Gravion Zwei

 The next instalment of the letter challenge brings us to the C, as the japanese name is Choujuusin Gravion Zwei, and is the second season of Gravion.

An older mecha series, hailing back to 2004, it's first season was a good story, and now it continues as the Zeravire return.

Earth is building their own superrobot, the Grand Trooper, when the thread re-emerges, but Earth Guld and the Gravion are required never the less to defend Earth.  Grandmaster Sandman returns to lead the outfit, and bring the team back to power with the awakening of the Gravion.

 

But there are secrets to them, and as Earth digs deeper into Gravion, so do they in the past of them.  Sandman apparently is a timetravelling French alchemist from the 17th century, 

 

Of course, the comedy element is still present in this series as well, like when a group of Eiji's classmates come to visit the grand fortress, or a trip to an amisement park.  But once the battle begins in earnest, it is revealed Leele is a Zeravire herself.  Sandman and the team now in turmoil, they have to try and get back on one track, including coming to terms that one of them was actually a spy for the Earth forces.  Leele is Sandman's daughter, whom himself turns out to be an alien, the Zeravire not a race, but the name of his brother who brought destruction to their homeworld.

 

 

But when a Zeravire attacks, it hijacks the main module of Gravion, turning it against the team, and resulting in Eina, who is revealed to be an android, making the ultimate sacrifice to save it.  But it is of little avail, as the Zeravire outfights the remaining members... who are suddenly saved by another mecha appearing.  These are the Earth mecha developped on the plans of Gravion.

The Zeravire try to attack Earth's president, but the Grand Troopers, the mecha of Earth, intercept the attack.  But as their attacks don`t all seem to work, Gravion is needed again.  Sandman comes out of his self-impossed isolation after the previous events, as Raven reveals his secret to him.  The team starts reforming, including the return of Mizuki who brings along the president forcefully.

 

But a second Gravion appears, controlled by a mysterious helmeted pilot.   This is the Grand Sigma, the machine Sandman piloted himself on his homeworld, piloted by... Eina.  But she is just there to deliver the suit to battle, as it is Eiji who is destined to pilot the mecha.

As Klein's brother begins his offence, Sandman unleashes all his own powers, launching the castle into outer space as it transforms into a large ship, as the new Knight's vessels combine into a stronger version of Gravion then before.  With the fate of Earth now on the line, the team takes the offensive including Klein himself taking the Sygma, entering the enemies base and defeating the evil brother, saving Earth.

Certainly, it has some genre cliche issues, but to be honest the reason I personally thought this season far inferior to the first is that the first half is almost all filler episodes or side stories.  It takes until episode 7 before the threat to Earth becomes real and character depthening begins as the stories look into their pasts.