| Warning: extremely long-winded post. Sorry! But it can't be helped - the subject demands it. This thread is intended for those who are reasonably familiar with the original "Gatchaman" series and are interested in comparing it to "Gatchaman Crowds." For those who haven't seen the original series, I recommend watching at least a few episodes. The contrast between these two series is fascinating. When I was a child, I watched the first "Gatchaman" series in its heavily edited form, "Battle of the Planets," in the United States. Yes - I really am that old; I watched it in the late 1970s when it came to this country, and it was my first exposure to anime. At the time, it was a relatively current TV series, but I have revisited it recently - in its original Japanese version this time - and it seems very dated, and it makes me feel very old since it wasn't dated when I first saw it. "Gatchaman Crowds" is very different in its look and feel, and also in the way its narrative is structured. At first glance, it seems to have very little in common with the original series, but I believe that it is quite conscious of the original and can be viewed as a response to it. This consciousness goes beyond the surface similarities, such as character names. In watching the original "Gatchaman," I am struck by just how much it is a product of its time. It deals with environmental themes which were gaining traction in the 1970s, particularly pollution and energy shortages. It also expresses a strong belief in the power of science and technology, which can be used for good or bad purposes; the International Science Organization (good) and Galactor (evil) both depend on science and technology. (In 1972, when the original series was first broadcast, the moon landings were still fresh in everybody's memory, and science seemed to have limitless potential.) This show also presents very little, if any, moral ambiguity. It is typical of the superhero genre, albeit a bit dark and violent at times. The characters are, mostly, flat and stereotypical. The division between the good guys and bad guys is clear. I remember the time before the fall of communism. As portrayed in the western media, capitalism was good and communism was evil. This black-and-white morality, although by this time challenged by the Vietnam quagmire, was still quite prevalent, and it persisted well into the 1980s. (My viewpoint is admittedly western; I am assuming that the Japanese were exposed to similar views.) The stories in most of the episodes reflect the rather simplistic world view that prevailed at the time, and they suffer from repetitiveness. Almost every episode seems to follow this formula: Galactor invents a nasty mechanical monster, which attacks and greatly damages a city, an industrial site, or a research facility. The Science Ninja Team attacks, infiltrates, and destroys Galactor's monster, and prevails in the end. Berg Katse escapes to fight another day. "Gatchaman Crowds" is, in many ways, the antithesis of the original series, and it reflects the massive changes that have taken place in the world since the 1970s. Communism has fallen, but no monolithic "evil" enemy has managed to take its place, although there have been strong candidates in recent years. In the west (including Japan), trust in institutions, i.e. government and corporations, has collapsed, and the "good guys" often don't seem so good anymore. Simplistic superheros like those in the original "Gatchaman" don't fit the contemporary reality so well, so "Gatchaman Crowds" gives us a cast of wonderful weirdos, characters with complex, flawed personalities. Even the leadership of the new group is in question. In the original, the leadership hierarchy is clear and is only challenged regularly by Joe's impulsiveness. In "Crowds," the "leaders" are clearly not in total control, and Hajime fills the vacuum in her own chaotic way. On the "evil" side, Berg Katse in "Crowds" is far more chaotic than Berg Katse in the original, apparently following no particular orders and simply spreading chaos and destruction for the fun of it. There is no highly organized Galactor in this new series; GALAX is a chaotic social network capable of doing good or bad deeds according to the whims of its members and whoever is manipulating them. It reminds me of recent internet-based collective efforts, such as organized attacks on websites, which seem to materialize out of nowhere. In the world of the 1970s "Gatchaman," an entity like GALAX is unthinkable, but it makes perfect sense in the fast-paced, chaotic, morally ambiguous world that we inhabit today, while the highly organized and fundamentally evil Galactor makes more sense in the 1970s than it would today. To me, "Gatchaman Crowds" looks like the result of taking the original Gatchaman idea and passing it through a filter of postmodern weirdness, moral ambiguity, and utter chaos. The result is a group of crazy superheros with an emerging de facto leader (Hajime) who is about the most unlikely hero imaginable - and she is the perfect leader to navigate the contemporary chaos, extremely impulsive and superbly adaptable. I can't imagine Ken in charge of this group. (Incidentally, the voice actor who portrays J.J. in "Crowds" is the same one who portrays Ken in the original. This can't be a coincidence.) As you might guess from my long-winded post, I love "Gatchaman Crowds." It is an excellent reflection of the contemporary world, just as the original "Gatchaman" is a good reflection of the ideas and values of its time. I enjoy the original series for its relative innocence and its nostalgic appeal, but it has a dosage limit, because every episode has about the same plot. "Crowds" has no such defect; it is delightfully unpredictable. I have a lot more to say on this subject, but I'll stop for now and see if anyone else wants to jump into the discussion. Specific comparisons, such as the music, the narrative style, characterization, and the artwork, will be interesting to explore. Heather |
| It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue. |
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