Joe Asakura

Joe Asakura
Kanji	ジョー 浅倉
Characteristics
Race	Human (Gatchaman) Cyborg (Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter)
Gender	Male
Age	18 (Gatchaman, OVA) 24 (Infini-T Force)
Height	185cm
Weight	60kg
Hair Color	Dark ash blonde
Eye Color	Blue
Occupation	Race Car Driver
Personal Status
Status	Active
Relatives	Giuseppe Asakura (Father), Katarina Asakura (Mother), Dr. Kozaburo Nambu (Guardian)
Position	Second-in-Command of Science Ninja Team
Voice Actor	Isao Sasaki, Kōji Ishii (OVA) Kazuma Suzuki (Infini-T Force)
First Appearance
Anime Debut	Gatchaman Versus Turtle King

Joe Asakura, also known as G-2: Joe the Condor, is the team's second-in-command, marksman and weapons expert. His Bird Style, as evident by his codename, is based off the condor. He usually lives alone in a camping trailer.

Background

Joe was originally named George Asakura (rendered as 'Joji' in Japanese, explaining how the nickname 'Joe' could come about) and was the son of two scientists on BC Island, Giuseppe & Katarina.

The Asakura couple were actually members of Galactor that were planning to defect, but were killed when they tried to escape the organization, with only George surviving. He was found immediately by Dr. Nambu, and was placed under his wing with the shortened name "Joe" so that Galactor would not recognize him. However, not even Dr. Nambu was aware of the significant details of why Joe's parents were under attack from Galactor.

To carry through with his plan, Nambu had faked Joe's death, certifying to the BC Island government that George Asakura was dead and arranging a casket burial. As Galactor would later find, this casket was only filled with rocks.

Nambu would take Joe off the island and raise him at his villa, where they would eventually be joined by another young boy that Nambu took in as a ward.

"The Condor Flies!" light novel

This version of Joe, in an alternate telling by Jinzo Toriumi, at first appears to be the same George Asakura whose parents were murdered by Galactor.

This is averted though, when it turns out the George Asakura identity and his memories of being that child were implanted; Joe is actually a genetically-engineered young man with superhuman strength and endurance. This makes him coveted by both the ISO and Galactor, as his genetic constitution would make him perfect for one of their soldiers.

OVA Version

Besides the Asakura couple having been Galactor agents, Giuseppe is described in the light novels as having been a money-launderer from the mafia.

Cancelled Imagi Film Project

Joe would have been named Joseph Asakura, rather than George. His parents also had their names changed. His mother's name is unknown, but Giuseppe would have now been known as Daniel Asakura. They were shot by Galactor goons after they bombed the pizza restaurant where they were celebrating Joe's twelfth birthday (as opposed to the original series, with Joe being eight when they died).

Infini-T Force

While it can be figured there may be similarities in this Joe's backstory, many points are left unclear. A key difference is that the Gatchaman sequels are not acknowledged, leading to Joe to be an ordinary human when he is depicted in the movie spin-off.

Appearance

Joe

Joe has shoulder-length, mousy brown/ash blond hair and eyes that either appear as blue or gray, depending on the cel colorist. His facial features are much more harsh and rough when compared to Ken, although earlier episodes were not as consistent with his face.

His civilian clothing usually consists of a red-and-blue t-shirt with the number "2" on it, blue bellbottom jeans, and occasionally a pair of black driving gloves. In the sequels, he wears a navy blue crew-neck T-shirt with lighter blue sleeves, as well straight-legged jeans.

In his Condor Bird Style, the bodysuit is a deep burgundy, with contrasting dark blue gloves & boots. His feathered cape is colored a deeper blue, with a lighter shade of blue on the inside. His helmet is black, with red markings patterned after a condor's eyes, and bears a light violet-grey visor.

OVA

This version of Joe is depicted with auburn hair, olive skin, and much more narrow facial features and a muscular physique. He wears a leather jacket and jeans as part of his civilian outfit, but otherwise goes shirtless. As a result, the "2" symbol is instead relegated to being on a necklace that he wears. He sports a crucifix, as well as a skull tattoo on his left arm and a string bracelet that he wears as a promise to avenge his parents.

His Bird Style's color scheme is changed to be primarily navy blue, with burgundy accents on the suit. The "G" symbol is also relegated to being by itself and not attached to any belt.

The coloration of OVA Joe's skin and hair may tie back to some of Ippei Kuri's later watercolor art for the character, which often gave him darker skin and hair than he would ever actually appear with in animation.

Cancelled Imagi Film Project

Joe, as depicted in the "Gatchamural" by Patrick Awa, to promote the Imagi film.

In the cancelled Imagi film adaptation of Gatchaman, Joe Asakura's appearance would have been a striking blend of influences, taking heavy inspiration from the OVA for his civilian look. Imagined as having a more overt "bad boy" aesthetic, Joe was set to don black leather attire in earlier character designs, embodying a rebellious and edgy demeanor (although a later render would simplify his outfit to a black shirt and gray pants). The early conceptualization of his Bird Style initially leaned towards an armored gray-and-black uniform, drawing inspiration from the NTT Gatchaman ads.

However, this design was not set in stone, and subsequent promotional art, including pieces by Charlie Wen, showcased a uniform that combined elements from the '94 OVA and introduced some original touches. The development process evolved, and by the final 2010 teaser trailer, the then-current team, led by character designer Tohru Patrick Awa and featuring the work of Mark Renaud on design elements, opted for Joe to wear a Bird Suit more akin to the original series. This final design incorporated additional features such as seams and raised 3D emblems, and an individual touch to his uniform had his hair exposed in the back of his helmet (as with the NTT Gatchaman ad design).

Infini-T Force

Joe the Condor The Redesign By Ogure Ito

As with other Tatsunoko characters in Infini T-Force, Joe was redesigned with a totally new look. He has dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, a new black racing jacket, and long black pants and boots.

His Bird Style is also redesigned similarly to Ken's, with same color tones like the original.

Personality

Joe is more headstrong compared to the rest of his teammates, and is always ready for a fight rather than to negotiate. He is willing to fight against overwhelming odds, and even launch the God Phoenix's missiles at the first sign of a threat. However, despite his cynical attitude and loner appearance, Joe is actually quite friendly deep down and likes being on the team.

He dedicates himself to the mission down to be willing to die if he has to destroy Galactor. By the end of the series, his drive to defeat the organization leads him to run away on his own against medical advice, seeing himself as living on borrowed time anyway due to learning that his illness will be fatal.

After his remodeling as a cyborg, Joe feels like a machine and uses his enhanced state and need to sacrifice as a way to put himself through dangerous situations that would kill a normal man, although he is prevented from taking down X in the II finale (which would have destroyed him, due to the bomb near his heart).

Cancelled Imagi Film Project

Joe was set to take on a lone wolf-like demeanor, marked by a frequently sarcastic and brooding disposition, and impulsive nature and willingness to handle everything on his own. He would have been introduced as a man out to track down and fight Galactor as well as other criminals on his own, and drive recklessly through the city.

Initially resistant to joining the Gatchaman team, he would have been pursued by both them and the ISO, and arrested and brought to their facility. While he continued to try to avert his "destiny" as a Gatchaman member, he would be compelled to embrace it after Dr. Nambu was abducted, realizing the team's need for his unique skills. He would be the final member of the squad, contrary to the classic anime, although this coincidentally mirrors the "Condor Flies!" light novel iteration of Joe.

Relationships

Dr. Nambu

Joe was rescued by Dr. Nambu, who faked his death. He is tolerant of Joe's temper, because he knew Joe's parents were killed by Galactor although not of the significant details of their assassination until much later.

It is said that upon his rescue of Joe, he insisted to the young boy: "Don't worry, you'll forget everything. No, you have been reborn. Nothing happened on this island. Nothing happened."

It is indicated that from the ages 13 to 18, Joe was trained by Nambu in the art of Science Ninja techniques, and was raised alongside others like Ken. However, there is very little detail on this period and it is not explored in the series proper.

Ken Washio

Joe and Ken tend to butt heads with each other over courses of action due to their differing personalities. However, Joe never wants to betray Ken or the rest of the team no matter how much they bicker, and the two are shown to have a closer bond deep down over the course of the series.

It is said in the "SF Roman" light novel as well as the first Fantastic TV Collection volume that the two first met when they were 8, with Ken expressing his dream to become a test pilot. They did not interact too much for the first two or three years of knowing each other, and it'd be remarked that even when they did meet, they barely got along. Joe felt that it was Ken that was trying to lose him, while he couldn't help but continue to stay interested; he was after all, jealous of the other boy's carefree nature, seeing how happy Ken could be even with his mother dead and that he at least still had hope that his father had survived somewhere. This situation continued until they were both ready to be trained by Dr. Nambu, after they turned 13 and Nambu had officially brought Ken into the household.

The two become closer in episode "Murder Music", and perform maintenance on their G Machines together. Ken began to understand Joe's temper when Ken himself went through the urge to pursue vengeance after the loss of his father, finding that Joe did not even agree with his tactics. He later helps Joe re-awaken his full childhood memories surrounding the death of his parents, which comes with the revelation that both were Galactor agents wanting to escape the organization. Ken also begins to show concern for Joe during signs of his brain injury, wondering why his performance on the team is slipping, leading the two to physically fight each other in their argument.

While Joe is on his last breaths at Cross Karakorum, he urges Ken and Jun to have a good life together and leave the battle.

Despite the fact that Dr. Nambu and the team accepted Joe as being dead (though they never did find his body), the signs of him having survived in Gatchaman II drive Ken's belief that he's still out there. This proves to be correct when Joe reveals himself as the mysterious protector to the team, although he keeps his cyborg state a secret from Ken until it's outed by Dr. Pandora.

Infini-T Force

The iterations of Ken and Joe in this series were separated from their native "Gatchaman" world, with Ken winding up in Emi's world while Joe was transported to the dark "Another Gatchaman World" where Dr. Nambu had become a power-hungry tyrant after using the Nexus to eliminate Galactor (who had killed Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu), and had killed that world's Ken for opposing him.

Ken and Joe would oppose each other over what to do with this alternate world's Nambu, with Ken wanting to spare him and see if he could be redeemed while Joe was intent on killing him. Although Joe would have seemed to win out in getting his revenge, he was shot to death by Agent Sasaoka. Ken would proceed to remain on this alternate world to fight as its only hero left.

Since the events of II and Fighter are not taken into account for the Infini-T Force media, and the war against Katse has gone on for six years, this Joe appears to have not suffered the brain injury that incapacitated him or the events that led to his death and rebirth as a cyborg (with the fact that he is killed by bullets here showing that he is just a mere human).

Lucy

In an early plot of a friendship outside the team and even potential romance, Joe reunites with an old friend named Lucy who he hasn't seen in five years. In this time, while Joe had become a Science Ninja Team member, Lucy had joined Galactor but had planned to betray them by winning a race and collecting 10 million in prize money as the payment for her to reveal their information.

In truth, Lucy didn't merely care about the money, but hoped for the ISO to eliminate Galactor so that she could take it over herself. She claimed to also be a top executive, and would want five of the bases for herself. She hoped to have Joe help her accomplish this, and even said he could rule together with her.

Unfortunately, X and Katse would be on to Lucy's plan through an electronic device in her brain, and it would be revealed that she had become a cyborg in the time she and Joe had went their separate paths. Lucy was prevented from giving up Galactor's location by the trigger in her brain being set, which caused her cybernetic identity to be revealed as she ran away and exploded, leaving only scrap metal behind. Though Ken and Jun could only write Lucy off as a cyborg who was single-minded in her goals, Joe would mourn a great racing partner who was corrupted by Galactor.

There is some incongruity and confusion created by dialogue about Lucy in the episode, where although she and Joe seem to recognize one another, Lucy mentions Galactor wouldn't be able to recognize her since she's changed her voice, her face, and body since leaving them. This could at least indicate she may have had a different appearance as a cyborg while in Galactor, although this is also a remnant of the original scenario draft for the story, where Joe and Lucy were meant to be complete strangers meeting for the first time (until the dialogue of them recognizing each other and "It's been five years" was added in revisions).

Even more incredulous to some viewers is the implication that Joe would have already been racing or operating any kind of car at the age of 13, with no license (unless he were in a special situation like Jinpei with his buggy license), and questions over whether or not Lucy would be the same age or older than him.

"Galactor's Traitor" scenario version

The original scenario for the episode, and its take on Lucy, was more overt in her romantic, if unstable, intent towards Joe, with her being obsessed with winning the race and longing for Joe to topple Galactor with her (which would have indeed presented her as more single-minded). The directions also indicate that while Lucy could look like an ordinary, lovely young woman when sweet towards Joe, her face would contort into hideous expressions and she'd look more "demonic" when angered and impatient with the race and obstacles.

The original final interaction would also have Lucy crying out Joe's name "with great passion" at seeing him leave, and there having been a building tension between the two; this would have been quickly undone by Lucy's brain device being activated as she'd try to tell him about the Galactor headquarters, and herthen running out and exploding. A more simplified takeaway from Ken and Jun about her being a cyborg would have already been there, along with Joe refusing to treat Lucy as a mere Galactor machine.

Due to the occasional treatment by Tatsunoko writers in which cyborgs and androids could be written interchangeably, it could even be questioned whether or not this early iteration of Lucy was meant to be a human that had been remodeled or just mechanical from the very start.

Devil Star #2

Joe rescued this young woman from her exploding car that she had wrecked on the race track. In a conversation with her, he learned that she also liked racing, and the two decided to meet at the track the next day.

Unfortunately enough for both of them, they wound up meeting later in the day as enemies but unaware of each others' identities, as Joe had to thwart the assassination plan by the Devil Stars. As he pinned Devil Star #2's rose bomb to her chest, her mask fell off but went unseen by him. She lamented that she was unable to leave Galactor due to having been born into it, and was looking forward to the race. Joe would wind up waiting at the track the next day, unaware why the girl he had met would never show up.

In the episode, there is a special significance to the rose bomb in it being what an older Devil Star had used as a weapon to attack Joe with in his youth, after having shot his parents. In Devil Star #2's conversation with the Lady Commander (Katse), we learn this weapon was a special technique of her mother, and thus her mother was the very Devil Star responsible for the Asakura assassination.

Although seemingly a one-off character, Devil Star #2 would be referenced again later in the series, when Joe sees a photo of the girl at his friend Alan's and learns from Alan that the girl was his fiancee. To Joe's further shock, he is told that she was part of Galactor due to her parents but had been killed by the Condor.

While the idea of Joe's parents having been Galactor agents was not yet set in Devil Star #2's debut, there was a parallel made with the two being the second-in-command of their respective teams fighting on opposite sides (and her mother being responsible for his parents' deaths). Due to the later decision made for Joe to have been a child of Galactor agents looking to rebel, this would provide a further tragic connection between their pasts.

Maya

A Galactor operative who longed to leave the organization, but couldn't due to the fact she was born into it by family. She was led to believe by the Lady Commander that if she succeeds in killing the Science Ninja Team, she would be allowed to go free.

She decided to bait a trap with her mannequin mechas and pretended to be an innocent civilian attacked by them, leading to Joe to rescue her and to be instantly taken by her beauty. Joe would later visit her in the hospital, only to find that the nurse attending to her had been turned to a mummy by the mecha.

The two would meet again during battle, with Maya in her Galactor uniform. Upon Maya's failure to take out the ninja team, Katse would reveal that he never had any intent of letting her leave alive at all and shot her. Her wig and mask fell off, exposing her to Joe as the girl he saved, and she would lament that she had no chance to be free like they would.

Alan

Joe's childhood friend on BC Island. The two were delinquent young boys that liked to gamble, steal, set fires, and fight, but after Joe's disappearance, Alan bettered himself when he was taken in by a priest and decided to become one as well. Alan vowed to help educate the other children of the island, in order to prevent them from going down a dark path and joining Galactor.

He correctly guessed that Joe had returned to the island to avenge his parents, but tried to explain the futility of revenge. Alan had also encountered more tragedy in that time, as it turned out that his fiancee was part of Galactor and was killed by a member of the Science Ninja Team. Alan would later show up with a rifle after a Galactor fight on the island, demanding to see the "Joe the Condor" who had killed her. Ken would attempt to take the blame and get the rifle aimed at him, but Joe shot Alan in self-defense, killing him instantly.

Yet in the end, Ken would reveal to Joe that the rifle was unloaded, leaving Joe to grieve that he had unnecessarily killed his old friend.

It is noted by some viewers that if Tatsunoko had intended Alan to be a Catholic priest, he would not have been able to marry. The writing matter may have been due to them treating Western religions such as branches of Christianity as interchangeable and not knowing better, though some may try to rectify this error by figuring Alan only officially took up priesthood after learning of his fiancee's death.

Meckel's Mother

In some plots of the series, the Science Ninja Team members bond with ordinary people outside the team in place of parental figures or friends. In this specific story, a young man named Meckel has an old, sickly mother plagued by an undisclosed illness, which caused difficulty in raising her son. Tired of living in poverty, Meckel joined Galactor, but ended up destroying his own neighborhood and furthering his mother's sickness and worry for her son.

Joe encountered the woman when he accidentally hit her with his car. While caring for her, he learned about her missing son, who unbeknownst to him turned out to be Meckel, the Science Ninja Team's latest enemy. Joe would come to fight against Meckel and though he spared his life, Meckel was arrested and may not actually get to see his mother again. Joe would have to part ways with the woman to continue his work as part of the Science Ninja Team, leaving a bittersweet and uncertain future ahead for her.

Dr. Rafael

Joe happened to be found by chance in Cross Karokoram by an ex-Galactor scientist known as Dr. Rafael, who carried him off and opted to convert him into a cyborg to save his life, curing his brain injury but also making him internally more of a machine than man. While Joe was grateful to be saved, this left him reliant on having to be repaired and upgraded by Rafael, who implanted him with a bomb that was constructed to take out X. Rafael's death later in the series left Joe with nobody to repair him further, leaving him to search for an alternative means of recharging his body.

Cathy

Another human remodeled into a cyborg by Rafael. She would meet Joe on his mission in Vesuvio City, and referred to herself as "his shadow". She had been ordered by Rafael to assist him there, and would reveal that she too was an orphan whose parents were killed by Galactor. While her true condition remained unknown to Joe for most of the plot, she could be seen to be as super-strong and fast as he was, culminating in him seeing exposed metal on one of her arms after she was scathed and learning the truth.

This very quick connection between the two would end in tragedy, as Cathy revealed she had to be the one to jump into the Vesuvio volcano with the anti-coagulation device, to sacrifice herself as Joe "was meant for better things" ahead. Even with such a brief meeting that lasted a day, Joe was shown to grieve heavily over her and question openly to Ken if it were really that possible to fall in love that fast.

Dr. Pandora

While suspicious at Pandora at first, especially thinking she could be a Galactor agent, Joe also held a deep respect and a buried attraction to her, even mentioning to Ken that he had a dream of her after her death. However, when Ken began to suggest that something could have developed between them had that not happened, Joe quieted him, telling him to forget about it.

Though all the team held respect for her and her beauty was enough to attract all the guys when they first saw her, it would seem that Joe in particular was meant to have the most feeling for her by writing intent. Ultimately, it would not go anywhere and like other romantic prospects, it can be said this was another case where Joe happened to have a doomed love.

Mako

Joe would encounter the grieving fiancee of the real Hawk Getz, with her being told by Galactor that Joe had killed Getz with his feather shuriken and them having sent her after him. Although Mako was antagonistic and would try to kill him, Joe would later get the chance to reveal to her that the actual Getz had died by Galactor's hands and that the one on Easton Island was a Galactor henchman that had impersonated him.

He would give Mako a pendant that Getz had for her as proof of their meeting, carrying out the true Getz' last wish. Mako was shown to be grateful for the gift and truth, though she would turn down Joe's offer to give her a ride back home (though he would bail her out by killing the Galactor agent that had hired her, and that was aiming to kill them both).

Mako would be the case of a rare young lady character that encounters Joe and there is no immediate romantic chemistry, due to her grieving and being on a mission to avenge her lover. She can also be seen to leave the plot alive on better terms with Joe, but perhaps with such luck coming from her not daring to fall for him (or him not having such interest in her).

Chinita

A Romani flamenco dancer who Joe encountered in Andalusia. She would shelter him from Galactor henchmen as well as her wicked boyfriend who wanted to turn in Joe for the reward money. Although a romantic tension would build between them, Chinita would meet her end violently due to Gel Sadra.

Bio

Gatchaman

For most of the series, Joe argued with Ken over the course of action to be taken in dealing with Galactor, with Joe considering brute force and overly-impulsive weaponry over strategy. But he later begins to warm up to Ken as a friend and as someone he can count on for the battle against Galactor. 

Near the end of the series, he discovers that he has incurable brain damage - sustained in an unspecified explosion - that will kill him in less than a week. With his body deteriorating, Joe attempts to locate Galactor's base and call the others. However when he does so, his communicator bracelet is destroyed by a gunshot. Unbeknownst to him, the signal was picked up by the surviving members of Red Impulse who have infiltrated Galactor, who proceed to repair it and message the rest of the team to give them Joe's location.

He fights the Galactor goons, but is eventually overpowered and shot several times due to being so weakened by this point. One member of the Galactor scientist group injects Joe with a drug that spikes his adrenaline, keeping him alive to watch Katse unfold his final plan. However, this drug also allows Joe to briefly fight Katse, but with great difficulty. He manages to escape and save Jun from other Galactor goons intent on killing her, as well as give the team the location of the headquarters. Ken reluctantly makes the decision to leave Joe behind to die, as the team can't spare any time to take him back for medical attention. He leaves his boomerang with Joe as a promise.

The remaining Science Ninjas manage to get into the base, but learn that there is no way to stop the Earth's destruction once it's started. However, after Katse's suicide and X's departure from Earth, the machine detonates and only winds up destroying itself. It's revealed that a feather shuriken Joe had thrown earlier in his fight with Katse had become stuck in the machine's gears, stopping its countdown at "002"- Joe's very number. After departing from the base and looking at the earthquake-ravaged landscape, they discover Joe's body missing, while Ken's boomerang is stuck in a rock, leaving Joe's ultimate fate unclear to them.

Gatchaman II

Joe, who was thought to be dead, turned up two years after his supposed death- first acting from the shadows before fully revealing himself. It is eventually revealed that he was revived through cybernetics by an ex-Galactor member, Dr. Rafael, who repaired the brain damage along with upgrading Joe's body to the point of him having super-strength and endurance. However, it is revealed that Joe must also recharge his cybernetics, as they only provide him with enough power for a limited amount of time.

Joe is later forced to receive a second cybernetic upgrade, and it is revealed that Rafael had implanted a bomb inside his heart, that will go off in the presence of X.

GATCHAMAN (OVA)

Light novel route: "Farewell! Condor"

Although the OVA version of Joe presumably survived the events of the last episode, this is not the case in the light novel version by Hideki Kakinuma which was based off early plans. The third novel's battle against Galactor significantly differs from the anime telling, particularly in what becomes of Joe; in this case, he is fatally shot by Berg Katse.

The epilogue involves Ken scouting a professional tennis player named Joseph, and approaching him with a new dangerous job offer to work for the ISO. We learn that Joe was secretly cloned and this clone was left to live a life as a normal man, though Ken wants the new Joe to have a second chance on the team. While Joseph does not know who Ken is or who the Science Ninja Team would even be, he finds the offer interesting and leaves with him.

Weapons and Arsenal

Abilities

Joe's position is in the back of the control room of The God Phoenix. He is usually the one to fire Bird Missiles and Super Bird Missiles. Also, he has learned how to fly The God Phoenix whenever Ryu and Ken are absent, although he is not as good at doing it as them.

Cybernetics (II and Fighter)

In the beginning of II, Joe is shown to be able to withstand lava and only receiving scratches, as well as his body being unaffected by electricity. This is explained by his skin having been augmented with a special polymer which makes it more durable, and was explained further in depth by the director Hiroshi Sasagawa in an Animage interview at the time of the cyborg reveal

"Simply put, his normal human being body is covered with a special transparent plastic polymer that can withstand heat. The polymer momentarily hardens when Joe tightens his entire body. It protects Joe's body and can withstand thousands of degrees of heat and electrical current."

Joe was also upgraded with a small energy tank supply in his heart, and a special device in his brain allows for optimal control over his entire body in addition to having repaired his brain damage. Other than that, his body would remain the same as an average human's.

However, after Joe would undergo another upgrade, more of his organics were replaced by metal and a micro-bomb designed to take out X was implanted by his heart.

Sasagawa would indicate that the discussions in deciding how Joe's cybernetics would work in the sequels were difficult, but had greatly involved the insight of the show's science fiction consultant, Rei Kosumi (who felt it was one day possible for humanity to have such advances in technology to create similar cyborgs).

Fighting Style

Joe's Condor style involves acrobatic movement while using projectile weaponry like his trademark feather shuriken, pistol fire, and thin wires.

Weapons

Feather Shuriken

Feather Shuriken: Joe's signature weapon, a white feather dart with a razor sharp tip, enough to kill a Galactor instantly when thrown. One of his favorite non-combat tricks with the shuriken is knocking down a matchbox from 100 meters away. These shuriken can fly at 60 meters per second and are strong enough to pierce iron.

Outside the program, the throwing of the shuriken is given a special technique name of Meteor Throw.

In Gatchaman Fighter, he was given an upgraded version of his shuriken with metal bladed tips that had rocket propulsion and could release concentrated knockout gas.

Upgraded Feather Shuriken

Condor Machine firing its Gatling gun

G-2 Mecha

 G-2: This is a high speed race car in the original series. It is based on a 1970's Nissan Skyline when its in civilian mode. Its main weapon is a 16mm Gatling gun referred to as "The Condor Machine", as well as having armored bulletproof shielding & incredible speed. In its transformed mode, it has the shape of a 1970's racing car; long & low with large tires. 

Condor Attacker: A high performance race car used in Gatchaman II. Armed with a Type 2 Bird Missile and equipment for subterranean missions. The Condor Attacker also had a hover mode for traveling on water and rough terrain. The Mecha was destroyed along with the New God Phoenix in Gatchaman Fighter

Condor Attacker

Gatcha Two: Joe's mecha in Gatchaman Fighter. A blue and white racecar armed with a gatling gun on the front, a concealed Bird Missile launcher and equipped with flight capability. The car is one of the five mechas that form the Gatchaspartan, forming the vertical stabilizer of the ship.

Gatcha Two

Appearances In Other Media

Yatterman (2008)

Joe briefly appeared walking down the street in episode 7, depicted in his civilian clothes from the original series and with a feather shuriken hanging out of his mouth. The "2" on his shirt was drawn backwards in the initial TV and streaming releases, but this error would be fixed for the home video version.

Joe would later appear in Bird Style, along with the rest of the team, in the hour-long special "Episode 12.5". He was then later depicted as part of a crowd scene in episode 24, though his shirt was depicted with a "G" on it rather than the 2.

Time Bokan: Royal Revival (1994)

Joe shows up with the rest of the team and Nambu in the flashback at Boyacky's restaurant. He is depicted in his Gatchaman II/Fighter clothing.

He later appears in-costume in the battle against Sailor Mun Mun, but leaves with Jinpei and Ryu due to all three being bored and having no dialogue.

Wonderful Tatsunoko Land (1999)

Joe showed up with the rest of the Science Ninja Team in their brief cameo in the special.

Video Games

Joe is a playable character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom.

Alterations in International Adaptations

This section below deals with various name changes, rewrites, or cases of censorship that Joe would undergo in foreign versions of Gatchaman.

Taiwan

Science Youth Flying Knights

Joe was renamed Dàmíng (大明), and his Bird Style changed to that of the Black Hawk.

South Korea

Eagle 5 Brothers

As part of the localization to Korean format, Joe was known as Changsu (창수) in the original dub done in 1979. This also extended to other Eagle 5 Brothers-branded manhwa in the 1980s.

A new translation of the first series for the 1990s would rename him Hyeog (혁), with the name carrying to the dubbing of the sequels as well. His birth name, as given in that redubbing, is revealed to be George Arthur (죠지 아서).

Compilation film of "Eagle 5 Brothers"

This version of Changsu does not appear to have undergone a cyborg surgery due to the simplified plot of the film leaving out the circumstances of his return and the Dr. Rafael story.

He appears to have some feelings for Yumi, showcased in a battle against Alector, but is also seen to whistle at the attractive Dr. Raquel (Pandora).

USA

Battle of the Planets (1978)

Joe's characterization underwent heavy revision in the first English adaptation of the series, with his name being changed to Jason. The backstory about Joe's parents was excised entirely, leaving him with no apparent personal grudge against the enemy. Jason is merely an orphan of unknown circumstances, although presumably with a happier upbringing than Joe's. Jason is also once stated to be taking classes in junior college, while Joe has nothing of the sort.

Instances of Joe being physically violent and roughing up or outright killing goons were also removed, although 7-Zark-7 does describe Jason as a "hothead" and too impulsive. Zark also claims that Jason resents Mark's leader position and wishes to take over command, in contrast to how Joe respected Ken as leader even if they didn't get along. In addition, dialogue in "The Mecha Ball Runs Wild" was also heavily altered in its BOTP equivalent to actually have Jason suggest wanting to take over the team, confirming Zark's summary of the character.

Jason seems to be depicted as more defeatist than the original Joe at times where Joe's dialogue would have him less willing to give up. Some sexism and condescension towards Princess and Keyop is also present where there was originally none, with him insisting the two stay behind due to being a woman and child, only for Princess to quip that he should be left behind instead.

Some episodes that brought up Joe's illness did make it into this adaptation, although his condition is either unexplained or handwaved away by Zark as simply being stress-related. The fight between Joe and Ken in the Hebi-Cobra episode was also edited away, with Mark and Jason having been said to have gotten into an argument over their places on the team (although both looking beat up). Due to the anachronical way of adapting episodes, the "Invasion of Space Center" two-parter is meant as the finale, and one can assume Jason experienced no further difficulties with his health.

As with other members of G-Force, Jason is stated to have "cerebonic implants" that are responsible for his high martial arts skill. These implants are not delved into much more, but it is said the G-Force teenagers have had these since birth (though "cerebonic" would imply something to do with their brain,and the possible location of such devices).

G-Force: Guardians of Space (1987)

This second English adaptation had the character renamed to Dirk Daring. His characterization was a little closer to the original, although his backstory was initially toned down, with Dirk stating his parents were almost killed by Galactor and the flashback of their deaths removed. However, the backstory was reinstated in a later episode towards the end of the run. Some fans attempt to rationalize this by figuring that Dirk's parents were repeated targets of assassination by the organization they were attempting to leave, although inconsistencies in the G-Force dub due to oversights in scripting tended to happen and this was merely a case where it became difficult to edit away such a detail entirely.

An earlier G-Force pitch pilot, pre-Fred Ladd involvement, retained the "Jason" name from "Battle of the Planets", but this version was passed over and little is known about how his character may have been altered.

Although his Bird Style is not brought up in the episodes' dialogue, the opening equates Dirk to having "the eye of an Eagle".

Eagle Riders (1996)

This version of the character is named Joe Thax. As Saban only adapted the sequels and not the original Gatchaman, all viewers know is that Joe had went missing in action years earlier and was presumed dead, only to be modified and become "part-cyborg". He is later given a bomb in his heart, but unlike the original Joe, is stated to have had it removed after the defeat of Mallanox (Gel Sadora).

Joe is often given internal monologues in place of a narrator, as well as with other characters at times. Due to the removal of the old Gatchaman theme, his whistling that Hunter recognizes is to the tune of "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again".

Joe Thax's Bird Style in this adaptation is stated to be the "Falcon", rather than that of the Condor.

Some countries that had previously distributed their own uncut dubs of Gatchaman or of previous English reversioning would wind up airing straight dubs of this version as well, carrying over Joe Thax to other languages. In the Italian version, his Bird Style stays the Condor and he is merely "Joe".

Italy

This country would be an unusual case where its Gatchaman: Battaglia dei Pianeti series was mainly based off Battle of the Planets, giving the character a similar personality and rewrites to that of Jason even if he was still called by his original name of Joe.

Since it also included the Gatchaman episodes that Sandy Frank did not translate, viewers would wind up seeing this Joe also amount to a tragic fate by the end. The sequels were then translated without having to be based off of any pre-existing version.

France

While France's dub of the first series was required to use Battle of the Planets as a base, this character's name was not given as Jason but he was renamed Thierry (after his voice actor Thierry Bourdon).

In the compilation movie dub of Gatchaman II, which was translated as an uncut production, the character's name was given as Joe.

Voice Actors

Isao Sasaki was Joe's original voice actor, and also provided the voice clips for the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom game. The brief appearance of Joe as a child in episode 78 had his vocals provided by Kazuko Sugiyama.

As the OVA remake was an entirely new setting, Joe was recast with Koji Ishii in the role instead.

Similarly with the Infini-T Force movie, we are treated to another version of Joe. This leaves him to be voiced by Kazuma Suzuki.

English Adaptations

• Battle of the Planets: Ronnie Schell (series), David Jolliffe ("Attack of the Space Terrapin")
• G-Force: Guardians of Space: Cam Clarke (Sparklin Entertainment), Unknown (episodes 39 and 40), Barbara Goodson (childhood, episode 78), Barry Stoltze (Media360 Group pilot)
• Eagle Riders: Bryan Cranston
• OVA: Richard Cansino (1997 Harmony Gold dub), Brian Jepson (redub)
• ADV/Sentai dub of first series and movie: Brian Jepson, Luci Christian (childhood, episode 78)
• Infini-T Force movie: Griffin Puatu

Trivia

• There is debate and speculation over just how much time exactly may pass in the original Gatchaman franchise (when considering the out-of-universe airing of the show, or some events within the series itself seeming to reflecting time with Galactor's first war being said to have spanned "a year and 10 months"). This in turn would affect the interpretation of Joe's age in the sequels, which start two years after the original. No official age settings were given beyond the first series, leaving some to assume Joe would start off 20 in Gatchaman II, if not keeping the "real time" factor of the original series in mind.
  • In calculating age vs. what's known of some time passage in the original show and sequels, Joe would start his adventure at age 18 and be at least 20 by the end of the first series (depending on when his birthday may fall). Adding two years on for Gatchaman II would make him at least 22, and a year added through that series and through the events of Gatchaman Fighter would bring him to at least 24. This would also be the age of his counterpart in Infini-T Force, though that Joe lacking cybernetics and the war against Galactor only seeming to have Katse as the enemy would indicate that it is not connected to the original continuity.
  • However, as Tatsunoko does not give specific official age settings for the sequels, viewers have tended to assume that the Science Ninja Team were left deliberately "ageless" or there being ambiguity as to how much time even passed for them to start.
  • A popular fanon birthday for Joe picked out in the Japanese fandom as far back as the 1970s, but which is not official by Tatsunoko, is November 15th, making him a Scorpio.

• Joe's original name would later inspire the pen name of the manga artist George Asakura.
• Though he was intended as the team's foreigner/Western type character and only described as Italian in the original settings (compared to the rest being Japanese or Jun as a hafu and "Japanese and American"), some modern sources (as well as Gatchaman being futuristic) opt to explain away Joe and his parents having a Japanese surname like Asakura by describing him as an Italian of Japanese descent. This may stem from the planning for a discarded remake/requel project (see below).
• While it may initially be assumed by some that Dr. Nambu may have come up with the name of "Joe" himself for George, the Joji notation is important to remember along with the fact that Episodes 78 and 81 reveal the Joe nickname to be pre-existing; Joe's parents are heard to yell "Joe!" in his flashbacks about their death, and Alan refers to his younger self as "Bad Boy Joe".
• In the first series itself, it is not directly stated what injury has led to Joe's fatal brain damage other than the doctor saying it was an "old injury". The movie and Gatchaman II clarify that it came from the rose bomb incident in his youth, while the Polydor Laserdisc set for the first series assumes that it stemmed from the events of episode 20 and counts it as such on their story chart (The Gatchaman radio drama having adapted that episode may also lead to that theory).
• The South Korean manhwa Comic Crazy Arcade Offline Battle (코믹 크레이지 아케이드 오프라인 배틀) by the author Hyunbo Yang Seon-mo, adapts from the online RPG game Crazy Arcade but includes various historical figures and existing characters from other authors' works in its worldview; these copyrighted characters have their true identities shielded but alluded to within the text. In this series, the Coach at the hero school turns out to have been a past hero whose team has long since died of old age but he has remained young due to being a cyborg. He uncovers the fact that the principal of the school, Chairman X, is actually his old enemy, and confronts him. While this reference may be lost on some readers, a conversation between two Crazy Arcade characters name-drops the "Eagle 5 Brothers", indicating the Coach is intended to be a future version of the Condor.

Development Period

• Joe's name in early republished character settings for the series was given as Joe Takano (鷹野ジョー) with his surname meaning "falconry" and related to one who raises hawks, as well as being a pun of taka no joe; "Joe the Hawk". He was to be the third member of the team (rather than second-in-command), and he was described as being illiterate with a class A racing license and skilled in indirect murder. Joe's parents were described to have been murdered by a gang, and he would be into gambling and gardening besides his race job, having a dream to be a florist and own a landscaping business someday. He was also outright described as Italian and being from Sicily. By the final planning documents, however, Joe Asakura became merely a racer, the second-in-command (although the "3" remained in settei), and while still intended of Italian descent his birthplace was now given as the fictional "BC Island".
• An even earlier planning document, showcased in Mandarake Zenbu issue 45, has the third-in-command of the team listed under the name Daijo Takano (鷹之代錠 Takano Daijo). It would seem in this setting, the character was meant as a Japanese boy until being decided as the foreigner of the team instead. The "Jo" kanji would still carry through some planning materials for his name, and was even witnessed in the first episode's script. The name for this prototypical Joe seemed to have been inspired from Nikkatsu Action's famous actor Jo Shishido (宍戸錠), as well as the district of Takanodai (鷹の台) where Tatsunoko's first studio was located. Voiced out in Eastern name order, the name would sound similar to "Daijo the Hawk" or "Takanodai Jo".
• Joe originally being meant as #3 carried over to a brief blooper in the fourth episode, where his shirt was mistakenly depicted with a "3" instead of "2". The clover flower from his settei also was reflected in a brief shot in "The Mecha Ball Runs Wild".
• The character planning chart by Satoshi Suyama has a note that Joe should be modeled after the American actor Steve McQueen, with the racer profession likely being part of the inspiration. Character-wise, the novel character of Monjiro Kogarashi wound up influential as well, with a feather shuriken taking the place of the long toothpick that Kogarashi would hold in his mouth and use as a weapon. Kogarashi was also depicted as a nihilistic wanderer, which was also applied to Joe.
• While all characters may have their own specific design interpretations by different animators, Joe is particularly infamous through the original series of having an inconsistent look. This is down to the point where animation director Tsuneo Ninomiya had stated that he preferred to model his take on Joe after the actor Jack Palance .
• An early watercolor concept illustration by Ippei Kuri depicted Joe with outright blond hair, further giving him a "foreign" look, though subsequent painted art by Kuri would vary in color choices; either depicting him with tanner skin and dark brown/red hair, or as pale with blond or brown hair.

Apocryphal Sequel and Remake Plans

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman 2 (rejected II draft)

Note: The exact date of this planning is unknown, as it was not given in the republished information present in the LD-BOX set. There are sometimes assumptions that it may hail from 1976 due to a reference of the previous show having been broadcast two years ago, but that could also refer to a rebroadcasting period. It appears that the document was produced sometime after Tatsuo Yoshida's death, as contemporary accounts of II seem to treat this planning as having happened in a short window before the better-known one. The planning staff who helmed this pitch are uncredited, only listed as the group credit "The Tatsunoko Planning Room".

• These abortive plans for a Gatchaman sequel had Joe slated to be revived as an enemy to the team and named "The Space Joker". A headshot drawn by Ippei Kuri shows the Space Joker to wear a skin-tight black mask concealing his face, while his familiar hairstyle is exposed. The Space Joker poses as a mysterious obstacle to the team, often showing up to give more trouble in fights against Galactor or even helping the sub-leader escape. He rides a flying black condor-themed mecha known as the Condora, and throws black feather shuriken. It is revealed that X had retrieved Joe's body from Cross Karakorum upon his departure from Earth, taking him away to a distant planet and opting to mold him into one of his new operatives for his next attempt at conquest. Joe was remodeled into a cyborg, which came with the cost of amnesia. The intent was for Joe/Space Joker to be a mysterious, more villainous "Red Impulse" type presence for the team, until his backstory would come into play.
• Meanwhile, Dr. Nambu would introduce a young teenage boy named Jack to the rest of the Science Ninja Team, who would take on the codename of G-6, with his Bird Style being debated as the "Hawk" or "Falcon" depending on translator choice. Nambu keeps Jack's true identity secret from the team, in that he is actually the long-lost younger brother of Joe (which would have created a bit of a retcon and some way of any writers having to explain Jack's absence in the original series, as Joe Asakura was described as an only child in episode 81 and there was no other indications of the Asakura couple having other children). Jack would wear a Bird Style nearly identical to his older brother's, but keeps his connection to G-2 a secret from the rest of the team, wishing to prove his worth on his own terms than be treated as "Joe's brother". The planning document states that a climactic battle with the Space Joker would free Joe from his brainwashing and restore his memories. The Space Joker would secretly act as more of an outright Red Impulse/Masked Racer-like figure from the shadows, who would now appear in desperate times to save the Science Ninja Team from peril against Galactor, but his ultimate fate and the general endgame would still be unknown.

New Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1978)

• The initial document for a greenlit pitch that would become Gatchaman II has a setting similar to what viewers would eventually see, though with its own differences: A Dr. Einstein retrieved Joe's body from Karakorum, and transferred the man's residual thoughts and memories to an android. This android Joe, though equated to being more of a mecha than man internally, carries Joe's passion to defeat Galactor but operates on limited time; Einstein controls him through the fact that Joe is reliant on energy from the doctor, and has implanted Joe with the Micro Space Bomber. Knowing that he is a mere android, this Joe knows that once he carries out his mission to destroy X, any trace of "Joe Asakura" will be gone for good. Later Gatchaman II documents would greatly revise these plans, and it being clarified that Joe was remodeled as a cyborg instead (although the mid-series upgrade would seem to bring Joe in line to being "more mecha than man" internally, and also wind up being where the Micro Space Bomber gets installed).
• The above early setting of "android copy Joe" did mistakenly make it into several anime encyclopedias published by Keibunsha from 1979 to 1982, where in describing Gatchaman II, they listed Joe as an android created in his image and implanted with his memories. This mistake was finally corrected in the 1984 edition of the All Anime Encyclopedia. The reference to "android Joe" also appears in a summary of Gatchaman II in Akimoto Bunko's TV Anime Complete Works .
• The initial plan for New Gatchaman/Gatchaman II that carried through the documents was that it would be a much shorter sequel of 26 episodes. The intent was for Jun to find out Joe's secret midway through the series, and keep it until his true nature would be revealed to the rest towards the end. Hiroshi Sasagawa and other staff had also intended a romance between Joe and Jun to develop. The high ratings early in the run caused Fuji TV to extend the series to a full year, necessitating a rework and the creation of Dr. Pandora, who would be the one to reveal Joe's cyborg state to the team.
• An early character design of Joe intended for Gatchaman II, which appears in some books like Gatchaman Material, shows him to wear a black leather racing jacket over his original "2" shirt and sporting a long pair of black boots. This was rejected in favor of Joe receiving a redesigned "2" shirt, as well as a belt with a "G" on it (for George).

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (remake)

• In this "requel" taking place after the first series, Joe is remodeled by Dr. Rafael as before. He sees himself as not a human, but a weapon to defeat Galactor. In his settings, BC Island is described as an island belonging to the actual country of Italy, and that Joe is of Italian nationality but of mixed-race descent (Japanese Italian). He would have his original G-2 mecha instead of the Condor Attacker, though it may have been redesigned to adapt with the changing times. Like the rest of the team, he has no awareness that their new mentor Director Drake is actually the daughter of Dr. Rafael.