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--- Gatchaman Episode 21 - Who is Leader X? (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2563)
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:37:
Gatchaman Episode 21 - Who is Leader X?
Gatchaman Episode 21 - Who is Leader X?
A large, manmade island was created to help with one country's shortage of land. There are many exciting attractions on the island for citizens to enjoy. And there's quite the variety! From just this one shot, we can see a airplane ride, a carousel, a roller coaster, a stadium in the background, what looks like a play tunnel for children made out of a clown mouth (although suspicious me wonders if it might be a future Galactor mecha) and tea in the park!
The stadium is the most extravagant entertainment, and we are told that it is the 'largest in the world'. Once every four years, it is home to the Horse Olympics. Uh... sorry, a 'world-renowned Grand Prix Equestrian Competition'. Boy, that's a mouthful!
Today is the third such competition, and as we pan to the stands, a small boy is rudely forcing his way to the front.
"Coming through!" shouts Jinpei.
"Excuse me, Sir." says Ryu politely as he pushes to the front.
Jinpei thinks this is great. He's never been to a horse race before. Ryu points out that this race is very important, because the horse that wins this race is the world champion.
And of course, Ryu, being a shining example of behavior for Jinpei, is gambling on the outcome of the race. He is betting on... what else? Lucky number 5.
"Hey, look, there's a number 4, just like me!" Jinpei shouts excitedly. Ryu starts insisting that 'he's number 5 and he's going to win’. Like the horse has nothing to do with it! The two argue for a moment, until Ryu suggests they bet on it. 'The loser buys us Ramen Noodles!" he declares, and Jinpei agrees.
Okay, I'm pretty sure the original Japanese didn't say 'Ramen Noodles', but I'm finding it rather amusing.
Before the race, the horses are rated for their form. Number 4 receives the highest score, with a 9. Jinpei taunts Ryu with this revelation.
Their conversation is interrupted by an old man with an exceptionally long white goatee.
"What's with old Onion-Beard?" Jinpei wants to know.
Jinpei asks the old man which horse he thinks is going to win, and the old man replies that he knows his horse, number 8, will win. Of course, at this moment, number 8 is passing by, to the boos of the crowd. It doesn't look so bad to me, but it does seem to have a slightly slumped posture as compared to the other horses.
"You think that thing's going to win?" Jinpei asks doubtfully.
"Man, that's one ugly horse!" Ryu comments.
Onion-Beard's horse earns a score of 3 on his form, and Jinpei and Ryu burst into laughter.
"You won't be laughing so hard when number 8 wins the race!" the old man insists.
"Say, I think that old dude is off his rocker!" Jinpei whispers, using an oh-so-subtle ninja maneuver.
Clearly Onion-Beard isn't going to notice this breach of propriety.
Meanwhile, two mysterious men in black trench coats watch the race from afar. Whoever could they be? Well, they're wearing suspicious green gloves, and one of them appears to be sniffing a devil logo.
Oh, it's a communicator!
"That's right, Sir, we've located the Doctor." the man says into the devil head. He's wearing a cowboy-ish hat, and I guess ADV took this as a cue, because he's speaking in a John Wayne kind of voice, with a little less drawl.
The horses are lined up at the start gate.
"You can feel the tension!" declares the announcer in a contrived 'hush'.
Uh, I can’t feel it really, but I'll go with it.
And they're off! All the horses! Except... number 8. He's still standing at the starting line.
Jinpei and Ryu begin laughing again, but Onion-Beard smiles smugly, then begins twisting a button on his jacket.
And with a bunch of bionic-style noises, the horse awakens and begins to run.
Hmmm… could those sound effects be a clue? 
Horses 4 and 5 are hot on the tail of the lead horse: number 2. I guess number 2s like to win all of the races. 
But number 8 easily outpaces them all, much to Ryu and Jinpei's surprise. Onion-Beard smiles smugly and twists his button some more, and the men in trenchcoats observe all from afar.
Obstacles appear in the course. They get taller as time goes on, making it more difficult to jump over. Horses 2, 4 and 5 make it over the first obstacle, but the others are stymied. Until.... number 8 leaps over, accompanied by more bionic noises. I swear, this is Steve Austin in disguise!
Somehow, number 2 is out of the race, as the leader is announced to now be number 4, followed by numbers 5 and 8.
Of course, Jinpei and Ryu are rooting loudly for their numbers.
And Onion-Beard smiles smugly and plays with the button on his jacket. Yep, if that sounds familiar, it's because they're even using the same footage.
The race goes into whacky territory now. One-ton robots fall down onto the horses' backs, to test their stamina.
Now I'm not a big animal-lover or anything, but even I know that this likely goes into the bounds of animal cruelty, if they really weigh one ton. Heck, my first car weighed about a ton!
Horse number 4 falls over, much to Jinpei's disappointment. Number 5 falls over as well, and Ryu can't bear to watch.
And so, with number 2 having disappeared somewhere in the background, number 8 is the only horse to cross the finish line, and he therefore wins the race.
The horse is now apparently fed up with its robot jockey, and it tosses the one ton piece of metal off of its back and into a nearby fence.
Jinpei and Ryu look around for the old man, and are confused when they don't see him anywhere.
Number 8 is announced to be the winner, and his name is revealed to be 'The Good Voicer'. Onion-Beard is finally given a name as well. He is the horse's owner, and introduced as 'Professor Henjinman'.
The professor and the horse are both wearing strange flower leis, and are being buried in a rain of paper.
Everyone cheers (except Jinpei and Ryu, who still can't believe the 'old guy's horse finally won'). The two men in trenchcoats make for the exit.
__________________
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:38:
Cut to Dr. Nambu.
"Of course that horse won!" he tells the Science Ninja Team. "The others didn't even have a chance!
The ninjas are confused by this statement.
Look, Jun lost the stripes on her pants! Hmmmm.... she's standing awfully close to Joe. Maybe she was in his room, and had to put on a pair of his pants...? Sorry... smutty fic mind going off again.
Nambu reveals that Professor Henjinman was a 'senior student' when Dr. Nambu started his studies. Now wait a minute... Henjinman looks like he's in his 60s at least, if not 70s or 80s. How old is Dr. Nambu supposed to be, anyway? He's at least twenty years younger than Henjinman. Perhaps in Utoland, graduate studies take multiple decades?
According to Nambu, Henjinman was 'intelligent and passionate about his research', but he was also.... dun dun dun... anti-social.
Yep, anti-social. Clearly if you're not the life of the party, you're going to end up a bad guy. Just ask Nambu, the social party-animal.
Look, Jun got her pants back! Did she change when no one was looking?
Apparently uninterested in Jun's pants, Nambu reveals that Henjinman's research was all about cyborgs. Jinpei doesn't know what a cyborg is.
"Well, it's kind of like, their brain is legit, but their body's nuts and bolts." Ryu explains.
"In other words, it's a very intricate robot that looks like the real thing." Ken summarizes.
I'm wondering how Joe would feel about this statement 100 episodes later (in Gatchaman II) seeing as Ken doesn't think of a cyborg as 'the real thing'.
Meanwhile, far-from-being-a-cyborg-yet Joe states that he thinks the horse could be a cyborg, although Jun wonders if this is really possible.
Nambu tells Jun that no matter how real that horse looked, it was a cyborg. Jun is so shocked to hear this that she grabs for Joe's hand.
Okay, maybe not, but I'm enjoying the screenshot.
Nambu turns on a 'video recording of the TV broadcast'. Guess Nambu doesn't have Tivo.
What is Nambu's evidence that number 8 is a cyborg? Well, it was doing fine when the other horses were struggling during the race, and its eyes never blink. Ah, so that isn't just lazy animation!
But the biggest piece of evidence: Nambu claims that a real horse wouldn't kick like number 8 did.
This is a shocker for the Science Ninja Team.
Dr. Nambu just slides across the screen. I can't show this without an animation, but it's freaky... like he's on a conveyer belt or something!
Or maybe Nambu is the cyborg! Hmmm..... Plot bunny!
"What a jerk! That old dude cheated!" Jinpei shouts.
"Damn! I feel like an idiot!" Ryu adds.
But are they going to tell anyone about this discovery?
No. Of course not! Telling the public would just cause 'mass confusion'. Really? I don't know...
Nambu goes on to say that he's sure that Henjinman just wanted to test his cyborg. But what he's really worried about is the possibility that someone could get their hands on this technology and use it for evil!
Can you say, 'foreshadowing'?
Ken says that there must be something they can do to keep this from happening.
Nambu orders the Team to protect Henjinman and his technology.
Check out that Team butt shot! Sandy Frank, eat your heart out!
Notice that Jun has switched spots, too.
Ken accepts the mission for the Team.
But as everyone turns to leave, Dr. Nambu calls back Jinpei and Ryu.
"You should always be on your best behavior." Nambu lectures. "You represent the Science Ninja Team. So knock off the gambling."
Ryu and Jinpei are shamefaced. Ken appears to be mildly amused, and Jun has the giggles.
Meanwhile, in a creepy-looking house, Dr. Henjinman is cackling evilly to himself, drinking wine and gloating over a pile of money.
He's thrilled that his cyborg horse creations have finally surpassed real horses. Soon, he will be able to turn all living things into cyborgs. Then he will be the supreme ruler of the cyborg kingdom!
"I will have all the power!" cackles Henjinman maniacally.
Just wondering... where is Dr. Raphael during all of this? I thought he was the cyborg expert for Galactor? Or is this after he defected, and he’s in hiding underground?
At this moment, the two men in trenchcoats show up. One of them has Joe's buck teeth from the previous episode, and the other is now wearing his devil logo pin, instead of holding it. Just so you don't forget.
"Who are you nimrods?" Henjinman asks.
The men don't answer the question, they just state that they've been ordered to 'come and get' the professor. Oh, wait, another clue! A pulled-back shot shows that they are wearing green pants! And we all know what that means!
"Who the hell sent you?" Henjinman wants to know.
"His Majesty, Leader X of Galactor." Bucktooth states.
"Eh, I've never even heard of them." Henjinman dismisses them.
"You have no choice." Bucktooth says, pulling out a gun.
But as the Professor protests, he isn't hit by a bullet, but rather a cloud of gas. He coughs and chokes as the scene fades out.
Some time later, the Science Ninja Team arrives on the scene.
"Damn, we're too late!" Ken exclaims.
Jun surmises that someone just kidnapped the Professor.
Jinpei wants to know why anyone would kidnap Henjinman. Uh, Jinpei, guess you weren't listening in the briefing very well. He’s a cyborg expert, remember?
"He's got the technology that Galactor wants." Joe says, pointing at something on the ground. "Look."
And yes indeed, Cowboy's devil head pin has been left on the floor. It even glimmers for effect.
Ken picks up the pin, then declares that there's 'no doubt about it'. He thinks it's definitely Galactor. Way to take credit for Joe's discovery, Ken!
Jun suggests that they start searching for Galactor's secret base, taking the pin from Ken.
I love how she just assumes that there's a secret base. I guess, a little more than 20 episodes into the series, they now know how Galactor operates.
The Swan instantly recognizes the pin as a 'special wireless communicator'. So, it's a Galactor cell phone, then?
Meanwhile, at Galactor's secret base, Professor Henjinman is being welcomed by Katse into X's Audience Chamber. He tells Henjinman that he will work for the benefit of Galactor from now on.
"Dream on!" snorts Henjinman. Katse is less than impressed by this response.
Yet all he says is, "Pardon me?"
Henjinman wants to know what's in it for him. Katse offers to cover all of Henjinman’s research costs, and reward him 'handsomely'. A case full of money rises up from the floor.
Henjinman appears to be seduced by the money, and Katse smirks, thinking he's won. But the Professor doesn't answer.
Suddenly, X himself addresses Henjinman. X admits that Galactor's attempts to create cyborgs have been far from perfect. I guess Raphael isn't (or wasn’t) doing his job, then. Good thing he got better before he went rogue and picked up a dying Joe. But I’m getting about 84 episodes (and one series) ahead of myself.
X wants Henjinman's help to create 'invincible cyborgs'.
“Hold on! Who are you?" Henjinman demands to know.
"The Master of Galactor. He is Leader X." Katse informs the Professor.
X cackles evilly as Henjinman studies him.
Henjinman agrees to help Galactor on one condition. He wants to be appointed Galactor's second-in-command. Katse can't believe what he's hearing. He is second in command!
"Not while I'm alive." is X's response.
"I've already figured out exactly who you are!" Henjinman threatens X.
Katse is aghast.
"Act as tough as you'd like, but you can’t really do anything but bark orders from afar, can you?" Henjinman taunts X.
"How dare you!" X mutters. But he doesn't really do anything to prove Henjinman wrong.
Henjinman threatens to reveal X's true identity, but before he does, X tells him that he has won. He is now second-in-command of Galactor.
__________________
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:39:
So... I'm trying to sort this out. When Henjinman says 'X's true identity', I'm presuming that he means that X is an alien from Selectoru? Doesn't Katse know this already? Why is X so scared by this?
In any case, the professor is thrilled. Now he can finish all of his cyborg research and make all of his dreams come true!
Katse is less than pleased, as we head to a commercial break.
When we return, the God Phoenix is flying over the area. Ken reminds us what they're doing, but asking Jun how the radar is operating
Just fine, apparently. And boy, are the God Phoenix's radar screens extra big today! They take up the entire wall!
Jun's tracking the location of the base.
"Even Galactor doesn't stand a chance, going up against my Sis!" Jinpei exclaims, in a show of support.
But Ryu spots something on the monitor.
It's... a bunch of horses, grazing in a field.
Ken thinks that it's weird that there are so many of them. Guess they don't have horse farms in the 'future'. Or maybe just not near Utoland and Hontwal, the places where Ken has lived.
Ryu wishes he could live the peaceful life of a horse.
"Why don't we try to stick to reality, all right there, big guy?" Ken smirks.
"Yeah, Ryu, you never know. Those horses could all be cyborgs." Joe points out.
And finally, Jun picks up the secret base on the radar. She announces this to everyone, but rather than ask her about it, or order Ryu to fly there, Ken wants to take a closer look at the horses.
But we know he's onto something as the 'encounter' music starts to play when the God Phoenix comes in for a pass.
The horses start running, but Ken tells Ryu to keep on following them.
The horses run toward a hydroelectric dam. As they approach, their manes and tails fall off, and they change color. Suddenly, they are clearly not real.
Wait a minute! How long has Henjinman had to create more cyborg horses? Did it really take the Science Ninja Team, this long to find Galactor's base?
But timelines are forgotten as we catch a glimpse of the cyborg horses. They have Galactor devil faces over their eyes, and blue antennae sticking out from their heads. Their manes are red mohawks.
The cyborg horses smash the dam, destroying it.
And what is the Science Ninja Team doing during all of this?
Watching.
"Bummer!" Ken shouts, as he sees the entire thing unfolding on his monitor. "Joe was right!"
I guess he's trying to say that it's a bummer that the horses are destroying the dam, but it sure sounds like he's saying it's a bummer that Joe was right!
The others are horrified by the attack of the cyborg horses.
Jun says that they have to do something so Ken... decides to contact Dr. Nambu.
Yep, apparently Ken thinks they're going to need some help. He asks Nambu to send someone in to deal with this. WTH? They haven't even tried to do anything on their own, yet!
The horses are still trashing the dam, and now water is pouring in.
One horse emits lightning from its antennae, and destroys the power lines.
The Science Ninja Team just watches, after asking Nambu to help. They're so embarrassed by this cowardly behavior that Ken's cowl turns white! Even Ryu's left wing has gone pale.
But Joe's colors are intact, perhaps because he's angry that they're just sitting around. He wants to... take a guess... destroy them with Bird Missiles!
"Chill out, Joe. That's not part of our mission." Ken lectures. Wait a minute... it isn't? The Science Ninja Team is supposed to watch Galactor machines destroy stuff?
"I'm sure those horses will return to the farm eventually." Ken assures the others. "We'll go ahead and wait for them there."
Um, Ken, aren't you forgetting that Jun found the Galactor base? You could go there, you know.
But Ryu thinks returning to the farm is a swell idea.
"You're so smart!" he tells Ken.
"Aw, man! That's not as much fun!" Joe complains.
Back at the farm, the ninjas are taking cover, hiding behind a set of rocks.
Of course, the God Phoenix is big as day, but I guess they don't think anyone is going to notice this.
Ken contacts Ryu, who is, of course, still on the ship.
He asks if Ryu has seen the horses yet. Ryu says he hasn't. Is Ken sure they're coming back? Ryu doesn't sound so impressed with Ken's smarts anymore.
But just as he says this, an alarm sounds, and a red light starts flashing on his console.
The horses are coming back!
The ninjas hide behind the rocks, (in the shadow of the God Phoenix) and watch the approach.
The horses stop. The lead horse rears its legs, and the ground opens up, revealing an entrance to Galactor's secret base.
"Just as I thought! The horses led us to Galactor's secret base!" Ken exclaims.
Um, Ken, do I have to remind you again that Jun found the secret base before any of this happened? Sheesh! What is it with Ken today? First he's trying to take credit for Joe's discovery, and now Jun's!
In any case, the Eagle leaps into the air, to follow the horses.
He is quickly followed by the others, who all strike heroic poses. Well, except Jun, who backflips.
And they're running to the base!
"Bird Flight!" yells Ken, taking to the air. The ninjas manage to slip in through the door just as it is closing.
Ryu witnesses this on the monitors, and complains to himself about being left behind again.
"It gets so boring all alone on this ship!" he says.
Meanwhile, in the base, Katse and Henjinman are looking over the cyborg horses.
Katse tells Henjinman that this 'test run' was a success. Clearly Katse has been too preoccupied with this 'test' to notice the God Phoenix lurking around outside. Oh wait, he's not in charge anymore! I guess it's not his job.
In any case, Katse tells Henjinman that X has ordered them to send the cyborg horses 'into town'. Henjinman isn't too thrilled with this.
"Obviously you don't get it." sneers Katse. "The second-in-command can't overrule the Leader's orders."
"I refuse! I won't allow it!" Henjinman shouts. But he doesn't explain why he's so against this.
He simply runs off, with Katse and some gun-toting goons following.
Meanwhile, on the floor of the horse 'paddock', a pair of bolas clatters to the ground. This confuses a nearby goon.
He reaches down to pick them up...
Only to become the victim of a neck chop, Eagle style.
Ken takes out the other goons in the area, then turns around.
"Jinpei, you shouldn't have dropped that!" he lectures.
Jinpei apologizes, and the other ninjas appear among the cyborg horses, Jun admonishing the Swallow to be more careful. Um, he already apologized, Jun. Give the kid a break.
Ken declares that he and Jun will get Professor Henjinman out of there, and orders that Joe and Jinpei destroy the base.
__________________
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:40:
Meanwhile, X is reminding Katse that he ordered that the city be attacked with the cyborg horses. Why hasn’t this happened yet?
Like a good third-in-command, Katse blames the delay on the second-in-command.
"Those cyborg horses are my precious creations! I'm not letting you do whatever you want with them!" Henjinman protests.
"Really?" X sneers. "So you won't follow my orders, no matter what?"
"You might be the second-in-command, but I can still kill you!" Katse announces, pulling out a gun. Yet he is astounded when Henjinman just laughs.
"You can't kill me! That would be the end of the cyborg project!" Henjinman calls Katse's bluff.
Henjinman now spills his entire plan. He wants to take over Galactor. He was only pretending to do X's bidding. He was using X all of this time.
Two other people are listening in on this 'plan', from a hatch in the ceiling.
"Imbecile! You say you know my true identity, but I doubt it!" X says menacingly.
"I'll prove to you that I'm the strongest of the both of you!†Henjinman threatens, pulling off his scarf.
Yep, he looks so much more menacing when he pulls off his scarf. Sigh...
Katse tries to shoot, but Henjinman jumps and avoids the bullets. He runs up to X's display screen.
"I know your true identity, Leader X! You're actually..."
"No!" Katse cries, reaching surreptitiously for a small yellow button. The button would be relatively discrete, if not for the large arrow pointing to it.
X's image disappears from the screen, and before Ken and Jun's horrified eyes, the room fills with an orange-yellow light. The Professor is overcome, falling to the ground, choking.
Inexplicably, Katse seems to be okay.
Just as an aside, let me backtrack for a moment. Indulge me. Henjinman called the Galactor Overlord 'Leader X' in front of Ken and Jun. Yet about 50 episodes later, Ken and Jun are surprised to hear of Leader X’s existence, when they see him rescue Katse from under their noses in the Himalayas. I guess by then, they wanted us to forget this episode...
But now, back to Katse. He notices the two ninjas watching from the ceiling as he hears Ken cries out for Henjinman. Way to go, Ken! Weren't you the one lecturing Jinpei on giving away your position earlier?
Now that their presence has been revealed, Ken and Jun stand up, and Jun announces that they are the Science Ninja Team.
They glide down to the floor, but Katse already has his hand on a heretofore unnoticed ominous-looking lever.
"How did the two of you manage to sneak in?" Katse demands to know.
"You still haven't learned your lesson, have you, Katse?" Ken asks cockily. "Now this time, we'll stop you once and for all!"
"Spirited as usual, but you’re already too late." Katse smirks, pulling the lever.
"What did you just do?" Ken demands to know. He raises his boomerang threateningly.
"I was simply carrying out Leader X's orders." Katse replies, pointing at the now-reappeared X. Oh boy... again, I point to episode 71. Oh, my! The inconsistencies!!!!!
In any case, pulling the lever has sent a stampede of cyborg horses toward town. Katse tells Ken and Jun that if they stay there any longer, the city will be 'trampled by them like grass'.
"What shall we do?" Jun asks Ken.
Ooh, look! This time the horses are carrying goon riders! Ride 'em, cowboy!
Katse laughs at Ken, taunting him to 'hurry, before it's too late'. But a weak Henjinman crawls toward Katse, grabbing at his cape.
"I thought you were dead!" Katse exclaims.
Ken chooses this moment to throw his boomerang,
In a show of amazing acrobatics, Katse manages to kick away Henjinman and avoid the boomerang.
"Gatchaman, Galactor has won this round!" Katse announces, before he flees the room. "We shall meet again! Farewell!"
In response, Ken gives Katse the finger.
Okay, not quite, but it sure looks like it, doesn't it?
The cylindrical corridor into which Katse disappeared becomes a rocket, and Ken, Jun, and Professor Henjinman are about to be blasted!
Ken shouts that they have to get out of there.
But as they run out of the room, gun-toting goons are there to meet them.
This doesn't bother Ken and Jun, who barrel right through them, Owl style.
Ryu sees Katse's rocket escaping.
Hold on... he sees the rocket, but not the stampede of cyborg horses carrying goons?
"A rocket? It must be one of those Galactor idiots!" the Own declares. He moves the God Phoenix to follow. But as he does, Joe and Jinpei emerge from the hatch.
"Ken, what the hell took you so long?" Joe greets the Eagle.
Ken tells Joe that they have to stop the horses before they hit the city. He asks Henjinman what they can do to stop the horses.
Henjinman stutters and burbles in a manner nearly worthy of Old Weird Harold in the Fat Albert cartoons, (I know, I totally dated myself there). He finally reveals that there is a self-destruct button on the horses' backs.
A tear slips down Ken's cheek as he realizes that the professor is dying. I'm not sure why he's so attached to the old guy, seeing as they've only just met.
Jun pre-empts Ken's grief, reminding him that they have to stop the cybog horses.
Ken agrees.
Next thing we know, the base is exploding as the God Phoenix is flying off. I guess Henjinman pulled it together, because he's with the Science Ninja Team.
Ryu thinks it's a waste to destroy the cyborg horses.
"Galactor is using them for evil! It's not a choice." Ken tells him.
They're getting close to the city, and Ken tells everyone to hurry. Everyone except Ryu (and Henjinman) jumps out of the God Phoenix.
Soon, they're all attacking the goon cowboys.
__________________
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:41:
Suddenly, the self-destruct buttons are incredibly obvious!
The remaining goons are shooting at the ninjas as they press the buttons, then leap off of their horses.
Ken's leg doubles its length as he leaps away!
Ken tells the others that he's pretty sure they were able to trigger 'all of the cyborg horses'. I'm not sure how he knows this, since some of them still have goons on them. But I'll let that one slide.
Ken orders Ryu to help the professor touch the self-destruct button.
Wait a minute... wasn't the button they pressed on the horses the self-destruct button? What does Henjinman have to do with it?
But Ryu holds up Henjinman and tells him, "You can do it!" as the old man fiddles with his button one last time.
Everyone waits anxiously as the cyborg horses approach the city.
The horses explode, and Jinpei jumps for joy.
But it's short-lived. Henjinman is dead, and Ryu tells them that he 'pressed the button with a smile'. Everyone mourns.
"Heavy." says Ken.
The narrator reminds us that if science were only used for evil, then everyone on Earth would have the same fate as the cyborg horses. As long as the evil of Galactor lives on in this world, the Science Ninja Team will continue fighting. Hang in there, Gatchaman!
__________________
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:41:
BOTP Episode 4 - Mad New Ruler of Spectra
At Center Neptune, deep beneath the sea, all threats are instantly detected. Zark shows off a piece of equipment that he calls a 'very complicated alarm system', designed to alert G-Force to any attack by alien planets.
Clearly Zark has a secret longing to be a spokesmodel. I can see him now on the Price is Right...
But for now, Zark justifies his existence by telling us that without him, all of this equipment is a pile of probes and sensors and reactors. Zark is the 'nerve center' of this entire operation, and he must be in tip-top condition at all times.
That's why he's going into the Rehabilitation Clinic soon for 'major reconstruction' and 'delicate new components'. He likens it to a 'facelift'. Of course, a facelift is purely cosmetic. Does this mean that Zark is going to look better afterward? We can only hope...
But right now, it's an uneventful afternoon, and even the G-Force Team needs time off to relax. Tiny and Keyop went to see an 'obstacle horse race'. Zark assures us that they don't bet on the horses (Oh, the horror!) but they do enjoy picking a winner.
Zark sort of likes to watch the horses run himself. As a mater of fact, Zark likes all animals. Especially dogs. He thinks that he might ask for one to keep him company. (Remember, this is episode 4, and 1-Rover-1 hasn't been introduced yet.)
The announcer at the horse race sounds a lot like Mark. Maybe here's there undercover...?
Keyop and Tiny push to the front of the crowd as rudely as Jinpei and Ryu, and Tiny says 'Excuse me."
The announcer tells us that horse number 8 is in its first race ever today, and he comments that it looks a little old and heavy to be in with the other animals. Tiny and Keyop laugh at Horse number 8. Keyop's trilling laughter sounds like broops on a skipping record.
An old man standing next to them (who sounds a lot like Zoltar) tells Tiny and Keyop that they will see number 8 in the winner's circle.
Keyop thinks the old man is spooky.
The men in trenchcoats are watching.
Tiny and Keyop laugh as number 8 doesn't start the race, but then the old man twists his button and 8 ends up winning the race, as the trenchcoat men watch.
Starting dead last, number 8 has won by fifteen lengths.
Zark breaks in, telling us that the men in trenchcoats are Spectran agents (Oh, the shocker!) and it's suspicious that they're interested in the old man and his winning horse. G-Force is being called back to duty.
At a briefing, Chief Anderson tells the G-Force Team that the old man is named Hugo Doriarty, and that he is one of the world's greatest research scientists.
Mark wants to know why they should suspect a man, just because he owns a fast horse.
"Sure! Scientists can like animals too!" Jason points out.
"But a genius like Doriarty could fall into the hands of invaders, like Planet SPectra!" Princess reminds him. I'm not sure how that has anything to do with Doriarty owning a horse, but I'll go with it.
Anderson tells the Team that Zark identified two Spectran agents in the crowd watching Doriarty. But Galaxy Security knows why. Footage of the race tells them that a device has been planted in the hoof of horse number 8. Looking at the way the horse leaps, they can tell that the animal has superior strength and speed.
"Who wants a horse machine race?" Tiny complains.
"The question is, who implanted this device, and for what reason?" Anderson wonders.
Wait a minute... we have a genius scientist, and a sophisticated device implanted in the hoof of a winning racehorse owned by that schientist. And Anderson can't figure out the connection? 
Mark says that it must be for the wrong reasons, because otherwise Spectra wouldn't be interested.
"A man who can invent powerful mechanical animals would be just what Spectra's looking for." Anderson states. That's certainly true enough, and more insightful than what Nambu was thinking in the Gatchaman version.
Mark says that they'll 'check him out'.
The scene of Nambu reprimanding Jinpei and Ryu for gambling is cut.
At Doriarty's home, the scientist says that he will live in the lap of luxury. No one will know that he has invented a cyborg horse. He will be a millionaire.
The two men in trenchcoats burst in and want to take Doriarty on 'a little vacation to another planet'. Doriarty refuses, and...
We cut to some random footage of a rocket taking off. The thing is, it was night when the trenchcoat Spectrans broke into Doriarty's hosue, and the rocket is taking off in broad daylight into a blue sky.
A rocket takes off for Spectra, carrying Doriarty.
We get a few shots of Earth and moving through space to emphasize that Doriarty has been taken off-planet.
Arriving at Doriarty's house, Princess notes that the man left in a hurry, and she suggests that he was taken. Keyop thinks it's 'foul play'.
"It looks like the 'foul players' left us a clue." Jason notes, pointing at the floor.
Mark picks up the devil head pin, and Princess asks to see it. She identifies it as a 'radio signal badge worn by all Spectra agents'. She suggests that they get back to Anderson right away.
Meanwhile, Doriarty arrives on Spectra and is ushered into Zoltar's audience with the Luminous One. Zoltar solicitously welcomes Doriarty, and asks if he knows why here's there.
The Professor has no idea, so the Great Spirit explains that they know that Doriarty is a man of great genius. If Doriarty agrees to work for them, he will be a very rich man.
A briefcase full of money has suddenly appeared on a table (which also mysteriously appeared) in front of the Professor. Even more strangely, the briefcase is full of the same kind of money that Doriarty had on Earth. Does Spectra use Earth currency?
"And if I don't?" Doriarty wonders aloud.
"Then I very much fear that you will become a forgotten man." Zoltar smirks.
"On Earth, they have only contempt for you." the Luminous One says.
"On Spectra, you will be honored." Zoltar adds.
Doriarty says that he will join them on one condition. He wants to be the Ruler of Spectra.
"It is done!" says the Luminous One, in a relieved tone. Perhaps he's glad to be rid of Zoltar?
Curiously, Zoltar doesn't have anything to say on this matter, although he does raise his fist and grimace.
Doriarty is thrilled that he now has the one thing he has always wanted more than money... power.
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 04:42:
Back at Center Neptune, Zark is pacing, and G-Force hasn't even left yet!
The plan is that they will rescue Professor Doriarty. Zark hopes that he can follow them on his scanners, because he worries about them when they are so far away from home.
And now we get some other spliced in footage of the Phoenix underwater, preparing to depart Center Neptune.
Zark gushes over the 'perfect launching from Center Neptune'. Zark reminds us that G-Force is traveling 'a hundred times faster than sound'. Now they're leaving the Milky Way and traveling at the speed of light! This narration is accompanied by more generic shots of space with a white dot moving through it.
Now they've broken the time barrier! From here on, they'll cover millions of miles in a split second! Will wonders never cease?
G-Force approaches the Crab Nebula, in which is hidden the Planet Spectra.
And we see the Phoenix flying over a planet that looks just like Earth. But given all of the footage and narration we've just seen, we're convinced that it's an alien planet millions of miles away. Yep.
Princess happily announces that they haven't been picked up by Spectra's 'defense satellite'. What, Spectra has only ONE defense satellite? Yikes! Keyop calls them 'dummies', and I agree!
Tiny sees the horse farm, and calls it 'just like Texas'.
Mark immediately knows that some of them are the professor's cyborgs, but he doesn't reveal why he's so certain of this. He wants Tiny to 'buzz' them.
As the Phoenix follows, the horses shed their outer coverings and destroy the hydroelectric dam. Why are they destroying a dam on their own planet? Beats me... 
"Something's driving those machines bananas!" Mark exclaims.
"Maybe buzzing them scrambled their circuits?" Princess suggests. Ah, so the horses went crazy? That would explain why they're destroying a Spectran installation.
"Or, someone could be fooling around with the remote control systems!" Mark guesses.
Uh, okay... maybe... I'm still wondering where Mark gets these ideas.
Tiny calls the horses 'galloping dynomite', while speaking into his communicator, even though he's not transmitting to anyone.
"Spectra must hold some pretty weird rodeos." Jason notes, clenching his fist.
Mark says that they should 'put down' and find Professor Doriarty. He must be near, since these are clearly his horses.
Tiny asks Jason if he'd like to go horseback riding.
"Hit the turf, Tiny!" is Jason's response.
On the ground, G-Force isn't hiding very well, but they do see the cyborg horses going into an underground entrance. Mark thinks they can lead the Team to 'Spectra's Headquarters', and so he orders everyone to follow the mechanical animals.
"I always get the nothing job!" Tiny complains, as he's left on the ship.
In the base, Zoltar declares that the cyborg horses are now ready to be sent to Earth, to destroy the 'largest energy plant' in 'the West'. Wait a minute... so Zoltar destroyed a Spectran energy plant to determine this?
"I didn't plan that!" Doriarty protests.
"We did!" Zoltar informs Doriarty. He says that the horses will be sent tonight, and be armed with explosives to destroy the plant.
"I'm the Ruler of Spectra, and I wasn't consulted on this!" Doriarty protests.
"Now that we have what we want, you are no longer the Ruler." Zoltar says smugly. "You will do as you're told!"
"We'll see which one of us rules!" Doriarty exclaims, storming off to see the Luminous One. Zoltar and some goons follow.
"Why do you come to me with your petty quarrel at this critical time?" the Great Spirit asks.
Zoltar says that Doriarty is not cooperating. Doriarty says that he has done whatever they asked, but he didn't create the horses to destroy Earth.
The Luminous One tells Doriarty not to stand in their way. He says that Earth will be attacked tonight, and there will be more attacks until Earth belongs to Spectra. Mark and Princess are listening to this from a hatch in the ceiling. There is no sign of Jason or Keyop, and we have no idea what happened to them.
"You lied! You never even intended to pay me!" Doriarty complains. "I have the power to destroy all of you!"
But Zoltar presses a secret button and Doriarty is awash in orange light.
"You will be destroyed!" Zoltar says.
"Get him!" Mark cries from the ceiling. I presume he means Zoltar?
"Cancel your trip to Earth, Zoltar!" Mark orders.
"Our trip will go exactly as planned!" Zoltar responds.
"Not quite. You'll be going back to Earth on the Phoenix with us!" Mark replies confidently. "And no round trip!"
"Fools! This is Spectra! And you're my prisoners!" Zoltar laughs, pulling a big lever.
Zoltar tells Mark that the attack has been launched, and Zoltar will soon be gone. But for Mark and Princess there will be no escape, because guards have been summoned, and they will be captured.
We see horses stampeding outside, but Zoltar says that they are 'heading for the space ship to Earth'.
Doriarty grabs Zoltar's cape, but Zoltar jumps away. (Mark doesn't actually throw his boomerang at all during this entire scene, just holds it.)
"Your mission has failed! Our attack force is well underway to destroy Earth!" Zoltar laughs, before he gets away.
The rocket ship takes off, and Mark signals the Phoenix. Despite Zoltar's comment that guards have been summoned, we don't see any.
Tiny sees the rocket leaving, and asks the Team to radio their position, so he can pick them up. Jason and Keyop wave from the ground. Guess they didn't do much on this mission.
As Mark and Princess arrive, Jason asks if the ''old man' can help them.
"He can be a great help to us, if he's learned his lesson." Mark says.
Apparently he has, because he spills all very quickly. He wanted power, but it was a big mistake. G-Force must set the self-destruct buttons on the horses.
"Maybe now, Earth will realize they've been ignoring a very great scientist." Princess says.
Okay, that's a little much, but if it makes the old guy more cooperative, I guess it's okay.
Instantly, everyone is on the Phoenix and closing in on the stampede of horses. I think they're still on Spectra, but they haven't said.
Everyone jumps out of the Phoenix, and then they're immediately on the horses. Ooh, they actually show Princess and Keyop pushing some goons off, but not Mark.
They set the self-destruct buttons, and Tiny helps the Professor initiate the explosion.
Everyone is sweating bullets as the horses approach a city. I guess they actually all did make it back to Earth, but they never actually said that anywhere. I can’t see them being this worried about some random Spectran city.
The horses are destroyed, and Earth is safe!
Mark contacts Zark at Center Neptune.
Mark reports that Zoltar escaped, but he won't be attacking Earth today. Hmm... now it sounds like they hadn't left Spectra. So... why were they so nervous about the horses approaching a Spectran city? I don't get it...
We see more strange footage of a rocket taking off.
I think this is actually supposed to be the Phoenix, because next thing we know, Mark is reporting that the Phoenix has left the Crab Nebula. I don't quite understand this segue. Why insert random rocket footage?
Zark clears the Phoenix for 'boost glide re-entry'.
Back at Center Neptune, Zark wishes that he could go on a space shot 'sometime'. But he doesn't know if his sensitive components can take it. But he's sure his new ones will.
Zark thinks he should take something to calm himself down. His grandfather, 4-Zark-4, always used 3-in-1 oil.
Wait a second... if Zark's grandfather is 4-Zark-4, wouldn't that make Zark 6-Zark-6? My head hurts from all of these inconsistencies...
But fortunately, the episode is over, so I can go take an Advil now.
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Posted by lborgia88 on 15-06-2009 at 14:11:
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She and Joe do look very cozy, but if her pants are white, that suggests they're Ken's. There's something kinky going on...| quote: | |
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No wonder Joe tried to keep it a secret!
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That would explain a lot! Never married, no kids, knows about Galactor really early on, is never shown eating or sleeping...
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It does seem that having a beard is a requirement for being a cyborg expert.
Perhaps Raphael manages to study one of Henjinman's cyborg horses closely during this ep, realizes what he's been doing wrong/missing in his previous, "far from perfect" cyborgs -and then goes rogue shortly after?
Or maybe Raphael's been completely occupied with turning Joe's old friend Lucy into a cyborg, and has been slacking off on his other cyborg assignments?
It is interesting that in eps 14 and 17, Galactor had creepy surgeons (one of whom was Katse) planning to turn a little girl into a "minion of Galactor" and remove the brains of Jinpei and those other boys. I found myself wondering "Where's Raphael?" then too.
Posted by lborgia88 on 15-06-2009 at 14:15:
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I'm laughing here, that Joe looks like he's half a second away from socking Ken in the jaw!
I'm sure it's really got something to do with those white pants Jun was wearing...
Posted by lborgia88 on 15-06-2009 at 15:41:
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I'd never really thought about this -I guess I'd forgotten that Ken and Jun were right there, listening, while Katse, Henjinman and Leader X were talking- but it sure is a big series plot inconsistency! I can only think that the writers, soon after this episode, decided that they didn't want the team to know about Leader X yet, and as you say, hoped we'd "forget this episode" (and I kind of did, as this wasn't an episode that I rewatched much after I'd seen ep 71).
It could be, they'd decided to introduce the Galactor Female Commander soon, and keep the mystery of Leader X for later?
I guess that leaves us having to conclude, though, that Ken and Jun somehow couldn't hear what Katse, Henjinman and Leader X were saying, or somehow failed to grasp its significance -but that's a stretch!
Posted by Springie on 15-06-2009 at 17:36:
Oh god...can't stop laughing...so many funny parts in this ep!! TJ, that animation is a masterpiece! So funny!!!
Fan Page #21
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 20:26:
Glad you guys enjoy it! For some reason, this is one of the episodes I remember clearly from BOTP... the old guy fiddling with his button, and the Team jumping onto the horses and the end and pressing the buttons...
But of course, when I watched it as a child I had no idea about all of the Gatchaman inconsistencies! And LB, like you, I wasn't even aware of them when I saw the Gatch version the first time. It's only now, watching it again, that I'm hit in the face with these things.
LB, I like your idea about Jun wearing Ken's pants, but looking cozy with Joe, and then Joe wanting to hit Ken... 
Sounds like your Guinevere trilogy!
Springie, I'm glad you like the animation. The sad thing is, I didn't put in any special effects or anything. That's EXACTLY how it looks in the episode! See? I told you it was freaky!
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Posted by lborgia88 on 15-06-2009 at 21:21:
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That must be it -I see love triangles everywhere now!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-06-2009 at 23:02:
LB, I love your new avatar! So... did you discover Joe on the beach?
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Posted by gogirl212 on 15-06-2009 at 23:39:
first off - lb - smokin' hot new avatar. it rocks.
hurray for the ep recaps tj - you are hilarious as always. I think Nambu must have invented the sideways moonwalk, inspiring Michael Jackson who unfortunately could only do it in reverse.
love the fan page, springie - you are so good at finding the best bloopers and quotes. I never can pick up on these things.
I also remember this ep from when I was a kid - I really liked the cyborg horses and didn't want them destroyed.
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There are few problems that a swift kick to the head by a highly trained ninja can't solve.
Posted by gatchgirl on 16-06-2009 at 01:10:
great job TJ... I can see now why there was any hesitation on how many episodes to do a week.
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" No gratitude needs to be voiced, your mind speaks to us!"
Racer by day, Feather Thrower all the time!
Posted by lborgia88 on 16-06-2009 at 01:44:
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Heh, my interpretation is that after a night of passion on the beach, Joe is worn out, the sun is rising, duty calls and I have to be on my way, but I just have to look back one last time...
You may have recognized this Joe from a screencap for ep 48 on your Eagle Riders site (thank you!) -except there he was in a lab and Dr. Nambu was in the background.
Posted by Transmute Jun on 16-06-2009 at 01:49:
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As a matter if fact, I did, but I think you've placed him in a much nicer location!
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Posted by lborgia88 on 16-06-2009 at 02:18:
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Springie, your fanpage reminded me that when I first watched this episode, with my nephew, Jinpei's line "Huh, what's with old onion beard?" really cracked him up -he was laughing gleefully and going "He's so rude!" (with regard to Jinpei).
Yes, Jinpei may not have the "potty mouth" he's sometimes credited with, but he's sure not a model of respectful behaviour to adults!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 16-06-2009 at 03:25:
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Well with Joe the Foul-Mouthed Renegade and Ryu the Gambler as role models, I can see why!
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