Gora Hakone

Gora Hakone
Anime Transformation (Monster) Ex-Battle Lover
Biographical Information
Kanji	箱根強羅
Horoscope	Taurus
Birthday	May 9th
Affiliation	Ex-Battle Lover
Relatives	Yumoto Hakone (Younger sibling)
Physical and Vital Statistics
Gender	Male
Height	190 cm
Personal Status
Hobbies	chopping wood
Likes	peaceful everyday life in Binan City, brown rice
Dislikes	his brother's sad face, raisins
Special Abilities
Transformation (Japanese)	マクシマムゴラー
Transformation (Romaji)	Makishimamu Gorā
Transformation (English)	Maximum Gorar
Appearance
Anime	In the Name of Love
Voice Actors
Japanese	Tomokazu Sugita

Gora Hakone (箱根 強羅, Hakone Goura) is the older brother of Yumoto Hakone who helps him and seems to be a lot more mature.

In Season 1 Episode 12 - Love Forever, it is revealed that he was a Battle Lover himself way before the 5 main protagonists became so. He was well known in the first CIDE battle as Maximum Gorar and wielded a battle axe. He saved Akihiko Beppu and Haruhiko Beppu in Binan Land from monsters leading them to have a deep fascination, deep obsession, towards him, which is both friendly and somewhat romantic.

Appearance

Gora as Maximum Gorar transformed

As Maximum Gorar, Gora usually fights with a more battle sophisticated axe. He is known for his great athleticism and persistence in skill. As a Battle Lover he resembles Yumoto's Scarlet Prince outfit but with longer pants, sturdy boots, a double breasted trenchcoat and an overall more mature princely appearance. He also have a red loveracelet. Gora may also resemble light as his brother. Though he does not possess the attacks of his brother such as True Love Attack or True Love Fountain. In CIDE 1 the monsters were pretty much cleaved by Gora's axe which probably is a pun in showing how shows can change quality and how earlier shows may have had more violence in them that the present.

Though Maximum Gorar was broadcasted as a villain (a discrimination which dubbed over what Gora was saying and showed Earthlings to be ignorant and stupid) he gained a fan following due to his persistent nature. So much so that the producers cancelled the show when they saw people loving the "antagonist" Maximum Gorar more than the monsters.

Personality

Like his brother Yumoto, who shows no deep shock at seeing a talking Wombat, when Gora is approached by a talking Blue Shoebill he shows no surprise. Rather when the Blue Shoebill asks if he ate meat sauce for lunch he unfazedly replies "no" and accepts the Shoebill's offer in being a hero for Earth.

Gora has saved Akihiko Beppu and Haruhiko Beppu when they were young in Binan Land, a popular amusement park at that time. This is when Yumoto was also young, but after going through a wild roller coaster ride six times, he fell unconscious. Gora was taking care of him until his loveracelet acted up and he told Yumoto to stay there. Yumoto has no knowledge that his brother was a Battle Lover. A lobster monster had gotten the Beppu twins hostage and he was using that to his advantage and horribly beats Gora. The Twins call out to him, inspiring in him the need to wake up, ultimately defeating the monster. The Beppu Twins are over ecstatic at meeting a hero like him. He thanks them for helping rousing him up to defeat the monster but almost lets slip he needs to go for Yumoto. Though, he is kind to give them his special "rice bomb" which are these huge chunks of rice food mixed with eggs, shrimp, mayo and other ingredients. He tells the Twins they can make mischief but to grow big and strong.

In some ways, it can be speculated, that the "make mischief" part stuck in the Beppu Twins in some negative way too as they are not as nice and caring as Yumoto or Gora. It should be also noted that Yumoto has red eyes and Gora has pink-purple eyes - a same distinction that Akihiko and Haruhiko have, in the same order as older brother and younger brother.

The "make mischief" part is somewhat strange because as shown in season 2, episode 3, Gora was not pretty keen in seeing Yumoto get into fights as a child. In fact, Yumoto is once beaten up by other kids and Gora finds him and affectionately hugs him when he hears that Yumoto did not still fight back as he was taught not too. Gora tells him that like the moon that is never disappearing even in the day just hazily seen in the sky he will be around to protect his younger brother. Though, seeing him fight as a Battle Lover Gora is happy that Yumoto can seem to fight both physically and mentally. Perhaps, his views on fighting changed when he became a Battle Lover himself and understands the necessity of fighting back now.

He's absolutely clueless that Haruhiko and Akihiko adore him to the point of obsession.

Gora has some mysterious sides to him. When asked by his brother to join them in the hot spring he mysteriously says he is not worthy as of yet. Though the reasons for this is not yet explored. Also in Season Two, first episode, Gora sees the sand glass monster but doesn't seemed fazed. Instead, he rebukes him harshly (still carrying his axe) for getting sticky sand into the bath, demanding he apologise for his rudeness and clean up the place. This subsequently scares the monster off giving the almost defeated Battle Lovers time to recuperate. At that time, it was not known Gora himself was once a Battle Lover. Similarly, in episode 3 of the season Gora sees Yumoto and the others transform as Battle Lovers and defeat a monster. Instead of commenting on this he is just happy that Yumoto is becoming matured and grown up able to understand what love and attention is. Though, as he himself was an heir to the thrones of love, perhaps, he feels that keeping in spirit with those ideals makes one a better battle lover.

He has a deeply love for his brother, making him meals (he is an outre but good cook) and goes far as losing his cool if anything happens to him. In the episode in season 2 when Yumoto is drugged he gets into the bath with him to calm him down. Also, when he is captured by the Beppu twins he shows nonchalance upon waking up only showing concern if Yumoto has eaten too much again and become sick.

Gora seems to be the only guardian of Yumoto and cares for him as a parent. When in Season 2 the Battle Lovers look at albums in Yumoto's home they do see Gora in the bath with a tiny Yumoto suggesting that he has pretty much raised his younger brother. Though his brotherly love is made fun of in the show at times for being "too much" as a parody of a "brother complex." In fact, once Yumoto mentions in Season 2 that he gets only 500 Yen as his monthly allowance making the other comment that is the allowance of a child. This illustrates, and via other actions repeated in the show as aforementioned, that Gora is overly protective of Yumoto and may still see as a child.

Gora's over protectiveness may have some deep seated reasons as well. In one episode Yumoto casually mentions that his parents have been gone a long time for their hot springs tour leaving Gora to be his primary caregiver. However, Atsushi mentions that this is pretty sketchy and then he and En decide not to question it further. It is hinted that either Gora and Yumoto's parents are running from debt collectors or they may have tragically passed away and Gora hid this from his younger brother.

On the other hand, chopping wood and cooking habits are consistently the only things Gora is shown doing. Chopping wood even in the night, as the Beppu Twins hear the sounds and show appreciation to their crush.

Gora is altruistic and amicable. In Season 2's Christmas Episode a reindeer monster appears burt Gora feels it's a real reindeer and gives him rose champagne and tells him what a great job he is doing. When the monster breaks down wanting a Christmas party of his own Gora is empathetic and tells him to stay and enjoy himself to presents and food actually helping the person return to normal later without the Love Fountain move.

He is kind and attentive, recognising the Beppu twins though it has been years. The Twins feel ashamed because Gora is seeing them when they are in their most pathetic state. However, Gora acknowledges them saying they are not pathetic but have grown up big and strong as he had hoped they would. This acknowledgment from Gora brings the Twins to tears and they return becoming normal and not so obsessive or rude. They even start respecting their roles as idols and respect their audiences more. Gora is reliable and trustworthy. It can be said that his protective and loving nature of Yumoto has made him the happy-go-lucky person he is today.

He makes his appearance in Episode 1 where he is seen cutting logs of wood with an axe to help fuel the souce of heat given to the onsen waters in which En and Atsushi were.

In episode 10, Gora began crying saying "A cold is only a gateway to worse illnesses!" And began crying whilst holding his brother's hand.

Songs

Duets

• Oh my An chan (Oh My あんちゃん,Oh my An-chan ) duet song with his younger brother Yumoto
• [Brother Lover Rapper feat. MC YOU MORE TONE & MC GO-Rap from] duet song with his younger brother Yumoto

Etymology

• The name Gora means "strength, intensity, force" (強) (go) and "lightweight fabric, gauze, thin silk, Rome" (羅) (ra).
  • One of the kanji in Gora means "strong", in which most of Gora's appearances have him showing off his strength by cutting wood. (Weirdly enough, the same kanji can also mean "energetic", which is more his brother's thing.)
    • Gora may come from a hot spring named "Hakone-goura Onsen" (箱根強羅温泉, Hakone-goura Onsen) located in the town of Hakone (箱根), found in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan .
• Gora's surname Hakone means "box" (箱) (hako) and "root" (根) (ne).

Trivia

• Yumoto Hakone says Gora has "manly hair", although the series don't show him too endowed in that part he does sport a thin goatee and seem very manly.
• Gora's constant wood-chopping scenes where it's point out that doing this is pointless since the Kurotamayu runs on a natural hot spring and it doesn't need wood to keep it going.
• Unlike the other monsters (except for the Bishōnen Monster), Gora keeps his form after being pierced by the Zundar Needles and he is the most powerful monster the Battle Lovers fight.

Gallery

Gora in the past as a Battle Lover Maximum Gorar

Gora Hakone/Maximum Gorar concept

Maximum Gorar flash back

Gora as Wood Chop Monster S1-Ep12

Gora as Wood Chop Monster S1-Ep12 concept

Wood Chop Monster S1-Ep12 Gora

Gora as Wood Chop Monster S1-Ep12 Axe