ANIMATED SHORTS: GATCHAMAN PART 1 AND NEWS OF THE WEEK

[MattBrady]

by Steve Fritz

GATCHAMAN FLIES AGAIN
ADV COMPLETES LEGENDARY SERIES DVD COLLECTION

1972 was a dark time for American animation. That certainly wasn’t the case in Japan.

“Well, the television animation industry in Japan was only about nine years old , says historian Jason Hofius,” and a lot of studios were still finding their way or just coming into being. Most early series were pretty simple, the stories were normally self-contained to an episode or two without much concern for continuity over a series' run. They also tended to focus on a single, lead hero character. Only a handful of more serious adventure and action programs had been shown.”

“The shows were mostly exciting, and entertaining but there wasn't anything too dramatic. You know, entertaining and adventurous, but you didn't have to think too much about them. There were the usual talking animal, action, fantasy, robot and sports-themed shows geared towards young children. But animation became very popular, very quickly in Japan after Astro Boy hit. It was the first program of its kind, although not the first animated show in Japan as generally reported. Children responded to it in a major way and its success jump-started the industry there.”

Thick in the midst of this burgeoning scene was the studio Tatsunoko Pro. It already had one HUGE worldwide hit with Speed Racer, and in its native Japan was known as the “studio of the superhero.” That was because its founders, the Yoshida brothers and eldest brother Tatsuo in particular, had some very strong American influences.

“Believe it or not the founder of Tatsunoko, Tatsuo Yoshida, was heavily influenced by early American comic books,” says Hofius. “Comics made him pursue his artistic ambitions and he left his home in Kyoto in his early twenties to start illustrating them in Tokyo. Titles like Superman really had an impact on Yoshida as a youngster. When his two brothers joined up with him a few years later, they formed Tatsunoko Productions as a comic art studio.

“Additionally, there was Astro Boy. When Yoshida saw the series in 1963, he knew that his future was in animation. So much so that he very nearly broke Tatsunoko to get their first animated production, Space Ace, on the air in 1965. But it worked and it led to Speed Racer and beyond. Another influence on Gatchaman was some of Yoshida's own early comic work. He had created a team in 1963 called Boy Ninja Squad Moonlight; a heroic group that used their Ninja skills to combat an evil organization.”

So in 1969, who by now were one of the premier studios in Japan, decided to put their power inside the industry and their love of superheroes to the next level. They would do a superhero series, but their way. It would combine a small handful of diverse, young and complex characters, have a much stronger emphasis on science fiction and super-science than both comics and manga of the times. Finally, in probably the most radical step of all, it would have one major theme that would run through the entire series.

They called the series Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman, literally Scientific Ninja Troop Gatchaman although we Americans “officially” call it Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. True fans and otakus alike lovingly call it Gatchaman for short. It’s now considered one of the most important shows to ever come out of Japan, right up there with such “golden age” series as Astro Boy, Kimba and, of course, Tatsunoko’s own Speed Racer.

“For the story, probably the most prominent innovation for Gatchaman was the use of a five-person team,” says Hofius. “A concept later copied by countless live-action hero shows like Power Rangers and animated shows like Voltron and Sailor Moon. The idea of having a team of main characters rather than a lone hero was something different. The show could focus just as well on a story with Joe or Jinpei as much as one about Ken.

“The characters were [also well-written and rounded out. All of them had distinct personalities, but they were never locked into behaving in one certain way. As the series progressed, you got to learn more about each of their backgrounds and motivations. Things like Ken's search for his missing father, the reason Joe hated Galactor so much and just what the heck was going on with Berg Katse were all great elements of the overall story. How many other animated programs at that time featured a main villain who changed genders? It was some really wild stuff.

“I think fans responded to the action and the characters,” Hofius adds, “but also to the humor in the show. Despite all of Gatchaman's drama and emotional impact, there were times when it could be downright silly. Ryu, Jinpei and even Katse had a lot of funny and unexpected lines. Also, many of the names of the enemy machines were puns, like "Blizzarder" for a giant freezing monster. Some of the
visuals were ridiculous too, like the uniforms on the Galactor captains of the week. It was a hard-hitting show yes, but it didn't take itself seriously all the time. It kept things fun and I'm sure that was part of
the appeal to fans then and now.”

This style of anime storytelling would later become known as the Sentei (or “task force”) style and, as Hofius points out, is still incredibly common today. Yes, there were “team” series beforehand, just think of Amazing 3, but no where near as developed and thought out.

Basically the story was about a special task force of five teenagers whose mission in life was to protect the planet from a major alien invasion. Leading the force was Ken, your classic square-jawed hero with an edge (oddly enough voiced over here by Casey Kasem). His second in command was Joe, who was moody, temperamental, but loyal. Rounding out the team was Jinpei (the youngest and smallest), Jun (the female member) and Ryu (the “big guy”). Their primary ship was The Phoenix, which had a special ability that when flying at incredible speeds would look like it was in flames.

Still, innovative story concepts weren’t Gatchaman’s only breakthrough. Tatsunoko was already very well known for some top-notch animation work in its day (check out earlier shows like Marine Boy or Space Ace, if you can find them). They decided to go all out with Gatchaman.

“The animation was one of the most striking features of Gatchaman,” says Hofius. “Even though it started off looking good, it got even better and more realistic as the series continued. Tatsuo Yoshida wanted his staff to try new things in each successive program developed at Tatsunoko, whether it was a new way to animate or photograph something, a way to integrate live-action scenes into the animation, or some other kind of visual effect. If it was new, looked good and was useful, Yoshida seemed to go for it. Some of the staff at Tatsunoko reported that he would encourage them to go see American movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes in order to get ideas for rich-looking cinematography, dramatic camera techniques and lighting. Obviously, it paid off.”

“The realistic-looking way the characters and vehicles were drawn was developed through Speed Racer, and two other series they produced before Gatchaman; a drama called Kurenai Sanshiro and a documentary series about World War II called Decision. These series featured progressively more realistic-looking characters and machines that contributed directly to Gatchaman's quality.

“The Science Ninja Team's vehicles held another innovation for the series,” says Hofius. “They transformed shapes and they were able to join up to create an even more powerful fighting craft. That idea hadn't been widely explored before, but after Gatchaman it became a staple of many Japanese cartoons. Vehicles and aircraft in Gatchaman were drawn with care. Even the enemy machines, while usually outrageous-looking, were still animated realistically without a lot of cartoon-like bending or exaggerated movements.

“Other animation techniques honed through the years included things like the heavy use of airbrushing on smoke effects and other things like the Science Ninja Team's helmets, which is time-consuming and harder to do on moving objects. Explosions were another impressive specialty of the series. They looked like they were dangerous and destructive, not simple puffs of smoke with spiky flashes of orange and yellow-colored lights.”

Tatsunoko would spend an incredible three years (an incredible amount of time in those days) on this project before finally selling it to television in 1972. While the reaction wasn’t immediate, it didn’t take too long for Gatchaman to take off.

“It wasn't a smash at first, but its following built up pretty quickly,” says Hofius. “It was only planned to run for a single year, but fan reaction and ratings for the series extended its run to two years. It was meant to appeal to kids of grade school age, but ended up catching on with teenagers. The unexpected appeal to an older age group encouraged the creators to get more adventurous with the stories to pull in even more viewers.”

By the time the original series was completed, Tatsunoko did an amazing 108 half-hours. But there was another side effect, the fans wanted MORE. Lots more.

“Once fans found it, they seemed to love it and stuck with it,” says Hofius. “There was a lot to dig into in the series and fans kept close tabs on everything that happened week-to-week. It spawned very dedicated groups, and their influence actually added some things to the story. Fans got together to discuss story points, the characters and speculate in detail about what may happen in upcoming episodes. They would send letters with their thoughts and questions to Tatsunoko, and the studio paid attention. Many fans thought that Berg Katse may actually a woman, mainly due to the way the voice actor portrayed him. Although the main writers of the series hadn't considered the possibility, they ended up designing a story around that angle and it became a major part of the second year.

“Also, Joe, the Condor was also a huge hit with fans. The early planning for the series had Ken, Jun and Jinpei as the major characters whose stories would be followed. But Joe's popularity led to him getting more screen time and finally developing into the series' major story at the end. Fans are still very active in Japan to this day. There are current fan publications dedicated to Gatchaman and it is a respected and fondly remembered program. The series still ranks highly in polls with other classics of Japanese animation like Star Blazers and Gundam.”

Already a hit in Japan, it was now time for Gatchaman to take over the world. In next week’s columns, Hofius will explain how the series was converted over here in the U.S. into Battle of the Planets. We’ll also go into the recently completed, and magnificent, 8-box set collecting every little detail of the series by ADV..

ANIME CHANNEL EXPANDS DRAMATICALLY

While we’re on the subject of ADV, their Anime Network has been making some interesting moves, too.

First, Anime Network announced three new carriage (or carrier) deals for its popular subscription-based video-on-demand (SVOD) service. America’s #1 Anime Channel is set for SVOD launches throughout the Insight Communications and RCN systems, as well as Cogeco Cable Inc.’s Ontario systems in the coming weeks.

“We are delighted that more and more operators recognize the growing appeal and connection of Anime Network programming to their most sought-after consumer demographics,” said Kevin McFeeley, the Network’s Vice President of Affiliate Sales and New Media. “We look forward to working with each of these three new partners in reaching and entertaining the communities they serve.”

“We believe VOD is a great platform for providing specialized programming to targeted audiences,” said Melani Griffith, vice president of programming at Insight. “Anime has a very passionate following and is exactly the kind of on demand content we believe will be successful and will attract new viewers.”

Anime Network’s current SVOD launch schedule for each MSO is as follows:

• Insight Communications – September kick-off of three-stage system rollout
• RCN – October system-wide launch
• Cogeco Cable Inc. – November Ontario systems launch

While Anime Network has quickly become the largest VOD offering and one of the most popular SVOD services available today—with over 95% penetration to all VOD-enabled households—the network is also available as a 24/7 linear channel through several service providers.

Telecommunications behemoth AT&T also announced a distribution agreement with Anime Network, which will deliver its on-demand programming as part of the AT&T U-verse SM TV channel lineup.

Under the agreement, AT&T U-verse TV customers will have access to Anime Network On Demand, which offers thousands of hours of the latest anime programming directly from Japan. AT&T U-verse TV and Anime Network On Demand will offer free, subscription and transactional video-on-demand (VOD) options.

“AT&T U-verse TV delivers a unique viewing experience that is centered around our customers and the content they are passionate about,” said Richard Wellerstein, vice president of VOD programming, AT&T Operations, Inc. “Anime Network will give AT&T U-verse customers the flexibility to watch their favorite anime shows any time they please through our robust on-demand library.”

“We’re proud to bring the art and entertainment of anime to the AT&T U-verse experience,” said Kevin McFeeley, vice president of affiliate sales and new media, Anime Network. “Our programming lineup resonates not only with devoted anime fans but also with other segments of today’s tech-savvy consumer audience, such as video gamers and action/adventure enthusiasts. We look forward to working with AT&T in reaching even more viewers as part of their exciting new service.”

AT&T U-verse TV is delivered by Project Lightspeed, the company’s initiative to expand the fiber-optics network deeper into neighborhoods to deliver U-verse TV, AT&T Yahoo!® High Speed Internet U-verse Enabled and, in the future, Voice over IP services. Through its subsidiaries, AT&T expects to reach nearly 19 million households by the end of 2008 as part of its initial deployment, using fiber-to-the-node (FTTN) and fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) technologies.

NICK RENEWS MAX & RUBY

Nickelodeon Preschool Television has announced that they have picked up an all-new, 14-episode season of the 2-D animated preschool series Max & Ruby. In addition, a new Max & Ruby Easter special will premiere on Nick Jr. and NOGGIN in Spring 2007 to kick off the new season.

Based on the classic children’s book series by internationally acclaimed children’s author and illustrator Rosemary Wells, Max & Ruby follows the adventures of two bunny siblings. The show, a co-production from Nelvana/Corus Entertainment, currently airs weekdays on NOGGIN at 10:30 a.m. (ET). The original 26 episodes of the series and the new season of 14 episodes were produced by Nelvana in association with Chorion Silver Lining.

“We’re thrilled to bring more Max and Ruby episodes to Nick Jr. and Noggin,” said Brown Johnson, Executive Creative Director, Nickelodeon Preschool Television. “Preschoolers clearly delight in Max’s antics and Ruby’s creative persistence. They are a dynamic brother-sister duo.”

“We believe passionately in Max and Ruby. The books and the TV series speak directly to young children across cultures and the series is a firm favorite with broadcasters, parents and youngsters alike. We are delighted that Nelvana has produced 14 more half-hour episodes and that Nick Jr. has picked these up. We know that Max and Ruby’s large family of devoted fans can’t wait to get to see these new shows,” said Nicholas James, Chief Executive of Chorion.

Each half-hour episode of Max & Ruby consists of three seven-and-a-half-minute stories that celebrate the universal nature of sibling relationships. The series follows Max, an enthusiastic and
determined preschool bunny, and his big sister Ruby, a very smart and goal-oriented seven-year-old, through their everyday lives in the village of East Bunnyhop. Even though Max and Ruby have conflicting agendas, they enjoy working and playing together.

DISNEY ALSO RENEWS CHARLIE & LOLA

Disney Channel has ordered a third season of Charlie and Lola, the charming preschool series about a pair of supportive siblings, for its learning-focused Playhouse Disney programming block. The announcement was made today by Nancy Kanter, Senior Vice President, Original Programming, Disney Channel.

"The series does a wonderful job of showcasing preschool-age life lessons through the special bond siblings have," Kanter said. "We are delighted that Charlie and Lola's tender and humorous relationship will continue to warm the hearts of our young viewers and their parents and caregivers."

Based on the award-winning children's book series by Lauren Child, Charlie and Lola depicts a considerate brother, 7-year-old Charlie, who patiently helps his feisty yet endearing 4-year-old sister, Lola, through preschool-age challenges such as keeping a clean room, new friendships, caring for an injured sibling and being scared of the dark. Helpful Charlie guides Lola through by using logic, humor and the power of imagination.

Currently in its second season, Charlie and Lola airs weekdays at 10:00 a.m. ET/PT and weekends at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT during the Playhouse Disney programming block. New episodes are scheduled to air October 9 and November 10, as well as a holiday episode slated for December.

"Charlie and Lola" is a production of London-based Tiger Aspect Productions.

VIRGIN ENTERS ANIMATION WORLD

The ever-expanding empire of our favorite billionaire Richard Branson now plans to soar into the world of animation (I’m sorry, you gotta love a guy who once had Tangerine Dream, Gong and the Sex Pistols on his record label). And, typical of Branson, it’s in a whole new area for us more Western-tuned fans.

Kahani World, Inc. an independent animation company based in Toronto, Canada and Virgin Comics, LLC have teamed up to co-produce Secrets of the Seven Sounds, a full length animated feature for kids 7 and up, inspired by the ancient Indian myth Ramayana.

In addition to action, adventure and fantasy, Secrets of the Seven Sounds challenges tradition by asking us to consider what it might really be like to be the little brother of the Chosen One? Seven Sounds tells the story of the handsome, naturally gifted, and love-struck Prince Ram who destiny has chosen to rescue Princess Sita (the object of his affections) and save the world from the villainous Lord Ravan. But the real hero of Seven Sounds is Lux, Prince Ram’s 11 year-old little brother, the family’s insightful and often-overlooked
intrepid fighter.

“The Ramayan continues to be the bedrock of India’s cultural identity in ways that no other myth can claim,” said Deepak Chopra, best-selling author and Chairman of Virgin Comics. “The Seven Sounds animated film is a is a marvelous way to share this story and inspire children around the world.”

Secrets of the Seven Sounds is already in an advanced stage of development; full production begins in just seven weeks. The feature is in collaboration with Virgin Comics co-founders, Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur, and is based on an original story by Gotham Chopra, Sharad Devarajan and Jeevan Kang. The animated feature will be brought to market in the summer of 2007.

“Our comics and film stories are infused with characters and mythic sensibilities that resonate with audiences around the globe,” said Sharad Devarajan, CEO of Virgin Comics. “Kahani World shares our vision and understands the importance of epic storytelling. Together we are uniquely positioned to produce an exceptional animated feature, and adapt the film for global merchandising, graphic novels and promotional campaigns.”

“It’s about time the world is exposed to the rich mythology we have stored up in our vaults in India and Asia. With Kahani, we are excited to be bringing one of the greatest Indian legends, re-fashioned, to the world, and in doing so create new planetary myths that people every where can enjoy,” said Gotham Chopra, Virgin Comic’s Chief Creative Officer. “This is just the start!”

“Kahani is focused on creating and producing world-class animation brands that become icons in India, resonate throughout Asia, and also appeal to audiences around the world,” said Biren Ghose, animation veteran, CEO and President of Kahani World Inc. and Executive Producer of Secret of the Seven Sounds. “We aim to put a new spin on storytelling, blending stories that may have an “Indian DNA” but which thrive in the contemporary context and culture of the global kidizen! Virgin Comics and Virgin Animation have succeeded in straddling the East-West paradigm with equal excellence and are an inspiration and benchmark for what Kahani seeks to achieve as a Company.

NEXT COLUMN: Not only will we complete our story of Gatchaman, but also them Dingos are looking kind of Frisky over at Cartoon Network. –s

[JoeGKushner]

Now I'm not saying I didn't love it as a kid in the 70's as G-Force but after watching the first boxed set recently, all I can say is man kids are stupid and will watch almost anything you put in front of them.

"The enemy has captured a craft more powerful than yours!"

"Well, we've defeated the enemy. Instead of say, taking this ship back, let's blow it up so that it can't fall into enemy hands again!"

Man, what a long strange trip that's been!

[mike000]

I love this series. This and starblazers were my favorites growing up. Watching it now, Cassie Cassum's voice grates on my nerves. it makes me sad.

[Spaz_Monkey]

I remember watching Gatchaman as Battle Of The Planets, with MUCH different names, voices, etc. I thought i'd hallucinated the whole thing when I saw an episode of G-Force that, while looking the same, was obviously NOT the show I'd grown up watching.

Wasn't till later that I knew the truth....... [insert ominous music here]

[Johnny Triangles]

This may sound like blasphemy, but as a kid Casey Kasem's voice MADE this series for me, I thought it was the coolest sounding hero I'd ever heard in my life. I remember my head jerking up from my toy cars and being transfixed when I first heard the voice come out of my TV. I think it helped that I had no idea who the real Casey Kasem was so I had no previous negative associations with the voice.

[Dave Fury]

Originally Posted by Spaz_Monkey

I remember watching Gatchaman as Battle Of The Planets, with MUCH different names, voices, etc. I thought i'd hallucinated the whole thing when I saw an episode of G-Force that, while looking the same, was obviously NOT the show I'd grown up watching.

Wasn't till later that I knew the truth....... [insert ominous music here]

The same with me. It shows how great this show was, that a watered down version of it was still a great show.

I wish someone would re-air this series as it was with good voice acting.

[jagtech13]

I remember seeing Gatchaman as Battle of the Planets as a kid. Didn't remember liking it then. Bought the ADV box set (1st one) since I generally likeda lot of what I saw in anime and like a lot of ADV's licensed items in general. Plus Alex Ross painted the box and I am a big Alex Ross fan (But who isn't?). Still didn't like the show.

Having bought quite a bit of the old toons' DVDs that I remember watching growing up with, I am surprised on a few things. Transformers; which was a good toon growing up, seems to have held up the best, and some of those stories seem have some philosophical underscoring to them.

G.I. Joe which was my fave in the day looks hokey today; ray guns instead of bullets and no one ever dies (Well, Duke got a snake to the chest in the movie but that was a exception. Besides, he got better.).

Just bought Voltron and I think outside of the first set I cannot see mself buying moe. Monster of the Week stories and how many times do I need to watch everyone go through the Voltron tubes, activate and launch the lions, and form Voltron and the blazing sword? Too much stock footage IMHO.

Robotech is the most complex of the series and really seems to hold up the best story wise. Except I grind my teeth whenever Minmei sings. Or shows up on camera. Or speaks. And I really don't want to get started on the entire Lancer/Yellow Dancer thing. But I am looking forward to the new movie coming out. Did I mention Minmei annoys me?

The comics on the other hand have been interesting. I can still read G.I. Joe but Joe Casey is not my first or even tenth choice for writers. Loved Dreamwave Transformers but IDW is hit and miss. Robotech from Wildstorm was just Robotech stories to fill the gulf between the movie and games coming out. Voltron from Devil's Due was actually the best comic of the bunch since it stripped away the junk from the series and made Voltron interesting. Would love to see a new Voltron series using that style of story. Just my two-cents though.

[dalunt]

Originally Posted by jagtech13

I remember seeing Gatchaman as Battle of the Planets as a kid. Didn't remember liking it then. Bought the ADV box set (1st one) since I generally likeda lot of what I saw in anime and like a lot of ADV's licensed items in general. Plus Alex Ross painted the box and I am a big Alex Ross fan (But who isn't?). Still didn't like the show.

Having bought quite a bit of the old toons' DVDs that I remember watching growing up with, I am surprised on a few things. Transformers; which was a good toon growing up, seems to have held up the best, and some of those stories seem have some philosophical underscoring to them.

G.I. Joe which was my fave in the day looks hokey today; ray guns instead of bullets and no one ever dies (Well, Duke got a snake to the chest in the movie but that was a exception. Besides, he got better.).

Just bought Voltron and I think outside of the first set I cannot see mself buying moe. Monster of the Week stories and how many times do I need to watch everyone go through the Voltron tubes, activate and launch the lions, and form Voltron and the blazing sword? Too much stock footage IMHO.

Robotech is the most complex of the series and really seems to hold up the best story wise. Except I grind my teeth whenever Minmei sings. Or shows up on camera. Or speaks. And I really don't want to get started on the entire Lancer/Yellow Dancer thing. But I am looking forward to the new movie coming out. Did I mention Minmei annoys me?

The comics on the other hand have been interesting. I can still read G.I. Joe but Joe Casey is not my first or even tenth choice for writers. Loved Dreamwave Transformers but IDW is hit and miss. Robotech from Wildstorm was just Robotech stories to fill the gulf between the movie and games coming out. Voltron from Devil's Due was actually the best comic of the bunch since it stripped away the junk from the series and made Voltron interesting. Would love to see a new Voltron series using that style of story. Just my two-cents though.

They are making a Voltron movie, Transformers comes out next year, now they need a GI Joe movie (I have the DVD of the animated movie, and it was awesome), so was the Transformers animated movie.

[LunarDaydreamer]

I remember Battle Of The Planets as a kid, adored it..but remember the US edits well. I remember Z-Zark-7 saying "Of course he made a full recovery" after a scientist clearly got shot in the head .. and protesting as such to my mum. The show was a daily staple of being off school over here - and in those merch-less days wanted a Phoenix more than *anything*

My Battle Of The Planets luff later transfered to genius puppet show Star Fleet - and sweet Xmas how I'd adore that series on dvd.

Robotech wise, i've only started watching the show recently - but how trippy to be trapped in a forgotten area of a ship and to go outside and catch a massive space fish! Genius.

Great column Steve, look forward to part 2.

^_^

[JoeGKushner]

jagtech13 echoes a lot of my thoughts.

How about the ever dreaded Thundercats? Or the old He Man? Or She Ra?Silver Hawks? Ugh! The horror! The original Go Bots! Make it stop! My brain is trying to escape at the mere thought of these ancient horrors!

Still, even though I know it probably sucks, I'd love to see Space Ghost, Thundar, and some of the other old cartons come out.

[Spaz_Monkey]

Originally Posted by JoeGKushner

The original Go Bots!

Go Bots was NEVER good. even back then, it was a terrible, cheesy rip-off of The Transformers. Even as a 10 year old, I could tell it was a hack show.

[samnoir]

Battle of the Planets is my all time favourite animated series.

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[SouthtownKid]

ADV did a great job with the series. Rhino was killing me with their '2 episodes per DVD' thing. I hope ADV get hold of the rights to do Gatchaman II and Gatchaman F here, as well.

[jagtech13]

Originally Posted by JoeGKushner

jagtech13 echoes a lot of my thoughts.

How about the ever dreaded Thundercats? Or the old He Man? Or She Ra?Silver Hawks? Ugh! The horror! The original Go Bots! Make it stop! My brain is trying to escape at the mere thought of these ancient horrors!

Still, even though I know it probably sucks, I'd love to see Space Ghost, Thundar, and some of the other old cartons come out.

Careful what you wish for there. Thundercats was a time-killer or the last animated show on TV before the sitcoms and news started for us in the NY market. Never liked the show, but I watched it as a kid. Even a lousy toon is better than no toon at all. OH, AND SNARF MUST DIE!!!

I remember the show "Everybody Loves the 80s" and they showed He-Man clips. They said the show was totally gay. Friend of mine got the box set of it, and I am inclined to think it looked as much. Stories really don't hold up well either.

She-Ra was hot for a toon. Toon sucked but they drew her nice. All I remembered as a kid of her. I needed a girlfriend back then BADLY also. LOL

Go-Bots was lame, really it didn't matter who came out first in the battle of transforming robots. They just were weak. The toys were not that bad, but as a kid, you knew it was the Transformers you wanted despite the Go-Bot characters generally looking closer to their cartoon selves than a lot fo the original Transformers (What the hell was the deal with Rachet and Iron Hide? Can you make two suckier toys ever?!)

Here's two for you: Galaxy Rangers and COPS. The Rangers fought crime across the universe as space cowboys. COPS had a unit of police going after these gangsters and one of the bad guys had tommy guns in his chest. There was one cop with a cyborg dog. Oh, and the toys came with those old plastic caps that went "bang!" when you pulled the gun hammer back.

Nostalgia... Anyways, the toon I hope not to see again is Smurfs. I've had arguments with my girlfriend on this one. Namely you can't have one hundred males and one female without the female being unconscious ("Holy Smurf! It's a smurfin' smurf-bang! That's smurfed up!") or if she is walking about, it must be a town full of gay smurfs. Oh, and I always rooted for the cat to eat the damn blue idiots.

[astronato]

Nice piece on Gatchaman

Its been a while since I've seen the show but find it hard to believe it was aimed at kids and not teenagers. There was cursing and wasn't there cheesecake shots of Jun?

Battle of the Planets was good but it was also sufficiently neutered enough (curse you 7 Zark 7) that it didn't have the impact on me that Star Blazers did later on.

Anyway, What happened to Rhino Video putting out the Battle of the Planets, G Force and Gatchman versions of each episodes. I bought the first five volumes and the "ultimate dvd" set with the next batch of shows and that was it. Do the ADV dvd's have all three versions?

Are there any plans for a Galaxy Express 999 collection?

[Juisarian]

It should be noted that in the Japanese version of the show, they did not fight aliens but subversives. All the "flying to another planet to fight" stuff was added to the BotP version.

[Zadillo]

Originally Posted by jagtech13

Robotech is the most complex of the series and really seems to hold up the best story wise. Except I grind my teeth whenever Minmei sings. Or shows up on camera. Or speaks. And I really don't want to get started on the entire Lancer/Yellow Dancer thing. But I am looking forward to the new movie coming out. Did I mention Minmei annoys me?

For what it's worth, Minmei isn't quite so annoying a character in the original Macross series..... still annoying, but not nearly as much as the Robotech incarnation.

If you did enjoy Robotech, I'd highly recommend trying out Macross - ADV is currently releasing the original Macross series again, with both the subtitled original version in Japanese (which I'd recommend), or with a new English dub that is actually accurate to the original show (rather than the new and changed elements introduced in the Robotech version of it). I'm a huge fan of Macross, and I think it is nice for Robotech fans to get a chance to see what the source material was.

ADV has also released the other two series that made up Robotech (Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada) - these are also interesting to check out, but they have almost no similarities to the Robotech versions.

-Zadillo

[Not From Around]

I've got very vivid memories of "Battle of the Planets" from when it aired in the late 1970s. I loved Casey Kasem's voice, the action sequences, and the music. I can still see the credits sequences and the gruelling "Fiery Phoenix." Keye Luke, Janet Waldo, and the rest of the cast were good too. I remember it having been one of the most impressive cartoons I saw as a kid. Haven't seen it in any form since then, though. They ought to release it on DVD in the "Battle of the Planets" version. I'm sure there are lots of fans of that version out there.

[Boston Brand]

Originally Posted by JoeGKushner
"Here's two for you: Galaxy Rangers and COPS. The Rangers fought crime across the universe as space cowboys. COPS had a unit of police going after these gangsters and one of the bad guys had tommy guns in his chest. There was one cop with a cyborg dog. Oh, and the toys came with those old plastic caps that went "bang!" when you pulled the gun hammer back."


I loved the COPS cartoon when I was younger. The character designs were very nice and the animation was good from what I remember. The guy with the tommy guns in his chest was "something" McBoomBoom, my favorite character.

I think that most of the cartoons just don't hold up when viewed today. The best IMO are Transformers and GI Joe. I recently watch some GI Joe and was impressed with the animation.

[Mr. B]

Gatchaman will always be one of my favorite series. Nice column!

[sfritz]

Originally Posted by astronato

Nice piece on Gatchaman

Its been a while since I've seen the show but find it hard to believe it was aimed at kids and not teenagers. There was cursing and wasn't there cheesecake shots of Jun?

Battle of the Planets was good but it was also sufficiently neutered enough (curse you 7 Zark 7) that it didn't have the impact on me that Star Blazers did later on.

Anyway, What happened to Rhino Video putting out the Battle of the Planets, G Force and Gatchman versions of each episodes. I bought the first five volumes and the "ultimate dvd" set with the next batch of shows and that was it. Do the ADV dvd's have all three versions?

Are there any plans for a Galaxy Express 999 collection?

Some quick answers:

1) Cursing & such...yep, that's just the way kids shows are. I remember seeing a Japanese version of Digimon and the kids were calling each other "bastard" (literarally), taking dumps without the slightest bit of shyness and other things that censors over here would have had appoplexy over.

2) I think Star Blazers and Robotech DID have a bigger impact in the U.S. but Gatchaman came first and set the standard.

3) Don't know about Rhino. I wouldn't be surprised if ADV does the rest.

4) I wish someone would reissue 999. Leiji Masumoto is one of my favorite directors, PERIOD. I love watching anything that has Harlock in it, even in cameo, and 999 is just amazing period (my other big vice that way is Black Jack). -s

[beta-ray]

Originally Posted by Zadillo

For what it's worth, Minmei isn't quite so annoying a character in the original Macross series..... still annoying, but not nearly as much as the Robotech incarnation.

If you did enjoy Robotech, I'd highly recommend trying out Macross - ADV is currently releasing the original Macross series again, with both the subtitled original version in Japanese (which I'd recommend), or with a new English dub that is actually accurate to the original show (rather than the new and changed elements introduced in the Robotech version of it). I'm a huge fan of Macross, and I think it is nice for Robotech fans to get a chance to see what the source material was.

ADV has also released the other two series that made up Robotech (Southern Cross and Genesis Climber Mospeada) - these are also interesting to check out, but they have almost no similarities to the Robotech versions.

-Zadillo

Hey Zadillo, long time no see.

Agreed that Minmei was less annoying in the Japanese version...

Have you seen the Robotech Shadow Chronicles stuff? Wondering if it is any good since it will be playing at a film festival here in a couple of weeks...

[Zadillo]

Originally Posted by beta-ray

Hey Zadillo, long time no see.

Agreed that Minmei was less annoying in the Japanese version...

Have you seen the Robotech Shadow Chronicles stuff? Wondering if it is any good since it will be playing at a film festival here in a couple of weeks...

Nope, haven't really been following it much, although I've heard that it's supposed to be fairly good. I sort of have a personal bias against Robotech (not so much related to the show itself as much as related to some of Carl Macek's statements, and Harmony Gold's actions), so I sort of ignore some of the more recent Robotech stuff.

-Zadillo

[ApacheDick]

Originally Posted by MattBrady

This style of anime storytelling would later become known as the Sentei (or “task force”)

It's Sentai.

Good article, though. Timely, too, what with the recent Voltron and Ultraman releases.

[sfritz]

Originally Posted by Juisarian

It should be noted that in the Japanese version of the show, they did not fight aliens but subversives. All the "flying to another planet to fight" stuff was added to the BotP version.

Not really.

While Galactor, the Science Teams main adversary, were earthbound, their bosses were extraterrestrial. Check out the Wikipedia reference, which is what I used to double check myself (and should have caught my own error on the word "sentai."). Here's the URL:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gatchaman

-s