Anime / Gaist Crusher

Gaist Gear On!

The story takes place 20 Minutes into the Future. A new crystalline energy source has been discovered, but with it comes a breed of rampaging monsters: The Gaist. By using the materials that the crystals are made of, the government has developed Powered Armor that allows people to stand a fighting chance against these monstrosities. These soldiers have aptly been named Gaist Crushers.

Enter Recka. He's an average middle schooler who definitely would love to become a Gaist Crusher, but isn't qualified to take the exam. However, he happens to be in the right place at the right time during a Gaist attack, and is forced to don the Gaist Crusher armor in order to defend his friends. While he does return the armor, the Gaist Crusher Garrison, or GCG, the organization in charge of the Gaist Crushers, quickly recruits him to become a full fledged Gaist Crusher.

An anime by Studio Pierrot began airing in the Fall 2013 anime season, written by Reiko Yoshida, better known as the person who was the head writer of Digimon Adventure.

An action RPG of the same name was later released in December 5, 2013, along with merchandise, some of which are 'Gai-metal' that can be used in the game.

Two manga series were released: the main adaptation of the anime, and Gaist Crusher First, a prequel to the main story that focuses on Rock Volcan's earlier years.

A sequel, called Gaist Crusher God was announced and was released on September 4, 2014. You can see the trailer here.

Has an official wiki here!

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TROPES, GAIST ON!:

• Artistic License – Geology: Gaimetal is said to be mined 50km underground. The actual thickness of the Earth's crust is less than a fifth of that on average.
• Awesome, but Impractical: The Gaist Gear's Extreme Form, in which Gaist Crushers will be transformed into the Gaist version of their respective Gaist Gear, whilst straining the user's body (such as Recka's Flame Fenrir Gear turned him into a gigantic wolf). Doubles as Painful Transformation.
• Adaptive Armor: The Gaist Gear can enhanced the user's physical strength, as well capable of turning into a weapon, and if it reaches a certain limit can turn its user into a Gaist.
• All There in the Manual: The official Twitter account often reveals concept art, facts on the characters, and even some fanart from the fans.
• Autobots, Rock Out!: The two opening songs, as both songs are sang by Hiroshi Kitadani (the same dude who sing the first opening of One Piece).
• Badass Normal: Rekka Shirogane and the Gaist Crushers are this by default, but they are capable of feats no human can accomplish, especially Rekka, who can lift Ayakashi Nine-Tail's foot without his Gaist Gear. Becomes Empowered Badass Normal when equip with Gaist Gear.
• Badass Adorable: Sango Sakura and Kohaku Kongoji, thus in the latter's case, she was insulted about her A-Cup Angst status.
• BFG: All of Gaist Gear with the Cannon or Double Pistol type.
• BFS: Any Gaist Gear with any of four type with the whole Blade category,with the exception of the Gauntlet type.
• Body Horror: One of the horrible effects of being covered in Gaimetal, as usually seen whenever the Gaist Crushers engage in Extreme Form and in episode 47, we were demonstrated with the fact what effects would an unpurified Gaimetal can do in a human body!

• Color-Coded for Your Convenience: All of the Gaist Crushers have a specific Chromatic Arrangement.
• Color-Coded Characters: Few of the characters, particularly the main cast, are these. The main teens, however, has clothing and aura to matches their respective personality and role in the series overall.
  • Rekka: Red
  • Sango: Magenta Red/Pink
  • Hayato: Green
  • Kohaku: Yellowish Brown
  • Kurama: Brown/Yellow
  • Midori: Light Blue
  • Siren: Blue/Navy Blue
  • Izuna: Purple/Black
  • Rin: White/Cyan
• Creature-Hunter Organization: The Gaist Crusher Garrison,or GCG, the only organization with access to the way to defeat the Gaist, and also Rekka and co.'s base of operation. The GCG can provide Gaist Crushers with the right Gaimetal needed for the mission.
• Curbstomp Battle:
  • Given the battles between Gaist Crushers and Gaists, its actually justified.
  • The Ayakashi Nine-Tail does this for Rekka, only to have a Heroic Second Wind save him from being crushed all together.
• Dangerous Forbidden Technique / Deadly Upgrade: Extreme Form, which is hard to control and can turn the user into Gaist.
• Evil Wears Black:
  • Izuna Kokuyou, who wears the Lightning Dragoon Gaist Gear.
  • Also Cypher, when he appeared in front of Omega/Professor Dosmea
• Expy: Hehe...this will take a while to list down.
  • Rekka, Sango, Hayato, and Izuna were living Expy of the characters from Mega Man Battle Network and Megaman Star Force.
    • Rekka has the same heroic tendency and attitude as Lan/Netto, as well as having Buds' large appetite.
    • Sango, on the other hand, is obviously a Maylu Sakurai Expy (not to mention the fact that they almost share the same surname), with Sonia Strumm's color scheme.
    • Hayato is actually Chaud Blaze, with aquamarine blue hair, just like Ace.
    • Izuna is a living shout-out to Solo, complete with Villainous Breakdown, as well as many white-haired villain.
  • Kohaku (who looks like a mix of typical Pretty Cure characters, and even voiced by Asami Tano, who voiced Akane Hino) and Kurama (who shares a name with a certain nine-tailed beast from Naruto).
• Determinator: Played straight with Recka. Basically, a major requirement for Gaist Crushers.
• Groin Attack: Recka is on the receiving end 3 times in episode 39.
• Idiot Hair:
  • Kurama's hairstyle is a wavy,but spiky hair.
  • Rekka himself has the most ridiculous hair in the series so far. I mean,look at him◊
• Idiot Hero: Recka, specifically in the academic sense. His family is astonished when they find him diligently studying the information most Gaist Crushers are taught in training.
• Irony: Rekka and the other Gaist Crushers are the only ones who can battle Gaist, and yet, are capable of becoming Gaist themselves.
• It Began with a Twist of Fate: Recka being in the right place at the right time.
• Kid Hero: Recca, all of the most powerful Crushers, and most of the GCG staff. No explanation for this has been given.
• Luminescent Blush: Sango Sakura has these, especially when near Recka.
• Meaningful Name:
  • A LOT of the characters and Gaist in both media has meaningful names. Take Recka Shirogane for example. When translated, it was "Silver Inferno", hence his Gaist Art (while in his Flame Fenrir Gaist Gear), Super Explosive Flaming Blow Bullet. In fact, in episode 2, Recka find out that he and Sango were in the same age, which is 13, and even goes as to lampshade that his surname suffice the number 13.
  • Another case, from some of the Gaist Art (from the game), such as Hayato's "Secret Technique: Whirlwind Palm of Gold" (which in Japanese means 奥義・黄金旋風掌), which makes sense since it was Hayato's element.
• Merchandise-Driven: This anime exists to promote the 3DS game of the same name and a few related merchandise.
• Mood Whiplash: The anime has some, and how!
  • Episode 29 in a much more literal way possible! At one scene, the guys can be seen fighting a Gaist in the desert, then we're treated with a Beach Episode scene with the girls, Volcan, and Recka.
• Mythology Gag: This isn't the first time Capcom turned a Megaman Expy game into an anime.
  • Episode 19 has Rekka comment about Mangan's "cloning technique", which Kurama berates him about it.
    Rekka: "It's a cloning technique! (to Kurama) Counter it, Kurama!"
    Kurama: (insulted) "A Shindou like me can't do that!"
  • Definitely not the first time Pierrot makes a character who uses ninjutsu in battle.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Rekka's eyes turns fiery whenever he is fired up!
• Running Gag: Has a few throughout the show,and that includes Comically Missing the Point, Funny Background Event, and Breaking the Fourth Wall moments!
  • Recca is almost always useless in battle until his sister Rin drops off some of his father's curry, at which point he gets a power up and starts actually being worth something in battle.
  • Volcan Rock's Delayed Reaction and temporary Heroic BSoD also counts.
  • Everytime Rin Shirogane has another one of those Glowing Eyes of Doom. Even Volcan Rock couldn't get away with it.
  • Rekka being on the receiving end of the many of the show's slapstick.
• Ship Tease: LOTS of Rekka-and-Sango teases all over the place. Even Kurama and Midori has one! as of episode 36, we have Volcan-and-Liminella!
• Shout-Out: There are a lot of GaoGaiGar references, but subtle ones.
• Stock Footage: There are four types of it:"Gaist On!", "Weapon Form", "Gaist Art" and "Extreme Form". Recka's has three "Gaist On!" sequences (for the Fenrir Gaist Gear, no less), unlike most of his peers who only get at least two!
• Spoiler Opening: The first opening shamelessly introduced Izuna despite they appear later in the show.

• Transformation Trinket: The GCG's Gaist Phone can be this, if a purified Gaimetal was clipped in it.
• Verbal Tic: Hayato usually uses "Golden" as an adjective.