The Daichis Earth's Defense Family Vol-1:
Dysfunctional Heroes (2001)
Animation Production: Bandai Visual/Group TAC
Released by: Geneon Entertainment
Running Time: 125 Minutes
By Jeffrey Couto

Introduction

A dysfunctional family, quite possibly one of the more relatable character sets in film or TV entertainment.

The Daichis Earth Defense Family is very much about what happens when a small family where no one gets along is forced to work together to protect the planet and more importantly make some serious cash! An unusual concept with some very familiar themes, let’s see how it actually performs when we run it through the Japan Hero anime labs testing facilities.

Story

"The Daichis were once a regular dysfunctional family. Now they have been selected as Earth's first line of defense against extraterrestrial invaders. In the first volume of DAICHIS: EARTH'S DEFENSE FAMILY, the Daichis learn about how to use their high-tech equipment-power armor, floating surfboards, flying cars-and encounter the alien threat. However, they also discover that their new gig isn't all excitement, because their amazing new things aren't free, and the debt is piling up. The family must struggle not only to beat back the otherworldly aggressors, but to pay off their enormous bills and remain a functioning unit-not just in battle, but at home as well. "

Review

The first volume in Geneon’s release of The Daichis Earth Defense Family features the first five episodes in the series, which include:

Episode 1: Earth's Final Day
Meet the Daichis, a typical family with the types of conflicts and problems that most families seem to have, however things are getting uglier than normal as Seiko (mom) demands that Mamoru signs off on recently drafted divorce papers. This is the thirteen time she’s asked him to do this, but this time it looks like she is more determined than ever to end their marriage. As she waits for him to sign the legal documents Nozomi (elder sister) and Dai (younger brother) are asked to decide who they want to live with, but before everything is finalized in ink an unexpected fax shows up.

According to the fax the Daichis have been selected to be the Earth Defense Family and their mission if they accept it will be to protect the planet from alien invaders. Hesitant at first but won over by the promise of high sums of money for each successful mission they carry out, the Daichis accept and in the process become our most powerful line of defense against the invaders. However, will they manage to get their act together in time to save us?

Episode 2: The Broken Family
Coming to grips with their newfound powers and responsibilities the family must now overcome their biggest challenge, themselves! If they can’t work as an efficient unit the Earth is doomed to the rule of the evil alien invaders! Fight for the Earth Daichis! Don’t give up!

Episode 3: Yellow Card
Nozomi doesn’t want to be a member of the Earth Defense Family! When a monster invades China will it help change her mind!?

Episode 4: Surprise! The Daichi Family's Weird
After defeating the evil monster that attacked China, Dai retrieved a curious-looking orb. Late in the evening the orb lights up and travels right into Dai’s stomach! The end result!? A strange rabbit-like creature that now sees Dai as his mother!? Can a member of the Earth Defense Family safely keep this strange pet or will he have to give it up? Being a protector of the Earth sure has its problems attached to it!

Episode 5: Special Training! Sleepless Nights
After several missions they Daichi family receives an unexpected fax, the worst kind you can get…a bill! It looks like each time they use certain powers and weapons that they are charged a nominal fee! If they keep going the way they have been they'll be going into deep bankruptcy!! Better start training to minimize the need for these expensive weapons and defense systems.

What a weird, energetic and entertaining show this was! While the idea of having a group of heroes protect the Earth from alien invaders is not new by any stretch of the imagination the idea of wrapping that premise around a dysfunctional family core is somewhat of a different approach that navigates some new territory in the Japanese hero arena, much like Fiveman and Gogo V did in the Super Sentai universe.

Basically, the way each character breaks down in terms of personalities and drives is as follows. Mamoru is quiet and afraid to stand up for himself when it comes to family matters, he lets Seiko walk all over him when the show begins. Seiko is unusually self-centered for a mom and seems interested in nothing more than whatever could benefit her such as the reward money the family will get for completing each mission against the invaders. Nozomi feels as is she were a slave to her mom, caretaker to her father and Dai’s overseer, she’s frustrated by her situation and sometimes thinks everyone is against her. Dai is the energetic younger brother. He is mischievous and most of the time acts before he thinks, he also holds some leadership skills that help guide the rest of the family.

These different ways of looking at their situation and values needless to say add up to some crazy situations for our heroes, who not only need to save the world, but also need to balance their personal lives before they kill each other. The interesting aspect of this dynamic is that it seems they were chosen to be Earth’s heroes for this very reason, because they weren’t the perfect family. Perhaps in the process of protecting the world part of the aliens’ plans is to help the Daichi’s overcome themselves and become a better family.

Certainly the show’s story format lends itself well to this. Instead of the series being more “giant monster of the week” focused, what we get is a basic plot that revolves around the Daichis overcoming family problems and fixing their relationships with each other (which took me by surprise). The device that allows them to do this is the Earth Defense Family/Sci-fi aspect, which serves as a colorful backdrop to everything that our protagonists go through.

The hero angle of the show is used for the most part as a way to spice up each story and add some surprisingly well done action components to what otherwise would have been a domestic soup opera. From the color-coded costumes, to the specialty weapons and giant robot, the Daichis Earth Defense Family is certainly no weakling when it comes to hero anime. In fact with all the weapon name shouting and henshin (transformation) poses fans of tokusatsu heroes would be hard-pressed to not enjoy this fun program.

Production-wise I was taken aback by how well put together this series was. On-screen movements were particularly smooth and very energetic, with the characters seeming to always be on the move, especially when the action scenes kick in. The visual effects and overall realization of the combat segments are extraordinary and filled with brightly colored attacks that light up the screen with pastel hues.

The music soundtrack was particularly upbeat and kept the show’s energy up by matching what plays on the screen perfectly. I particularly liked a couple of the more laid back tropical island-like pieces and the opening theme, which kicks off the show on a super powered up way with a fast and furious song! The more relaxed ending theme song was the perfect stop after each energy-exploding episode. On the voice acting side I loved the entire cast on both tracks, they do an amazing job.

On the DVD front this is a nice simple package that is sure to please any anime fan. In addition to the first five episodes in the series you also get a clean copy of the opening, original Japanese promotional trailer, a concept art gallery and previews for other Geneon products. Inside the box there’s a small insert with the dates for the release of the other two volumes on one side and a clean copy of the front cover art. The video and audio transfers for this one were perfectly carried out with no noticeable issues. Subtitles were easy to read and well timed.

Final Thoughts

I found this show to be MUCH better than I was anticipating based on the DVD box. It even had moments that made me laugh out loud, which is not a frequent occurance in the Japan Hero anime labs.

If you’re a fan of Japanese tokusatsu heroes or anime heroes and like comedy, this is a title you should hunt and try out. You can almost think of it as a hidden gem in a sea of so-so anime hero releases domestically. Very, very awesome overall! Already marked my calendar down for the next volume’s release.

Jeffrey Couto