G-On Riders (G-onらいだーす) is a Japanese anime series animated by TNK and Shaft. The "G" in "G-On" stands for "Glasses". Every female character in the series (including in one brief shot the Statue of Liberty) wears glasses, hence the title. The character designs are intended to both parody and glorify the meganekko fetish among many anime fans. Other fetishes the anime uses include maids, sailor uniform, nurses, lolitas, and nuns.

Plot

In the near future, most of the Earth has been conquered by aliens. However, a small region in Japan has successfully repelled them thanks to the development of "G-On" technology by the Grand Rifurekuto Amudo/Grand Reflect Armed (GRA). This technology involves a band of girls (at first two, then three) who channel energy through special glasses. In this way they are able to destroy the giant mechanized monsters, "Fancy Beasts", sent by the aliens.

Music

Characters

The GRA

The Aliens

Episodes

The series was directed by Shinichiro Kimura at studios TNK and Shaft. Seishi Minakami served as series composition writer, and Norimasa Yamanaka served as the composer; and Katsuzou Hirata designed the characters and served as the chief animation director. Five episodes were outsourced outside of TNK and Shaft: episode 4 to J.C.Staff; episode 6 to Artland; episode 7 to A.P.P.P.; episode 10 to AIC; and episode 12 to Studio Tama. Each episode is called a "Glass", to reinforce the meganekko theme. Episode 14 is the OVA, which went unaired due to more explicit content than the other episodes, including nudity and adult situations.