Eagle Riders
| Eagle Riders | |
|---|---|
| Format | Adventure, Science Fiction |
| Created by | Saban Entertainment |
| Directed by | Eric S.Rollman |
| Starring |
Dena Burton Richard Cansino Lara Cody Bryan Cranston R. Martin Klein Heidi Lenhart Mona Marshall Greg O'Neill Paul Schrier Peter Spellos |
| Country of origin |
United States Australia Japan |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of episodes | 65 (List of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Eric S. Rollman |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | UPN (U.S.) |
| Original run | September 9, 1996 – January 1, 1997 |
Eagle Riders is an Australian/American animated television adaptation of the Japanese anime series Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter, which have been combined together. The rights to the English-language version of Eagle Riders is owned by Saban Entertainment.[1][2] All 65 episodes aired in Australia; but in the United States, only 13 episodes were aired.[3]
Premise
Earth is under siege from the alien menace known only by the name Cybercon and its legion of android forces, the Vorak. The Global Security Council convenes to address this problem, and calls upon Dr. Thaddeus Keane for assistance. They remember the aid they had received from Keane's special force, the Eagle Riders, in years past. Keane assures them that the Eagle Riders are still together, still strong, and armed with brand new weapons.
Adaptations and changes
Both series were heavily edited when it came to the adaptation process, with controversial elements removed, as well as the entire soundtrack being replaced. As with previous English adaptations of Gatchaman, character names and terms were also changed in the localization.
One notable example of the changes made to the series is the removal of Mallanox (Gel Sadra)'s origin and transformation, which happened in the premiere episode of the original Gatchaman II. The character was also changed from female to male, though her correct gender and origin were reinstated in later dub episodes.
Another change, made to segue the two series together, involved the finale of Gatchaman II and the first episode of Gatchaman Fighter being merged, as well as the death of Gel Sadra being cut. Instead, Mallanox is said to have been transformed into a new form, named Happy Boy (originally, the Gatchaman Fighter villain Count Egobossler).
The final eight episodes of Gatchaman Fighter were never translated, due to the objectionable content involved. Instead, the 15th episode of Gatchaman Fighter served as the series finale.
Team variations across different versions
The renaming of the various characters and terms in Eagle Riders are highlighted as follows (in correspondence to their Gatchaman equivalents, among others):
| Gatchaman | Eagle Riders | Rank | Bird Uniform | Weapon | Mecha | Japanese voice actor | Voice actor (Eagle Riders) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Washio | Hunter Harris | G1 | Eagle | Razor boomerang | Airplane | Katsuji Mori | Richard Cansino |
| Joe Asakura | Joe Thax | G2 | Condor | Pistol | Race Car | Isao Sasaki | Bryan Cranston |
| Jun | Kelly Jennar | G3 | Swan | Yo-yo | Motorcycle | Kazuko Sugiyama | Heidi Noelle Lenhart |
| Jinpei | Mickey Dugan | G4 | Swallow | Bolo | Dune Buggy | Yoku Shioya | Mona Marshall |
| Ryu Nakanishi | Ollie Keeawani | G5 | Owl | Pistol | God Phoenix | Shingo Kanemoto | Paul Schrier |
- Although he was obviously the Swallow, Jimmy called himself the Falcon.
- The Eagle Riders adaptation used different terms for some of the uniforms: Hunter Harris was referred to as a Hawk rather than Eagle, Joe Thax was a Falcon, and Kelly Jenar became a Dove (as opposed to Swan). The remaining two members, however, kept their original bird themes.
Other character variations
| Gatchaman | Eagle Riders |
|---|---|
| Dr. Kozaburo Nambu | Dr. Thaddeus Keane |
| ISO Director Anderson | Anderson |
| Red Impulse / Kentaro Washio | Harley Harris |
| Berg Katse | Lukan |
| Sosai (Generalissimo) X | Cybercon |
| Galactor | Vorak |
| Gel Sadra | Mallanox |
| Dr. Sylvie Pandora (Gatchaman II) | Dr.Francine Aikens |
| Sammie Pandora | Nancy Aikens |
| Dr. Rafael | Professor Andro |
| Count Egobossler | Happy Boy |
| Mechandol | Olaf |
| Kempler | Vax |
| Engineer Kamo | Uncle Avery |
Other notable changes
| Variations | Gatchaman (Japanese) | Battle Of The Planets | Guardians Of Space | Eagle Riders | OVA (Harmony Gold dub) | Gatchaman (English) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Identity Change Command | Bird, Go!‡ | Transmute! | G-Force, Transform! | Eagle Mode, NOW! |
|
Bird, Go! | ||||||||||
| Planet/Civilization | Selectol (planet) Gyarakutā (civilization) | Spectra | Galactor | Vorak | Galactor | Selectol (planet) Galactor (civilization) |
‡The original Japanese-language version of Gatchaman contains a small amount of words in English.
Production staff
Owned and distributed by: Saban Entertainment
Executive Producer: Eric S.Rollman
Producer and Story Editor: Rita M. Acosta
Writer (ADR Script): Marc Handler.
Voice Directors: Richard Epcar, Steve Kramer, Heidi Noelle Lenhart, and Michael Sorich
Production Assistant and ADR Coordinator: Gregory C. Ireland
Sound Operation: Clive H.Mizumoto, Xavier Garcia
Sound Effects Editors: Keith Dickens, Martin Flores, Zoli Osaze, Ron Salaises, and John Valentino
Re-Recording Mixers: Michael Beirenger, Mark Ettel, R.D. Floyd, and Wayne T. O'Brien
ADR Recording: Carl Lange, Kevin Newson, David W.Barr
Foley Artists: Susan Lewis, Kalea Morton, and Taryn Simone
Audio Assistants: Brian Densmore, Andrew Kines, and Don Sexton
Music Composers: Shuki Levy, Kussa Mahchi
Executive In Charge Of Music: Ron Kenan
Music Supervisor: Lloyd Michael Cook II
Music Editors: Barron Abramovitch, Bill Filipiak
Music Engineer: Barron Abramovitch
Second Engineers: James Dijulio, Frank Bailey-Meier
Music Assistants: Jeremy Sweet, Tim Gosselin
Offline Editor: Terry Marlin
Video Traffic Coordinator: Jerry Buetnner
Online Editors: Michael Hutchinson, Harvey Landy (Hollywood Digital Inc.), John Bowen, and David Crosthwait (Modern Videofilm)
Telecine: Lee Ann Went (Varitel Inc.), Greg Hamlin (Film Technology, LA)
Post Production Supervisor: John Bryant
Post Production Coordinator: Francesca Weiss
Executive In Charge Of Production: Dana C.Booton
Voice cast
Hunter Harris: Richard Cansino
Joe Thax: Bryan Cranston
Kelly Jenar: Heidi Noelle Lenhart
Mickey Dugan: Mona Marshall
Ollie Keeawani: Paul Schrier
Dr.Thaddeus Keane: Greg O'Neill
Dr.Francine Aikens: Lara Cody
Auto: Dena Burton
Mallanox: R. Martin Klein
Cybercon: Peter Spellos
Misc. (uncredited): Joshua Seth,[4] Bob Bergen,[5] Julie Maddalena, Richard Epcar
References
- ↑ "RIAP Writes". EX. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ↑ "RIAP Writes". EX. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ↑ "Editor's Note". EX. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
- ↑ "Joshua Seth biography". Film Reference. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
- ↑ "Interview with Derek Stephen Prince". Film Reference. Retrieved 2009-06-07.
Further reading
- G-Force: Animated (TwoMorrows Publishing: ISBN 978-1-893905-18-4)
External links
- Eagle Riders Episode Guide
- Gatchaman Gatchaman Online and Gatchaman, BotP, & G-Force
- Eagle Riders at the Internet Movie Database
- Eagle Riders at TV.com
- Eagle Riders (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
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