XLII: "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" franchise

Gatchaman... to those new to the name, you probably know them from the game Tatsunoko vs Capcom. Science Ninja Team Gatchaman has been around since the 70s, with media released under various names. Created under the Henshin boom, this title is pretty much the spark that gave rise to the Super Sentai franchise (known largely as Power Rangers in the US). Gatchaman deals with a team whose aliases are pretty much derived from birds. As follows from G1-G5, they are: Ken the Eagle, Joe the Condor, Jun the Swan, Jimmy the Falcon, and Rocky the Owl.

The TV Anime itself is quite a list. By itself, the first anime series spans 105 episodes. However, this didn't stop sequels from being made. The next in line was 1978's Gatchaman II, which spanned 52 episodes, followed by the 3rd sequel, Gatchaman Fighter, which had 48 episodes. It didn't stop there, however. Localizing the large media, Sandy Frank gained the license to release it in America, but with 85 episodes as opposed to 105, and under a different name: Battle of the Planets, which releaed in 1978, the same time Gatchaman's sequel was done. In 1986, Sandy Frank tried again, with the help of Turner Broadcasting, re-releasing it as G-Force: Guardian of Space. Saban Entertainment, known mainly for the Power Rangers franchise, had one of their own: a 65-episode series titled Eagle Riders, that was pretty much made from both Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter. It was released in 1996, but didn't last a year with only 13 viewed in the US, though all episodes were viewed in Australia. The final localized media was a 3-part OVA released as Gatchaman in 2005 by Urban Vision, later being picked up my Harmony Gold USA after UV's license expired. Armed with updated visuals, this would be a retelling of the original series, and the translated names, for once, corresponded to the Japanese counterparts. ADV films had a license in 2005 to release an uncut dubbing of Sandy Franks work, but was soon expired, leaving both Battle of the Planets and G-Force uncertain about future releases.

In addition to these there are 2 motion films of the series, one being released in 1978, and another still in the works as of July of last year. Gatchaman is entertaining, and it has a place in history. I grade this an 8 of 10.