This episode was evidently a favorite of mine back when, it
formed the basis of my very first fanfic twenty years before I
even knew there was such a thing. Now all I gotta do is figure
out *Why*.
First off I would like to say that 'Space Terrepin' is IMHO a
*much* better title than 'Turtle King' actually *most* of the
BotP titles are an improvement on the Gatch titles, maybe the
latter sound better in Japanese? Not to mention being
educational, I had to look up Terrepin in the dictionary, (20
yrs ago that is) and learned it means 'Turtle' but sounds *much*
cooler.
The music begins "Da ta Da ta da da da!" Aha, I think,
*that's* what's been missing! When I saw my first Gatchaman I
was thrilled to discover the music track was very familiar, in
fact almost identical to my few surviving BotP audio-tapes. Yet
gradually I realized something was missing, now I know what.
The BotP theme.
I *like* the BotP theme though I see what Dei, (or was it
Ayako?) meant about synthesizers). Actually I like anything with
a good, strong beat; Disco, Sousa, Beethoven, William Tell's
Overture.......
BTW they say the sign of a true 'highbrow' is somebody who can
hear the William Tell Overture and *not* find themselves
thinking "A firery horse with the speed of light, A cloud of
dust and a hearty 'Hi Ho Silver!"....needless to say, such
people are few and far between, at least in the States.
End of fist digression.
The Opening monatage isn *not* the one that will eventually
become so familiar, this was BotP's pilot eps. too, most of the
shots seem to come from 'Space Terrapin', (the irritating
synthesizer sounds are used every time the ST fires its lasers),
but there are shots of what's got to be the Perilous Peacock,
(now there's a stupid mech!) and other eps. I can't identify.
And of course the famed voice over:
"Battle of the Plantets!"
Presumably for the benefit of those viewers who can't read the
title.
"G-Force! Princess, Tiny, Keyop, Mark, Jason!"
And now we know who everybody is. What we don't know and are
never told is why they're all standing in a row at the front
console....
"And watching over them from Center Neptune, 7-Zark-7!"
Booo! Hisssss! Booo!
"Watching, Warning against suprise attacks from alien galaxies
beyond space!"
Whatever *that's* supposed to mean.
And Heeere's Zark! Introducing himself and Center Neptune in a
really irritating echoing voice which I am happy to say was
dropped in later eps. Like the very next one.
We are informed that Center Neptune is a Defense Complex
located off the west coast of the United States and nine
thousand fathoms beneath the sea.
Hmm...according to the dictionary a 'fathom' equals about six
feet..six times nine thousand....is fifty four thousand, (I
think, math is not my strong suit) sounds pretty deep but since
they have an island on top for camouflage CN must be really
tall....and Zark's in the equivalent of the basement but since
we know from other eps. That Nerve Center Control is located in
the *top* portion we should probably disregard this information.
We are also told that CN is one of of places where 'Vitalumis'
a very valuable soil renewing mineral is processed. I would just
like to say that as a name 'Vitalumis' beats the Hell outta
'Whisker' or 'Platonium'. Deriving from the Latin it apparently
means something like 'glowing life' .
Finally he gets around to mentioning the Team, though he makes
it sound like guarding Center Neptune is their primary mission.
Zark's nattering goes over a little scene of the Team (in
Birdstyle):
We start with a close-up of Princess, she is smiling but
there's a suspicion of tears in her eyes. Next shot is over her
shoulder, she's looking at Mark and holds his boomerang which
she flips to him. He catches it gives it his little twirl and
puts it in its sheath, returns her smile. Shot of the rest of
the Team looking on sentimentally. Then a long shot of all Five,
Princess and Mark side by side, the others grouped together some
distance behind them, all looking into a...you got it!...sunset!
What is it with the Japanese and sunsets? Actually you don't
have to answer that, I know it goes all the way back Heian times
and has to do with (a) an appreciation of natural beauty and (b)
an obsession with the fleetingness of life and human pleasures,
which BTW I find really, really depressing but then I *am* a
benighted Westerner.
End of Second Digression.
I would really appreciate it if somebody could tell me which
Gatchaman eps. this little scene is from and what's supposed to
be happening in it. Looks to me like a reconciliation scene
after one of Mark's, er, I mean *Ken's* characteristic AWOLS.
After this little Kodak moment we see a lighthouse at night
and hear the "Doom, Doom, Doom, Doom" music that usually
preceeds a Mecha attack. As it does in this case, the Terrapin
rises from the sea and begins shooting lasers at everything in
sight.
Zark, very excited, tells us the Cosmic Space Patrol (and
isn't that name kind of redundant?) informs him that this is a
'radio controlled attack ship' from the Planet Spectra and this
is the *third* time we've been invaded by them!
Which brings up an interesting point. All we ever see are
Spectran attacks and G-Force defending, does the Galactic
Federation ever retailiate? Do we *ever* attack Spectra? and if
not, why the Hell not?
Zark, now extremely agitated, announces that the invader is
headed for Vitalumis Storage Vault Seven and tries to warn them.
We see the Space Terrepin (ST) attacking something that looks
suspiciously like a Lighthouse...camouflage perhaps? Truck drawn
missile launchers launch missiles with the usual lack of effect.
The ST proceeds to break into the Storage Vault and uses an
extension to steal a briefcase sized container of, I presume,
Vitalumis. And I find myself wondering if a giant attack ship is
really the most effective way to steal something that small...
wouldn't a guerilla Team be more efficient, and rather less
noticable? On the other hand given the quality of Spectran
manpower.....
The ST then takes off on its leg rockets, it really doesn't
look *that* much like a turtle...in fact I always thought the
Armadillo was much more turtlish, but what do I know? Maybe it's
modelled on a species found only on Spectra? Anyway it hovers
there and blasts everything in sight.
Zark, to my astonishment, does not assure us everybody got out
safely and the missile launchers were unmanned robot vehicles.
Instead
wonders why anybody would steal Vitalumis when it is freely
shared with all? He also says something about monitoring the
members of G-Force day and night (now there's a creepy thought!)
and decides to contact the Commander, and about time I think!
Mark is, of course, flying in his cessna when Zark calls.
"Ten-two" he says in response, and "Ears on" and of course "Big
Ten!" All this is very obviously modelled on CB lingo which as I
recall was very big in the seventies.
Remember the song 'Convoy'? "Oh we got a mighty convoy
flashing through the night, we are a mighty convoy...etc. (I
*said* my taste in music was eclectic. Actually I didn't *say*
it but I implied it in my first digression).
End of Third digression.
Zark BTW implies that *he* controls the trasmutation, another
idea mercifully dropped in subsequent eps. Mark does the arm
circling, bracelet glowing, thing and transmutes. BTW Ayako,
he's not standing up in the plane, he's standing in nowhere
surounded by radiating lights, I suspect the shot is symbolic
rather than literal. The cessna flips out of frame and comes
back in as the 'Sonic Jet'
Next we see Princess racing along a cliffside road on her
Galacticycle. Zark introduces her as "-Princess, the only female
member of the Team." for the benefit of memory impared viewers
who've forgotten the intro. And I wonder why they always seem to
put Superheroines on motorcycles....Princess, Batgirl, Mrs. Gale
in the Avengers...maybe just to give them a good excuse for
wearing skintight leather, or because they look so cool with
their capes flapping in the wind....
Then we see the Phoenix rising from the ocean. Tiny Harper is
introduced by Zark. He's sitting in the dome controlling the
ship with two joysticks. This does not strike me as a very
practical arrangement and I want to know what's wrong with the
flight deck, Tiny? Too lonely down there without the rest of the
Team?
He then proceeds to pick up Princess. That big claw always
used to make me nervous, not that it seems to bother her as it
clamps on inches from her legs. Zark remarks that he pays
special attention to Princess but isn't quite sure why. Me
neither, it's not like he's got hormones, (dispite his romance
with Susan, who BTW does not appear in this eps.) maybe he's
just mimicking the rest of the Team's attitude towards the only
girl?
Then there's the Space Buggy buzzing along. The Phoenix swoops
down for pick-up and we flash back for a moment to CN where Zark
has a (bad) picture of Keyop on his screen. He tells us that
Keyop was grown from a single cell in the laboratory, that his
speech is a little peculiar but his powers amazing, while we
watch Root-a-toot-toot boy slid out of his buggy and down the
drop tube.
Next we see the Spacemobile and Jason speeding down that same
mountainside road, and isn't it a good thing there's no other
traffic?
Jason, we are told, is a trifle hotheaded, so emotional, and
Zark wishes he had solid state circuitry like his own, (wait
till the next series, Zark) while we watch arms extend from the
nose of the Phoenix, pick up the Spacemobile and the bow close
around it.
Finally the Phoenix rises through the clouds to collect Mark,
and it occurs to me that he and Tiny must be *very* *very* good
pilots to match and link like that. I wonder how many simulator
Phoenixes and Sonic Jets they crashed during training?
Then Zark is explaining to us about the Team's cerebonic
implants giving them powers beyond those of other humans,
(--Powers and Abilities Far Above Those Of Mortal Men! Superman!
oops, wrong cartoon) and that they are orphans trained almost
from birth, etc. all this while Tiny lowers from the dome to the
front console.
Which brings up the question of exactly where the dome lift is
located. I always got the impression it was in a seperate
compartment aft of the flight deck, or perhaps above since they
use the elevator to get to it in most eps. Does Tiny have his
own private lift or what?
Zark informs the Team that it's Spectra, again, (again?
shouldn't we do something about this? Bombs, sanctions, a stiff
note to Zoltar?)
Keyop is feeling very aggressive, "with my bare hands!" he
says between hoots and whistles, twirling his bola.
"Keyop, you can't do it alone!" Princess scolds.
Mark comments on this being the third time.
Jason says, "Let me get them in my sights and it'll be the
last time!" showing, IMO, the proper spirit.
"That's what you said the last two times." replies Zark,
master of tact, and gets a Condor glare in return.
Zark *finally* signs off, thank God!
"I wonder what they'll look like this time?" says Princess who
is sitting next to Mark at the side stations, (why isn't he in
the command seat? Because he'd rather sit next to Prin than
Tiny?).
"Probably have two head." he replies.
"Well, they say to heads are better than one!" she says
brightly.
"Not on the same body!" he replies, pained.
Tiny, whose voice is *all* wrong spots something in the ocean
and dives in, on his own initiative, *without* orders from Mark,
which is uncharacteristically assertive of him.
The something turns out to a smokelike stream of whatever
coming from an undersea tunnel, they follow it.
Princess wonders if they shouldn't have stayed up top.
She may be right.
Zark, regrettably, is back in voice over telling us we're
looking at yet another Vitalumis storage facility, though it
looks suspicously like a ICBM launch field to me. The ST
appears, wreaks the usual havoc. The usual conventional weapons
are employed to no avail, (why do they bother?)
The Phoenix appears just *after* the nick of time, (ie: after
the field has been destroyed) and fails to attack the ST. This
is of course Mark's fault, he won't let Jason fire on it because
he wants to follow it to its base.
Jason doesn't think much of this strategy, (not sure I do
either) and snarls, "We're going to play tag, Tiny, isn't that
fun?" An interesting line really as it implies he views Tiny as
an ally in opposition to Mark. Another idea that was apparently
dropped.
They seem to lose the ST at one point and Zark points them to
it. Princess remarks it's lucky they had 'ears on', (time out to
imagine helmets with rabbit ears). Zark makes a mild pun, which
I cannot for the life of me remember, then wonders if he's made
a joke. Not in my opinion.
Jason loses patience and tries again for the big red button.
Mark grabs him and they wrestle while arguing. Jason snarls that
the ST isn't going to lead them to any base! and Mark looks at
the screen, still holding on to his second, and cries: "That's
the answer!"
Jason's expression shifts from anger to puzzlement, I remember
I really loved this moment, still do, "What's the question?" he
asks.
Mark says, "It is the base!" and claims to have spotted a
ventilation port they can use to get inside.
This strikes Jason as a pretty weird theory, but he's all for
having a look!
Keyop pleads to be taken along, "teeny-tiny,"
But Mark says not this time.
Jason's all set to go but Princess points out it's *her* turn!
"Lovey-dovey, Marky-warky." Keyop snickers.
She glares down at him, (bet Jun bopped Jinpei).
Princess and Mark go up to the dome which seperates and folds
down into the hull, their capes fly in the wind but they have no
trouble keeping their footing as the Phoenix swoops in on the
ST, (being a Science Ninja means never having to worry about the
laws of physics).
They spread their wings and jump! And there it is, the far
famed head over heels, panty flashing shot male fans know and
love, (I like it to, but not for their reasons) in fact the
whole sequence is very nice with quick cutting changes of POV
showings us Mark and Prin landing on the ST and the Phoenix
shooting away. All done to a background of 'Dare Da'.
They go inside. Mark tells Princess to be careful and call if
she needs help.
"Thanks, but watch yourself, Commander!" she replies and soars
off.
Smart girl that she is she soon finds the main weapons system
and puts it out of commission. Just in time too, the Spectran
Commander, who BTW looks nothing like a turtle (or terrepin) to
me, tries to fire on the Phoenix but can't.
Mark seems to be simply wandering around looking at the
sights, then he opens the bay doors to let in the Phoenix which
*never* struck me as a particularly good idea but Jason, Tiny
and Keyop certainly approve!
They swoop out of the ship and land ready to rock and roll,
just as well because they get the chance almost immediately. But
not before Tiny has time to comment, in that *wrong* voice, "I
thought this operation was nowhere!"
They are of course surrounded by Guys in Green, and the
commander makes an insulting little speech in which he
emphasizes their youth and anticipates his Leader's amusement
when he show him his prisoners.
"We've got to use the rotor force." Jason prison-yard mutters
to his C.O. (rotor force?).
"Spiral on jet two." Mark agrees, whatever that means. Come to
think of it Mark has a tendency to spout pseudo-military techno
jargon at the drop of a feather shuriken.
They form the whirlwind pyramid. Mark 'apologizes' for
disappointing the Spectran Leader and asks the ST's commander to
take him a message from G-Force.
Keyop gives the message: "Bug Off!"
The ST commander looks confused. "What?"
Which reminds me of the siege of Bastogne during the Battle of
the Bulge, (WWII). Bastogne, a one horse town in France, was
completely surrounded by Germans. The enemy commander sent a
formal message requiring their surrender. The American
commander's response was a four letter word begining with S and
ending in T, but being an officer and a gentleman he couldn't
write *that* in a official message to the enemy so he settled on
a less offensive word: 'Nuts!'
Unfortunately the Germans were unacquainted with American
slang and didn't quite know what to make of this, was it a yes
or a no? They figured it out eventually.
So now I want to know, were the writers thinking of this too?
End of digression four, (or five I've lost count).
They start to spin, the winds blow Green Guys around, then
they break formation for a severely cut combat sequence, during
which Mark throws his boomerang and we are assured by Zark that
its sonic field has merely stunned the three or four Spectrans
it felled.
We cut to the ST commander talking on the telecom to Zoltar,
though we aren't told it's Zoltar yet, reporting failure due to
G-Force.
Zoltar consults with the Luminous One, Great Light of Wisdom,
Mighty Galactic Ruler, etc. They order the commander to abandon
ship and return to Spectra where they will make new plans.
Looking out a convenient port Mark sees the ST's head detach
and fly away, correctly deduces that the commander has abandoned
ship. No mention of the crew.
Cut to interior of escape ship and ST commander helpfully
explains that he's just pressed a destruct button.
Back to ST interior where the Team has just discovered the
bombs ticking away and run for their ship.
Exterior shot of ST, its legs go limp, it begins to fall.
Interior Phoenix, everybody hanging on to seats, consoles,
whatever, do they *ever* strap in?
Zark, in anxious voice over, explains about the 'firery
Phoenix' and how it's their ultimate weapon but a very great
strain on their 'cerebonic' powers.
Tiny gets them moving but the bay door closes on the wing pod.
"Our fuel pod's caught!" Jason cries. Fuel pod? Looks like the
pod with Princess' Galacticycle in it to me.
Mark orders full jets, "We don't want to go to firery Phoenix
unless we have to." His face is all blue and white, the others'
colors are slightly off too, I imagine this is supposed to
indicate something wrong with the Phoenix's internal lighting.
Jets don't work. "Well, we tried." sighs our blue Commander.
"Prepare for firery Phoenix!"
Then we see *Jason* taking the command seat, saying in
*Mark's* voice, "I'll take over, Tiny!" but off lighting or no
it is very obviously *Tiny's* hand pushing the lever and didn't
Sandy Frank think we'd be able to tell the difference?
Then Mark, and it really *is* Mark this time, says: "Modulator
Set! Fusion on!" And we get a flame toned interior shot in which
Mark is obviously sitting next to Princess at the side console
again.
Exterior shot of ST exploding, really a *very* nice explosion
with weird colored coiling smoke, looks a little like a lava
lamp actually.
Interior of escape ship, a cheerful ST commander bids G-Force
farewell but finds out a second later he is premature.
Thar she blows! Out of the smoke, the firery Phoenix! Weeeee!
A relieved Zark informs us that the Team transmuted and
escaped in the nick of time, (like we can't see that for
ourselves?). As the firery Phoenix hovers over the sea where the
ST sank, he goes on to say that they will recover the Vitalumis
from the sea floor, (seems like a lot of trouble to go to for a
briefcase worth of the stuff) and that the Team will resume
their seperate forms in 24 hours and be ready for further duty.
Twenty-four hours? Another notion dropped, thank goodness. In
subsequent eps. It's made clear that the firery Phoenix is
difficult to hold for any length of time.
I notice that Chief Anderson does not appear at all in this
episode, and that Zark is very intrusive, happily both
conditions will change soon.
