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Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Philipreuben (talk | contribs) at 21:36, 16 March 2008 ("Science Ninja Team" is actually a more literal translation). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman
GenreAdventure, Science Fiction
Anime
Directed byHisayuki Toriumi
StudioTatsunoko Productions
Anime
Gatchaman II
Directed byHisayuki Toriumi
StudioTatsunoko Productions
Anime
Gatchaman F
Directed byHisayuki Toriumi
StudioTatsunoko Productions
Anime
Gatchaman
Directed byAkihiko Nishiyama
StudioTatsunoko Productions

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (科学忍者隊ガッチャマン, Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman), is a 5-member superhero team which comprises the main characters in several anime originally produced in Japan by Tatsunoko Productions and later adapted into several English-language versions. It is also known by the abbreviated name Gatchaman or the English-language name G-Force. The original series, produced in 1972, was eponymously named Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman and is most well-known to the English-speaking world as the adaptation titled Battle of the Planets.

A feature film version of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman will be produced by Imagi Animation Studios for release in 2008.

Description

The original 1972 Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman series was followed by two sequel series, Gatchaman II (1978) and Gatchaman F (1979). In 1994, the original series was remade as a condensed OAV series. Additionally, the original and sequel series were adapted and translated into several English-language versions, with the most well-known being Battle of the Planets. Because the English-language versions are notoriously inconsistent not only with one another but also with the original Japanese series, viewers most familiar with the English versions often experience some confusion upon re-examining the series after a long hiatus.

Created in the wake of the hugely successful Henshin boom started by Shotaro Ishinomori's Kamen Rider in 1971, this series was notable as being one of the most successful anime attempts to emulate the American superhero genre with many of its conventions such as colorful costumes, powers and secret identities. It also established the convention of the five member hero team that has been emulated in later series, most notably the successful tokusatsu Super Sentai franchise (which was adapted into English as the Power Rangers franchise many years later), in fact, the Sentai series Choujin Sentai Jetman was in many ways a homage to Gatchaman.

Plot and character summary

Best described as a sci-fi action anime, recurring themes of Gatchaman involve conservation of nature, environmentalism, and responsible use of technology for progress and advancement. The series is centered around five young superhero ninja in the employ of Dr. Kozaburo Nambu of the fictitious "International Science Organization" to oppose a group of technologically advanced villains, known as Galactor, from trying to take control of the earth's natural resources. The operational leader of Galactor is an androgynous masked antagonist, Berg Katse, who is later revealed to be a shape-shifting intersex mutant acting on the orders of an alien superior, Leader X. The most common recurring plot involved Gatchaman opposing giant monster mecha dispatched by Galactor to steal or control various natural resources (water, oil, sugar, uranium, etc). These Mechas were often animal based.

The main characters featured always wore either teen fashions with numbered T-shirts showing their rank in the team, or caped battle uniforms styled after various birds.

From left to right: Ken, Ryu, Jinpei, Jun and Joe.

Most of the team were in their late-teens, apart from Jinpei who was about eleven. They included: Ken Washio, the team leader; Joe Asakura, his second-in-command; Jun, the team's electronics and demolitions expert; Jinpei, the youngest and reconnaissance expert; and Ryu Nakanishi, the ship's pilot.

They also used various signature weapons and mecha style vehicles which each had a more mundane looking disguised form. To change modes, each member is equipped with a special wrist device that, aside from being a communicator and tracking device, enabled the change when the proper gesture and voice command, "Bird Go!", is given. Their vehicles are docked in the team's main vehicle, the GodPhoenix, a supersonic plane capable of underwater travel and minor spaceflight as necessary. The GodPhoenix is armed with an unspecified but large (roughly 30+) number of BirdMissiles that are fired from a rack system mounted atop the center section. After the original GodPhoenix was destroyed by an octopus-based mecha, an improved version carried a pair of Super BirdMissiles in twin drop down pods from the bottom center section. In addition, when necessary, the plane can temporarily transform into a massive bird of flame like the legendary Phoenix to escape danger although the process is highly taxing to the team.

Adaptations and changes

File:Gatchaman.png
Gatchaman AKA Ken Washio, leader of the Science Ninja Team

The original series was shown on American television in 1978, in heavily edited form, as Battle of the Planets (BOTP for short). The series was shown again on American television in 1986 and 1995 in translated form as G-Force: Guardians of Space; while this version cut out much less of the original, and had a much more faithful translation, the voice acting and the background music (not to mention the Americanized names chosen for the characters) were widely panned. The two sequel series, Gatchaman II and Gatchaman F were combined into one and translated as Eagle Riders in 1996, with yet more changes to audio and character names.

ADV Films released the uncut version of the series with an all-new English 5.1 dub, on DVD starting June 14 2005. This release includes all 105 episodes, with all footage left in. The dub aims to be a faithful translation, without attempts to sanitize the show for younger viewers (meaning there is profanity and utterances of the word "kill"). All violent scenes have been left in as they were in the original Japanese broadcast.

In 2007, Sandy Frank's long term contract with Tatsunoko (owners of the "Gatchaman" franchise) for complete domestic rights of the first Gatch series (along with all spin-offs and dubs) elapsed, and now both BotP and "G-Force" are officially in limbo, leaving only the uncut version by ADV Films on the market.

Team variations across different versions

Gatchaman Ken Washio Joe Asakura Jun Jinpei Ryu Nakanishi
Battle of the Planets Mark Jason Princess Keyop Tiny Harper
G-Force Ace Goodheart Dirk Daring Agatha June PeeWee Hoot Owl
Eagle Riders Hunter Harris Joe Thax Kelly Jennar Mickey Dugan Ollie Keeawani
OVA (Dub) Ken the Eagle Joe the Condor June the Swan Jimmy the Falcon‡ Rocky the Owl
Rank G1 G2 G3 G4 G5
Bird Uniform Eagle Condor Swan Swallow Owl
Weapon Razor boomerang Pistol Yo-yo Bolo Pistol
Mecha Airplane Race Car Motorcycle Dune Buggy God Pheonix
Japanese seiyū Katsuji Mori Isao Sasaki Kazuko Sugiyama Yoku Shioya Shingo Kanemoto
Japanese seiyū (OVA) Masaya Onosaka Kōji Ishii Michiko Neya Rica Matsumoto Fumihiko Tachiki
Voice actor (BOTP) Casey Kasem Ronnie Schell Janet Waldo Alan Young Alan Dinehart
Voice actor (G-Force) Sam Fontana Cam Clarke Barbara Goodson Jan Rabson
Voice actor (OVA Dub) Eddie Frierson Richard Cansino Lara Cody Mona Marshall Richard Epcar
Voice actor (Eagle Riders) Richard Cansino Bryan Cranston Heidi Noelle Lenhart Paul Schrier
Voice actor (ADV Dub) Leraldo Anzaldua Brian Jepson Kim Prause Luci Christian Victor Carsrud

‡Although he was obviously the Swallow, Jimmy called himself the Falcon.

Other character variations across different versions

Gatchaman Battle of the Planets G-Force Eagle Riders OVA (Dub)
Dr. Kozaburo Nambu Chief Anderson Dr. Benjamin Brighthead Dr. Thaddeus Keane Dr. Kozaburo Nambu
ISO Director Anderson President Kane Anderson/Cmdr. Todd (some episodes) Anderson Director Anderson
Red Impulse /
Kentaro Washio		 Col. Cronos Red Impulse Harley Harris Red Spectre
Berg Katse Zoltar Galactor Lukan Solaris
Sosai (Leader) X O Luminous One /
The Great Spirit		 Computor Cybercom Lord Zortek
Galactor Planet Spectra Vorak
Gel Sadra
(Gatchaman 2)		 Mallanox

Other notable changes

Gatchaman
Identity change command		 Battle of the Planets
Identity change command		 G-Force
Identity change command		 Eagle Riders change command OVA change command (English)
Bird, Go! Transmute! Transform! Eagle Mode, NOW!
Ken Eagle One Transform
Joe Shapeshift, Condor
June Swan Mode, Now
Jimmy Falcon Tracker Transform

Gatchaman 94 OVA

A series reboot, it used updated character designs and altered backgrounds.

Gatchaman Movie

Main article: Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (film)
  • It is agreed among both anime and tokusatsu fandoms that Gatchaman was the originator of the Sentai concept and set the bar for all transforming hero teams; from Super Sentai to Magic Girls and beyond.
  • In 2000, NTT East produced two animated and two live-action television commercials for their ISDN service featuring a more updated version of Gatchaman, featuring members of the J-Pop boy group SMAP.
  • In 2003 this anime series was aired in Taiwan which the opening song was performed by famous hip pop boyband ENERGY.
  • Gatchaman is one of many anime series in which its five main heroes have different features wherein two of its members, one of them the leader are both thin and of the same height, another one being the most overweight, one being the shortest and youngest and another one being the only female member. Other anime featuring the same line-up are Golion and its American heavily edited version Voltron, Combattler V and its sequel Voltes V, Digimon Frontier and Flame of Recca.
  • Gatchaman became the inspiration of Choujin Sentai Jetman in the order, except the swallow is a girl in the later years. Before that, it seemed to have inspired the idea of Goranger.
  • Gatchaman receives an homage from the animé-inspired Teen Titans series. In one episode, Robin dons a "flight suit" resembling the Science Ninja team's bird-like uniforms after ejecting from his R-cycle. In another episode Robin is seen throwing a red and gold "Razor boomerang" at the leader of the "Hive Academy" while trying to save Cyborg from an undercover mission.
  • The opening credits of Gatchaman began with the five heroes' silhouettes flying across the screen at high speed. At the beginning of each episode of The Powerpuff Girls the three titular heroines dart across the screen in a similar manner before that episode's title card.
  • The D.O.C. titled the ninth track of his 1989 release, No One Can Do It Better, "Whirlwind Pyramid" in an homage to Gatchaman. He even shouts "Transform" (a-la the G-Force dub) during a break-down section midway through the track.
  • The original Character Designer for the Gatchaman characters is Yoshitaka Amano, who later went on to create designs for Vampire Hunter D, and Final Fantasy, among other projects.
  • In the webcomic Sluggy Freelance, the main characters, Torg and Riff, accidentally teleport to a dimension filled with anime characters filled with parodies of the main characters from "Battle of the Planets" as well as "Voltron" and other anime of the same genre.
  • On the Gachapin website, the character can be seen dressed in the outfit of Eagle.[1]
  • On The Simpsons December 14, 2003 couch gags - The couch is a street bench in Japan, and everyone is a famous anime or tokusatsu character: Homer is Ultraman, Marge is Jun from Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Lisa is Usagi Tsukino, the protagonist from Sailor Moon, Bart is Astro Boy and Maggie is Pikachu from Pokémon.
  • The mecha parody cartoon Megas XLR features a Gatchaman-like team in one episode, "Bad Guy".

Episodes list

  1. Gatchaman Versus Turtle King (ガッチャマン対タートル・キング, Gacchaman Tai Tātoru Kingu)
  2. The Evil Ghostly Aircraft Carrier Appears (魔のお化け空母現わる, Ma no Obake Kūbo Arawaru)
  3. The Giant Mummy That Summons Storms (嵐を呼ぶミイラ巨人, Arashi wo Yobu Mīra Kyojin)
  4. Return of the Iron Beast Mecchadegon (鉄獣メカデゴンに復しゅうだ, Tetsujū Mekadegon ni Fukushū da)
  5. Ghost Fleet From Hell (地獄の幽霊艦隊, Jigoku no Yūrei Kantai)
  6. The Grand Mini-Robot Operation (ミニ・ロボット大作戦, Mini Robotto Dai Sakusen)
  7. Galactor's Giant Airshow (ギャラクターの大航空ショー, Gyarakutā no Dai Kōkū Shō)
  8. The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef (三日月のサンゴ礁の秘密, Mikadzuki no Sangoshō no Himitsu)
  9. A Demon From the Moon (月よりの悪魔, Tsuki Yori no Akuma)
  10. The Massive Underground Monster War (地底怪獣大戦争, Chitei Kaijū Dai Sensō)
  11. The Mysterious Red Impulse (謎のレッド・インパルス, Nazo no Reddo Inparusu)
  12. The Giant Eating Monster Ibukron (大食い怪獣イブクロン, Ōgui Kaijū Ibukuron)
  13. The Riddle of the Red Sand (謎の赤い砂, Nazo no Akai Suna)
  14. The Fearful Ice-Kandar (恐怖のアイスキャンダー, Kyōfu no Aisu Kyandā)
  15. The Fearful Jellyfish Lens (恐怖のクラゲレンズ, Kyōfu no Kurage Renzu)
  16. Mechanica, The Indestructible Machine (無敵マシン　メカニカ, Muteki Mashin Mekanika)
  17. The Grand Insect Operation (昆虫大作戦, Konchū Dai Sakusen)
  18. Revenge! The Whale Operation (復讐！くじら大作戦, Fukushū! Kujira Dai Sakusen)
  19. Hell's Speed Race (地獄のスピード・レース, Jigoku no Supīdo Rēsu)
  20. A Critical Moment for the Science Ninja Team (科学忍者隊危機一髪, Kagaku Ninja Tai Kiki-Ippatsu)
  21. Who is Leader X? (総裁Ｘは誰だ, Sōsai Ekkusu wa Dare da)
  22. The Firebird Versus The Fire Eating Dragon (火の鳥対火食い竜, Hi no Tori Tai Hikui Ryū)
  23. Massive Violence of the MechaBall (大暴れメカ・ボール, Dai Abare Meka Bōru)
  24. The Neon Giant Laughing in the Dark (闇に笑うネオン巨人, Yami ni Warau Neon Kyojin)
  25. The Magma Giant, Emperor of Hell (地獄の帝王マグマ巨人, Jigoku no Teiō Maguma Kyojin)
  26. The God Phoenix Reborn (よみがえれゴッドフェニックス, Yomigaere Goddo Fenikkusu)
  27. Galactor's Witch Racer (ギャラクターの魔女レーサー, Gyarakutā no Majo Rēsā)
  28. The Invisible Demon (見えない悪魔, Mienai Akuma)
  29. Galack X the Devil Man (魔人ギャラックＸ, Majin Gyarakku Ekkusu)
  30. Kamisorar, The Guillotine Iron Beast (ギロチン怪獣カミソラール, Girochin Kaijū Kamisorāru)
  31. The Plan to Assassinate Dr. Nambu (南部博士暗殺計画, Nanbu-Hakase Ansatsu Keikaku)
  32. The Grand Gezora Operation (1st Part) (ゲゾラ大作戦（前編）, Gezora Dai Sakusen (Zenpen))
  33. The Grand Gezora Operation (2nd Part) (ゲゾラ大作戦（後編）, Gezora Dai Sakusen (Kōhen))
  34. The Evil Aurora Operation (魔のオーロラ作戦, Ma no Ōrora Sakusen)
  35. The Angry Blazing Desert (燃えろ砂漠の炎, Moero Sabaku no Honō)
  36. Little Gatchaman (ちびっこガッチャマン, Chibikko Gacchaman)
  37. Renjira, the Electron Iron Beast (電子怪獣レンジラー, Denshi Kaijū Renjirā)
  38. The Riddle of the Mechanic Jungle (謎のメカニックジャングル, Nazo no Mekanikku Janguru)
  39. Jigokiller, the People-Eating Flowers (1st Part) (人喰い花ジゴキラー（前編）, Hitokui Hana Jigokirā (Zenpen))
  40. Jigokiller, the People-Eating Flowers (2nd Part) (人喰い花ジゴキラー（後編）, Hitokui Hana Jigokirā (Kōhen))
  41. Killer Music (殺人ミュージック, Satsujin Myūjikku)
  42. The Great Breakout Trick Operation (大脱走トリック大作戦, Dai Dassō Torikku Dai Sakusen)
  43. A Romance, Destroyed by Evil (悪に消えたロマンス, Aku ni Kieta Romansu)
  44. Galactor's Challenge (ギャラクターの挑戦状, Gyarakutā no Chōsenjō)
  45. The Sea Lion Ninja Team of the Night Fog (夜霧のアシカ忍者隊, Yogiri no Ashika Ninja Tai)
  46. Gatchaman in the Valley of Death (死の谷のガッチャマン, Shi no Tani no Gacchaman)
  47. The Devil's Airline (悪魔のエアーライン, Akuma no Eārain)
  48. The Camera Iron Beast, Shutterkiller (カメラ鉄獣シャッター・キラー, Kamera Tetsujū Shattā Kirā)
  49. The Fearful Mechadokuga (恐怖のメカドクガ, Kyōfu no Mekadokuga)
  50. Trachadon, the Dinosaur Skeleton (白骨恐竜トラコドン, Hakkotsu Kyōryū Torakodon)
  51. The Revolving Cateroller Beast (回転獣キャタローラー, Kaitenjū Kyatarōrā)
  52. Red Impulse's Secret (レッド・インパルスの秘密, Reddo Inparusu no Himitsu)
  53. Farewell Red Impulse (さらばレッド・インパルス, Saraba Reddo Inparusu)
  54. Gatchaman's Blazing Rage (怒りに燃えたガッチャマン, Ikari ni Moeta Gacchaman)
  55. Desperation of the Mini-Submarine (決死のミニ潜水艦, Kesshi no Mini Sensuikan)
  56. The Hated Bird Missile (うらみのバードミサイル, Urami no Bādo Misairu)
  57. The Evil White Sea (魔の白い海, Ma no Shiroi Umi)
  58. The Fearsome Mecha-Buttha (恐怖のメカブッタ, Kyōfu no Mekabutta)
  59. The Secret Monster Mecha Factory (怪獣メカ工場, Kaijū Meka Kōjō)
  60. Science Ninja Team, G-6 (科学忍者隊Ｇ－６号, Kagaku Ninja Tai Jī-Roku-Gō)
  61. The Phantom of Red Impulse (幻のレッド・インパルス, Maboroshi no Reddo Inparusu)
  62. The Snow Devil, Blizzarder (雪魔王ブリザーダー, Yuki Maō Burizādā)
  63. Massacre of the Mecha Curve Ball (殺人メカ魔球, Satsujin Meka Makyū)
  64. A Christmas Present of Death (死のクリスマスプレゼント, Shi no Kurisumasu Purezento)
  65. Super Bem, the Synthetic Iron Beast (合成鉄獣スーパーベム, Gōsei Tetsujū Sūpā Bemu)
  66. The Devil's Fashion Show (悪魔のファッションショー, Akuma no Fasshon Shō)
  67. Certain Death! The Gatchaman Fire (必殺！ガッチャマンファイヤー, Hissatsu! Gacchaman Faiyā)
  68. Particle Iron Beast, Micro-Saturn (粒子鉄獣ミクロサターン, Ryūshi Tetsujū Mikuro Satān)
  69. A Cemetery in the Moonlight (月下の墓場, Gekka no Hakaba)
  70. United! Death Girls (合体！死神少女, Gattai! Shinigami Shōjo)
  71. Leader X, the Immortal (不死身の総裁Ｘ, Fujimi no Sōsai Ekkusu)
  72. A Swarm! Invasion of the Mini Iron Beasts (大群！ミニ鉄獣の襲来, Taigun! Mini Tetsujū no Shūrai)
  73. Pursuing Katse! (カッツェを追撃せよ！, Kattse wo Tsuigeki Seyo!)
  74. Secret of the Birdstyles (バードスタイルの秘密, Bādosutairu no Himitsu)
  75. Jumbo Shakora, the Ocean Devil King (海魔王ジャンボシャコラ, Umi Maō Janbo Shakora)
  76. The Bracelets Exposed (あばかれたブレスレット, Abakareta Buresuretto)
  77. The Successful Berg Katse (成功したベルクカッツェ, Seikō Shita Beruku Kattse)
  78. Mortal Combat! 10,000 Meters Under the Sea (死斗！海底1万メートル, Shitō! Kaitei Ichiman Mētoru)
  79. Stealing the Gatchaman Information (奪われたガッチャマン情報, Ubawareta Gacchaman Jōhō)
  80. Revive! Boomerang (よみがえれ！ブーメラン, Yomigaere! Būmeran)
  81. Duel on Galactor Island (ギャラクター島の決闘, Gyarakutā-Tō no Kettō)
  82. Aim for the Crescent Coral Reef! (三日月サンゴ礁を狙え！, Mikadzuki Sangoshō wo Nerae!)
  83. A Desperate Ring of Fire (炎の決死圏, Honō no Kesshi Ken)
  84. Smog Fiber, the Spiderweb Iron Beast (くもの巣鉄獣スモッグファイバー, Kumo no Su Tetsujū Sumoggu Faibā)
  85. That's G-4 (Ｇ－４号はあいつだ, Jī-Yon-Gō wa Aitsu da)
  86. Galactor's Plan to Corner the Market (ギャラクターの買占め作戦, Gyarakutā no Kaishime Sakusen)
  87. Patogiller, the Triple United Iron Beast (三段合体鉄獣パトギラー, Sandan Gattai Tetsujū Patogirā)
  88. Iron Beast Snake 828 (鉄獣スネーク８２８, Tetsujū Sunēku Hachi-Ni-Hachi)
  89. A Trap Sprung in the Crescent Base (三日月基地に罠を張れ, Mikadzuki Kichi ni Wana wo Hare)
  90. Matangar, the Armored Iron Beast (装甲鉄獣マタンガー, Sōkō Tetsujū Matangā)
  91. The Plan to Destroy Crescent Base, Complete (三日月基地爆破計画完了, Mikadzuki Kichi Bakuha Keikaku Kanryō)
  92. The End of the Crescent Base (三日月基地の最後, Mikadzuki Kichi no Saigo)
  93. Counterattack! The Underground Torpedo Operation (逆襲！地中魚雷作戦, Gyakushū! Chichū Gyorai Sakusen)
  94. Electric Devil Beast Angura (電魔獣アングラー, Den Majū Angurā)
  95. Giant Devil Men, United Ninjas (合体忍者大魔人, Gattai Ninja Dai Majin)
  96. Now, the Invasion of Galactor's Headquarters (ギャラクター本部に突入せよ, Gyarakutā Honbu ni Totsunyū Seyo)
  97. Leona 3, the Spaceship With No Tomorrow (明日なき宇宙船 レオナ３号, Ashita Naki Uchūsen Reona San-Gō)
  98. Grape Bomber, the Spherical Iron Beast (球形鉄獣グレープボンバー, Kyūkei Tetsujū Gurēpu Bonbā)
  99. The Wounded G-2 (傷だらけのＧ－２号, Kizudarake no Jī-Ni-Gō)
  100. Gatchaman, 20 Years Later (２０年後のガッチャマン, Nijū Nengo no Gacchaman)
  101. The Sniper Group Hebi-Cobra (狙撃集団ヘビーコブラ, Sogeki Shūdan Hebī Kobura)
  102. Countermove! Checkmate X (逆転！チェックメイトＸ, Gyakuten! Chekkumeito Ekkusu)
  103. G-2's Death Wager (死を賭けたＧ－２号, Shi wo Kaketa Jī-Ni-Gō)
  104. The Evil Grand Black Hole Operation (魔のブラックホール大作戦, Ma no Burakku Hōru Dai Sakusen)
  105. Earth's Destruction! 0002 (地球消滅！０００２, Chikyū Shōmetsu! Zero-Zero-Zero-Ni)

References

  1. ^ ガッチャピン公式サイト
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