Gowcaizer VHS cover
Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer (超人学園ゴウカイザー, Choujin Kakuen Goukaiza) is a three-episode OVA series released in 1996 based on the video game of the same name. It was directed by Masami Obari, who provided the original concept and character designs for the game and OVA. He also personally took part in the OVA's animation production. An English adaptation was produced in 1997 by U.S. Manga Corps.
There are three image songs used to conclude the ending of each episode. The first and general image song is Taiyou no Akai Namida ~ New Generation Heroes performed by Masaaki Endoh. It plays during the credits of the first episode and is also used in the PlayStation opening for the game. Dream & Revolution performed by Shaia's voice actor concludes the second episode and a song performed by Karin's voice actor, Ai to Iu Itami, ends the final episode.
Story[]
First Episode[]
After a brief introduction of the characters, Isato enters his transformed form, Gowcaizer, to defeat a rogue robot. The scene then changes to Isato starting his morning training before school. He stops to gaze at his Kaizer Stone, remembering the incident when Hellstinger gave it to him. Karin, who pretends to be a goofy ghost for a free meal, intrudes his thoughts and both students ride Isato's motorcycle to Bernard High School. They meet Shaia Hishizaki during the ride with Isato mocking her set of wheels. She humorously loses in a race and beats her robotic assistant, Ball Boy, for not winning. Karin also says her greetings to Ikki Tachibana and his friend, Sabu, on the road. As Isato and Karin speeds towards their destination, they almost run over a mysterious figure on the way. Isato warns him to not block the road again and the man merely apologizes before leaving.
In class, Isato tries to ask the class genius, Randy Riggs, for answers for a test. Their teacher, Ranpo Fudo, catches him in the act and tells Isato to copy fifty pages of a textbook as punishment. After taking attendance, Ranpo informs the class of the the new transfer student in the school, Kyosuke Shigure. Meanwhile, Karin and Shaia -in one of her concert outfits- skips class with Shaia to spy on Ikki's class, an associate of both girls. Karin uses three of her duplicates to cover for her absence while the latter uses Ball Boy to project a hologram of herself to do the same. Whilst there, they learn that Kyosuke is actually the same nameless figure that Isato and Karin met earlier the same morning, who Ikki playfully greets.
Later that night, Ranpo reveals his real identity as a government representative of Japan. He reports to the other nation representatives regarding his personal encounter with Ohga's powerful strength and the Kaizer Stones. Although he tells them that the stones have the potential to destroy the earth, the other government officials don't agree to immediate measures due to lack of evidence and dismiss the matter from their agenda. Meanwhile, Principal Ozaki, or Ohga, summons the twins of the school board, Ryo and Suzu Asahina to his side. Their master informs the audience that he has given Kaizer Stones to various people, but he has given them a special stone called Soul Gear for the twins. Ryo holds the power for both twins, which Ohga notes that it was for love (a later scene between the twins shows their past encounter and reasons for allying with Ohga; it's the same reasons as the game). Kash, who attends the same meeting, leaves uninterested. The twins report the progress of the Kaizer Stones and Ranpo's activity to their master, Ohga only caring about Suzu's mention of Isato. He orders them to use their powers to test Isato's spirit. Ryo leaves with a parting mention about Kyosuke, which makes Ohga nostalgic.
Kyosuke hunts the alleyways to attack his unknown assailant. He summons his dog spirit, Kubira, to assist him. When he states his intentions to continue his search for the runaway shadow in the streets, Kubira morphs into a human female to join him. Venturing the sidewalk, they are shifted into another dimension. A dangerous entity takes the form of Kyosuke's departed older sister to mislead him, making him painfully use his sword to defeat it. They work together to defeat various violet entities formed by Ohga's power. Ohga is pleased with Kyosuke's maturity and rewards him with a blast of destructive energy for his progress. To have her master's wounds properly tended while she searches for Ohga's hideout, Kubira leaves him by Isato's doorstep.
Some time later, a mended Kyosuke awakens and he formerly introduces himself to Isato. Kyosuke tells Isato his sole intention to defeat their school's principal. Sensing the power of the Kaizer Stone in the youth, he warns his host of the stone's unreliability. Troubled by Kyosuke's words and remembering Hellstinger's words, Isato confronts the person who gave him the stone, Kash. Interesting in refining Isato's power over the stone, they have a short fist fight before using their stones to transform. During their bout, Ryo and Suzu intrude on their master's orders and transform into the Platonic Twins. The twins overpower Isato and have the upper hand when Isato's power over the Kaizer Stone fades. Worried by her previous encounter with Shaia informing her of Isato's whereabouts, Karin uses her Goku powers to try to rescue her friend. When Karin is caught and electrocuted by the twins, Isato's anger erupts and he transforms once more to perform a powerful attack. To protect his treasured sister, Ryo takes the blow and dies. Devastated but embittered, Suzu pleads for Ohga to teleport them away while swearing vengeance for her brother's death. Isato, who didn't mean to cause a fatal blow, is shocked by his actions.
As Ohga comments on the foolishness of the event he oversaw, a mysterious voice tells him to hurry and release it into the mortal realm as the destruction of the world is near. Driving it away, Ohga pleads for someone to kill him and save the earth.
Second Episode[]
Ohga stars in a monologue explaining how he became a god-like and perfect being of power. However, remembering his past as a person, he once again took human shape. As he awakens, he sees a Kaizer Stone in his hand. The scene shifts to after he saved Suzu from Isato, he informs her that her power with Ryo was only meant to be shared with her brother. Even so, Suzu insists on taking a Kaizer Stone to demonstrate her own strength. After seeing her resolve, he punches a Kaizer Stone into her chest.
During sunset, Kubira meets with her master to report her findings of Ohga's seemingly impenetrable defensive system. Although she begs her master to rethink his intentions for his safety, Kyosuke is intent on proceeding. They are greeted by Shaia who asks to have a chat with them. In a later cutaway, he tells Shaia his past and his desire to avenge his sister. She offers to replace half of that he felt was lost by his sister's death, which briefly has Kyosuke see her as his sister. Intending to join his sister in the afterlife, he gives Shaia the earring which he was wearing, a keepsake formerly worn by his sister. Pleased to see Shaia wear it, he quickly apologizes for what he deems to be foolishness on his part and leaves.
At dawn the following day, Istao, Karin, and Kash are at a cliff overlooking the sea. A tormented Isato tries to throw his Kaizer Stone into the sea but is stopped by Kash. Yelling at him to tell him the truth behind the stone, Kash tells them his personal encounter with Ohga, who gave him his Kaizer Stone and changed his life. When he was attacked by Ohga's manifestations, he once faced the principal as Hellstinger and saw a glimpse of the global destruction that Ohga is trying to prevent. He tells the power of the stones by saying that they are fragmented crystals of Ohga's power, created by the principal's blood and are an evil energy. Though they are evil, he summarizes their use is solely dependent on the will of the user. Although he doesn't know why the world is in danger, Kash's story is enough for Isato to gain the resolve to stop Ohga. He warns Karin to not join them since it's too dangerous.
Later in the night, Kubira and Kyosuke try to invade Ozaki's base of operations, which is protected by a mystically sealed gate. He tries to open it by force and is intent on using his greatest technique to override the seal's power. Kubira, knowing that the technique will cause great harm to her master, blocks Kyosuke from using the move and offers to have her body substitute to open the gate. While Kyosuke hesitates, a geared up Shaia introduces herself as Mistress Shaia. Kyosuke humorously sees through her disguise and acts uninterested. For the sake of her real job, she vaguely mentions that she has business with the same place and teams up with Ball Boy to loosen the seal. Knocked unconscious by the blow back, Kyosuke orders Kubira to take and guard her at a safe place. Entering alone in spite of Kubira's pleas, he reseals the gate from the inside and runs through the halls. In his thoughts, he pleads her to forgive his selfishness as he doesn't want her to see him in his final moments. As Kyosuke fights Ohga's violet manifestations, he is saved by the transformed Isato and Kash. Intent on dying, he warns them to leave at once and parts ways. Knowing that Kyosuke has invaded, Ohga is pleased to wait for him in his office yet is haunted by a menacing entity for his inactivity.
While the trio storm Ohga's base, the violet entities attack the city streets. As the local military are defenseless against the endless mob, Karin gears up to save them. Upset at being left behind and wanting to protect the peace of the city, she takes on the violet beings by herself.
Isato and Kash enter a surreal room of natural surroundings where an infuriated Suzu confronts them. Transforming into her new form with some distress, she becomes Platonic Slave to kill Isato. Kash begins to move to intervene, but Isato tells him to stand by. When Suzu fires at him with a energy blast, Isato doesn't try to fight back.
Third Episode[]
Following Ohga's monologue that summarizes his observations of Isato, Kash, and the Kaizer Stones, Suzu's blow creates an explosion within his tower. The destruction is visible from the streets outside the building, which has Karin worried for Isato. Distracted, she is held prisoner by the gelatinous beings she is fighting and is freed by Shaia and Ball Boy. They eventually clear the streets of the beings together and worry for their friend's safety.
Back in the building, Isato is wounded by Suzu's blow. As she fires another blast to try to finish him off, Kash defends his comrade and counters Suzu's punch. When Isato recovers, he yells at Kash to not interfere and the winged one calmly agrees and warns Isato of the woman's power. With renewed spirit, Isato challenges Suzu to attack him again and powers down his Kaizer Stone. Shocking both of the youths present by his actions, he claims that if Suzu truly wants to kill him, then she wouldn't hesitate to strike him as a normal person. Suzu vents her frustrations on Isato, but he reasons that she is actually in pain from losing her brother and doesn't want her to hurt herself further by taking another life. His words remind her of her brother and, after a final punch, Isato apologizes. A stunned Suzu cries as she loses her grip over her Kaizer Stone yet the stone starts to go berserk within her, threatening to end her life. Kash detaches his Kaizer Stone from his chocker and offers to have it resonate with Suzu's in an effort to save her. He tells Isato to go on without him since the stones could have a destructive reaction.
Arriving and breaking the seal over Ohga's office, Kyosuke confronts his opponent. Ohga greets him fondly but belittles the anger Kyosuke has for him since he has long forgotten emotions. Kyosuke demands to know if Ohga only used his sister to someday use the teenager's powers. Ohga assesses his judgment is correct and mentions their past together, revealing that he was surprised how quickly Kyosuke accepted him as his father or older brother figure. He states that he was bothered by the love Kyosuke's sister displayed him as it wasn't needed in his goal to unlock Kyosuke's power. Deflecting the youth's angered strike, Ohga turns into his god-like form. They exchange a few blows but sword-wielding fighter falls on his knees from damage he is given. When Kyosuke struggles to stand once more, he hears Kubira's voice informing him to follow her actions. She attacks Ohga from the shadows and suffers a piercing blow through her torso. She uses her powers to electrocute Ohga and Kyosuke uses the opening to stab and blast a hole through Ohga with his sword. Running to Kubira's side, she leaves parting words to her master telling him that he is no longer alone before fading away.
Isato enters the room and tries to warn Kyosuke of the dark entity emerging from Ohga's corpse. As the swordman is dragged into the dark being, Isato confronts the giant woman-like being Omni Exist, which was the voice and power that was previously with Ohga. It tells Isato that humanity pollutes the planet and truly wishes for destruction. She suggests to Isato two methods of destroying her: exceed her powers with his own or to persuade all of humanity to completely lose its will to live. Isato opts to exceed her power and transforms. Fighting with the deadly being, he is briefly overpowered by it. Kash arrives to assist and they attack it together. Within Omni Exist, Kyosuke hears the voices of Ohga, his sister, and Kubira asking him to fulfill his other duty and live. As Ohga's spirit grabs hold of Omni Exist's energy, Kyosuke blows a hole through the giant's chest and plummets to the ground below. Isato and Kash perform a dual finishing attack to finish Omni Exist. It threatens that it will never completely disappear and states that it can return at any time. The building around them crumbles and falls apart.
Looking at the ruins from afar at sunrise, Isato and Kash have joined with Karin and Shaia. Kash holds a Suzu who isn't under the Kaizer Stone's influence in his arms. Shaia turns to smile at Isato and Karin, but is surprised to see Kyosuke with purple hair behind them. As she happily runs to him, Kyosuke reflects that he wanted Ohga to return to him -rather than kill him- as the group watches the sun rise over the horizon. The final shot of the OVA is a view of the earth from space.
International Cut[]
The film begins with Isato Kaiza punching a punching bag as part of his regular morning workout, contemplating his encounter with Kash (a.k.a. Hellstinger) who gave him the Kaiser stone that is embedded in his bracelet. His workout is interrupted by Karin who jokes with him about being a ghost of a man who was beaten to death by Kaiza in a match. Isato hates the concept and removes the disguise. The pair then head to school on Isato's motorcycle. On the way, they come across Shaia Hishizaki on the road and they challenge one another to a race. Ball boy can't keep up with them because, as he tells her that she weighs more than Karin, slowing their momentum. Shaia, outraged accidentally causes Ball boy to drop them off the bridge. As Karin and Kaiza make it to school just in time, Isato almost runs into a pedestrian on the street, who turns out to be Kyosuke Shigure, a new transferred student who apologizes for getting in their way.
In class, Isato gets in trouble with his teacher Ranpo Fudo after trying to get test answers off of Randy Riggs and has to copy pages from the textbook as homework. Meanwhile, Karin skips class with Shaia and they both encounter Kyosuke being a transfer student. Shaia develops an attraction for him as he develops a silent respect from one of the big school bullies. Meanwhile Karin gets caught for her transgressions when her hologram splits into three of her in her bright pink superhero outfit. Ball Boy covers for Shaia's absence by doing that same thing perfectly. Later, while out on the streets, Kyosuke summons his dog Kubira who becomes a human woman and the two are attacked and shifted to another dimension where their unseen assailant tries to trick Kyosuke with the disguise of his dead sister. It nearly works until he unleashes his rage through the blade of his Divine Sword, revealing a demon in disguise. The pair fight off several enemies and Ohga's voice congratulates Kyosuke on his mental maturity in resisting his sister's disguise. He rewards this with a massive explosion which catches Kyosuke in the blast. Seeing no choice, Kubira takes Kyosuke to Isato's house in order to be taken care of while she investigates Ohga's home base and defensive systems.
Isato and Kyosuke officially meet when he regains consciousness. Kyosuke, who senses the influence of the Kaizer stone on him tells Isato that the stone is a drug, that there is no true power within it to defend him when needed. After Kyosuke goes back to sleep, Isato leaves to have a battle with Kash in order to test his powers. After some playful banter between the two and some fists thrown, they start the "Main Event" each of them transforming into their armored super hero Kaizer forms. Their fight escalates until Ryo and Suzu Asahina appear, their task, per Ohga's orders is to test Isato's psychological maturity level with his physical maturity level, and they force Kaiza into a one-on-one combat when the two merge into a single super Kaizer form. As he is beaten like a rag doll, Karin arrives on the scene to help and is proved to be powerless against the Asahina twins' power. They grab her and threaten to kill her. Isato, finding a deep caring for Karin and intensifying Ryo's belief that the struggle to save one's loved ones is the key to their true power, unleashes a mighty fiery rage which vastly overpowers the twins' form. The twins demorph and Ryo is killed. Suzu swears her vengeance before she is taken away by Ohga. Stricken with grief over his actions, Isato realizes what Kyosuke meant and tries to throw the stone away, Kash stops him and explains to him and Karin (who refuses to leave their side) Kash explains that the power of the Kaizer stone comes from the blood and tears of Ohga, literally as the power of positive energy is being forced out of Ohga's human body they crystallize and become Kaizer stones. Pieces of pure good energy which are a good counter agent to the evil within himself. Isato takes this information and Kash's story in stride and develops a new mission to "Stop Ohga" he insists Karin not follow them to the fight as it is dangerous and she rather depressively agrees. Meanwhile, Suzu is granted a Kaizer stone, at the risk that she will die due to its toll on her body, she agrees and attains what is needed to take her revenge.
Kyosuke and Kubira meet up and find that Ohga's defenses are impenetrable to their simple weapons. When Kyosuke threatens to use all of his power to get into Ohga's residence Kubira stops him, realizing he would push his body to its very limits, and he cannot gain entry to Ohga's lair without using all of his power. Shaia arrives despite a talk between herself and him earlier in the afternoon and insists on helping. Using Ball boy, she strikes the gate, allowing it to open, but injuring herself in the process. Kubira is ordered by Kyosuke to remain behind and care for Shaia as thanks for getting them in. Shaia and Kyosuke's conversation earlier is revealed, where he gave Shaia one of his sister's earrings, and in a hint of attraction he turns away, not before telling her that he does not want her to be involved in his vengeance against his sister's murderer. After she awakens, Kubira leaves her side and runs back to the building that Kyosuke had gone into.
Isato and Kash interrupt a fight that Kyosuke is vastly outnumbered in, and Isato tells Kyosuke that using his advice, Kaiza was able to learn how to utilize his powers without letting them be a drug to him. Kyosuke waves them off and leaves to head up and face Ohga, while the other two suddenly come across Suzu Asahina who transforms into a Kaizer and attacks the two of them. Kash is told to stay out of their fight as he will handle it. He is abruptly knocked unconscious by one of Suzu's blows. A spirit named Necro comes to Kaiza and, upon hearing his determination to save Suzu, she embues his stone with more power, he awakens and stops the continued fight between Kash and Suzu. He becomes human again to face Suzu. After several blows, Isato apologizes for killing Ryo. Suzu's sadness consumes her, her brother's vengeance failed she faints, her powers leaving her. But her stone begins to swell with the power within her and threatens her life. Kash remains behind to try and stabilize the energies in the stone with his own, he sends Kaiza to help Kyosuke face Ohga. Ohga attacks Kyosuke and uses his rage to wear out his strength quickly. As Ohga gains the upper hand, Kubira attacks, striking Ohga several times before he pierces her abdomen with his hand. Kyosuke stabs Ohga with his Divine Sword and kills him by unleashing its power into his back. Kubira lays mortally wounded and confesses that she imagined dying for her master her final and most cherished duty. She dies just before Isato enters the room, and the force welling within Ohga suddenly takes form, pulling Kyosuke into the darkness.
Omni Exist rises, and claims to be the will of all creation. Her power coming from every living being on earth just wanting; even in an after thought, for the world to end. She is the force behind Ohga's existence, and has incredible powers. She suggests to Isato two methods of destroying her; exceed her powers with his own or to persuade all of humanity to completely lose its will to live. Isato opts to exceed her power and transforms. Isato is joined by Kash who transforms into Hellstinger to fight against her. Omni attacks all out, knocking the pair over time and time again as they try to gain the upper hand, but to no avail. As she is about to finish them off, Kaiza jumps up for a fiery punch, which Omni is about to block, when Ohga's spirit grabs her and distracts her long enough to be struck successfully by Kaiza. The pair regroup and see Kyosuke within Omni, weakening her with his power, the pair take this opportunity use their combined full powers to transform into a green hawk and an orange dragon. They intertwine and strike Omni with all their might, causing her to become defeated. She states as she breaks apart "I have not given up, and I have not died. Just a momentary lapse of direction, I shall return anytime you desire... any...time." Before she fades into oblivion.
Isato joins back up with Karin and Shaia (who had gotten into a battle of their own earlier in the evening) as the sunrise comes across the area they meet up in. Kyosuke arrives and is greeted by Shaia who welcomes him back. He answers "Good to be here..." as the two hug. Kash arrives carrying a cured Suzu in his arms as the group looks off into the sunrise, and the movie ends.
Voice cast[]
| Character | Japanese seiyū | English voice actor |
|---|---|---|
| Isato Kaiza / Gowcaizer | Nobuyuki Hiyama | Ted Lewis |
| Kash Gyustan / Hellstinger | Hikaru Midorikawa | Vinnie Penna |
| Hualing Sun / Karin Son | Tomo Sakurai | Apollo Smile |
| Shaia Hishizaki | Yumi Tōma | Debora Rabbai |
| Ball Boy | Yoshiyuki Kono | Marc Garber |
| Kyosuke Shigure | Ryōtarō Okiayu | Joseph Morgan |
| Kubira | Makiko Ōmoto | Tracy Poverstein |
| Ikki Tachibana / Brider | Hideo Ishikawa | Unknown |
| Saburo Ichimonji / Brider 2 | Yoshiyuki Kono | Unknown |
| Ranpou Fudoh / Fudohmaru | Hideyuki Hori | Alex West |
| Randy Riggs / Captain Atlantis | Daisuke Ishikawa | Unknown |
| Ryo Asahina / Platonic Twins | Hideo Ishikawa | Bill Timoney |
| Suzu Asahina / Platonic Twins / Platonic Slave | Yūko Nagashima | Rachael Lillis |
| Shizuru Osaki / Master Ohga | Shō Hayami | K. B. Nau |
| Omni Exist | Ai Orikasa | Rachael Lillis |
| Necrocaizer | Hōko Kuwashima | Unknown |
| Narrator | n/a (not present in Japanese version) | Alex West |
Gallery[]
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