"Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman" (1972) TV series 1972-1974

Directors:

Masami Anô
Noboru Ishiguro

Writers:

Osamu Jinno (writer)
Takao Koyama (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

1 October 1972 (Japan)

Genre:

Action | Animation | Sci-Fi

Plot:

A team of bird-themed superhero ninjas battle the menace of Galactor, a technologically advanced international terrorist organization determined to conquer the world.

Plot Keywords:

Ninja | Superhero | Secret Identity | Sentai | Superhero Team

Cast

Katsuji Mori	...	Ôwashi no Ken (Ken Washio) (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Isao Sasaki	...	Kondoru no Jô (Jô Asakura) (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kazuko Sugiyama	...	Shiratori no Jun (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Yoku Shioya	...	Tsubakuro no Jinpei (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Shingo Kanemoto	...	Mimizuku no Ryû (Ryû Nakanishi) (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tôru Ôhira	...	Kôzaburô Nambu (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mikio Terashima	...	Berugu Kattse (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Nobuo Tanaka	...	Sôsai Ekksu (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Hideo Kinoshita	...	Narêtâ (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Teiji Ômiya	...	Andâson (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
George Manley	...	Narrator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Leraldo Anzaldua	...	Ken Washio (60 episodes, 1972-1973)

Also Known As:

Gatchaman (International: English title)
Gatchaman Science Ninjas (International: English title)
Science Ninja Force Gatchaman (Japan: English title)
Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (informal literal English title)

Runtime:

25 min (105 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:G (Quebec) (VHS/DVD rating) | Canada:PG (video rating) | USA:TV-PG

Company:

Tatsunoko Productions Company

Trivia:

This series wasn't officially presented unedited in the United States until almost 33 years after its debut in its home country of Japan.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Knocked Up (2007)

Soundtrack:

Taose! Gyarakutâ

One of the originals

Like many people in the 20-30 yr old range, I grew up watching Battle of the Planets. The show had incredible action sequences and realistic portrayls of the main characters. Years later I learned the show had been dubbed and judiciously eddited from the Japanese show Gatchaman. In the last few years I have been able to see most of the original episode of Gatchaman and have a much greater appreciation of the show. From Power Rangers to Voltron...this show started the team genre.