Hi all!

Just call me nitpicky, but I've got a few addendums/corrections to the information on Carolyn's site.

First, though, it should be noted that there is very little truly official information on Dr. Nambu available. In the series Planning Establishment, he is hardly described. The most they say about him is as follows:

"When they receive their orders, they change into their special costumes, then quickly unite as a team and commence action. Using a special Telex, the "International Science and Technology Development Organization (ISO)" orders the boys to confront Gallactor. They board special mechanics invented by an ISO Doctor of Engineering, Sensaburo Nambu. The boys report to him via a relay. After receiving their orders, the actions of the heroes are hard-boiled, as they fly to save the world, opposing Gallactor, volunteering their souls to combat. It will always be full of speed, thrills and suspense as the dynamic action unfolds."

Later, they expand things slightly by saying:

"Each of the mechanics used by the "Science Ninja Team" were developed by the superior scientists of the "International Science and Technology Development Organization." When a cell of "Gallactor's" existence is detected, Branch Manager Dr. Nambu is contacted. The members of the "Science Ninja Team" are then contacted by Dr. Nambu with orders. The communication device is hidden within the "Transformation Bracelet" worn of the left wrist of each member."

The only other mentions of Nambu come when describing the "Headquarters of the Science Ninja Team:"

"At one time, they used Dr. Nambu's seaside villa to hide from the eyes of Gallactor, but this is destroyed in Episode 3, "Dr. Nambu Assassination Plan."

After that, their base is established within a giant undersea combinant, an undersea city established for the sake of developing undersea resources."

And when describing the "Dramatic Composition of Each Episode:"

"From the beginning of the very first scene, the peaceful surface of the Earth will be disturbed when the Gallactor gang calls out mecha monsters. Their appearance will draw in the viewers.

After that, the Science Ninja Team is ordered to "Transform" and "Unite" by Dr. Nambu. They head out in pursuit of Gallactor, beginning their confrontation once they arrive at their destination."

And, lastly, when describing the God Phoenix:

"(Weapons)

Installed with Bird Missiles (It will not set without the wiring of the G-1 ~ G-5).

It has Dr. Nambu's seal, and cannot be fired without the Doctor's permission."

So, as you can see, there wasn't much to go on there.

You have to go back to the even earlier character concepts to get to much of what we know of Nambu's background. It is there that we are told that Nambu is an unmarried 48-year-old Japanese man who lives in a villa in Kanagawa Prefecture. He graduated from Oxford and Cambridge with degrees in Engineering and Medical Mechanics. Awarded the Mami Scientifiic Prize, he is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo, and a consultant on the I.S.O.'s Mantle Plan. Completion of the Mantle Plan is his goal in life. He has both a automobile and an air license, and has first degree Judo training. His basic physical appearance was supposed to resemble that of Japanese actor Shinsuke Ashida, who can be seen on the right in this picture of a lobby card from a 1963 movie he was in:



Now, obviously, some of this information was changed as the show was in production. Nambu's first name was stated as Kozaburo, not Sensaburo, in Gatchaman #81. Rather than living in Kanagawa, he lives in Utoland, but at least he still lives in a villa (And a very large one too)! In the absense of other solid background information regarding him, much of the remaining information (Such as his age and where he went to school) has been accepted as the closest thing to canon that we'll get.

So, Carolyn's site has a bit of erroneous information by saying that he attended Harvard, and that his specialty was in Astrophysics. There is also no mention of World War III in the series, and therefore nothing regarding any involvement of Nambu in this never-mentioned war.

To be fair, I've seen this information on other sites as well. I'm focusing on hers only because it was given as a source for information on Nambu.

The series does provide a few other bits of information regarding Nambu's past.

When in school, one of his classmates was fellow scientist Dr. Demon. The two had a falling out when Nambu was chosen over Dr. Demon for an important position in the I.S.O., after which Dr. Demon disappeared until many years later. (Episode #84)

Also while at school, Dr. Nambu met Dr. Henjiman, who was a senior student at the time. Nambu remembered him as an intelligent individual with an enthusiasm for research, but with a dislike for mankind. (Episode #21)

He was one of the first people to recognize the danger presented by Gallactor, at the time Ken was 4-years-old and he asked his best friend, Kentaro Washio, to go to Hontwal to investigate the situation. (Episode #52)

By the time he went to BC Island three years later, he knew the enemy was named Gallactor, and he saved Joe when the boy was nearly killed by the Devil Star who killed Joe's parents, lying on Joe's death certificate to save the boy's life. (Episode #81)

At some point after these events, he created the Science Ninja Team, apparently in secret from the rest of the main I.S.O. council (Episode #1)

Continuing to work in secret, he built the Science Ninja Team's "castle," Crescent Coral Reef, though this time with more public knowledge of the I.S.O.. (Episode #8) Crescent Coral Reef has been referred to by the nickname of "Nambu Base," presumably because of both the importance of Nambu in it creation and for the amount of work Nambu does there. (Episode #15)

Nambu apparently has good knowledge of most of the top scientists of the world, and was surprised that he had never heard of archaeologist Dr. Mukashiski, so obviously his knowledge does not extend to scientists who work for Gallactor (Episode #38)

As far as the notion that Nambu received the transformation technology from aliens goes, that idea has its roots among the series staff. Rei Kozumi, the "SF Consultant" for the series, whose job was to make sure the SF elements in the series were at least somewhat plausible, explained in an interview that ppeared in "Fantastic TV Collection Vol. 1 - Gatchaman," published in July of 1978:

"As a point of scientific consistency, if I was left scratching my head over something, it was none other than the main idea of the transformation. The thing with it was, no matter how you looked at it, it was beyond the level of Earth science on hand in the background.

I thought that perhaps good spacemen, who were critical of the "Governor" who ran Gallactor, might have secretly presented Dr. Nambu with the technology, but in the end this never made an appearance. I thought it was a good idea."

Anyway, it's more about Nambu that you ever wanted to know.

James

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Thank you James for all the information about Nambu.
I have been enjoying all these character weeks we have been doing, because of the information you have been able to provide us on each character.

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

Hi all!

James, you are such an amazing source of info!

That's it... from now on, all of my fics will refer to 'Hontwal'!!!!

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James , your knowledge of the show, in it different versions and all really is amazing.... thanks for sharing it!

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" No gratitude needs to be voiced, your mind speaks to us!"


Racer by day, Feather Thrower all the time!

Nambu meets the Beatles?? I just had the mental image of the Doctor with a shag haircut and flashing the peace sign... <shudder>

Thanks for all the great Nambu info, James! You're always a wealth of information for us!

And, LB, wow, that metamorphosis of Nambu/Anderson was amazing!! Thank you for photoshopping the pics so we could see what he really looks like under that scientist exterior of his!

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Hinotori
Eagle in Charge