Name: Yamada Jiro/Daigoji Gai
Sometimes, even the cool guys must fall.

As you probably noticed, his name is Yamada Jiro.  This is his birth name, but as he insisted, I will call him Daigoji Gai.  This is his spiritual name, and besides, it's cool-sounding, ne?

Anywho, Gai is one of the Aestavalis pilots for the Nadesico, but because he was too excited about the new gig, he showed up three days early to check out the mecha he would be flying.

He is a big (and I mean "big as a planet, big as an ocean, really, really, really big!!!!) fan of an old anime called Genkigander III.  He has all the episodes, all the merchandise, he even wears his hair a la the hero/leader of the show, Tenku Ken.  He became a pilot because of the show, which is, of course, a seventies' big, primary-colors-only, mecha show.

His whole life-experience is linked to this show, for it is indeed his life.  He takes the examples of bravery, loyalty, honor, and justice and makes them his own.  He is indeed an otaku.

Sadly, his death was very sudden and pretty early in the series.  What's more, his death was nothing like what he always envisioned it.  He saw himself die in the midst of battle, giving his life to the better cause.  He even said to Jun that "he better not die in a more glorious way than he."

Gai died after been shot by a coward from the Earth Forces as they made their way to a shuttle off of the Nadesico (no, I am not telling you here... This is about guy, not about that sleaze <blank>...).  For a man who dreams of a death in battle, in glory, this stings more than anything else that could have happen to him.  And all through Gai's death scene, one of his heroes, Umitsubame Joe, is shown in his glorious, battle-induced death scene.

Now, for a moment of silence for our beloved Gai...
 
 
 
 

Now, to try to continue after that.....

His relationship with Akito (the hero, remember?) tend to be a tad shaky in the beginning of the series.  Akito's reluctance to fight despite despite the fact that he had seen Genkigander III gets on Gai's nerves big time in the first 1 and 1/2 episodes he's in.  There's also the fact that Akito "took" Gai's Aestivalis (or as he calls it, Genkigander) as well as his treasure (a Genkigander plushie) when Akito was basically thrusted into battle.

Their friendship grows after ep. 2 when the pair fought together.  In ep. 3, Gai allows Akito to see the last thirteen episodes of Genkigander (after ep. 26 of the show, the air time was changed, thus not many people saw the final story arch and even know if it existed).  They bonded as they watched Joe's death played out on the sceen, weeping very much as one of their favorite characters passed away and their favorite piece of mecha, Genkigander III, laid in pieces, unusable.

After Gai's death, Akito continues and holds onto the title of Otaking (Gai was more than worthy to hold this title) for the series as well as mourn the passing of a kindred spirit so quickly.

We will, too, Akito.