I saw the first installment of this anime mini-series when it was first released years ago on VHS, and where the theme is fairly basic and aimed at children (mature grade school-agers to teen) I still find it thoroughly entertaining in a very adventuresome kind of way, all the while delivering the Japanese parable of working together to overcome obstacles.
Dangaiô Hyper Combat Unit borrows from a plethora of scifi and anime. Note the giant dragon ship used by the bad guys. Note how the bad guys like to use giant monsters to terrorize Earth. Note how it's the anime females who are shown as being capable in spite of being female. Note how it's the weak nerdy guy who comes realize his manhood during a crisis. Also note the typical allusion to the use of WMDs on Japan (a holdover from the dropping of atomic weapons in the second world war, which seems to be a recurring allusion in a variety of Japanese anime to drive home a variety of story points).
It's cliché on a number of levels, anime wise at least, but it's still good fun for younger audiences. And I say that unabashedly, because this is the kind of thing that American studios should have been making for our young audiences, but the thinking at the time (which still prevails I'm afraid) is to show g-rated brain-over-brawn concepts with non-combative solutions. Well, sometimes you do have to fight, and meet brawn with brawn. A constant lesson that American psychologists perpetually forget in their naiveté, which affects American children's programming.
Fortunately we have the likes of AIC who continue to create exceptional anime with lessons in harmony, cooperation, and friendship that resonate with all cultures the world over.
The characters are from Japan's equivalent of Central Casting, but even so they make a good mix and create an enjoyable dynamic as team Dangaiô confronts one threat from the space-dragon ship bad guys after another.
I don't recall any nudity, but there is a good deal of violence. If you're an anime fan, and if you can get yourself a copy from Japan, then see it once and see what you think. I would, however, avoid the US market version; usual bad dubbing, and nothing in the way of extras to explain the story or background.
Have a look.
