OVA
Description
Professor Saotome is a scientist who appears as a supporting character in the anime Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo. He is the inventor of the Getter Robo, a machine originally designed for deep-space exploration, and he is the one who discovered the cosmic energy known as Getter Rays and became absorbed by its study. As the director of the Saotome Research Institute, his life's work centers on Getter Ray research, and his findings drive advancements in Getter Alloy production as well as the development of increasingly powerful Getter Robo units.
His personality is defined by an intense, obsessive dedication to his research. He pursues his goals with little compromise, and his methods can be severe. He is characteristically the one in charge of recruiting suitable Getter Robo pilots, and he does so through cruel and dangerous tests of strength and will, a practice that reflects his belief that only those who endure extreme trials are fit to operate Getter machines.
His central motivation is the continued advancement of his Getter Ray research and the perfection of the Getter Robo line. This drive influences nearly every aspect of his conduct, from the way he develops his machines to the way he selects and evaluates the pilots who will use them.
Within the story of Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo, his role is that of the scientific authority behind the Getter Robo program. He operates mostly in the background, overseeing the research institute and supplying the machines and mission framework within which the pilots work, while the pilots themselves carry out the active combat. His key relationships are with his family, in particular his daughter Michiru Saotome and his son Tatsuhito, who work and live with him at the institute, and with the pilots he recruits and sends into battle.
His development in the story follows the established pattern of the character across most Getter Robo works, in which he functions as the brilliant but uncompromising founder of the Getter program, rather than as a figure who undergoes significant personal change. His notable abilities are scientific rather than combative; he is the creator of the Getter Robo series, a pioneer in the study of Getter Rays, and the architect of the technology that makes the entire Getter initiative possible.
His personality is defined by an intense, obsessive dedication to his research. He pursues his goals with little compromise, and his methods can be severe. He is characteristically the one in charge of recruiting suitable Getter Robo pilots, and he does so through cruel and dangerous tests of strength and will, a practice that reflects his belief that only those who endure extreme trials are fit to operate Getter machines.
His central motivation is the continued advancement of his Getter Ray research and the perfection of the Getter Robo line. This drive influences nearly every aspect of his conduct, from the way he develops his machines to the way he selects and evaluates the pilots who will use them.
Within the story of Shin Getter Robo vs. Neo Getter Robo, his role is that of the scientific authority behind the Getter Robo program. He operates mostly in the background, overseeing the research institute and supplying the machines and mission framework within which the pilots work, while the pilots themselves carry out the active combat. His key relationships are with his family, in particular his daughter Michiru Saotome and his son Tatsuhito, who work and live with him at the institute, and with the pilots he recruits and sends into battle.
His development in the story follows the established pattern of the character across most Getter Robo works, in which he functions as the brilliant but uncompromising founder of the Getter program, rather than as a figure who undergoes significant personal change. His notable abilities are scientific rather than combative; he is the creator of the Getter Robo series, a pioneer in the study of Getter Rays, and the architect of the technology that makes the entire Getter initiative possible.