"Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman" (1972) TV series 1972-1974

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Directors:

Masami Anô
Noboru Ishiguro
(more)

Writers:

Osamu Jinno (writer)
Takao Koyama (writer)
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 October 1972 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Animation | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A team of bird-themed superhero ninjas battle the menace of Galactor, a technologically advanced international terrorist organization determined to conquer the world.

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Superhero | Secret Identity | Sentai | Superhero Team

Cast

Katsuji Mori	...	Ôwashi no Ken (Ken Washio) (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Isao Sasaki	...	Kondoru no Jô (Jô Asakura) (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kazuko Sugiyama	...	Shiratori no Jun (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Yoku Shioya	...	Tsubakuro no Jinpei (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Shingo Kanemoto	...	Mimizuku no Ryû (Ryû Nakanishi) (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tôru Ôhira	...	Kôzaburô Nambu (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mikio Terashima	...	Berugu Kattse (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Nobuo Tanaka	...	Sôsai Ekksu (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Hideo Kinoshita	...	Narêtâ (105 episodes, 1972-1974)

(more)

Series Directed by
Masami Anô		(unknown episodes)
Noboru Ishiguro		(unknown episodes)
Fumio Kurokawa		(unknown episodes)
Wataru Mizusawa		(unknown episodes)
Hiroshi Sasagawa		(unknown episodes)
Kazunori Tanabashi		(unknown episodes)
Hisayuki Toriumi		(unknown episodes)
Katsuhisa Yamada		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Osamu Jinno		(unknown episodes)
Takao Koyama		(unknown episodes)
Keiji Kubota		(unknown episodes)
Reiji Kubota		(unknown episodes)
Noriyoshi Matsûra		(unknown episodes)
Mikio Matsushita		(unknown episodes)
Moichi Ochiai		(unknown episodes)
Akiyoshi Sakai		(unknown episodes)
Hirohisa Soda		(unknown episodes)
Satoshi Suyama		(unknown episodes)
Jinzô Toriumi		(unknown episodes)
Shigeru Yanagawa		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
John Ledford	....	executive producer (1 episode, 1972)
Mark Williams	....	executive producer (1 episode, 1972)
Ippei Kuri	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Kenji Yoshida	....	producer (unknown episodes)
Tatsuo Yoshida	....	executive producer (unknown episodes)

Series Original Music by
Bob Sakuma		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Art Direction by
Kimie Izushima		(unknown episodes)
Mitsuyoshi Kosugi		(unknown episodes)
Mitsuki Nakamura		(unknown episodes)
Tsuneo Ninomiya		(unknown episodes)

Series Art Department
Mitsuki Nakamura	....	mechanical designer (unknown episodes)
Kunio Ogawa	....	mecha designer (unknown episodes)
Kunio Okawara	....	mechanical designer (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Shôji Kato	....	sound effects editor (unknown episodes)
Shigeharu Shiba	....	sound recording director (unknown episodes)

Series Animation Department
Kazuo Okada	....	background artist (unknown episodes, 1972-1974)
Jôichi Akashi	....	background artist (unknown episodes)
Yoshitaka Amano	....	character designer (unknown episodes)
Chûichi Iguchi	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Shigeyuki Ikeda	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Akio Kikuchi	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Shigeru Kogawa	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Tomonori Kogawa	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Mitsuyoshi Kosugi	....	background artist (unknown episodes)
Sadao Miyamoto	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Kôji Nanke	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Tsuneo Ninomiya	....	background artist (unknown episodes)
Kunitoshi Okajima	....	animation finisher (unknown episodes)
Masaru Shibata	....	animation supervisor (unknown episodes)
Masami Suda	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Motosuke Takahashi	....	animator (unknown episodes)
Tatsuo Yoshida	....	character designer (unknown episodes)
Kazusuke Yoshihara	....	background artist (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Asei Kobayashi	....	composer: main and end titles (105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Other crew
Takumi Shibano	....	consultant: science-fiction (unknown episodes)
Satoshi Suyama	....	planner (unknown episodes)
Hisayuki Toriumi	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Jinzô Toriumi	....	planner (unknown episodes)
Norio Wakamoto	....	various voices (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Tatsunoko Productions Company

Distributors

• ADV Films (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• DeAgostini Japan (2008-) (Japan) (DVD)
• Fuji Television Network (Japan) (TV)
• Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• Rhino Entertainment Company (USA) (DVD)
• Tatsunoko Productions Company (non-USA)

Other Companies

• Ishida Sound Production  sound
• Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd.  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Gatchaman Science Ninjas" (International: English title)
"Gatchaman" (International: English title)
"Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" (informal literal English title)

Runtime:

25 min (105 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | USA:TV-PG

Company:

Tatsunoko Productions Company

Trivia:

Although the Zoltar character is also known as Solaris, especially in the English-language dub of Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman (1994) (V), his original Japanese name is Berg Katse, a name that literally means "hill cat" in German and is probably used as a pun on the surname Katzenberg. When the series was turned into "Battle of the Planets" (1978), the American animators changed his name to Zoltar and later to Solaris for another version of the show.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Knocked Up (2007)

Soundtrack:

Gacchaman no Uta

Gatchaman! Gatchaman! Gatchaman!!

Gatchaman a.k.a. Battle of the Planets (1972) was one of my favorite childhood cartoons. I recently bought the D.V.D. that featured the original un-edited version of Gatchaman. That show's awesome. The writing, voice acting and violence is way better than the "Battle of the Planets" version. Unlike the re-edited and re-dubbed version, Gatchaman is real dark and realistic. The "re-edit" is too hokey and not as fun. When I was younger I was a huge "Battle of the Planets" mark. But Gatchaman is something else. Long life the Space Ninja team Gatchaman!

Fun stuff. Miles difference between the Japanese version and the prepared American version. Not only is the storyline and mood of the cartoon different but the violence is over the top in the original. Great stuff!

A

"Gatchaman! Gatchaman! Gatchaman!"