Battle of the Planets

Battle of the Planets, Vol. 1

One of the early shows that helped to build an audience for anime in America, Battle of the Planets began in Japan as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman in 1972-74. For its 1978 U.S. release, the 105 episodes were cut to 85. Much of the violence was excised and new animation, featuring the R2-D2-esque robot 7-Zark-7 and his robo-pooch 1-Rover-1, was created to bridge the gaps. Turner Broadcasting acquired the property in 1986 and recut it into 85 different episodes. The resulting G-Force included more violence, yet it wasn't shown in its entirety in the U.S. until it aired on the Cartoon Network in 1995. This release includes all three versions, enabling viewers to compare and contrast.

In episode 1, five highly trained teenagers--incongruously clad in bird suits--tackle a giant biomorphic enemy vessel. The group executes the commands of their brilliant scientist-leader in the virtually identical Gatchaman and G-Force. When they take on the bad guys, the punches, kicks, and yo-yo weapons connect forcefully; to escape, they convert their ship, the God-Phoenix, to "Firebird Mode," an avian cloud of glowing plasma. In Battle, the quintet takes orders from the dithering, Hanna-Barbera-style Zark. The hand-to-hand combat is heavily censored and the heroes somehow turn themselves into a "Fiery Phoenix." It's campy and silly, rather than exciting. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 up. --Charles Solomon

Battle of the Planets, Vol. 2 - The Space Mummy / The Space Serpent

The early anime series that began in Japan as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972-74) aired in the U.S. in two very different versions. For Battle of the Planets (syndication, 1978), much of the violence was excised and the R2-D2-esque robot 7-Zark-7 was added; G-Force (Turner Broadcasting, 1986) was darker in tone and closer to the original Gatchaman. All three series focus on the adventures of five teenagers in bird suits. In Battle they tackle the evil Spectra in "outer space," although the backgrounds are clearly Earth, where G-Force and Gatchaman are set. Episode 3 illustrates the difference between the series: In Battle, when a whiny little boy gets in the way of a giant mummy attacking an airport, the evil Zoltar warns him away; in Gatchaman, villainous Berg Katse tells the mummy to step on the child. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 up. --Charles Solomon

Battle of the Planets (Vol. 3)

The early anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972-74) aired in the U.S. in two very different versions: much of the violence was excised and the comic Artoo-Detoo-esque robot 7-Zark-7 added to Battle of the Planets (syndication, 1978); the darker G-Force (Turner Broadcasting, 1986) was closer in tone to the original Gatchaman. All three series depict the adventures of five teenagers incongruously clad in bird suits. Gatchaman is set on Earth; Planets supposedly takes place in outer space, but the geography, animals, and cities are still Earth's. The stories diverge significantly: in episode 5 of Gatchaman, the main characters are saved from enemy flying saucers by the mysterious "Red Impulse," who announces, "We will meet again." In Battle, they're saved by "fighters from Mir," but they still get credit for defeating the "renegade aliens." Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up: Violence in Gatchaman and G-Force; profanity in Gatchaman. --Charles Solomon

Battle of the Planets (Vol. 5)

Battle of the Planets (Vol. 4)

The early anime series Science Ninja Team Gatchaman (1972-74) aired in America in two different versions: for Battle of the Planets (syndication, 1978), much of the violence was excised and the R2-D2-esque robot 7-Zark-7 was added; G-Force (Turner Broadcasting, 1986) was darker in tone and closer to the original. All three series focus on the adventures of five teenage warriors in bird suits. In "Secret Crescent," Jinpei gets into trouble when Galactor attacks a secret undersea base. "Fearful Sea Anemone" tells a similar story involving Keyop, set on "Galaxy 30," but a comic subplot about 7-Zark-7 preparing for a "robot reunion" takes time needed for the payoff. The print of Gatchaman used for the transfer had faded, making the chase with a sea anemone-fortress difficult to see; the sound is garbled in Battle and G-Force. Unrated; suitable for ages 10 and up. --Charles Solomon

Battle of the Planets

Planet Spectra's evil leaders have targeted Earth along with all of the members of the Federation of Peaceful Planets! Their goal? Nothing short of enslaving these planets' and capturing all of their natural resources for their own dying world! The Luminous One and Zoltar will stop at nothing to cause as much fear and destruction as possible. Fortunately for the galaxy, G-Force is ready for them!

Battle of the Planets - Ultimate Set with Limited Edition Toy

Battle of the Planets - Ultimate Set

Battle of the Planets (Vol. 6)

Battle of the Planets [Region 2]