| Gatchaman | |
| ガッチャマン (Kagaku Ninjatai Gatchaman) | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Adventure, Science Fiction |
| Anime | |
| Directed by | Akihiko Nishiyama |
| Studio | Tatsunoko Production |
| Released | October 1, 1994 – April 1, 1995[1] |
| Alternative titles | |
| |
Gatchaman (ガッチャマン) is a three-part original video animation (OVA) based on the popular 1970s anime Gatchaman. It was released in Japan and the United States during the mid-1990s. This version of Gatchaman is set in the year 2066. The evil leader of the nation of Hontwall is threatening to take over the planet. Scientists from the International Science Organization are disappearing, and only five teenage heroes, the Science Ninja team, can stop the disaster.
Plot
Template:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode listTemplate:Japanese episode list| # | Title | Original Airdate |
|---|
Characters
The re-naming of the various characters and terms in Gatchaman OVA are highlighted as follows (in correspondence to their Gatchaman equivalents, among others):
| Gatchaman | Battle of the Planets | G-Force | Eagle Riders | OVA (Dub) | Rank | Bird Uniform | Weapon | Mecha | Japanese seiyū | Voice actor (BOTP) | Voice actor (G-Force) | Voice actor (OVA Dub) | Voice actor (Eagle Riders) | Voice actor (ADV Dub) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Washio | Mark | Ace Goodheart | Hunter Harris | Ken the Eagle | G1 | Eagle | Razor boomerang | Airplane | Katsuji Mori | Casey Kasem | Sam Fontana | Eddie Frierson | Richard Cansino | Leraldo Anzaldua |
| Joe Asakura | Jason | Dirk Daring | Joe Thax | Joe the Condor | G2 | Condor | Pistol | Race Car | Isao Sasaki | Ronnie Schell | Cam Clarke | Richard Cansino | Bryan Cranston | Brian Jepson |
| Jun | Princess | Agatha June ("Aggie") | Kelly Jennar | June the Swan | G3 | Swan | Yo-yo | Motorcycle | Kazuko Sugiyama | Janet Waldo | Barbara Goodson | Lara Cody | Heidi Noelle Lenhart | Kim Prause |
| Jinpei | Keyop | Pee Wee | Mickey Dugan | Jimmy the Falcon | G4 | Swallow | Bolo | Dune Buggy | Yoku Shioya | Alan Young | Barbara Goodson | Mona Marshall | Luci Christian | |
| Ryu Nakanishi | Tiny Harper | Hoot Owl ("Hooty") | Ollie Keeawani | Rocky the Owl | G5 | Owl | Pistol | God Phoenix | Shingo Kanemoto | Alan Dinehart | Jan Rabson/Gregg Berger | Richard Epcar | Paul Schrier | Victor Carsrud |
Other character variations across different versions
| Gatchaman | Battle of the Planets | G-Force | Eagle Riders | OVA (Dub) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Kozaburo Nambu | Chief Anderson | Dr. Benjamin Brighthead | Dr. Thaddeus Keane | Dr. Kozaburo Nambu |
| ISO Director Anderson | President Kane | Anderson/Cmdr. Todd (some episodes) | Anderson | Director Anderson |
| Red Impulse / Kentaro Washio |
Col. Cronos | Red Impulse / Mr. Goodheart |
Harley Harris | Red Spectre |
| Berg Katse | Zoltar | Galactor | Lukan | Solaris |
| Sosai (Leader) X | O Luminous One / The Great Spirit |
Computor | Cybercom | Lord Zortek |
| Galactor | Planet Spectra | Planet Galactor | Vorak | Galactor |
| Gel Sadra (Gatchaman 2) |
Mallanox |
Other notable changes
| Gatchaman Identity change command |
Battle of the Planets Identity change command |
G-Force Identity change command |
Eagle Riders change command | OVA change command (English) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bird, Go! | Transmute! | G-force Transform! | Eagle Mode, NOW! |
|
Cast
English cast
- Ken - Eddie Frierson
- Joe - Richard Cansino
- June - Lara Cody
- Jimmy - Mona Marshall
- Rocky - Richard Epcar
- Dr. Nambu - Michael McConnohie
- Chief - Michael Forest
- Kirland - Clifton Wells
- Solaris - R. Martin Klein
- President Beolute - Jeff Winkless
- Kesslor - Kirk Thornton
- Commander - Barry Stiger
- Lord Zortek - Ralph Votrais
Japanese cast
- Fumihiko Tachiki as Ryu the Horned Owl (G-5)
- Kouji Ishii as Joe Asakura the Condor (G-2)
- Masaya Onosaka as Ken Washio the Eagle (G-1)
- Michiko Neya as Jun the Swan (G-3)
- Rica Matsumoto as Jinpei the Swallow (G-4)
- Ikuya Sawaki as Dr. Kouzaburou Nanbu
- Kaneto Shiozawa as Berg Katse
- Nobuo Tanaka as Sosai X
- Takeshi Aono as Donaldson[2]
Design
In the OVA series, the characters' designs and ages were changed along with other elements as part of the process of "updating" the series for modern audiences. For example:
- Ken, who had long hair in the original series, was given short hair.
- Joe was redesigned with more of a "bad boy" image, given a tattoo, and made a smoker. His car was also updated to a Shelby Cobra.
- Jun, who originally had long green hair, has short brown hair in the OVA. She has developed physically, and has worked as a model in the past.
- Jinpei, who was renamed Jimmy, was given more of a "street kid" look, while his position on the team became "hacker".
- Ryu was now the oldest at 25 (he was originally 17) and his hairstyle was changed to a blonde and purple mohawk.
- The GodPhoenix was also redesigned, and appears to be larger than the original.
- The Red Impulse squadron had only three members in the original series, while in the OVA continuity, there are more.[3]
Music
New music was composed for the OVA by Maurice White (of Earth, Wind & Fire) and Bill Meyers, with additional music by Bob Sakuma from the original TV series. The ending theme "Let's Fly" was performed by Lance Matthew.
A music video at the end of the third episode features an updated version of "Gatchaman Song" by Ichiro Mizuki.
Availability
The OVA was released in Japan on the following dates:
- Volume 1, "Gatchaman Vs. Turtle King": 10/1/94
- Volume 2, "Secret Red Impulse": 1/1/95
- Volume 3, "Final Count 0002": 4/1/95
In the US, the video was distributed by Urban Vision, with the following release dates:
- Gatchaman OAV Vol 1, "The Dragon King": July 29, 1997
- Gatchaman OAV Vol 2, "The Red Specter": August 26, 1997
- Gatchaman OAV Vol 3, "The Final Countdown": September 16, 1997[4]
Initial batches of the subtitled VHS release were recalled due to subtitle timing errors.
References
- ^ "Gatchaman". Tatsunoko Production. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
- ^ "Gatchaman". Tatsunoko Production. Retrieved 2009-05-24.
- ^ "Science Ninja Team: Gatchaman". Ex.org. Retrieved 2008-06-21.
- ^ "Gatchaman". Tatsunoko Production USA. Retrieved 2008-07-12.
Further reading
- G-Force: Animated (TwoMorrows Publishing: ISBN 9781893905184)