Pachimon Kaiju Showcase: Roboes

By this point, you all know the drill of what a Pachimon Kaiju is, and the story behind these odd bromide cards. However, I’m starting to realize that the term itself (which translates as ‘stolen monster’) might be true even for the original monster designs, and their related artwork.

There was a lot of Japanese picture books made for children during the Golden Age of Japanese Giant Monsters (the 1960’s Kaiju Boom). And a lot of said illustrations could have been re-purposed (borrowed) for these bromide cards.

But then again, maybe I’m just being paranoid here. And last showcase’s Danopura may have made his exclusive debut, in the same Pachimon card which featured him. And that’s my thought process behind today’s subject - the highly unimaginatively named Roboes!

Roboes (also known as Robosu), is probably one of my more favorite characters from these wacky cards.

I would argue that fictional robots are the coolest monsters in all of worldwide fantasy. Especially since they have a greater variety than other monster types, like Zombies, Vampires, or Werewolves, who often must abide to their respective and rigid genre rules.

Make a Zombie that can utter a single word of basic English? Zombie purists and the casual horror fans alike will give you unjust Hell for this one little detail!

But create magical clockwork robots in a fantasy fairy tale kingdom? Or demonic techno-organics (a more extreme take on the cyborg concept) for a grim space adventure? The only real guff you may get will be from the handful of sulking weenies who simply don’t like robots to begin with.

Despite all the ‘Giant Monster vs Giant Robot’ debates you'd find across the internet (First World problems indeed), for someone like myself, its a mute argument. Because there’s giant monsters out there who also happen to be giant robots! The best of both worlds!

And like the aforementioned, these too can come in a wide variety of shapes and story possibilities.

And that’s why I have a certain affinity for Robosu and his jumbo-sized mechanized ilk, because giant robots are almost always better than the regular sized ones.

But even if that wasn't the case, Roboes has a very fun design. Highlighted by an awesome red-coloring scheme, which separates him from the silvers and grays of most other robotic Kaiju.

The retro-pulp feel of Roboes makes it feel like it could exist as an actual creature suit. Or the chosen battle mecha of choice for Ming the Merciless, of “Flash Gordon” fame.

If there is one thing I don’t like about Roboes’ otherwise cool design, is the huge ‘spoon fingers’ on its hands. But that’s a minor complaint, and would still keep them if I could translate the artwork above into physical cosplay (convention costume) form.

Alternate file version of the same Roboes bromide card.

Next Time on the Pachimon Kaiju Showcase: as promised to a fellow Pachimon fan Dr Zock, we'll be discussing the bizarre vampire ace of spades known as Kyuradoros.