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Gatcha S-One

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (科学忍者隊ガッチャマン Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman) is the original installment of the Gatchaman series that ran from October 1, 1972 to September 29, 1974.

It was directed by Hisayuki Toriumi, and achieved a great success in its broadcast, leading to more science-fiction hero works of Tatsunoko (such as Casshan, Hurricane Polymar, and Space Knight Tekkaman) as well as eventually a drama record, radio drama adaptation, a compilation movie, and two Gatchaman sequel series.

Overview[]

Science is indispensable for human progress, but if used incorrectly, it can become evil, and ultimately lead to human domination. This is known to be manifested as pollution problems, large and small. The confrontation between humans and science...this is the issue that the Science Ninja Team will take up.

It is a confrontation between humans who have been ruled by science and turned into demons, and humans who are united with science and fight for peace for humanity. The former is the Galactor gang who are controlled by a computer they created and try to take away the world's freedom, while the latter have the machines created by science...they become one with aircraft, cars, ships, etc. and achieve world peace. The Science Ninja Team are a team of youths who bravely fight for the sake of the world. This story is based on the bond between machines and humans, and the battle between good and evil unfolds in action.

- The introduction to the finalized Science Ninja Team Gatchaman project setting document, by Jinzo Toriumi and Satoshi Suyama[1]

The Gatchaman work had its earliest roots in Tatsuo Yoshida's 1963-1965 manga "Boy Ninja Squad Moonlight" (Shonen Ninja Butai Gekko), which detailed the adventures of a team of young ninja-themed freedom fighters during World War II. It would be more famously adapted into a tokusatsu series "Ninja Squad Moonlight", and both the manga and toku would display some prototypical character archetypes that Yoshida and others at Tatsunoko would soon come to utilize here including the concept of a solitary girl team member (Eclipse) and the toku introducing a kid hero (Half Moon).

The pre-production of what was conceptualized as Tatsunoko's 21st project would span from mid-1969 to 1972 with Jinzo Toriumi and Satoshi Suyama from Tatsunoko's Planning department heading development for the story and cast. This proposal would go through various title phases, starting with the selections of Science Ninja Team" (科学忍者隊)[2] and "Science Ninja Squad Number 5"[3] (科学忍者部隊ナンバー5( ファイブ), Kagaku Ninja Butai Namba Faibu). Later considered titles included "Secret Seven", "Science Ninja Team Shadow"[4] (科学忍者隊シャドー), "Science Ninja Team Torimekaman" (科学忍者隊トリメカマン), and "Science Ninja Team Birdman" (科学忍者隊バードマン).

The "Birdman" option was high in consideration but it was deemed difficult to register a trademark; "Shadow" then would appear in some other pre-production documents and settei of the characters' finalized designs. The final name would be decided once a meeting occurred between Tatsunoko Productions and Yomiuri Telecasting, when a Yomiuri producer (Tsurayuki Matsuyama) suggested "Gatchaman". This name is a play-on-words of the Japanese onomatopoeia "Gaccha!", which is the sound of two mechas clashing and man, but also the old-fashioned name for people that connected locomotives on railways. As being a coupler was a dangerous job and fatal accidents occurred if these workers were caught in the locomotive couplings, Matsuyama equated such a job to this series being a risky effort to be successful. Jinzo Toriumi would also present his own idea that the title was a combination of "Guts" + "Man", when asked by child viewers about the meaning of the name.

Although unstated in the series itself, Hisayuki Toriumi would intend for the events to take place starting in the year 2001, as it was seen as a futuristic enough date (and influenced by then-recent films like 2001: A Space Odyssey).

"At first, I was thinking of making a story about the future, but no matter how science fiction it is, if it's too far into the future, it won't feel realistic, so I decided to go back to 2001, and there was a horror movie about that, right? I'm just trying to use that as a standard. So, for example, 10 years from now, or 50 years from now. Well, for example, if we look at Tokyo 10 years ago, not much has changed. That's why I thought it would be okay if things remained the same 10 years from now."[5]

The science fiction writer Rei Kosumi (Takumi Shibano) would also be consulted for worldbuilding and sci-fi tech elements, while Mitsuki Nakamura would make his debut as a designer for the mecha in the series. Kosumi would remark on how he had decided to rationalize the elements that seemed too fantastical for his liking, even if his idea did not necessarily get stated in the final project[6]:

"In terms of scientific consistency, what bothered me was none other than the main idea, the transformation of the machines. No matter how you try to twist it, it is beyond the level of the Earth science. There is no other choice but to think this technology was secretly gifted to Dr. Nambu by good aliens that were critical of the "Leader" that controls Galactor, but it seems this idea never came to the surface."

The anime was initially conceived to run for a year (four cours, 52 episodes), but the high ratings influenced a further extension. This came with Hisayuki Toriumi opting to have Red Impulse's identity finally revealed to the team, along with the character's death in order to make sure the series could keep going without that formula having run its course.

"Yes, the story gradually escalated and became more and more widespread, so we couldn't talk about the ending until the third year of broadcast. In the beginning, I was calculating for two seasons and at that time, I was convinced that I would not be able to hit the real end, so I decided to put a stop in one year, with the big incident of the Van Allen belt, and Kentaro and Ken. I was planning to end things with saying goodbye to the father. That's why I had the last frame with the Earth, the Sun, and the God Phoenix in the ending."[7]

The popularity of the series and certain characters' impacts would also maneuver it in a different unforeseen direction and ending, particularly where twists involving X, Berg Katse, and Joe the Condor were concerned; X, originally planned to be a computer made by Katse, would instead be an alien being from space. Katse, whose true face was to originally be that of a woman in disguise, would be a mutant who could switch between being a man and a woman freely but who had led a tormented existence due to this.

When it came to Joe's fate, Toriumi had been opting to build a story thread towards the end of him suffering from a health condition caused by an injury in his youth. Though he stated he originally didn't intend for this to end in Joe dying, the ending of the sixth Jirocho Sangokushi movie "The Wandering Jirocho Family" had stuck in his mind since seeing it in junior high and would become inspiration for the final episode[8]. In the movie, Jirocho's wife Ocho would call out to each subordinate one by one as she died, imparting them with some final words. This became lifted as a formula for Joe's last scene with the rest of the Science Ninja Team, and it was decided that one of the key points in closing out the series would be his death.

Characters[]

The story revolves around a group of five people: two boys, one girl, and one child, along with the main character Ken, also known as Gatchaman, who work as part of the Science Ninja Team.

With the countless pollution on Earth and humanity, in order to save the world, an organization was created to integrate science and technology in space, the ocean floor, and underground, to develop non-polluting energy sources and to carry out major global reforms. Named the International Organization for Science and Technology Development (ISO), the Mantle (Earth's crustal energy) Project was launched with the cooperation of scientists and experts from various countries. However, there is a group trying to seize this plan and monopolize it. Recently, scientists and government officials have been kidnapped from various countries.

It is a cabal called Galactor that is in charge. They are a group of fanatics who are headquartered in the world's unexplored Himalayan mountains, in cities around the world, and even on the ocean floor and the North Pole, and they aim for world domination and carry out brutal acts.

In order to protect the world's scientists and facilities, as well as the citizens who desire peace from Galactor's evil hands, the Science Ninja Team is formed, and five youths including a boy named Ken, also known as "Gatchaman", come together.

Their acts are known as the "Science Ninja Team", and as their name suggests, they perform unusual activities. Once they have a goal, they can't help but devote themselves physically and mentally to achieving it. When they receive their orders, they don special costumes, quickly form their team, and begin action. A special telex from the International Organization for Science and Technology Development (ISO) commands the special machines that the youths ride to confront Galactor. Senzaburo Nambu[9], a PhD in engineering and an inventor of the same, who is also a member of the ISO, relays the message to the youths. The protagonists are ruthless and must fly around the world and fight Galactor with all their might. There is always speed, thrill, suspense, and dynamism. Strong actions must be taken. In addition, unique machines are introduced each time between their actions and Galactor's ruthless battle, heightening the sense of urgency.

-From the Gatchaman project's "Drama Setting"

International Science Organization[]

The Science Ninja Team

Support members

Galactor[]

Episode List[]

Each episode page contains a summary and information pertaining to its staff, as well as any additional trivia or observations about it or any changes in localizations.

See also Original script production line of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman for information on the preliminary titles and production order, and Unused and retooled story ideas of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman for the known available information on stories that were rejected.

  1. Gatchaman Versus Turtle King
  2. The Monstrous Aircraft Carrier Appears
  3. The Giant Mummy that Summons Storms
  4. Revenge on the Iron Beast Mechadegon
  5. The Ghost Fleet from Hell
  6. The Great Mini Robot Operation
  7. Galactor's Giant Airshow
  8. The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef
  9. The Devil from the Moon
  10. The Great Underground Monster War
  11. The Mysterious Red Impulse
  12. The Gluttonous Monster Ibukuron
  13. The Mysterious Red Sand
  14. The Fearsome Ice-Kander
  15. The Fearsome Jellyfish Lens
  16. The Indestructible Machine Mechanika
  17. The Grand Insect Operation
  18. Revenge the Whale Operation
  19. Speed Race from Hell
  20. A Critical Moment for the Science Ninja Team
  21. Who is Leader X?
  22. The Firebird Versus The Fire-Breathing Dragon
  23. The Mecha-Ball Runs Wild
  24. The Neon Giant That Smiles in the Dark
  25. The Magma Giant, Emperor of Hell
  26. The God Phoenix Reborn
  27. Galactor's Witch Racer
  28. The Invisible Devil
  29. Galack X the Demon Man
  30. Kamisoral, the Guillotine Iron Beast
  31. The Plan to Assassinate Dr. Nambu
  32. The Great Gezora Operation (Part 1)
  33. The Great Gezora Operation (Part 2)
  34. The Evil Aurora Operation
  35. Burn, Desert Fires
  36. Little Gatchaman
  37. Renzilla the Electric Monster
  38. The Mysterious Mechanized Jungle
  39. Jigokillers, the People-Eating Flowers (Part 1)
  40. Jigokillers, the People-Eating Flowers (Part 2)
  41. The Murder Music
  42. The Great Breakout Trick Operation
  43. A Romance Destroyed by Evil
  44. Galactor's Challenge
  45. The Sea Lion Ninja Team in the Night Fog
  46. Gatchaman in the Valley of Death
  47. The Devil's Airline
  48. The Camera Iron Beast, Shutterkiller
  49. The Fearsome Mechadokuga
  50. Trachadon, The Dinosaur Skeleton
  51. Cata-Roller, the Revolving Beast
  52. Red Impulse's Secret
  53. Farewell, Red Impulse
  54. Gatchaman Burns with Rage
  55. The Daring Mini-Submarine
  56. The Bird Missile of Bitterness
  57. The Evil White Sea
  58. Hell's Mecha-Buttha
  59. The Secret of the Monster Mecha Factory
  60. Science Ninja Team, Number G-6
  61. The Phantom Red Impulse
  62. The Snow Demon King Blizzarder
  63. Massacre of the Mecha Curve Ball
  64. A Christmas Present of Death
  65. Super Bem, the Composite Iron Beast
  66. The Devil's Fashion Show
  67. Mortal Blow! Gatchaman Fire
  68. The Particle Iron Beast Mecha-Saturn
  69. The Cemetery in the Moonlight
  70. Death Girls Unite!
  71. The Invincible Leader X
  72. Swarm! A Plague of Mini Iron Beasts
  73. Pursue Katse!
  74. Secret of the Birdstyles
  75. Jumbo Shakora, the Ocean Devil King
  76. The Bracelets Exposed
  77. The Successful Berg Katse
  78. Mortal Combat! 5,000 Fathoms Under the Sea
  79. The Stolen Gatchaman Information
  80. Come Back Boomerang!
  81. Duel on Galactor Island
  82. Aim at the Crescent Coral Reef
  83. A Deadly Ring of Fire!
  84. Smog Fiber, The Spiderweb Iron Beast!
  85. That's G-4
  86. Galactor's Monopoly Operation
  87. Patogiller, the Triple Combined Iron Beast
  88. The Iron Beast Snake 828
  89. Lay a Trap in the Crescent Base!
  90. Matangar, the Armored Iron Beast
  91. Completion of the Plan to Destroy the Crescent Base
  92. The End of the Crescent Base
  93. Counterattack! The Underground Torpedo Operation
  94. Angler, the Electric Devil Beast
  95. The Combined Ninjas, Giant Demon Man
  96. Storm Galactor's Headquarters!
  97. Leona 3, the Spaceship With No Tomorrow
  98. Grape Bomber, the Spherical Iron Beast
  99. The Wounded G-2
  100. Gatchaman, 20 Years Later
  101. The Sniper Group Heavy Cobra
  102. A Reversal! Checkmate X!
  103. G-2 Risks Death
  104. The Evil Grand Black Hole Operation
  105. Earth's Destruction! 0002

Staff[]

  • Original Work, Character Design: Tatsuo Yoshida
  • Planning: Jinzo Toriumi, Satoshi Suyama (Tatsunoko Literary Department)
  • General Director: Hisayuki Toriumi
  • Screenwriters: Jinzo Toriumi, Satoshi Suyama, Akiyoshi Sakai, Keiji Kubota, Hisayuki Toriumi, Takeo Matsuura, Hirohisa Soda, Toshio Nagata, Takashi Umetani, Mikio Matsushita, Harumi Tamura, Masahiko Tokumasu, Osamu Jinno, Shigekazu Ochiai, Shigeru Yanagawa, Takao Koyama
  • Episodic Directors: Hisayuki Toriumi, Hideo Nishimaki, Masami Anno, Fumio Kurokawa, Hiroshi Sasagawa, Katsuhisa Yamada, Kazunori Tanahashi
  • Music: Bob Sakuma
  • Effects: Ishida Sound Pro
  • Director of Photography: Tadashi Hosono
  • Mechanical Design: Mitsuki Nakamura, Kunio Okawara
  • Animation Director: Sadao Miyamoto
  • Assistant Animation Director: Koji Nanke, Shigeyuki Ikeda
  • Recording Director: Shigeharu Shiba
  • Development: IMAGICA
  • Producer: Ippei Kuri
  • Associate Producers: Mitsuo Sato, Minoru Uchima, Makoto Kondo, Masaharu Kamata
  • Production Cooperation: Fuji TV
  • Production: Tatsuo Yoshida, Tatsunoko Pro

Voice Cast[]

  • Ken the Eagle: Katsuji Mori
  • Joe the Condor: Isao Sasaki
  • Jun the Swan: Kazuko Sugiyama
  • Jinpei the Swallow: Yoku Shioya
  • Ryu the Owl: Shingo Kanemoto
  • Dr. Nambu: Toru Ohira
  • Red Impulse: Hisayoshi Yoshizawa
  • Director Anderson: Teiji Omiya
  • Berg Katse: Mikio Terashima
  • Leader X: Nobuo Tanaka
  • Narrator: Hideo Kinoshita

International Adaptations[]

China[]

The Brave Eagle Man[]

A 1977 dub that aired on Hong Kong's Rei's TV. It is one of the first international dubs to have publicly come out, predating the more well-known Science Youth Flying Knights below.

It was followed up by a dub of the sequels, titled New Brave Eagle Man and Space Eagle Man, in 1981.

Science Youth Flying Knights[]

A dub that aired on Taiwan's CTV from 1977 to 1978, though some episodes were not aired due to censorship standards of the time.

The compilation movie would also be dubbed and released as part of the Flying Knights brand, premiering in theaters on January 28, 1979. The sequel series would later respectively be adapted under the titles of Tornado Youth Flying Knights and Tornado Spartan.

United States of America[]

The original series is also known in this country, somewhat infamously, for its multiple English dubs that occurred over the ensuing decades. It is to be noted that the sequel series were never licensed by any of the companies below, and thus didn't receive any dub under any of those versions.

The only English dubbing that exists of the sequels to date would be Saban's Eagle Riders, which co-existed in the same span that Sandy Frank was continuing to market their second dub of the original series, and had only happened due to nobody else having licensed the Gatchaman sequels (with the first series being unavailable for Saban due to the 30-year Sandy Frank contract).

Battle of the Planets[]

It first had a US release in 1978 by Sandy Frank Entertainment, under this very title. This version was heavily altered to adhere to the 1970s' standards of childrens' animation, as well as employ a "space" theme to tie into the popularity of the recently-released Star Wars. Sandy Frank utilized 85 episodes of the series for this adaptation, as that was the standard amount needed for syndication in that era.

A new character, 7-Zark-7, was used as a way to fill in the gaps left behind by cutting scenes, as well as to explain to viewers that there were no deaths involved in the plot. As Tatsunoko Productions wound up sending the production team the film reels for episodes out of order, this adaptation is also known for having a much different viewing order.

G-Force: Guardians of Space[]

In 1985, after "Battle of the Planets" had aired in reruns on TBS, Sandy Frank sought a new way to market the Gatchaman license. Ted Turner's Atlanta-based Turner Program Services sub-licensed the series for a new English adaptation, to be titled "G-Force: Guardians of Space", and be a closer adaptation of the source material for the 1980s.

After the initial test dub by Media 360 Group was rejected due to concerns of cost, Turner contacted Fred Ladd and his studio Sparklin' Entertainment for a new pitch. Episodes 18 and 87 of Gatchaman were dubbed first as pitch pilots, and further episodes followed suit.

However, as Turner only bought 85 episodes for syndication, only episodes 1-87 were utilized for this version, with episodes 81 and 86 skipped; 81 was excluded due to Tatsunoko being unable to find the simple English script for Fred Ladd, and 86 was skipped as the dub had already reached 85 episodes. This resulting adaptation did stay closer to the original Gatchaman with less censorship, although death was still toned down in some cases and the dub was criticized for its name changes, as well as a techno backbeat that was used to fill all silent moments.

"G-Force" aired on TBS for a week in July 1987, to clear a contractual agreement so it could also be aired overseas. The entirety of the series would later be broadcast on the Cartoon Network from 1995 to 1997, returning briefly on Toonami's Midnight Run in 2000.

ADV Films uncut releases[]

ADV Films' 2005 dub of the series came about as a result of sub-licensing the series from Sandy Frank (as SFE still held the master license to Gatchaman), and was released uncensored, as well as keeping the character names and terminology. However, this version has also been criticized by long-time fans for some mistranslations and liberties in the dub track, such as changing "Utoland" (the city that the team lives in) to "Jutland", as well as some slang used by the characters.

The boxsets featured artwork by DC Comics alumni Alex Ross, who is a fan of the series and had previously collaborated on the Battle of the Planets comic series for Top Cow.

This release went out of print in 2007, after Sandy Frank's license to the series expired, but the same dub was re-released by Sentai Filmworks after they became the new licensor of the series in 2013. Sentai Filmworks would also dub the compilation movie around the same time, along with a redub of the three-episode OVA remake from 1994.

A Lost International English dub of the 1970s: The Gutman[]

The existence of this adaptation, or at the least a proposed adaptation offered by Tatsunoko Productions and Yomiko Advertising, appeared in issues of the BiB TV Programming Source Book (a copyright and sales catalog for television networks interested in buying series) from 1979 up to at least 1990.

Further details and context on when it was produced or the reasons for its dubious existence remain unconfirmed by the companies involved, beyond its vague write-up in the catalog[10]:

"THE GUTMAN"

30 mins / color / 39 films

Plot: Animated science-fiction adventures

Year produced: '72 and '73

Of interest is that the entry only lists 39 episodes of the series, indicating an incomplete attempt at localization if that much is true. Despite attempts made by fan-researchers and archivists like Jason Hofius and Kelly Patrick Lannan, there was no further detailed evidence found to confirm or debunk it actually airing somewhere. Unlike a hoax claim about a supposed Canadian translation called "Firebirds 2061" that went through the Gatchaman mailing list, there are tangible documents showing that Gatchaman was at least offered as "The Gutman" to overseas broadcasters at some point in time.

The main theory for its existence, which would have most likely predated Sandy Frank's acquisition of the Gatchaman license, was that Tatsunoko and Yomiko had at some point attempted to market the series beforehand through an in-house English dubbing done in Japan or even possibly in Hong Kong (with some studios in either country like Frontier Enterprises or Omni having many undocumented dubs that they produced, only to not be purchased or air).

Tatsunoko had attended MIPCOM as early as 1975, where they offered the full Gatchaman series under the title Science Ninja Commando Gatchaman. No sales to the USA were made until Sandy Frank's deal, indicating that if "The Gutman" was actually a fully-produced adaptation, it was not done through any company outside of Japan and lends weight back to the in-house Tatsunoko-Yomiko test dub theory. Tatsunoko was known to have already exported a few of their series for English-language broadcasts in Australia and New Zealand in the 1970s; Space Ace, Gazula, and Kurenai Sanshiro, whose dubbing studios remain unknown and the localizations of which are considered lost media in themselves.

Due to the proliferation of dubs done by Frontier Enterprises that were broadcast in such a region (Golden Bat, Princess Knight, and the "Phantom Agents" dub of Ninja Squad Moonlight being among them), it could stand to reason that these Tatsunoko dubs were also handled by the company and that "The Gutman" was to follow in the fashion of those previous series, but was cut short at 39 episodes and was presumably not picked up by any station. It is possible that like with some Frontier dubs, the show was marketed one way but had a different title when actually airing, so it may have been produced as "Gutman" or under the actual Gatchaman title.

Another theory that was proposed is that it may have also been created and offered as an international English translation for countries that were included outside the contract that SFE's "Battle of the Planets" covered[11]. There were some cases where Tatsunoko did commission dubbed pilots for series such as Muteking for sales pitches, as well as providing suggested international titles to market such works under even if nothing resulted. However, if this "Gutman" dub was intended for such a use, it wound up not very utilized as SFE's contract wound up covering many territories while others simply aired their own language dubs of Gatchaman.

Other theories, which proved to be debunked or unlikely, were that it had to have been made in the Philippines or that SFE sub-licensed or offered it as an alternative to "Battle of the Planets" for buyers. As there appears to have been no knowledge or trace of this dub in SFE's archives, its state as an entirely separate localization commissioned by Tatsunoko can be affirmed once again.

South Korea[]

Eagle 5 Brothers[]

The first series would release under this title in 1979, although shortly after the show would disappear due to a ban on Japanese content in the country. As a result, a sub-contractor for Tatsunoko Production in the country made a Korean-exclusive compilation movie of Gatchaman II that also carried this title.

The Eagle 5 Brothers branding was revived in 1990, with a redub of the first series airing on KBS. Both sequel series would eventually follow in 1996.

Eagle Commandos, or "Gechaman"[]

An alternative dub began release on VHS in 1986, covering six volumes total and only covering select episodes of the first series. While the first volume and early branding had the title as Eagle Commandos (which was also the title of an unauthorized Korean manhwa loosely based off Gatchaman), the last three volumes would carry the branding of Gechaman instead.

Italy[]

Gatchaman: Battaglia dei Pianeti[]

A 1980 dub of this series wound up being a rather interesting case where Tatsunoko and Sandy Frank Entertainment had a 50/50 share in Italy, which required this version to use the Battle of the Planets localizations of 85 of its episodes. The characters of 7-Zark-7, 1-Rover-1, and Susan would be present in those plots, while the 20 other episodes would be dubbed straight from Gatchaman without any reversioning.

The Science Ninja Team would mostly keep their Japanese names (though Jun would now be referred to as "Pretty Jun" as a name) and their Bird Styles, though the enemies would receive the English-localized names such as Zoltar.

Manga, Light Novels, and Print Materials[]

Manga Tie-Ins[]

Manga adaptations of Gatchaman episodes, which tended to either be based off early drafts or simplified for younger audiences, ran in these Shogakukan magazines:

  • Yoiko:
  • Kindergarten: September 1972 to November 1974
  • Elementary School 1st Grade: September 1972 to March 1974. September 1972 to August 1973 issues were by Hideo Genda , September 1973 to March 1974 issues were by Yonosuke Shichinohe.
  • Elementary School 2nd Grade: September 1972 to April 1974. September 1972 to April 1973 issues were by Michio Tanji, May to July 1973 by Tetsuji Kataoka, August 1973 to March 1974 by Yutaka Kurakami, April to September 1974 by Fukuo Watanabe.
  • Elementary School 3rd Grade: September 1972 to January 1974 by Wataru Sugawara.
  • Elementary School 4th Grade: September 1972 to March 1973 by Hiroshi Iida, April 1973 to March 1974 by Ikuo Miyazoe.
  • Elementary School 5th Grade: September 1972 to December 1973 by Shinichi Tokisato.
  • Elementary School 6th Grade: September 1972 to August 1973 by Nobutori Hayashi.
  • Shogakukan Book: September 1972 to December 1973. Early chapters were written and illustrated by Hideo Genda, but changed to a team effort between him and Keiko Nakayama. The issues for June to December 1973 had stories with Nakayama providing both writing and art, with September 1973's story including a different death for Red Impulse (being shot by Berg Katse while rescuing Ken).

Fukuo Watanabe's run of the manga was a notable one that lasted to the broadcasting conclusion of the series, although due to page constraints as well as having to make the content more appropriate for kids, he presented a rather truncated adaptation of the finale done just in 2 pages: Joe manages to sneak to the Galactor base and kills Berg Katse, ending the war against Galactor and presenting a victory for the Science Ninja Team.

Going by how manga magazines are also released a month ahead of what is printed on their covers, it may have also been that Watanabe was only given a rough idea of how the ending would go down and had to work from there. While this ending leaves Joe alive, allows him to be the one to directly defeat Galactor, and removes any tragic taste of what would befall him in the anime, it also may give some unresolved questions such as what would happen with Leader X.

Sunpy Comics: Science Ninja Team Gatchaman[]

Three tankobon-original volumes of Gatchaman manga adaptations were released through this publisher through 1974. It is these versions of the manga that could be seen as extras on the ADV Films DVD releases, and their contents had previously been reprinted under Ohayo Shuppan's Ace V tankobon line.

  • Volume 1: March 20, 1974. Contains adaptations of episodes 14, 16, and 22.
  • Volume 2: May 15, 1974. Contains adaptations of episodes 67, 60, and 59.
  • Volume 3: July 10, 1974. Contains adaptations of episodes 80, 76, and 79.

Although the credits were for Tatsunoko Production, Tatsuo Yoshida and Ippei Kuri were not involved, though Yoshida did give a foreword in volume 1. This message shows evidence of the original plan behind Leader X's nature, in him being a computer/AI:

"A showdown between humans and science. That is the theme of ``Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.'' This story depicts the inhumanity of Galactor, who, as a result of abusing science, is controlled by a computer they created that tries to conquer the world, and the activities of Gatchaman, who become one with mechanics created by science and bravely fight for world peace. The drama unfolds as the story unfolds. We hope that through the battles between Galactor and Gatchaman, your children will think about friendship, love, peace, and science. "

Fantastic TV Collections 1 and 3 (Asahi Sonorama)[]

These magazine issues were dedicated to the history and making of the first series. They included an interview with Rei Kosumi in each volume, as well as many diagrams and settei for locations and Galactor mecha. Hisayuki Toriumi would also retell Joe's story in the first issue, while giving a general talk about the series in the next one.

The latter issue is also notable for containing a round-table Q&A feature done in-character with the Science Ninja Team, providing extra (if apocryphal) information on their individual backstories, such as how Ryu, Jun, and Jinpei were scouted by Nambu.

  • vol.1: December 25, 1977
  • vol.3: August 1, 1978

Light Novel: Sci-Fi Romance Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (Asahi Sonorama)[]

(SFロマン科学忍者隊ガッチャマン)

Released on August 25, 1978. This novel, penned by Hisayuki Toriumi, retells the first series in his way along with including additional events and insights that didn't get to be utilized in the anime.

Light Novel: Novel Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Condor Flies (Enix Publishing)[]

(小説科学忍者隊ガッチャマン: コンドルは翔ぶ)

Released on December 20, 1989. A late 1980s darker re-imagining of Gatchaman, this novel was written by Jinzo Toriumi and illustrated by Masayuki Fujiwara. It told the origins of Joe the Condor for a new era, though with rather adult themes and graphic descriptions involved.

In this telling, Joe is the last to join the team as the war against Galactor begins, and learns that he's not actually George Asakura, but that such a memory has been implanted and that he's actually a cloned "super-soldier" that Galactor would also want for its own means to win the war. Jun is depicted as the daughter of a wealthy family, who is the one to convince Joe to be a Science Ninja and his only true attachment to the team. Berg Katse is a woman in disguise, as the original intent of the series, but also portrayed as promiscuous and mentally unstable with her own obsession for Joe.

Toriumi had written this novel as a way to do his own version of Gatchaman, admitting that it would be nothing like the original series, which he had regretted finding sloppy and inconsistent in how its writing and developments came about. However, although the novel appears to set up a sequel with stating "The End/Part 1", no further installments were made due to poor sales. This novel would go down as an infamous piece of literature among fans, with many expressing confusion over Toriumi's writing choices and feeling it a betrayal of the original themes.

Young Jump 2001 one-shot[]

In May 2001, the author Kazuhiro Kumagai would pen a darker-themed one-shot work based in the universe of the series, under authorization of Tatsunoko Productions. This manga would appear to be a modern sequel in which Dr. Nambu recruits his 15th Science Ninja Team member, G-15/The Shrike.

The one-shot was unpopular with fans due to its grotesque content, and was not reprinted.

Western Comic: Gatchaman (Mad Cave Studios)[]

On July 14, 2023, it was announced that Mad Cave Studios partnered with Tatsunoko Production to publish new comic book series related to the franchise [12]. These stories take place within the framework of the first series, as a way to "build upon" the existing stories and continuity while telling new adventures that take place between various episodes.

The Mad Cave comics are slated to release June 2024, after a Free Comic Book Day special issue to preview the series in May. There are two sets of works with two different creative teams in the line; the ongoing Gatchaman title is written by Cullen Bunn, with art by Chris Batista. One-shots and other short-form works related to the same continuity are by Steve Orlando and Tommy Lee Edwards.

Spinoff and Remake Projects[]

Besides its sequels, Gatchaman has also inspired new adaptations over the ensuing decades.

GATCHAMAN (OVA)[]

A 3-episode OVA remake of the series, produced through 1994 to 1995 by Tatsunoko and Artmic. It retells key points of the series (Turtle King, Red Impulse, and the showdown against Katse), with elements added from Gatchaman Fighter as well as newer twists.

An accompanying light novel series was also released, being based off of the initial planning for the OVA. There are marked differences in the novels, especially in volumes 2 and 3, and they also contain further insights on the team members.

NTT Gatchaman[]

A series of ads for NTT East, produced by Tatsunoko as a collaboration with SMAP. All-new animation was provided in some of the ads, while SMAP played the Science Ninja Team in the live-action ads.

Good Morning Ninja Team Gatchaman[]

A series of 1-minute Flash animated shorts that aired as part of NTV's morning program Zip! from April 28, 2011 to March 29, 2013. This is a more gag-centric take on the series, with modern Japanese pop culture references often happening. The plot details the foolish battles between the Science Ninja Team and Galactor, as they try to go about their daily lives.

In the final episode, the Ninja Team get to find Galactor's base but do not get to battle Berg Katse as he does not want to show his real face.

Gatchaman (Live Action)[]

A live-action movie by Nikkatsu was announced in 2007, but was not allowed to be produced until the Imagi CGI movie released first. Due to the failure of Imagi's production, this movie was finally greenlit in 2012 and released the following year. Unfortunately, due to its severe liberties with the source material, it did not perform well at the box office.

Gatchaman Crowds[]

While bearing the "Gatchaman" title and being a spinoff/remake project, this series is more of a total re-invention of the concept (similar to Casshan Sins, minus even less familiar character re-use) and can be considered a separate franchise of its own.

Infini-T Force[]

A CGI series and manga media-mix project that brings together Ken the Eagle with other classic Tatsunoko heroes (Hurricane Polymar, Casshan, and Tekkaman). Due to the delay in production for the anime and the decision to do its own story, both it and the manga bear many visible differences in the portrayals of the characters and worldview.

It also received a sequel movie, Farewell my Friend.

Cancelled Remake Projects[]

Unfortunately, there also exist various Gatchaman projects that were intended to happen at one point or another, but never progressed due to various circumstances. These are the different re-imagining concepts that are known to have existed:

Unknown child-geared Gatchaman remake[]

In 1996, Tatsunoko Production had previewed some presentation artwork of a new Gatchaman series to select fans, as well as it having been seen by Fred Ladd[13]. In contrast to the more adult OVA work, this version was to feature a Science Ninja Team that were young kids that operated from a flying platform as their home base[14].

Due to the planning establishment not having been showcased with the artwork, it is currently unknown what the proper title for this work would've been or the characters' specific names. Most notably, the team would have been re-arranged to have two girl Science Ninjas, with a blue-uniformed one taking over Jinpei's usual spot. It is likely that just as with the next planned remake, this one did not get greenlit due to a lack of sponsor endorsement.

New Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (aka "New Gatchaman")[]

Another pitch for a new TV series that was proposed by Tatsunoko in the summer of 1998. A series planning establishment and concept art of the characters and mechas were developed, but a lack of willing sponsors caused the project to be shelved and abandoned.

This remake would include elements of all three series, in having Leader X command Berg Katse, Gel Sadra, and Count Egobossler, who would all lead their own factions of Galactor. The Science Ninja Team and other characters would also be drastically re-imagined for the new era.

Eagle Force[]

This proposed live-action series by Renaissance-Atlantic and Bandai America appears to have been done as a loose, "inspired by" take of Gatchaman, and pitched without the involvement of Tatsunoko Production; presumably, the vast differences were to skirt by copyright and pitch it as its own idea. It would take the bird hero theme but re-imagine it as a fish out of water, comedic action series for kids about four alien bird-men who have to follow evil forces from their planet to Earth. Accompanied by their mentor, who happens to be one of the soldiers' older sister, they aim to blend in with human society while stopping the destructive mechas sent by the Septic Swamp Slime.

Toy prototypes were devised by Bandai, but it is unknown if any "Gatchaman" hints remained in the designs at all due to the lack of available concept art.

Gatchaman (CGI Film)[]

A CGI animated movie by Imagi was greenlit in 2006, but various troubles in the production due to Warner Bros.' disagreements with the tone and rating caused continuous staff overhauls and rewrites. The projected release date kept being pushed back, until the bankruptcy of Imagi, closure of their USA studio, and shelving of the film put an end to the production. Tatsunoko would sue to regain the full licensing and film rights for the IP due to Imagi's breach of the agreement to release the movie, further killing the idea.

Untitled Marvel and Tatsunoko collaboration anime[]

Marvel and Tatsunoko Production announced a joint agreement in 2009 to create a cross-over project featuring their characters, with Gatchaman and Yatterman being the notable IPs from the Tatsunoko side to be included. It is unknown how far this series progressed in planning before Disney's purchase of Marvel had put an end to the idea.

Unknown "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" remake project[]

A mysterious project which had come to light in a Yahoo! Auctions listing of Tatsunoko materials in 2022.

In the planning establishment pages that were showcased, it seemed to be an alternative sequel of the original series with elements of II and Fighter reflected (such as Joe's conversion to a cyborg, and the death of Dr. Nambu). The pitch would have Nambu's place as mentor filled by a middle-aged scientist woman named Director Drake, and Berg Katse was slated to return as a cyborg.

Battle of the Planets: Phoenix Ninjas (aka "Gatchaman: The Battle of the Planets")[]

After the failure of the Imagi movie, Tatsunoko and the company D-Rights sought a way to put out a remake of Gatchaman that would be another Western collaboration, initially partnering with Warner Bros. Animation before taking the project to Corus Entertainment.

This animated series would undergo different pitches and changes in name, though it would be marketed under Sandy Frank's "Battle of the Planets" title in its official press release, even though Sandy Frank had long lost the Gatchaman rights and would not be involved. Due to a failure by Corus to get investors interested and willing to sign on to the show, this one would be abandoned in pre-production after some episode scripts were written.

Tsuguo Okazaki "Gatchaman" manga remake[]

The manga author Tsuguo Okazaki would mention that he was offered by Tatsunoko to write and illustrate a Gatchaman remake manga project in 2015, for an online serialization[15]. The project would fall through, possibly being replaced by the Infini-T Force media mix initiative.

Gallery[]

Artwork from the end credits:

Trivia[]

  • This work would influence the 1991 Super Sentai series, Choujin Sentai Jetman. In turn, the Jetman sequel manga would have the characters' costumes more inspired by Gatchaman, as well as showing a successor character to their own deceased Black Condor.
  • There is a misconception due to rumors and misinformation in Japanese sources that were translated for English-speaking fandom, that Yoshitaka Amano had designed Dr. Nambu, Berg Katse, and Jun the Swan. Amano was part of the drawing staff, however, he was in charge of designing guest characters for episodes and not any of the main cast. The designs of the Science Ninja Team, Dr. Nambu, and Katse were all devised by Tatsuo Yoshida and Ippei Kuri. This misconception continues in some social media circles, even as old quotes attributing Kuri to Katse's final design are confirmed.
  • The design of the Turtle King Commander in the first two episodes, designed by Yoshida, was actually intended to be Berg Katse's design but due to a misinterpretation by Hisayuki Toriumi in reading the script, was used as the Commander instead (instead of being used for Katse's cameo). This left a desperate situation for a new design to be drafted up, with Ippei Kuri drawing out what would be the famous Katse. As purple and red weren't used for the main colors in the Ninja Team, those colors were picked for Katse's palette.
  • Though there were two very influential staff members with the surname Toriumi, they had no familial relation to each other. To alleviate confusion in referring to them, other Tatsunoko staff would often use the nicknames "The Big Tori" (Jinzo Toriumi) and "The Little Tori" (Hisayuki Toriumi) based off their heights.
  • The settings of the main characters were decided by Satoshi Suyama, although some modifications could and would happen over the course of the broadcast period (Katse and X's origins, the situation of Joe's parents' deaths, etc.). Jinzo Toriumi was in charge of naming most of the main characters, with the exception of Berg Katse being a Suyama decision. Toriumi would overrule Suyama's idea when it came to naming the child team member; Suyama had wanted to name the Swallow after his son Shohei, but "The Big Tori" opted to use his own uncle Jinpei's name.
  • The Earth seen in the opening sequence was created in live-action by covering a cooking bowl with modeling clay to create the textures of the Earth, and painted to have a cloudy atmosphere over it.

References[]

  1. Gatchaman Complete Works: Gatchaman Graffiti 1972-2000 (Asahi Sonorama)
  2. MANDARAKE ZENBU issues 45 and 59, articles by Makoto Hoshi. November 2009 and December 2013.
  3. https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/toriuminotes.html First pages of the "Science Ninja Squad Number 5" planning notes by Jinzo Toriumi, Battle of The Planets.Info.
  4. http://gatchaman.c.ooco.jp/data/zyunbikou/shadowset.html "Science Ninja Team Shadow" provisional episode planning notes.
  5. Tatsunoko Pro Insiders (2002, Kodansha)
  6. Fantastic TV Collection vol.1 (Asahi Sonorama)
  7. Tatsunoko Pro Insiders (2002, Kodansha)
  8. Columbia DVD vol.27 liner notes, interview with Hisayuki Toriumi
  9. This character's name was changed shortly after this document, to be the current "Kozaburo", though some settei from the period also shows this preliminary name.
  10. Kelly Patrick Lannan's post on "THE GUTMAN" BOTP Mailing List, December 1999.
  11. BASE KOALA's Gatchaman Archives 2002 archive of site
  12. Template:Cite web
  13. Astro Boy and Anime Come to the Americas: An Insider's View of the Birth of a Pop Culture Phenomenon by Fred Ladd and Harvey Deneroff (McFarland & Company, December 18, 2008)
  14. G-Force: Animated by Jason Hofius and George Khoury (2003, TwoMorrows Publishing)
  15. https://twitter.com/majam_fire_blue/status/1221774602336186369 Okazaki, January 27, 2020.
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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