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The Awesome Movie You'll Probably Never See

By TK | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (13)

gatchaman.jpg

There are geeks and then there are hardcore geeks. Many of the hardcore among us have fond memories of the old Japanese anime series Gatchaman (full title: Science Ninja Team Gatchaman), a weird, wonderful series about five superheroes who were essentially high-tech ninjas with powered, bird-like suits and a ship called the God Phoenix that enabled them to battle the evil forces of Galactor, who was trying to essentially destroy the planet. It was wild stuff, thick with environmental themes and some pretty solid storytelling.

Most of the English-speaking world is probably more familiar with the adaptation Battle of the Planets, also known as G-Force, which used the video of Gatchaman, but the Americanized version cut a good bit of it out, changing the overall story arcs and removing some of the more confusing or adult-themed aspects. It also suffered from some baffling English dubbing.

It was a great series, though, and a CG film adaptation has been rumored to be in development for years. Imagi studios was working on the film, except that, unfortunately, Imagi closed its doors last year, despite having a Gatchaman feature film still being worked on. As a result, we may never see the film. Which makes this post something of a heartbreaker, a classic example of what could have been. An early production trailer has leaked online, and it actually looks pretty cool. The animation is a little wonky, but the spirit of the original series is there.

So watch the trailer below, and wish for what could have been.

For those whose memories are a bit hazy, here’s the intro to the Americanized Battle of the Planets:

(Source: Slashfilm)









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Comments

Dude - How I loved Gatchaman! The outfits were super pretty and the storylines were cool too - I liked it better than...dare I say it...Robotech. I almost wish you'd left me in the dark on this TK - that trailer looks like something I could have geeked out with my son over, you know? I feel lossy.

Also - here's a rare moment to bless the little brothers of the world. Mine was SUCH the coolest kid - he gave me mecha, animé and rap music.

Posted by: replica at April 20, 2010 5:35 PM

Oh hush. Just hush.

Posted by: Four Eyes at April 20, 2010 6:16 PM

"..surprise attacks by alien-galaxies from beyond space."
heh

Posted by: AlwaysConfused at April 20, 2010 6:47 PM

Oh..Gatchaman, Gatchaman!!! STILL my favorite anime, and I am a HUGE Robotech fan. Except for the Macross saga, the Gatchaman storyline was so much better. And pantyshots, pantyshots, pantyshots!!!! They released a 15 volume set a few years ago (which I own in it's entirety) and the new English voice actors are fantastic. Berg Katze is just the most enjoyfully psychotic hermaphroditic baddie in history.

That video filled my Dockers with nerd jizz.

Goosh...

Posted by: Schpida (he is our hero) at April 20, 2010 7:00 PM

Man, that sucks. Being a hardcore Gatchaman, I was thrilled when I heard this film was being made. And then Astro Boy tanked, and I realised it was likely it would be cancelled.

Now my only hope is a crappy Japanese live action version starring girly Johnny's boybanders.

Posted by: ruru at April 20, 2010 7:23 PM

Oh I LIVED FOR G-FORCE as an adolescent. I was lucky enough to be in a household where we had a VCR as early as 1981 or so, and I would rush home and tape the show every day, then watch the episodes over and over on weekends. I was a budding comic book artist at the time and spent hours practicing the anime style (though I didn't know that's what it was at the time) and drawing a comic of my own version of such a team.

Man. I may be old, and a total nerd, but I love having these great memories.

Posted by: Kimberly at April 20, 2010 9:27 PM

Hmm...Never seen G-Force, and based on that little preview, don't think I need to. Maybe I needed to be a kid when I saw it?

Posted by: Vince Noir at April 20, 2010 10:20 PM

"Vince Noir" you are dead to me.

Posted by: DarthBrooks at April 20, 2010 10:30 PM

This show, along with Voltron and some other thing called Dartanias (I think), was such an integral part of my childhood I can't even begin to tell you how much I love it. This show kicked ASS. I also remember my dad not wanting us to watch it because of how Galactor looked like a chick.

My dad's not right in the head.

Posted by: figgy at April 20, 2010 10:37 PM

I almost lost my paper route because I HAD TO watch G-Force at 4 - 4:30 pm. God, I loved that show. I was SHOCKED, SHOCKED I TELLS YOU when I saw the ep that showed Zoltar was a woman. I just thought the dude was a little fey. You know, like David Bowie. Ah, it was a simpler time, when men were men who wore lip gloss.

Posted by: malechai at April 21, 2010 12:43 AM

Wait! Zoltar was a chick? Pictures or it didn't happen. I require proof. Cross-dresser (like J'Edgar Hoover), maybe...

Posted by: RedFred at April 21, 2010 3:24 PM

I was just going to post about how I had a Gatchman bicyle when I was growing up in Japan. Unfortunately, I remembered it was a Kamen Rider bike instead. I am disappoint.

Posted by: JapJay at April 21, 2010 3:28 PM

Yeah, they glossed over the Zoltar-is-a-chick angle in Battle of the Planets. But in Gatchaman: "The operational leader of Galactor is an androgynous masked antagonist, Bergu Kattse, who is later revealed to be a shape-shifting mutant hermaphrodite acting on the orders of an alien superior, Sosai X" Source: Wikipedia. So, kinda.

Also: Jason was gay.
I refute that though. Jason was totally my boyfriend.

God, I'm a dork.

Posted by: malechai at April 21, 2010 10:06 PM