Gatchaman Crowds

Gatchaman Crowds

Promotional poster featuring main characters, (bottom left to right) Joe, Sugane, Paiman, Hajime, J.J., OD, Utsutsu, (top) Rui and Katze.
ガッチャマン クラウズ
(Gatchaman Kurauzu)
Genre Action, Science Fiction, Superhero
Anime television series
Directed by Kenji Nakamura
Written by Toshiya Ono
Music by Taku Iwasaki
Studio Tatsunoko Production
Licensed by
Hanabee
Animatsu Entertainment
Network NTV
Original run July 12, 2013 – September 27, 2013
Episodes 12
Original video animation
Gatchaman Crowds: Embrace
Directed by Kenji Nakamura
Written by Toshiya Ono
Music by Taku Iwasaki
Studio Tatsunoko Production
Released January 22, 2014
Runtime 23 minutes
Anime television series
Gatchaman Crowds insight
Directed by Kenji Nakamura
Written by Toshiya Ono
Music by Taku Iwasaki
Studio Tatsunoko Production
Network NTV
Original run July 2015 – Scheduled

Gatchaman Crowds (ガッチャマンクラウズ Gatchaman Kurauzu) is a 2013 anime television series produced by Tatsunoko Production. It is the fifth Japanese-produced animation project based on the original 1972 anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, and is directed by Kenji Nakamura. The series aired on NTV between July 12, 2013 and September 27, 2013 and was simulcast by Crunchyroll.[1][2] A second season, titled Gatchaman Crowds insight, has been announced.[3]

The first season has been licensed by Sentai Filmworks[4] and is streaming on The Anime Network.[5]

Plot

The series takes place in the early summer of 2015 and is set in the city of Tachikawa, Japan. A "second metropolis" of Tokyo, Tachikawa is protected by the Gatchaman, warriors who fight in special reinforced suits powered by the manifestation of their spiritual powers called NOTE. Following the introduction of their newest member, the energetic and cheerful Hajime Ichinose, the Gatchaman must deal with their greatest threat, an enigmatic alien creature bent on destroying Earth just like it did with several other planets in the past.

Characters

Hajime Ichinose (一ノ瀬 はじめ Ichinose Hajime)[1] /(G-101)
Voiced by: Maaya Uchida (Japanese), Jessica Calvello (English)
The main protagonist, a 16-year old high school girl living in Tachikawa City, who is a new member of the G-Crew. She is powerful and energetic, has artistic spirit and is a bit strange but in a good way as she is an avid collector of stationery and usually gets overly excited when she finds an item that piques her interest. She is put under the responsibility of Sugane, but usually disobeys his orders and acts on her own. Her actions, despite seeming irresponsible at first, usually bring positive and unexpected results never before seen in Gatchaman activity. Her Gatchaman form has the appearance of girl with pink pigtails and fights with large scissors and other stationery-based tools. Her NOTE color is white.
Sugane Tachibana (橘 清音 Tachibana Sugane)[1](G-96)
Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka (Japanese), Corey Herzog (English)
A boy who acts and talks like a samurai. He has been with the G-Crew for five years and is baffled by Hajime when she first joins, leaving him to think of things he had never thought were possible. Initially, he finds Hajime annoying and inconsiderate, but over time he begins to understand her more. His Gatchaman form is modeled after a swan and relies on samurai sword techniques. His Gatchaman form also displays incredible agility and the ability to stand on walls and ceilings. His NOTE color is black.
Joe Hibiki (枇々木 丈 Hibiki Jō)[1](G-89)
Voiced by: Daisuke Namikawa (Japanese), Ty Mahany (English)
A Tokyo University graduate who has been on the G-Crew for 10 years. He has feelings of despair and nothingness towards the human race and thinks the time-span of the world is limited. However, after meeting Hajime, his enthusiasm and passion for work revives. He works for the "Living Safety Department" of the town hall during the day, while wearing glasses and maintaining a clean, handsome appearance. However, at night, he lets his hair down (revealing some orange hair), removes his glasses, and becomes a heavy drinker and smoker. He calls Hajime "little lady" and himself an "old man". He has some interest in Hajime, but hides it by being distant towards her. His Gatchaman form is modeled after an oni and can manipulate flames, fly using jet propulsion, and launch its forearms. His NOTE color is red.
OD (O・D Ō Dī)[6]/(G-12)
Voiced by: Daisuke Hosomi (Japanese), Clint Bickham (English)
A moody, effeminate, half-alien man who runs the CAGE - the Gatchaman base of operations - in addition to being a part of the G-Crew. His catchphrase is "You're overdoing it!". He calls himself "a sad Gatchaman who can't transform," thus rendering him unable to participate in missions. Later, it is revealed that his Gatchaman powers are so strong, the entire world could be destroyed should he activate them. He displays a flamboyant, playful personality when around others, but possesses a grim, serious demeanor when alone. He has a cat named Altair (アルタイル Arutairu), called "Al" for short. His NOTE Color is green.
Utsutsu (うつつ)[6]/(G-99)
Voiced by: Kotori Koiwai (Japanese), Carli Mosier (English)
A first-year student attending the Tachikawa Private Academy for the Gifted. She works as a volunteer taking care of the flowers at the Tachikawa City International Greenery Garden. She does not have a very positive image of herself, and fears getting closer to others. The only one she can initially speak to normally is OD, with whom she lives, though she eventually warms up to Hajime and the other members. Her catchphrase, and just about the only thing she would originally say to anyone is "I'm gloomy (うつうつします utsuutsu shimasu)", which is a pun on her name. Utsu-su has the ability to create perfect, independent copies of herself, which are connected to her by a mild mental link, effectively allowing her to be in multiple places at once. She also exhibits an ability to drain life energy from living things with her right hand and give it to others with her left, though overusing the latter puts her life at risk unless she takes life force from something else. This trait also carries over to her Gatchaman form, modeled after a girl wearing a hooded outfit, which possesses two extendable arms ending in large, clawed hands. Her NOTE color is yellow.
Paiman (パイマン)[6]/(G-3)
Voiced by: Aya Hirano (Japanese), Luci Christian (English)
An alien Gatchaman dispatched on Earth by J.J and the longest running member of the G-Crew, going back hundreds of years. He has complete trust and respect for J.J. and his prophecies, mostly because J.J. made him team leader. He also gives the team their orders. Paiman demands respect, tact, and obedience from his fellow Gatchaman, but he is often ignored, especially by Hajime. He has a similar appearance to pandas, but absolutely hates being referred to as one. Despite this, he has a large collection of panda merchandise stashed in his room. His Gatchaman form transforms him into a large wheeled beast form that can travel at high speeds and carry other passengers. However, his cowardice means it is rarely put to good use during battles. His NOTE color is pink.
J.J. Robinson (J・J・ロビンソン Jē Jē Robinson) [6]
Voiced by: Katsuji Mori (Japanese), Leraldo Anzaldua (English)
A member of the board of trustees, and the guardian of Earth. He is a man who has looked after lives born in the galaxy for many years. With the power to create NOTES from the essence of other beings, he chooses select individuals to join the Gatchaman and assigns missions to them based on his forecasts. He claims that there is an enemy existence that will be impossible to repel with the powers of science. J.J. is often seen making origami birds, each one representing a member of the G-Crew or another major player in the conflict. J.J. is portrayed by the same actor who voiced Ken the Eagle from the original series in the 1970's.
Rui Ninomiya (爾乃美家 累 Ninomiya Rui)[6]
Voiced by: Ayumu Murase (Japanese), Shannon Emerick (English)
A boy living on the top floor in the high-class mansion-apartment building Glorious Tower Toyosu in Tokyo's Koto ward. His trump card is his superb intellect. He is trilingual, being able to speak English, Japanese, and Chinese. After educating himself using educational websites and learning how to write code from hackers around the world, he developed the social networking service "GALAX" with over 200 million users worldwide. He believes that the current society is flawed and claims that it is his duty to improve it for the better, thus "upgrading the world". When in public, Rui crossdresses to disguise himself, usually as a blonde girl in punk rocker fashion, and is known by GALAX users as LOAD. He also possesses his own NOTE, colored purple with a different logo on the cover, forced upon him by Berg Katze, but he refrains from using its powers despite Berg's attempts to make him do so and later its logo changes to the same one seen on those used by the Gatchamen, implying that he has become one of them. Among GALAX users, Rui selected one hundred individuals, known as The Hundred, to use a system known as CROWDS to assist in disasters. Upon meeting Hajime and confirming the existence of Gatchaman, Rui attempts to persuade her, Utsu-tsu and Sugane to stop being Gatchaman, as the concept of "superheroes" would be obsolete in the upgraded world. Rui also believes that people would become too reliant on Gatchaman to solve problems and prevent disasters. After Katze takes over the GALAX network using his form, Rui joins the Gatchaman in attempting to thwart him.
Berg Katze (ベルク・カッツェ Beruku Kattse)[6]
Voiced by: Mamoru Miyano (Japanese), David Wald (English)
An androgynous, mysterious individual who is named after a main villain from the original series. Katze has the power to assume anyone's identity by kissing them, which is used to frame people for various crimes. Katze also displays powers of levitation and teleportation. Both Paiman and OD seem to know about Katze, who also possesses a NOTE, golden in color with a unique symbol. According to them, Berg Katse is a malicious being whose purpose is to destroy all life in the universe by turning the individuals of the planets it attacks against each other, leading them to mutually annihilate themselves. By the end of the series Hajime and Katze become one.
X (Ekkusu)
Voiced by: Sakura Tange (Japanese), Jenni Strader (English)
X is an artificial intelligence created by Rui to oversee GALAX and perform data mining on all information gathered from its users around the world to assist with his plans. Rui sees it as his only friend and the only one he can actually trust, until Berg Katse hijacks it by stealing Rui's form. Just like Katze, X is named after President X, a main villain from the original series.

Episode list

The opening theme is "Crowds" by White Ash whilst the ending theme is "Innocent Note" by Maaya Uchida.

No. Title Original airdate
1 "Avant-garde"  July 12, 2013
Hajime Ichinose is a rather eccentric schoolgirl who is obsessed with notebooks. One day, she is approached by a mysterious man named JJ who pulls out a journal called a NOTE from her body, declaring her to be the new member of the elusive Gatchaman team. She later follows the words appearing in her NOTE to the mall, where a Gatchaman named Sugane Tachibana manages to defeat an alien that had disguised itself as a human. Later that day, Sugane brings Hajime to the Gatchaman's hideout where she meets the other members, Joe Hibiki, OD, Utsutsu, and their leader, Paiman. Sugane explains that their duty is to protect Earth from a hostile alien race known as the MESS that has been abducting humans. Hajime and Sugane are soon called upon by JJ to fight a MESS at the bus station, during which Hajime transforms for the first time, whilst a mysterious figure watches. 
2 "Asymmetry"  July 19, 2013
Hajime annoys Sugane after she ends up interfering and allowing the MESS to escape. The next day, Hajime moves into a new apartment block where the other Gatchaman live. Later that day, Hajime teaches Sugane about a popular social app called GALAX, which allows users in the vicinity to help each other, and decides to take him to an offline meet-up. Later, as Hajime and Sugane are sent in to fight another MESS, Hajime chooses not to fight it but instead communicate with it, managing to befriend it. Meanwhile, as the mysterious figure causes another accident, someone named Rui revels in the success of the GALAX app whilst wielding their own NOTE. 
3 "Futurism"  July 26, 2013
After Hajime befriended the MESS, which she decided to nickname Messy, there hasn't been any more abduction cases involving the MESS, who had released all the humans they abducted, leading the other Gatchaman to become curious as to whether they were hostile at all. The next day, GALAX users at Hajime and Sugane's school receive word from Rui, under the guise of X, that some spoiled milk has been sent to their school, prompting Hajime and the other students to try and get the word out. With help from Sugane, Hajime manages to warn the other students and shut down the vending machines distributing the milk. Later that day, when a helicopter crash puts some citizens on a gondola at risk, Rui approves the usage of something known as 'Crowds' whilst Joe comes across a curious alien capable of assuming a human's form by kissing them. 
4 "Kitsch"  August 2, 2013
The Crowds are revealed to be strange beings controlled by the GALAX users, which help to stabilise the gondola until help arrives. Meanwhile, Joe fights against the strange alien, known as Berg Katse, but is beaten back when he uses a NOTE of his own. As Joe relays this to the others, Paiman and OD remain oddly quiet on the matter. Later, Hajime hears from Utsutsu about her power and how it keeps her from touching others. Meanwhile, it is shown Rui gained the Crowds ability from Berg drawing out his NOTE. The next day, Rui is shocked to witness Berg use another human's form to run down and kill several innocent citizens right in front of him. 
5 "Collaboration"  August 9, 2013
As Hajime discusses with Sugane and Paiman about why the Gatchaman are so secretive, Rui speaks with one of his 'Hundred', Umeda, who has his own ideals that Crowds should be used to kill evil politicians and earn the credit, against Rui's vision of a selfless world. Meanwhile, as Hajime and the others join another GALAX offline meeting, they come across a tunnel where the ceiling is collapsed and begin to help the wounded. With the situation being too much for them alone, Rui reluctantly permits the use of Crowds to help evacuate the citizens. When a fire breaks out, Hajime makes the decision to activate her Gatchaman powers. 
6 "Originality"  August 16, 2013
Despite knowing the risk it puts her life in, Utsutsu uses her power to heal the wounded, with Joe lending her his life force as well. Meanwhile, Sugane is at a loss for words when Hajime reveals her identity to Rui, which is captured on camera and broadcast across the city. The next day, as Hajime and Utsusu try to evade the press, she receives an invitation to meet with Rui in exchange for a successful escape with the help from some chosen GALAXers. They soon arrive at a hotel where they meet Rui, later joined by Sugane, who was also invited. Rui states that Gatchaman are unnecessary in the world he is trying to create with GALAX, though Hajime straight out rejects his suggestion to quit being Gatchaman. 
7 "Abjection"  August 23, 2013
Rui decides to face against Katze using the might of Crowds, but becomes overwhelmed when Katze uses his Gatchaman power. As Joe arrives on the scene to fight Katze, Sugane hears from Rui about the power he had received from him. With Joe becoming easily defeated by Katze, Hajime and Utsutsu arrive on the scene with help from Paiman's Gatchaman form, with Hajime questioning Katze before he retreats whilst Utsutsu heals the injured. 
8 "Genuine"  August 30, 2013
Katze copies Rui's form in order to take control of his X program, locking him out of the GALAX network. Meanwhile, Hajime suggests the Gatchaman reveal themselves to the public by holding an event at a kindergarten, where Hajime warns everyone about Katze and asks Rui to come meet them there. As Katze uses Rui's form to meet Umeda and set up a new Neo Hundred for the Crowds, Rui gets to the kindergarten, where he learns from a girl who has her father in a coma that the Crowds users who were defeated by Katze had become hospitalized. 
9 "Forgery"  September 6, 2013
Hajime takes Rui to her apartment, where she cheers him up and Utsutsu heals his wounds. Meanwhile, Katze gives the Crowds program to all the people Rui declined to give it to because they were too dangerous, and have them attack several government buildings along with Umeda. Before going into action, Hajime sets up a 'Gatchannel' live stream, where Rui publicly apologies over the usage of Crowds, urging those that have it to not use it, and Hajime explains that the Gatchaman will confront Katze even if she is still unsure they can win. Inspired by Hajime, Sugane goes to the Gatchaman Cage and tells JJ they do not need his prophesies anymore, and will protect the world on their own. 
10 "Crowds"  September 13, 2013
Hajime encounters Katze on GALAX, who leaves her with a cryptic poem before instructing the Neo Hundred to go after the prime minister, offering a rare Crowds to whoever can take him down. As the Crowds attack Tachikawa, the Gatchaman arrive and make the Crowds visible to normal humans, before working to capture them so that their users won't slip into comas. Joe, having lost confidence in himself, prepares to leave with the evacuees, but receives a message from Sugane, encouraging him to fight again. As the man who assigned as the Neo Hundred's leader, Koichi Umeda, objects to attacks occurring in the city his wife and daughter lives in, he falls into despair when Katze turns on him and posts his personal information on the Internet. 
11 "Gamification"  September 20, 2013
The Gatchaman look back on how Hajime has influenced their lives since joining them. Meanwhile, Rui manages to get reunite with X once more, allowing the Gatchaman and the citizens to receive assistance from the GALAX network. Hajime gets the Prime Minister Sugiyama to broadcast on the Gatchannel, where he shows more of his honest side and requests everyone sign up to GALAX, before he helps with the evacuation efforts. However, Katze suddenly appears in the guise of Sugiyama, luring the citizens to utilize Crowds. 
12 "Collage"  September 27, 2013
Chaos ensues with more citizens using Crowds and fighting against each other as OD calls Katze out to the Gatchaman's hideout for a showdown. As Katze makes his way to meet OD, Hajime talks with him and promises him she will not kill him, inviting him on a "date" after everything is settled. Katze and OD fight, and although OD is heavily damaged by Katze, he manages to retrieve Rui's NOTE and deliver it to him. Rui then sends every GALAX user a Crowds app to take part in a "Tachikawa Crowds Game", setting up various types of games to encourage users to help out the community and defeat the Neo Hundred Crowds. After the situation is dealt with, Hajime gives her mother a call and reassures her that no matter what happens she will always be herself, and then goes to meet with Katze for their "date" showdown. A year later, the use of Crowds has become widespread, and Hajime, now in her third year of high school, makes her way to school while talking with Katze, whose voice comes out from Hajime herself. 
OVA "Embrace"  January 22, 2014
Director's cut of episode 12. Scenes about the civilians and the Crowds are expanded on, while the face-off between Katze and OD is cut. An added segment shows how Katze came to be fused with Hajime. 

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Gatchaman Crowds Anime Characters, Staff Revealed". Anime News Network. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  2. ↑ 中村健治監督の最新作は『ガッチャマン』新作シリーズ！ (in Japanese). animestyle.jp. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  3. ↑ "Gatchaman Crowds Anime Gets 2nd Season". Anime News Network. Retrieved October 26, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Sentai Filmworks Adds Gatchaman Crowds TV Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  5. ↑ "Gatchaman Crowds Weekend Premiere". September 7, 2013.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 "Gatchaman Crowds Unveils 7 More Characters". Anime News Network. Retrieved 7 June 2013.

External links