Jinpei

Jinpei
Kanji	甚平
Characteristics
Race	Human
Gender	Male
Age	11 (Gatchaman), 13 (Gatchaman II and Fighter)
Height	120cm
Weight	30kg
Hair Color	Brown
Eye Color	Black
Personal Status
Status	Active
Relatives	Jun (Adopted Sister)
Voice Actor	Yoku Shioya, Rika Matsumoto (OVA)
First Appearance
Anime Debut	Gatchaman Versus Turtle King

Jinpei also known as Jinpei the Swallow is the Science Ninja Team's youngest member and the reconnaissance expert. He is the 'adopted' brother of Jun.

Background

Jinpei never knew his parents or his earlier life, but claims to be the last descendant of the Iga ninja clan. He was found by Jun as an infant in the mountains, and taken back to the orphanage she lived in. Eventually they came under the wing of Dr. Nambu to undergo training for Kagaku Ninpo.

According to Fantastic Graphics TV Anime volume 3, Nambu did not intend on taking both children, but Jun insisted that he not split them up.

Appearance

Jinpei in his Gatchaman costume.

Jinpei is average height for a child his age, and has wild brown hair. His civilian clothing usually consists of an orange-and-yellow T-shirt with the number 4 on it and a pair of blue-and-white striped bellbottom pants. By the time of the sequels, he wears a slightly different crew neck-styled "4" shirt, as well as a cap and suspenders.

His swallow-themed Bird Style is mainly yellow with red gloves and boots. It is adorned with a dark blue cape that is teal on the inside. His helmet is colored blue with yellow eyes and a red outline, with the visor being clear yellow, although the visor is colored a light teal in the two sequel series.

OVA

Jinpei's civilian clothing was updated and modernized for the remake, with him wearing a beanie and sweatshirt. His hair is also a bit curlier.

His Swallow Bird Style was modified to be primarily red, with yellow accents and a purple cape. Rather than the "G" belt, he now has just the symbol worn at the center of the uniform.

Cancelled Imagi Film Project

Jinpei underwent a few possible looks for the film, one being loosely based off his OVA appearance and having his entire uniform with a red-and-gold color scheme. Other designs took from the NTT ads for inspiration, although they later went back to using his classic uniform.

Personality

Jinpei is cheery and excitable like most children his age, as well as mischievous. But, he is also very responsible, helping Jun run her snack bar, and supporting his teammates to the best of his abilities when needed.

Relationships

Jun

Jinpei knew Jun when growing up in the orphanage and is as close to her as a sibling by blood, helping her run the Snack J. Jinpei also likes to tease Jun about her feelings for Ken.

Ken Washio

As Ken is his leader, Jinpei heeds Ken's every order and respects him. He is also close with Ken when not on the field calling him 'Aniki'.

Weapons and Arsenal

Fighting Style

Jinpei's style of Kagaku Ninpo focuses mainly on stealth and incapacitating enemies as Jinpei's small body puts him at a disadvantage against enemies that are full grown.

Weapons

Bolas: Jinpei's primary weapon in the original series. They are usually used to restrain enemies.

Rebound Ball: Jinpei's primary weapon in Gatchaman II. A super-ball projectile that is thrown from a shovel-like mitt attached to his left hand.

Rebound Ball

Swallow Top: Jinpei's weapon in Gatchaman Fighter. A spinning top attached to a yo-yo like string.

Swallow Top

Unnamed hacking device: In the Gatchaman OVA, Jinpei had a device which he could use to hack into Galactor computers. The device had a collapsible screen,a gamepad-like button interface and transmitted data to Jinpei's helmet via a heads up display on his visor.

Jinpei: Hacker at Work.

G-4 Mecha

G-4

Swallow Helico: A small VTOL aircraft used for recon in areas that the New God Phoenix cannot enter. It is presumed that it was destroyed along with the New God Phoenix in Gatchaman Fighter.

Swallow Helico

Gatcha Four: Jinpei's mecha in Gatchaman Fighter. A large black and white land vehicle. One of the five vehicles that form the Gatchaspartan, it forms the central body of the ship.

Gatcha Four

Trivia

• While Jinpei's real birthday is unknown, it is celebrated on the day Jun had found him.
• Jinpei's name comes from the uncle of Gatchaman's screenwriter Jinzō Toriumi.
• Yoku Shioya was still a young adolescent during most of the anime and he entered puberty in the later stages, which is why Jinpei's voice is deeper in the final episode. By the time of the sequels, Shioya was twenty but continued to reprise his role.
• The OVA mentions Jinpei has a special driver's license to drive his dune buggy.
• Jinpei does not have a surname in the original series, and "Jinpei" was only a name given to him by Jun. However, the earliest planning materials for the series had him named "Jinpei Tsubakurou", his surname being patterned after the swallow. The live-action film continuity gives him the surname of "Ohtsuki".
• The early materials had Jinpei intended to be the fifth-in-command on the team, and gave him a "5" on his shirt in the model sheets.
• An alternative early design for Jinpei depicted his shirt as being two shades of orange and him wearing plain blue jeans, as well as sporting a yellow and blue baseball cap.

External links

• http://gatchonline.com/characters/jinpei.htm