is a
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
animated franchise about a five-member
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
team created by
Tatsuo Yoshida
was a Japanese cartoonist, writer, manga artist and anime pioneer who founded the anime studio Tatsunoko Productions.
Biography
Born in 1932, Yoshida grew up in the hardship of war-torn Japan. A self-taught artist, his first job was as worki ...
and produced by
Tatsunoko Productions
and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and "sea dragon", the inspiration for its seahorse logo. Tatsunoko's headquarters are i ...
. The original
anime
is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
series, which debuted in 1972, was eponymously entitled ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman'' and is best known in the English-speaking world as the adaptation entitled ''
Battle of the Planets
''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series ''Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fra ...
'' (1978). The series had additional English adaptations with ''
G-Force: Guardians of Space'' (1986) and
ADV Films
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gre ...
' uncut 2005 release. Tatsunoko also uses the official translation ''Science Commando Gatchaman'' in related products and media.
The original ''Kagaku Ninja-tai Gatchaman'' series was followed by
an animated film and two direct sequel series, ''
Gatchaman II'' (1978) and ''
Gatchaman Fighter
is the direct sequel to '' Gatchaman II''. In the continuing saga, a surviving fragment of Leader X mutates into Leader Z, and recruits megalomaniac Count Egobossler to create an army to conquer the world. In order to defeat this new enemy, t ...
'' (1979). During the 1990s, episodes from both series were dubbed into English by
Saban as ''
Eagle Riders''.
In the years since, the franchise has spawned many different productions, some that were left unproduced or evolved significantly from its development. This includes a 1994
original animated video
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
remake
A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same ...
, an unproduced 1998 television remake, a cancelled
2011 animated film reboot by
Imagi Animation Studios
Imagi Animation Studios, also known as Imagi Studios, was a Chinese animation and visual effects studio based in Hong Kong, and established in 2000 by Imagi International Holdings Limited (), a Hong Kong-based investment company.
Background
I ...
, a 2013
Japanese live-action film reboot by Nikkatsu Studios, various spinoffs, re-imaginings, and merchandise.
Original series
Plot
Recurring themes of ''Gatchaman'' involve conservation, environmentalism and the responsible use of technology for progress. The series centers around five young
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
ninja
A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enem ...
employed by Kōzaburō Nambu of the fictitious International Science Organization to oppose an international terrorist organization of technologically advanced villains (Galactor) who are trying to control Earth's natural resources, such as water, oil, sugar and uranium. The leader of Galactor is an androgynous, masked antagonist named Berg Katse, who is later revealed to be a shape-shifting mutant acting on the orders of an alien superior (Leader X). Their
mecha
In science fiction, or mechs are giant robots or machines controlled by people, typically depicted as humanoid walking vehicles. The term was first used in Japanese (language), Japanese after shortening the English loanword or , but the mean ...
s are often animal-based.
Most of the team are in their late teens, except for Jinpei (who is about ten or eleven years old). They include ''Ken Washio'', the team leader and tactical expert; ''Jō Asakura'', his second-in-command marksman and weapons expert; ''Jun'', the team's
electronics
The field of electronics is a branch of physics and electrical engineering that deals with the emission, behaviour and effects of electrons using electronic devices. Electronics uses active devices to control electron flow by amplification ...
and
demolitions
Demolition (also known as razing, cartage, and wrecking) is the science and engineering in safely and efficiently tearing down of buildings and other artificial structures. Demolition contrasts with deconstruction, which involves taking ...
expert; ''Jinpei'', the youngest and the
reconnaissance
In military operations, reconnaissance or scouting is the exploration of an area by military forces to obtain information about enemy forces, terrain, and other activities.
Examples of reconnaissance include patrolling by troops (skirmisher ...
expert as well as an adopted brother of Jun; and ''Ryū Nakanishi'', the ship's pilot. The main characters wear teen clothing with T-shirts numbered to show their rank in the team or caped, birdlike battle uniforms. The Science Ninja Team is often aided by a squadron of combat pilots led by the enigmatic Red Impulse, who is later revealed as Ken's father.
The Gatchaman team employs a unique and effective martial art developed by Dr. Nambu, drawing on their ability to perform feats similar to their
avian
Avian may refer to:
*Birds or Aves, winged animals
*Avian (given name) (russian: Авиа́н, link=no), a male forename
Aviation
*Avro Avian, a series of light aircraft made by Avro in the 1920s and 1930s
*Avian Limited, a hang glider manufacture ...
namesakes, such as high-speed running, flight, high jumping, and silent attacks. This fighting system, known as , is mentioned in the Japanese lyrics of the ''Gatchaman'' theme. The team members also use signature weapons and mecha-style vehicles, each with a mundane, disguised form. To change modes, each member is equipped with a wrist device that, in addition to communications and tracking, enables a change when the proper gesture and voice command ("Bird, go!") is given.
Their vehicles are docked in the team's main vehicle: the God Phoenix, a supersonic plane capable of underwater travel and space flight. The God Phoenix is armed with Bird Missiles, which are fired from a rack mounted atop the center section. After the original God Phoenix is destroyed by an octopus mecha, an improved version carries a pair of Super Bird Missiles in twin drop-down pods on the bottom center section. The ship also has an energy-beam weapon that opens the nose doors for the weapon apparatus mounted on the frame holding Joe's car; however, its solar power source is unreliable because of its sensitivity to cloud cover. The plane can also temporarily transform into a massive bird of flame (like the legendary
phoenix
Phoenix most often refers to:
* Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore
* Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States
Phoenix may also refer to:
Mythology
Greek mythological figures
* Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...
) to escape danger or attack, although the process endangers the team because of extreme pressure in the passenger cabin and it consumes a great deal of fuel.
Characters
Episodes
Production
Created in the wake of the Henshin (transformation) boom begun by
Shotaro Ishinomori
was a Japanese manga artist who became an influential figure in manga, anime, and , creating several immensely popular long-running series such as '' Cyborg 009,'' the ''Super Sentai'' series (later adapted into the ''Power Rangers'' series), ...
's ''
Kamen Rider
The , also known as ''Masked Rider Series'' (until Decade), is a Japanese superhero media franchise consisting of tokusatsu television programs, films, manga, and anime, created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. ''Kamen Rider'' media generall ...
'' in 1971, ''Gatchaman'' was conceived as a blending of ninja adventure with science fiction. It was one of the most successful anime attempts to emulate the American
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a stock character that typically possesses ''superpowers'', abilities beyond those of ordinary people, and fits the role of the hero, typically using his or her powers to help the world become a better place, ...
genre, with many of its conventions (such as colorful costumes).
Film version
In 1978, Tatsunoko released a condensed theatrical compilation of the first two-story arcs in the series with additional new animation.
The film was released in English for the first time by
Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
in 2015. The dub featured the cast reprising their roles from the
ADV dub of the original TV anime for the film.
Adaptations
After its broadcast in Japan, ''Gatchaman'' was later exported to other countries and translated into several languages. In
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
, beginning in 1977 it was known as ''Ke Xue Xiao Fei Xia'' (/ ''kēxué xiǎofēixiá'', ''Scientific Flying Fantasy Warriors'').
The original series has seen several English adaptations with varying levels of modifications. Many of these versions later spawned foreign-language releases of their own:
''Battle of the Planets''
Sandy Frank
Sandy Frank (born Sundel Francous; July 11, 1929) is an American television producer, distributor, and marketer of TV shows to US networks.
Early life and career
Frank grew up in Mount Kisco, New York. He started his career as a sales executiv ...
and Jameson Brewer syndicated the series on American television in 1978, in heavily edited form, as ''Battle of the Planets'' (''BOTP''). Several scenes were replaced with new segments by Gallerie International Films, with additional characters: 7-Zark-7 and his associates, 1-Rover-1 (a robot
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. Do ...
) and Susan, in a number of space outposts. Other segments included the Phoenix flying in space. The quality of the new segments did not match the original content, with the G-Force and 7-Zark-7 appearing together. New music by
Hoyt Curtin
Hoyt Stoddard Curtin (September 9, 1922 – December 3, 2000) was an American composer and music producer, the primary musical director for the Hanna-Barbera animation studio from its beginnings with '' The Ruff & Reddy Show'' in 1957 until his re ...
was blended with the original soundtrack. Although all 105 episodes were used as sources, 85 sporadic episodes were released. An animated TV movie was made, combining several episodes into a new storyline. In 2003, Sandy Frank announced a series of eight compilation films that ultimately went unreleased.
''Battle of the Planets'' was released on VHS and DVD from 2001 to 2003 by
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company founded in 1978. It is currently the catalog division for Warner Music Group. Its current CEO is Mark Pinkus.
History
Founded in 1978, Rhino was original ...
in six volumes and a complete DVD collection. The DVDs included a subtitled version of the corresponding Japanese episodes, alongside a single episode of the later English adaptation, ''G-Force''.
When Sentai Filmworks acquired the rights to ''Gatchaman'' in 2014, ''Battle of the Planets'' became available to stream on
The Anime Network and temporarily on
Hulu
Hulu () is an American subscription streaming service majority-owned by The Walt Disney Company, with Comcast's NBCUniversal holding a minority stake. It was launched on October 29, 2007 and it offers a library of films and television serie ...
.
''Battle of the Planets: Phoenix Ninjas''
''Battle of the Planets: Phoenix Ninjas'' is a scrapped reboot of the first American adaptation of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman.Tatsunoko partnered up with d-rights and Nelvana, a Canadian animation company owned by Corus Entertainment, on the project. The last new information on the project was in 2016 and it appears to be canceled.
''G-Force: Guardians of Space''
With ''Battle of the Planets'' ending its syndicated run and broadcast standards becoming laxer, a second English translation from
Turner Program Services
Turner Program Services was the former syndication arm of Turner Broadcasting. It served the same purpose as Turner Entertainment's distribution unit, with the exception that TPS was more involved in distributing television series rather than fil ...
and
Fred Ladd
Fred Laderman (February 19, 1927 – August 3, 2021),[''Tol ...](_blank)
, by license of Sandy Frank, was produced. Entitled ''G-Force: Guardians of Space'', this adaptation consisted of 85 episodes, spanning episodes 1–87 but skipping episodes 81 and 86. The series aired internationally beginning in 1987, but would not air in its entirety in the U.S until its run on
Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (often abbreviated as CN) is an American cable television channel owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It is a part of The Cartoon Network, Inc., a division that also has the broadcasting and production activities of Boomerang, Car ...
in 1995 & Air on toonami's midnight run in 2000. Although this version was less heavily edited and had a relatively faithful translation, the voice acting, background music and the Americanized character names were criticized.
A single episode from ''G-Force'' was included as a bonus on Rhino's individual ''Battle of the Planets'' DVDs released through 2001 and 2003.
Seven more episodes were released in a 2004 best-of collection, making 13 out of the show's 85 episodes available on disc.
''Battle of the Planets: The New Exploits of G-Force''
Development began for an uncensored version of ''
Battle of the Planets
''Battle of the Planets'' is an American adaptation of the Japanese anime series ''Science Ninja Team Gatchaman'' (1972). Of the 105 original ''Gatchaman'' episodes, 85 were used in the ''Battle of the Planets'' adaptation, produced by Sandy Fra ...
''. An animated TV movie was made (''Battle of the Planets: The Movie'', featuring
David Bret Edgen as Zark), combining several episodes into a new storyline. In 2003, Sandy Frank announced a series of 8 compilation films that ultimately went unreleased.
Sandy Frank announced a third English adaptation of the series in 2003 that was also never released. ''Battle of the Planets: The New Exploits of G-Force'' was set to be a 52-episode series encompassing content from the first 85 episodes of ''Gatchaman'', the 20 previously unlocalized ones, and new CG animation produced by JulesWorld (including 7-Zark-7).
The series would have been recorded at
Ocean Studios
Ocean Productions, Inc., is a Canadian media production and voice acting company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, that is part of the Ocean Group of businesses. Ocean Group is involved in intellectual property acquisition and development, ...
in Vancouver, Canada and would have featured a new score and script to help modernize the show and create a tone in-between the two prior adaptations.
While never released, the twenty-second episode of ''Gatchaman'' was adapted into a pilot called ''The Sea Dragon''. It received two forms: one that focused on adventure and action and another that focused on comedy. At the time, this rendition of the show was sold as ''Battle of the Planets: The New Adventures of G-Force''.
DVD releases
At
Anime Central
Anime Central (ACen) is an annual three-day anime convention held during May at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare & Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, Illinois. The convention is organized by the Midwest Animation Promotion Society (MAPS). ...
2004,
ADV Films
A.D. Vision Holdings, Inc. (known simply as ADV and also referred to as ADV Films) was an American multimedia entertainment distributor headquartered in Houston, Texas, and founded in 1992 by video game fan John Ledford and anime fans Matt Gre ...
announced that it had acquired the rights to release the series. From 2005–2006, the company released 18 volumes (and nine limited-edition sets) containing a new uncut English dub recorded in Texas and Japanese audio with English subtitles under the name ''Gatchaman''. This release included all 105 episodes. The dub aimed to be a faithful translation, without attempts to modify the show for younger viewers (including profanity and the word "kill"). The English dub contained creative changes: profanity, 1970s slang and thick, occasionally stereotypical accents were added. in 2012 the Series was released on Blu ray & dvd in Japan on October 19,2012.
In 2007 Sandy Frank's long-term contract with Tatsunoko Productions (owners of the ''Gatchaman'' franchise), which gave it all domestic U.S rights to the first ''Gatchaman'' series and its English adaptations, lapsed and all video releases went out of print.
Sentai Filmworks
Sentai Filmworks, LLC or just Sentai, is an American entertainment company owned by AMC Networks. Located in Houston, the company specializes in the dubbing and distribution of Japanese animation and Asian cinema. Its post-production arm is S ...
, a company founded by the creators of ADV, later signed a contract with Tatsunoko, acquiring the North American home video rights to the ''Gatchaman'' franchise in 2013.
Section23 Films
SXION 23 LLC, doing business as Section23 Films is an American multimedia distributor based in Houston, Texas specializing in releasing anime and Japanese films. Established in 2009, Section23 is one of five successors to ADV Films; alongside Se ...
released a complete collection of the series on DVD and Blu-ray on December 10, 2013. The Blu-ray set contains 14 discs in three
keep case
A keep case or poly-box is a type of packaging, most commonly used with DVDs and Blu-ray videos (and sometimes CDs).
Besides DVD-Video films, keep cases are very common with most disc-based video games since the PlayStation 2, and they are al ...
s, and the DVD set has 22 discs in four cases. Both sets contain all 105 episodes of the original series (with the ADV Films English version and Japanese audio).
Other anime series
''Gatchaman II''
A sequel, filmed with a different color process, was released four years later. Resembling the Blue Hawk, the new God Phoenix is larger and painted with the face of a bird. The personal mecha are also upgraded, with similar bird-designed paint jobs. Ryu has a tank-like mecha and a Pilot Machine to assist him.
''Gatchaman II'' sees Sosai X turn a young shipwreck survivor into his newest commander Gel Sadoma and resumes his plot to destroy the Earth. Gatchaman reunites with Joe, now a cyborg, after Galactor sends a spy to serve as his replacement on the team. The group is also aided by Dr. Pandora, who is revealed to be Gel Sadoma's mother.
In the end, Sosai X is destroyed by Joe and Gel Sadoma dies after betraying Sosai X, after the villain murders her mother.
Episodes from this series and ''Gatchaman Fighter'' were combined and translated into English as ''
Eagle Riders'' in 1996 by
Saban Entertainment
Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International; currently operating under the legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by Haim Saban and S ...
. ''Gatchaman II'' served as the bulk of the series, though its ending is changed to have Gel Sadora turn into Gatchaman Fighter villain Egoblauser.
Another release in South Korea is ''Eagle 5 Brothers (독수리 5 형제, Dokksuri Hyeongje)'' which does not contain unusual changes in audio. Instead, it contains visual changes.
''Gatchaman Fighter''
This series aired in 1979, immediately after ''Gatchaman II''. Here, the team's mecha bear no resemblance to birds. Earth is again threatened by evil; the mad tyrant Egoblauser (who has usurped control over the shattered forces of Galactor) and Sosai X, who has been reborn as Sosai Z.
Unlike ''Gatchaman II'', ''Gatchaman Fighter'' is a much darker series, especially in the final episodes with regards to casualties and deaths of longtime series characters. The ending itself has Gatchaman presumed dead, sacrificing their lives to destroy Sosai X once and for all.
Select episodes from this series and ''Gatchaman II'' were combined and translated into English as ''
Eagle Riders'' in 1996 by
Saban Entertainment
Saban Entertainment, Inc. (along with Saban International; currently operating under the legal name is BVS Entertainment, Inc.) was a worldwide-served independent American-Israeli television production company formed in 1980 by Haim Saban and S ...
.
''Gatchaman'' (OVA)
A 1994
original video animation
, abbreviated as OVA and sometimes as OAV (original animation video), are Japanese animated films and series made specially for release in home video formats without prior showings on television or in theaters, though the first part of an OVA s ...
remake series produced in association with
Artmic
was a Japanese animation design studio formed in 1978. It went bankrupt and was liquidated in 1997. AIC RIGHTS now holds the intellectual property of most of Artmic's titles. The studio was founded by Toshimichi Suzuki after he left Tatsunoko ...
that featured updated character designs and altered backgrounds.
Urban Vision
Urban Vision Entertainment Inc. was an American-based production/distribution company created in Los Angeles, California formed in July 1996 by Mataichiro Yamamoto to help introduce the animation medium known as anime to the American mainstrea ...
released it on VHS in 1997 and DVD in 2001 with an English dub produced by
Harmony Gold and Japanese audio with English subtitles. In 2013, Sentai Filmworks licensed the series and produced a new English dub from Seraphim Digital with the same cast as their ADV/Sentai's releases of the original series and film.
The new dub was released on DVD and Blu-Ray and is available for streaming on The Anime Network.
''New Gatchaman''
is a project that was attempted around the same time that ''
Mach Go Go Go '97'' was made. This version of ''Speed Racer'' was not so successful and as a result, it was canceled along with the project of ''Gatchaman '98''.
''NTT/SMAP Gatchaman''
NTT Gatchaman was a series of commercials that were made to promote the Internet service provider
NTT-East in fall 2000. Some of the commercials featured Japanese boy band group
SMAP
SMAP was a Japanese boy band, composed of Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori. The group was created in 1988 by music producer Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates, originally as a six-pi ...
portraying live action versions of the characters, while the other two were animated by Tatsunoko Production and featured modernized costume redesigns of the Science Ninja Team. The animated commercials were directed by
Keiichi Sato
is a mecha and character designer born in the Kagawa Prefecture of Japan on December 18, 1965.
In 1996, Sato met with Kazuyoshi Katayama to begin work on ''The Big O''. Until then, Sato's work consisted mainly of designing characters and supervis ...
, with character designs by Kenji Hayama. A light novel based on these commercials were sent by e-mail by NTT-East as a gift for new subscribers. To this date, the contents of this light novel remain unknown.
Based on sketches found on the Internet, fans have speculated if the commercials were an attempt to revive the franchise with a new anime. However, no such series was made at that time, and the franchise would not receive any new animated material for thirteen years until ''
Gatchaman Crowds
is a 2013 anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production and directed by Kenji Nakamura. It is a part of the ''Gatchaman'' franchise. The first season aired between July 12 and September 27, 2013, and the second season, titled ''Gatc ...
''.
''Good Morning Ninja Team Gatchaman''
In 2011, Tatsunoko produced a series of 200 two-minute
flash animated shorts called for broadcast on
NTV NTV may refer to:
Television
* NTV (Bangladesh), a Bengali-language satellite television channel in Bangladesh
* NTV (India), Telugu regional channel
* NTV (Kenya)
* NTV (Mongolia), a television channel based in Mongolia
* NTV (Newport Televis ...
's ''Zip!'' television series. While the series used the original's designs, it was more comedic in nature and featured none of the original actors. The characters were instead voiced by
Scha Dara Parr
, or SDP for short, is a three-member Japanese hip-hop group that formed in 1988 and debuted in 1990. History
The group consists of two MCs, Bose and Ani, and one DJ, Shinco. Scha Dara Parr is often compared to rap trio the Beastie Boys d ...
's Bose and Ani, along with actor Tomu Miyazaki.
Additional shorts were produced in promotion of the Japanese launch of ''
Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate
(also known as ''Monster Hunter 3'') is the third console installment in the ''Monster Hunter'' franchise, developed by Capcom and released for the Wii in Japan on August 1, 2009. ''Monster Hunter Tri'' was released on April 20, 2010, in North Am ...
''.
''Gatchaman Crowds''
A reboot of the Gatchaman series premiered in July 2013 on NTV. The story is set in
Tachikawa City, Tokyo, where some of its residents have been chosen to join a team to confront a mysterious entity known as MESS. The series follows Hajime Ichinose, a 16-year-old girl who is the team's newest member. A second season, titled ''Gatchaman Crowds insight'', started airing on July 6, 2015.
As it aired in Japan, both seasons of the show were simulcast on
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Sony through a joint venture between Sony Pictures and Sony Music Entertainment Japan's Aniplex. The service primarily distributes films and tel ...
. Sentai Filmworks licensed and dubbed both seasons. They released them on home video between 2014 and 2016.
Crossovers
Super deformed
Chibi, also known as super deformation, or S.D. is a style of caricature originating in Japan, and common in anime and manga where characters are drawn in an exaggerated way, typically small and chubby with stubby limbs, oversized heads, and m ...
animal versions of the ''Gatchaman'' team appeared alongside similar renditions of Tatsunoko's ''
Casshan
''Casshan'', also known in Japan as , is an anime series created by Tatsunoko Productions founder Tatsuo Yoshida in 1973.
The ''Casshern'' franchise also includes a 1993 original video animation titled '' Casshan: Robot Hunter'', and a 2004 ...
'' and ''
Golden Lightan'' in . The 26-episode anime series ran on
Yomiuri TV
JOIX-DTV (channel 10), branded as , is the Kansai region flagship (broadcasting), flagship station of the Nippon News Network and the Nippon Television Network System, owned by the subsidiary of the eponymous Yomiuri Shimbun#Yomiuri Group, Yomi ...
between from October 4, 2010 and March 28, 2011.
On March 26, 2016, Tatsunoko announced a collaboration with
Digital Frontier
, also called as is a motion picture production company in Japan with a distinguished large scale CG production department. The company is equipped with motion capture studio called "OPAKIS" in Odaiba, Tokyo.
The company started producing CG wo ...
to create the ''Infini-T Force'' 3D
CGI anime project. The team features members from ''Gatchaman'' alongside ''
Tekkaman'', ''Casshan'' and ''
Hurricane Polymar
is a Japanese anime and OVA series produced by Tatsunoko Productions. The show was created by Tatsuo Yoshida, who had produced many of Tatsunoko's series. Other romanizations of the name include ''Hurricane Polymer'', and ''Hariken Polyma ...
''. Set for release in 2017 alongside Tatsunoko's 55th anniversary, the project will contain an original story and will not be an adaptation of
Ukyō Kodachi
is a Japanese novelist, manga artist, and screenwriter. He started out writing tabletop role-playing games, before debuting as a novelist in 2008 and a screenwriter in 2013. From 2016 to 2020, he worked on the '' Boruto: Naruto Next Generations'' ...
and
Tatsuma Ejiri
is a Japanese manga artist from Kyoto Prefecture. After graduating from Kanazawa University he worked as a manga assistant for, among others, Eiichiro Oda and Jin Kobayashi.
His first professionally published work was ''CHILDS'' published i ...
's
manga
Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...
series.
Film adaptations
Canceled Imagi film
Imagi began developing a film version in 2004, with producer Tom Gray saying that it would have a
PG-13
The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion pictures ...
or
R rating.
A ''Gatchaman'' film was first announced in February 2006,
with an expected 2008 release.
Kevin Munroe
Kevin Andrew Munroe (born 26 October 1972) is a Canadian filmmaker and animator. His best-known work is that of writer and director of ''TMNT (film), TMNT'' (2007).
Career
Munroe has done extensive animation work during the last decade including ...
(''
TMNT'') was scheduled to write and direct,
with Lynne Southerland (co-director of ''
Mulan 2
''Mulan II'' is a 2004 American direct-to-video animated musical adventure film produced by the Japanese office of Disneytoon Studios. It is directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerland. It is a sequel to the 1998 theatrically-released ...
'') as producer,
and an initial treatment was begun.
However, in 2008 Munroe was taken off the project to direct ''
Dylan Dog
''Dylan Dog'' is an Italian horror comics series created by Tiziano Sclavi and published by Sergio Bonelli Editore since 1986.
The series features the eponymous character, a paranormal investigator who takes on cases involving supernatural ele ...
''.
Although early scripts were written by
Paul Dini
Paul McClaran Dini (; born August 7, 1957) is an American screenwriter and comic creator. He has been a producer and writer for several Warner Bros. Animation/DC Comics animated series, most notably '' Batman: The Animated Series'' (1992–1995) ...
,
in fall 2007 he was released from the project.
In June 2007, Robert Mark Kamen was signed to write the screenplay in preparation for a 2008 release.
At the July 2008
Comic-Con
A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book Fan (person), fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events ...
, Imagi introduced a Paul Dini-scripted trailer. In August,
art director
Art director is the title for a variety of similar job functions in theater, advertising, marketing, publishing, fashion, film industry, film and television, the Internet, and video games.
It is the charge of a sole art director to supervise and ...
Felix Ip began posting screenshots from the trailer. At the July 2009
Anime Expo
Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...
, Imagi shared another 45-second, Dini-scripted trailer. Although it did not reveal much plot, it was the first public look at the 3D characterizations of the main villain Galactor and the Gatchaman team in and out of costume. The trailer also introduced the film's theme: "A world in chaos, an alien evil, a lone warrior is found; Earth's last hope, five shall rise, Gatchaman."
In July 2010 Imagi posted a new one-minute trailer for ''Gatchaman'' on its company website, with a release date of 2011.
In December 2009, auditors reported growing concerns with the half-year results posted by Imagi. Although the company said that it was on course for the release of ''
Astro Boy
''Astro Boy'', known in Japan by its original name , is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha's ''Shōnen'' from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 ''tankōbon'' vo ...
'', according to the audit firm "It is uncertain whether the group will have the necessary financial resources to complete
he films
He or HE may refer to:
Language
* He (pronoun), an English pronoun
* He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ
* He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets
* He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...
''Gatchaman'', ''Tusker'', and ''
Cat Tale''."
In January 2009 the auditing firm announced that the studio lacked funding for the release of ''Tusker'', ''Cat Tale'' and ''Gatchaman'',
although Felix Ip reported that ''Gatchaman'' was expected to be released later in 2009.
In June 2009, Imagi opened ''Gatchaman'' for licensing and announced a planned
3-D theatrical release in 2011.
On December 11, 2009 Imagi's Hong Kong-based parent company,
Imagi International Holdings Limited
Imagi Animation Studios, also known as Imagi Studios, was a China, Chinese animation and visual effects studio based in Hong Kong, and established in 2000 by Imagi International Holdings Limited (), a Hong Kong-based investment company.
Backgr ...
, laid off 100 employees.
In January 2010 it announced that although the ''Gatchaman'' project would be delivered in 100-percent stereoscopic 3D, to safeguard working capital it would close its U.S. subsidiaries. The U.S. closure was finalized in late January, with about 30 staffers laid off and a few key personnel continuing as consultants as Imagi sought $30 million from investors for its animation projects.
In February 2010 the parent company laid off another 300 employees, calling the layoffs temporary as it sought new investors.
On June 21, 2011, Imagi announced in its annual report that the ''Gatchaman'' film project was cancelled.
Nikkatsu film
Nikkatsu Studios produced a live-action version of ''Gatchaman'' for Japan, which was released in August 2013.
American live-action film
It was announced at the San Diego Comic Con in July 2019 that
Joe and Anthony Russo
Anthony Russo (born February 3, 1970) and Joseph Russo (born July 18, 1971), collectively known as the Russo brothers (), are American directors, producers, and screenwriters. They direct most of their work together. They are best known for dir ...
are producing a live-action ''Battle of the Planets'' film through their production company, AGBO Studios with the possibility of directing.
Character variations
Team variations in different versions
Other character variations in different versions
Other changes
‡The original Japanese-language version of ''Gatchaman'' features a few words in English.
Video games
Ken, Jun and Berg appear as playable characters in ''
Tatsunoko Fight
is a fighting video game developed by Electronics Application (Eleca) and published by Takara for the PlayStation game console released in Japan in October 2000. It features characters from various Tatsunoko superhero properties in addition t ...
''. Ken and Jun appear as playable fighters in ''
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Cross Generation of Heroes'', and Joe joins Ken and Jun in ''
Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.''
Reception
In 2001, the Japanese magazine ''
Animage
is a Japanese anime and entertainment magazine which Tokuma Shoten began publishing in July 1978. Hayao Miyazaki's internationally renowned manga, ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'', was serialized in ''Animage'' from 1982 through 1994. Oth ...
'' listed the 1972 ''Gatchaman'' TV series the 10th-best anime production of all time.
Legacy
Impact
''Gatchaman'' helped establish the convention of the five-member hero team emulated in later series, notably in the successful
tokusatsu
is a Japanese term for live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of practical special effects. ''Tokusatsu'' entertainment mainly refers to science fiction, War film, war, fantasy, or Horror film, horror media featuring such te ...
''
Super Sentai
is a Japanese superhero team metaseries and media franchise consisting of television series and films produced by Toei Company, and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi ("Sentai" is the Japanese word for "task force" or "fighting squadron"). The sho ...
'' franchise (a genre exemplified by the English series adaptation of the ''
Power Rangers
''Power Rangers'' is an entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live-action superhero television series, based on the Japanese tokusatsu franchise ''Super Sentai''. Produced first by Saban Entertainment, second by BVS Entert ...
'' franchise many years later). The Sentai series ''
Chōjin Sentai Jetman
is a Japanese tokusatsu television series produced by Toei Company and Bandai. It is the fifteenth entry of the ''Super Sentai'' metaseries, following the previous series ''Chikyu Sentai Fiveman''. The series aired on TV Asahi on February 15, 199 ...
'' was, in many ways, a homage to ''Gatchaman''.
Guest appearances and pop culture references
* The Italian cartoon ''
Winx Club
''Winx Club'' is an animated series co-produced by Rainbow S.p.A., Rainbow SpA and later Nickelodeon. It was created by Italian animator Iginio Straffi. The show is set in a magical universe that is inhabited by fairies, witches, and other myth ...
'' parodied Gatchaman in the episode "Battle on Planet Eraklyon" when several characters form the superhero quintet "Patchamen," with uniforms and mannerisms bearing striking resemblances to those of the Science Ninja Team.
*In 1994, the Science Ninja Team and Dr. Nambu appeared in a crossover OVA, ''
Time Bokan: Royal Revival''.
*In 2000,
NTT East produced two animated and two live-action television commercials for their
ISDN
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the digitalised circuits of the public switched telephone network. Wo ...
service with an updated version of ''Gatchaman'', featuring members of the
J-Pop
J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...
boy group
SMAP
SMAP was a Japanese boy band, composed of Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Goro Inagaki, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, and Shingo Katori. The group was created in 1988 by music producer Johnny Kitagawa, founder of Johnny & Associates, originally as a six-pi ...
.
*They appeared in several episodes of the 2008 reboot of ''
Yatterman
is a Japanese anime television series broadcast from January 1, 1977 to January 27, 1979, comprising 108 episodes. It is the second and longest show in the ''Time Bokan'' series by Tatsunoko Productions. The series succeeded ''Time Bokan'' a ...
'' as background characters and played a minor speaking role in the hour-long "Episode 12.5" TV special.
*The third episode of ''
Sket Dance
''Sket Dance'' (stylized as ''SKET DANCE'') is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kenta Shinohara. The manga follows the adventures of the ''Sket-dan'', a high school club whose goal it is to help the students and teachers ...
'' has Jun as a playable character in a re-enactment of ''Tatsunoko vs. Capcom''.
*The face of one of the characters appears in episode 252 of the ''
Gin Tama
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hideaki Sorachi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''shōnen'' manga magazine ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from December 2003 to September 2018, later in ''Jump Giga'' from December 2 ...
'' anime.
*Archie's ''
Sonic the Hedgehog
is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'' comic series parodied ''Gatchaman'' in ''Sonic Super Special'' issue #12.
*A parody of ''Gatchaman'' was used in the cartoon ''
Megas XLR
''Megas XLR'' is an American animated television series created by Jody Schaeffer and George Krstic for Cartoon Network. The series revolves around two teenage slackers: mechanic Coop and his best friend Jamie, who find a mecha robot from the fut ...
'' as the S-Force, appearing in two episodes.
*Joe is the reference of the ''
Yu-Gi-Oh!
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kazuki Takahashi. It was serialized in Shueisha's ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine between September 1996 and March 2004. The plot follows the story of a boy named Yugi Mutou, w ...
'' TCG card, "Swift Birdman Joe".
*The character Ushiwaka in the Clover Studios video game ''
Ōkami
is an action-adventure video game developed by Clover Studio and published by Capcom. It was released for PlayStation 2 in 2006 in Japan and North America, and in 2007 in Europe and Australia. After the closure of Clover Studio a few months a ...
'' wears a hood that resembles that of the Gatchaman cast members.
*The
Ame-Comi version of
Batgirl
Batgirl is the name of several superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, depicted as female counterparts and allies to the superhero Batman. Although the character Betty Kane was introduced into publication in ...
has a costume with design similarities to the Gatchaman costume. She is also equipped with
Batarang
A batarang is a roughly bat-shaped throwing weapon used by the DC Comics superhero Batman. The name is a portmanteau of bat and boomerang, and was originally spelled baterang. Although they are named after boomerangs, batarangs have become mor ...
s that look identical to Ken the Eagle's Birdrangs.
*The character of Lord Viper in the 90s cartoon ''
King Arthur and the Knights of Justice
''King Arthur and the Knights of Justice'' is an animated series produced by Golden Films, C&D (Créativité et Développement) and Bohbot Entertainment. The series was created by Jean Chalopin along with Diane Eskenazi (Golden Films) and Avi Ar ...
'' appears to be based on the design of Spectra foot soldiers.
References
External links
*
*
{{Authority control
1972 anime television series debuts
ADV Films
Japanese children's animated action television series
Japanese children's animated space adventure television series
Japanese children's animated science fiction television series
Japanese children's animated superhero television series
Anime with original screenplays
Fuji TV original programming
Gatchaman
Mecha anime and manga
Ninja in anime and manga
Sentai Filmworks
Superheroes in anime and manga
Tatsunoko Production franchises