Kazauo Nakamura is the character designer for Beast King Golion 1981, one of two anime shows that would be altered and renamed to Voltron Defender of the Universe for the American Market.
Nakamura has worked primarly on mecha anime being an episode director on Mobile Suit Gundam 1979 prior to doing the character designs seen in Golion.
I should clarify that Nakamura isn't a mechanical designer with Golion being designed by Katsushi Murakami Nakamura designed the non mecha characters Akira, Fala etc.
Nakamura also did the character designs for the mecha anime Steel Jeeg. Personally I really like Golion's character designs but I'm also a big fan of 70s mecha anime and so the fashion sense of Golion's pilots (The bell bottoms, the mullets and you can't forget the Go-Go boots) feels like a call back to a soon to be bygone era of mecha anime, In my opinion comparing Golion aesthetically to other early 80s anime.
Beast King Golion's origin's start many years earlier in the mid 70s. The Robot Romance Trilogy were 3 shows directed by Tadao Nagahama that would solidfy tropes seen in Golion for example Combattler V's five man band.
During the creation of Super Robot Daltanius relations between Toei, Nagahama and Sunrise would fall apart, Daltanius is very important in Voltron's history but that's a story for another day. After this Toei would create Space Emperor God Sigma a show that staff beleived failed because it was deemed too complex for their child audience and so for their next show there would be changes.
Sunrise isn't animating anymore Toei instead works with Tokyo Video on the animation.
The story will be way more simple and easy to follow.
Beast King Golion is the Result Directed by Katsuhiko Taguchi and with character designs by Kazuo Nakamura.
Golion honestly fascinates me it’s a work of fiction that just kinda appeared and while it has traceable roots the majority of its staff are either unknown or have never produced anything similar to it in their discography.
Toei animation has a jp site that catalogues there animated works, this site works as a good way of perceiving which shows Toei has made that are seen as succsesfull.
Armorded Fleet Dairugger XV (Later known as Vehicle Voltron) has a page so does Light Speed Electroid Albegas (The unproduced Gladiator Voltron) but you know who doesn't, Beast King Golion. (a.k.a Voltron)
So yeah Golion kinda flopped in Japan. while I can't find information on the popularity of pre-Voltron internatonal releases like Golion's Italian release.
Golion's modern day popularity is intertwined with Voltron and it's because of Voltron creating a mystique around the Violence and dark subject matter present in Golion that the Anime lives on, mainly in clickbait Youtube vidoes but ehh what are you gonna do?
Heres some Golion settai, Go crazy Go stupid ^_^
More of Golion's settai is included in the Mediablaster release of Voltron Dotu. I only have the first DVD which features Keith/Akira's model sheet, Voltron/Golion, the Black Lion and a Galra/Drule soilder. the artwork has a photo negative effect as well as drop shadow applied to it that I'm currently trying to reverse.
My Anime May 1981
Animage March 1981
These two pin-ups drawn by Kazauo Nakamura were included alongside magazine interviews discussing Beast King Golion while it was airing. This posters depict a very intresting version of Golion?
thats not a robot?!?!
I have alot of thoughts about this so I'll try and be brief.
Nakamura isn't a mecha artist and so when trying to depict Golion for these promotional pin ups drew them as a human? This explenation could work but Nakamura has and can draw mecha including a more faithful version of Golion, this leads me to think that this is an intentinal decision.
So what could it mean?
This is Golion before being cursed by the Godess of the Universe. In episode 1 we learn that Golion was a powerful titan that no enemy could defeat until it recklessly challenged the Godess of the Universe to battle, who dissapointed in it's misuse of it's own powers tore Golion apart into 5 Robot Lions this also robbed Golion of their own sentiance. While a cool idea considering that the Narrator calls Golion a robot multiple times throughout the scene we learn of Golion's origins this is unlikely.
Golion + Akira Kogane fushion, who pilots the head of Golion, Kogane, the long black hair is also similar maybe this is an abstract way of showing the deep bond the pilots share when they become Golion.
Deception. In 1981 maybe people were fed up with super robot anime I mean considering how many released in the 70s I wouldn't be suprised prehaps these pin ups are simply some artwork thats meant to make Golion stand apart, to catch the attention of someone who would be disintrested in another super robot anime.
Either way these posters look super cool.