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Gatchaman Collection 5
As far as classic anime goes, it doesn't get much more old school than Gatchaman. Originally airing in 1972 on TV in Japan, the show saw some scattered support here in America, but all we got was a severely edited version with chopped up continuity and censorship. Up until now the original Japanese track for the show hadn't been heard here and thanks to A.D.V. we get that, the uncut show, and all 105 episodes.
The whole concept behind Gatchaman is that in the future a sinister group known as Galactor rises up to try and take over the world. It's up to Dr. Nambu and his team of five Science Ninjas to stop their diabolical plot by whatever means necessary. The team consists of Ken the Eagle, Joe the Condor, Jun the Swan, Ryu the Owl and Jinpei the Swallow. While there is some continuity between episodes, you don't have to catch all 105 to know what's going on in the show.
With a whopping eight volumes under its belt already, Gatchaman is still running strong. The series' release is at the halfway mark now and the sense of nostalgia is still alive and kicking. While individual volumes have seen release, they come in waves of two, so you can get the installments solo or in a dual pack with an extra disc filled with bonus material. This is not only the best bargain, but also the best way to get more Gatchaman for your hard earned dollar. Oh, and you also get a snazzy looking art box with a gorgeous painting by Alex Ross when you grab the two-pack.
Each volume has six episodes squeezed onto them, and the material here features episodes 49 thru 60 across both volumes nine and ten. The episodes on volume nine are: The Fearsome Mechadokuga, Trachadon, the Dinosaur Skeleton, Cata-Roller, the Revolving Beast, Red Impulse's Secret, Farewell Red Impulse, and Gatchaman Burns with Rage. Volume ten's episodes are: The Daring Mini-Submarine, The Bird Missile of Bitterness, The Evil White Sea, Hell's Mecha-Buttha, The Secret of the Monster Mecha Factory, and Science Ninja Team, Number G-6.
On both of these volumes, the Science Ninja Team tackles all manner of beasts as you'd come to expect. This time around the team takes on a giant butterfly controlled by a guy with a crazy afro, a big remote controlled dinosaur, a giant rolling/flying thing, and a flying beast called Crab-Killer. The icing on the cake here in this collection has to be the giant mechanical Buddha that can shoot a laser beam from its forehead and fly. If you've ever wondered how Galactor builds all of these crazy contraptions you'll get a kick out of seeing Gatchaman visit the monster factory in volume ten.
Nearly each installment of Gatchaman has been showing not only stand alone story arcs but also a two-parter tossed into the mix somewhere. Instead of a two episode tale we actually get a big arc that really blends together seamlessly. It really focuses on the relationship between Ken and Impulse and if you're a fan of the show you'll really appreciate the direction of the two characters. It all starts in the "Cata-Roller, the Revolving Beast" episode when the two heroes meet face to face out of their costumes. They have a nice long conversation and Impulse divulges some details about his history. He left his wife and son in pursuit of Galactor and we learn stuff about his character that has been hinted at but never really solidified.
A subplot emerges regarding Galactor and it comes to a point where they nearly destroy Earth for good. They use a missile to cause massive radiation to surge the seas and activate volcanoes all over the globe. The only way the Science Ninja Team can stop it however is to manually fly another missile into orbit and cause a second detonation. The world is saved but Ken is pushed to his limit and gets all bloodthirsty for revenge against Galactor. There is a lot of character development in this arc and it really fleshes out Ken's background and personality.
Another good episode in this batch was "The Bird Missile of Bitterness" since it really focused on Jun's development and history. One night while she's riding her bike she is chased by a pack of Galactor goons but their fight is interrupted by their mysterious captain. Jun recognizes him as an old friend and witnesses him blowing up some planes at an airport. She's reluctant to pursue him but when Joe bitch-slaps her she comes to her sense. In the end are fond memories from the past able to undo the Galactor brainwashing?
Gatchaman may not be for anyone, but if you have an open mind and are curious where many shows got their inspiration from this one will entertain you. It's a classic right up there with Ultraman and Speed Racer so that alone should tell you what kind of quality you can look forward to. If you're like me then this show came out before you were born and maybe you recall snippets of it from your childhood in the form of Battle of the Planets or G-Force. Reminiscing aside, this show is truly timeless and something you should definitely check out if you are open to an anime history lesson. I can't express enough how nice it is to have a classic of this caliber coming out on DVD and I applaud ADV for taking the care to put this all together for us.
Quite honestly, this is about as good as Gatchaman has ever looked considering the age of the show and quality of animations for the time period. It is presented with its original 1.33:1 full frame aspect ratio and any faults in image quality are attributed to the source material. Seeing as the show was produced in the early 70s you can expect to see a lot of grain, choppy animations, speckle, disproportionate images, lighting issues and occasional shaky image. But I suppose one could argue that just adds to the classic air around the show.
Who knows how this series was stored, but given the fact that it is older than I am I have to say that I'm really impressed with the transfer. Many of the colors are solid throughout, though there are a few moments where the quality drops off significantly and becomes muddy. There were also a couple of points in this collection where some frames stuttered a bit, but it seems to be something from the original print. In the end though, I have to give a pat on the back to A.D.V. for restoring this classic and doing such a wonderful job of it.
Gatchaman Volumes 9 & 10 includes a new English dubbing and the original Japanese audio tracks. These are presented with a 2.0 mix and depending what you are looking for they each provide different quality. The English features louder and cleaner sound but also some extremely horrible voice acting at times. There is a certain cheese factor to the way that it was handled though I guess you could say that adds some charm.
The original Japanese features a softer sound transfer but is the most faithful to the material. I found myself enjoying the Japanese mix more, though sometimes I bounced back and forth to see what some of the differences were. Again, the overall quality for the original is decent considering the fact that it's over thirty years old.
The extra features for this collection follow the pattern of the previous releases. The individual volumes feature opening and closing animations as well as some commentaries. This time around John Tyson (Red Impulse) puts his two cents in during ""Farewell Red Impulse" and Laraldo Anzaldua (Ken) and Andy McAvin (Dr. Nambu) chime in for "Science Ninja Team, Number G-6". Just like the previous commentaries, both of these are pretty funny with plenty of moments where we get to know the people behind the voices more. Gatchaman Karaoke strikes again in this collection with "Gatcahaman Burns with Rage" and "Hell's Mecha-Buttha".
The extra disc for the fourth wave also features a good selection of bonus material that makes picking up the double pack well worth it. The disc focuses on the character of Ryu so there is a profile on him as well as various sketches and an interview with Victor Carsrud who provides his voice. There is also a round of audition footage for the character and some episode sketches featuring artwork for monsters, machines and characters on the episodes in this set.
I think the most interesting bonus materials that are included are various published images that made their way to Europe. It gives a brief history about the franchise and it's really interesting to learn more about the characters and show. There is also a 59 page digital Gatchaman manga included called "The Secret of the Monster Mecha Factory". Needless to say, if you're a fan of Gatchaman and classic anime you'll love taking a look at these fine little details.
By today's anime standards, Gatchaman is a dinosaur but for it's time it was very advanced in many ways. Much of what you see in shows today found their inspiration in series like this and despite the fact that it seems cheesy when you go back to watch it, the nostalgic value is extremely high. If you enjoyed Battle of the Planets or G-Force when they came out in the States, you owe it to yourself to see the uncut version of the show. Recommended
Check out more of my reviews here. Head on over to my anime blog as well for random musings and reviews of anime, manga, and stuff from Japan!
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