Hi all!
For both of you who are interested in it, I figured that I should mention that there is now a commercially available DVD of "Go Go! Gatchapin" episodes.
The DVD was released in Japan on December 12th by a company named Liverpool, and retails for a mere 1,980 yen (Roughly $18.00). In an unusual move, the DVD is sold only through 7-11 convenience stores, through their 7-Dream home video department, and the online shop run by BS Fuji, the satellite network that airs the series. As a result, tracking the disc down can be tricky outside of Japan, since the usual outlets for buying DVDs from Japan are excluded.
So, if you do get this DVD, what do you get? Well, you get a whopping 20 episodes of "Go Go! Gatchapin," that's what! Yep, 20 episodes, fully half of the series, on one disc! Okay, so the episodes are only a couple minutes long, but this is a series aimed at very young kids. In addition to the 61 minutes of the epic struggle between Gatchapin and Pierre Katse, there are 12 minutes worth of bonus material, consisting of two additional Gatchapin stories (One where he is on patrol through a shopping center and finds a few things he needs, and another where he checks out an amusement park as a possible location for his Secret Headquarters).
The episodes of the series generally follow a predictable 3-part pattern. They open either with Gatchapin on patrol, helping people along his way (Giving people directions, making sure bikes are properly parked in bike racks, civic-minded things like that) as he is being followed by Pierre Katse, or having Pierre Katse going about his daily business (Shopping for groceries, getting lunch, and the like) when he spots Gatchapin passing by. This opening is followed by a segment where Pierre Katse attempts to trap Gatchapin, usually with lassos or a 'Black Hole' (Which is like the 'hole' in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"). In a Wile E. Coyote manner, these always backfire and gets Pierre Katse instead. The episodes end with Pierre Katse (Often with bandages on his head) explaining his failures to his "Boss" (Who is a pair of eyes on Governor X's screen that occasionally zaps Katse with energy beams). But don't worry, Pierre Katse is always back for more in the next episode!
The episodes are entirely in Japanese, with no captioning options available. Of course, as this is a series aimed at young kids, the stories are so simple that anyone can follow them. Seriously, if you've ever watched a Roadrunner cartoon, the lack of English will not be a problem. Also, the DVD is Region 2 encoded, so you'll need a code-free DVD player to watch it here. One interesting thing about the show is that they use some of the original Gatchaman music, interspersed with some original music that includes comical variations on familiar Gatchaman musical cues. I also noticed that the episodes are letterboxed widescreen. Perhaps this means that someday there will be a Hi-Def version of the series released! Oh, boy! Something to look forward to!
Anyway, if you wish to see what the DVD looks like, information on it can be found on the Liverpool site at:
http://www.liverp.co.jp/library/gatchapin-1.html
Or at the 7-Dream site at:
http://www.7dream.com/product/n/a01b00/p/1850463
And at the BS Fuji online shop at:
http://shop.fujitvkids.co.jp/kids/shoppi...sp?Item_ID=2576
I hope this helps!
James
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