The Cult Classic Guyferd Revisited

Are some shows really BUDGETED not to last for a year? It seems to be that the answer is yes for some shows. Toho and Capcom both had a late 90s cult classic known as Shichisei Toshin Guyferd or translated as Seven Star Fighting God Guyferd. The series only lasted for 26 episodes. This reminds me that also Toei Ltd. also had some shows that are considered rushed such as Dengekitai JAKQ (which was rushed), Kamen Rider Amazon (which I heard was due to its more mature content as laughable as it gets), Chojinki Metalder (which is the darkest Metal Hero series to date), and there are some shows that were somehow meant to last for a short time. Guyferd seems to be one of them.

I remembered reading from the Questor magazines back in the 2000s that it's based on Bio Booster Armor Guyver and Fist of the North Star. Those who've seen it back then may notice the TRAGEDY behind it. Yes, spoilers alert, it doesn't have a happy ending like how Metalder ended with the death of its hero to save the world. Is it possible that Toho and Capcom wanted to create a heroic tragedy of more mature proportions for an older audience? If so, it's possible that 26 episodes were already planned from beginning to end. The heroes portray their struggle against Crown's master plan to revive the Gaia Net. Zodiac plans to get all three artifacts to get the plan ongoing.

I guess the show was meant to shadow tragedy with how depressing the mood is. I the end, spoilers alert, both the heroes Guyferd and Darkferd sacrifice their lives for the planet. It may remind some people of the sacrifice Metalder made to save the world from erupting. However, in spite of the bad ending, it was a well-written bad ending. It's what a real hero would do - their lives aren't as important as others. Guyferd and Darkferd both ended their lives to save the world. They had a lot of hopes and dreams and they dashed it all to save those of others. We can even see a scene of them ascending to Heaven signifying their deaths. 

For me, I think about how I tend to dump a show when it gets too serious. Some shows are good when they're serious. Darker and edgier can be good but it can leave you feeling down. I was thinking about how I couldn't binge-watch Guyferd because of the current worldwide condition of the Legacy Virus. Yet, it also reminds me of the sacrifices people are making to save others too. We need to reflect on the heroism of people who are more than willing to sacrifice themselves to save others.