Customer Reviews

Gatchaman Volume 9

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This volume includes episodes 49 to 54. It is one of my favorites but it's also a sad one as Ken loses his dad. To those following the storyline about Ken and his missing father, you may want to skip straight to the last four episodes of this volume which are all about them.

49. The Fearsome Mechadokuga: Jinpei is accidentally led to a Galactor's base and overhears a plot to blow up an ISO facility. It's up to him to foil their plans while Galactor lures the Science Ninja Team under the sea where they are held by a deadly butterfly-looking mecha. All I have to say is that Galactor's men definitely need a lot of target practice. [4 stars]

50. Trachadon, The Dinosaur Skeleton: The Science Ninja Team investigates a series of accidents and the appearance of a destructive dinosaur skeleton at a shrine where a new dam is being constructed. Some comic moments provided by Ryu and Jinpei. This episode has the least impressive mecha (if it can be considered a mecha at all) I've seen so far. [3 stars]

51. Cata-Roller, the Revolving Beast: Ken helps the Captain of Red Impulse, who's working as a spy, obtain proof that the Defense Minister of Hontwarl is plotting to overthrow the president with the help of Galactor. The mission not only gives Ken and the Captain a chance to work together but also time to talk about their respective pasts. Even though the Captain reveals that he had to leave behind his wife and only son, Ken still doesn't put two and two together. In the midst of all the action, their conversation gives a touching moment to this episode. [5 stars]

Correction: In the subtitled version, Ken does consider the possibility of Red Impulse being his father for just a split second and rejects it immediately. That line was dubbed differently in the English version. That's one more good reason to watch this series in Japanese (come on, reading subtitles is not that bad).

52. Red Impulse's Secret: The Defense Minister of Hontwarl's plans for an overthrow had failed but he and his men are still free and are after the spy who messed up their plans. To force him to reveal himself, they captured Ken, whom they have identified as the spy's son, to use as bait. Meanwhile, Berg Katse threatens to put into action the V2 Plan, a special missile that would make the Van Allen Belt descend to Earth if all the nations of the world don't surrender to him. Dr. Nambu sends the Science Ninja Team to Hontwarl to destroy the missile. Everything goes wrong for our heroes in this episode. Busy with Ken's rescue, Red Impulse is delayed in reaching the missile site while the rest of the Science Ninja Team has to face the re-appearance of the Cata-Roller with an incomplete God Phoenix. [5 stars]

53. Farewell Red Impulse: The displacement of the Van Allen Belt has caused atmospheric disturbances that have catastrophic effects on the planet. Sure that the governments of all the countries on Earth will surrender to him in the next 24 hours, Berg Katse rushes to complete another missile to cause another explosion that will put the Van Allen Belt back in its place. After all, Galactor has nothing to gain if the entire Earth turns into a vast scorched desert. The ISO has no time to build its own missile so Dr. Nambu orders Joe, Jun, Ryu and Jimpei back to Hontwarl to steal Galactor's one and launch it. With the same idea in mind but acting on his own, Ken infiltrates Galactor's base only to find out that the captain of Red Impulse is also there in disguise. This is a sad episode as Ken finally learns the true identity of the Captain but the father-and-son brief meeting is ended in a heart-breaking decision. I've seen comments in which Red Impulse is called a jerk but I think that's uncalled for. The man had a strong sense of duty and he also was not about to let his son die. [5 stars]

54. Gatchaman Burns with Rage: Berg Katse is bent on destroying all the uranium facilities of the ISO's Mantle Project with his new mecha, the Crab Killer. But in this episode, the mayhem caused by the Crab Killer takes a back seat to the emotional turmoil that's going on in Ken. Consumed by both grief and anger for the death of his father, he's a changed man. He's changed enough to earn himself a slap in the face from the usually mellow Dr. Nambu, and that says a lot. In a way, he's turned into another version of Joe, only that not even Joe approves of Ken's thirst for revenge. But he's still the leader of the Science Ninja Team and they follow him, even though they're not sure what to expect of this angry Gatchaman, as they try to find the new Galactor's base and the Crab Killer. [3 ½ stars]