Review: ADV Gatchaman Box Set 8

Cover art for box 8Released by: ADV Films
Release Date: 15 August, 2006
Price: $44.98 suggested retail price; sale prices may vary
Contains: Episodes #85-95 + bonus disc
Languages: Japanese, English subtitles, English dub
Region: 1 (US)
Extras:



Exposit, Narrator! Until the evil of Galactor is swept from the Earth and peace reigns eternal!
--ADV

This box theme uses Galactor colors, which is odd when you see the bird-head design in read and green. The box cover and the art in the DVD jackets made previous appearances as Top Cow BotP comic covers.

Some comments about the dubs and extras: Please understand that I mean no malice toward the staff at ADV. Most of them strike me as terribly cool people who I would love to meet one-on-one in a coffee shop somewhere. However, my opinions about their work are my own, and your mileage may vary. In a choice between hearing the dub or going for the subtitles, I will go for the subtitles because the pitch and volume of Luci Christian's voice make my ears bleed. Also, Jinpei comes across as more of a jerk in the English version and always seems to be screaming, "IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" In contrast, original voice actor Yoku Shioya provides a more comedic yet calmer delivery and has the additional charm of the onset of adolescence--you can hear his voice breaking and squeaking when he gets excited, which also reflects Jinpei's coming of age. Ryu even comments on this in #87.

Episode commentary: I admire the knowledge and background of Samantha Inoue-Harte. Her episode commentary (which wasn't about the episode, but that's okay) was informative, especially for those wanting to know what it's like to be an animator in Japan. Also of note is that her uncle is none other than the late Shingo Kanemoto, the voice actor for Ryu. She's spent some time living in Japan, in the "Ofuna prefecture [sic] of Yokohama" (that sent me straight off the couch because I spent five years living in Ofuna in Kamakura. I'm not sure if we're talking about the same place--and I even checked a map for an Ofuna district in Yokohama--but quite a coincidence).
The commentary by Eden Barrera and Bobby Gordon offered some insight into the sound effects technology used in the show, but is otherwise generic commentary.

The Narrator profile: Okay, somebody is not taking this seriously. Do it some more.

The Narrator interview: Also worth a look, just because George Manley clearly knows his stuff.

Episodes: Almost every episode in Volumes #15-16 is a strong one--you can't go wrong with these two volumes. The quality of art, animation and stories improved as the series reaches its conclusion.

Volume 15:
Jinpei and Maria-chan#85: "That's G-4" Sick of always having to work at the Snack Jun, Jinpei hires a hippy named Dave to work in the bar. Unfortunately, Dave's real identity is Spy V, a GCIA agent out to discover the secret identities of our heroes. The character interaction and some of the dramatic art (never again will you see Jinpei look so serious) make this episode special. This episode never ran in BotP, but was released in G-Force GoS as "The Secret of G-4." I recommend the dub for better character interaction and because Dave's English VA sounds like Tommy Chong with a southern drawl.
#86: "Galactor's Monopoly Operation" Galactor buys up the world's entire supply of Sugare, a sweetener meant to replace the world's sugar (not produced because of bad weather), and our heroes intend to track down this operation in hopes of finding Galactor's secret base. This episode, which features Jinpei and Ryu in silly disguises, may be too hokey for some tastes, but in the end, Ryu proves to be no slouch on a mission.
#87: "Patogiller, the Triple Combined Iron Beast" Jinpei has his first taste of young romance, with Maria, a wealthy, beautiful. and spoiled little girl who'd been captured by Galactor. Unfortunately, his rescue of Maria seems a little too heroic to avoid suspicion, and Galactor lures both him and Maria into a deadly trap. This is the best Jinpei episode in the series--even if you don't care for the character, he's fun to watch here.
Berg Katse as a little girl#88: "Iron Beast Snake 828" When his own secret identity is on the line, Katse gets wise and orders some of his most competent and loyal agents on this mission. Our heroes learn a few interesting facts about Berg Katse, but make little progress while struggling to keep their own skins intact.
#89: "Lay a Trap in the Crescent Base!": Jinpei is ordered to create a fake Crescent Base under Nambu's suspicions that Galactor is now targeting their undersea stronghold. This episode has good interaction between Jinpei and Ryu. My favorite scene: Jinpei hurls a rock at the Godphoenix, and the rock bounces off the hull with a tinny "clang" before the ship's engines engage with fire and fury.
#90: "Matangar, the Armored Iron Beast": Both the good guys and the bad guys are having interpersonal problems this episode. Ken is suffering a crisis of confidence while Joe is running out of patience. Meanwhile Berg Katse has been replaced by the confident and more capable Dr. Finger, who uses his giant turtle mecha to hold Micron Island hostage. Choice scenes include Berg Katse rooting for his enemies and Condor Joe proving his worth as the team's marksman.

Volume 16:
#91: "Completion of the Plan to Destroy the Crescent Base" Once again, Katse lucks out with his competent and fanatically loyal staff (as horribly as he treats his minions, you have to wonder what kind of ideology Galactor has to offer its more intelligent members). This time, Galactor's search for Crescent Base is successful, and the Kagaku Ninjatai are the only ones standing between their base and a barrage of enemy missiles. This is a brutal and dramatic episode.
#92: "The End of Crescent Base": The title says it all. The staff is trapped within the ruined undersea base, which is in danger of being crushed as it sinks into the ocean's depths. This episode offers an obvious nod to The Poseidon Adventure as the Kagaku Ninjatai are forced to find their way out of their overturned base and rescue Dr. Nambu.
#93: "Counterattack! The Underground Torpedo Operation": With Crescent Base destroyed, Katse attempts to confirm the Kagaku Ninjatai's demise with a series of underground torpedo attacks. Our heroes are wounded and demoralized, forced to remain in hiding with only one Super Bird Missile left aboard the Godphoenix. However, Joe finds a way to take sweet, sweet revenge. The dub offers a mixed bag: Edwin Neal sniveling hilariously as a drunken Katse, but playing against a very strange mecha captain (also dubbed by Neal).
#94: "Angler, the Electric Devil Beast": This episode, which has never before been released in English, offers a three-way story of how the members of the Kagaku Ninjatai are affected by the blackout caused by Galactor's Anglerfish mecha. Ryu, heading home to see his sick father, is stuck on a stalled train. In a rush to see Ryu off at the train station, Joe hits a little boy with his car, and faces a tense wait as the boy's surgery is delayed by the power outage. Ken, Jun and Jinpei's leisurely dinner out is interrupted by the mecha itself. This is a good "character" episode.
#95: "The Combined Ninjas, Giant Demon Man": Released in Battle of the Planets as "Charioteers of Changu." Upset that Jun has been called away from celebrating his birthday, Jinpei travels to the mountains to discover his past. He meets an old blind man who may carry the key to his link with the Iga Ninja, but this revelation is interrupted by a group of chariot-driving ninja in robotic armor. Enjoy the excellent fight scenes all around.



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