Review: ADV Gatchaman Box Set 3

Box 3 cover artReleased by: ADV Films
Release Date: October 18, 2005
Price: $44.98 suggested retail price; sale prices may vary
Contains: Episodes #25-36 + bonus disc
Languages: Japanese, English subtitles, English dub
Region: 1 (US)
Extras:

As with the other boxes, I still have issues with the lack of episode information on the covers or in the menus. The American voice staff is hitting their stride with the acting, though some episodes are better than others. There are a few typos in the subtitles, but overall, the subtitle translations continue at their current quality. Comparing the subs to dubs, I've noticed even more creative license being taken with the dub script. Sometimes this works, but many times it doesn't--for example, I thought Lucy came across as more hostile in the dub of #27 than she did in the original dialogue. The slang should also be used lightly--the writer seems to harbor a fondness for "Stay frosty" and "Dy-no-MITE." Groan.

This box theme is dedicated to Jun, with the DVD label design in her uniform colors and the DVD extras comprising her information and design sketches. There is also information on the Japanese voice actors that is nicely detailed and may relate to current anime fans (for example, some of these folks are still active and can be heard in shows like Cowboy Bebop). There are more episode commentaries with Andy McAvin (Nambu) and George Manley (the narrator) and George Manley makes for a most pleasant surprise--he's an enthusiastic anime fan who's done his research, knows his stuff and has interesting things to say. I would say his commentary is the most factually interesting material sinceVolume 2's interview with Alex Ross. Speaking of Alex Ross, the box cover features all original art (Box 2 and the volume covers made previous appearances as covers for the Top Cow Battle of the Planets comics).

Episodes: With this volume, the episodes are passing their awkward stage and are getting interesting. However, we do begin with another classically bad episode: "The Magma Giant, Emperor of Hell." As if watching the populace being threatened by a giant flaming lava Jesus isn't enough (is the American religious right howling yet?), the dialogue in both the dub and the original is painfully, comically bad. I would recommend creating a drinking game where you drink every time a character mentions burning in hell, but somebody out there would die of alcohol poisoning. Episode 26, "The God Phoenix Reborn," is a good, sympathetic look at Ryu's character. Episode 27, "Galactor's Witch Racer," is the classic episode where Joe rally races with Lucy (though I don't envy the voice actors having to live up to the performance by Ronnie Schell and Janet Waldo in the Battle of the Planets "Race Against Disaster" version). Episodes 28 ("The Invisible Devil) and 29 ("Gallack X, the Demon Man") never appeared as Battle of the Planets, and poor Ryu take a brutal beating in #29. "The Plan to Assassinate Dr. Nambu," episode 31, is considered another classic episode for Joe fans, and connects with another never-run-in-English episode far into the future (#81: "Duel on Gallactor Island"). The two-part "Gezora" storyline (#32-33) provides wonderful suspense as Berg Katse and the Kagaku Ninjatai play "keep away" with Jun and Jinpei as the prizes.



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