New Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (新科学忍者隊ガッチャマン, Shin Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman), "New Gatchaman" (新ガッチャマン) for short, was the working title used for an ultimately-unproduced remake of the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman series.
It is also known as Gatchaman '98, for the year its designs were drawn in and the planning was made. Due to being unable to gain sponsors for the project, Tatsunoko pulled the plug on the concept as well as many other planned new works that failed to get interest ('90s remakes of Dokachin, Space Ace, and Yatterman being among them).
It is unknown how many episodes were plotted out for this adaptation, although the planning got as far as a series bible and many included settei of the important cast members and mecha that would appear.
Premise[]
The year is 2021. A group of five youths known as the Science Ninja Team and a scientist named Dr. Nambu defect from the ISO, having done so after Nambu learns that the ISO intended to brainwash the team into being ruthless child soldiers and killing machines. The Science Ninjas go on the run as a group of heroic vigilantes, fighting Galactor independently but more ethically.
The alien leader known as X has gathered three villains (Berg Katse, Gel Sadra, and Count Egobossler) together to help him take over the Earth, with each leading their own Galactor squadron. In other plots planned for the series, Ken and Jun would be searching for lost siblings. The Red Impulse squadron would also have been revamped to be an entirely-female fighter troop.[1]
Besides dealing with the threat of different Galactor forces, the Team and Nambu remain at odds with the ISO, who will send others after them to bring them back at any costs.
Characters[]
The character designs for the series were done by Tatsunoko artist Roberto Ferrari, and were once available on his website. Due to copyright issues, Ferrari is unable to share the entirety of the development work he did for New Gatchaman, and there are restrictions preventing detailed information from being revealed due to the series bible being an internal Tatsunoko document and the work being unproduced but still property of their company.
Most of the characters described below were the ones available on Ferrari's website. However, other settei like those of Ryu, X, the full Red Impulse team, and any Bird Style uniforms have yet to ever be shown publicly.
Ken Washio[]
Ken was redesigned to have more modern street-wear, including a "K" beanie hat and green cargo capri pants. His face and hair, however, are a little closer in appearance to his original 1972 look.
Joe Asakura[]
Joe was redesigned to wear a tattered red overcoat and jeans, while being shirtless underneath his coat and sporting a red flame-like tattoo on his right shoulder. His hair appears somewhat lighter.
Jun[]
Jun was given a much skimpier civilian outfit, consisting of a black sports bra with another (pink) bra worn underneath, denim shorts, and knee-high pink-and-white stockings. She would also wear elbow pads and have a few tattoos (a dragonfly-like one on her stomach, and a series of red dots on her right shoulder). Her hair was depicted as a brighter green, and tied back into two ponytails.
In settei of her Bird Style, not shown publicly online, it is said she had a full bodysuit like the boys on the team.
In story changes, Jun has a younger sister who she has been searching for, but little does she know this sister may be closer to her than she could ever realize.
Jinpei[]
Jinpei was also given an updated look, with his face looking less cartoonish and his hair being light brown and swept back. He would wear a navy hoodie beneath a yellow shirt, as well as gray gym shorts and a pair of red sneakers.
In story changes, Jinpei is a young computer genius and hacker, following on the updates given in the 1994 OVA.
Ryu Nakanishi[]
It is currently unknown how Ryu might have looked in this version.
Berg Katse[]
Berg Katse's redesigned uniform consisted of a purple overcoat and mask, with the ears being much more narrow than previous incarnations. They were shown to wear a red-violet leotard and matching thigh-high boots beneath the overcoat.
In their lady mode, they are shown to be unmasked and sport a pair of blonde pigtails. Lady Katse, in contrast to her covered-up masculine self, has a cleavage-bearing blue dress, purple thigh-high boots, and spiky purple gloves.
Katse leads one part of Galactor separately from Gel Sadra and Count Egobossler, wanting X's favor and being at odds with the other two rivaling factions.
Gel Sadra[]
Gel Sadra also had her uniform tweaked, to be a long purple dress. Her hair was no longer made visible, although her dress had a plunging neckline and exposed her cleavage (along with part of her back).
Gel Sadra, as leader of her own squadron, does not trust Katse or Egobossler and would also want to be the top commander.
Count Egobossler[]
A third villain was also shown in the model sheets, intended to be a very drastic redesign for Count Egobossler.
Instead of being a more humanoid, blue-skinned man, Egobossler now looks much more extraterrestrial with blade-like protrusions coming from his shoulders and another blade for his left arm. He does not get along with the other squadron leaders, and also has his own agenda to be X's favored underling.
Dr. Nambu[]
Rather than wearing glasses, this version of Nambu has a noticeable scar on his forehead and a detailed view shows a chest tattoo, with one end of the tattoo extending up to his neck.
Director Anderson[]
Anderson appears as a middle-aged man with dark gray hair, with a mustache and muttonchops as his original design had. He wears a lavender suit, with black and yellow trim.
Red Impulse[]
Unlike the traditional Red Impulse, this character is a woman and was to not be related to Ken in any way. She wears a long red tunic when not in battle, with one form-fitting sleeve on her right side and a loose, poncho-like sleeve on the left. Her hair is gathered at the back of her head.
In the series pitch itself, the Red Impulse team were described to be a group of five adolescent girls (ranging from 10 to 18), trained at the ISO by Dr. Nambu and with similar combat skills as the Science Ninja Team. However, while the Science Ninjas defected with Nambu before they could be brainwashed, the Red Impulse team are on the side of the ISO and have been sent to capture and return the team to the base. Unbeknownst to both Dr. Nambu and to Jun, the leader of this team is actually Jun's younger sister that she's been searching for (making for a Masked Racer/Racer X type twist).
Gallery[]
External links[]
| Gatchaman media | ||
| TV animation | Science Ninja Team Gatchaman · Gatchaman II · Gatchaman Fighter · New Gatchaman (unproduced)· Good Morning Ninja Team Gatchaman · Gatchaman Crowds · Battle of the Planets: Phoenix Ninjas (unproduced) | |
| Movies | Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie · Gatchaman (2011 - unproduced) · Gatchaman (2013) | |
| Adaptations | Battle of the Planets (movie) · Eagle 5 Brothers · G-Force: Guardians of Space · Eagle Riders· Battle of the Planets: The New Exploits of G-Force (unproduced) | |
| Other | Gatchaman (OVA) · NTT Gatchaman · Tachimals Theater · Infini-T Force · Time Bokan: Royal Revival | |
- ↑ G-Force Animated: The Official Battle of the Planets Guidebook (2003), by Jason Hofius and George Khoury.