Gatchaman II episode recaps - Episode 3

Disclaimer: Gatchaman belongs to Tatsunoko, no infringement is intended.

Screencaps: Reboekah has graciously given me access to Gatchaman II screencaps for inclusion in the recaps, thank you! : )

Episode 3:

Sosai X is talking to Gel Sadra in a deep voice. Gel Sadra seems eager to please and a sounds a little unsure of herself.



We see an image on a screen, perhaps a base. Then we zoom in to what looks like a stick figure running through a wireframe maze (probably some kind of scanner view of the base).



Goons are summoned. "Get him!" (is what I imagine Gel Sadra yells)



There's a naked (or skin-tight suit wearing) figure dashing down the hall. Goons fire, it looks like they hit the figure several times, but the figure effortlessly jumps upwards and escapes through a hole in the ceiling.



One of the goons says something like "What the hell was that" or "How the hell did we miss him?". He looks down and we see a goon lying on the ground with a feather shuriken stuck in his throat.



It sounds like Gel Sadra apologises to Sosai X and profers the feather shuriken. There's some discussion.



We cut to the science ninja team's underwater base. The team are travelling through some kind of vacuum tube system and congregate in one place (is this where they have to be to transform? Some kind of security measure to counteract Galactor's discovery of the transformation frequency?)



Ken transforms (it looks like he explodes at one stage of the process : ) Then he appears in birdstyle.



The four team members meet with Dr Nambu, who has a tape and says something about a "microtrigger"...



Nambu plays the tape, a voice does some exposition, and it's clearly not good news as the team makes worried sounds!



Jinpei says something, Ken responds by saying something about Joe (I think he says "Joe's dead, stop going on about him!").



There's a long discussion, Galactor is mentioned several times. Nambu gives the order to move out and we see the god chicken taking off from the hangar (some of this is stock footage from the first episode). Cut to a desert scene, it looks a little like the scenery around the Grand Canyon.



A train passes by as the narrator mentions "Ameria". It's the number 3 train, and it looks like it's nuclear powered.



The inside is guarded by some creepy looking guards with stormtrooper-like helmets. There's a significant shot of one part of the inside, looks like it may be some kind of fuel rod assembly.



Galactor goons arrive in helicopters to the sound of some kind of video game sound. Well, they're helicopters, but they have bird-beaks, and from a distance they look like, well, you be the judge : )



The goons (also in stormtrooper-like suits, theirs are grey and the highlights make them look a little like medieval jumpsuits) board the train as it moves and melt their way inside. There's a battle, the train guards lose.



We cut to a control room where a captain of the week instructs the goons to leave their mecha and line up alongside the train track (must be a thin train).



Now the big mecha arrives, grows some feet and starts to shine a light onto the train (I guess it's stealing the energy)



It sounds like Pima has located Galactor and the team looks like they're about to go save the day when Nambu calls and shows them some depressing holiday snaps. No wait, they're images of a Galactor attack that's left many buildings in ruins, my bad : )



Nambu suggests something, Ken agrees, Jinpei wonders what Ken is thinking. Ken explains and exits the god phoenix in his plane (stock footage).



We get a pilot's eye view of Ken flying as he approaches the target mecha. The big-footed mecha takes off. The goons inside are taken out by a shadowy form and the mecha crashes to the ground.



Ken has found the control room where the captain of the week says "What the hell is he doing here, and what are you still doing here? Find him and kill him." or words to that effect.



The stormtrooper goons come online (I wonder if these are robots). Ken takes out a group of goon robots with his twirly top and kicks his way through the control room window and the captain of the week's face. He says "Hi, I'm Gatchaman" (I think they know, Ken : )



Ken knocks the remaining control room goons out, in the process short-circuiting a panel that controls the robot goons. They clutch their heads and writhe around in pain before falling to the ground, useless.



Turns out they're not robots as Ken removes a helmet from one and we see a blond haired face. Cyborgs? (No, apparently they're most wanted criminals converted to Galactor, I don't know how Ken knew, did he recognise the guy? I'm also not sure why they're surprised, don't they remember the old man sniper and prison episodes from Gatchaman? : )



Cyborg break

The serious discussion at the end is because there was a mysterious tape at the beginning that warned the Team about Galactor activity, and it was in Joe's voice. At the end, Nambu is telling them that his people analyzed the tape and they determined that it was a 'forgery' and couldn't be Joe.

Great job again, Crescent Moon! I love your insights as someone who has never seen the series, and has to piece it together from visuals.

Don't you love that 'high tech' graphic of 'Joe' running through the Galactor base on the computer? It looks like he got into Pong!!!

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Another fun recap! What do do think of the Team's redesigned civvies? If I recall, this is the first ep that really shows them.

quote:

Originally posted by Crescent_Moon The team are travelling through some kind of vacuum tube system and congregate in one place (is this where they have to be to transform? Some kind of security measure to counteract Galactor's discovery of the transformation frequency?) [IMG]http://reboekah.peregrine-intl.com/Gatch/thumbnails/KNTG%20II/ep03/tnKNTG%20II%20ep%2003%20(2.jpg[/IMG]

quote:

Originally posted by Crescent_Moon Cut to a picture of the Golden Gate bridge.

quote:

Originally posted by Crescent_Moon Ken and Jinpei discuss something. Ken's eye gleams (wait, in the past that gleam has meant that someone's evil...)

Yes, it's called G-Town. At least it's not 'The G Spot'!

It's also more creative than Gatchaman Fighter, where their base is called... Gatchaman Base. Whee.

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Technically, Gatchaman is also the name of the Science Ninja Team, so it wasn't as insulting as it seemed.

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