Abstract
UFO Robo Grendizer, a Japanese anime character produced in 1975, was immensely popular in Arab countries. Adapted into Arabic in Lebanon as it was enduring a devastating civil war, the program was broadcasted in 1979, then during the 1980s across many Arab audiences (mainly Syria, Jordan, Egypt and the Gulf). The cartoon’s narrative of alien invasion and heroic resistance, using cutting-edge technology in the form of Grendizer the super-robot, mirrored the harsh reality of war and occupation that so many Arab populations endured during the same period. This paper aims at uncovering why Grendizer struck such a profound echo in the minds and hearts of the generation of children who found in the character a super hero figure as an escape route to their world’s problems. It will also address the impact of this Japanese cultural reference onto Arabic audiences and highlight how the cartoon came to be domesticated for an Arab context, thus leaving its original universe and encompass the mindset, reflections and expectations of many Arab generations.
References
ABBAS, FAYSAL (2005), “Jihad El Atrash removes the Grendizer mask after 30 years of his dubbing work on the Anime Cartoon” [in Arabic], Ash Sharq Al Awsat, 13 February 2005, available at https://archive.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=24&article=282690&issueno=9574 (accessed 15 May 2019).
ADNAN, AHMAD (2015), “40 years old Grendizer is not just a cartoon” [in Arabic], Al Arab, 12 July 2015, available at https://alarab.co.uk/ غرندايز ر-ف ي-عام ه-الأربعي ن-لي س-مجر د-تسلي ة (accessed 18 May 2019).
AL ARABIYA TV (2017), Interview with Jihad El Atrash, “Sabah El Arabiya” show, 11 May 2017, available at https://youtu.be/rnCbTtgR_zU (accessed 15 April 2019)
AL KOUT TV (2016), Interview with Jihad El Atrash, “Salam Ya Kuwait” show, March 2016, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4kEB0UERgo&list=WL&index=18 (accessed 5 May 2019).
ALAMEDDINE, RABIH (2008), The Hakawati. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Publishing.
ALE MONTOSI BLOG (2016), “UFO Robot Grendizer and Arabic Street Art: Interview with Ashekman”, 24 December 2016, available at https://alemontosi.blogspot.com/2016/12/ufo-robot-grendizer-and-arabic-street.html (accessed 25 April 2019).
ARABIAN NAITO: SHINDOBATTO NO BŌKEN [‘Arabian Nights, Sindbad Adventures’] (1975), directed by Fumio Kurokawa, produced by Nippon Animation, 52 episodes, Japan.
ASHEKMAN (2016), Facebook page, post on 20 December 2016, available at Facebook.com/ASHEKMAN/photos/a.10150381636065360/10158024484940360/?type=3&theater (accessed 25 April 2019).
ASHEKMAN (2017), Facebook Page, “Operation Salam” post, available at Facebook.com/ASHEKMAN/videos/10159606350510360 (accessed 26 April 2019).
ASHEKMAN (2018), Facebook page, post on 5 September 2018, available at Facebook.com/ASHEKMAN/photos/a.10150381636065360/10160944552825360/?type=3 (accessed 25 April 2020).
ASHEKMAN (2019), Facebook page, “LeoDizer” post, 26 August 2019, available at Facebook.com/ASHEKMAN/photos/a.10150381636065360/10162335983740360/?type=3&theater (accessed 2 September 2019).
AS SABAH NEWSPAPER (2013), “Jihad El Atrash: Grendizer represented the Struggle of the Arab People against Colonialism and Aggression” [in Arabic], 10 October 2013, available at Alsabahpress.com/entertainment/2013-10-10/14976 (accessed 18 August 2019).
BARTHE, BENJAMIN (2018), “La Nakba, ‘catastrophe’ en arabe, un concept forgé il y a 70 ans”, Le Monde, 15 May 2018, available at Lemonde.fr/proche-orient/article/2018/05/15/il-y-a-soixante-dix-ans-l-invention-dela-nakba_5298947_3218.html (accessed 20 August 2019).
BECHARA, SOUHA (2003), Resistance, my life for Lebanon. New York: Soft Skull Press.
BEN RAHMOUN, ABDEL HAQ (2015), “Sammy Clark, genius singer of Grendizer speaks with Az Zaman” [in Arabic], Az Zaman, 19 December 2015, available at Maghress.com/alittihad/1228315 (accessed 15 May 2019).
CBC EGYPT (2018), Sahib El Saada [You Excellency] show, 24 July 2018, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opw6mzO4t7Y&list=WL&index=53&t=0s (accessed 15 March 2019)
CHARBEL, JANO (2010), “No Go Nagai”, Egypt Independent, 22 April 2010, available at https://egyptindependent.com/nogo-nagi/ (accessed 11 October 2020).
CINERAMA IFILM (2011), “Interview with Jihad El Atrash”, 9 July 2011, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XZfGtWPQ1U (accessed 5 May 2019).
CNN (2017), How graffiti artists turned former warring areas into a giant artwork for peace, 24 November 2017, available at http://edition.cnn.com/style/article/peace-graffiti-lebanon-operation-salam/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0SiC8lgW_3KOR-_TxDUGcEtjjq-Vd8C5m23rjLFOllOQxIIUyl-tq1YFQ (accessed 26 April 2019).
CYPEL, SYLVAIN (2017), “Juin 1967, une guerre de six jours qui n’en finit pas”, Orient XXI, 24 May 2017, available at https://orientxxi.info/dossiers/juin-1967-une-guerre-de-six-jours-qui-n-en-finit-pas,1873 (accessed 20 August 2019).
DAILY MAIL (2017), “Art brings ‘peace’ to battle-scarred Lebanon districts”, 21 October 2017, available at Dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-5003049/Art-brings-peace-battle-scarred-Lebanondistricts. html?fbclid=IwAR3UrKnAaQ9htBad0FSpqsd7Pij91k6ZxRigGAp2Kt2RMWb7ii6DpqeJaSw (accessed 26 April 2019).
DAILY NEWS EGYPT (2009), “Go Nagai, Drawn to Cairo”, 15 October 2009, available at https://dailynewsegypt.com/2009/10/15/go-nagai-drawn-to-cairo (accessed 11 October 2020).
EGYPT TODAY (2009), “Full Interview: Go Nagai”, 18 December 2009, available at http://reggiocomics.blogspot.com/2009/12/full-interview-go-nagai.html (accessed 31 July 2016).
ENCYCLOPEDIA.COM (2020), “Radio and Television: Arab Countries, Origins and development of radio and television broadcasting in the Arab world”, 30 September 2020, available at Encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/radio-and-televisionarab- countries (accessed 10 October 2020).
ERHAD CHANNEL (2017), “Interview with Omar Chammah”, Ten minutes with a celebrity, 14 April 2017, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=4CepTzCwzrs&list=WL&index=57 (accessed 12 August 2019).
FUTURE TV (2018a), Interview with Wiam El Seaidi , Bala Toul Siret show with Zaven Kouyoumdjian, 3 November 2018, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=wlx0QTeKnrE (accessed 15 May 2019).
FUTURE TV (2018b), Interview with Jihad El Atrash, Bala Toul Siret show with Zaven Kouyoumdjian, 3 November 2018, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=G2guqknfLyM&list=WL&index=95 (accessed 15 May 2019).
FUTURE TV (2018c), Interview with Sammy Clark, Bala Toul Siret show with Zaven Kouyoumdjian, 3 November 2018, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=8l4CJIA9LOU&list=WL&index=104&t=470s (accessed 15 May 2019).
INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE (2013), Lebanon’s Legacy of Political Violence. A Mapping of Serious Violations of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in Lebanon, 1975–2008, available at Ictj.org/publication/lebanon-legacy-political-violence (accessed 1st September 2019).
JAZIRAT AL KANZ [‘Treasure Island’] (1983), directed by Wiam El Seaidy, produced by Nicolas Abu Samah, 26 episodes, Lebanon.
KAIZULAND (2012), Interview with Jihad El Atrash, Arab Forum Anime Manga, 5 September 2012, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=SkOgVGD_L_8&index=19&list=WL (accessed 18 May 2019).
KASSIR, SAMIR (1994), La guerre du Liban. De la dissension nationale au conflit régional. Paris: Karthala.
KHALAF, COLETTE (2017), “Parce que Clark rime avec Goldorak…”, L’Orient-Le Jour, 12 May 2017, available at Lorientlejour.com/article/1051324/parce-que-clark-rime-avec-goldorak.html (accessed 11 October 2020).
KHODER, PATRICIA (2020), “Marie Badine, pionnière du dessin animé en langue arabe”, L’Orient-Le Jour, 16 May 2020, available at Lorientlejour.com/article/1218262/marie-badine-pionniere-du-dessin-anime-en-languearabe. html (accessed 10 October 2020).
LUTZ, MERIS (2009), “Lebanon: Alien robot invades Beirut for groundbreaking Arab animation fest”, Los Angeles Times, 16 November 2009, available at https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/babylonbeyond/2009/11/lebanonbeirut-gets-animated-with-new-film-festival.html (accessed 20 April 2019).
MORRIS, BENNY (1994), 1948 and After: Israel and the Palestinians. Oxford: Clarendon.
MOUGHAMARAT SINDBAD [‘Arabian Nights, Sindbad Adventures’] (1976), adapted into Arabic by Nicolas Abu Samah, 52 episodes, Lebanon.
MTV LEBANON (2016), Interview with Jihad El Atrash, Wall of Fame show, 31 January 2016, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=dGPx5U73zpU&t=1057s (accessed 15 April 2019).
NORTON, AUGUSTUS RICHARD (2007), Hezbollah, a Short History, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
NUSEIBAH, MUNIR (2017), “The Second Nakba: Displacement of Palestinians in and after the 1967 Occupation”, Orient XXI, 1st June 2017, available at https://orientxxi.info/magazine/the-second-nakba-displacement-ofpalestinians- in-and-after-the-1967-occupation,1875 (accessed 20 August 2019).
PELLITTERI, MARCO (2009), “Nippon ex Machina: Japanese Postwar Identity in Robot Anime and the Case of UFO Robo Grendizer”. Mechademia Second Arc, 4(1), pp. 275-88.
PELLITTERI, MARCO (2018), Mazinga Nostalgia. Storia, valori e linguaggi della Goldrake-generation dal 1978 al nuovo secolo (‘Mazinger Nostalgia: History, values, and languages of the Grendizer-generation from 1978 to the new century’), 2 vols. Latina: Tunué (1st edition: Rome: Castelvecchi, 1999).
PELLITTERI, MARCO — GIACOMANTONIO, FRANCESCO, (2017), Shooting Star. Sociologia mediatica e filosofia politica di Atlas UFO Robot (‘Shooting Star: Media philosophy and political philosophy of UFO Robo Grendizer’). Rome: Fondazione Mario Luzi Edizioni.
PICARD, ELIZABETH (1988), Liban : État de discorde, des fondations aux guerres fratricides. Paris : Flammarion.
REDDIT (2018), “Very large list of cartoons in Arabic (MSA)”, available at Reddit.com/r/learn_arabic/comments/8za9gx/very_large_list_of_cartoons_in_arabic_msa/ (accessed 13 October 2020).
SAAD-GHORAYEB, AMAL (2002), Hizbu'llah: Politics and Religion, London: Pluto.
SAUDI TELEVISION CULTURAL CHANNEL (2015), Interview with Jihad El Atrash, 1st January 2015, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=x3DSzeeJlBo&list=WL&index=21 (accessed 12 April 2019).
SOULY, ALI (2018). “Grendizer accompanied many generations and took hold of their memories… but it failed in its Japanese version” [in Arabic], Al Fan, 9 July 2018, available at Elfann.com/news/show/1217561/غرندايز ر-راف ق-أجيا لا-عديد ة-واحت ل-ذاكرته ا-إ لا-أن ه- ف (accessed 15 March 2019).
STREEARTNEWS.COM (2016), “Ashekman in Kuwait city”, 3 October 2016, available at https://streetartnews.net/2016/10/ashekman-in-kuwait-city.html (accessed 25 April 2019).
TAHHAN, ZENA (2018), “The Naksa: How Israel occupied the whole of Palestine in 1967”, Al Jazeera, 4 June 2018, available at Aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/06/50-years-israeli-occupation-longest-modern-history-170604111317533.html (Accessed 21 August 2019).
TAKARAJIMA [‘Treasure Island’] (1978), directed by Osamu Dezaki, produced by Tms Entertainment and Madhouse, 26 episodes, Japan.
TASHKANDI, HALA (2019), “How Japanese Anime ‘Grendizer’ galvanized the Arab world”, ArabNews, 26 October 2019, available at Arabnews.com/node/1574326/saudi-arabia (accessed 11 October 2020).
THE SMURFS (1981), created by Peyo, produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions, 256 episodes, United States.
TRUE GAMING (2012a), “Interview with Jihad El Atrash”, 21 April 2012, available at Youtube.com/watch?v=SITcPePSoKg&index=20&list=WL (accessed 18 May 2019). True Gaming (2012b), “Erection of a statue of Grendizer in Bagdad”, 5 November 2012, available at Truegaming. net/home/108480 (accessed 13 October 2020).
UFO, MOUGHAMARAT AL FADA’ [‘UFO: Space Adventures’] (1978), adapted into Arabic by Arts Federation, Télé Liban, 74 episodes, Lebanon.
UFO ROBO GRENDIZER (1975), produced by Tōei Dōga, directed by Tomoharu Katsumata, 74 episodes, Japan.
WARSHEH (2014), Facebook page, “Grendizer Poster” post, available at Facebook.com/watch/?v=683665741682762 (accessed 27 April 2019).
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2020 Karim EL MUFTI