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--- Gatchaman Episode 105 – Earth’s Destruction! 0002 (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=3507)

Posted by Transmute Jun on 13-12-2010 at 03:59:

Gatchaman Episode 105 – Earth’s Destruction! 0002

Gatchaman Episode 105 – Earth’s Destruction! 0002

 

We are briefly reminded of the previous episode, where Joe threw a feather shuriken at Katse and missed… causing it to fall into the machinery of the Black Hole device.

“Oh, dear Joe, don’t fight the inevitable!” Katse mocks.

 

Meanwhile, we witness the numerous natural disasters plaguing the planet, as a result of the Black Hole Plan. Volcanoes, tidal waves and earthquakes ravage the Earth.

“Galactor’s final operation, designed by Leader X, is a horrific scheme designed to blow the Earth into oblivion!” the narrator tells us. “The main computer at Galactor Headquarters has been programmed to drop nuclear bombs at regular intervals towards the Earth’s core, in order to start a devastating neutron chain reaction!”

We see the counter on the machine, set at ‘4321’.

 

We witness a nuclear bomb dropping into the Earth’s core.

And through the grey clouds, the Science Ninja Team arrives at Cross Karakorum.

 

“Listen, we’ve got to find this base’s entrance, and find Joe, even if it means risking our lives.” Ken says.

 

Everyone is ready to do as he has asked.

 

 

Is it just me, or does Jinpei look more mature, here? I’m wondering if that was purposely done on the part of the animators.

“This could also very well be the last time we ever lay eyes on each other.” Ken is clearly optimistic about the coming battle.

 

“No!” Jun gasps in horror.

 

“No!” Jinpei shouts.

 

“Ken!” Ryu exclaims.

“Use communicators only if you must, and sparingly.” Ken orders. “Remember, Jun, they’re trying to find us by scanning the airwaves.”

 

Why is Ken reminding Jun of this? Is he presuming that she’s most likely to break orders? She’s so indignant that her helmet has gone completely white.

“Move!” Ken shouts, and everyone runs off in different directions, searching for Joe, and for the entrance to Galactor Headquarters.

 

Meanwhile, inside Galactor HQ, Katse is making demands to the world at large.

“People of this planet, the fate of the world now lies in the hands of Galactor! Once I have seized control and become your sovereign ruler, you will worship me!”

 

Ah yes, we have discovered that at the core of it all, Katse just wants to be loved.

“Ehhh…. I don’t think that really sounds regal enough.” Oops, seems he’s just practicing his speech. “If I’m going to be ruler of the world, I need to act the part.”

“People of the world…” he begins again, but he is interrupted by the arrival of two goons.

“Sire, emergency!”

“We have an emergency!” Katse announces in his regal tone, before he realizes what has just been said.

 

“An emergency? What? This better be a good one!” he says, annoyed. “Go on…”

And the two goons stand there, amazed. One is in a Ken-sized uniform, and one in a Ryu sized uniform. Could it be…?

 

But no. These are actual goons.

“Joe, the Condor, of the Science Ninja Team, has escaped from us!” says the Ryu-shaped goon.

“How the hell could he?” Katse snarls.

 

Now we see why Katse is doubtful. Joe is weak and trembling, but managing to drag himself up a flight of stairs.

 

“The God Phoenix is here!” he thinks. “I have to somehow show Ken how to find his way in here.”

 

Joe hears the sound of footsteps, and indeed, a group of goons is coming down the stairs. Joe is about to be discovered!

But no. Even in his weakened state, Joe manages to pull himself underneath the stairs and hold on.

 

Unfortunately, when he gets out of his hiding place, he falls down more stairs. He is clearly in pain, and this is taking the last of his strength.

 

“Look, you have got to capture Joe before he contacts the Science Ninja Team!” Katse is attempting to explain the situation to the two goons.

 
“We’re having trouble, because of the fog!” one of the goons explains.

“Wasn’t the fog there to help us?” Katse reminds them. “Just get out there, hunt him down, and kill him!”

Meanwhile, another nuclear bomb drops deep into the Earth and detonates.

We see more scenes of destruction.

“The Earth is already undergoing the early stages of the neutron reaction.” the narrator explains. “Magma pushes to the surface as its crust collapses inward. Cities are now bombarded with contaminants that now fall from the upper atmosphere. But the people are not aware of the cause of these phenomenon, because the ISO has yet to announce the truth.” Okay, grammar nitpick… the plural of ‘phenomenon’ is ‘phenomena’.

We see scenes of destruction, natural and urban areas, all over the world.

“Magma has erupted around Thunder Reef!” one scientist in a control center exclaims. In front of him is a map of the world showing the damage. It looks like northern California got hit. I’m amazed my computer is still working, and I’m even able to type at this moment, seeing as I’m apparently being shaken by earthquakes and eruptions and tidal waves…

 

“Oh, it’s bigger than the computer’s estimated!” another scientist replies. “The whole Earth may be engulfed in flames sooner than we expected!”

Elsewhere, Director Anderson comes to consult with Dr. Nambu.

 

“Dr. Nambu.”

“Ah, hello, Director.” Nambu casually strolls over, as if Anderson has simply come for tea.

“Don’t you think it will be rather difficult to continue hiding the truth?” Anderson asks, as the two men walk down a corridor. “We are plagued with inquiries from the world’s nations.”

“I’ll ask you not to announce the truth of the situation, to avoid a panic.” Nambu says.

 

“Yes, but even if we remain silent, I’m sure Galactor will soon be demanding Earth’s surrender.” the Director points out. “And what will the people of the world think of that?”

“We’ll lose all credibility, and the Earth will fall under Galactor’s control.” Nambu admits.

“Terrifying!” Anderson shudders. “And they have the means to destroy the world!”

“They are a truly terrifying opponent, and even though research by our team of scientists and experts was able to confirm the theoretical possibility of a neutron reaction, we did not understand what particle could be the cause of it.” Nambu says. “Yet, that is something which Galactor knows.”

“The moment the neutron reaction causes the Earth’s crust to shift inwards, toward the core, the Earth will be annihilated.” Nambu goes on. “But the Earth is exactly what they want! There’s no reason for them to destroy it! So before Katse can make any decisive move, the Science Ninja Team, now in Galactor’s base, should be able to find some means to stop him. We must have faith in them, and give them more time!”

Now we cut back to Cross Karakorum, where goons are searching the outside of the base in the fog.

“Did you find them?” one goon asks another.

“Man, it’s no use!” the other goon replies. “It looks like they’re also on the alert, and they’ve stopped using their bracelets to communicate! We can’t get a trace on their signal right now, man!”

 

The earth shakes, and the goons are startled.

“Another one!” the first goon wipes his face in relief as the quake subsides.

“What if it’s going to be all right? We’re the only ones who are going to be saved, right?” the second goon points out.

“All we can do is trust Lord Katse.” the first goon replies. “But to be honest… I’ve been getting kind of nervous about this myself.”

“Over here!” someone shouts, and the two goons go running.

A bunch of goons are now running toward the scene, but a grey winged shape appears through the fog. It takes out the goons.

It’s Ken!

 

And he’s more than a little frustrated.

 

__________________
 

Posted by Transmute Jun on 13-12-2010 at 04:00:

“Damn it!” he thinks to himself. “Where the hell are these guys coming from? I’ve got to find the entrance!”

Meanwhile, more goons are running to the scene.

“It’s Gatchaman, get him!” the goons shout.

Would it be a Gatchaman episode without a fight scene?

 

 

 

Unfortunately, Ken doesn’t realize that his fight is literally taking place a stone’s throw away from Joe.

 

Joe appears to be unconscious.

But as he hears the fight, he slowly opens his eyes.

“Gatchaman…!” he whispers, struggling to rise to a sitting position. “Ken… where are you now? I have to lead you to their Headquarters so you can…”

 

But he stops speaking as he realizes that Ken and the goons have run off.

“Ken! Ken!”

Yet his cries don’t go unheard.

 

“Was that Joe?” Jun wonders. She goes running toward the scene.

 

But she’s not alone.

 

The goons fire at Jun and she leaps into the air.

Another fight scene!

 

Meanwhile, Jinpei is searching the stones, looking for an entrance, when he encounters something unexpected.

 

Jinpei dodges the Galactors’ gunfire, then briefly has his own fight scene.

 

Ryu is doing his best to knock over statues, in his search for the entrance.

“Aw, damn it” he curses, as he finds only a stone floor underneath. “This isn’t the one either!”

 

But he looks up in surprise, only to see three goons pointing pistols at him.

“And what are you doing?” a goon cackles, but Ryu rolls, quickly toppling his three opponents.

 

Then, for good measure, he stomps on them.

 

Meanwhile, Jun is now surrounded.

 

“Aim for her bracelet!” the goons scream. “Get her!”

Jun throws out her yo-yo as she runs, taking out some of the goons.

 

 

She chokes a goon with the cord, even while it’s attached to another’s leg!

 

But one goon gets in a lucky shot, causing Jun to make an awkward dodge. She falls to the ground and rolls away, even as the goon advances, continuing his constant fire.

Jun is barely managing to roll away from the shots!

 

The goon continues advancing.

 

Okay, this will show my age, but this shot reminds me a bit of those green demon-things you had to kill in the original Doom computer game… remember those?

Suddenly, Jun stops rolling, because she has hit a rock.

 

The goon approaches and takes aim… but he is hit in the back of the head with a feather shuriken!

Jun can’t believe what she’s seeing!

 

 

“Joe” Jun cries softly. She looks very pleased to see him.

 

But he slumps to the ground, even as she runs over to him.

“Joe, hang in there…” Jun whispers tearfully.

 

“Jun, the entrance to the Headquarters is here.” Joe tells her.

Jun immediately contacts the others, deeming this to be significant enough information to risk using her bracelet.

 

“This is G3! Ken, I’ve found Joe!”

“I’ve picked up their transmission!” a goon says.

“Oh, goody, they’re using their transmitters! It was sure worth the wait!” his partner replies.

 

“Circle around them and close in! We’ll round them up!” the first goon orders into an enormous walkie talkie.

Now everyone is near Joe.

 

“Joe, why’d you do it, brother?” Ken asks.

 

“Listen, Ken, I know what you’re going to say, so let me just tell you not to bother saying it.” Joe smirks.

 

“Damn fool! Why did you take things into your own hands?” Ken asks, tears in his eyes. “Why didn’t you talk to us about it? Ask for help?”

 

“I guess I’ve gotta listen to you preach right up to the very end, huh?” Joe smiles.

 

Ken doesn’t appreciate the joke.

 

“Jun…” Joe says.

“Yes, Joe?” Jun leans forward, even as Ken stands up and moves away.

“You get along well with Ken, now.” Joe says. “Quit this dangerous job as soon as you can and go find yourself the same happiness like other girls have.”

 

Jun doesn’t respond to this.

“Jinpei…” Joe goes on.

“I’m here, Joe!” Jinpei answers.

“You listen to what Jun says, and don’t give her any grief.” Joe says. “You know, I always envied the two of you. You’re like a real brother and sister to each other.”

 

“You bet I will.” Jinpei agrees. “But please… don’t…. die… Joe…”

 

“Ryu…” Joe turns to the Owl.

 

“Joe?” Ryu leans forward.

“Sorry I was always disobeying orders.” Joe says. “See? I was finally able to swallow my pride and apologize.”

“What are you talking about, Joe?” Ryu demands, tears streaming down his face. “I’m not accepting your apologies! If you want to apologize to me, you can do it after you get better!”

 

But Joe doesn’t look like he’s getting better.

 

“And let me give you a good whack for it, so we can even things up, all right?” Ryu adds. Joe smiles, upon hearing this.

 

“Go on, get moving, Science Ninja Team!” Joe urges everyone. “If you don’t hurry, Katse’ll escape!”

 

“Joe!” Jun and Jinpei cry.

“Ken, I know I could carry Joe back to the God Phoenix!” Ryu begs. “We can save him, okay?”

But Ken doesn’t answer.

“Ken?” Jun asks.

“Well, Bro?” Jinpei adds.

“Look, Joe is like a brother, Ken, who’s been with us, through thick and thin!” Ryu explains. “Won’t you do whatever you can to save him?”

 

But before Ken can answer, Galactor goons appear from out of the fog.

Ken senses their approach.

 

Commercial break. Solid Gold Ken is somber today.

__________________
 

Posted by Transmute Jun on 13-12-2010 at 04:01:

When we return, Ken turns to face his enemies.

 

“This is my order, as Leader of the Science Ninja Team.” Ken states loudly. “We will leave Condor Joe here, and infiltrate Galactor Headquarters.”

 

Ryu, Jinpei and Jun can’t believe it!

 

Ken pulls out his boomerang.

 

Just wondering… where are all of those goons we saw approaching?

Ken walks over to Joe and crouches down.

“Hey, Joe.” Ken says softly.

Joe opens his eyes, but it’s clearly an effort.

 

Then he closes them again.

“Please, forgive me.” Ken says. “I know we both swore we’d die together, but now I have no other choice but to leave you here, behind. Take this boomerang. Think of it as my heart. And know we’re together, no matter what happens.”

 

Ken wraps Joe’s hand around the boomerang, then places it on Joe’s chest. He stands, wipes surreptitiously at his face for a moment, then turns around, screaming in anger.

“Halt your advance, Galactor, stand down!”

 

And they do. A ring of wall-to-wall goons (well, they’re outdoors, but you know what I mean) surrounds them.

“Enough is enough!” Ken shouts. “What will spilling any more blood prove? It’s useless! It will only cause the needless loss of loved ones, separate you from your friends, and decimate your lives! Time is of the essence. We can’t afford to waste any fighting with you! But if we have to, we’re ready.”

 

Then Ken turns and approaches the statue.

“This is it, Ken!” Ryu says, as Ken reaches up and presses on one of the statue’s carvings. The eyes on the carving glow, and the statue slides away, revealing the entrance underneath.

 

The Team jumps into the entrance.

“Huh?” The goons stand around, wondering what just happened.

 

Suddenly, they run to follow the Team.

In the core of the Earth, another nuclear bomb explodes, and the ground at Cross Karakorum literally tears apart, sending goons down into the bowels of the Earth. Others are crushed by statues.

A strange, golden object is revealed as the ground pulls away.

 

Inside Galactor Headquarters, Katse hears a noise…

 

“Katse!” Ken screams as the Team races in.

 

“Gatchaman! So, you’ve finally arrived, have you?” Katse asks.

 

“Berg Katse, stop this!” Ken demands. “Stop the Black Hole operation immediately!” Ken shoves his cape over his shoulders in a tough guy way, and to me, it seems to send the message, ‘the gloves are off’.

 

“Happy to!” Katse smirks. “You just surrender, get on your knees and beg… gaaaaah!”

Seems Katse can’t finish, as Ken is choking him.

 

“Surrender, you say!” Ken asks, after throwing Katse to the ground. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?”

Katse peeps out from behind his big globe.

 

“Did you really believe the Earth would fall before you?” Ken asks. “Did you really underestimate us that much?”

 

“Here!” Ken punches the globe, sending it smashing into Katse.

“Well, what are you going to do with it?” Ken demands.

 

“Come on, tough guy!” Ken rages. He reaches for Katse, as the Galactor Leader gibbers in fear.

 

“Stand up!” Ken shouts, before he punches Katse around a few times.

 

 

Then, perhaps taking a lesson from his father, Ken picks up Katse and swings him around, before throwing him across the room.

 

Katse hits a control panel and falls to the ground, still sitting up. But Ken walks over and stomps on Katse’s head, forcing him down again.

 

“Right!” Ken demands. “Now you’re going to stop the Black Hole Operation, or do I stop your heart right now instead?”

 

All Katse can do is moan in pain as Ken grinds his heel into the Galactor Leader’s face.

“Come on!” Ken shouts. “Which way is it going to be, Katse?”

 

“Enough!” a voice calls. Everyone looks up, startled.

“Is that you, Leader X?” Ken rages. Clearly he’s ready to dish out more whoop-ass.

 

“Show yourself!” Ken demands.

“Please, save me Leader! Save me!” Katse begs like a little girl… which coincidentally, he used to be. Wink

 

Ken finally takes his foot off of Katse’s face as a wall lifts, and Leader X’s Audience Chamber is revealed.

 

“Leader X!” Ken says in amazement.

“Your struggle is in vain.” X says smugly. “The Black Hole Operation nears its completion. Look…”

Another door rises, showing a mass of computer panels… the Black Hole Device!

“That device is dropping atomic bombs into the Earth. X explains. “By my calculation, the neutron reaction will occur in thirty minutes! And then the Earth will be obliterated.”

Everyone is stunned to hear this!

 

 

“Ahhgh! Leader! That’s not what you promised me!” Katse points out. “You told me you’d give the Earth to me, to rule myself!”

 

“And I will.” X laughs cruelly. “You shall rule over its pulverized remains!”

“Leader, have you been deceiving me all along?” Katse asks, astonished.

 

While X explains, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu open up the Black Hole Device, looking for a way to stop it.

 

“Katse, I came to this world under orders.” X says. “However, the planet I was to return to was wiped out.”

“Selectol!” Ken exclaims. “That’s the planet we saw disappear in the Andromeda Galaxy!”

 

“I must return to Andromeda to discover the cause.” X explains. “But before that, since it is no longer of any use to me, I’ll snuff out the Earth, just as Selectol was. Katse…. my plans have changed.”

Take it, Katse. It’s as close to an apology as you’ll ever get from Leader X.

“Oh, but… Leader!” Katse blubbers.

“Farewell, Katse.” X says. “Thank you for your dedication.”

“No! Oh no!” Katse sobs.

 

He gets up and runs toward the screen.

“Leader! Leader!” But the screen explodes.

 

Ken takes cover, but can’t help continuing to watch.

 

“No!” Katse sobs, as the golden object we saw before starts rising up past the place where X’s screen used to be. “Why did you make me a mutant, if this is how it’s going to end? I’d rather have stayed human! I would have been happier! Things would have been different! Do you hear?”

 

“Leader X! Leader X! No….!” Katse screams after the departing ship. But it is too late. X is gone.

__________________
 

Posted by Transmute Jun on 13-12-2010 at 04:03:

Of course, while Ken’s just been watching the drama play out, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu have actually been working, trying to figure out how to stop the Black Hole Device. Yeah, remember that? The thing that was going to destroy the Earth?

“Ken!” Jun shouts. “This machine won’t stop, no matter what we do!”

 

“Everyone, toss all of the explosives you have into it!” Ken orders. There is a blast, and the machine stop momentarily, but then it starts up again.

 

“No good!” Ken says. “With every circuit we disable, another one continues in its place!”

 

Katse laugh maniacally. He has clearly crossed over the brink of insanity.

“It’s no use, Gatchaman, it’s not going to stop!” he cackles.

 

“I trusted Leader X, and did not install a failsafe device!” Katse reveals.

 

Katse throws back his head and howls with insane laughter.

“You’re going down!” he cries. Down!” He throws himself through the hole where X’s viewscreen used to be, falling down toward the Earth’s core below.

 

But it’s not such a dramatic end for the Greatest Gatchaman villain of all time. (Okay, I admit, there’s a personal bias there…) Katse has to bounce and scream on rock outcroppings a few times, before finally completing his fall.

 

“Katse…” Ken whispers. The rest of the Team doesn’t know what to do.

 

Another nuclear bomb drops into the Earth’s core.

The gears of the Black Hole Device continue to turn, and we see Joe’s feather shuriken floating down through them.

 

“I’m going to climb down inside this thing.” Ken decides. “I might be able to figure something out.”

“Don’t do it, please!” Jun begs.

 

“Jun, we have to do whatever we can, as the Science Ninja Team, we must!” Ken lectures her.

 

“But if you go inside, you’ll only be crushed by the gears!” Jun sobs. “If we must, let’s die together! I just can’t stand it! I don’t want to lose you like we did your father, and Joe…”

 

“We shouldn’t die alone…” Jun reminds Ken of what he has always said. Ken’s expression softens. Perhaps he is recalling how he just broke this promise to Joe, and that he is on the verge of doing so again.

 

“Jun…” he says.

“Ken!” she sobs, throwing her arms around him.

 

He is surprised at first, but eventually bows his head, conceding, and puts his arm around her as well.

 

“Oh, Jun…” he whispers.

Inside the Black Hole Device, Joe’s feather shuriken has gotten stuck between some gears. When they can’t turn, a large gear falls off.

 

This causes the machinery to jam, and the nuclear bomb that was supposed to go into the Earth’s core instead explodes on the floor of Galactor Headquarters (missing the hole into the bowels of the Earth).

The blast comes shooting out of the Black Hole Device.

 

Everyone dives to the floor.

The Device is destroyed.

As the smoke clears, the remaining four members of the Science Ninja Team get up off of the floor.

“Big Bro, the machines have stopped!” Jinpei calls.

 

“Huh? Well I’ll be!” Ryu is amazed.

 

“I don’t know what caused it to stop, but perhaps one of those bombs went off inside it.” Ken says.

 

“They generate power through contact with magma, so that must be why only the internal gears were destroyed.” Jun surmises.

“So then… we’re saved.” Ryu realizes.

“Wow, the counter says 0002!” Jinpei points out. “Two more secs and we’d be toast!”

“0002?” Ryu asks. “2, huh? You know, guys, that’s Joe’s number.”

 

Ken and Jun gasp, just realizing this now.

 

Everyone walks back out of the base. Ken and Jun stare at the mountains surrounding them.

 

“Man, what a mess.” Ryu says, as he stares out at the world. “I guess no one else survived.”

 

Jinpei moves, and Ryu pulls him back.

“Whoa, Jinpei, watch your step there!”

“I know that!” Jinpei huffs. “Stop treating me like a kid all the time, will you?”

 

Of course, Jinpei takes a step and promptly falls over.

“See, wise guy? What’d I tell you?” Ryu smirks.

“Hey, I just tripped over something!” Jinpei retorts.

 

And indeed, he has.

 

“Big Bro…” Jinpei says quietly.

 

Ken’s grief and shock are written on his face.

 

Ken reaches out to take the boomerang, but then pulls back. He turns away.

 

Everyone gasps.

 

“Ken doesn’t know that it was the feather shuriken Joe threw, with the strength of his own tenacity, that saved the world from disaster.” the narrator says somberly.

Now we cut to a shot of space, and we hear Dr. Nambu’s voice.

“Leader X fled the Earth right before the Science Ninja Team’s eyes. At just about the same time, our space rockets reported seeing a long, narrow, pencil-like, luminescent object leaving the Earth’s atmosphere and heading into outer space.” Nambu says.

“Dr. Nambu, does this mean that Leader X was, in fact, an alien?” a reporter shouts.

“I do not know.” Nambu admits. “Was the shining object a rocket? And was there an alien inside? Or was the object itself a sentient being, capable of transporting human beings? Or could it have been a computer? We may never know the answer.”

 

“This means the Earth is saved, doesn’t it?” another reporter asks, at what is clearly a press conference. “There will be peace at last, right?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know.” Nambu says again. Boy, this guy sure is pessimistic! Honest, but pessimistic!

 

“But Galactor has been defeated.” Nambu qualifies his statement. “Yet still, I ask you. Could it not be that just as with Galactor, there is a devilish nature which delights in havoc, lying dormant within some dark corner of every man’s psyche?” Did I mention that Nambu was being awfully pessimistic? I think I understated the matter…

 

“Doctor, what is the Science Ninja Team doing now?” a third reporter calls.

Nambu smiles, then walks over to a covered window, drawing open the curtains.

“They are still flying today, to protect peace and harmony for us all!” Nambu declares, as conveniently, the God Phoenix swoops by outside.

 

Onboard the ship, the remaining members of the Science Ninja Team appear saddened, but accepting.

 

An empty chair reminds them of the one who is missing.

 

Over sea and land, and in the vast sky above, the Science Ninja Team carries on. Shining in the brilliant sun, the God Phoenix soars on even today, ensuring a future of peace and harmony.

 

The End

__________________
 

Posted by Transmute Jun on 13-12-2010 at 04:05:

I just want to say that I've really enjoyed doing these reviews, and I am so pleased that people seem to have enjoyed reading them. I am proud to have had a part in this project.

__________________
 

Posted by Springie on 13-12-2010 at 11:11:

*sniff...sniff...* WAH! Such a melancholy ending...
TJ thank you for all the time you put into these reviews, too! You, LB and Saturn sacrificed a lot of time and energy by making these, but they have added so much to our fandom!

I hate to see them end, but it's nice to know that I can go back and review them any time!

__________________

There is no problem that cannot be solved with time, patience, and a judicious amount of high explosives.
 

Posted by clouddancer on 13-12-2010 at 13:08:

quote:
Originally posted by Springie
*sniff...sniff...* WAH! Such a melancholy ending...
TJ thank you for all the time you put into these reviews, too! You, LB and Saturn sacrificed a lot of time and energy by making these, but they have added so much to our fandom!

I hate to see them end, but it's nice to know that I can go back and review them any time!


Springie those were my exact sentiments as well. Thank you, to all of you, for the time and effort you put into this project. It is much appreciated.

__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.

Posted by Transmute Jun on 13-12-2010 at 14:08:

Thanks, guys! I'm glad that, after 105 episodes, people are still reading them! Wink

__________________
 

Posted by gatchamarie on 13-12-2010 at 17:31:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun
I'm glad that, after 105 episodes, people are still reading them! Wink


And, they'll be read over and over again for sure! Once again, a big thank you from me also ... to you, TJ, LB and Saturn! These recaps won't be just saved on our computers, but they will always remain imprinted in our memories!Huggles

I just wanted to leave this message as early as possible ... I still haven't had enough time in hand to read this recap with the concentration that this episode deserves! Will read it when I'll be sure that I'll enjoy it to the full ... maybe, tomorrow! I cannot wait! Must remember to keep a box of tissues on the desk, though!

__________________
To be or not to be a gatchamaniac - that's the dilemma!

 

Posted by lborgia88 on 13-12-2010 at 17:40:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun
I just want to say that I've really enjoyed doing these reviews, and I am so pleased that people seem to have enjoyed reading them. I am proud to have had a part in this project.


You've been amazing, doing Gatch and BOTP reviews all along and making all your own screencaps! Huggles I agree, it's been worth all the time and effort here, making an easily consultable resource of info and images for all the first series of Gatch and (currently) most of BOTP.


I often wonder how people in Japan felt after seeing this episode when it aired for the first time, not knowing about Gatch II or Joe returning as a cyborg or anything. I know I would have been bawling my eyes out (as an adult or as a kid). Even knowing all about Gatch II, the first time I saw this episode, the scene near the end, on the bridge of the God Phoenix, when the "camera" pans over to Joe's empty chair... That just drove home for me so damned well how much I'd come to love the characters over the span of 105 episodes and how powerfully depicted their relationships with each other were. Realizing that cranky, missile-happy Joe with all his nuances and oh-so-human quirks was gone and that the others (unlike me) had be believing he was dead... That image of the empty chair just *hurts* to see...

But hurts in a good way, really -that's the sign of a quality show, if it can really make you hurt.


I like Joe's words to Jun, "You get along well with Ken now..." That, and her and Ken's embrace when she stops him from climbing inside the black hole machinery, at least gives us some hope that the special feelings so many of us see between Ken and Jun (so very fleetingly and subtly shown throughout the series) wasn't just our romantic imaginations -Joe had been seeing it all along too!







quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun

A strange, golden object is revealed as the ground pulls away.

 



I've been giving some thought and pondering to just what this golden object is (with an eye to BOTPizing this ep) and I don't think it's Leader X (or at least, not all of him) because it's still there after he's shown shooting off into the sky as a golden "needle," when Ken and the others come back outside after the black hole plan is stopped.


 


One thing I noticed, about the chambers where Leader X appears and where the black hole plan computers and machinery are, they're sort of round shaped, and the control room is all golden-colored.


 

I wonder if the golden object under the ground is some sort of transport and storage container of Selectol origin that Leader X originally came to Earth with (or in), and that it first landed at Karakoram and went into the ground, and then over time, the rest of the Karakoram headquarters (including the large image of Leader X's face, seen from the air) was developed and built around that initial container, that remained Leader X's constant location, even if he was shown on screens elsewhere sometimes or "projected" himself elsewhere?

Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-12-2010 at 02:29:

That's an interesting idea, LB. I like the thought that perhaps the Headquarters was built around X's original space ship. Interesting that they didn't pick up on this in Gatch II.

I agree that this episode is painful to watch... all of the love you have for the characters just gets torn to shreds, and then haphazardly put back together again. I do love that it implies that Ken and Jun might actually find happiness together... of course, it's vague enough that you can make a case that she has strong feelings for Joe as well. Watch the scene where she finds him and he saves her. and then Joe tells her to be with Ken... again you can make a case that he's only saying that because he's dying. As always, you can have a fic go either way. And I have... Devil1

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Posted by lborgia88 on 14-12-2010 at 04:19:

I have too, in one fic.

Another thing about this episode -I often think it wasn't long enough! I always wish there was more of what happened after the Black Hole Plan was thwarted because I would have liked to see more of the Team's reactions to the loss of Joe and aftermath in general -even something to imply how their lives were going to be unfolding in the months to come. Did they search more extensively to try to find his body? Did they gather together somewhere and mourn together? Did they have some kind of memorial service?

But then, that's what fics are for...

Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-12-2010 at 04:28:

Very true. I know they also tried to answer some of these questions in the Gatchaman radio drama, which was a 'link' between Gatchaman and Gatchaman II.

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Posted by PalyNerd on 14-12-2010 at 07:21:

That is such a sad ep. So glad we never got this one on BotP I would have been so upset.

I was going to find my top 5 favourite Joe screencaps from the series, but cant work out how to link them so I have tried with my favourite Smile

ep31

 


I have really enjoyed these eps of the week thanks everyone for making it such fun!

Posted by green on 14-12-2010 at 07:56:

*sniff* even though I knew it was coming and have watched the episode more than enough times....

Waaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh.........................

Ladies.... I completely bow to you all for bringing these reviews to life. The asides, the extra little comments... the brackets even - I have truly enjoyed each and every one of them!

Thank you so much for the effort and the fun!

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Exaggeration misleads the credulous and offends the perceptive. ~Eliza Cook

Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-12-2010 at 16:22:

Palynerd, I love that shot too! And the expression on Joe's face is *almost* sweet! Almost... just a hint of mischievousness as well... Wink

Green, I'm just glad that nobody minded my little comments. My episode reviews were very 'stream of consciousness'. Wink

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Posted by Crescent_Moon on 08-01-2011 at 08:26:

Wow, that was a little intense, not sure how I would have liked this as an ending for BotP either. Thanks so much for these episode recaps and the screenshots! It' s been great reading all the interesting insights and comments, it's made watching the episodes a much more engrossing experience, lots of food for thought!

One thing I noticed in this and the last few episode is how (IMO) they've drawn Joe's look a little softer, he looks less like a hard-nosed punk. Maybe it's hard to keep up that facade when you're at death's door.. I was never a big fan of Jason in BotP, I thought that he was unreasonably angry, argumentative and made trouble for the team (guess I listened to Zark hey : ) I'm glad that in Gatchaman I was able to get the sense that a lot of that was just a facade, something I didn't get from BotP.

I'm still chuckling over obsessively self-protective Katse taking his own life and that, like so many of his other plans, it doesn't go off smoothly, lol : )

Transmute Jun, I can see that you could make the case either way for Joe/Jun and Ken/Jun and that it does make for good fics, but I don't buy it, Ken/Jun all the way *cheeky grin* : ) I think that the scene where Joe is saying that Jun should be happy with Ken isn't just an example of him being gracious as he's dying, but more in line with previous episodes where he's been supportive of Ken. An example would be when Ken was thought to have been killed and Joe, Ryu and Jinpei (after some convincing : ) respectfully stayed away when he and Jun reunited.

That's not to say that Joe might not have some feelings for Jun. Towards the end of episode 103 when Joe imagines the team he imagines Jun with sparkly stars in the background. Very cute : )

I really liked that in this episode Ken and Jun actually got to hug instead of standing some distance away from each other looking awkward ; )

And finally, who'd have thought Leader X was just a big yellow pencil! Kind of anti-climactic, I was hoping for some massive alien mecha...

Posted by gatchamarie on 08-01-2011 at 09:25:

quote:
Originally posted by Crescent_Moon
but I don't buy it, Ken/Jun all the way *cheeky grin* : )


Tee ... hee ... Crescent_Moon, you're welcome to join the club!!

Even if, as you're also well saying, there's some good potential for a Joe/Jun relationship, especially in Gatchaman, more than in BotP, which could be well exploited in fics, this having already been attempted, and done successfully by the many awesome authors around many a time! If you keep on watching Gatch II, you'll come to know what I'm talking about! But then, much to us Ken/Jun shippers' delight, things return to this couple's favour in the last series, Gatch F, especially near the end!Winknudge

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To be or not to be a gatchamaniac - that's the dilemma!

 

Posted by lborgia88 on 08-01-2011 at 23:38:

quote:
Originally posted by Crescent_Moon
One thing I noticed in this and the last few episode is how (IMO) they've drawn Joe's look a little softer, he looks less like a hard-nosed punk.


Nearly all my favourite screencaps of Joe's face come from the final episodes. I think the artists really were in top form by then when it came to drawing Joe's face -all the characters, really- and I imagine they were likely putting extra effort into making the final episodes look especially good overall.

For me, the fun in writing Joe/Jun comes from the fact that it is a challenge -aside from some Gatch II eps, canon is pretty much working against you and you have to come up with a plot device to try to make it seem plausible. And, it's a way to write some Condor romance without having to make up a female OC to be the love interest (though I've done that too).

quote:
Originally posted by Crescent_Moon
I think that the scene where Joe is saying that Jun should be happy with Ken isn't just an example of him being gracious as he's dying, but more in line with previous episodes where he's been supportive of Ken. An example would be when Ken was thought to have been killed and Joe, Ryu and Jinpei (after some convincing : ) respectfully stayed away when he and Jun reunited.


Yes, I think Joe is supportive of Ken and Jun. At the end of ep. 22, when they'd all been fearing Ken was dead and then they see him alive in the water below, Jun and Joe have a little moment that I've always thought was sweet (in a non-romantic way) -in fact, it's probably their closest moment until the end of the series.

 

Posted by Springie on 09-01-2011 at 00:24:

I agree, LB...that is such a cute moment...and if you listen carefully to the ADV dubs you can hear Joe whisper, "There, there..." It's obvious that he knows how she feels and he seems to be supporting the idea that they should be together...

Really all of them know how Jun feels except for Ken, and each of them shows that they know it at one point or another.

I LOVE that animation, LB!

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There is no problem that cannot be solved with time, patience, and a judicious amount of high explosives.
 

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