Givas

Givas (ギヴァス, Givasu)^[1][2][3] is a giant robot who first appeared in the eleventh episode of Ultraman Arc.

Subtitle: Mechanical Colossus (機械巨像, Kikai Kyozō)^[1][2]

Conception

Etymology

In Ultraman Arc, the name "Givas" is theorized to originate from the language of a lunar-dependent civilization with no suns, and supposedly means "that which obstructs a path", with the initial interpretation being "enemy", framing Givas as a planetary invasion weapon.

Following an analysis conducted through the translation system provided by Alien Croco, the multifaceted meanings of the term "Givas" were further revealed. In specific contexts, particularly when the "moon" rises, the meaning of "Givas" takes on an entirely opposite significance, symbolizing the concept of a "friend." This peculiar linguistic phenomenon also applies on other planets, so long as they have a moon, as Givas was able to understand Yuma's pleas in spite of the language barrier between them when he pointed at Earth's moon, causing the robot to look at it.

Design

Givas was designed by Shoma Muto, and is the second robot character he had designed for Ultraman Arc, with the first being YouPi.^[4]

According to Muto, during the initial design meeting, there was a proposal to incorporate a transformation mechanism similar to King Joe STORAGE Custom. Even the toy development team participated in the discussion. One idea brought up was a simple transformation mechanism involving the upper body rotating. By changing the color on the back, rotating the body front-to-back would give the impression of a form change. Since soft vinyl figures are typically split at the abdomen, this mechanism could be implemented with vinyl toys, without needing to rely on the more complex DX toy line. Director Masayoshi Takesue supported the idea, and it was ultimately adopted.^[5]

Based on the story details shared by Takesue, Muto aimed to design Givas in a way that would appeal both to adult fans and to children who might want the toy. To avoid interfering with the sandy color scheme, purple was chosen as the secondary color. Recalling how some color details were reduced when Nijikagachi was commercialized in Ultraman Blazar, this time they simplified the color palette from the start.^[5]

One notable feature is the face on Givas's back, which contrasts with the front. Since the light-emitting sections on the front face point forward, the back face was designed with horizontal elements. This design was inspired by Eastern folklore monsters. The screw-fixed mouth area was a later addition, included at the request of director Takesue.^[5]

Among all the proposed gimmicks, the chest string-pull mechanism was the one that remained in the final design. When pulled and released, it would snap back with a "pop" sound. This was an idea strongly promoted by Takesue, though it was ultimately not used in the DX toy and thus never realized in merchandise. Additionally, since there's a scene in the show where Yuma stands atop Givas's chest, Takeuchi specifically requested that the chest have enough space for that shot. The slightly protruding chest was designed to accommodate this.^[5]

History

Pre-Ultraman Arc

Givas is a giant robot that was manufactured on Planet Meguma, located in the Champieme Galaxy, the same galaxy as the one the home planet of the Alien Croco is located in. This planet is renowned for its extremely advanced scientific technology built by the Alien Meguma (メグマ星人, Meguma Seijin)^[6].

In the past, the Meguma civilisation flourished due to the energy provided by the Holy Moon known as Mujari (ムジャーリ, Mujāri), which guided its society towards a path of proper development. Using the power of Mujari, the Meguma were able to explore the galaxy with ease using giant space ships.

However, disaster struck when Mujari's energy began to wane, placing the Meguma civilisation on a path towards collapse, as well as the eventual extinction of the species as a whole. In search of a second Mujari, one Alien Meguma embarked on a journey through space, piloting Givas, a robot capable of withstanding the harsh conditions of the universe. Over the following centuries, Alien Meguma and Givas traveled through space, but ultimately, the civilisation on Planet Meguma collapsed and the species went extinct, leaving Alien Meguma, devoid of purpose, as the sole survivor of his kind.

With the extinction of his species, Alien Meguma resolved to continue the journey in an attempt to leave evidence of their existence, but he too was aware of his own mortality, and was near the end of his many centuries-long lifespan. Despite not fearing death himself, Alien Meguma was deeply concerned about Givas being left alone. Should Givas learn of his demise, it might cease all operations, becoming a "coffin" adrift in the universe. Therefore, Alien Meguma chose to conceal his death, hoping that Givas would encounter a kind friend in the future who could guide him on the right path. Before his passing, Alien Meguma gave Givas the directive: "Does this planet have my Givas? I am here to be your Givas."

Ultraman Arc

Due to the detection of a powerful force coming from Earth, Givas was drawn to and traveled to the planet.

Appearing from a mysterious wormhole, a colossal machine descended into Hoshimoto City during the battle between Ultraman Arc and Oka-Gubila. The giant robot began uttering a sequence of words in an unknown language over and over again. Facing Arc and Oka-Gubila, the machine reached an arm out to the two giants, its intentions unknown. Agitated by the noise, Oka-Gubila made the first move and charged in with its drill, but the robot ran its replication program and countered with an energy-based reproduction of the Kaiju's drill attack. Arc attempted to stop the mechanical colossus on his own, but the robot rotated on its waist into a fearsome configuration and launched its gigantic grappling claw towards the Ultra, who found himself helpless as he was dragged around the city blocks. Somehow managing to escape its hold, Arc threw the Exa Slash at the robot, who staggered for a bit before reverting back to its original form, producing an exact replica of the energy slash to gravely wound the hero.

As day turned to dusk, Oka-Gubila got back on its feet and once again charged toward the giant robot, which responded in kind. However, siblings Yumi and Dai found themselves caught between the two behemoths. Just as the situation seemed dire, the robot stepped forward to halt the Kaiju's advance, seemingly protecting them. Exhausted, Oka-Gubila retreated underground, and the robot turned to face the children before entering a low-power sleep mode. Codenamed "Givas" after a phrase discerned from its melody, the SKIP attempted to decipher the repeating tune to determine if it held a means of communication. They managed to translate most of it, except for the word "Givas." With help from YouPi, Rin deduced that Givas originated from a civilization on a planet that didn't orbit a star, causing its people to have a unique language structure. Using this information, they uncovered the shocking meaning of "Givas": "that which obstructs a path," or in other words, an "enemy." Based on intel gathered from Shu Ishido, the GDF concluded that Givas was a weapon intended for invasion and began preparing countermeasures against it. ^Message

The following day, Givas remained in low-power sleep mode, continuously emitting a mysterious green glow, seemingly in search of something. With the assistance of Alien Croco, SKIP obtained background information about Givas. They began further analysis of the meaning of "Givas" using a translation device.

During this process, Rin successfully deciphered the enigmatic sounds emitted by Givas. Among the translations were phrases such as, "Planet Meguma is heading toward ruin. The Giving Moon is gone… we require a new moon." Meanwhile, analysis by Youpi revealed that the information transmission circuits were concentrated at the base of Givas's neck, with the cockpit located in that area. Yuma resolved to head for the cockpit, but at that moment, the GDF announced their intention to initiate a destruction operation against Givas at 18:00, leaving little time remaining.

In an effort to establish contact with the Alien Meguma, Yuma decided to breach the surveillance perimeter set to monitor Givas and began his ascent. However, Givas detected Yuma's presence and attempted to drive him away. Despite nearly falling, Yuma persevered and ultimately succeeded in reaching the cockpit and opening the hatch. However, he discovered that the Alien Meguma had long since perished during their extended journey through space. Even in the absence of its master, Givas continued to act in accordance with its creator's will. At the moment Yuma touched it, the mummy of Alien Meguma disintegrated.

As Oka-Gubila emerged from the ground, Yuma was caught in the resulting disturbance and fell into Givas's cockpit. The helmet mechanism automatically affixed itself to his head, allowing him to hear the voice of the Meguma alien, which revealed the truth about the destruction of Planet Meguma and the journey undertaken by the Meguma aliens and Givas to leave a mark of their existence in the universe. The alien had chosen to conceal its death to allow Givas to continue its journey. Rin continued to analyze the language and eventually uncovered the true meaning of "Givas," which could be interpreted as "enemy," but when the moon rises, it has an entirely opposite connotation—representing "friend."

Despite learning the truth, Yuma attempted to stop Givas, who remained unresponsive. This was because Yuma was not recognized as Givas's master, which caused Givas to become increasingly agitated, and the machine repeatedly demanded that Yuma leave it alone. To make matters worse, Oka-Gubila resurfaced from underground, intent on attacking the machine again. In response, Yuma transformed once more into Ultraman Arc to intervene in the fierce battle between Givas and Oka-Gubila. To avoid unnecessary conflict, Arc found himself in a precarious situation after enduring multiple powerful attacks. Ultimately, he resolutely stood in front of Oka-Gubila to protect it and immediately reverted back to his original form as Yuma.

Yuma declared to Givas, "I am your friend... I have come to be your friend! I am your Givas!" Givas halted its attack and agreed to engage in dialogue. Yuma informed Givas of Earth's Moon and urged Givas to leave Earth, as the GDF would soon launch an assault. Givas ultimately complied with his request and, under Yuma's watchful gaze, set off alone toward the Moon. ^{You Are Givas}

Later, after analyzing the green light emitted by Givas, the GDF confirmed that the green rays were a response to the high energy of "Onyx" present in Hoshimoto City. According to Nibuya from the GDF, Givas perceived the energy of "Onyx" as a second "Mujari," which ultimately drew him to Earth. ^{Flash of the Past}

When Aoi Shiba recognised that King of Mons, who she had summoned using the Red Sphere, was going to kill Arc, she pleaded for someone to save him. Her pleas reached the Moon and were heard by Givas, who immediately flew back to Earth to assist Arc. Though he suffered structural damage during the fight, Givas was able to help Arc regain the upper hand, and held King of Mons steady so Arc could destroy the monster using his Galaxer Finalize. ^{The Dream Bird}

Alongside Shagong, Leodo, Livyjira, Digelos and Zadime, Givas was conjured in a dream created by Guilebaku in an effort to convince Yuma that everything he had experienced for the past 16 years was just a dream. ^{The Descending Dream}

Trivia

• Actors:
  • Suit: Satoru Okabe
  • Voice: Yuki Hoshi^[7], Rawly Pickens (English dub)
• Alien Meguma: Shunichi Maki (voice)^[8], Bill Jenkins (English dub)
  • The name Alien Meguma is believed to be derived from the Japanese word for blessing (恵み, megumi).
  • Alien Meguma is created from a modified Pega suit.

Data

Merchandise

Ultra Monster Advance

• Givas (2024)
  • Release Date: September 21, 2024
  • Price: 2500 yen
  • JAN/ISBN: 4570118242549
  • Materials: PVC

Ultra Monster Advance Givas is a soft vinyl figure that has articulation at its arms, waist, and grappling hooks, allowing for the re-enactment of its transformation between its standard form and Grapple Mode.

Gallery

Ultraman Arc

Miscellaneous

References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} https://m-78.jp/character/blazar-11-2/
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/arc/icx53
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} https://tsuburaya-prod.com/encyclopedia/givas
4. ↑ https://x.com/shoma_muto/status/1837288131164586294
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3} Figure King No.325, pg 56-57
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3} https://cocreco.kodansha.co.jp/telemaga/news/feature/arc/yl8ku
7. ↑ https://x.com/y_hoshi1213/status/1837300498220654922
8. ↑ https://x.com/MAKI_MEKI_MAKI/status/1839834723146969429
9. ↑ https://www.ultramanconnection.com/news/shus-diary-entry-11/