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Posted by lborgia88 on 20-09-2010 at 14:52:

Gatchaman Episode 94: Angler, the Electric Devil Beast

[Thank you, Saturn, for the screen caps!]

Gatchaman Episode 94: Angler, the Electric Devil Beast

BOTP Episode: N/A


 


The episode begins in a train station, where all the Science Ninjas except Joe are standing on a platform seeing off Ryu.

“Well then, Ryu,” says Ken, “Give my regards to your father.”


 


“I’m really sorry,” replies Ryu, “But I’ll be back as soon as I find out what’s going on.”


 


Yes, Ryu hasn’t decided to quit the Team again, or anything like that. In fact, Ken tells him “don’t sweat it,” and that he should take his time because “Galactor’s been pretty quiet lately.”

“Having a father can be a pain,” says Ryu, “Stuff happens like ‘he’s missing,’ or ‘he’s sick…’”

“You shouldn’t say that,” declares Jun, “We don’t have any relatives, so compared to us, you’ve got it good.”

“Ryu’s just putting us on,” says Jinpei, more perceptively, as he elbows Ryu, “You’re actually glad to see him since it’s been a while, huh?” And now he laughs and begins punching Ryu jokingly in the stomach, “Isn’t that right, Big Cheese –tell the truth!”

Ryu laughs good-naturedly.

And Ken notes that “It’s the busiest time of year,” for Ryu’s father (fishing season, I assume) so he’s sure that Ryu is worried.

But now a voice announces “The train to Amegapolis via Portland departs shortly,” and instructs all passengers to board the train.


 


There’s probably some kind of geographical clue in this –at least the fact that going from Utoland to Amegapolis does not necessitate crossing an ocean. Perhaps Ryu’s fishing village is somewhere in the vicinity of Portland (which certainly sounds like a coastal city) and that’s where he’s getting off the train.

“See ya later, alligators,” says Ryu, and he boards the train as Jinpei looks around and notes “Joe hasn’t shown up yet.”

But we find out next where Joe is; he’s in his car, driving down a city street.


 


“It took so freakin’ long to decide the winner of the race,” Joe is grumbling, “I’m late now. Even a blind man would have known I won!”

He continues to drive along, but suddenly a ball comes bouncing into the street…

We see a child’s feet running, then we see Joe gasp in alarm –and then we see what Joe sees: a child in the road right in his car’s path.


 


The boy gasps and drops the ball. Joe hits his brakes and attempts to swerve to avoid the boy, but there’s not enough time. The boy goes up in the air…

Another car stops only just before hitting Joe’s car, but the boy is now lying in the street.


 


Joe gets out of his car and runs towards the boy, saying anxiously “Hey kid, are you okay?”

A woman also comes rushing forward, crying “My baby!” Joe, who has picked up the boy, wastes no time in saying “Are you his mother? I can take him to the hospital right away –get in the car with me!”


 


With the mother right at his side, Joe puts the boy in the back seat of his car, and turns his head as a clock in a nearby tower starts to chime.

“Sorry, Ryu,” thinks Joe, “Bon Voyage.”

Next we see the train that Ryu is on, speeding along as a sunset colors the sky.

But then we cut to a scene of a bulldozer at work shoveling dirt, with a backhoe parked nearby, and there are two structures in the background that might be incinerators as the narrator tells us that we’re looking at “man made Dream Island” which is near Utoland and is made of trash –“several hundred tons is brought there every day.”

“The trash is incinerated in the trash power plant,” continues the narrator, “And it is part of the Mantle Project, which generates 700,000 kilowatts of power. It’s a completely environmentally safe power plant, with the soot and waste from thermal power generation being reclaimed and recycled.”


 


And, we learn, all of Utoland gets its power from this place, where we see cars and other pieces of debris being crushed and compacted and then conveyed along tracks, presumably to the incinerators to be burned for energy.

It turns out that Dr. Nambu is here, looking out a window. “Just as efficient as I’d expect, Komibe,” he says, “With your skills in management engineering.”


 


We see “Komibe” next, and he says “I feel honored to get such praise from the great Nambu of the ISO. So, what brought you here to Trash Island?”


 


So, Dr. Nambu explains that he wants to test the recently completed “Jupiter Rocket #1” –more specifically, the heat resistance of its space capsule, using the island’s super incinerator.

Komibe agrees readily to do this, and asks Dr. Nambu if it’ll be okay to send him the results tomorrow. Dr. Nambu is fine with that and starts to leave.

But suddenly Komibe goes “Ooh, ooh, ooh –one more thing, Doc.”

It turns out that he wants to know if Dr. Nambu came to the island alone, or with his “Ninja Team bodyguards.”

“They’re not exactly my bodyguards,” replies Dr. Nambu, “But why are you asking about them?”

It turns out that Komibe is a big fan, and was hoping to meet the “famous Ninja Team.”

“Famous or not,” says Dr. Nambu, “They’re regular kids. Since Galactor has been pretty quiet lately, they’re probably out having fun somewhere.”

Well, Ryu’s on a train to see his sick father and Joe is on his way to a hospital with a kid he ran down with his car –not exactly fun things. However, Ken, Jun and Jinpei are gazing at a large fountain with colored lights. It’s dark now, and tall city buildings make a nice urban backdrop.

“Oh,” sighs Jun swoonily, “It’s so dreamy, isn’t it, Ken?”

Ken doesn’t answer.

“Hey, listen up a second, Big Bro,” whispers Jinpei, elbowing Ken.


 


“Yeah?” asks Ken.

“Maybe I should hit the road,” says Jinpei meaningfully.

“What’s the deal –do you feel sick or something, Jinpei?” asks Ken. He’s either clueless or choosing to pretend to be clueless. Which is it? I’m inclined to think he’s pretending because I prefer to think he’s too smart to not see what’s really going on, even if he isn’t comfortable with it.

“Well I’m getting in the way, aren’t I?” asks Jinpei, with a surreptitious hand gesture in Jun’s direction.


 


“How’s that?” says Ken blankly.

“Come on, don’t act dense, Bro!” whispers Jinpei, with some exasperation.

“How about we go to a nice restaurant?” says Ken, still refusing to acknowledge Jinpei’s angle, “It’s been a while –my treat.”


 


“Huh? You mean it?” says Jinpei excitedly. Clever Ken –he’s neatly sidetracked Jinpei’s matchmaking plans by appealing to his stomach.


 


“Okay then, it’s settled. I’ll take you wherever you like,” concludes Ken amiably.

“I’ll show you where, I know a great restaurant!” enthuses Jinpei, but Jun is not so pleased by this.


 


“Hmmph,” she says.


 

Posted by lborgia88 on 20-09-2010 at 14:54:

“Hey Jun!” calls out Ken, and as she looks over she sees that he and Jinpei have already started walking away together, “What are you going to do? Are you going to stay?”

“Big Bro said it’d be his treat!” pipes up Jinpei. While it seems that food takes precedence over any notion of aiding Jun’s romantic hopes vis a vis Ken, Jinpei seems to want her to come along too.

So, does Jun have to choose between walking away indignantly or accepting the limited terms offered –a very platonic dinner with Ken (though paid for by him!) and with Jinpei as “chaperone”?

“If it’s free, it’s for me,” says Jun, selecting the second option. A practical decision, perhaps, though I can’t help but wonder what Ken would do if she said something like “You two have fun –I think I’ll see what Joe is doing tonight.”

But Jinpei can’t resist teasing her now. “I guess your stomach wins over your heart, huh?” he says, right in front of Ken (not that I don’t think Ken knows exactly what’s going on, even if he’s acting oblivious.)

Heh, Jun thumps Jinpei on the head with one fist.


 


“Ow! What’d you do that for?” demands Jinpei.

“You’re so insensitive!” says Jun and as she walks away, along with Ken, she winks at Jinpei.


 


Ah, I think it’s a “Make up an excuse not to come with us –now!” kind of wink –she does not want him to come along.

“Well, yeah, I know that, but…” says Jinpei, with amusing honesty, rubbing his head dolefully. But he recovers in a snap, cries “Hey! Bro doesn’t treat so often, so I’m coming too!” and runs to catch up to Jun and Ken. It seems his offer, earlier, to “hit the road,” was motivated by a desire to help Ken (if Ken wanted him to be gone, he’d be gone), not the person who makes him wash dishes (and bops him on the head.)

At any rate, it’s an interesting scene!

And we cut to a hospital. Joe and the boy’s other are sitting in a waiting room.


 


A doctor comes in and the boy’s mother and Joe both get to their feet hastily and ask how the boy is doing.

“The bone stuck in his throat’s making it hard for him to breathe,” says the doctor, “We’re going to have to operate.” With that, the boy is wheeled on a gurney and his mother rushes towards him, crying “My baby!”


 


“Is it going to be a difficult operation, Doc?” asks Joe.

“The police told me what happened,” says the doctor, “And I’m surprised he didn’t die since ordinarily, someone in that kind of accident would have been killed instantly.”

Joe closes his eyes. It’s clear that he feels terrible about having hit the boy and how easily he could have killed him.


 


“I also understand he ignored the traffic signal and jumped out right in front of you,” adds the doctor, pointing out that what happened wasn’t Joe’s fault (though I’m sure, even knowing that, Joe still feels terrible. “Ah, kids…” sighs the doctor.

“Is there anything I can do?” asks Joe, as nurses start wheeling the boy away in the background as his mother follows along, still leaning down to speak to her son, “If he needs a blood transfusion, say the word and he can use some of mine.”

The doctor doesn’t think he’ll need one but says “You never know, so let’s check your blood type.” I wonder what Joe’s blood type is. If he’s A+ like me, I’d gladly give him some of my blood if he needed it!

This episode is certainly unique in how it has the Team divided up, with various different little storylines going on. And now we add another one.

Galactor is not being “pretty quiet” anymore. They have a new mecha and like their previous one, it’s aquatic and looks like a fish (an angler fish in this case).


 


On the mecha’s bridge, Katse turns around and demands to his crew of goons “What’s with the sudden drop in speed?”

He is informed by one goon that “It appears to be a problem with the power generator.”

“Well fix it and do it quick,” barks Katse, “I get a little worried when we have problems like this at the outset of testing!”

Ah, so this mecha is so new, it’s just on a test run.

The goon calls the engine room to see how repairs are going and a goon there tells him that something’s wrong with the power generating turbine –“It needs charging.”

Katse stands up and snaps “If that’s the case, find a nearby power plant already!”


 


So the goon on the bridge consults an on-screen map and tells him the nearest such place is “the trash power plant on Dream Island.”

“Idiot!” yells Katse, “That’s an island made of garbage! Galactor can’t sully itself by venturing into such a filthy place!”

“But,” says the goon a bit nervously, “It’ll take us too long to find another plant, Lord Katse.”

Katse, muttering crossly, concludes that they don’t have any other choice then.

So they cruise along a bit underwater, and then they’re approaching the island. Katse holds his nose, declaring that it must be “trash island” because he can “smell the stench from here.”

And now we cut to the power plant itself, where Komibe and a couple scientists or engineers are looking at the Jupiter Rocket #1’s space capsule.


 


At a word from Komibe, panels over a large hole in the floor slide away and the capsule is lifted by a large mechanical arm and lowered down into a deep chamber far below the room the men are in –presumably where the super incinerator is. Two sets of heavy doors close between the incinerator below and the room far above.

But outside, the angler fish mecha has appeared on the surface of the sea and it fires two large “missiles” at the power plant. They smash right through the walls and into the very room and where Komibe and the other two scientists are, but instead of exploding, the noses of these “missiles” open up and there is Katse, accompanied by some goons.


 

 


Komibe demands angrily to know what’s going on. Katse makes a great sweep of his arm and declares “The great Lord Katse graces the dung beetles of trash island with his illustrious presence!”

But before we can see how they feel about this unexpected visit, we cut to the train that Ryu is on. This episode really does have a lot of different things going on in it!

On board, Ryu is… sleeping. I’m shocked! ;-)

But he does wake up when an announcement is made, paging Mr. Ryu Nakanishi to take a phone call on car #3. Drowsily, he heads that way, muttering “I wonder who’s calling me?”

When he gets the phone, he says “Oh, it’s you, Seiji,” and asks “How’s Dad doing, huh?”

But then his face falls, and he gasps “Dad’s critical?”


 


And Ryu has to explain that he’s on a train and can’t rush home any faster than he is. “In any case, the train won’t get there until dawn tomorrow –till then, just stay with him.”

He hangs up the phone sadly, tears welling up in his eyes, and says “Please Dad, you gotta hang in there until I get to ya, please.”


 


So now we cut to an operating room at the hospital where Joe is.


 


The surgeon is requesting a scalpel and forceps and we see that the patient is the boy hit by Joe’s car.

The boy’s mother and Joe are in another room, where Joe is lying on a bed. Under very different circumstances, this might look rather interesting but as it is, Joe is most likely lying down because he just donated blood for the boy. (A good idea –I once gave blood and then went shopping, only to faint and fall flat on my face in a department store.)


 


“Well, it looks like the operation’s underway,” says Joe, and the boy’s mother sighs nervously. Joe assures her that the doctor said it’s a “relatively simple procedure.”

Right –it’s not like they’re spinning the kid around in a centrifuge or something.

“I’m sorry for troubling you so much, mister,” says the mother, “You gave blood for my son even.”

“Look, it’s the least I could do after what happened,” says Joe, “I’m just glad my blood type was the same as your son’s.”


 

Posted by lborgia88 on 20-09-2010 at 14:55:

Meanwhile, at the trash power plant, goons inform Katse that preparations for recharging the angler fish mecha are completed. Katse tells them to start the recharging but Komibe, who is standing near Katse, grabs his shoulder.

“What are you doing?” he cries, “If you do that, all the power in town will go out! You can’t!”


 


Katse turns on him menacingly. “Have the garbage fumes fried your brain? I am Lord Katse!”


We cut to what looks like an airport runway, lit up for a night landing and an airliner is coming in to land. But in the back ground is a round structure with many large windows in which people sitting at tables can be seen.

It turns out Ken is one of these people.


 


“So, a restaurant with an airport view, huh?” Ken is saying, “You know some pretty chic places.”

He’s talking to Jinpei, who answers “That’s not all, it spins around while you eat so you can see the city too.”


 


Jun frowns and demands “How long have you known about this kind of place? Bet you were sneaking out of work and coming here.”

But Jinpei indignantly insists this is his first time at the spinning restaurant, and that he “heard about it from someone else.”

I wonder if that “someone” is Ken.

“Hmmm,” says Jun skeptically. I think she’s giving Jinpei a hard time because she doesn’t want him to even be there.

He accuses her of being “suspicious,” and insists he’s telling the truth.

Then he lifts up a hunk of some apparently chewy foodstuff on a fork and attempts to gnaw off a piece of it.

“Jeez, chicks always think the worst,” he mutters, but then all the lights go out.

“What’s going on here?” says Ken, as people at other tables stand up in alarm.


 


“I can eat in the dark,” says Jinpei, and he continues to do just that, unperturbed.


 


Meanwhile, on the train where Ryu is, he’s standing in the aisle, stamping with impatience and muttering that the train isn’t fast enough.



 


But suddenly it comes to a halt, sending Ryu toppling forward.

As he wonders what’s going on, we see that the train has stopped completely, on a bridge.


 


At the hospital where the boy is undergoing surgery, the doctor and others in the operating room all look up in consternation when the lights over the table begin to flicker. Where Joe and the boy’s mother are, the lights have gone out.


 


We see an aerial view of Utoland City next, and the power is out everywhere –only the cars on the streets have lights.


 


“It looks like a city-wide black out,” says Jun, back at the restaurant at the airport, but she and Ken gasp when they see a huge explosion outside.


 


“Oh man, an airplane must have crashed,” says Jinpei, staring in alarm.

We get a closer look at the burning wreckage, and he is correct.

“What are they using for power in this town, Jun?” asks Ken.

“The trash power plant on Dream Island,” she tells him, and we get a close of Ken’s eyes, wide with concern.

“Something happened on Dream Island,” he says, “Galactor!”

And we get a look at the angler fish mecha. Two thick electric cables are extending from where it’s sitting at the sea’s surface, and a light in one of the mecha’s “eyes” is flashing, so it’s presumably recharging.


Commercial Break!


We see Dream Island by night, and it’s covered in trash, but soon there are also three Science Ninjas there too.


 


Jinpei thinks the black out is likely an accident and asks Ken why they need bother investigating. Well, Ken thinks it’s lasting too long to be an accident –“Almost an hour’s past,” he says. Jun, concerned, notes that the black out must be causing problems for a lot of people, as many people rely on the Dream Island plant for power.

The three of them are inside the plant next, walking down a wide corridor. From up above, a goon at a window spots them and backs up hastily before they can see him.

“Lord Katse, the Science Ninja Team is here!” At this anxious announcement, Katse whips his head around and yells “What?”

“The Ninja Team?” says Komibe, sounding far more excited.

“Those featherheads,” growls Katse, “They always manage to show up when it’s most inconvenient.”

He turns on Komibe now, grabbing him and snapping “Don’t freak out, Komibe,” but he also decides this is an opportunity to “settle the score” with the Science Ninja Team.


 


Meanwhile, with Ryu, he’s asking a porter why the train’s stopped, and is told that “an accident happened at the power plant –we’ll just have to wait a little longer.”

But Ryu is in no mood to wait.


 


“We can’t wait! My Dad is sick and I have to get home by tomorrow morning, no matter what!”

“Sorry, but I can’t do anything,” is the only answer Ryu gets.

In the operating room at the hospital, the boy is still on the operating table and unconscious, an oxygen mask on his face, but a worried looking doctor (the anesthesiologist perhaps) is looking at a gauge, saying “The manometer’s reading has started coming down.”

“We have no choice but to stop the operation,” concludes the surgeon gravely.


 


He then has to give the boy’s mother and Joe the bad news that “Our hospital’s generator has just enough strength to keep the oxygen going. We have to wait for more power.”

The mother turns away, putting her hands to her face and crying “Oh, my baby!”


 

Posted by lborgia88 on 20-09-2010 at 14:56:

And we cut to Ken saying “Huh? You don’t know the cause of the accident?”

It turns out to be Komibe that he’s talking to. However, Komibe offers to show them around the power plant.


 


But we soon realize something sinister is going on. Behind the door the Ninjas walk right past, another Komibe lunges for the door, only to be shoved back by a goon who puts a gun to his head and snaps “Keep it down! As violent as Galactor may appear, we hate seeing blood more than anything else.” I guess that means Komibe won’t be hurt or killed as long as he cooperates.


 


But the other “Komibe” (and I think we can all guess who he must really be) is showing the Ninjas around. As they come into a large room, Ken asks where they are.

“Komibe” suddenly dashes towards a console, saying “It’s an experiment room –an execution chamber!” and he pushes a button.


 


The floor suddenly opens up beneath Ken, Jun and Jinpei’s feet and they all begin to fall…


 


When the land at the bottom, Ken yells up “What are you doing?” only to see Komibe’s white coat go flying and hear Berg Katse’s voice laugh and say “So glad you could… drop in.” Katse walks over the the edge of the deep hole they’re in and looks down at them.

“So it was Berg Katse,” says a glaring Ken.


 


“Let me give you a tip, as a parting gift,” sneers Katse, “If you enter enemy territory, you should research the lay of the land beforehand, just like I did, even if you’re just popping by –capisce?”

But as Katse’s talking, Ken backs up a little towards Jun, and as he provides screening, she reaches for her yoyo.


 

(And her dress turns white while she’s doing this. I think an artist got her confused with Ken in this shot.)

 


She throws her yoyo, aiming for Katse, but he yells “Idiots” and presses another button. Ken, Jun and Jinpei fall again as the second set of doors open beneath their feet and they fall even deeper down.


 

 


“You can’t fall any farther than that –it’s a burning hell down there! Bye bye, Gatchaman!” laughs Katse, shutting both sets of doors to trap them down there.

“He got us. What Katse said was true,” admits Ken, “We got too close without thinking.”


 


Jinpei notices a burning smell in the room they’re in.

Well, way up above, we see Katse pull a lever, and down where Ken, Jun and Jinpei are, flames come shooting out of the walls.

They’re in the super incinerator.


 


“Fire!” yells Ken, as the flames shoot towards them.


 


Ken cries out in horror, turning slightly to shield himself from the heat with his cape, while up above, Katse pulls another lever. The flames intensify, but Ken has spotted something else in the room with them.


 


A massive swirl of flames fills the screen and we see no more of the Ninjas.

Rather, we cut to a laughing Katse who’s joking “I’ve fired up the barbecue, guys!”

“When they’re done cooking, can we dip them in sauce and eat them?” laughs a goon.
Katse at a desk, with his feet up, saying “And there we were, just stopping by to charge Angler, and look what we caught.”


 


Komibe is outraged, and tells Katse that if he’s finished his business then he should leave.

But Katse points out that he’s only gotten three of the Ninjas and says he’s staying until he gets the other two.

But a goon points out that they have no idea when or if the other two will show up.

Katse insists they’ll come, as “their teamwork is, shall we say, more solid than Galactor’s.”

He turns to Komibe, tapping the side of his face with one hand. “If they don’t, I’ll blow this power plant –all of it!


 


“I’m going to take the ‘island’ part out of Trash Island,” says Katse, and he pulls out a gold chain with an odd pendant on it.


 


Holding it up, he tells Komibe that the pendant contains “the transuranic element Californium.”

Komibe gasps.

“You probably know about it,” says Katse, “Since the ISO’s been using it for energy development. Ten of these have as much power as the atomic bomb that was first created half a century ago.”

And we see an image of an atomic explosion.


 


“Don’t you think this is just the right size to blow up this trashy heap of an island?” asks Katse mockingly.

“You’re a friggin nutjob!” retorts Komibe, only to get a smack in the face from Katse.


 


Komibe angrily asks if Katse realizes how much people will suffer if the plant providing all their power is destroyed, and has to be restrained by the goons.

Katse, however, has turned his back on him and clearly doesn’t care about any suffering he may cause. He wants the other goons to go and sweep up the Ninjas’ ashes from the super incinerator.

Two goons emerge from an elevator and pass through some doors, and one is saying “How should I put this… I can’t imagine Gatchaman being burned to a crisp so easily like this, you know?”

“Fate is an unpredictable thing,” says the other goon. But this little philosophical discussion comes to an end when they see that “there’s no trace of them,” in the incinerator.


 


“What the heck is that over there?” says one of the goons.

Well, it sure looks like a space capsule!

The goons wonder what it is and why it’s in an incinerator, but one goon thinks it looks like a “capsule for a space rocket.”

“Capsule?” says the other goon, “You don’t think…”

“That’s right!” declares Ken, “We’re alive and well!”


 


Both goons gasp in horror (though one should at least be pleased that he was right after all to think Gatchaman had been burnt to a crisp too easily).

All three Ninjas leap down, kicking the goons as they do so. Jinpei, being the last, also lands on top of them.


 


Then Jinpei springs off them into the air (I guess goons are bouncier than they look), does a flip and lands beside Ken and Jun.

Meanwhile, Katse is still sitting with his feet up, near Komibe, holding a little device in his hand.


 


The door opens and a goon is standing there, saying “I planted the pendant bomb.”

Komibe and the two scientists who are his fellow hostages all exchange anguished looks.

“Now I’ll just board Angler, wait for the right moment, and press this button,” says Katse smoothly, as Komibe and the scientists look on unhappily. But Komibe is so angry he jumps to his feet as if to rush at Katse but the two scientists stop him –wisely deeming it a bad idea to run at someone who’s holding the detonator to a bomb in their hand.

But a light blinks above the elevator door that’s near where they’re sitting.

“However tough Gatchaman was,” declares Katse, “He’s a handful of ashes now. Hey, let’s hold a grand funeral for them –a hero should grieve another hero’s death. They were a fine bunch.”

Heh, I guess Katse is magnanimous in victory, if victory = dead Ninjas.

But they’re not dead, as Katse suddenly finds out when the elevator opens and Ken says “That’s very considerate of you, Berg Katse!”


 

Posted by lborgia88 on 20-09-2010 at 14:59:

“Gatchaman?!” gasps Katse.

“In the flesh,” retorts Ken, “We’re not ghosts yet, you scoundrel.”

“How did you get out of the fire?” says Katse in a voice of bewilderment.

“Listen up before you faint, nancy boy,” says Ken with a hint of a smirk, “When you enter enemy territory, you’ve got to check out the place thoroughly, and guess what?”

Ken lunges at Katse and pins him in place with one foot –demonstrating good flexibility while he’s at it.


 


“We found a heat resistant space capsule,” continues Ken, “in the incinerator for some reason!”

“Yeah, that’s right!” says Komibe, remembering now, “Dr. Nambu asked us to test it out.”

Katse, with Ken’s foot still shoved against his face, growls in exasperation. “Thanks a lot, Komibe! You didn’t tell me about that you dirty rat –Ahhh!” Ken gives a harder shove with his foot.

“You probably didn’t ask nicely,” says Ken, glaring at him, “If people are threatened, they get scared and sometimes forget.”

“Gatchaman,” growls Katse from between clenched teeth, “You’re really pressing your luck. Are you sure you want to do this to me? Look here!”

And Katse holds out the little detonator device, keeping his arm away from Ken.

“If I press this button, the bomb we planted with explode!”

Komibe confirms that there really is a bomb, somewhere –and that it’s made of transuranic Californium.

Ken scowls and says he doesn’t believe it. “Why don’t I go ahead and push it?”

Katse doesn’t like this idea!

“We’ll sacrifice our lives,” continues Ken sternly, “if you want to die here with us. Now don’t be shy! Go ahead and do it, tough guy!” And Ken digs his heel even harder into Katse’s face.

Well, he’s certainly called Katse’s bluff –there’s no one less likely to blow themselves up than Berg Katse.

Katse is groaning in pain and anger, but he’s not pressing the detonator. Ken continues to say “Go on! What’s the matter? Don’t you have the guts?”

But then the elevator opens once again, and it’s the two goons that got kicked and jumped on back in the incinerator room.


 


Ken turns and then leaps away from Katse to deal with this new threat. He throws his boomerang, hitting the two goons and sending them falling back into the elevator (and the door closes on them).


 

 


Katse seizes the opportunity to leap towards the window –smashing clean through the glass- to escape.


 


Ken gasps, and a goon cries “Lord Katse! You can’t just leave us here!” and rushes towards the window –only to get clobbered by Ken and thrown through a door.


 


“Jun, help Dr. Komibe and check the power transmission engine,” orders Ken, “Jinpei, get this man to tell you where they planted the bomb. Got it? Let’s clean up!”

But Katse is at the angler fish mecha now, ordering squads of goons there to march out to battle the Ninjas.

Ken is the first one they encounter and he dishes out a whirl of kicks and blows against the first squad. Then, brandishing his boomerang, he charges at the second squad and takes out a bunch of them with kicks and punches. Next, he chases down some others and slices across the uniform of one goon with his boomerang.

The unfortunate goon’s pants fall down, revealing underwear that resemble Jinpei’s civvies pants –blue and white stripes.


 


Ken continues to kick, punch and flip, clobber the rest of the second squad, but the third squad is running towards him now.

Using his boomerang, Ken attacks them too and he even jams the pointy head of it right into the knee of one especially unfortunate goon –that would hurt!

He spins his boomerang in his hand briefly, then uses it rather like a scythe to mow down another cluster of goons.


 


And then there’s only one goon left.


 


This poor goon looks desperately back towards the angler fish mecha, only to see it sailing away. Katse has, once again, abandoned his men to their fate.


 


Ken waves and slashes his boomerang extremely quickly.


 


The goon looks stunned but otherwise unharmed –at first. But as Ken puts his boomerang back in his holster, the goon’s mask falls away from his face, neatly and precisely sliced to bits. And then a copious amount of snot runs from his nose right before he keels over backwards.

Gross!


 


But now Jinpei, with Jun, is calling to him from a distance away and as Ken turns towards them, he sees the city in the far distance lighting up again, its power restored.

“Ohhh, the power’s back on,” says Jinpei.

“How beautiful,” says Jun as they all pause to gaze at the city lights for a moment.


 

Posted by lborgia88 on 20-09-2010 at 15:00:

“Hey Big Bro,” says Jinpei, holding out the pendant, “This is the bomb –we’d better take care of it before it detonates!”

(I wonder what methods he employed to get the goon to tell him where it was hidden? It’s quite likely, though, that once the goon realized Katse had ditched them, that he ‘fessed up immediately.)


 


Ken takes the pendant, saying they still have time as Katse sacrificed his own men to give himself enough time to get away from the blast zone. “So let’s give him back what he left behind –special delivery, Katse!”

Ken takes out his boomerang again and wraps the pendant around it.


 


And when he throws it, this time a little rocket on one end of it ignites to speed it along further and faster –a feature of Ken’s boomerang that I don’t think we’ve previously seen.


 


The boomerang speeds towards the angler fish mecha, and catches up to it. Inside, Katse is saying that he thinks he’s far enough way now, while holding up the detonator.

“Say good night, Gatchaman!” And he presses the switch.


 


An explosion rips through the rear part of the mecha.


 

“Oh great, what now?” snarls Katse, hearing the noise and commotion as the explosion rips through the mecha section by section. Finally we see a really massive explosion, from a distance, and then the mecha –broken apart into numerous pieces.


The piece that Katse is in is still relatively intact, but he is irate and banging his hand on the console, ranting that the mecha clearly needs lots of improvements. Heh –Katse has no idea what’s really happened.

But he does notice when seawater comes bursting in behind him! For his sake, he’d better have good bailing pumps or some such thing!


 


But we cut to Ryu, who’s been off on his own little side-story this whole episode, and he’s on the phone again on a train that is moving again. And this time it’s good news he’s getting.

“You say he’s out of danger? Is that right?” cries Ryu, his face brightening with happy relief, “You’re sure, kid?” He bows his head, tears in his closed eyes. “Oh man, that’s wonderful news. Tell him I’ll be there before he knows it!”


 



And then we cut to Joe, to conclude his own little side-story. He’s standing out in front of the hospital, with the boy’s mother and some of the hospital staff.

“Well then, I guess I’ll be going,” Joe is saying to the mother, “I’m glad that your son’s operation went fine.”

“I’m in your debt,” she says, “I don’t know how to thank you for all you’ve done.”

Joe doesn’t look like he thinks she ought to be thanking him for anything –he clearly still feels responsible for hitting the boy, even if the kid had run out in front of him.


 


“I’ll drop by and visit him while he’s rehabilitating, alright?” says Joe, adding “Bye,” before turning away.

“His name is-” starts the mother, but Joe is already gone, walking towards his car.

If only the mother knew that she’d just met the Science Ninja Team’s Condor…

Meanwhile, Ken, Jun and Jinpei are watching the sunrise at Dream Island.

“It was only for a few hours,” Jun is saying, “But I can’t imagine what happened in town while the lights were out.”

“Yeah,” says Ken perfunctorily, as if barely listening.

“Is something wrong, Ken?” she asks him.

“Just think about it,” says Ken intensely, “We wouldn’t even be alive to see this sunrise if Dr. Nambu hadn’t asked to test that space capsule yesterday.”

Jinpei and Jun contemplate this solemnly.

Well, as that goon said, “Fate is an unpredictable thing.” Maybe that’s the theme of this whole episode.

“The blackout had ended,” says the narrator, “and the dawn arrived, leaving a little darkness in each of the Team.”

Ken starts walking away.


 


“When would they stop Galactor’s quest for destruction and finally see peace?”

Ken is walking towards the water.


 


“A sea of hardships rolled out before them, but they were prepared to brave the angry waters.”

The End.

Posted by Transmute Jun on 20-09-2010 at 17:26:

Another great review, LB, and as usual, Satur got some wonderful screenshots!

IMHO it's a shame that BOTP didn't get this one, because I think it would have fit in well with the series. I would have loved to see Keyop tagging along on Mark and Princess' date! Wink

You're right that it certainly does split up the Team and create multple stories... but I like that about this episode. It gives everyone a little character development. It also is a bit of foreshadowing for Joe. Why did he hit the boy? He's a great driver... should he have been able to avoid the child? Or is his brain injury causing problems?

I also like how it reminds us that Ryu has emotional ties to his family. And this episode is notable because it tells us Ryu's last name!

Of course, most fun of all is Katse turning up his nose at 'Trash Island', only to realize that it's captured him some ninjas... and then he changes his tune! Typical!

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Posted by gatchamarie on 20-09-2010 at 18:10:

Thanks a lot for another great recap, LB, and for the lovely screenshots, Saturn!

This episode is one which I like, with all the separate stories, the outcome of such stories, and Jinpei's teasing (even if I wish that all the pokings could have worked for once! Ken is such a good actor, darn it!).

I also like how the stories were somehow related to each other due to the blackout! What I find somewhat strange, though, is the lack of communication between the Condor and the other team members, or vice-versa! If I were Ken, or Jun, or Jinpei, I would have tried to contact Joe after his not showing up, especially when everyone had been expecting to see him ... at least, just to see if everything was okay!

You're right, TJ! Joe's side-story, for those of us who know what expects him in the relatively near, future episodes, does imply that there was already something wrong going on with him, even if nothing was specifically shown during the whole episode!

And, Katse had to escape ... like always!! Couldn't the Swan, or the Swallow, take care of the two goons coming out of the elevator, instead of the Eagle, so as he would not have had to loose his grip on Katse?! I know ... I know ... it's still early to end the story!

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Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 21-09-2010 at 00:56:

Even an experienced driver can be caught off-guard. Joe was driving on a busy street, with a lot to look out for. The boy was small, and darted out into traffic.

If Ryu left Utoland City at around 7 pm, he had a 12-hr trip ahead of him to reach home by morning. Since Amegapolis is an expy of Manhattan, Utoland City might be on the West Coast of Ameris.

I must check, but turbines generate power. They don't need charging.

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Posted by Springie on 21-09-2010 at 01:06:

Fabulous LB and Saturn! This is another favorite episode...it's just so different, and gives us such a nice look at their individual personalities!

I wish Jinpei would've just gotten the hint and left! I'm sure that he was in for a world of hurt once the mission was over!

But even if he *did* leave, Ken would've probably kept playing dumb... grumble, grumble, growl...

I think that the only way she could ever get through to him is on a mission...possibly during a life/death situation...she'd have to force his hand.(You know she wouldn't be above faking an injury...just look what she did with Koji!)

He always seems closer to her when they're in birdstyle...anyone else notice that?

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Posted by PalyNerd on 21-09-2010 at 02:48:

Yes I have noticed that too... maybe he is more confident in birdstyle...

I love this ep and Juns expression when they are talking about dinner is great. It had me wishing she would say "no you guys go ahead I might go and find Joe"

Forgot to mention, there were some good Katse scenes in this one as well

Posted by lborgia88 on 21-09-2010 at 04:11:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun
It also is a bit of foreshadowing for Joe. Why did he hit the boy? He's a great driver... should he have been able to avoid the child? Or is his brain injury causing problems?


Speaking of foreshadowing, I kept thinking that this image, from when Joe is lying on the hospital bed and telling the mother that giving blood for her son is the least he can do, looked so familiar somehow:

 


I figured out why -it's the same footage from episode 105, when dying Joe is talking to Ryu...


 


As UW said, it was a busy street and it did look like Joe was going pretty fast -maybe 40 or 50 mph- which certainly supports the idea that it would have been quite difficult for him to have avoided hitting the boy, but at the same time, Joe seems to be awfully devastated and guilty about hitting the boy (even if no one else blames him), which implies that he thinks he ought to have been able to avoid him in time. I could well believe that he feels he, somehow, hadn't been quite at his best and that it might rattle his confidence and make him react that much more badly when something rather similar occurs in episode 98...


quote:
Originally posted by gatchamarie
I also like how the stories were somehow related to each other due to the blackout! What I find somewhat strange, though, is the lack of communication between the Condor and the other team members, or vice-versa! If I were Ken, or Jun, or Jinpei, I would have tried to contact Joe after his not showing up, especially when everyone had been expecting to see him ... at least, just to see if everything was okay!


I can only think that, as Joe has a history of being impatient with and not always so nice to Ryu, the others might have assumed that being at the station to see Ryu off wasn't Joe's biggest priority, or they knew that Joe had a race that day and were aware that such things can run late. And later, heh, Ken might not have wanted to call Joe to see if he wanted to join him, Jun and Jinpei for dinner if he himself had offered to foot the bill (3 dinners are cheaper than 4!) But while they were inside the space capsule in the super incinerator, Ken could have contacted Joe then and there and told him what was going on. Dream Island wasn't far from Utoland and Joe could have shown up there to help deal with Katse and the Angler mecha, though he probably would have felt torn, wanting to stay at the hospital until he knew the boy would be okay.


quote:
Originally posted by Springie
I think that the only way she could ever get through to him is on a mission...possibly during a life/death situation...she'd have to force his hand.(You know she wouldn't be above faking an injury...just look what she did with Koji!)

He always seems closer to her when they're in birdstyle...anyone else notice that?


I think you're right. Intense, life and death moments during missions do seem to bring them emotionally closer than they ever seem to get in civilian life, reminding them how easily they could lose each other forever. I could well believe also, that in Ken's case, he can actually be more open to Jun when he's in birdstyle as then, it might somehow feel safer as he can use the professionalism and seriousness that their birdstyles provide as sort of a "check" that keeps what happens between him and Jun during such moments on missions clearly separate from their regular civilian lives.



 

Posted by gatchamarie on 21-09-2010 at 09:20:

quote:
Originally posted by Springie
He always seems closer to her when they're in birdstyle...anyone else notice that?


I totally agree! I've noticed that, too! Even their emotions come out stronger when they're in birdstyle! Perhaps, it's a psychological thing ... maybe, their parallel identities as the members of the SNT have overpowered their real ones, as commoners, making them react more naturally when they're in birdstyle whilst they almost seem not being able to handle things as they want when in their civvies!

Or, perhaps, as Palynerd, and LB, have said, Ken is more confident in birdstyle, behind his mask and his professionalism!

But, you're right, Springie ... they need to be in dire straits in order to push themselves, and express things! That's why I love the last part of the last series!Wink3

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Posted by gatchamarie on 21-09-2010 at 09:23:

quote:
Originally posted by lborgia88
Speaking of foreshadowing, I kept thinking that this image, from when Joe is lying on the hospital bed and telling the mother that giving blood for her son is the least he can do, looked so familiar somehow:

 


I figured out why -it's the same footage from episode 105, when dying Joe is talking to Ryu...


 


You've got quite an eye, LB! Clap

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Posted by Springie on 21-09-2010 at 09:45:

LB, I *just* noticed that picture before I scrolled down and saw your post! I was thinking that it looked an awful lot like Joe at the very end of the series!

Little did I know...you had a comparison showing that they *were* identical! WTG!

I love your Ken and Jun heart (so cute!) and what you're saying about birdstyle makes sense! That...and Ken may have a bit of a fetish for Jun's miniskirt birdstyle! LOL

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Posted by lborgia88 on 21-09-2010 at 13:11:

quote:
Originally posted by gatchamarie
You've got quite an eye, LB!


At least where Joe is concerned! I love images that are close ups of his face, where the artists took the time to put in a lot of detail -and they stick in my memory, I guess.



quote:
Originally posted by Springie

I love your Ken and Jun heart (so cute!) and what you're saying about birdstyle makes sense! That...and Ken may have a bit of a fetish for Jun's miniskirt birdstyle! LOL


Heh, good point! This image of Ken and Jun has me wondering if Ken's more likely to stare longingly into Jun's eyes when they're in birdstyle because their visors serve as a "check" -they can't kiss (or not easily!) with those things in the way.

Posted by gatchamarie on 21-09-2010 at 13:17:

quote:
Originally posted by lborgia88
This image of Ken and Jun has me wondering if Ken's more likely to stare longingly into Jun's eyes when they're in birdstyle because their visors serve as a "check" -they can't kiss (or not easily!) with those things in the way.


That's a good point, also! ... even if, on the other hand, ironically, the visors aren't any obstacle for slaps!!Wink3

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Posted by Transmute Jun on 21-09-2010 at 13:27:

You guys have me ROFL 2 with all of your suppositions about Ken and Jun in and out of Birdstyle... too funny! But yes, I can see Ken's attitude being different. He also seems more commanding when he's in Birdstyle as well. In civvies, he's more 'one of the gang', if that makes sense. I suspect he thinks of *himself* differently in Birdstyle... and who wouldn't? It's a much more professional uniform.

LB, great eye! I was wondering why that picture looked so familiar! Now... are you going to photoshop your head next to Joe's on the pillow? Angel1

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Posted by lborgia88 on 22-09-2010 at 21:07:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun
Now... are you going to photoshop your head next to Joe's on the pillow? Angel1


Well, I had to try! Laugh1 Don't really have a good pic to work with though.


 

Posted by gatchamarie on 23-09-2010 at 04:55:

Oh, LB ... you're always full of resources!! That pic came out just wonderful! ... you're next to your Condor, and ... about to kiss him?!Animelol

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