Gatchaman [Anime Series]  (1979)

Theatrical Release Information:
Gatchaman [Anime Series]

Originally airing in Japan in the early '70s, Gatchaman was among the first anime to successfully utilize the characteristics of the American Super Hero genre. The plot focuses on a five member teenage super-hero squad who were trained by a leading scientist at the International Science Organization to fight terrorism. Their chief foe is Galactor, an evil organization bent on depleting the world's resources. The leader of Galactor, an androgynous looking creature called Berg Katse, is in fact a hermaphrodite created by merging together fraternal twins, and can shift between genders at will. Gatchaman's later seasons which continue the story were originally released under the names Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter. Gatchaman was redubbed and edited for American television in the late '70s, creating a new series with a slightly different story called Battle for the Planets. The series was again edited and dubbed for American television with many changes but a core that remained more faithful to the original story in 1986 with a release called G-Force, and the later seasons were reedited similarly in 1996 with Eagle Riders. A condensed, three-episode OVA was also created from the 105 episode series in 1994. The original version of Gatchaman has since been released for American audiences by ADV Films with a direct dub into English from the original dialogue and no changes made to the story. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide