The official website for Yatate Bunko — Sunrise's new light novel imprint — announced on Monday that the site will launch a serialized novel for the Matchless Raijin-Oh ( Zettai Muteki Raijin-Oh ) anime on April 18. Original series writer Hideki Sonoda is penning the novel, while the series' character designer Akira Takeuchi is drawing the character illustrations the novel. The anime's mecha designer Takahiro Yamada is drawing the mecha illustrations the novel. Takeuchi and Yamada drew the novel's key visual (pictured at right).

The original anime centers on a group of elementary school children entrusted with the power to use the titular Raijin-Oh robot to protect the Earth from an evil empire of invading aliens.

The 51-episode television anime series by Sunrise aired from 1991 to 1992, and also had a four-episode OAV sequel.

Anime Midstream released the Matchless Raijin-Oh robot anime series on DVD. The company released the first half of the series between 2010-2013 with both English subtitles and an English dub, but then released the second half of the series as a subtitle-only release in September 2014.

Sunrise launched its Yatate Bunko imprint at the end of September.

[Via Otakomu]