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--- Gatchaman Episode 72: “A Plague of Mini Iron Beasts†(http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2986)
Posted by lborgia88 on 12-04-2010 at 13:06:
Gatchaman Episode 72: “A Plague of Mini Iron Beastsâ€
[Thank you, Saturn, for the screencaps!]
Gatchaman Episode 72: “A Plague of Mini Iron Beastsâ€
BOTP Episode: “Invasion of the Locustsâ€
The episode begins with a view of eerie, bluish flames, as we hear Berg Katse addressing Leader X.
“Sire, according to legend, a bird called the phoenix consumes itself in fire every five hundred years, after which a new phoenix springs from its ashes. The God Phoenix is just the same.â€
Now the flames begin to swirl and take on the shape of a phoenix.
“It was once demolished by our jellyfish mecha,†continues Katse, “and burned to ashes by our most powerful weapons of death.â€
Now we see the God Phoenix coming out of firebird mode and flying through a blue sky.
“Now it appears invincible,†concludes Katse, with a tinge of despair in his voice. (It’s “reborn equipped with even more powerful weapons†in the subs –a more specific explanation.)
At last we’re seeing Katse himself.
“Sire,†he says plaintively, “we need a powerful new strategy to destroy the despicable God Phoenix and Gatchaman once and for all!â€
“Not to worry, Katse,†intones Leader X, “I’ve a brilliant plan to not only kill Gatchaman, but all of human kind as well.â€
“I’d expect nothing less from you,†says Katse, with a bow, “and what is this great plan?â€
Okay, Katse seems awfully complacent about a plan that aims to kill every human! Does he think, as a mutant or as Leader X’s leading flunky, that he’ll be exempted (along with a sufficient number of goons to function as his servants) or is he just assuming that Leader X is exaggerating for effect?
“Even the king of beasts can be felled by an ant,†replies Leader X, who must read something akin to Aesop’s Fables in his spare time. Actually, the only fable I can think of that involves an ant is the one where the grasshopper goofs off all summer while the ant toils, storing food, and then when winter comes the ant lives and the grasshopper dies. Besides, Leader X, the ants were in episode 10; this episode’s supposed to be about grasshoppers!
Now Katse is standing at a podium on a stage, with a small box resting on the podium in front of him, while rows of neatly lined-up goons listen to him.
He’s informing them all that Leader X himself has created “a terrifying mecha†and that the plan is “to wipe all humans from the face of the Earth!â€
“In such a tiny box, Sire?†asks a goon, who also seems strangely unperturbed by a plan to wipe out all humans. Does he figure he’ll be exempted because Katse will need some goons left alive to boss around? Does he think Katse’s exaggerating for effect? Actually, if this goon’s been around a while, he might have figured out that Katse’s and Leader X’s plans rarely ever succeed and therefore he’s not too worried.
Katse insists the new mecha is large enough to destroy the God Phoenix, and he opens the box.
Out flies a lone grasshopper, and it heads straight for the skeptical goon and lands on his nose –this causes the goon to sneeze (and release a rather disgusting amount of nasal mucus.) The grasshopper, apparently having made its point, flies back to the box.
Another goon now speaks up, admitting that the sneezing goon was caught by surprise, but wondering how a “measly little grasshopper†can help them conquer the world (Hey goon, weren’t you listening? The plan is to kill everyone –“conquering†implies alive-but-subjugated.)
“You fool,†says Katse, “Haven’t you ever heard the story of the ant that defeated a lion?â€
I’ve never heard this story.
Katse then attempts to build on this argument by pointing out that the grasshopper is even bigger than an ant (though I believe whatever fable he just cited is supposed to show that size is irrelevant).
“You dimwits could never understand the magnitude of its power,†continues Katse.
(Way to motivate your troops there, Katse!)
“Immediately launch Mission: Human Extermination!†cries Katse grandly, to a room full of humans, “With grasshoppers!â€
But, as Katse orders them all to “move out,†there are no more questions.
So we cut to an old man drinking a glass of water. He sets his empty glass down at his table with a sigh, and now we see that he’s in the Snack J.
“Gramps over there’s been drinking nothing but water,†complains Jinpei to Jun, over by the bar.
But now the man politely requests another glass of water.
“What, another?†asks Jinpei, looking unhappy at this customer’s frugal drinking habits. With no heed to subtlety, he proceeds to whip out a menu and point out that other drinks besides water are available.
“Jinpei!†scolds Jun, and she walks over to the man’s table and refills his glass from a pitcher.
He apologizes for troubling her and she insists it’s no trouble. “He’s just a goofy kid,†she adds, as Jinpei leans on his elbows in disgust, scowling.
“It’s his 11th glass of water,†he notes, “One more and it’ll be a dozen.â€
Jun, perhaps realizing now that the old man has been sitting there a long time, asks him if something is wrong.
He thanks her for her concern, adding that she’s the only person who’s said kind words to him that day, and that no one has been caring what he says all week “Even though mankind is facing a crisis!â€
This gets Jun’s full attention. “A crisis?†she says.
“Today a terrible insect is trying to wipe out the whole human race,†declares the old man. Jinpei, the rude brat, blatantly yawns with boredom at this news and tells Jun that she can listen to his story.
“Jinpei!†scolds Jun again, even louder, but as she turns she accidentally knocks a small case off the man’s table onto the floor.
“The grasshopper!†cries the old man in horror, lunging to retrieve the case from the floor.
“Grasshopper?†says Jinpei, suddenly interested now at the mention of an insect.
Now the narrator informs us that “moments later, contacted by Jun and Jinpei, Ken, Joe and Ryu rush to Jun’s joint.â€
So, the old man has an audience of five now gathered about him attentively.
“Entomologist Toda tells Ken and the others something rather unexpected,†the narrator explains, “Deep in the wilds of Amazonia, known as one of the most untamed, terrifying places in the world, an unusual number of grasshoppers have appeared.
An infestation of this size is unprecedented and are usually limited to dryer climates near the desert or on grassy plains which see little rainfall.†And as we’re told all this, we’re shown scenes of both deserts and grassy plains. “But Mr. Toda insists that a swarm is building, deep in the jungle.â€
Ken, studying a piece of paper (presumably an outline of the Mr. Toda’s findings) thinks they should just report this to the International Entomology Research Institute.
Mr. Toda counters that he’s already done that, and that he’s also gone to the ISO, the Animal Research Center and every other place he could think of, “But no one will listen to a country entomologist like myself.†Jun and Ryu look glum at this news, but Jinpei is now all enthusiasm for the man now that he knows he specializes in bugs.
He eagerly volunteers to accompany Mr. Toda back the jungle to collect evidence.
“One grasshopper costs ten yen at a department store,†he says to himself craftily, revealing that he has a mercenary stake in volunteering for this venture, “If there are tons, I’ll be rolling in dough!†He finishes with a devious chuckle.
Posted by lborgia88 on 12-04-2010 at 13:10:
Now a small plane with pontoon floats in lieu of wheels is flying along, and the ground below is jungle and a sinuous river.
“Check it out, nothing but miles and miles of green,†enthuses Jinpei from inside the plane. He and Mr. Toda are in the back seats, while a younger man –the pilot- is doing the flying.
Mr. Toda tells Jinpei that what he’s seeing is only the beginning of the jungle, but he begins consulting a map and says that they should now be in the area where the infestation is occurring.
“What’s that?†says Jinpei now, and Mr. Toda looks up.
“A swarm!†he cries.
“A swarm?†says Jinpei.
“Grasshoppers move together in huge swarms that migrate –get us away from that cloud!†he instructs the pilot.
The pilot changes course, but a swarm of grasshoppers is indeed heading towards them.
“We have to get away from these grasshoppers now!†yells Mr. Toda as the pilot gapes in stupefied alarm.
But it’s too late. They’re in the midst of the swarm now and the plane is being splattered all over with grasshopper goo (I really pity whoever has to clean the plane later, as it requires special enzyme sprays and a lot of scrubbing with cloths to safely get congealed bug guts off of a plane’s surfaces –I have done it.)
Jinpei is staring out a window and, seeing that it’s receiving a barrage in grasshopper strikes, he announces anxiously that one of the floats is about to break off.
“Ach du lieber!†cries Mr. Toda (confirming for me that his dub accent is indeed German, or more likely Austrian).
As he and Jinpei brace themselves for the worst, the craven pilot shamelessly abandons them, leaping out of the plane with a parachute and an “I’m outta here!â€
Bad move on his part, actually –colliding grasshoppers rip holes right through the pilot’s deployed parachute, causing him to plummet towards the ground and certain doom.
“So much for the pilot,†gripes Jinpei scornfully (and rather callously) as he takes the helm of plane, “I can’t believe he bailed on us, man. This blows!â€
As cracks appear on the windows from grasshopper impacts, Mr. Toda asks Jinpei if he can manage a safe water landing.
“I don’t know –only if the gear’s still there when we try it!†says Jinpei, bravely handling the situation like the Science Ninja that he is.
The river below is getting closer now.
Jinpei’s landing on the river is a bit rough, but he does the job –the plane’s in one piece and he and Mr. Toda are unscathed.
“I’m not quite as good a pilot as my Big Bro,†admits a very relieved looking Jinpei, “But I still pulled it off.†Mr. Toda is limp with relief too.
Meanwhile, the grasshopper swarm appears to be in retreat now, streaming back towards something on the ground and we get a quick look at the head of a much, much larger grasshopper mecha.
Inside it, Katse is exclaiming to himself that Leader X comes up with brilliant ideas, wondering “Who would have thought that mere grasshoppers could be so powerful?â€
Now Katse turns to the goons all standing behind him in rows.
“Much can be learned from grasshoppers, troops!†he declares, “They are persistant, strive towards their goal with no regard for themselves –a symbol of Galactor’s cause!†He concludes with a grand sweep of his arm for emphasis.
Yes, I’m sure that in Katse’s mind, the idea that goons should sacrifice themselves just like the grasshoppers that splatted against the plane is a fine and noble one! Heck, they’re even the same colour –green! We don’t get to hear any goons’ opinions of this, though, as we cut to the exterior of the Snack J.
Yes, high time we saw what the rest of the Team is doing.
Ken and Ryu are seated at the bar and Joe’s standing and leaning against it as Jun gives Ken a cup of coffee. Ken asks if Jun’s heard from Jinpei, and she says she has not. Ryu thinks Jinpei is too preoccupied with catching grasshoppers to think of calling.
“He’s hopeless,†says Ken, a tad disparagingly.
“Let’s give him a little scare when he comes back,†says Joe.
“Right on,†agrees Jun, “Let’s show him some discipline for once.â€
I would love to know what plan they might have come up with…
Meanwhile, back in Amazonia, Jinpei is standing on an observation platform above a thatched-roof building in a small clearing carved from the surrounding jungle. He’s surveying the area in all directions with binoculars, but sees nothing but jungle.
Now, he remembers that it might be a good idea to keep the other Ninjas apprised of his whereabouts and wellbeing, and he tries to contact them with his bracelet but all that comes through is the up-and-down wavering of radio interference.
He slumps in defeat.
Next, he’s sitting near the edge of the river as the sun is beginning to set. Behind him, a grasshopper lands on a thick stalk of grass and Jinpei turns his head and sees it.
It’s rustling its wings and flicking its antennae. Jinpei, frowning, stands and pulls out a pocket knife. He immediately throws the knife at the grasshopper, but it’s able to fly away very quickly and avoid being run through.
“That thing had to have been a mecha,†concludes Jinpei aloud as he retrieves his knife.
Now we’re seeing the very large, main grasshopper mecha again. Inside it, we get a look at rows and rows of little glass boxes with opening in their fronts –each contains one of Leader X’s special grasshoppers, and all are protruding their heads through the openings and feeding from some sort of pulpy substance that’s moving past all the boxes on little conveyor belts.
Elsewhere inside the large grasshopper mecha, heat lamps are warming little glass-covered chambers where other grasshoppers are producing and tending to white larvae.
Katse is surveying all of this from an upper balcony.
“Yes, grow! Grow!†he says, “It won’t be very long now until we reach our goal, little friends.†As he says this, we see three growing grasshoppers molt and shed their now-too-small exoskeletons.
A goon comes up behind Katse now and informs him that a report has been received from “spy mecha #26.â€
“What? A suspicious individual?†says Katse, studying the print out the goon handed him. “Knife-wielding†would be more accurate, but I suppose that qualifies as suspicious.
“Is the 108 airborne grasshopper corps ready?†asks Katse. (Clearly these chaotic-looking grasshopper swarms are more organized and regimented than they appear.)
It is, and Katse orders it to be deployed to “point F†immediately.
An opening appears in the mouth region of the large grasshopper mecha, and a swarm of the smaller grasshopper mechas stream forth into the air.
They all appear to be following one small grasshopper in particular.
Back at the building where Jinpei and Mr. Toda are, Mr. Toda is performing some sort of test or experiment on a grasshopper. He’s got some kind of electric current streaming between two opposing plates, emitting a high pitched humming noise as a grasshopper that is hanging from a string is drawn to and moving ever closer to it.
“Hmmm,†he says, as if coming to some kind of interesting conclusion or breakthrough.
He goes outside and calls “Jinpei, I’ve found out something strange, come here!â€
Jinpei is up on the observation platform with binoculars again, but he tells Mr. Toda that he sees something strange too.
It’s an approaching swarm of grasshoppers –presumably the 108 airborne corps.
He informs Mr. Toda of this, and he goes over to a large barrel with an attached spraying apparatus and begins spraying the sides of the building.
Posted by lborgia88 on 12-04-2010 at 13:13:
Jinpei, descending the ladder from the observation platform, wants to know what he’s doing and insists “We’ve got to get out of here!â€
Mr. Toda insists he’s staying, causing Jinpei to ask if he’s lost his mind. Mr. Toda explains that he’s discovered “strange behaviour in the grasshoppers†and is unwilling to leave and abandon his equipment and data.
Jinpei still wants to know what’s with the spraying. Mr. Toda explains that it’s insect repellant and that it will keep the grasshoppers away for a while.
Jinpei is excited to hear this and insists he wants to spray some of it in the jungle. Mr. Toda declares there isn’t sufficient quantity of it to cover the jungle, but Jinpei claims he has an idea that will save their lives.
Now we cut to the Crescent Coral Base.
Dr. Nambu has now received a report of a massive infestation in Amazonia.
“It’s just as that Toda guy predicted,†says Ken, “He said he’d actually gone to the ISO and talked to them about this before.â€
“Obviously, it was our mistake,†concedes Dr. Nambu graciously, “I heard about it later and I admit I found it hard to believe myself but hindsight won’t help anything now. We need action.â€
Ryu wants to know why they need to be concerned about “a bunch of little, green hopping bugs.â€
“Haven’t you ever heard the story about two neighbouring countries who were at war when a massive infestation of grasshoppers occurred?â€
I have to say that, just like Leader X’s animal fable, I haven’t heard this story.
Judging from the Ninjas’ silence, they haven’t either.
“They immediately stopped fighting each other,†he continues, “and exterminated the grasshoppers together. We can’t begin to imagine how much grasshoppers can eat and how fast. Amazonia produces more than half of the oxygen on Earth. If the grasshoppers eat its jungle away, our air would become contaminated and mankind would most likely go the way of the dinosaur.â€
Now Ken sees the gravity of the situation and quickly stands up, insisting that they just can’t stand by and let this happen.
Immediately he adds “You know, it’s strange we haven’t heard from Jinpei so far,†but then gives that no more thought as he turns to the others and says “Let’s get going to Amazonia!â€
It’s disturbing, but I’ve just realized that when I see the word “amazon†my first thought isn’t “jungle†or “river†-it’s “online bookstore.†Ah, the power of capitalism.
And the God Phoenix is now flying through the sky…
Meanwhile, back at their repellent-doused building, Jinpei and Mr. Toda are waiting nervously for the grasshopper onslaught.
But, when the swarm arrives their dreaded attack consists of … eating leaves.
Okay, okay, I know that that’s a bad thing (depriving the planet of oxygen and all) but it just seems rather anticlimactic.
So, the grasshoppers eat and eat the leaves on trees in the vicinity, and Jinpei and Mr. Toda wait and wait inside the building.
Commercial break!
The grasshoppers are still eating leaves, but now one grasshopper in particular is hovering up in the air and emitting little zaps of energy from its antennae. Inside the building, Mr. Toda is reading at a table and Jinpei is glumly sitting on the floor.
The zapping grasshopper now lands on a window sill of the building, and emits still more zaps from its antennae. The rest of the grasshoppers continue to eat leaves.
Inside the building, Jinpei is still looking glum –perhaps bored senseless by the grasshoppers’ failure to bombard the building in some dramatic fashion?
Perhaps thinking that his featured role in episode 71 was a lot more entertaining than this one?
But he hears a sound, and with a frown he quickly gets to his feet. Mr. Toda asks what’s going on and Jinpei says “Sounds like the grasshopper that was spying on me yesterday.â€
He moves towards the window carefully, and spots the grasshopper on its sill. Once again he procures his pocket knife and this time he’s faster –just as the grasshopper is about to take to the air, the knife impales it and pins it to the sill.
Now, inside, the grasshopper has been placed on a tray for examination and it’s now clear that it is completely mechanical.
“Its design is very sophisticated,†says Mr. Toda, picking it up and fiddling with it, “Most likely the signal coming from this mecha has been leading the others. Let’s see what else it does.â€
He puts in back on the tray, and proceeds to dismantle it further.
Now we cut to an angry Berg Katse, who’s just been informed that “the beacon mecha of the 108 grasshopper corps†has disappeared.
“Find it!†snarls Katse to the goon bearing this bad news, “Don’t you know the whole dyke can crumble because of a tiny crack?â€
Man, this episode is just full of references to fables and adages.
The goon stiffens to attention and then quickly turns to a panel of instruments, as Katse declares “There’s no way the beacon grasshopper’s operations would fail –someone must have destroyed it.â€
Meanwhile back at the building, Mr. Toda is messing with some scientific equipment while Jinpei peruses some print-out reports.
We see that Mr. Toda has wired the main mechanical core of the beacon grasshopper into some kind of electric circuit.
He then activates what looks like an oscilloscope of some kind, and a high pitched humming noise is emitted. The core of the beacon grasshopper now begins to hum as well –something to do with resonant frequencies maybe?
“That’s the cycle of the grasshopper’s control signal,†declares Jinpei.
“If I use equipment that emits a signal of the same cycle,†adds Mr. Toda, “I could lead the swarm somewhere else, but it’s too bad that I can’t report this critical discovery to the ISO,†he frets regretfully.
Jinpei asks if he can construct some kind of communicator from the available equipment, but Mr. Toda tells him regretfully there aren’t enough parts he could use for that.
Now, finally, the grasshoppers have stopped eating leaves and are doing something more interesting –breaking through the walls of the building, to be specific.
Well, Mr. Toda did say the repellent would only keep them at bay for a while (and he might not have put much of it on the building).
Jinpei and Mr. Toda react to this new development with gasps of horror.
They shove what looks like a large table up against the door, but it’s a futile gesture as more and more grasshoppers are just breaking in through the walls and ceiling.
But then Jinpei gets an idea. “That’s it! We can get rid of them with fire!â€
“Huh?†says Mr. Toda (can’t say I blame him.)
Meanwhile, the very large grasshopper mecha has taken to the air now and is on the move.
It lands in the clearing where the building is, except now the building is completely engulfed in flames, burning away (It strikes me as a little odd that Mr. Toda, who was unwilling before to abandon his equipment or research is now okay with it all being torched!)
“Looks like we didn’t even have to come over here,†remarks Katse, inside the large mecha, “The grasshoppers have already taken care of everything.â€
But now Mr. Toda and Jinpei come out of the jungle and approach one of the large grasshopper mecha’s feet.
Jinpei instantly surmises that it must belong to Galactor.
“Some grasshoppers had to burn to death,†says Katse, apparently unable to observe the two people near his mecha’s foot, “But whoever was in that shack is roasted.â€
But now, a goon who has been staring out a window remarks that he’s noticed something strange –large areas of the surrounding jungle have been left untouched by the grasshoppers.
“I wonder if the plants taste bad,†he adds.
“Imbecile, they must have sprayed some repellent,†retorts Katse, “But why the hell did they spray it on the plants and not the shack?†(Well, Mr. Toda did spray some of it on the shack.)
Posted by lborgia88 on 12-04-2010 at 13:19:
Meanwhile, on board the God Phoenix, the four Ninjas that we’ve seen rather little of in this episode are nearing the Amazonian jungle. Ken instructs Jun to try to contact Jinpei.
She gets nothing but interference.
(What’s causing this interference anyway? –besides plot necessity, that is. Something to do with the frequencies the grasshoppers are controlled by?)
Joe concludes that this is why Jinpei hasn’t contacted them, as Ryu gasps in horror.
He draws everyone’s attention to the fact that the jungle now lying before and below them has been utterly ravaged.
Ken immediately recognizes it as the work of the grasshoppers and Joe adds “This is worse than we could have imagined…â€
“Ken, what’s that?†cries Jun.
Far ahead, there is one area of jungle that still has leaves on its trees, and this area is the exact shape of the phoenix symbol on the front of all their birdstyles.
They immediately conclude it’s a signal from Jinpei and they fly towards it.
Back on the large grasshopper mecha, Katse is reacting to more bad news.
“What? The God Phoenix! How in the world did they find us all the way out here?â€
(Clearly Katse and his crew either didn’t notice or didn’t recognize Jinpei’s symbol-making efforts.)
In fact, their surveillance skills are rather pathetic. Jinpei and Mr. Toda are still standing unnoticed right beside the large grasshopper mecha, and now they’re also waving happily to the incoming God Phoenix.
Jinpei expresses happiness that his symbol did the trick of alerting the God Phoenix to his location, and now Mr. Toda realizes why Jinpei wanted to use all the repellant to spray the jungle instead of the building.
“It’s like a secret code to call for help,†he explains to Mr. Toda.
“Counterstrike with a swarm of grasshoppers!†Katse yells, pointing an angry finger at some unfortunate goon, “Deploy a beacon mecha!â€
As before with the 108 airborne corps, a swarm of grasshoppers streams from the mecha’s mouth –all following a “beacon mecha†grasshopper like the one Jinpei stabbed earlier.
Now, the God Phoenix is being bombarded with grasshoppers and is bouncing and shaking from all the impacts.
Ken orders Ryu to take evasive action, but Ryu can’t get the controls to respond (grasshopper impacts impeding the movement of rudder or flaps maybe?)
Ken decides that the firebird technique is the way to go, and pushes the lever…
It certainly is! In firebird mode, the God Phoenix burns a path right through the swarm, incinerating all the grasshoppers in their wake.
“Call off the attack, damn it,†snaps Katse, aboard the large grasshopper mecha, and he adds “If only this King Battagon was actually battle ready, we wouldn’t have to turn tail.â€
Okay, so in the final quarter of the episode, we learn the mecha’s name. I wonder what Katse means by it not being “battle ready.†Were they in such a hurry to try it out that they didn’t bother completing its weapons systems first? Not good (for them, that is)!
“Turning tail†means, in this case, flying away. The large grasshopper mecha takes to the air as Jinpei and Mr. Toda crouch behind a fallen tree. Jinpei is pleased to see that the God Phoenix’s arrival is causing the mecha to flee.
Either no one on the God Phoenix has spotted the mecha fleeing the scene or they’d rather find Jinpei first –the God Phoenix lands now in a defoliated section of nearby jungle and Jinpei runs towards it.
Ken, Joe, Jun and Ryu all appear on the dome and jump down to the ground just as Jinpei is nearing them and calling out.
I guess Jinpei’s actually been putting on a brave front all this time for Mr. Toda, or he wants to milk the situation for sympathy, because he now rushes into Jun’s arms and begins crying.
“Glad you’re all right, kid,†says Ken, as Jinpei looks at him and nods, with tears streaming down his face.
“Miss us that much?†remarks Ryu as everyone laughs and Jinpei woefully admits “Kinda.â€
Meanwhile, on board the large grasshopper mecha, an angry Katse is declaring that since the Science Ninja Team has shown up, “We’re moving the schedule forward to begin our global attack! Launch the beacon mechas! Swarm the major cities of the world!â€
Next we see a big swarm of grasshoppers departing the mecha and then dividing up to stream off in different directions.
“Soon the Earth will be covered in grasshoppers,†gloats Katse, “and completely destroyed! Think you can burn away this many with the firebird God Phoenix? Let’s see you try!â€
He breaks into a peal of evil laughter.
Now we’re shown a quick montage of what will happen around the world if this evil scheme succeeds…
People will flail in panic and fall down in the streets, they will fall off of high bridges and flail in the water, boats will capsize, and the skies above cities will be swarming with grasshoppers.
“I can see the devastation now,†continues Katse enthusiastically, “There’s no room for error in Leader X’s calculations!â€
So, swarms of grasshoppers heading on their way and the God Phoenix is now in the air again.
Jinpei is on board, and Ken is riffling through a printed report of Mr. Toda’s research findings. He hands it to Jun, telling her that “this is the frequency used by the beacon mecha –can you transmit the same signal with the God Phoenix?â€
Jun, looking confident, says she’ll try it.
“Jinpei, I’ll set the frequency,†she says, “You press the button and activate it.â€
Ken agrees that “Jinpei should have the honor since he was the one who exposed Galactor this time.â€
I’m not sure if I see quite what’s so honorable about pressing a button, but it’s nice that they’re recognizing Jinpei’s accomplishments.
Joe, recalling Jinpei’s initial motives for heading off to the Amazon, has to give him a bit of a hard time though, saying “A consolation prize for not making millions on your safari.â€
But Jinpei now just shrugs and admits that selling grasshoppers is not a fast track to great wealth.
Now Jun tells Jinpei that the frequency is set, and he gets the great honor of activating it.
A pulsing frequency is now being emitted by the God Phoenix.
In the jungle below, numerous grasshoppers are happily munching leaves while a beacon mecha grasshopper sits on a branch, but suddenly the beacon mecha grasshopper takes flight in the direction of the God Phoenix and the rest of the swarm follows it.
Posted by lborgia88 on 12-04-2010 at 13:22:
Soon, streaming swarms of grasshoppers, from all directions are taking to the air and heading towards the God Phoenix. The God Phoenix flies away quickly but it now has a massive swarm following after it.
We see a city where a swarm has already arrived to wreak havoc, but the beacon mecha grasshopper there also responds to the God Phoenix’s frequency and flies away from the city, the rest of the swarm following.
Standing on the ground, Mr. Toda looks up and sees the God Phoenix and the massive swarm that’s following it, and watches them all fly away. Soon the God Phoenix is flying out over the sea, still being followed by all the grasshoppers.
Back to the large grasshopper mecha, and here, Katse is irate to see that the grasshoppers are following the God Phoenix, in defiance of Leader X’s error-free calculations, instead of destroying all of humanity.
A goon studying some instruments hastily informs Katse that the God Phoenix is emitting a frequency that’s drawing the grasshoppers to it.
“That’s impossible!†yells Katse, “That signal was created by Leader X –there’s no way those humans from the ISO could reproduce it! Who could have given the Science Ninja Team the secret frequency?â€
Well, Mr. Toda for one. He’s still standing, all alone, in the ruined jungle, staring in the direction the God Phoenix had gone.
“It appears that my fifty years of research have finally paid off,†he says. I wonder if he’s worried about the fact that, unless the God Phoenix comes back, he’s stranded in the jungle (with the only available shelter burnt to the ground). I also wonder if he’s now figured out that Jinpei is a Science Ninja, or if he’s just assuming that Jinpei is still in the vicinity somewhere.
We see the massive swarm of grasshoppers following the God Phoenix beyond the horizon where sea meets sky…
And then there is a huge explosion! No doubt Joe’s handiwork.
It certainly seems so. We briefly see a super bird missile ready to be launched, and then, on the bridge, Ken is saying “Only one super bird missile left –make this one count, Joe.â€
Joe doesn’t look worried, and replies “Leave it all to me.â€
Now we see Joe’s new target –the large grasshopper mecha, or I should say, “King Battagon.†It’s flying along in the sky, but the God Phoenix approaches it and Joe fires the missile.
It strikes and pierces the mecha, sending goons flying and sprawling, but it lodges in one of the mecha’s walls and doesn’t explode.
Yet.
In the control room, Katse is yelling and demanding to know what just happened. A goon informs him that he thinks the disturbance came from the engine room and Katse orders all the goons to “go below and get to the bottom of it!â€
The God Phoenix swoops below the mecha and continues on its way, as Katse sees this and mutters “Something’s gone very wrong here, why isn’t it attacking us?â€
Meanwhile, a bunch of goons in the engine room are examining the super bird missile. “The God Phoenix just shot something weird at us,†remarks one less-than-astute goon. “It’s a missile, you moron,†remarks another goon (whose credibility is likely not helped by the fact that his nose is streaming snot).
“I’m surrounded by idiots!†rants Katse (accurately), “Where do we get these people?â€
He’s not going to be surrounding for long, though, as he activates his escape pod and abandons King Battagon and its crew to their fate.
The goons in the engine room continue to bicker, each ordering the other to get rid of the missile.
“Super bird missiles,†the narrator now informs us, as we get a close up view of it, “are constructed so that one touch of a button allows the Team to adjust the amount of explosives in the warhead, depending on the quality of the opponent’s mecha.â€
In fact, now we’re seeing a diagram of a super bird missile, with parts of its exterior removed to show all the inner details.
And as King Battagun flies out over the ocean, it’s destroyed in an enormous explosion when the missile finally detonates.
But the God Phoenix flies on serenely, victorious, as on the ground below, Mr. Toda still stands watching.
“But Gatchaman knows they could not have done it without the research of one entomologist, one whom the people of the world had completely ignored.â€
But all the Ninjas seem to be ignoring him now, flying off and leaving him behind! I will assume that they’re going to send some other form of transportation to retrieve him.
Actually, Mr. Toda should be glad he’s alive. This show has a tendency to kill off the old man characters, but he’s been spared.
And, he must surely realize that Jinpei is a Science Ninja and that the other four people who listened so attentively to him at the Snack J are the rest of the Team. But we’re probably not supposed to think about that too much.
And the God Phoenix flies off into yet another beautiful sunset.
The End.
Posted by Transmute Jun on 12-04-2010 at 14:26:
LB and Saturn, you've done a great job as usual! I hadn't realized how many 'fables' were referred to in this one. But of course the one they didn't refer to was the Pied Piper of Hamlin!
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Sounds like a cool name for a rock band, doesn't it?
You made this episode sound better than I had recalled, LB, and I think that's a testament to your wonderful recap skills.
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 12-04-2010 at 14:27:
Oops, and can't forget a Gatchafunny...
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Posted by clouddancer on 12-04-2010 at 14:43:
Thank you for the recap LB. As usual, you did a great job.
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Posted by gatchamarie on 12-04-2010 at 14:57:
LB ... thanks again for an awesome job and thank you, Saturn, for the great screencaps! I would so much like to show you how much your work is very much appreciated!
I loved this one sentence, apart from the others: “Immediately launch Mission: Human Extermination!†cries Katse grandly, to a room full of humans, “With grasshoppers!†... it's so appropriate!
And you've done wonderfully in pinpointing the various fables, LB! This episode was surely inspired by them!
Thanks for the Gatchafunny, TJ!
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To be or not to be a gatchamaniac - that's the dilemma!
Posted by lborgia88 on 12-04-2010 at 17:33:
Thanks guys.
TJ, I'm chuckling here at Tim's funny -it really does look like Jinpei's in urgent need of a bathroom (instead of worrying about grasshoppers) -he has a true knack for reinterpreting screencaps!
Posted by green on 13-04-2010 at 11:42:
Great job, guys!! Thank you for all your hard work!
Love that funny!
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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook
Posted by Springie on 13-04-2010 at 21:39:
Great review, LB! Is Saturn still around? I haven't seen her in a while!
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Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 13-04-2010 at 22:50:
It could be that Leader X intends to get rid of everyone except Galactor members. Things haven't gone wrong on Selectol just yet. X isn't batshit ax-crazy right now.
In one of the last few episodes, a goon wonders to another if they'll be safe from the latest scheme.
Notice that most of the grasshoppers are organic. They must have been specially bred to respond to the signal emitted by their little mecha.
Oh, dear, I just remembered: 'Grasshopper' was Master Po's nickname for Kwai Chang Caine on Kung Fu. And guess who played the wise blind master. Yep: Keye Luke. (Interesting coincidence.)
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Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Posted by amethyst on 13-04-2010 at 22:53:
I was wondering if maybe those "fables" were either made up or real fable that are not really known outside of Japan? Or if ADV just flubbed the translation as has happened before?
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 14-04-2010 at 01:00:
Or does the Gatch universe have some beast fables of its own?
I have a version of the '1001 Nights' that contains a number of beast fables. I'd never heard of any of them. So it's not impossible that the show's writers knew some stories (not necessarily Japanese in origin) that we don't.
Still, that suggests some fic possibilities. This time, not about our birdies, but about the stories they heard as children.
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Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-04-2010 at 16:47:
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I found the grasshopper scene on youtube. I can really hear "Zoltar" in Master Po's voice!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCyJRXvPNRo
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-04-2010 at 16:56:
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I'm guessing that the animal fables referenced in this episode are most likely Japanese in origin or long part of Japanese tradition as it seems that the viewer is expected to have heard of them (even if I have not).
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-04-2010 at 17:03:
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The best explanation for Katse's and the goons' complacency about plans to wipe out all of humanity does seem to be that they have reason to believe they themselves will be spared. Episode 105 certainly suggests that Katse believed this right up until the end. Heh, for the goons though, considering how indifferent Katse is to sacrificing their lives while he flees in escape pods, I can see why they might sometimes have doubts!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-04-2010 at 22:25:
There's a scene in one of the last eps... 103 or 104 I think... where 2 goons are talking and one is wondering if they're going to be okay. And the other comments that Katse is still on the mecha, so things can't be that bad yet!
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Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 14-04-2010 at 23:13:
I think they're in Cross Karakoram, so it isn't a mecha. But the principle is the same: Katse isn't running, so everything's okay.
The Jigokiller episode was an early 'kill everyone' sort of episode. If there are no women on Earth, the human race is dead.
Killing off a good chunk of the human species is another way to take over the world. The survivors of the technological cultures won't have the numbers available to keep things going at a comfortable level. The remainder would not be much trouble for Galactor (Khoi-San vs Galactor? Galactor wins.)
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