Memorable Anime Characters: G-Force

Character: Ninja Science Team Gatchaman

Where You've Seen Them: They've had different shows over the years. In Japan, they were Gatchaman.  When they transferred the show to the United States they heavily edited the show and called it Battle of the Planets. They've also appeared in G-Force and Eagle Riders as well as an OVA.

Their Story: These five superhero ninja teenagers were under the employ of Dr. Kozaburu Nabu and were charged to protect the Earth's natural resources from Galactor and his minions.
So What Are Their Names? Ken Washio was the leader of the group, followed by Jo Asakura. Jun was the girl of the group, and her 10 year old brother Jinpei was also a member. Rounding out the five was Ryu Nakanishi, the pilot.
No, Really, What Are Their Names? If you remember "Battle of the Planets," you know their names as Mark, Jason, Princess, Keyop and Tiny.  And for some reason, the voice actor for Keyop gave him a really annoying verbal tic that the Japanese version of the character didn't have.
Why Are They Memorable? Well, other than the history behind the show, they're memorable for me because they were the first cartoon that I remember wondering why their lips didn't match what they were saying.  But other reasons they're memorable is because they were before Captain Planet -- a lot of the themes of the original shows focused on environmentalism. Plus, they drove cool machines and kicked butt when they needed to.
Trivia: For those who remember 7-Mark-7 from "Battle of the Planets," he was never in Gatchaman.  He was added as a wrap around in an attempt to cover up the bad editing of the show.

Tomorrow, a pirate with an unusual fighting style.

Memorable Anime Character: Death The Kid

Name: Death the Kid
Seen In: Soul Eater
Background: Death the Kid is the son of Lord Death, the headmaster at the Death Weapon Meister Academy (DWMA). Because of his father, he doesn't need to attend the school in order to be a meister because he already has considerable power, but he does anyway for personal reasons. Everything in his life has to be symmetrical, from his clothing to his surroundings. He carries twin guns Liz and Patty to keep that symmetry. Despite his attempts at keeping this symmetry, however, he hates when anyone mentions the lines in his head, which only go around one side.
Why Is This Character Memorable? Partially because of his symmetrical quirk, which will keep him from doing anything even in the middle of a fight -- his reaction to anything that is out of whack is really funny. But also because of his sense of loyalty to the other students even though he doesn't have to be there. He's got something to prove to himself, but he's not above helping others even if his father is the headmaster. And he kicks ass when he fights, even unleashing a "Death Cannon" when he needs to.

Tomorrow: Not one, but five fighters....in space!

Memorable Anime Character: Arsene Lupin III

Name: Arsene Lupin III First Appearance: "Lupin III" manga, 1967; anime 1971 (A movie was made in 1969, but not released in theaters due to budget constraints; it was turned into Lupin III SEcret Files in 1989)
What makes this character memorable? He's a thief, in fact one of the greatest thiefs alive.  That could be due to his lineage of being the grandson of another master thief, Arsene Lupin.  But he also has a sense of honor, in that he corrects injustices whenever he sees them.  He also has his one weakness -- women.  The character just exudes cool from his pores. When you have such directors as Shinichiro Watanabe (Cowboy Bebop) and Stephen Spielberg coming around to make your story, you have to be cool.
Lupin's Influence: You still see it today in a lot of anime works. Excel Saga is a prime example -- along with the director of the show, Shinchi Watanabe, dressing like Lupin III when he goes to events, The Director character in the show also has the same manner of dress.
Other Properties: Along with the manga and anime show, Lupin III has had adventures in 6 movies (one of those films, The Castle of Cagliostro, was directed by famed director Hayao Miyazaki), various video games, and audio CDs.
Trivia: When writer Kazuhiko Kato (who writes the series under the name Monkey Punch) created Lupin the 3rd, he didn't get permission from the estate of Maurice LeBlanc, who created the original Lupin.  In Japan at that time they didn't enforce copyright, so the character was only Lupin III in Japan.  In other countries (until the books fell out of copyright) he was known under different names such as "Rupin" and "Wolf."

Tomorrow: The son of Death as a good guy, if a little neurotic.

Review: Cowboy Bebop Remix

I received "Cowboy Bebop Remix" for Christmas this year from hubby, and thought I would get around to reviewing it today.  It was my first time really watching the show, so I didn't know what to expect from it.  But as I got farther along in the show it got me wondering why I never watched this on Adult Swim when it was on. (And from what I understand, it's still on -- this is one of those shows that Adult Swim shows on a regular basis in their lineup)

For anyone who might have never encountered "Cowboy Bebop" before, the majority of the show takes place in a 2071, some years after a hyperspace gate blew up the Moon and threatened the Earth with constant threats of asteroids falling down on them. Mars has become the hub of all activity, and with all the crime syndicates taking control of law enforcement it's up to bounty hunters, or "cowboys," to catch the bad guys, for a price.  The show tells the story of one group of bounty hunters on a ship called the Bebop and their numerous attempts to survive in this environment.

When "Cowboy Bebop" premiered on Adult Swim on its initial launch, it became one of the networks most popular shows. And it's no wonder.  The writing is spot on, and the characters are allowed to develop over the course of the series. Each character has their own past that they're keeping from each other, although it eventually comes out over the course of the show. And it also created one of the coolest characters in anime, Spike Siegel, who not only dresses impeccably but also has the American voice of Steven Blum, who voiced characters in shows such as Naruto and Samurai Champloo, and also voiced the computer TOM in the Toonami block on Cartoon Network.

For those who might not have picked up an earlier edition of this series on DVD, I highly recommend you do so now. The new sound mix makes the show sound fantastic.  The only issue I have with the DVDs is the sound disparity between the menu and the show.  When I put a disk in, I have to turn down the volume on the menu, then turn it back up when the show starts.  It also features "Session 0," a promotional behind the scenes video for the show, as well as several commentaries from American and Japanese voice actors as well as production crew.

This is one set of DVDs that I highly recommend you pick up.

5/5 stars