Johnny Sokko!

One of my brothers used to be obsessed with Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot, which premiered as Giant Robo in Japan back in the ‘60s.

I assume that the series was a touch more coherent in its original Japanese, but the English dub is hilariously offbeat. Pair that with cheap effects and goofy monsters and you have the makings of THE BEST THING EVER.

Love love love this ridiculous show. Every episode features a new monster for this big ass robot to kill, and there’s even an octopus version of Cobra Commander leading the bad guys. (Complete with a Destro stand-in as his second-in-command — an extra impressive feat when you remember that neither character had been invented yet.)

I think this point might sum up the show best: There’s this one random villain with sunglasses and a beard. He’s just sort of a background soldier. He dies at least five times during the series.

Here are a few random episodes of the show. Totally worth your time.

Enjoy!