Ever heard of the song Sunglasses at Night? This hit song by the Canadian singer/songwriter Corey Hart was released in 1984 and is one of many popular tracks that has a character beyond the stereotypical bright flash and dazzle of the decade of the 1980s. The 1980s also had a darker side that was more subversive, hidden and mysterious. These three qualities are apparent in this song amongst many others, I.e. The Police’s Every Breathe You Take. Sunglasses, or shades are a fashion statement as well as a protective measure for many of us and can often become a distinctive trademark of our identity as well.
As I write mostly about 80s anime the idea of wearing Sunglasses at Night, or during the day, sometimes even indoors!, appealed to me. 80s hit song… can I think of any 80s anime characters that are defined by the wearing of these ocular accessories? Oh yeah for sure… I have twelve listed here and I am sure I have more than likely missed a couple. If you can add any names you will be my hero!
Jonathon Wolfe
Genesis Climber Mospeada / Robotech
Many call you a hero sir, but what secrets are you hiding underneath those shades? Could you possibly be a traitor?
Olson D. Verne
Super Dimension Century Orguss
What you don’t recognize me Kei? I may be a couple years older and wearing these stylish frames, but I am still your old parent in crime.
Bean Bandit
Riding Bean
A fast car, a pretty sidekick, a bulletproof bandana and a pair of sunglasses is all this speedster needs to get the job done.
Quattro Bajenna
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
That helmet and mask from the first Gundam was getting too heavy… better to switch to some sunglasses and let my golden locks run free in the wind.
Master Roshi
Dragon Ball
Shonen fighting anime’s greatest instructor would be nothing without his shades. He may be fashionable with those shirts as well, but often strikes out with the ladies
Louis Ducasse / Louis Nichols
Super Dimension Calvary Southern Cross / Robotech
The 15th Tactical Armored Corps nerdy computer geek wouldn’t be the same without those thick framed specs. Dude how do you see out of those?
Remy Shimada
GoShogun: The Time Étranger
You know what helps in a car chase? Sunglasses… I thought the answer would be another engine and suspension.
Captain Napolipolita
Project A-Ko
Like an overly drunk Captain Harlock, with more colorful clothes and a pair of specs. More wine please… hey have we found the princess yet?
Golgo 13/Duke Togo
The Professional: Golgo 13
Golgo 13… that stone grim look, those finely tailored suits, your nasty smoking habit and that accurate trigger finger look so much better when you add on a pair of aviators.
M.D. Geist
M.D. Geist
Though he is known as the Most Dangerous soldier and for wearing some nasty body armor, he also can look cool in a pair of sunglasses.
B.D.
Megazone 23 (part 1)
Hello Mr. Yahagi, I see you found the Garland. Don’t I look so official and dangerous in these pair of specs.
Madoka Ayukawa
Kimagure Orange Road
A woman of mystery and many talents loves a great pair of sunglasses to compliment her enigmatic personality.
Following up the success of 1982’s Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Big West advertising and Studio Nue would strike out again the following year with Orguss. Retaining much of the staff from the previous year including director Noburo Ishiguro, character designer Haruhiko Mikimoto and music composer Kentaro Haneda to name a few, Orguss would despite similarities adapt to change. Shoji Kawamori did not stay and the services of Tatsunoko, who did the heavy lifting of animating Macross, would be supplanted by Tokyo Movie Shinsha. Thus we have a slightly different product. As a Macross fan I am often jealous of Orguss as TMS in general always has a certain patina that cries quality in terms of line work and color palette. Orguss is for that time (and even now!) an attractive looking show, but what about the bigger issue? What of the story and the characters?
Speaking of characters, let’s start with our protagonist Kei Katsuragi. Fighter pilot, happy go lucky and the biggest ladies man I have ever seen, Kei is a complete 180 from Macross’ Hikaru Ichijo. He eyes all those who are cute to his ocular perceptions, but in the end he is ever faithful to the ones he is truly in love with. The series begins with him in an intimate moment with his girlfriend at the time, quite bold, which is interrupted by her father barging in with a shotgun. Not many times I have seen that to open a piloted robot show. And like Lupin III, he escaped unscathed to be picked up by his best friend and fellow pilot Olson (or is it Orson?). Together they are part of a mission to use the previously mentioned space time oscillation bomb in order to get rid of a space elevator. The mission goes awry, but Kei feels it is only right that the mission
Arriving in a parallel alternative Earth, which at the time he does not know, Kei is thrust 20 years into the future into a world born of his consequences. Here he meets friendly nomadic traders known as the Emaan, who oddly have tentacle like antennae coming out of the back of their heads, the aggressive Chiram, a militaristic society and Jabbi (I’ll let you figure out who he is!). All parties involved have interest in capturing, or obtaining Kei… why? Because he is the chosen one, or in more precise language the singularity (or, differentiated idioblast… what did you call me?) This makes him quite valuable on the market. So what are the issues that the Earth is facing in Orguss? First it is suffering from excessive heating, global warming to the extreme. And second, the mixing of races and landscapes on Earth are appearing from different dimensions due to the explosion of the previously mentioned space time oscillation bomb. Space and time are unstable and guess who is the one who can right these events? A little hint, he’s a womanizer fighter jock who happens to be named Kei! Now I know that name from somewhere? (sarcasm)
Oh Kei, look what you have done! Orguss is an interesting show in that we have a character that has to come to terms with fixing past issues that resonate with the present. Call it karma, fate, or what have you, Orguss is a show that strikes a chord as a mech show for a more mature audience looking for an alternative to the usual space opera of the time. Like Macross, we again have transforming mechs and a heavy romantic subplot which makes Orguss ever more enjoyable. Just be ready for the final climactic moment, as the scene appears to be very open ended, but from my eye brought in an element of the tragic, which really left me surprised… and a little teary eyed.
The Classic Anime Museum 
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