— IDENTITY —
Original Name
魔境伝説アクロバンチ (Makyō Densetsu Akurobanchi)
English Title
Acrobunch (also released as Acrobunch: The Quest for Treasure / Acrobunch in Devil-Land)
Debut
May 5, 1982
Studio
Kokusai Eigasha (Movie International Co.), with Kaname Production and, from the second half of the series, Toei Animation
Network
Nippon TV
Director
Takao Yotsuji (credited as "Yoshinori Natsuki")
Character Design
Mutsumi Inomata, Shigenori Kageyama
Classification
Super Robot — Combining Vehicle type
— DEVELOPMENT HISTORY —
Origin
Built by scientist Tatsuya Randou as a means of protecting his family after the Goblin Tribe attacked their marine farm — combining his children's own personal vehicles into a single robot
Creative Direction
Conceived to capitalize on the archaeological-adventure craze sparked by Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), blending the Super Robot genre with a globetrotting treasure hunt
This marked Mutsumi Inomata's debut as a character designer, and the debut voice role for Shigeru Nakahara — later known for Char's Counterattack and countless other anime — as Jun, the youngest Randou child.
— CONTROL SYSTEM —
Pilot Structure
Piloted collectively by the five Randou children, each operating their own personal vehicle
Component Vehicles
- Falcon Buncher — flying saucer/jet, forms the main body
- Buncher Hornets — two flying cars, form the legs
- Buncher Arrows — two hoverbikes, form the arms
— PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS —
Components
5 individual vehicle units
Body Structure
Humanoid, assembled from motorcycle, car, and aircraft components
Visual Design Features
- Cowboy-inspired color scheme reflecting the Randou family's Western-adventure aesthetic
- Streamlined, aerodynamic plating carried over from its component vehicles
- Angular, jet-nosed head structure
Acrobunch, assembled from the Randou family's five personal vehicles
— COMBAT CHARACTERISTICS —
Primary Combat Style
Ranged combat backed by each component vehicle's own weaponry
Vehicle Weapons
- Each of the five component vehicles can fire lasers independently, even while separated from the main body
- Falcon Buncher-exclusive impact missiles
- Camouflage missiles that release ink underwater
Mobility
Each component vehicle is independently capable of flight and underwater travel while detached from the combined robot
— ASSOCIATED ORGANIZATIONS —
Randou Family
Tatsuya Randou and his five children — Hiro, Ryo, Miki, Reika, and Jun — a family of treasure hunters searching for the legendary treasure of Quetzalcoatl
The Goblin Tribe (Gopurin)
An ancient civilization exiled underground since 8,000 BC, organized into four clans — black, red, white, and blue — each led by a general answering to an immortal Goblin Lord, and equally determined to claim the treasure
— TV SERIES INFORMATION —
Broadcast
Nippon TV, May 5, 1982 – December 24, 1982
Episodes
24
Acrobunch's combination sequence was praised for its animation quality, setting a benchmark that influenced combining-robot sequences throughout the rest of the decade. The series found unexpected popularity in France, airing from 1985 under titles including L'Empire des Cinq, with the Randou family renamed to the Cossyg family and the setting relocated from Japan to Canada.
— MAIN CHARACTERS —
Tatsuya Randou
Marine farmer, scientist, and archaeologist who builds Acrobunch to protect his family after the Goblin Tribe's attack on their marine farm
Hiro Randou
Eldest of the five Randou children
Ryo Randou
Second-eldest sibling, known for his cowboy-inspired mannerisms, including the use of a lasso
Miki Randou
Middle sibling among the five Randou children
Reika Randou
Fourth-eldest sibling, whose pet dolphin is killed in the Goblin Tribe's attack on the family's marine farm
Jun Randou
Youngest of the Randou children, whose mother Laura died shortly after giving birth to him
— LEGACY —
Genre Classification
Super Robot — Combining Vehicle type
Studio Legacy
One of Kaname Production's earliest subcontracted works, alongside Combat Mecha Xabungle, helping define the studio's visual identity before its later focus on OVAs
International Release
Remained unlicensed in English for decades until Discotek Media released the complete series on standard-definition Blu-ray in North America on February 23, 2021
