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Gatchaman Fighter: Complete Collection (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : August 5, 2017
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Category: Reviews

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Title: Gatchaman Fighter: Complete Collection

Director: Hisayuki Toriumi

Studio: Tatsunoko Productions

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Release Date: July 4th, 2017

Format: DVD / 48 Episodes / 1200 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Fantasy, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV 13

Overall Personal Grade: C

Synopsis:

Gatchaman Fighter the complete collection contains episodes 1-48.

The fight against Leader X was finally over, but a small portion of his evil remained and regenerated into Leader Z! Now, with the aid of the monstrous Count Egobossler, the Gatchaman team’s arch-foe is out to destroy the world again, and even though their ranks have been decimated, the Gatchaman force has no choice but to keep fighting. To combat their new foes, they’ll need new weapons and new allies, but their mission remains the same: protect the Earth and Mankind, no matter the cost. And that cost may prove to be the ultimate one when the new Gatchafencer blade wielded by Ken turns out to be a double-edged sword. Find out who will live, who will die, and who will triumph as Japan’s most famous sci-fi fighter team takes on their greatest challenge!

Commentary:

I’m not too sure that there can always be a case made to bring older anime back. It might just be a case that the cost to package and sell made it worth the trouble or someone who truly loves a series is doing in hopes to renew a fandom for a classic. Gatchaman Fighter is a vital part of the Gatchaman series, but it just might have been better off being left on the self.

I don’t too many older Gatchaman (a.k.a. Battle of the Planets) fans that are still out there needing an additional Ninja Science team fix, but if there are then they will be happy to get their hands on Gatchaman Fighter.

Overall Grade: C

Not everything ages well and Gatchaman Fighter is one of those anime that just proves how much better production values have become. Unfortunately many older shows come across as campy, but this one just becomes distracting and with  secondary story and writing the 48 episodes just don’t measure up.

Gatchaman fans will be after this set, I just feel like it would be few and far between that will work to show it off to a new generation. Even so, there will be more than just a few fans happy to see it.

 

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: The Movie (anime review)

Posted by :Patches On : October 25, 2015
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Category: Reviews

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Title: Gatchaman: The Moviegatchaman-movie

Director: Hisayuki Toriumi

Produced by: Toshio Suzuki

U. S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks, Section 23

U. S. Re-Release Date: Nov. 17th, 2015

Format: Blu-ray / Feature Film / 110 Minutes

Genre: Sci Fi, Action, Adventure

Age Rating: TV PG

Overall Personal Rating: B

SOMETIMES THEY ARE FIVE AND SOMETIMES JUST ONE! THEY ARE THE SCIENCE NINJA TEAM.

Synopsis: 

The Earth is in peril and Mankind seems doomed! Led by the sinister mutant Berg Katse, the international terrorist organization known as GALACTOR has launched its armies of henchmen and giant weapons of mass destruction against the entire planet. But the forces of evil are about to meet their match! Utilizing incredible fighting techniques, and with the mighty ship God Phoenix at their command, the Science Ninja Team stands ready to take the battle back to the bad guys and their evil alien overlords! Join Ken the Eagle, Joe the Condor, Jun the Swan, Jinpei the Swallow, and Ryu the Owl, as these five costumed commandos join with their commander, Dr. Nambu, to save our world the old fashioned way: one flying kick at a time!

Commentary:

Okay, here we have another old anime that is being brought back to life. 1978 is the year and a crazy movie reviving the Science Ninja Team to the Japanese anime fans and the wild stories and quick action was a major hit. It was so good that the west had to bring it over and do what they do best, change it and dub it for the american audience. Of course we all know what happened when the wrong people got to create a english version of the show. It comes funny and almost too goofy to watch. The thing about Gatchaman is that it was so much better than the Speed Racer series which was only 6 years older. The other thing is that it also had the common reality that animation and story telling of that time moved too fast for its own good.

Overall Grade: B

I wish I could tell you that this is great stuff, but honestly all I could do is laugh at the sill dub. I did watch it with the Japanese voice acting with the English sub titles. The story was the same and much of the translation still missed the point, but it was better and I was able to get into the drama that was playing out.

As for the drama, you can never say that seventies didn’t understand what going over the top was all about. Gatchaman is over the top from the opening all the way to the end. You never get a straight line without some heavy dogma layer on it. I get the point behind, as with all heroic tails there is always major loss layer on top of major deeds with the idea to serve as a hopeful mentorship for the youth watching. On the youth watching are 20 to 50 somethings that understand the myth is not what real life is like.

The thing that makes Gatchaman unique is that it is almost 40 years old and still plenty of fun. I’m not too sure a 10 year old would sit and watch the series or even this movie now but it is a great look at the past and a honest peek into the stuff that was on TV when I was a teen.

If you are one of the group I belong to you will want to see this, If you fall into another group them it will only give you something to laugh at. Just remember the Science Ninja Team is cool and the world should know it.