Gatchaman F

Infobox animanga/Header
name = Gatchaman F


caption =
ja_name = 科学忍者隊ガッチャマン F <ファイター>
ja_name_trans = Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman F
genre = Adventure, Science FictionInfobox animanga/Anime
title =
director = Hisayuki Toriumi
writer = Jinzō Toriumi
studio = Tatsunoko Productions
licensor =
network = flagicon|Japan Fuji TV
flagicon|Italy Italia 1
network_other =
first = October 7, 1979
last = August 31, 1980
episodes = 48 [ [http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/works/gatchaman_f/gatcha_f.html] jp icon]
episode_list =

nihongo|"Gatchaman F"|科学忍者隊ガッチャマンF|Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman F, also known as Gatchaman Fighter, is the direct sequel to Gatchaman II. In the continuing saga, a surviving fragment of Leader X mutates into Leader Z, and recruits megalomaniac Count Egobossler to create an army to conquer the world. In order to defeat this new enemy, the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman return with stronger weapons. [ [http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/english/box06.html#2 Tatsunoko Pro.] ]

Description

Picking up immediately where "Gatchaman II" left off in storyline, the third and final series debuted a week later, running for 48 episodes. Aspects such as the animation, music, and mecha designs were further overhauled with "F".

Plot and character summary

After Leader X is seemingly destroyed for good at the end of "Gatchaman II", a fragment of him that survived grows and mutates into Z. With the head of the Egobossler family, Count Egobossler (and his two subordinates Mechandol and Kempler), Z is bent on destroying the Earth, and the Science Ninja Team, once more.

In the wake of Anderson's death, Dr.Nambu has become the new head of the ISO, while the team is now confined to the Gallatown (aka "G-Town") underwater base. Engineer Kamo is introduced, and after the New GodPhoenix is destroyed early on, the team receives the new Gatchaspartan as their mecha. The Gatchaspartan has a special mode as well, called Hypershoot, that can only be utilized by Ken (with his new "Gatchafencer" sword). [ [http://www.tatsunokousa.com/gatchamanf.html Tatsunoko USA.] ]

As the series progresses, it is learned that the radiation exposure from constant use of the Hypershoot is slowly killing Ken, and that continued use would mean death. Meanwhile, Z plans to destroy the earth with an antimatter asteroid, codenamed "Poison Apple".

The final eight episodes of the series took a darker turn, with more death and destruction involved. These episodes were not included in the Eagle Riders adaptation, though a segment of #47 was inserted into one of the other episodes, and the opening sequence shows clips from the final scene of #48.

The mecha in this series became more like the standard anime mecha seen in other series around the time, rather than the 'bird' theme in "Gatchaman II". [ [http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/works/gatchaman_f/digest.html] jp icon] [ [http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/works/gatchaman_f/list.html] jp icon] [ [http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/works/gatchaman_f/chara.html] jp icon]

Adaptations and changes

18 episodes of "F" were utilized for Eagle Riders, and went through the same edit procedures that episodes of "II" had gone through, though Saban Entertainment also began merging some episodes together, and adding scenes from otherwise-untranslated episodes in new context into others.

Count Egobossler's name was changed to Happy Boy (for the grin-faced mask and his laughing) in the dub, and his origin was also rewritten. Originally, Egobossler was the son of the original Count, but killed his father (after he witnessed his mother being murdered by him) and imprisoned his brother, becoming the new Count in the process. In "Eagle Riders", Happy Boy was instead the new form of Mallanox (the "Gatchaman II" villainess Gel Sadra), transformed by Cybercon in a new attempt to defeat the Eagle Riders.

Ken's deterioration was also toned down in the dub, with a few select episodes dealing with the plot point translated. In "Eagle Riders", Hunter is cured of the illness before the end of the series, while in "F", the supposed cure was not effective for long, and Ken's condition worsened.

The final eight episodes, which dealt with the death of Nambu, Ken on the verge of dying from use of the Hypershoot, Z's "Poison Apple" plan, and the team's final confrontation against Z, were not included. Instead, episode 15 ("Hell's Burning Ambition") was used as the series finale.

Episode Guide

# 新たなる暗雲 [ [http://www.tatsunoko.co.jp/works/gatchaman_f/list.html] jp icon]
# 登場! ガッチャ・スパルタン
# 汚されたオアシス
# アイアンコマンドの挑戦
# 突撃！わんぱく戦士
# 燃えろ！Gフェンサー
# 巨大鉄獣を奪え！
# 決死のならず者戦隊
# 消滅光線砲の恐怖
# 危うし! ガッチャマン基地
# サタン特急Zプレス
# マントル基地爆破指令
# 激烈?! アグリカ決戦
# 炎上！エゴボスラー宮殿
# 地獄で燃える野望
# 闇に舞う殺人蝶
# 戦慄の魔煙都市
# G1号華麗なる激突！
# 超物質に手をだすな！
# 出現！トリプル鉄獣の恐怖
# 怒れジョー！戦慄の炎鳥
# 人工衛星爆破指令
# 魔のメカランド
# 誇り高き戦士
# 地獄のスカイライダー
# G1号怒りの新殺法
# エゴボスラー出生の謎
# 死闘！裏切りの谷
# 非情！引き裂かれた兄妹
# 忍び寄るエイリアン
# 激走！トレインチェイス
# 宇宙パルスの謎
# はたされた約束
# エゴボスラーの策略
# 死の影せまるG1号
# ハイパーシュートの危機
# よみがえれガッチャマン
# 友情のブレスレット
# 失脚！エゴボスラー伯爵
# メカ竜巻の急襲！
# 崩壊！ガッチャマン基地
# 南部長官の最期
# ギャラタウンの壊滅
# 迫り来る宇宙の悪魔
# 脅威の反物質惑星
# G1号決死のハイパワー
# 地球消滅！321…
# 永遠のガッチャマン

References

Further reading

* "G-Force": Animated (TwoMorrows Publishing: ISBN 9781893905184)

External links

* [http://www.chronicsite.com/gatchaman/ "Gatchaman" - Home of the White Shadow]
* [http://www.junsjoint.net/eagleriders/ "Eagle Riders Episode Guide" - American adaptation of Gatchaman II and Gatchaman F by Saban]
* [http://www.fairlight65.com/ "Fairlight's Gatchaman Battle of the Planets Fansite"] Screenshots, chararcter bois, and downloads.
* [http://gatchonline.com/versions/versions.htm Gatchaman Gatchaman Online and "Gatchaman", "BotP", & G-Force]
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