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Gatchaman Crowds

Gatchaman Crowds (ガッチャマンクラウズ Gatchaman Kurauzu) is a 2013 television anime series that is very loosely based on the 1972 anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, using the name of "Gatchaman" and the bird motif while ignoring all other aspects from the original.

The series consists of two seasons total:

  1. Gatchaman Crowds (2013-07-12 - 2013-09-27)
  2. Gatchaman Crowds Insight (2015-07-05 - 15-09-26)

Both series are directed by Kenji Nakamura at Tatsunoko Production (the studio that also produced the original series).

In addition to the announcement of a second season, a movie was also considered by Tatsunoko and NTV but was never greenlit[1].

Overview[]

The planning of Crowds started sometime in 2011, as part of a Gatchaman revival initiative by Tatsunoko that would also include the live-action movie as well as the Flash shorts of Good Morning Ninja Team Gatchaman.

In developing the series, Nakamura remembered being told that there were some basic rules such as that it had to be about a transforming hero, but that he could otherwise do whatever he wanted. He opted to focus on the social aspects inherent in the series:

I wanted to give it an intensity that would be suitable for modern times. Hollywood movies sometimes take up social issues and make them into entertainment, but why don't we do it? Rather than making it an exciting or jokey work, we wanted to make it for modern Japanese people.[2]

The Tohoku Earthquake wound up pivotal to the planning, as Nakamura would relate how difficult and confusing it was to trust social media messages with all the conflicting information after the disaster. This would influence the whole focus on the power of the internet and technology in society.

With so much information flying around on SNS, I didn't know whose opinion to believe. I realized that I didn't have the ability to make decisions. The words came out all over me, and I thought, "This is what Japanese people are like.'' However, there is no need for despair right now, and I want to be positive. It may be irresponsible, but I can imagine the future as a fantasy. I thought it would be a hint for how to live. I want to depict a world with hope.

The protagonist in early planning was to also be Sugane Tachibana, until Nakamura realized “From now on, won’t the ones improving society be women?”,and Hajime Ichinose was created and added to personify a more modern hero. While the character designer Kinako initially gave Hajime a suit reminiscent of the classic Bird Style (and her original number was "G-6", vs. the final "G-101"), it was ultimately decided to go with suits that wouldn't be conscious of the original designs, but that Nakamura would claim would make each of the team stand out and have the impression of each being a main character. The bird mark of the original was retained as the G-Suit symbol, and there was an attempt to also put some sort of "feather" detail somewhere in each suit.

Summary of Seasons[]

Gatchaman Crowds[]

The story takes place in the early summer of 2015, and is set in the city of Tachikawa, Japan, a "second metropolis" of Tokyo. Tachikawa is populated by people known as Gatchaman, who are warriors that fight in special reinforced suits powered by living beings called NOTE. In recent years, the council has appointed the Gatchaman Crew (G-Crew ) to fight the mysterious entity known as MESS . However, a greater menace known as Berg Katze , an eccentric alien determined to bring Earth's destruction, emerges.

A perky and eccentric young girl named Hajime Ichinose is the one to motivate the other Gatchaman and provide her own unique solutions to confronting these problems, while another individual named Rui Ninomiya has created the AI X that will soon become a target for Katze.

Gatchaman Crowds insight[]

A year has passed since the "Tachikawa Incident" in summer 2015. CROWDS , the system that turns the mentality of humans into physical form that Berg Katze gave to Rui Ninomiya after extracting his NOTE, has spread among the public. Prime Minister Sugayama backs the plan, but not everyone agrees with his policy. A mysterious organization known as VAPE attacks Sugayama's vehicle, marking the start of a series of new conflicts.

A new Gatchaman known as Tsubasa Misudachi joins the team, though her own stubborn views may make for even more complication especially when an alien named Gel Sadra also arrives.

Episodes[]

Season One
Episode Title
1. Avant-garde
2. Asymmetry
3. Futurism
4. Kitsch
5. Collaboration
6. Originality
7. Abjection
8. Genuine
9. Forgery
10. Crowds
11. Gamification
12. Collage
12. Embrace (Directors Cut, home video only)

Gatchaman Crowds insight (Season Two)[]

0. Inbound

  1. Contact Point
  2. Penetration
  3. Launch
  4. 2:6:2
  5. Halo Effect
  6. Engagement
  7. Outbound
  8. Cluster
  9. Opt-out
  10. Seeds
  11. Trade-off
  12. Insight

Trivia[]

  • "Gamification" and "Collage" were edited and truncated for the broadcast release, as Tatsunoko had difficulty completing animation deadlines for the latter (portions of "Collage"were thus pasted into "Gamification", which then decided to have its first half be recap segments with narration by characters about Hajime). The Blu-Ray release contains the full director's cut version of the final episode as a separate feature, with all sequences animated and it providing more clarification to some plot points that were left hanging. Unfortunately, Sentai Filmworks' US release does not include the full version of the finale due to the rights being unable to be negotiated.

References[]

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
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