Zoids: Fuzors

Did You Know?

• The second episode was remade from scratch for the Japanese broadcast and DVD release.
• The Energy Liger was known early in development as the "Air Liger".

Series background

The story follows RD, a delivery boy for Mach Storm in Blue City, a metropolis on Planet Zi's Eastern Continent. Mach Storm also operates as a Zoid battling team. RD learns to pilot Zoids and eventually gains the ability to fuse Zoids together. The lead Zoid is the Liger Zero due to toy production setbacks; the Energy Liger, originally intended as the main Zoid, was not ready in time. The series initially centers on the rivalry between Mach Storm and Savage Hammer, then expands to a conspiracy to take over Blue City. Fuzors shows more of the setting outside battles than previous seasons. Two or more Zoids can combine into a single Fuzor unit, but not all Zoids are compatible. For example, only Matt's Leoblaze could combine into the Matrix Dragon. A Zi-Fighter's license is a right-hand glove with a mechanical device used for synchronization, initiating Fuzor combinations, and short-range communication. The American fusion command is "FUZORS, COMBINE!" while the Japanese command is "ZI-UNIZON!"

Characters

RD is the main protagonist, a delivery boy for Mach Storm who pilots the Liger Zero. He is determined to improve as a pilot and often clashes with his rival Blake, who pilots the Berserk Fury. After a close encounter with Blake's Buster Fury, RD is saved by the Fire Phoenix and learns to fuse it with the Liger Zero to create the Liger Zero Phoenix. RD's personal goal is to find the legendary Alpha Zoid, the same Zoid his father Harris dedicated his life to finding. RD matures over the series into a skilled pilot and leader while retaining some immaturity. Sweet is another Mach Storm member who does not pilot a Zoid but drives a Gustav Traveller. She has a close, motherly relationship with RD and handles much of the team's daily work, including finances, cooking, and running the base. She also works other jobs such as waitressing. Sweet sees Amy as a rival for RD's affections, though the rivalry is one-sided, and becomes annoyed when RD is around Rebecca.

Animation

The computer animation for Fuzors was handled by a new studio, Tokyo Kids, resulting in a different art style for both human characters and Zoid CG renderings compared to previous series. A large proportion of background objects and scenery were created from 3D models, and many large-scale scenes, especially in the Zoids Battle Arena, were entirely 3D. Many Zoids had inferior motion to earlier series, with clumsy run cycles, but also featured greater movement of parts and details, such as the Fire Phoenix's wing feathers moving and its wings flapping like a real bird, fins on Gorheks and Gojulas Giga moving as the Zoid walks, and small antennas on a Dark Horn twitching. The series introduced more brand new Zoids than any previous Zoids series, mostly Blox Zoids. Several animation models from earlier shows were reused but altered, and new models were created for some previously seen Zoids. Examples include a new Blade Liger model more accurate to the TOMY kit, a Sabre Tiger model with small cannons omitted earlier, Dark Horns with dual Gattlings and two horns based on a custom variant, Red Horns with Dark horn-style glowing green canopies, Iron Kongs with Gattling cannons on shoulders, and Gun Snipers in Leena Toros's custom configuration. The Japanese version added new material, taking advantage of the year gap between releases.