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Ryu Nakanishi
Ryu
Kanji

中西竜

Characteristics
Race

Human

Gender

Male

Age

17 (Gatchaman), 25 (OVA)

Height

170cm

Weight

80kg

Hair Color

Brown

Eye Color

Black

Occupation

Yacht Harbor Manager

Personal Status
Status

Active

Relatives

Matsuzo Nakanishi (Father), Seiji Nakanishi (Younger Brother)

Voice Actor

Shingo Kanemoto, Fumihiko Tachiki

First Appearance
Anime Debut

Gatchaman Versus Turtle King

Ryu Nakanishi, also known as G-5: Ryu the Horned Owl, is the Science Ninja Team's pilot of the God Phoenix, New God Phoenix and Gatchaspartan.

Among the team, Ryu is the only member who has living family members; his father and younger brother Seiji. A mother is also briefly mentioned in the original series and his profile, though she is never seen in any of the works.

Background[]

Little is known about Ryu's history prior to joining the team, although an article in Fantastic Graphics TV Anime Collection volume 3 claims that he was among the last to be enlisted by Dr. Nambu. Years prior to the start of the first series, a 13-year old Ryu and other young men from the fishing village assisted Dr. Nambu and his research team that came to their location. At that time, Nambu's boat was caught in a whirlpool and Ryu helped rescue him, although he couldn't save the luggage and equipment. Nambu would be nursed back to health at the Nakanishi home and in exchange for his gratitude, Ryu requested to go to Utoland City, wanting to at least see it once in his lifetime even if it meant leaving his family behind. He was set up with his job in the city and taken care of by the ISO, and would be offered to join the Science Ninja Team due to his oceanic expertise. He accepted, taking on the role of the Horned Owl.

However, the above information can be considered dubious, as it was presented as part of an in-character interview with the writer unknown (although it is possible that the director Hisayuki Toriumi may have had input, as some information in the roundtable matches up with other passages he had written about the series' worldview in SF Roman and the first volume).

When not working as part of the team, Ryu manages a yacht harbor and has the God Phoenix secretly stored beneath the water there, although he does not get very many customers at the business and often naps there from boredom.

OVA Version[]

This counterpart of Ryu is mentioned in the light novels to be biracial, in being half-Japanese, half-Aboriginal Australian. He grew up in Australia near the Great Barrier Reef, and spent a year enrolled in the Ocean Rescue Command program.

Appearance[]

Ryunakanishi

Ryu Nakanishi

Ryu is a large, heavily-built and somewhat overweight young man with shoulder length, messy brown hair. It is said that most of his bulk is actually muscle, giving him a build much like that of a sumo wrestler.

His cilivian clothing usually consists of a green-and-yellow t-shirt with the number "5" on it, as well as khaki pants. In the sequels, he wears a green crew-neck t-shirt with the "5" on it, though his pants are still khaki-colored.

His owl-themed Bird Style is colored brown, and he wears deep gray gloves and boots. The feathered cape is colored green, with deep red trim on the inside. Ryu's owl-like helmet is green with yellow eye markings, an orange beak piece, and it has a lavender-colored visor that's flatter and smaller than the ones that can be seen on the other team members.

OVA[]

Ryu was given a major redesign in the OVA series; his skin is deeply tanned and he wears his hair in an odd sort of ponytailed mohawk, with it being dyed purple on the sides and bleached blond on top. He wears surfer clothing in his civilian outfit, though has a "5" necklace to denote him being the fifth member of the team.

His Bird Style suit is now primarily a deep green with gold accents to it.

The profile for this version of Ryu also states that he is 25 years old and the oldest member of the team, as opposed to the original Ryu, who was only 17.

Cancelled Imagi Film Project[]

Ryu's costumed and civilian designs varied a lot through the animation tests and concept art, with some depicting him as the largest and tallest of the team and being quite heavy yet muscular, while the last movie teaser depicted him with a much more slender figure (although still noticeably thicker when compared to the other four members).

In particular, his Bird Style was initially depicted as a green armored suit similar in inspiration to the NTT commercials, but with his pieces of armor and belt being bulkier compared to the other four team members. Later concept art by Charlie Wen had his suit more in a style like the OVA version, but only in shades of green. The final Bird Style concept by Tohru Patrick Awa, depicted in the last teaser, seemed to be patterned more after his original costume but in a green and gold color scheme (ala the OVA). It also contained visible seams and a raised, 3D bird emblem.

Ryu's civilian fashion did not change too drastically between the renders that were exhibited for him; in both known designs, he wore a pale green, button-down shirt with darker green sleeves and trim. It would have a contrasting orange patch on his left breast, and a green "05" emblazoned on the back. Ryu would also wear a pair of darker green, bermuda-style shorts and a pair of bright orange sneakers. His hair was short and brown but somewhat shaggy in style, though the later renders would change it to be much shorter and closely-cropped. His shirt would also gain a darker green hood in the later render, making it more of a hoodie.

Personality[]

Ryu is much more laid-back than the rest of the Science Ninja Team and at first could not care too much about the fight against Galactor, usually staying at G-5 until ordered to by Dr. Nambu. Sometimes he even complains about it, especially the fact that he initially rarely got to fight and had to stay behind on the God Phoenix. But even then, Ryu never wants to abandon or quit the team, especially when he learns that the team really does not want him to leave in spite of his flaws.

He is physically strong, as well as heavily empathetic and optimistic, making him a foil to a more cynical figure like Joe. Though he's usually easy-going, it's possible for him to get a bit arrogant and have a violent temper when provoked. Though it does not come up much in the series, Ryu is also versatile with marine sports, owing back to his family being affiliated with fishing and the yacht harbor.

In some cases, Ryu can be seen sleeping when bored, which gets him into trouble in one episode when he sleeps through a Galactor attack when the rest of the team are trying to contact him to join the fight.

Weapons and Arsenal[]

Fighting Style[]

Ryu's style of Science Ninja fighting focuses mainly on brute strength, to which Ryu possesses an incredible amount of, able to grab an enemy's ship with his bare hands or to body-slam goons. While he hardly takes out weapons on the goons, Ryu will use them if necessary.

Piloting[]

Ryu, with his maritime background, is the Science Ninja Team's best pilot. He is able to have the God Phoenix use special maneuvers, even underwater. The other team members have only piloted The God Phoenix in air, but he offered to give Joe more practice after Joe piloted The God Phoenix by himself and saved their lives.

Weapons[]

Harpoon Gun: A small spear gun that Ryu uses in case his fists are not enough to defeat an enemy.

Gripper: A green elastic rubber rope coated with some unknown form of adhesive. The Gripper is Ryu's primary weapon during Gatchaman II.

Owl Sickle: Ryu's weapon in Gatchaman Fighter. A metal kusarigama with a weight on the

Owl Sickle

Owl Sickle (Holster Mode)

end used for melee attacks.

Owl Sickle in use

Ryu using the Owl Sickle to bind a Galactor Wrestler Corpsmen

G-5 Mecha[]

God Phoenix

Horned Tank: An armored amphibious tank equipped with missile turrets, guns and submarine propellers in the rear for undersea travel. Ryu's primary vehicle during Gatchaman II. It was destroyed along with the New God Phoenix in Gatchaman Fighter.

Horned Tank

Horned Tank


Gatcha Five: Ryu's mecha in Gatchaman Fighter. A yellow and white bulldozer mech with two clawed robot arms and rockets for flight. Armed with lasers and two missile launchers hidden behind the bumper. One of the five mechas that form the Gatchaspartan, it becomes the main engine,rear wheels,and rear wings of the ship.

Gatcha Five

Gatcha Five (front)

Gatcha Five 02

Gatcha Five (Rear)

Appearances in Other Media[]

Yatterman (2008)[]

Ryu first appears with the rest of the team in "Episode 12.5", but has no dialogue. He and the others fight to stop the Doronbo Gang from stealing a ring.

He later makes a cameo in a crowd scene in episode 24, and appears yet again in another crowd shot in episode 25. Both these cameos use his design from the first series.

Time Bokan: Royal Revival (1994)[]

Ryu, in his Gatchaman II/Fighter design, appears with the rest of the team and Nambu at Boyacky's restaurant but then leaves without paying (as with the others).

He then shows up for the battle against Sailor Mun Mun, but leaves due to being bored and not getting to have any dialogue. The God Phoenix is shown taking off, leaving Ken and Jun behind.

Wonderful Tatsunoko Land (1999)[]

Ryu and the other four Science Ninja Team members made a brief appearance in the special.

Alterations in International Adaptations[]

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

South Korea[]

Eagle 5 Brothers[]

Ryu was renamed Yongmin in the initial dub of the first series, though a 1990s redub of it and the dubbing of the ensuing sequels would give him the name Yong.

Compilation film of "Eagle 5 Brothers"[]

He is also named Yongmin in this movie version. A notable scene has him and Cheol bantering over who'd be the fourth-most popular of the team, with Yongmin insisting that people would like his body type while Cheol believes that such a fat body these days would mean a lack of exercise. Yongmin winds up placing as #4 on the popularity poll anyway, to his delight and Cheol's frustration.

USA[]

Battle of the Planets (1978)[]

This counterpart of Ryu is known as Tiny Harper. While Harper could be assumed to be a surname, the double-name given is due to early scripts simply naming him Harper, and "Tiny" being added on as an ironic jab about him being anything but small. Thus, although he is mainly called Tiny, his full name would be unknown.

Tiny is an orphan, unlike Ryu, with any appearances of his father and brother changed to be a pair of unrelated characters: Captain Jack and Jack's son Tommy. They are said to have known Tiny's family, though, with Captain Jack having been a friend of his deceased father.

As with the original, Tiny is portrayed as the comic relief-type of guy, although his weight is explained as being from his great love for "Space Burgers", and he is shown constantly eating them in the "Ready Room" filler animations. Tiny will enjoy as many as five or ten of these burgers, and will be upset if a place doesn't carry them on the menu (such as Jill's bar).

Like the other four members of G-Force, Tiny 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 series had him renamed Hoot Owl ("Hooty" for short), directly referencing his Bird Style theme. His personality was a little closer to the original Ryu, and his family was retained, although his brother's name was inconsistent; the child was named Rodney in his first appearance in episode 26, only to be renamed Sonny in episode 75.

An earlier pitch pilot of G-Force that was not produced by Fred Ladd, however, had given Ryu the name of Quintin, and Seiji was renamed Timmy.

Eagle Riders (1996)[]

In this adaptation, the Gatchaman II and Fighter version of Ryu is known as Ollie Keeawani. Rather than a father and younger brother, Ollie has an older brother named John and a nephew named Benji that he must keep his secret from. John has trouble with getting a job due to being constantly fired, while Benji looks up to Ollie.

Of the five Eagle Riders, Ollie is the only character whose Bird Style correctly aligns with the original (as it would be difficult to claim he's anything besides an owl).

While most dubs of this version carry over the Ollie name, the Italian release reverted his name to being Ryu.

Italy[]

Gatchaman: Battaglia dei Pianeti, while sourcing from Battle of the Planets for most of its dub of the first series, reverted to the character's original name of Ryu.

France[]

La Bataille des Planetes, in being based off the first English version, has this character referred to as Allumette ("matchstick"), as a similar ironic nickname to that of "Tiny".

The Gatchaman II compilation film dub has its counterpart of Ryu renamed Roland.

Voice Actors[]

Ryu was voiced by Shingo Kanemoto in the original franchise. However, Kanemoto passed away in 1992, and the OVA series utilized a more modern batch of voice actors, casting Fumihiko Tachiki in that role

English Adaptations[]

  • Battle of the Planets: Alan Dinehart (series), Ronnie Schell ("Attack of the Space Terrapin" pilot)
  • G-Force: Guardians of Space: Gregg Berger (Sparklin Entertainment, pilots and episodes #1-60), Jan Rabson (episodes #61-84), Doug Paul (Media360 Group pilot)
  • Eagle Riders: Paul Schrier
  • OVA: Richard Epcar (Harmony Gold 1997 dub), Victor Carsrud (redub)
  • ADV/Sentai dub of original series and movie: Victor Carsrud

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • There 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 like Galactor's war taking "a year and 10 months"). This in turn would affect the interpretation of Ryu'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 Ryu would start off 19 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, Ryu would start his adventure at age 17 and be at least 19 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 21, and a year through the series and then through Gatchaman Fighter would bring him to 23.
    • However, the above is only speculative as there were no official updated age settings by Tatsunoko for the sequels, and even the first series does not seem to treat the characters as getting any older with dialogue in certain episodes. This is due to the first series having not been planned out as long as it ran, as well as viewers figuring Tatsunoko made the characters "ageless" or opted to leave any aging up to interpretation.
    • A popular fanon birthday for Ryu picked out in the Japanese fandom as far back as the 1970s, but which is not official by Tatsunoko, is March 20th, making him a Pisces.
  • Although the original dub of the OVA otherwise remains faithful in story, it was done during a period where anime characters' names could still be heavily localized. Thus, Ryu was renamed Rocky the Owl.
  • A later, pitched design for Ryu intended for Gatchaman II depicts him as wearing the same "5" shirt as the first work, but now also wearing a brown jacket and a green beanie hat. This outfit never appeared in the series itself, and he instead received a redesigned number shirt.
  • While Ryu's Bird Style is specifically the Giant Scops Owl, aka the Horned Owl (mimizuku), some anime data books in the '70s through '80s that acknowledge Gatchaman may ignore the mimizuku specification and refer to him instead as Fukuro no Ryu (フクロウの竜), only seeing him as "owl".

Development Period[]

  • Ryu was initially to be the fourth member of the team, and appears with a "4" on his shirt in early concept art. His full name was also Ryu Washio (鷲尾竜) in the earliest plans, suggesting that he was to patterned after an eagle (possibly the Oowashi/Steller's Sea Eagle, to go with the name pun) instead of an owl. He was also 16 years old, leaving his age to be raised a year by the final product[1]. The idea of all team members having bird surnames was done away with over time, though Ken received the "Washio" surname as a remnant of the concept.
  • In the aforementioned planning stages, when the team operated out of Kanagawa instead of Utoland, Ryu was described as a high school graduate working part-time at the Kanagawa Yacht Harbor. It was said he had previously experienced ocean voyages, and operated as a fisherman, diver, and captain for yacht tours. He was to have been great at long-distance swimming, and his dream was to one day explore the deep seas and construct a society in them.
  • Satoshi Suyama, in the character planning chart for the series, noted that Ryu was to be modeled after the actor Osami Nabe[2].
  • Early watercolor pitch art for the series by Ippei Kuri depicted Ryu with slightly shorter hair, tanner skin, and a pale blue "4" shirt, with a red "4" and contrast stripes on the sleeves.

Apocryphal Sequel and Remake Plans[]

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (remake)[]

  • In this re-invented sequel concept, taking place after the first series and presenting an alternative version of events to II and Fighter, Ryu's backstory of saving Dr. Nambu from a whirlpool disaster is reflected in his character settings. He would pilot the God Phoenix as usual, with no evidence of an individual mecha like the Horned Tank.

References[]

  1. Columbia DVD vol.5 liner notes, "First series proposal"
  2. Columbia vol.5 "First series proposal"
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