Getter Robo

Getter Robo is a manga series co-created by Go Nagai and Ken Ishikawa and an anime with a separate storyline and portrayal of characters produced by Toei Animation. The series focuses on a Super Robot known as the Getter Robo and its three pilots: Ryoma Nagare, Hayato Jin, and Musashi Tomoe. Like the Mazinger series, it was popular during its time; introducing a new mechanic and an addition to the usual action. It was popular enough to create several spin-offs in both manga and anime.

Production
Ken Ishikawa, still working as an assistant to Go Nagai was going over some old works and concepts with Nagai and found one originally meant for Mazinger Z, combining separate machines to form a Super Robot. Using this for Getter Robo in addition to Ishikawa's characters and style of drama, Getter Robo was born.

Overview
Depending on the type of media, the original Getter Robo story tells about the Saotome Institute getting three teenagers to fight the underground Dinosaur Empire to either protect humanity (anime) and/or protect the institute and its research on Getter Rays. The original manga portrayed the three pilots as much more gruff, violent, and nitty-gritty; in the anime they are more mature and less violent. Later series were mainly about delving into the mysterious Getter Rays and how it would affect humanity and other species.

Regardless, the series had its affect on later Japanese media; influencing later Mecha series such as Gurren Lagann and the use of teen drama and philosophy to add to several other categories of manga and anime.

Crossovers with Mazinger
As one of Dynamic Productions most famous series, it shared several crossovers with the company's other famous mecha series Mazinger.
 * Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo
 * Great Mazinger vs. Getter Robo G: Kuchu Daigekitotsu
 * Grendizer, Getter Robo G, Great Mazinger: Kessen! Daikaiju
 * Super Robot Wars (Novel)
 * Mazinkaiser vs. Shin Getter Robo

Trivia

 * Getter Robo Go is a homage to Mazinger series. The lead pilot of Machine Go is called Go. It attack Knuckle Bomber is similar to the Rocket Punch. Getter Sho Breast Bomba is like the Oppai Missile System. Last, the Getter Gai has Breast Beam which is just like the Breast Fire. This was due to the series' originally being conceived by Toei as a Mazinger Z remake before it was changed last minute to be a Getter Robo series.