, often engineered or released to sow chaos in urban areas before being neutralized, typically within a single episode to maintain narrative momentum.[31][30] As the series progresses, the threats from these minor antagonists evolve to counter Dagwon's growing capabilities, shifting from isolated, ability-specific attacks—such as the sand-based reformation of Sandoll Seijin in early episodes—to more adaptive hybrids that incorporate learned weaknesses, like enhanced regeneration or multi-form shifts in later confrontations.[31][30] This progression reflects the aliens' tactical refinement, with mutants increasingly integrated into larger schemes led by the Warugaia Brothers, though each remains expendable to prioritize the broader Sargasso agenda.[32][31]Mecha
Individual Components
The individual components of the Dagwon team's mecha consist of personal vehicles that transform into armored suits or robot forms for individual pilots, allowing standalone operations prior to any larger configurations. These vehicles are designed for specific tactical roles, such as high-speed pursuit or aerial support, and are activated through specialized transformation devices worn by the team members. Each component emphasizes the pilot's thematic element, enabling targeted attacks and mobility suited to diverse combat scenarios.[34] Fire Stratos serves as En Daidōji's primary vehicle, operating in sports car mode modeled after a Lancia Stratos HF police patrol unit for rapid ground response and emphasizing speed with fire-based offensive capabilities, such as flame projection from its exhaust systems during chases or assaults. In its transformed state, it equips the pilot with enhanced agility and thermal weaponry for close-range engagements. This design prioritizes velocity, allowing En to execute high-acceleration maneuvers and incendiary strikes independently. Auxiliary vehicles include Fire Jumbo (a large jet transport), Fire Ladder (a fire truck with extendable ladder), Fire Rescue (a rescue vehicle), and Fire Shovel (an excavator), which support combinations and are unmanned or remotely controlled.[34][35] Turbo Liner is Kai Hirose's high-speed train vehicle, modeled after the 300 Series Shinkansen and optimized for rapid transit on rails or ground, reaching speeds suitable for intercepting fast-moving targets with precision handling and momentum-driven ramming attacks. Its streamlined form facilitates quick evasion and acceleration bursts, making it ideal for solo reconnaissance or hit-and-run tactics without relying on team support. The vehicle's lightweight construction supports Kai's agile fighting style, focusing on outpacing adversaries.[36] Armor Liner functions as Shin Sawamura's heavy train vehicle, modeled after the E1 Series Shinkansen and built for durability and heavy weaponry deployment in defensive or assault roles, featuring reinforced plating and mounted cannons for suppressive fire during ground operations. It excels in absorbing impacts while delivering explosive ordnance, enabling Shin to hold positions or break through barriers single-handedly. The design underscores protective capabilities, with integrated armor that shields the pilot during intense frontline duties.[37] Wing Liner is Yoku Kazamatsuri's aerodynamic train vehicle, modeled after the 400 Series Shinkansen and dedicated to high-speed reconnaissance and precision strikes, with capabilities for scouting distant threats or conducting attacks after transformation to robot mode. Its profile allows for superior maneuverability, supporting Yoku in independent surveillance missions or rapid interventions. The vehicle prioritizes speed and vantage points, facilitating evasion through high-velocity dashes.[38] Shadow Jet is Ryū Hashiba's stealth aircraft, resembling an F/A-18 Hornet variant equipped with cloaking technology for covert operations, including radar evasion and silent approaches for surprise engagements. It enables Ryū to perform undetected infiltrations or shadow pursuits, using its low-observability features to gather intelligence or strike from hidden positions without detection. The emphasis on stealth allows for prolonged solo missions in hostile environments.[34] Drill Liner serves Geki Kuroiwa as a steam locomotive vehicle, modeled after the JNR Class C62 and featuring a powerful rotary drill for burrowing through earth or obstacles to access subterranean routes or launch ambushes from below in its robot mode. Its robust frame supports excavation-based attacks, such as emerging drills for piercing strikes, making it suitable for Geki's independent disruption of fortified areas. The design focuses on penetration and structural breaching in isolated operations.[39] Thunder Bike is Rai Utsumi's electric motorcycle, generating thunder shocks through electrified components for shocking pursuits or area denial, with high-torque acceleration for navigating tight spaces or evading in electrified bursts. It allows Rai to deliver conductive energy attacks during high-speed chases, emphasizing electrical disruption for solo takedowns. The bike's compact form enhances mobility in confined urban settings.[40] The DagTector bracelets function as the core transformation devices for all Dagwon team members, worn as wristbands that initiate the fusion process between pilot and vehicle by activating the Dagwon suits upon command. These bracelets enable rapid deployment of the personal mecha, serving as command interfaces for summoning and controlling the vehicles in standalone scenarios, with a simple activation mechanism derived from Sentai-style transformations.[34]Combined Forms
The combined forms in Brave Command Dagwon integrate the individual Dagwon vehicle components into super robot configurations, enabling the team to adapt to diverse combat needs such as fire assaults, armored defense, and aerial maneuvers. These forms are assembled through specialized sequences like fusion and blazing combinations, with each emphasizing different strengths to counter alien invaders from Sargasso Prison. As the series progresses, the configurations evolve from basic assemblies to more complex integrations, reflecting the intensifying threats and culminating in powerful modes deployed against the bodyless entity Genocide.[2] Fire Dagwon serves as the initial primary combination for basic fire-powered combat, formed via the Blazing Combination (Kaen Gattai) of the Dag-Fire core with the support vehicles Fire Jumbo, Fire Ladder, and Fire Rescue. This five-member setup positions pilots En Daidōji in the command center, Kai Hirose in the torso, Shin Sawamura in the right arm, Yoku Kazamatsuri in the left arm, and Ryū Hashiba in the legs, allowing coordinated fire-based attacks with enhanced mobility and weaponry. A key special attack is the Flame Attack Sword, in which the robot channels blazing energy into a sword for devastating slashes against enemies. The combination sequence involves the vehicles aligning and merging in a fiery spectacle, shouting "Kaen Gattai!" to initiate the transformation.[41][42][43] Liner Dagwon provides an armored form optimized for defensive battles on the ground, achieved through the Doubleheading Combination (Juuren Gattai) of the vehicle units Dag-Turbo, Dag-Armor, and Dag-Wing. This configuration prioritizes heavy plating and ramming tactics, functioning like a high-speed armored train to shield allies and break through enemy lines. It evolves into Super Liner Dagwon by incorporating Dag-Drill for added piercing power, enabling underground assaults and reinforced stability. Representative special attacks include the Super Rock Buster, where converging energy beams from the chest fins deliver a concentrated blast to pulverize targets. The assembly sequence features the units linking like locomotives, with pilots Kai, Shin, and Yoku calling "Juuren Gattai!" amid mechanical clanging.[2] Dag Fire functions as an enhanced aerial variant, created by the Fusion Combination (Yūgō Gattai) of Fire En and Fire Stratos for superior flight and agility in dogfights. This form excels in reconnaissance and rapid strikes, with additions like Wing modules for boosted speed and Shadow components for stealth operations, allowing evasion of radar and surprise attacks from above. It forms the core for larger assemblies, transitioning seamlessly into ground or fire modes as needed. Special maneuvers involve high-velocity dives followed by energy bursts from wing-mounted emitters. The fusion sequence highlights En's command bracelet activating the merge, proclaimed with "Yūgō Gattai!" as the jet and bird modes intertwine.[44] Power Dagwon emerges mid-series as a strength-focused alternative when Fire Jumbo sustains damage, formed by the Herculean Strength Combination (Gōriki Gattai) of Dag-Fire and Fire Shovel for excavation and crushing assaults. This robust mode emphasizes raw power over speed, using shovel arms to demolish fortifications and hurl debris at foes. It paves the way for Dagwon Kaiser, the full seven-member ultimate form that integrates the core fire team with liner and shadow supports against Genocide, delivering overwhelming force through multi-vector attacks. Special attacks in these advanced modes, such as the Dagwon Buster energy cannon fired from the combined arm cannon, amplify destructive output with synchronized pilot input. The Kaiser sequence demands all components aligning in a grand "Great Gattai!" ritual, symbolizing total unity.[45] The progression of Dagwon forms—from Fire Dagwon's introductory versatility to Liner Dagwon's defensive resilience, Dag Fire's aerial prowess, and the climactic Kaiser integration—mirrors the series' narrative arc, with each upgrade countering more formidable foes like the escalating Sargasso forces and Genocide's possessions. Early combinations handle isolated threats, while later evolutions incorporate repairs and new modules for sustained campaigns, ensuring the team's survival through adaptive super robot might.[2][46]Media
Episode List
The Brave Command Dagwon television series consists of 48 episodes, which aired weekly on Nagoya TV from February 3, 1996, to January 25, 1997.[1] The storyline is structured around key arcs, including the early team formation in episodes 1–10, where the high school protagonists are recruited by Brave Seijin, receive their Dag-Commanders, and face initial threats from escaped Sargasso prisoners like Sandoll Seijin; mid-series developments in episodes 11–39, featuring escalating battles against various alien monsters, the introduction of new team members such as Geki and Rai, and explorations of personal growth amid school life; and the final confrontations in episodes 40–48, building to the defeat of the ultimate antagonist, Super Lifeform Genocide, through intense team unity and mecha combinations.[1] Below is the complete list of TV episodes, including English translations, original Japanese titles, and original air dates.[47][48][49]| Episode | English Title | Japanese Title | Air Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Birth of the High School Braves! | Tanjō! Yūsha Kōkōsei (誕生!勇者高校生) | 1996-02-03 |
| 2 | The Flying City Strategy | Kūchū Toshi Sakusen (空中都市作戦) | 1996-02-10 |
| 3 | DagFire Non-Combat | DaguFaiyā Sentō Funō (ダグファイヤー戦闘不能) | 1996-02-24 |
| 4 | Destroy the Ultimate Weapon | Saishū Heiki o Hakai Seyo (最終兵器を破壊せよ) | 1996-03-02 |
| 5 | Fire Dagwon Can't Launch | Faiya Daguon Hasshin Sezu (ファイヤーダグオン発進せず) | 1996-03-09 |
| 6 | Game Over | Gēmu Ōbā (ゲームオーバー) | 1996-03-16 |
| 7 | Sargasso's Mystery | Sarugassō no Nazo (サルガッソの謎) | 1996-03-23 |
| 8 | Dangerous Sleep | Kiken na Nemuri (キケンな眠り) | 1996-03-30 |
| 9 | The Great Insect Problem | Konchū Dai Panikku (昆虫大パニック) | 1996-04-06 |
| 10 | The Strength in My Hand | Tsuyosa o Waga Te ni (強さを我が手に) | 1996-04-13 |
| 11 | 100,000 Light-Years of Revenge | Fukushū no 10-man Kōnen (復讐の10万光年) | 1996-04-20 |
| 12 | A New Ally | Arata Naru Nakama (新たなる仲間) | 1996-04-27 |
| 13 | The Deadly New Fire Sword | Honō no Shin Hissatsu Tsurugi (炎の新必殺剣) | 1996-05-04 |
| 14 | A Kind-Hearted Space Beast | Kokoro Yasashiki Uchū Kemono (心優しき宇宙獣) | 1996-05-11 |
| 15 | The Runaway DagArmor | Bōsō DaguĀmā (暴走ダグアーマー) | 1996-05-18 |
| 16 | DagBase's Flash | Senkō no DaguBēsu (閃光のダグベース) | 1996-05-25 |
| 17 | Tsuyoshi the Coward & the Space Stone | Yowamushi Tsuyoshi to Uchū Ishi (弱虫ツヨシと宇宙石) | 1996-06-01 |
| 18 | Maria's Ghost Extermination | Maria no Yūrei Taiji (マリアの幽霊退治) | 1996-06-08 |
| 19 | Dagwon No. 6 | Daguon No.6 (ダグオンNo.6) | 1996-06-15 |
| 20 | Assault! DagDrill | Totsugeki! DaguDoriru (突撃!ダグドリル) | 1996-06-22 |
| 21 | A Man's Tearful Friendship Fusion! | Otoko! Namida no Yūjō Gattai (男!涙の友情合体) | 1996-06-29 |
| 22 | White Feathers Dancing in the Wind | Kaze ni Mau Shiroi Hane (風に舞う白い羽根) | 1996-07-06 |
| 23 | The Universe Tree | Uchū no Taiju (宇宙の大樹) | 1996-07-13 |
| 24 | It's Name is GunKid | Sono Na wa GanKiddo (その名はガンキッド) | 1996-07-20 |
| 25 | The Oath's Infinite Cannon | Chikai no Mugen Hō (誓いの無限砲) | 1996-07-27 |
| 26 | Gaku is Targeted | Nerawareta Gaku (ねらわれたガク) | 1996-08-03 |
| 27 | The Day the Cat Disappeared | Neko ga Kieru Hi (猫が消える日) | 1996-08-10 |
| 28 | To Sariyuku | Sariyuku-kun e (去りゆく君へ) | 1996-08-17 |
| 29 | The Horror of the Blue Planet | Aoi Hoshi no Senritsu (青い星の戦慄) | 1996-08-24 |
| 30 | 5 Minutes Before the Earth Ice Age | Chikyū Hyōgaki 5-fun Mae (地球氷河期5分前) | 1996-08-31 |
| 31 | Herculean Strength! Power Dagwon | Gōriki! Pawā Daguon (剛力!パワーダグオン) | 1996-09-14 |
| 32 | The Rumored Detectives En & Geki | Uwasa no Keiji En & Geki (噂の刑事エン&ゲキ) | 1996-09-21 |
| 33 | The School Festival that Called the Storm | Arashi o Yobu Gakuensai (嵐を呼ぶ学園祭) | 1996-09-28 |
| 34 | En, Fight in the Stratosphere | En, Seisōken de Tatakau (エン、成層圏で戦う) | 1996-10-05 |
| 35 | The Electric Shock Entry of DagThunder | Dengeki Tōjō DaguSandā (電撃登場ダグサンダー) | 1996-10-12 |
| 36 | Sargasso's Ruler | Sarugassō no Shihaisha (サルガッソの支配者) | 1996-10-19 |
| 37 | Chase the Ghost Truck! | Yūrei Torakku o Oe! (幽霊トラックを追え!) | 1996-11-02 |
| 38 | White Wing Revival | Fukkatsu no Shiroi Tsubasa (復活の白い翼) | 1996-11-09 |
| 39 | Howl, Raian! | Hoe yo! Raian (吠えよ!ライアン) | 1996-11-16 |
| 40 | An Undesirable Showdown | Nozomazaru Taiketsu (望まざる対決) | 1996-11-23 |
| 41 | The Forbidden Super Union | Kindan no Chō Gattai (禁断の超合体) | 1996-11-30 |
| 42 | The Broken DagTector | Wareta DaguTekutā (割れたダグテクター) | 1996-12-07 |
| 43 | Braves Into Space | Yūsha-tachi Uchū e (勇者たち宇宙へ) | 1996-12-07 |
| 44 | Battle! DagBase | Kōbō! DaguBēsu (攻防!ダグベース) | 1996-12-14 |
| 45 | The Miraculous Braves | Kiseki no Yūsha-tachi (奇跡の勇者たち) | 1996-12-21 |
| 46 | Sargasso's Great Explosion | Sarugassō Daibakuhatsu (サルガッソ大爆発) | 1996-12-27 |
| 47 | En, The Brave of Fire, Burns! | Moero! Honō no Yūsha En (燃えろ!炎の勇者エン) | 1997-01-18 |
| 48 | To Our Future... | Ore-tachi no Mirai e... (オレたちの未来へ…) | 1997-01-25 |

