lborgia88
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 27-06-2007
Posts: 5991
|
|
|
Gatchaman ep. 8: The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef
|
|
[Thank you, Shamrokchick, for the screencaps!]]
The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef
We open with a lovely underwater scene of fish swimming over a coral reef.
"Galactor, the disrupters of world peace, have increased their power and run rampant all over the Earth," intones the narrator as a fleet of little mini submarines, each with two floodlights, come into view.
But wait, these aren't Galactor subs -the narrator continues that "Dr. Nambu, concerned with the Earth's future, has begun constructing a secret underwater base for the Science Ninja Team."
Now we see two men, the occupants of one of the mini submarines.
"The bottom of the sea is always so beautiful and peaceful," says one of the men and he and his companion discuss how unpolluted the sea is here and make it apparent that they are involved in the construction of the new base. "I think Dr. Nambu has the right idea. I hope construction goes smoothly," says the other man. "That's what we're here for; it's a job worth doing," concludes the first man.
Okay, these two have started the episode, we don't know their names, and they're nice, ordinary guys. They are so doomed...
Sure enough, at that very moment, they see what looks like some kind of explosion in the water ahead.
The water is dark, but we can make out... something, moving. The suspense doesn't last too long, though, as the man who spoke first gasps "It's a giant sea anemone!"
Now, a large orange "eye" on the end of a tentacle comes into view and fires some kind of energy beam at one of the mini submarines, causing it to veer and then explode. Next, the anemone hurls a boulder at the glass window of another mini submarine and it shatters and we see the two occupants (and I think they're the two we just met -they never should have said that it was beautiful and peaceful) are engulfed in water with cries of horror. Now we get a full view of the attacking anemone.
It grabs a mini submarine with one of its tentacles and smashes it into another submarine. The remaining mini submarines are in full rout, fleeing, but the sea anemone is zapping them with energy beams from its tentacles, and making them all explode.
As the last mini submarine explodes and the screen goes red, the music changes to something much more serene and we're looking at a red balloon against a blue sky.
The balloon's string is snagged on a tree branch, but Ken (in civvies) pulls it from the branch and hands it to a small girl whose head is way too big for her body.
The branch also wasn't any higher than Ken's chest, so Ken didn't do anything that the girl couldn't have managed herself by raising her arms over her head, but she says "Thanks so much, Mister!" as two small boys and another small girl also come running over and gather excitedly around Ken.
Jinpei is standing some distance away, leaning against a tree and trying to look cool, casually swinging his bolas.
"You're out of sight, Mister! Just like Gatchaman!" says one of the boys. (His head is too big for his body too; in fact, all these kids look weird.) Okay, if Ken had climbed 50 feet up the tree to retrieve the balloon, and had then soared down to the ground with it, this kid's comparison might begin to seem apt. But as it is, the other boy also tells Ken he's really cool and that he looks just like Gatchaman. Hmm, just a couple episodes ago, a Galactor commander didn't recognize Gatchaman, but now these kids appear to know all about the Science Ninja Team -clearly, their fame is spreading. Ken seems mildly amused and asks the first boy if he's ever seen Gatchaman. The boy hasn't, but he knows that Gatchaman has "white wings, and he's a champion of justice!" and the other boy hopes to meet him someday.
By now, Jinpei has had enough of being ignored and he appears at Ken's side. "I'm a big Gatchaman fan too!" he brags, winking vigorously at Ken, "I know a lot about him!" Ken frowns nervously, but Jinpei proceeds to ask the little kids "So, who do you think is the coolest one in the Science Ninja Team?"
The answer he gets is "Gatchaman, G1! He is the leader, after all!" Jinpei's face falls briefly, but he seems to decide that he can live with that and he asks the kids who their second pick is.
Here, the two little girls chime in with "G3! She's such a cool girl!" and when asked by an even more perturbed Jinpei who the kids' third pick is, they say it's G2, then G5 "the fat guy," and last of all, G4. "He's pretty shrimpy!" says the first little boy, as all the kids laugh. Jinpei turns away, crushed, saying "I can't believe I ended up dead last."
But disappointment gives way to anger as he turns on them and snaps "You guys don't know jack about the Science Ninja Team!" as Ken rumples Jinpei's hair and tells him "Come on..." With a final indignant glare, Jinpei walks away after Ken.
Next, Ken and Jinpei are walking down a wide alley, and Jinpei is still complaining about being last in popularity, despite being "the 18th successor of the Iga Ninjas!" Ken tells him he's doing a really good job and says "Don't let it bring you down, dig?" (ADV cannot resist 70s slang!) but Jinpei is not appeased and whispers craftily to himself that he'll become the most popular one on the Team.
At that moment, Dr. Nambu contacts them via their bracelets and tells Ken to launch the God Phoenix.
Jinpei is all "This is my chance!" and he and Ken both transmute in the alley, in broad daylight, in full view of about 40 windows. Sigh...
This post has been edited 3 time(s), it was last edited by lborgia88 on 01-05-2009 at 23:10.
|
|
30-04-2009 14:22
|
|
lborgia88
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 27-06-2007
Posts: 5991
|
|
Next, the God Phoenix soars through the sky, and we are mercifully spared from watching all the recycled footage -everyone is already on the bridge. On screen, Dr. Nambu informs the Team that a secret base is being constructed for them.
Jinpei is especially pleased at this news. Dr. Nambu goes on that he fears Galactor knows about the construction of the base, as ten days ago, "several of our submarines were mysteriously destroyed while patrolling." Joe is ready to attack in retaliation, but Dr. Nambu only wants them to patrol around an uninhabited island "at point G in the South Pacific."
Jinpei concludes that their base must be being built near that island, but Dr. Nambu merely says that he is certain that Galactor will make a showing and that the Team must patrol around that island and then report in. Jinpei is disappointed that they are only being asked to search, and mutters to himself that this won't give him "a chance of becoming number one." However, Dr. Nambu is determined to ruin everyone's fun and he clearly expects Ken to keep Joe and Jinpei in line. "Gatchaman," he says, "I've said this many time, but we must not start a battle with Galactor." Ken dutifully agrees. As soon as Dr. Nambu is off the screen, Joe grumbles "Great, just patrolling again..." disgustedly as Jinpei chimes in "It's so boring!"
Jun, however, speculates that there's more that the Doctor isn't telling them, and Ken concurs.
Soon, the God Phoenix is approaching the uninhabited island, and Ken instructs Ryu to take the God Phoenix around its perimeter. As it soars by in the sky, tentacles rise from the water and wave ominously, but the God Phoenix banks and then dives into the sea.
Berg Katse, somewhere, is watching the God Phoenix underwater on a screen and he turns to face Leader X, telling him that the God Phoenix has been sighted patrolling close to the island. "Dr. Nambu's secret base must most certainly be close by." Leader X wants Berg Katse to find the base, as "we will be in grave danger" if it is completed.
Back to the God Phoenix, patrolling along the sea floor, we see Jinpei sitting inside the glass dome on top, watching the fish and eating some kind of hand-held snack.
The approach of a massive shark startles Jinpei, and he quickly descends to the bridge, where Jun and Ken are both laughing at him. "Silly boy," says Jun, "That shark couldn't get you -no wonder you're last in popularity!"
Jinpei scowls at Ken and says "You blabbed, didn't you?" but Ken just laughs even harder (this has always struck me as rather uncharacteristically mean of Ken). Jinpei is sad, but rallies with a "Just wait, you'll see!"
Now we see the God Phoenix moving through the sea, and just ahead, the giant sea anemone appears and waves all its tentacles menacingly. On the bridge, Jun gasps in surprise, but now it's Jinpei's turn to jeer "Come on, Sis, it's just a sea anemone!"
Ken interjects that it's much too large to possibly be a real sea anemone, and everyone turns grave.
Ken, quite sensibly I suppose, says "Ryu, try to avoid it." Well, Ryu does try, but the sea anemone begins jumping along the sea floor, following the God Phoenix.
"That's no ordinary sea anemone," says Ken, pointing out the obvious. "What is it?" asks Jinpei anxiously as Joe leans over Jinpei's shoulder and startles him with "a monster!" "Don't scare me like that!" protests Jinpei, as I chuckle at this little moment of Joe humor.
The sea anemone begins firing its energy beams at the God Phoenix.
The God Phoenix pitches and lurches from the explosions around it, and causes Jun to unnecessarily flash her panties as she and Jinpei fall to the floor while Ken and Joe grimace manfully while remaining in their chairs.
They all conclude that Galactor is behind the sea anemone, that it must have destroyed the mini submarines, and that it must be looking for their new secret base. Jinpei, however, is now excited at this apparent opportunity to improve his popularity ranking through combat with the sea anemone. But, Ken instructs Ryu to "release the smokescreen" and the swirl of dark that the God Phoenix releases into the water enables them to evade and escape the sea anemone.
Now, we're back above water and a full moon is shining on the sea's surface. The God Phoenix is parked on one of the island's beaches and, heedless of their vulnerability (and comfort), the Ninjas are all sleeping outside on the bare ground. Joe and Ken are somehow managing to sleep while sitting up. (Come on, surely there's something better to sleep on inside the God Phoenix than sandy ground!)
Jinpei, as it turns out, is not in fact sleeping -perhaps because Ryu is snoring beside him. As Jinpei scowls at Ryu, he can hear in his mind the words of the little kids who called him "shrimpy." Jinpei stands, just as Ryu swings his arm in his sleep and trips up Jinpei. With a final glare, Jinpei shoves Ryu's arm with his foot (and Ryu turns over and keeps sleeping) and he heads for the God Phoenix. While we see Ken and Joe still sleeping while sitting up, Jinpei heads off alone in his helico buggy, into the sea.
Commercial break!
This post has been edited 2 time(s), it was last edited by lborgia88 on 01-05-2009 at 23:18.
|
|
|
30-04-2009 14:22
|
|
lborgia88
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 27-06-2007
Posts: 5991
|
|
Part II (thank you for the screencaps, Saturn!)
The sun has now risen on the beach, and the four remaining Ninjas have realized that Jinpei is gone. "I knew this would happen," says Ken, "He's been so worried lately about his popularity with the other kids." (If you knew, Ken, then why were you laughing so meanly at him before?)
[Saturn: "In the morning, the team realizes that Jinpei is missing and are looking at what is 'supposedly' G4's empty space in the God Phoenix. Unfortunately, perhaps due to lack of comfortable sleep in the sand, the Team does not realize that they are actually standing below the left wing of the God Phoenix, which of course we all know is G3's space. Oh wel..."]
They conclude he might have gone after the sea anemone, and they head off in the God Phoenix to search for him. We see the God Phoenix sailing underwater as the narrator informs us that they have been unable to find Jinpei, as sad music plays, and that he isn't answering his communicator. "Several days passed," the narrator concludes, as Ken looks worried. Now, Ken, Jun, Joe and Ryu stand on the beach at sunset, and Jun worries that Jinpei has been caught by Galactor.
Jinpei has not, in fact, been caught. Rather, he's sitting on another beach and he has just caught a fish with a fishing pole.
[Saturn: "No worries though. Jinpei is indeed safe and sound, and is fishing comfortably while ignoring calls from his worried teammates. You are definitely on the right track to increase your popularity, Jinpei. Rebellious brats are always popular."]
[Saturn: "Jinpei catches a puffer fish, and makes his best puffer fish impression before throwing it back to the water. Thankfully Jinpei is wearing gloves because the tetrodotoxin in a puffer fish's skin in ten times deadlier than cyanide and is actually enough to kill approximately thirty adult humans. Just don't pick your nose with your gloves on, Jinpei!"]
He tosses the fish back into the water, as he hears Ken calling him over his bracelet. But Jinpei is determined to stay away until he's "number one" and he doesn't answer. "It's a matter of dignity," he declares.
Now, Jinpei is driving his helico buggy along the sea floor, searching for the sea anemone. The sea anemone appears, and goes after him. Before it catches up to Jinpei, he discovers the site where the new base is being constructed -a collection of oddly shaped building clustered in a deep section of the sea floor.
[Saturn: "Jinpei finds the 'supposedly' secret underwater base that Dr. Nambu is building."]
But now we can see that the sea anemone is right behind Jinpei's vehicle.
[Saturn: "However, Jinpei doesn't realize that the sea anemone (that HOPS) has been following him."]
It reaches out a tentacle and grabs Jinpei's entire helico buggy and tosses it into its "mouth."
[Saturn: "Jinpei is swallowed by the sea anemone. By the way, just for another fun anatomical fact, a sea anemone's mouth also serves as its ANUS, hehe."]
Inside the sea anemone, Jinpei's buggy is lowered into a room with weird pinkish-red walls that look like raw meat. Berg Katse is there, along with several armed goons. "How nice of you to visit, tiny Ninja," gloats Katse, and the door to Jinpei's buggy opens.
[Saturn: "Jinpei is welcomed by Katse and the goons. If you read my comment above, I don't really want to think much now about the nature of the liquid substances on the G4.  "]
I'm not scared of you, I've been looking out for you guys!" retorts Jinpei, peering out of his buggy. Katse, with -it must be admitted- some accuracy, says "You aren't too bright, are you?" and points out to Jinpei that he has led them to the location of Dr. Nambu's secret base. Jinpei is distressed at this realization, and Katse announces his intention of blowing up the secret base. Jinpei grits his teeth angrily and quickly tries to run over Katse with his buggy -and he nearly succeeds!
[Saturn: "Jinpei starts the attack by ramming Katse."]
Slits open in the weird walls, and we can see more goons, armed and ready.
[Saturn: "The goons start attacking back by coming out of some kind of stretchy walls. Unfortunately, when I see this particular screenshot, the one thing that comes to my mind first is that all the goons look like James Bond in the popular intro sequence in every James Bond movie."]
Jinpei plows a few goons down with his buggy, but when he charges at a goon standing in one of the slits, the goon merely steps back and the slit closes. Jinpei charges his buggy as some other goons standing in slits in the walls, and the same thing happens -they retreat behind the wall again and the slits close up. Finally a mechanical arm with a cutting blade extends from Jinpei's buggy as he tries to cut through the wall, but a goon shoots the arm and breaks off the cutting blade.
[Saturn: "Jinpei uses a chainsaw (???) to cut through the stretchy wall."]
Jinpei next extends a mechanical arm with a punching bag on its end and begins clobbering goons (a very versatile buggy he's got there!).
[Saturn: "When the chainsaw is not effective enough, Jinpei switches to a punching bag (???) which is kinda cute." ]
But, a large net falls from the ceiling and surrounds his buggy, and then it is hoisted up to hang from the ceiling.
[Saturn: "In the end, there are way too many goons for one Swallow, and Jinpei is caught in a fish net."]
Jinpei is most indignant, but Katse sneers that he wants Jinpei to see the base get blown up before they kill him. Jinpei remains defiant though, as the sea anemone moves towards the secret base.
[Saturn: "With the G4 already captured, Katse departs to the secret base, and the sea anemone that previously hopped is now thankfully blasting away with full force. Unfortunately, this unflattering shot below here is giving me an impression that the sea anemone is doing a pose like a healthy human being who emits a particular gas from, ummm, a particular place between the legs. I know, I know, I have a weird way of thinking sometimes, "]
But, alone inside his buggy now, Jinpei is overcome with guilt that he led Galactor to the secret base and repentant that he tried to make himself more popular. So he swallows his pride and tries to contact the others on his bracelet. Meanwhile, the God Phoenix is sailing underwater. Jun is the first to pick up Jinpei's call, and he quickly tells her that the sea anemone is going to destroy the secret base.
[Saturn: "Jinpei finally contacts Jun and tells her that Katse is going to blow up the secret base."]
(the rest of part II soon!)
This post has been edited 1 time(s), it was last edited by lborgia88 on 12-06-2010 at 17:45.
|
|
|
30-04-2009 15:56
|
|
lborgia88
Gatchamaniac
I am a Condor.
0 fics uploaded
Registration Date: 27-06-2007
Posts: 5991
|
|
Joe tells Jinpei to "stay connected" and begins tracking Jinpei's location on a radar screen. The God Phoenix surfaces and begins speeding towards Jinpei's location. On board the sea anemone, Katse is preparing to order the destruction of the secret base, but he decides it will be safer to fire on it from a bit of a distance rather than get too close. Just as the God Phoenix plunges into the sea over the sea anemone, the sea anemone begins firing energy beams from its tentacles at the base, and the base is destroyed in massive explosions while Katse indulges in evil laughter.
[Saturn: "Katse arrives earlier at the secret base and blasts it."]
Inside the sea anemone, Jinpei wails "Oh God!"
[Saturn: "Jinpei actually prays (in a Christian way) for the Team to arrive soon."]
"No! We're too late!" exclaims Ken as the God Phoenix arrives just in time to see all the destruction.
[Saturn: "The Team arrives late and can only see that the secret base has been demolished."]
He is so overcome with fury that he forgets: A) that he "must not start a battle with Galactor" B) must not fire bird missiles without permission, and C) that all five vehicles must be assembled together for it to be possible to fire bird missiles (or has that not been established yet?). But, he shouts "ahhh!!" and smashes his fist through the glass over the red bird missile button.
[Saturn: "Ken loses it and breaks the cover of the bird missiles."]
"But Jinpei!" cries Jun, and even Joe looks pretty damned shocked at what he's just witnessed, but Ken fires a bird missile.
[Saturn: "Even though Jun has reminded him that Jinpei is still inside the sea anemone, Ken just gives the evil grin and continues to press the bird missile button (without permission from Dr. Nambu). You really scare me sometimes, Ken!"]
Somehow, in his haste and fury, Ken did remember to aim (or he's incredibly lucky) because the missile blows all the tentacles off the sea anemone's top but leaves its body intact.
[Saturn: "The bird missile hits the sea anemone."]
Inside the sea anemone, Katse gasps in alarm. The God Phoenix lands on top of the sea anemone's body and they all go in -even Ryu gets to come.
[Saturn: "With the sea anemone partly destroyed, the God Phoenix lands on it."]
They all leap down into the inner room with the weird walls.
[Saturn: "All of the SNT (yup, all FOUR of them, Ryu is not left behind this time) enter the sea anemone. Strangely, the inner parts of Ken's wings have now changed colours from the usual red to pink and no, I am not going to make any funny comments on it. Still love you, Ken! "]
A big fight scene ensues as they all begin clobbering goons with martial arts and with their weapons. In a really cool sequence, Joe somersaults through the air, throttles a goon with his legs while seizing his gun and -as he lands on his feet- shoots down the net that has Jinpei's buggy trapped suspended in the air.
[Saturn: "Jinpei is released by Joe's shots at the fish net."]
With every goon down, Ken lands and glares a truly dangerous glare at Berg Katse. But as Ken lunges for Katse, he retreats behind that wall and the slit that he passed through immediately closes up again.
[Saturn: "The goons are no match for the SNT, and Katse, realizing this, disappears behind the stretchy wall. Katse later leaves with his escape pod, feeling happy that he has destroyed the secret base."]
As Ken punches the wall futilely, he can hear Katse gloat that "It's Galactor's victory this time!" The Science Ninjas leave in the God Phoenix as the body of the sea anemone self-destructs. We see a small escape submarine, though, conveying a laughing Berg Katse to safety.
The God Phoenix is now flying through the air and Dr. Nambu appears on screen. Before he can speak, a very glum looking Ken begins apologizing about the destruction of the base (what about that missile you fired without permission, Ken?) and Jinpei sadly insists that it's his fault the base was destroyed, wiping tears from his face.
[Saturn: "Back in the control room of the God Phoenix, Jinpei is crying and feeling guilty for causing the destruction of the secret base."]
But Dr. Nambu says "Science Ninja Team, you did well, very well indeed," as Jinpei looks up in confusion. Everyone is confused. Dr. Nambu tells them that they have enabled the construction of the secret base to be completed. "But Galactor destroyed it," says Jun. Now, Dr. Nambu begins laughing hard -not something you see often!
[Saturn: "Surprisingly, or should I say, SHOCKINGLY, Dr. Nambu laughs his heart out. Because of the rarity of this occasion, this footage definitely deserves to be made into an animation, hehe."]
He reveals now that the "base" that was destroyed was merely a decoy. "Decoy? So then we were tricked too -is that what you're trying to tell us, Doc?" demands Joe, looking decidedly less than pleased (and I can't say I blame him). Dr. Nambu tells Jinpei that he did an excellent job, and Jinpei initially has some trouble accepting this, but he does and he begins laughing, but quickly says "That can't be right," as his face takes on a confused expression.
[Saturn: "Dr. Nambu later explains that the secret base is just a decoy, and that he purposely put the SNT into trouble to protect a fake base. Jinpei isn't really sure whether he should be happy or not, judging from his various facial expressions."]
It turns out that the real base is beneath the God Phoenix right now, and we see a crescent surrounded by the sea.
[Saturn: "The Team later arrives in the new base, the Crescent Coral Base."]
"I don't see anything except a crescent shaped coral reef," says Jun but Dr. Nambu explains that it's merely camouflage for their new, movable base, and he tells them all to come see their new fortress. The God Phoenix dives and as the water clears, they all see their new base close up, and they all go "ooh!" Then, we cut to an interior view as Dr. Nambu looks out of a window at the approaching God Phoenix.
[Saturn: "Dr. Nambu eagerly awaits for the Team to disembark from the ship to give them a tour of the new base, Perhaps his over-eagerness can explain his mysteriously longer mustache, hahaha!"]
Finally we see the God Phoenix about to dock inside the new base, as fish peacefully swim by.
THE END
|
|
|
30-04-2009 16:45
|
|
|
[1]
2
next »
-->
Members browsing this thread: none
|
Pages (2):
[1]
2
next »
|
|
|
|
|
Springie!
It's funny, ever since I wrote that little fic I can't get it out of my head whenever I see them on the beach!
