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Gatchaman Episode 5 - Ghost Fleet From Hell
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Gatchaman Episode 5 - The Ghost Fleet from Hell
Deep in the oceans lies a ship graveyard. It is said that all ships that sink at sea gather at this place. An ISO sea vessel sails the ocean near the water. When a member of the crew expresses distress at this thought, the Captain tells him, "Don't be such a Sea Monkey!"
Nothing is visible on the radar, but suddenly a ship materializes in front of the ISO vessel! Despite what the crew think, the viewer immediately knows that this is not a Ghost ship, as the familiar 'Galactor in Action' music begins playing. The 'ghost ship' launches a missile at the hapless ISO boat, and the crew are goners. The missile is followed up with a lot of gunfire.
Cut from BOTP: the ISO vessel's crew flee for their (soon to be ended) lives.
Not too far from this location, the ISO has created an underwater farm, a place where humans can live free of pollution. Dr. Nambu and Director Anderson are having a meeting at this very location. Anderson paces the room nervously, while Nambu remains implacable.
Apparently this is the fifth time that one of the ISO's 'prized ocean development vessels' has disappeared, each one near the underwater graveyard. Nambu mentions that sailors have been afraid of the area for many years.
"But this is the Age of Science!" Anderson protests. "Just look at these beautiful underwater oilfields!"
The oilfields are apparently next to the underwater farm. Anderson thinks the whole thing is magnificent.
Anderson and Nambu admire the ISO's handiwork.
But the 'formidable bunch' known as Galactor is their 'greatest enemy'. Even this early on in the series, in episode 5, Anderson is sure that only they could have something to do with the mystery of the underwater graveyard. Nambu points out that Galactor is likely to come after the underwater farm as well.
And Nambu is right. Even now, Katse is speaking via remote transmission with his latest ridiculously-costumed captain.
Seriously, I think the Captain is supposed to be a fish. But he looks more like a 1950s B-movie version of a Martian.
Doesn't Katse look like the Joker? Cesar Romero, Jack Nicholson, and Heath Ledger have nothing on him!
Anyhow, Katse thinks that in order to control the world, Galactor must control the oceans. Clearly the new ISO base will get in the way of that goal, so he orders Fish-Martian Captain to 'destroy it completely'.
Meanwhile, Nambu and Anderson are now pacing together. Anderson is still concerned. Nambu tells Anderson in confidence that he has secretly summoned the Science Ninja Team to the island nearby. Anderson asks to know exactly where they are, and Nambu refuses.
"You must know that I cannot tell you anything about them, or their identities." Nambu explains. "No one knows their secrets but me. I'm the only one that knows what they look like! That is what makes them the Science Ninja Team!"
Um, couldn't they be the Science Ninja Team, even if other people knew who they were? Seems to me that's what happened in Gatchaman II and F... but I digress.
Finally, nearly one third of the way into the episode, we get to see our favorite ninjas. They are playing at the beach! Jun and Jinpei are waterskiing, while Ken pilots the boat that tows them. Strangely the boat looks a lot like the G-1. Hey... I wonder...?
Did you know that Ken likes to wear necklaces? Neither did I.
Jinpei urges Ken to go faster, while Jun just laughs.
But when Ken takes the pair up a couple of ramps, Jinpei isn't able to handle it.
"Man! And you call yourself a true descendent of the Iga Ninjas?" Ken mocks Jinpei. Wait a minute... I thought only Nambu knew their secrets? So why is Ken shouting this across the water at a public beach?
Jinpei just apologizes for being bad at waterskiing.
Meanwhile, Ryu and Joe blend in with the tourists on the beach.
Joe looks a lot like Jim Morrison, and with that deep, gravelly voice, you could almost imagine that he's channeling the dead signer. I wonder if Jim is really buried in the underwater graveyard, instead of in a Paris cemetery?
Ryu complains that he's bored, because he can't waterski. Joe lectures him, telling the Owl that they're not there to play. Could have fooled me! It sure looked like that was what the other three were doing! But Joe is there to get revenge on Galactor. And even wearing a bathing suit, we're back to our stereotypical obsessive Condor! But as he berates Ryu, Joe spots something strange.
An oil slick is spreading across the water. Everyone is horrified.
"This just can't be normal!" Jun exclaims. I'm not sure if she's talking about the oil spill, or Jinpei wearing a thong. My eyes!!!!!
Did that shot make the BOTP ep? Now I just have to know.
Turns out the oil slick is caused by a Galactor 'ghost submarine' attacking the ISO underwater oilfield and farm. Strangely, we see the same shots of crew running for their lives across an open boat deck that we did earlier in the episode. Wait a minute... I know Tatsunoko wanted to save on costs by recycling footage, but this is clearly not right, since these guys are not on an open boat deck!
We see more shots of ISO buildings and personnel getting toasted.
Meanwhile, Ken is casually sitting in his Cessna. He doesn't look worried at all.
And why isn't he in Birdstyle, if this is such an emergency? He gets a call from Nambu, who tells him that the mystery submarine is headed toward the underwater graveyard, and that Ken should follow it. So Ken takes off solo in the Cessna. Once he is airborne, the Doctor orders him to assemble the team and launch the God Phoenix. Cue stock footage of Ken transforming in the Cessna and joining up with the God Phoenix.
The God Phoenix flies over the area of the oil slick.
Ken orders Ryu to submerge. Ryu closes the air vents on the side of the ship, and they go underwater. The Team searches for the ghost submarine underwater.
Clearly this search is difficult, because Joe complains that it is
'brutal'. Or perhaps he's talking about Jinpei's amazing color-changing uniform!
Joe hurries to check out the sonar, on Ken's orders.
He finds the submarine, and Ken orders a full speed intercept course.
Fish-Martian Captain tells Katse that he thinks the God Phoenix is following him. Katse tells the Captain to lure the Science Ninja Team to the underwater graveyard.
Somehow, this involves the submarine shutting off its engines. Once it does this, Joe loses track of it on the God Phoenix's sonar. Okay, so I'm no scientific expert, but I thought sonar worked with sound waves? Can't it map things that are sitting still, like rocks and underwater topography and stuff?
"Well, we've come this far, and we're not backing down now!" Ken declares. They press on and discover the underwater graveyard. Jun and Jinpei seem to think the place is really scary.
But after the commercial break, Jun seems to be over it. She shoves a clamoring Jinpei off of her, telling him to 'act like a man'.
Ken views the underwater graveyard.
He realizes that they are submarines, not ships, and he orders Ryu to stop. Jun finds it hard to believe that subs this damaged could move. Ryu uses this opportunity to ponder the meaning of war. Jinpei declares that war is caused by bad guys ordering people to war.
"Hey, I wonder if somebody is ordering Galactor around too?" Jun asks.
Clearly it only just now occurred to the Swan that Galactor isn't just a bunch of random people doing things together all co-incidentally.
Joe interrupts this discussion with a different observation. There are all kinds of vessels traveling the ocean, such as passenger ships, tankers and fishing vessels, but the ships here are all related to war. Um, didn't they say that these were all submarines? I didn't know they made a lot of passenger submarines. Or fishing submarines! I guess it's a different world in the future.
Joe has an idea!
Now that they've figured this out, Ken wants to surface. But once they do, the Science Ninja Team finds themselves surrounded by fog. There is zero visibility. So Ken orders Ryu to turn on the floodlights. I didn't know they had fog lights!
Thanks to the fog lights, Ken spots something.
The fog is swirling, and Ken just knows that it's artificial. He also knows that if they go to the center of the fog, they'll be able to find clues. He's sure of it! Sure enough, they come across the ghost ship. It begins shooting at the God Phoenix, and since Jun wasn't very sympathetic last time, this time Jinpei grabs for Ken.
Ryu evades the gunfire by flying higher, and sighs with relief.
"What kind of Science Ninja gets worked up over a little thing like that?" Joe asks nastily. Ken orders Ryu to activate the infrared filter. Once he does, they can see a machine creating the artificial fog. Of course, Joe dashes to the front of the Bridge, eager to 'nail it with Bird Missiles'.
Ken of course grabs his hand and stops him, reminding Joe that they can't use Bird Missiles without Dr. Nambu's permission. Doesn't Joe know this by now? I think Joe does, bvut he was hoping Ken would lighten up.
No dice, Joe. This begins a tedious scene where Ken calls Nambu and asks for permission to fire a missile. Yawn... I'm so glad they stopped this in later episodes!
After much deliberation, Nambu grants special permission to use Bird Missiles. And Joe is let loose!
Joe shoots four missiles at the machine. Jinpei celebrates its destruction with a strange dance.
But as the fog clears, they discover that all of the ships from the underwater graveyard are now floating on the ocean's surface below them. Joe wants to smash them with more Bird Missiles. Ken protests, but Joe reminds the Eagle that Dr. Nambu already gave permission once. You've got to love that logic!
I love the smirk on Joe's face here!
Joe shoots some more 'Condor Specials'. Does this term relate to Dr. Nambu's 'special permission' to fire in the first place?
I love the big red arrow pointing at the firing button. Do you think Joe would be able to find the red button, without the arrow?
Joe shoots a lot more missiles at the ships. Jinpei does his bizarre dance some more. But the ships suddenly start descending into the water. They explode all on their own. Strange flying saucers emerge from the ruins of the ships. See, I knew that Captain was supposed to be a Martian!
The flying saucers rise into the air and begin shooting laser guns at the God Phoenix. Joe's really mad now!
The trigger-happy Condor goes off again, shooting missile after missile at the little saucers.
A Bird Missile approaches a hapless flying saucer.
But there are dozens of them. To Joe's horror, he quickly discovers that he has depleted the God Phoenix's entire complement of missiles.
He's so horrified that they have to draw a red box around his eyes.
Everyone is shocked when Joe admits what he's done. How could he?
Meanwhile, there are still lots of flying saucers around, and they're all shooting lasers at the God Phoenix. The Science Ninja Team is clearly in trouble. No matter how much Ryu dodges their fire, they keep coming after him.
Ken orders Ryu to dive into the sea, but before they can do this, three more planes show up.
Okay, maybe it's just me, but I think that the front of these jets look like buttocks, don't you?
Clearly Jinpei doesn't share my opinion, because he declares that the planes are 'cool-looking'. I'll give him that they look much cooler from the side.
The three planes seem to be shooting at the God Phoenix at first, but it quickly becomes apparent that they are actually shooting at the flying saucers. Of course, they also buzz the God Phoenix a number of times, sending the ninjas flying.
The three planes manage to destroy the remaining saucers, and once they are finished they surround the God Phoenix. A mocking laugh comes over their Comm system.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Science Ninja Team, I am Red Impulse!" the voice taunts them. "Let's meet again!"
Ken ponders who this 'Red Impulse" might be. Friend, or foe? Well, I have my own opinion on that...
Now that the threat is over. Nambu and Anderson are back at the (apparently rebuilt) underwater farm. Anderson loves the pollution-free environment so much that he lights up with a cigar. Nambu even offers the Director a light.
Anderson wonders where the Science Ninja Team are now. Nambu suggests that they're probably hard at work. Or on second thought, maybe they're just out having a good time. The viewer is left to decide which for themselves, as we see the team frolicking in scuba masks under the water. Jinpei has apparently caught a ride with a giant sea turtle.
The turtle apparently doesn't like this, and ditches the Swallow.
Ken and Jun appear especially amused by this.
Unlike usual, we don't have the narrator giving us a closing statement. Perhaps he was so amused by Jinpei being tossed off of the sea turtle that he couldn't speak either. Ah well, the episode has a happy ending, so I guess the narrator can be forgiven. Go, Science Ninja Team!
BOTP Episode 40 - Ghost Ship of Planet Mir
As with Gatchaman, a ship sails into a deep fog. The ship toots its horn in time with the BOTP music. No, I'm not kidding. The sailors wonder why they ever left Earth to sail 'this planet'. Ah, so we're not on Earth? My, this must be some exotic alien planet that just looks like Earth! The title of the episode suggests that it would be Planet Mir. And it is!
The crew sees a ghost ship! And... we cut to Center Neptune.
Gee, I wonder what happened to the ship? 
Zark informs us that most of his designs have been incorporated in the building of 'deep sea wonders' like Center Neptune. So modest, is our Zark. And right now, the one being built is on Planet Mir! What a coincidence!
Zark flies over to a console to check on the construction.
But of course, the self-proclaimed 'Guardian of Center Neptune' isn't getting a clear picture on his monitors today, so he wipes them down and checks them again on his extended legs. The monitor was covered with dust. How does he get dust in a sealed underwater room with no humans? Must be the ventilation system. But why does a robot need ventilation?
Zark finally gets a picture of the place where the new underwater base is being built. He isn't too thrilled with the location, as it is next to a 'graveyard of ships'. Four supply ships have been lost, including one just today! Wait... did Zark just imply that the people on the ship in the beginning of the episode died? I don't think I'm hearing right...
Zark now shows us the new underwater fish farms and a sub-marine oilfield that will supply the galaxy with one quarter of its energy needs, without polluting the sea around it. But Zark is still worried about the missing ships, so he has alerted Chief Anderson.
Anderson and President Kane are discussing the missing ships at the new base. The project is delayed another month!
"Your master robot, 7-Zark-7, spotted a spaceship in that area." Kane notes. Anderson agrees that it could be Spectra. Kane thinks that Brock, the deposed leader of Mir, has joined forces with Zoltar to regain control of the planet. Hmm... quite the political controversy, these missing ships.
"Two renegade aliens with one sinister goal!" Kane moans.
Anderson summons G-Force to the scene.
Brock turns out to be Fish-Martian Captain. Zoltar wants all new technology to be sent to Spectra first. In other words, if he can't have the new underwater bases, then no one can. Zoltar has the mentality of a three year old.
Mark is piloting a boat while Keyop and Princess waterski. When Keyop lands in the water, Mark sarcastically remarks that he is 'ready to try out for the Olympics'. Keyop replies that he is the 'diving champ'. Groan...
On the beach, Tiny wants to get in the water, but Jason reminds him that it's their turn to keep watch. Unlike Joe, Jason thinks this is 'a big drag'. Yet Jason still insists that anything could happen.
But nothing does.
Seriously, nothing does. They cut the entire oil slick scene. I'm not sure why. Oh wait! Keyop would have to show his bare butt! Clearly that is so offensive that they had to get rid of the whole scene. The scene of the sub attacking the underwater base is cut too.
So yep, no Keyop in a thong. Phew! I don't think I could take seeing that again.
Instead, we're watching Mark's Cessna preparing for takeoff. Anderson calls Mark and tells him to 'scratch his vacation.'
"Hey, Chief, I'm just getting loose!" Mark complains.
Anderson tells Mark that the submarine that attacked the ships has been spotted. The Chief wants Mark to get the Team together and get to Planet Mir right away. Wait a minute... they think they'll keep the submarine in sight long enough for the Phoenix to travel all the way to another planet? Wow!
Once everyone is onboard the Phoenix, they fly to Mir.
Mark tells everyone to get ready to 'transmute for time warp'. I thought they had already transmuted?
Wait a minute... Time Warp! Shades of Rocky Horror aside, this must be how they can get all the way to another planet before the submarine disappears! They're traveling through time!
Mir finally appears on the viewscreen. Hey, it looks just like Planet Zarkadia from the Space Mummy episode!
Once they arrive, Mark tells Tiny to dive straight into the ocean. They go looking for the sub. Jason finds it on the Infrascanner. Meanwhile, Brock has seen them. Zoltar tells him that this time, G-Force's resourcefulness will be their downfall. He reminds Brock to do 'exactly what they planned' and wishes him luck.
As with the God Phoenix, the Phoenix's equipment can't pick up the submarine once its motor has been turned off. G-Force continues to search for it anyway.
Zark tells us that the Phoenix performs wonderfully under water. Still, he's nervous about what the Team might be heading into. Worry-wart, they name is Zark. He's even pacing!
These sunken ships all in one place really bother Zark. He thinks there's more than meets the eye. He contacts the Team and tells them that his 'sensitive interceptors' tell him that the submarine is leading them into a trap. Zark would feel a lot better if they would just get out of there.
Mark takes Zark's word for it and orders Tiny to surface. The discussion about war is cut from the episode.
Mark orders the fog lights turned on once they get out of the water, and deduces that the fog is manmade because of its color. He's convinced the whole thing is a setup.
Everyone is amazed when the ghost ship appears and starts shooting at the Phoenix. Everyone sighs in relief when Tiny evades the gunfire. Everyone except Jason, who reminds them that they're 'not out of this yet'.
Mark orders Tiny to use the Infraprobe. They find the fog-maker. Mark asks Jason if he thinks it's one of Planet Mir's defense weapons. Jason doesn't think so, and wants to 'knock it out'. But as he reaches for the missile launcher, Mark stops him. They might be firing on their allies!
Mark check with Chief Anderson, who says that they don't have any information on it. He tells Mark to go ahead anyway. Wait a minute... what kind of Security Chief is this???
But it's okay to shoot. Whoo hoo for Jason! He enjoys shooting as much as Joe does! And Keyop dances just like Jinpei. Amazing!
When they see the new ships after the fog clears, Jason wants to shoot them too. Mark doesn't know, but Jason insists that 'they're robots'. He can pick them off easily. I guess it's okay to shoot robots, so off he goes.
If only they could shoot Zark...
Everyone is shocked again when the flying saucers appear. Keyop thinks there are 'too many' of them, but Jason starts shooting with a coy 'Wanna play?'
Unfortunately, Jason runs out of missiles! Just a little more, and he could take them! But alas, they don't have any more, and the flying saucers are still firing.
"So now what?" Tiny asks glumly.
"Back underwater, and fast!" Mark orders. Maybe Zark was wrong to send them out of the water in the first place?
Three red jets show up on the viewscreen, and Mark identifies them as... fighters from Mir. Yep. Wait, I thought the Red Rangers were from Riga? Nope, it's not the Red Rangers. It's not Cronus. It's fighters from Mir. Their jets just look like the Red Rangers.
The jets don't talk to the Phoenix. Mark thinks that G-Force came up to help the people of Planet Mir, but the fighters put the 'finishing touch on the job'. He mentally thanks them.
Kane is grateful that G-Force saved the farm and oil center. He wants to give the Team something in appreciation, and asks Anderson if he has any ideas. Anderson states that it's not necessary, but he knows the Team would appreciate some time to finish their vacation on Sunset Island.
And so it is as G-Force scuba with a sea turtle!
The G-Force Team send Zark a postcard saying 'Glad you're not here!' I wonder whose idea that was?
Zark actually thinks this means that they care about him, because they don't want him to rust in the water. Yeah... right... you keep thinking that, Zark.
He moves over for an oil change, and Susan contacts him. Zark's antenna start popping the moment he hears her voice.
Susan has heard Zark talking about a vacation (What, does she bug the place?) and hopes he's not going to a glamorous gambling resort. She knows Zark would 'flip his FOSDIC' over one of those gambling slot machines. And they're nothing but gold diggers. Zark decides to cancel his vacation. This makes Susan feel much better. So much better that she terminates the conversation. Zark giggles girlishly, wondering why he would ever want a vacation away from Susan.
Gee, I can think of a few reasons... Fortunately, the episode is over.
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I remember this episode from when I was a kid, mainly because the team was on vacation and in swimsuits (which was rare)...I always thought that Jason was hitting on the ladies, though...and asking Tiny not to obstruct his view!! LOL
