Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II: A thorough review of new adventures and character development

Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II - The appeal of a sequel and new challenges

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

Anime Original

■ Broadcast period

October 1, 1978 - September 30, 1979 Every Sunday 18:00-18:30

■Broadcasting station

Fuji TV Network

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 53

■Original Story

Tatsuo Yoshida

■ Director

General Director: Hiroshi Sasagawa

■ Production

Tatsunoko Productions, Fuji Television

■Works

©Tatsunoko Productions

■ Story

The secret organization Galactor was once destroyed by the efforts of the Science Ninja Team, but its shadow ruler, President X, who was supposed to have flown off into space, attacks Earth once again. He revives Galactor with his new servant, Gel Sadra, as his leader. In order to save the world from the evil clutches of the now active Galactor, the Science Ninja Team fights back with the new flying aircraft carrier New God Phoenix.

■Explanation

A sequel to the 1972 TV series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. This sci-fi hero action series depicts a new battle between the Science Ninja Team, who protect world peace, and the revived evil organization Galactor. New mechas for the members of the Science Ninja Team and a new aircraft carrier, the New God Phoenix, are introduced. Furthermore, the human drama is depicted in a more profound way, including the struggles of Joe, who has been resurrected as a cyborg, and the secret surrounding the birth of Gel Sadra, the enemy who replaces Berg Katze.

■Cast

・Ken the Eagle/Koji Mori・Joe the Condor/Isao Sasaki・Jun the Swan/Kazuko Sugiyama・Jinbei the Swallow/Tsubasa Shioya・Ryu the Owl/Shingo Kanemoto・Dr. Nanbu/Toru Ohira・Paimer/Yasuh Inoue・Dr. Pandora/Miyuki Ueda・Gel Sadra/Masaru Ikeda・President X/Nobuo Tanaka・Narrator/Hideo Nakamura

■ Main staff

・Producer / Yoshida Kenji・Planning / Yoshida Kenji, Chokai Jinzo・Original work / Yoshida Tatsuo・Character design / Kuri Ippei, Amano Yoshitaka, Takada Akemi・Art design / Nakamura Mitsuki・Mechanic design / Okawara Kunio・Animation supervision / Miyamoto Sadao・Literary director / Suyama Satoshi・SF research / Kosumi Rei・Music / Konishi Reijiro, Bob Sakuma・Producer / Kuri Ippei, Nakano Masanori・Assistant director / Hara Seitaro・General director / Sasagawa Hiroshi・Production / Tatsunoko Productions, Fuji TV

■ Main Characters

・G-1, the Healthy Science Ninja Squad of Ootori. Team leader. Nicknamed "Gatchaman." Weapon is a bird saucer.
・Condor Joe Science Ninja Team G-2. He was thought to have died at the end of the previous episode, but he returns as a cyborg. His weapon is a feather shuriken.
Jun Shiratori, Science Ninja Team G-3. The only female. Her weapon is the Aurora Ribbon.
・Tsubame Jinbei Science Ninja Team G-4. The youngest member. His weapon is a bouncing ball.
・Owl Dragon Science Ninja Team G-5. A mood maker who boasts of his strength. His weapon is a gripper.
A world-class scientist at the International Science Agency. He is the commander who organized the Science Ninja Team.
- Dr. Pandora: A female doctor who joins midway through the group as Dr. Nanbu's secretary.
Dr. Raffel: The mysterious scientist who revived the dying Joe as a cyborg.
・Gelsadra, the second President of Galactor. A mutant who was made to grow rapidly by President X.
・President X
The shadow ruler of Galactor. He has returned to Earth for a new purpose.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: President X's Counterattack Episode 2: The Mysterious Feather Shuriken Episode 3: The Black Knights of Hell Episode 4: Joe Returns!?
Episode 5: Mysterious Primitive Man Invasion Episode 6: The Power of the Pyramids Episode 7: The Terrifying Mutant Strategy Episode 8: The Firebird of the Moon Episode 9: The Destruction of Bergkatze Episode 10: The Snowstorm on the Equator Episode 11: The Battle for Hyprunium 600
Episode 12: The Secret of Dr. Raffel Episode 13: The G2 of Youth Episode 14: Red Impulse in Space Episode 15: Innocent G5 Episode 16: Blank Joe Episode 17: The Devil's Equation Episode 18: The Spaceship Doesn't Respond Episode 19: The Trap of Another Dimension Episode 20: G-Town's Close Call Episode 21: The Broken Wings of Youth Episode 22: The Mysterious Stonehenge Episode 23: Love that Disappeared in the North Pole Episode 24: The Suspicious G2 Episode 25: The Sad Cyborg Episode 26: The Mysterious Secretary Pandora Episode 27: Dr. Nanbu Dies!
・Episode 28: The Feather Shuriken That Stole Love・Episode 29: Life or Death! The Demonic North Wall・Episode 30: The Dragon Returns Home・Episode 31: The Downed Eagle・Episode 32: G1 Andean Love・Episode 33: The Angry G1・Episode 34: The Amazonian Iron Demon Beast・Episode 35: Bergkatze's Legacy・Episode 36: The Underground City of Sorrow・Episode 37: Burn! Iron Wings・Episode 38: The Electromagnetic Mecha Iron Demon Dragon・Episode 39: The Crimson Condor・Episode 40: Fierce Fight! The Demonic Animal Strategy・Episode 41: Gatchaman vs. Gelsadra・Episode 42: The Observatory Moves in the Darkness・Episode 43: Invaders from Mars・Episode 44: Hit! The Evil Mars Base・Episode 45 / The Devil's Solar Shift Plan・Episode 46 / Gatchaman Revealed・Episode 47 / Deadly! Two Firebirds・Episode 48 / The Greatest Tsunami in History・Episode 49 / Burn! Condor・Episode 50 / Mystery! Mystery? Gelsadra's Mother・Episode 51 / Gelsadra's Sorrow・Episode 52 / The Fall of President X

■ Related works

Science Ninja Team GatchamanScience Ninja Team Gatchaman (Movie Version)
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman F
GATCHAMAN

■ Theme songs and music

・OP
・We are Gatchaman・Lyrics by Yasutomi Yasugo・Music by Sugiyama Koichi・Singer by Sasaki Isao, Columbia Cradle Association・Ending theme
・Dreaming of Tomorrow・Lyrics by Yasutomi Yasugo・Music by Sugiyama Koichi・Singers by Sasaki Isao and Horie Mitsuko

The appeal and evaluation of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II

"Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II" is a TV anime series that aired from 1978 to 1979 as a sequel to "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" which aired in 1972. This work continued the success of its predecessor, which depicted the battle between the Science Ninja Team and Galactor, while providing viewers with fresh excitement and thrills by introducing new enemies, mechanics, and deeper character drama.

Story and setting

The story of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II begins with the return of President X, who once destroyed Galactor in the previous film, threatening the Earth once again. Reorganized under the new leader Gel Sadra, Galactor stands in the way of the Science Ninja Team as a new challenger. The Science Ninja Team once again fights to protect world peace, making full use of the new flying aircraft carrier New God Phoenix.

One of the attractions of this work is Joe's resurrection and his subsequent suffering. The fact that Joe, who was thought to have died in the previous work, is resurrected as a cyborg shocked and moved viewers greatly. Joe's struggles as a cyborg and the human drama surrounding him add depth to the work as a whole. In addition, mysterious elements such as the secret surrounding Gel Sadra's birth and President X's new purpose further enhance the story.

Characters and cast

The Science Ninja Team continues to consist of five members from the previous film: Ken, Joe, Jun, Jinbei, and Ryu. Each character's personality and growth are depicted, with Joe's struggles as a cyborg and Jun's growth especially capturing the hearts of viewers. The cast also continues from the previous film, with Mori Koji, Sasaki Isao, Sugiyama Kazuko, Shioya Tsubasa, and Kanemoto Shingo playing their respective characters. Their acting skills as voice actors bring out the charm of their characters to the fullest.

New characters include Professor Pandora and Gel Sadora. Professor Pandora joins the team as Professor Nanbu's secretary and plays an active role as a support for the Science Ninja Team. Gel Sadora is the new leader of Galactor and stands in their way as a powerful enemy. These new characters also add new tension and depth to the story.

Mechanics and design

In "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II", a new flying aircraft carrier, New God Phoenix, appears. This new mecha is a further evolution of the God Phoenix from the previous film, providing viewers with new surprises and excitement. In addition, new weapons and mechas used by each member of the Science Ninja Team also appear, adding color to the battle scenes.

Character designs were done by Ippei Kuri, Yoshitaka Amano, and Akemi Takada, while mechanic designs were done by Kunio Okawara. These designs enrich the worldview of the work and enhance its visual appeal. The beautiful backgrounds by Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of art design, also enhance the setting of the story.

Music and theme song

The music was provided by Reijiro Konishi and Bob Sakuma, who provided a soundtrack that continued the atmosphere of the previous work while adding a new touch. In particular, the opening theme "We are Gatchaman" and the ending theme "Ashita Yume Mite" were sung by Isao Sasaki, Columbia Yurikagokai, and Mitsuko Horie, leaving a strong impression of the theme of the work. These songs are deeply engraved in the hearts of viewers and can be said to be symbols of the work.

Evaluation and impact

"Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II" continued the success of its predecessor while introducing new elements to provide viewers with fresh excitement and thrills. In particular, the deepened human drama, such as Joe's revival and his subsequent suffering, and the secret surrounding Gel Sadra's birth, added depth to the work as a whole. In addition, the introduction of the new flying aircraft carrier New God Phoenix and new mechanics enhanced the visual appeal and attracted viewers.

This work occupies an important position in the Science Ninja Team Gatchaman series and had a major influence on subsequent works. In particular, Joe's struggles as a cyborg and the secret surrounding Gel Sadra's birth were carried over to later works and deepened as themes throughout the series. In addition, the designs of the New God Phoenix and new mechanics were also used as references in later works, supporting the visual evolution of the series.

Recommendations and how to watch

"Science Ninja Team Gatchaman II" is recommended not only for fans of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, but for everyone who loves sci-fi hero action. It is especially a must-see for those who want to enjoy a deeper human drama, such as Joe's revival and his subsequent suffering, and the secret surrounding Gel Sadra's birth. It is also recommended for those who are interested in the new flying aircraft carrier New God Phoenix and the design of the new mechanics.

This work can be viewed on DVD and Blu-ray. It is also available on streaming services, so you can enjoy it easily. Please experience the new charm and excitement of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman through this work.