Gatchaman (Episodes 1 - 4)



Watching Gatchaman (or as we knew it 28 years ago, Battle of the Planets) again has been an interesting experience. I’ve seen the first four episodes, and they are a strange bunch.

The first episode establishes the two most memorable things about the series: the “Whirlwind Pyramid” fighting technique and the transformation of the Science Ninja Team’s spaceship God-Phoenix into Firebird mode. Neither of these things show up in at least the next three episodes, which is funny, because I remember them happening in every episode of Battle of the Planets...



I was thinking about what made Battle of the Planets so popular, and I think the Whirlwind Pyramid was a big part of the attraction to little kids. Little kids playing on the playground are prone to spin around until they puke anyway; Battle of the Planets suggested spinning like a maniac could be part of strategy to save the entire world. This might also explain why the awful Wonder Woman series of my youth was so popular.

The next three episodes focus entirely on "Ken, the Eagle," the leader of the Science Ninja Team. In Episode 2 he infiltrates the "Monstrous Aircraft Carrier" that Galactor (the collective name for the bad guys, though whether it is a country or a person or a planet is never really explained) used to kidnap some astronauts who splashed down in the ocean. I did like the bit where Ken tells Ryu to aim for the yellow water.



Episode 3 is an insane episode for two reasons. First, we're supposed to accept that Galactor built a giant robot disguised as a ghoul wrapped in mummy's bandages -- to control storms. Huh? If Galactor didn't waste time and materials making robots that looked like things that have nothing to do with their functions, Gatchaman would be in trouble. Secondly, there's kid whose father died in one of the robot/ghoul/mummy-caused storms, and everyone spends the whole episode lying to him about his father coming back. Imagine all the therapy in the world, double it, and that's what this kid is going to need to ever have a healthy relationship ever again.

Episode 4 hinges on the terribly dramatic dilemma of whether or not to fire a Bird Missile at a giant oil-stealing robot centipede. (Where do I get one of those?) It's never explained what a Bird Missile is or why it's such a big deal. In this episode Ken also begins to worry about his secret identity, even though he introduces himself to strangers as "Ken, the Eagle."

Posted: Wed - August 31, 2005 at      

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