Tatsunoko Gotcha, Man – Gatachaman Crowds and the Nature of Remakes

Well, that was an extreme departure.

I recently took in the first episode of the inconsistent Kenji Nakamura’s Gatchaman Crowds, the (roughly) forty year anniversary project for the hit 70s anime Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, or as many children of the 80s growing up in America knew it, Battle of the Planets.  Japan loves both its IP anniversaries and homages, so I suppose GC was destined to happen.

Now, knowing that Gatchaman is such a beloved franchise, I also watched the first episode of the 1972 original series before watching GC.  This is the only Gatchaman I have watched.  Since I’m not a longtime or hardcore fan of the series, what I say will likely (and rightly) be corrected in the comments.  Still, I want to put my impressions out there, and I think they are somewhat valuable, coming from a fan new to the IP.

Though I do believe that one should judge the current series on its own merits, I just can’t help but compare it to the 70s Gatchaman.  The differences between the two first episodes are so drastic as to make me wonder why they decided to attach the Gatchaman name in the first place.  Below, I highlight some of the disparity and ask some questions about remakes in general.

Suggested Soundtrack for Reading – Phoenix “Trying to be Cool”