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--- Gatchaman Episode 38: “The Mysterious Mechanized Jungle†(http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2629)
Posted by lborgia88 on 13-08-2009 at 15:39:
Gatchaman Episode 38: “The Mysterious Mechanized Jungleâ€
[Thank you, Saturn, for the screencaps!]
Gatchaman Episode 38: “The Mysterious Mechanized Jungleâ€
BOTP Episode: N/A
The episode begins with a cow skeleton lying in a windswept desert. Hmm, not the most cheerful sight. But soon we’re shown a city in the distance, in the midst of the desert, as the narrator tells us “As part of the ISO’s Mantle Project, a pollution-free City called Utopia was created in the middle of a desert.â€
Now we’re shown this spiffy, high-tech city up close, as cheerful, carnival-like music plays.
“On the outskirts of the city, a power plant was built that uses terrestrial heat to produce electricity,†says the narrator as we’re shown large pipes that come out of the ground and extend to the city and he explains that this city uses no pollution-creating petroleum.
We’re also shown numerous vehicles zooming around the city on elevated tracks, and a control room where multiple screens display the traffic in various areas of the city to personnel, as the narrator explains that “a new, fully computerized transportation system was established and quiet-running super-fast trains connect the model to other cities.â€
The next bit cracks me up every time. The narrator tells us “Each home is fully automated and designed for a comfortable lifestyle for its inhabitants,†as we see a sleeping man get flipped upright by his automated bed (as the bedroom curtains open automatically to let in light) and conveyed to his shower where mechanical arms wash his hair and scrub him clean as he stands there passively.
The narrator next explains that “in order to conserve water, dirty water is cycled through a water treatment facility where water reductors convert dirty water into clean water and send it back to the citizens’ homes,†as we’re shown water coursing through large pipes to the water facility, and then some of the newly cleaned water being automatically poured into a glass and conveyed automatically to one of the mechanical arms in the shower.
The mechanical arm then holds the glass up to the man’s mouth so that he can swish out his mouth (as the other mechanical arm has just finished brushing his teeth for him). Ooh, the man actually had to tilt his head all by himself there –what a great effort on his part!
Next, the mechanical arms dry and comb his hair for him, and he is automatically conveyed to another chamber where mechanical arms put all his clothes on him, though he does have to lift his arms up without any mechanical assistance –somehow the man endures this.
Then, he even has to take a few steps all on his own into the main area of his home, as we briefly see his wife and son eating at a table (he ignores them completely), and pause as one mechanical arm polishes his shoes, another hands him his briefcase, and yet another puts his hat on his head.
Finally, he steps out the door and gets into his car. But, of course, he doesn’t actually have to drive it –that would be work!
No, he pushes a button and a map on a little screen shows a planned route that his car will now automatically take to get him to his place of work (if this lazy creature is actually capable of any work!). It doesn’t look like the most direct route, though, but maybe there are one-way streets in Utopia.
“Today, the city of Utopia is having its inauguration,†the narrator tells us, as we see a parade that consists of large dinosaur statues being conveyed along one of Utopia’s principal streets as crowds on either side watch.
The parade also features majorettes, whose uniforms actually look rather similar to Jun’s birdstyle. Coincidence? You decide…
Dr. Nambu is watching the parade too, but he’s not down on street level. Rather, he’s up in a special glassed-in VIP viewing area and accompanied by a rather peeved-looking Joe (annoyed perhaps, that he didn’t get a chair?).
Now we see the truck down in the street below that’s pulling the platform on which all the dinosaur statues are standing, and a little hole opens up in its roof. Out comes a somewhat odd-looking man who spreads his arms and declaims “Hello boys and girls! In celebration of the inauguration of the pollution-free city of Utopia, I’d like to invite you all to the world dinosaur show that begins tomorrow!â€
As he’s talking, we can see that Ken, Jun and Jinpei are in the crowd of (mostly) children watching from the street.
“Please join us,†continues the man, “I am archaeologist, Dr. Mukashiski, and I’m very pleased to meet all of you!†Here he takes off his hat and bows.
Up in the VIP loge, Dr. Nambu says to himself “Dr. Mukashiski… I’ve never heard of him,†while holding his chin and looking puzzled, like one trying to place an unfamiliar name. Joe’s not impressed, and thinks that he doesn’t look much like an archaeologist.
Down in the street, Dr. Mukashiski is inviting children to come and take a closer look at his dinosaurs, and Jinpei says “Hey, Big Brother, that looks cool –I’m going to go check it out!†and dashes forward. “What’s so groovy about a big fake dinosaur?†asks Ken, after Jinpei’s out of earshot. Jun shrugs and replies “Sometimes we forget that Jinpei’s still a kid.â€
Ken gets that, but reminds Jun that they’re on duty to watch for Galactor. With that, he starts walking away. With a “Ken, wait for me!†Jun follows him.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mukashiski is telling the crowd of children to come to his exhibit tomorrow, “and see it all!†He then opens up a box at his feet and announces that he’s going to give away fireworks to all the kids that are watching him. Eager hands reach out from all sides, as kids rush forward to get fireworks.
With a “Me too!†Jinpei pushes his way through the crowd, right up to the box. A genial Dr. Mukashiski tells him to take some, but as Jinpei reaches out to do so, Dr. Mukashiski suddenly grabs Jinpei’s left wrist –where Jinpei’s bracelet is concealed by a wrapping of white bandage.
“What on Earth happened to your wrist, little boy?†he asks, frowning in a sinister manner.
“Huh? Um… nothing,†says a slightly nervous Jinpei, “I just hurt myself in a fight.†Dr. Mukashiski seems to find this a plausible response. “Well, boys will be boys, I suppose,†he says, smiling again. He then gives Jinpei an extra bunch of fireworks, so Jinpei thanks him and says he’ll see him at the exhibit, before heading off back into the crowd again (and pausing to turn back and pick up some fireworks he dropped).
Up in the VIP loge, Joe is now laughing (about Jinpei, as usual) and says “Man, Jinpei, what a goofy kid,†but Dr. Nambu is looking a bit preoccupied.
It’s nighttime now in Utopia. High atop a tall building, Dr. Nambu and the team are relaxing in a room with large windows that provide a view of city around them.
Leaning on a windowsill, Jun sighs dreamily, “From here, the stars look so beautiful.†“Think how great it would be if every city in the world were like Utopia,†says Ken. Dr. Nambu concurs, and says that if the Mantle Project goes well, it could one day be a reality. “However,†adds Dr. Nambu, “As long as Galactor continues their quest for world domination, a city of dreams won’t be allowed to exist.â€
At this, Jun turns from the window and says “Doctor, we will destroy Galactor. It’s just a matter of time,†in a firm voice. Perhaps a lot of time –just at that moment, a massive explosion erupts outside in the city.
More explosions follow rapidly, as everyone reacts with alarm. Ken immediately requests Dr. Nambu’s permission to go out and help Utopia’s citizens, and he tells them to “go out there and get to the bottom of this!†Pausing briefly for a group “Roger!†they all head out.
We only see feet and tails, but it sure looks like it’s dinosaurs that are responsible for the explosions, as they’re smashing up buildings, trains and cars, and flames are burning everywhere and panicked people are running in terror.
Posted by lborgia88 on 13-08-2009 at 15:49:
A mother is pulling her small son behind in her haste, but the little boy falls down. However, Ken (in civvies) is just getting off a motorcycle (Jun’s perhaps?) and he helps the boy back to his feet as his mother then hurries off again with him in tow.
Now, Jun, Jinpei and Joe all pull up to Ken in their own vehicles (I guess Ken’s not using Jun’s bike), all in civilian mode.
Staring at the ravaged city and the flames, Joe says to Ken “Man, I don’t even know where to begin. What do you think?â€
Ken thinks they should all split up and search for the cause of the explosions separately, so they all head off in different directions. I wonder where Ryu is –if Ken got a bike to use, why didn’t he?
Now Ken’s speeding along a dark street on his motorcycle, and he sees and barely has time to avoid a car careening off an elevated roadway above and falling to the street below. The smashed car is on fire (Hmm, surely it doesn’t use polluting petroleum for fuel –why is it burning so vigorously?) and a man is dragging himself away from it, crawling on the ground. Ken rushes to aid him, and asks the man to tell him what happened.
“Dinosaur…†gasps the man weakly. "What, a dinosaur? What do you mean, a dinosaur? Like those replicas that were in the parade?†asks Ken. “No, they were real dinosaurs that attacked the city…†says the man, still sprawled on the ground and clearly in bad shape. Before he can say more, he slumps face down and ceases moving. Ken stands up now and thinks “But dinosaurs are extinct,†as the music chimes ominously and we see the glass-domed dinosaur exhibit pavilion in the distance.
It’s not clear what, if any, first-aid or medical attention the man gets because next we see Ken, he’s pulling up in front of the dinosaur pavilion on his motorcycle. Approaching one of its glass walls, Ken detaches a heel from one of his shoes and from a compartment within it, he pulls out a small blade. Using the blade, he cuts a circle in the glass and removes the round piece of glass (using both heels of his shoes now as suction devices to grip the glass) and climbs through the hole, into the pavilion.
Inside, it’s dark and quiet, and looks like a jungle. Ken’s just walking along quietly, and everything seems pretty ordinary but suddenly, a large dinosaur roars at him, shaking its head and waving its front feet.
Ken is quite startled before realizing that it must merely be one of the exhibits.
But, now, tentacle-like vines are looming at a distance. As Ken approaches the dinosaur to verify that it is indeed merely a model, the vines lunge at him. Before Ken has a chance to react, vines wrap about his feet, wrists, waist and neck, hoisting him up into the air.
He struggles and tries to strike the vines with his hands but it doesn’t do any good, and he realizes that the vines are actually some kind of metal. Next, he manages to pull off the bandage that’s covering his bracelet (just as Jinpei’s bracelet was hidden) and he’s struggling to get his fist near his face and to call “Bird go!†But, just then, another vine lashes his wrist like a whip. Ken cries “ahhh!†and his bracelet falls off and lands on the ground far below.
“Damn it!†he cries, but the vines immediately release him and he falls down to a circular patch of grass on the ground below. Unfortunately, the circular patch of grass is a trap door, and before Ken can do anything to retrieve his bracelet from the ground nearby, he’s falling again.
This time he lands inside a massive underground water conduit –most likely one that takes water to or from Utopia’s water treatment facility- and he’s standing in knee-deep water.
High above him, he can see the circular opening that he fell through closing up again –no getting out that way, even if he could get up there. “My bracelet!†cries Ken, and then he begins hitting the wall of the conduit in anger, yelling “Why was I so stupid?†But now he has an even more urgent problem –a massive amount of water is now surging through the conduit. Ken is swept away, and begins swimming underwater. At various points along the way, gates consisting of metal bars with very pointy ends come slamming down inside the conduit (to filter out large pieces of debris?) and Ken narrowly avoids being impaled, while still holding his breath underwater.
But finally, the conduit opens into a large, central collection basin and Ken is able to hang onto the bars of the final gate as the water all pours into the basin below, and he can breath air again.
Working his way across the bars of the gate, he’s able to reach a ladder built into the wall of the basin and climb up. Now, up on the street level of Utopia, a manhole cover moves, and Ken emerges into the dark street, on his hands and knees. He’s wet, dirty and the cuffs of his pants are torn up.
“Damn it!†he thinks to himself, “I can’t believe I lost my friggin bracelet!†as he pounds the street with his fists in rage and frustration.
“Only Galactor would do something this horrible,†says Dr. Nambu, still in the room with the large windows atop the high building, watching the still-burning city. Joe, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu are there, and Jinpei’s sure that it was Galactor that “made the dinosaurs go wacko.†“Oh come on,†says Jun, “Are you talking about the dinosaurs from the parade?†“Quit joking around, Jinpei,†says Joe. I wonder how Jinpei got the idea that dinosaurs were involved in the attack, if no one else believes this.
“But there is a connection!†cries Ken’s voice, and everyone gasps and turns to see a soggy, dirty, frayed Ken in the doorway.
Everyone is appalled to see him in such a state.
“I’m sorry, Doctor,†says a miserable Ken, fist clenched, “But my bracelet’s been stolen!†Here, he hits the door frame with his fist, as everyone gasps again and stares in horror. Still shaking with shame and anger, eyes closed, Ken explains to Dr. Nambu that it happened at the dinosaur exhibit. “I can’t believe it,†says Dr. Nambu sternly, “You’re the leader of the Science Ninja Team and you allowed your bracelet to be stolen?†He turns his back to Ken and continues, “If Galactor finds it, God help us!†as he stares out the window
“Yeah, what were you thinking?†demands Jinpei, and Joe adds “You’re slacking, Ken. Come on!â€
Jun, however, doesn’t join the chorus of denunciation. She goes to Ken, who’s still miserably leaning against the door frame, and puts her hands on his shoulder and hand. Turning to glare at the others, she says “Quit it, you two! Leave him alone. He said it was stolen –it’s not his fault!â€
“But it is my fault,†says Ken, wretchedly. “That’s not true, Ken,†she declares sympathetically, as Joe, Jinpei and Ryu look down sadly, as if seeing her point of view.
“The same thing could have happened to any one of us.†But, her gestures are unappreciated by Ken, who now shrugs off her hands and walks back through the door way.
Jun asks if he’s going to go look for his bracelet, but at her words, Dr. Nambu finally turns around again from the window. He refuses to allow Ken to search for his bracelet as he’s certain now that the dinosaur exhibit must be a Galactor base, and that if Ken goes there now to hunt for his bracelet he’ll reveal the identity of Gatchaman to Galactor –“You would fall right into their trap!â€
Ken turns back to the room now. “Well, maybe so,†he says, “But I just want…†and here he starts really yelling, fists waving, “But I have got to get my bracelet back!†Wow, Ken’s having a really, really bad day, but it’s rare for him to show this much temper! Especially to Dr. Nambu.
We don’t get to see how Dr. Nambu reacts to this. Rather, we abruptly cut to Dr. Mukashiski, who’s inside the dinosaur pavilion and holding Ken’ bracelet in his hand.
“This looks just like one of the Science Ninja Team’s bracelets,†he says, with an excited smirk. “That means they must have snuck in here,†he says, looking carefully around him as if checking to see if anyone’s watching. “Oh, I could do a lot with this baby,†he concludes and, with another glance all around, he puts the bracelet in his jacket pocket. He decides he’ll use it to expose the identities of the Science Ninja Team, “and achieve true greatness!â€
Posted by lborgia88 on 13-08-2009 at 15:57:
As he says this, light glints off the eyes of the dinosaurs in the exhibit, and now they’re moving forward on tracks that run along the ground. We see the dinosaur pavilion from the outside now, and both sides of its large glass dome are retracting upwards.
Soon, the dinosaurs from the exhibit are gliding forth from the pavilion.
Dr. Mukashiski stands inside some sort of control room with a guy whose costume screams “Captain of the Week.†“I’ll have the dinosaurs run amok at the geothermal power plant. That should lure them out into the open,†says Dr. Mukashiski. The Captain thinks that’s a good idea, as “no one will ever suspect that the CVS control is operating the dinosaurs.†As he says this, we can see various Galactor goons in the room –it’s the control room for Utopia’s transportation system, but its true personnel are now gagged and tied up on the floor (quite humane for Galactor –I’m surprised they aren’t dead).
The traffic that’s being shown now on the multiple screens is all of the dinosaurs using the city’s tracks to move about Utopia.
As we hear the Captain yell “Annihilate the city!†we can see the various dinosaurs wreaking havoc by smashing stuff up and causing fires as they head towards the geothermal plant.
Commercial break!
“Dinosaurs are on the rampage again?†demands Dr. Nambu, as an anxious voice over some kind of communications system (it doesn’t look much like a telephone but maybe it is) tells him that they’re heading for the power plant. It seems that Dr. Nambu’s still in that room with the big windows atop the tall building. He opens a blind to view the destruction outside in the city as the Science Ninjas gather behind him.
“See, it’s just like I said. The dinosaurs have gone wacko!†declares Jinpei.
Dr. Nambu wants “the four of you†(Ken is silent and miserable-looking as he hears this) to attack Galactor’s base at the dinosaur exhibit and he says he’ll get the Red Impulse team to go after the dinosaurs. He orders Ken to stay behind. “But let me at least try to get my bracelet back, Doctor,†says Ken, not yelling but still clearly feeling strongly about it. But Dr. Nambu still says no, as he’s sure that Ken is the one that Galactor is waiting for. “I don’t care what happens to me. I’ve got to get it back!†says Ken, more vehemently now, hands clenched in the air before him.
“I’m afraid you’re not in the right state of mind,†replies Dr. Nambu (while looking out the window, his back to the room). Ken reacts with a gasp. “As the leader of the Science Ninja Team, you are supposed to remain calm. You’ve lost your cool, Ken.â€
I guess you really shouldn’t have yelled at him before, Ken.
“I’m sorry,†says Dr. Nambu, turning now, “But I can’t let you go.â€
He walks over to the communications device (telephone?) and requests to be connected to the Red Impulse base, and then orders the others (minus Ken) to head out. With a “Roger!†they all run out of the room. Now Red Impulse is on the line, and Dr. Nambu tells him “dinosaurs have gone berserk and are destroying Utopia,†so Red Impulse agrees to help. With that done, Dr. Nambu starts speaking quietly to Ken, saying “I hope you can understand, Ken. I know that you feel it’s your duty but I cannot send you into danger without any way of protecting yourself.†He doesn’t hear any reply, so he turns and then sees that the room is empty. Ken is gone.
“Ken, you didn’t…†he whispers.
Ken sure did! He’s zooming along the street on his motorcycle, thinking “Please forgive me, Doctor.â€
Meanwhile, Joe, Jun and Ryu (all in birdstyle) are on top of the dome of the dinosaur pavilion. They open a circular door in its roof and jump down inside, landing on the ground far below, surrounded by the jungle. (Ryu does land on his feet, albeit a bit clumsily.) Almost instantly, the same vines that ensnared Ken before come lunging at the three of them. They fare better than Ken did, though –maybe because they were expecting to be attacked. A vine manages to grab Jun’s foot and another one gets Ryu’s wrist, but none of them get Joe.
Leaping up in the air, Joe pulls out his gun and fires the cable at the vine around Jun’s foot, severing the vine.
She and Joe are then able to perch on top of a nearby volcano, out of the vines’ reach, but down below, Ryu’s got a vine around his wrist and his foot now. With a “yoyo strike!†Jun severs both of the vines ensnaring Ryu.
Using the cord of her yoyo, she and Joe pull Ryu up to the top of the volcano, even as the vines below try to grab him again. But, now that all three of them are perched on the top of the volcano, cloudy fumes suddenly come out of it, enveloping them. Coughing and choking, they all fall into the volcano’s cone, and it’s a long way down.
At the cone’s bottom, they tumble through a chute and then end up on the floor of a room, surrounded by armed Galactor goons. On a higher level of the room, Dr. Mukashiski and the Captain of the Week stand, gloating.
After a laugh of triumph, though, Dr. Mukashiski is disappointed to realize that he’s only captured three, not five, Science Ninjas. He demands to know where the other two are, but gets no reply.
I’m not even sure why Joe, Jun and Ryu are just sitting there on the floor –surely they could attack the goons surrounding them. I will assume they are merely waiting for the most opportune moment.
Now we cut to Ken. He’s on foot, and running through one of the large underground water conduits.
He pauses, as several armed goons running in his direction. By the time the goons get to where they think they saw a shadow, Ken’s not in sight. The goons are about to start searching around for him, but Ken leaps out from behind a spout of water pouring in from a smaller pipe and attacks all the goons. With kicks and puches, he takes down all but one goon. The remaining goon has his machine gun pointed straight at Ken, so Ken stops and puts his hands up as the goon laughs nastily. However, a loud noise from behind causes the goon to turn his head away from Ken and in that instant, Ken punches him in the head. As the goon falls, we and Ken see that Jinpei’s helico buggy is now in the conduit.
Inside it, Jinpei has set off a bunch of the little fireworks that Dr. Mukashiski had been handing out to children at the parade –that was the noise that had distracted the goon. “I rule,†thinks Jinpei to himself.
Ken is grateful for the rescue, and joins Jinpei inside his buggy. Ken wants to know how Jinpei knew to look for him, and Jinpei says “I knew you weren’t going to just hang out at the base. But you should be a little more careful without your bracelet, Big Bro!†“Oh really?†says Ken, rapping the top of Jinpei’s helmet as Jinpei smirks (clearly enjoying the opportunity to chastise rather than be chastised).
They continue down the conduit in Jinpei’s buggy, as Ken surmises that the water conduit connects to Galactor’s secret base. Now, they can see wires and tracks running along the top of the conduit. Jinpei wonders what they are, but Ken remembers seeing the automatic cars on the tracks in Utopia, and then the dinosaurs moving about the city, and he realizes that the wires are “remote control wiring for a CVS car. That means they’re using them to operate the dinosaurs!†So, he and Jinpei now know that if they cut the wiring, the dinosaurs will stop moving, but Ken says they have to find Galactor’s base first. “Yeah, we’ve got to find your bracelet,†says Jinpei, “Joe and the others should already be there.â€
Well, yes, they are there, but they’re still sitting on the floor, surrounded by goons with machine guns trained on them.
Dr. Mukashiski is getting impatient waiting for the remaining two Ninjas to show up, and decides to execute the three that he has got. But first, he approaches them and says that if they tell him where the other two are, he might consider sparing them. Joe, Jun and Ryu don’t say a word, and just continue to sit still. “Tell me now, or do you want to die?†he demands, grabbing Jun’s chin.
Posted by lborgia88 on 13-08-2009 at 16:07:
But just then, the room starts to shake and everyone looks up, startled. Jinpei’s buggy bursts through the wall of the room, using a large saw blade. As Dr. Mukashiski stares, bewildered, Jinpei hops out of his buggy and introduces himself as “Jinpei the Swallow, Science Ninja Team G-4!â€
“So another one has shown up,†says Dr. Mukashiski, “Where the hell is the last one?†Jinpei pauses, but then declares that he’s on board the buggy, and from within, Ken calls out “I’m right here, Dr. Mukashiski!â€
“It’s Ken!†whispers Jun to Joe, and he replies, “I knew he’d come.†So now, Jinpei’s buggy is parked beside Joe, Jun and Ryu (who are still sitting on the floor) and Jinpei is standing beside them. But, otherwise, nothing’s happening.
Now, Dr. Mukashiski laughs and saying “This tiny worm caught me five birds!†he pulls Ken’s bracelet out of his pocket and holds it up for all to see.
All the Ninjas (including Ken who’s peering out a window of the buggy) recognize it immediately. The Captain recognizes it too, however, and says “That looks like one of the Science Ninja Team’s bracelets†as he walks up to Dr. Mukashiski. “So what if it is? It’s mine now!†snaps Dr. Mukashiski, hastily concealing it behind his back. “When did you find it?†demands the Captian, “This should have been reported to Lord Katse.â€
Ah, yes, Katse… He must be on vacation or something. We haven’t seen him once this episode.
Dr. Mukashiski retorts “I don’t need you to tell me jack squat!†but now the Captain responds with “You’re just trying to claim all the glory for yourself, you bastard!†and makes a grab for the bracelet. Dr. Mukashiski, naturally, resists and a rather pathetic tussle breaks out between him and the Captain.
Joe decides that this is now the opportune moment. He says “Let’s go!†and he, Jun and Ryu leap out at the goons, who now begin firing their machine guns at them.
It’s the big fight scene!
Leaping high in the air, Joe then begins hurling shuriken at the goons and then kicks a couple of them in the head for good measure.
Jun lets fly with her yoyo to take out some goons but she also kicks two of them simultaneously, one with each foot.
Ryu reaches the upper level of the room and charges at a bunch of goons, pushing them over the railing so they fall to the floor below.
Meanwhile, Dr. Mukashiski and the Captain are still fighting like little kids who both want the same toy. “Let go of it, it’s mine!†“I’m telling Katse!â€
Now Jinpei pulls out his bolas and sends them flying such that they wrap around and bind the Captain’s and Dr. Mukashiski’s hands, and the bracelet falls from their clutches and lands on the floor. Jinpei reaches for it, but even quicker, a mechanical arm from Jinpei’s buggy has seized it and pulled it inside the buggy. Jinpei runs back inside his buggy to find Ken putting his bracelet back on his wrist. “You’re not supposed to use my weapons without permission,†he says, perhaps trying to chastise Ken yet one last time before he transmutes into Gatchaman. Ken’s too happy to care.
Still struggling with the Captain to free their hands from Jinpei’s bolas, Dr. Mukashiski realizes in horror that he’s lost the bracelet.
Back inside the buggy, Ken’s in birdstyle and Jinpei’s all keen for the two of them to go rejoin the big fight.
Ken, however, thinks that Joe and the others can handle the fight and that he and Jinpei should go stop the dinosaurs. Jinpei’s fine with that plan too, and much to the distress of Dr. Mukashiski and the Captain, Jinpei’s buggy flies up into the air, punches right through the ceiling, and is gone.
As the Captain and Dr. Mukashiski yell for the goons to stop the buggy, and dodge rubble falling from the ceiling, we then see the buggy rise up from the cone of the same volcano that Joe and the others fell down before and then punch right through the dome of the dinosaur pavilion.
We now see the Captain and Dr. Mukashiski, still exchanging recriminations, in one of Utopia’s automatic cars, travelling along the tracks on the top of one of the large water conduits (the tracks, and wires, that Ken and Jinpei had noted earlier).
Out in the city, the three Red Impulse jets are firing missiles at the dinosaurs approaching the power plant.
All this does, though, is cause their external dinosaur camouflage to crumble and fall away, revealing the much freakier-looking mechas beneath it.
Even more bizarrely, the ground beneath these mechas now retracts and reveals a new surface –one marked out in black and white squares just like a chess board. All these mechas seem to have long, tentacle-like arms, and they swat at the Red Impulse jets. Now Jinpei’s buggy is approaching too, and inside, Jinpei and Ken see what the dinosaurs really look like now. One of the mechas is able to latch onto the buggy with its tentacle arms, but one of the Red Impulse jets swoops in and severs the tentacles. It’s RI himself, of course.
Now Dr. Mukashiski and the Captain are back in the control room for Utopia’s computerized transportation system, and it’s here that Dr. Mukashiski can control his mechas’ movements on the “chess board.â€
He calls them “Galactor’s newest weapon –the Magnetics!†and begins manipulating a large panel of buttons, causing his “Magnetics†to move around rapidly.
They’re apparently living up to their names too. Inside Jinpei’s buggy, Jinpei realizes that it’s being pulled towards the mechas and he can’t overcome their pull. “We’re going to fall, Bro!†he yells to Ken. Ken tells Jinpei he’s going to go out there and lure the mechas away so Jinpei can escape, but before he can act, he’s contacted by Red Impulse.
It’s not clear if Red Impulse knows that Ken is on the scene, in Jinpei’s buggy, but he informs Ken that he and his team can’t fire any more missiles now without risk of destroying the city’s power conduits so the Red Impulse Team is going to pull out and leave the rest to the Science Ninjas. Ken is fine with that!
Ken now leaps from the buggy and lands on the “chess board†in the midst of the mechas.
Dr. Mukashiski sees him, on screen, and says “It looks like checkmate for you, Gatchaman!†Pushing buttons rapidly, Dr. Mukashiski sends all the mechas rushing at Ken, but he flips and tumbles agilely and evades all of them.
Unfortunately, he then gets grabbed by one of the mecha’s tentacles, and another mecha is now zooming towards him, fast.
You know, if anyone out there has a bondage fetish, this really is the episode for you!
However, Ken has his right arm free, and he’s able to use his birdrang to cut the tentacle that’s holding his left hand.
He throws his birdrang at the other mecha that is closing in on him rapidly (and it doesn’t seem to do any good) but then, even though there are still tentacles clutching each of his ankles, he’s able to leap in the air above the mecha that’s holding him such that he’s out of the way when the other mecha comes crashing straight into it.
The two mechas explode when they collide, and that explosion severs the tentacles that were holding Ken’s feet. He lands on the ground, free, as debris from the two destroyed mechas is lying all around on the “chess board.â€
At the computerized transportation system’s control room, the Captain seems to have decided that he can do a better job controlling the mechas than Dr. Mukashiski, and the two of them become embroiled in a rather wussy shoving match over the panel of buttons.
But, Dr. Mukashiski is able to push some more buttons, and now the four remaining mechas all close in fast on Ken and Jinpei’s buggy flies by in the air, unable to do much to help.
But suddenly, an explosion erupts out of the volcano back inside the dinosaur pavilion. It sends a powerful charge running through the remote control wiring for the CVS car (that Ken and Jinpei had spotted earlier inside the water conduit) and this charge causes all four of the mechas and the computerized transportation system’s control room to all explode (so much for Dr. Mukashiski and the Captain!). Ken, however, is hanging onto a cable extending from the back of Jinpei’s buggy, and he’s been pulled clear of the exploding mechas on the “chess board†below.
Posted by lborgia88 on 13-08-2009 at 16:10:
Once he’s back inside the buggy, Ken thanks Jinpei for saving his life –again! (Jinpei’s doing well in this episode).
Jinpei can’t take all the credit though; he explains to Ken that it must have been Joe and the others who were able to destroy the remote control operation. Staring down at the flaming wreckage of the mechas, Jinpei is worried about the rest of the Team. Ken quickly contacts Joe on his bracelet, asking if he, Jun and Ryu are okay. Joe responds and we see him, Jun and Ryu all standing near the burning remains of the dinosaur pavilion.
“Of course we are,†replies Joe, “We’re a team, after all. Ken, if one of us bites the dust, then we’re all dead.†Interesting words…
Ken looks abashed. “Yeah, you’re right about that, Joe,†says Ken, “I disobeyed Dr. Nambu’s orders and I’m certain I’ll be duly punished for my actions.â€
But Jun says “Ken, I think the Doctor will be proud of all that you’ve accomplished today,†and Ryu adds “Yeah, and if the Doctor tries to yell at you for that, I’ll never forgive him!†Ken looks quite touched by this show of support, and thanks them. “If I didn’t know better,†smirks Jinpei, “I’d say that you’re about to get all weepy!â€
Ken responds with “Why you!†and shoves Jinpei’s helmet in a joking way as Jinpei smiles.
On that lighter note, Jinpei’s buggy flies off, past the still-burning wreckage from the mechas below.
This is another episode that never got used in Battle of the Planets, though I’m really not sure why, as there’s nothing really violent in it that couldn’t have been edited out fairly easily. Unless maybe they were uncomfortable about all those bondage scenes…
The End.
Posted by tatsunokofan on 13-08-2009 at 16:18:
Hi all!
This is an episode where, once again, ADV blew the play on words involved in the name of the Iron Beasts. They aren't the "Magnetics," they're the "Magnecheck." That's "check," as in "checkmate," since the Iron Beasts are little more than giant chess pieces.
*Sigh*
James
Posted by Condorfan on 13-08-2009 at 17:15:
Another great job LB and Saturn--Thank You!
I know its funny but the part where the bed flips up and puts the guy in the shower, does his hair, brushes his teeth, dresses him and then drives his car sounds like something that would be useful nowadays. Some mornings I really wish I could live in a house like that. I need the bed to push me out of it!
Seriously though, Ken really loses it this episode about his bracelet almost like he's about to fly into a rage. If I remember I think he was the same when Jun lost her shoe (a little foreshadowing here).
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Old age is a high price to pay for maturity.
Posted by gatchamarie on 13-08-2009 at 18:30:
Thanks for another great recap, LB and Saturn!
I 
each time I see that all-automated house scene! I sincerely do not wish to end up like that at some point of my life! It's too lazy! I wonder what other day-to-day household tasks, usually done by humans, could have been replaced by this automated system and what could happen if this same system were to go haywire! (imagination is running wild right now!) 
I would also have liked to see what punishment awaited Ken for disobeying Dr Nambu!
This is another episode where Jinpei shows that he's not just a silly kid but that he also has brains and is indispensable!
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To be or not to be a gatchamaniac - that's the dilemma!
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-08-2009 at 02:44:
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I would guess that Dr. Nambu doesn't actually say that he is proud of Ken (like Jun thinks he would be) but that he doesn't yell at Ken either. I could see Dr. Nambu saying very little but somehow conveying that he's extremely glad the mission was successful in the end but that Ken owes that to his Team (especially Jinpei!) and had better not push his luck a second time (or so blatantly lose his temper). I think that's sort of what Joe was implying with his "if one of us bites the dust..." comment.
At least there is evidence that the Team is learning from previous episodes. This time when they were undercover in crowded public settings, they covered their bracelets with bandage -which is an improvement, I think (though not a perfect tactic), on Ken's plan in episode 32, where he made them all take off their bracelets and give them to him.
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-08-2009 at 02:49:
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I admit that I wouldn't mind if a mechanical arm would hand me a fresh, hot cup of coffee (not too much sugar, a little more cream) first thing in the morning!
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-08-2009 at 02:57:
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The chess references have got me thinking -has anyone ever designed a Gatchaman-themed chess set? I can think of fun ways to decide with characters would be which pieces, on the white and black sides.
Posted by tatsunokofan on 14-08-2009 at 03:55:
Hi all!
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No commercial company has ever produced one, but I know fans have talked about it for years. I don't know if any of those fans have ever made one on their own.
James
Posted by Transmute Jun on 24-08-2009 at 11:52:
I always remember this episode when I watch Secret of the Birdstyles (where Jun lost her shoe). Here, Jun is really trying to sympathize with Ken, but he doesn't return the favor later on. In both cases, they lost their 'items' whiel doing their duty: in Ken's case investigating the Dinosaur Pavilion and in Jun's case while saving civilian lives during a mecha attack. No one wants to cut anyone any slack... yeah they have to get the item back and it's a terrible thing... but you don't need to beat them up over it! In both cases, Ken and Jun get reckless to recover their lost items.
ITA, too much bondage in this ep. Makes you wonder what those Tatsunoko animators were into.... 
The chess thing was werid at the end... the dinosaurs are all over the city at first and now they're confined to a giant chess set? That doesn't make any sense, other than to use that setting for the mecha. Personally, I think it would have been freakier if underneath their skins the dinosaurs had been some kind of 'bone' mechas... like in the Trachodon ep, but that's a few episodes off.
And that automated house is terrible! If machines really did all of that for people, we'd all be fat tubs just rolling around! Think Wall-E...
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Posted by Springie on 24-08-2009 at 14:00:
I'm with you on the automated house...and the chess set was just weird!
You've made a great point about Jun supporting Ken and Ken not repaying the favor...but I'm not surprised...I think it would've killed the creators of the show to actually have Ken show her some affection!
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Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 27-04-2010 at 14:07:
Bad guys behaving like children. Anybody notice that?
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