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

Directors:

Masami Anô
Wataru Mizusawa
(more)

Writers:

Takao Koyama
Reiji Kubota
(more)

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 | Evil Laugh | Superhero Team | Secret Identity

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)
Leraldo Anzaldua	...	Ken Washio (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
George Manley	...	Narrator / ... (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Charles Campbell	...	Additional Voice / ... (104 episodes, 1972-1974)
Victor Carsrud	...	Ryu Nakanishi / ... (103 episodes, 1972-1974)
Edwin Neal	...	Berg Katse / ... (103 episodes, 1972-1974)
Andy McAvin	...	Dr. Nambu / ... (99 episodes, 1972-1974)
Josh Grelle	...	Additional Voice / ... (92 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tesshô Genda	...	Various characters (75 episodes, 1972-1974)
Glenn Fraser	...	Additional Voice / ... (71 episodes, 1973-1974)
Eden J. Barrera	...	Additional Voice / ... (64 episodes, 1972-1974)
Brian Jepson	...	Additional Voice / ... (49 episodes, 1972-1974)
Winston Parish	...	Leader X (48 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Directed by
Noboru Ishiguro		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Fumio Kurokawa		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Hideo Nishimaki		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Hiroshi Sasagawa		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kazunori Tanabashi		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Hisayuki Toriumi		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Masami Anô		(unknown episodes)
Wataru Mizusawa		(unknown episodes)
Katsuhisa Yamada		(unknown episodes)

Series Writing credits
Osamu Jinno		(unknown episodes)
Takao Koyama		(unknown episodes)
Keiji Kubota		(unknown episodes)
Reiji Kubota		(unknown episodes)
Mikio Matsushita		(unknown episodes)
Noriyoshi Matsûra		(unknown episodes)
Moichi Ochiai		(unknown episodes)
Akiyoshi Sakai		(unknown episodes)
Hirohisa Soda		(unknown episodes)
Satoshi Suyama		(unknown episodes)
Jinzô Toriumi		(unknown episodes)
Shigeru Yanagawa		(unknown episodes)

Series Produced by
Ippei Kuri	....	producer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kenji Yoshida	....	producer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tatsuo Yoshida	....	executive producer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Original Music by
Bobu Sakuma		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Art Direction by
Kimie Izushima		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mitsuyoshi Kosugi		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mitsuki Nakamura		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tsunehito Nonomiya		(105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Art Department
Mitsuki Nakamura	....	mechanical designer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kunio Okawara	....	mechanical designer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kunio Ogawa	....	mecha designer (unknown episodes)

Series Sound Department
Shôji Kato	....	sound effects (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Shigeharu Shiba	....	sound recording director (105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Animation Department
Jôichi Akashi	....	background artist (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Yoshitaka Amano	....	character designer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Chûichi Iguchi	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tomonori Kogawa	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Mitsuyoshi Kosugi	....	background artist (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Sadao Miyamoto	....	animation director (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Seiji Miyamoto	....	background artist (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kôji Nanke	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tsuneo Ninomiya	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Tsunehito Nonomiya	....	background artist (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kazuo Okada	....	background artist (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kunio Okawara	....	mechanical designer (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Masaru Shibata	....	animation supervisor (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Norio Shioyama	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Masami Suda	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Motosuke Takahashi	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Moriyasu Taniguchi	....	animator (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Kazusuke Yoshihara	....	background artist (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Shigeyuki Ikeda	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Akio Kikuchi	....	animation director (unknown episodes)
Kunitoshi Okajima	....	animation finisher (unknown episodes)
Tatsuo Yoshida	....	character designer (unknown episodes)

Series Music Department
Asei Kobayashi	....	composer: main and end titles (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Jerry Mengo	....	composer: additional music (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Janko Nilovic	....	composer: additional music (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Jean-Jacques Perrey	....	composer: additional music (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Masato Shimon	....	singer: theme song (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Daniel White	....	composer: additional music (105 episodes, 1972-1974)

Series Other crew
Takumi Shibano	....	consultant: science-fiction (105 episodes, 1972-1974)
Satoshi Suyama	....	planner (unknown episodes)
Hisayuki Toriumi	....	technical director (unknown episodes)
Jinzô Toriumi	....	planner (unknown episodes)
Norio Wakamoto	....	various voices (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• Tatsunoko Productions Company

Distributors

• ADV Films (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• DeAgostini Japan (2008-) (Japan) (DVD)
• Fuji Television Network (Japan) (TV)
• Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd. (Japan) (DVD)
• Rhino Entertainment Company (USA) (DVD)
• Tatsunoko Productions Company (non-USA)

Other Companies

• Ishida Sound Production  sound
• Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd.  soundtrack

Also Known As:

"Kagaku ninja tai Gatchaman" - Japan (original title)
"Gatchaman Science Ninjas" - International (English title) (informal title)
"Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" - Japan (English title) (literal title)

Runtime:

25 min (105 episodes)

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

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

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 The Demon (1978)

Soundtrack:

Gacchaman no Uta

A classic.......

I remember "Gatchaman"!It's one of my childhood favorites of all time.It has cyborgs,robots,monsters(Dai-Kaiju type),sentai-like action,weaponry and super villains!Forget the "Battle of the Planets" re-edit and the atrocious 1995 remake,this is the best one of the Gatchaman bunch.