Getter Robo Arc (Japanese: ゲッターロボ アーク, Hepburn: Gettā Robo Āku, pronounced also as "Āḥ" from the Sanskrit in the title) is a manga series written and illustrated by Ken Ishikawa based on Getter Robo franchise created by Ishikawa and Go Nagai. It was first serialized in Futabasha's Super Robot Magazine from July 19, 2001 to September 19, 2003, compiling into three tankōbon volumes (two aizōban volumes by Futabasha) until its premature cancellation. Taking place 10 years after both Shin Getter Robo and Getter Robo Go, it follows a new Getter Team led by Hayato to stop the invasion of the Andromeda Stellaration from invading Earth using the new mecha, Getter Robo Arc. An anime television series adaptation by Bee Media and Studio A-Cat aired from July to September 2021.
Nineteen years after Ryoma Nagare, Go Ichimonji and Messiah Tyr left Earth in the Shin Getter 1 to Mars,[a] the world is recovering from a previous conflict that almost changed the planet forever. Upon that time, the conflict between Earth and an unknown entity known as the Andromeda Stellaration is escalating as swarms of technorganic insect-like aliens almost brought the planet to its knees. However the Saotome Institute, now under the command of Hayato Jin, is doing its best to repel the enemy while training new pilots for protecting Earth against extraterrestrial threats both from within and beyond the planet. All for to pilot a new Getter unit meant as the final legacy of Professor Saotome: Getter Robo Arc.
In the midst of the conflict, Takuma Nagare, a teenage boy and the only son of Ryoma is searching for answers about his own legacy guided by his friend Baku Yamagishi. During a battle between a metal beast and the Saotome Institute's Getter Team, Takuma and Baku hijacked a fallen Getter D2 after its pilot has died. Much to the dismay and curiosity of Hayato, he sent the Getter Arc piloted by Sho Kamui to assist Takuma on defeating the metal beast and was brought in to the institute. Seeing Takuma and Baku's potentials, Hayato assigned both alongside Sho to operate Getter Robo Arc as humanity's last hope against the Andromeda Stellaration to protect humanity from its own extinction.
Getter Robo Arc was both written and drawn by Ken Ishikawa. Created as the third installment of the Getter Robo series after Getter Robo Go, it was serialized in Futabasha's Super Robot Magazine from July 19, 2001, to September 19, 2003. However after all three volumes were published and "part 1" of the series has wrapped up, Ishikawa died on November 17, 2006, leaving the rest of the story unfinished.[5] Futabasha later republished the manga in 2007 in an Aizoban edition and later in 2016 in a limited Kanzenban edition.
An anime television series adaptation produced by Bee Media and Studio A-Cat was announced by Bandai Namco Entertainment on November 2, 2020, and aired from July 4 to September 26, 2021, on AT-X, Tokyo MX, BS SkyPer! and BS11.[6] Jun Kawagoe is directing the series, with Tadashi Hayakawa as writer and music composed by both Yoshichika Kuriyama and Shiho Terada.[7][8] JAM Project performed both the series' opening theme song "Bloodlines ~Unmei no Ketto~" (Bloodlines ~運命の血統~, Bloodlines ~Unmei no Kettō ~, "Bloodlines ~Fated Liniage~")[9] and the series' ending themes: "Dragon 2021", "Storm 2021", "Heats 2021" and "Tomo yo" (戦友よ, "Comrade").
Medialink licensed the series for streaming in Asia and will stream the series through their Ani-One Asia YouTube channel on the same date as the series premiere in Japan.[10] Sentai Filmworks also licensed the series for release outside of Asia,[11] with the series streaming on Hidive on July 4, 2021, for the subbed version[12] and August 14, 2021, for the English dubbed version.[13]