Original script production line of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman

In examining the history of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman's development and broadcast, it can be observed that the amount of scenarios developed for the series appears to have exceeded the actual amount of episodes that aired.

There are theories that this may either be due to scenarios being scrapped and not making it as approved screenplays for production, or mistakes in missing numbers over the course of writing; there is an instance where two "Production No.023" scenarios can be witnessed, for episodes that would become 8 and 22.

What can be seen and confirmed is that the slate of finalized scripts shows that certain episodes were written in a vastly different order than they would wind up produced and aired in. The listing below will attempt to reconstruct the script order, where known, and compare against the aired episodes. In some cases, particularly the finalized scripts written, there is no change in the title as aired.

Some titles of episodes in the scenario stage can also show evidence of much different directions as originally intended, only for their plots to be reworked extensively and placements reassigned in the lineup.

Script Production No. Listing

1. Challenge of the Monster Robot -> 1. Gatchaman Versus Turtle King. Listed with the provisional title "The Robot Monster Turtle King" in the "Shadow" series composition chart.
2. The Undersea Aircraft Carrier Appears -> 2. The Monstrous Aircraft Carrier Appears. The scenario originally featured a cameo of the Red Impulse team at the end of plot, only for a similar scene to be recycled in what became "The Ghost Fleet from Hell". A similar but different plot can be seen listed with the provisional title "The Mysterious Red Impulse" in the "Shadow" series composition chart, slated as episode 2.
3. The Dwarf Robot Micros Operation -> 6. The Great Mini Robot Operation. Listed with the provisional title "The World Bank's Gold Bullions are Stolen" in the "Shadow" series composition chart, and slated as episode 4.
4. The Mummy Monster that Came with the Storm -> 3. The Giant Mummy that Summons Storms. Appears with the provisional title "The Mummy Monster Angostan" in the "Shadow" series composition chart, and slated as episode 3. As envisioned in the chart but dropped in the actual scenario period, this was initially pitched as another plot involving an undersea aircraft carrier and Galactor's uranium causing a fossil to re-animate as an enemy creature.
5. The Grand Insect Operation -> 17. This title appears in the "Shadow" composition chart, but is slated to be episode 6.
6. The Mysterious Red Impulse -> 11. The series composition chart from the "Shadow" stage shows this was the original title assigned to episode 2, "The Monstrous Aircraft Carrier Appears" (evidently before its scenario was written or as an alternate name), while the title was recycled for this script instead.
7. The Plan to Assassinate Dr. Nambu -> 31. The series composition chart from the "Shadow" stage shows it was at one point slated to be the 16th episode, before ultimately winding up in the 31st slot.
8. Crazy Super Bem -> 65. Super Bem, the Composite Iron Beast
9. The Ghost Fleet of the South Sea -> 5. The Ghost Fleet from Hell. A plot with the same title as the scenario appears to have been slated as episode 11 in the "Shadow" chart, though it was to originally focus more on Jun.
10. Galactor's Undersea Rocket Base -> 9. The Devil from the Moon
11. (Unknown/missing number)
12. The Frozen Iron Beast Ice CreMa -> 14. The Fearsome Ice-Kander
13. Revenge on the Iron Beast Mechadegon -> 4
14. The Mecha-Ball Runs Wild -> 23
15. The Great Underground War -> 10. The Great Underground Monster War
16. The Ibukuron Gluttony Strategy -> 12. The Gluttonous Monster Ibukuron
17. The Fearsome Black Lens -> 15. The Fearsome Jellyfish Lens
18. The Science Ninja Team Destruction Operation -> 57. The Evil White Sea
19. The Eyes of the Super Titan Gorrealis -> 25. The Magma Giant, Emperor of Hell. Also seen with the title of "The Lava Giant Firestone", with the "Eyes of Gorrealis" written beneath as the tentative title.
20. The Cyborg Horse -> 21. Who is Leader X?
21. (Unknown/missing number)
22. The Magician Katzenberg -> 7. Galactor's Giant Airshow
23. The Firebird Versus The Fire-Breathing Dragon -> 22
24. (23 #2) The Sea Anemone's Challenge -> 8. The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef. The scenario number appears to have been repeated by mistake, with two produced in this same time-frame. It was originally slated to air as episode 7.
25. (24) The Secret Micro Film -> 19. Speed Race from Hell
26. (25) Don't Die, Joe! -> 20. A Critical Moment for the Science Ninja Team
27. (26) The Super Modified Machine Mechanika -> 16. The Indestructible Machine Mechanika
28. (27) Shoot the Giant Whale Submarine -> 18. Revenge the Whale Operation
29. (28) The Mystery of the Moving Lake -> 13. The Mysterious Red Sand
30. (29) Galactor's Ninja Team Appears -> 24. The Neon Giant That Smiles in the Dark
31. (30) The Bracelets Exposed -> 76. This plot was evidently held back far enough through rewrites, to where a known draft shows it had to have been made later in the production line due to the presence of Masaki and Onishi in the scenario as in the final product (and referencing the death of Red Impulse), yet still keeping the scenario number "30" intact.
32. (31) Galactor's Traitor -> 27. Galactor's Witch Racer
33. (32) The Iron Beast Matangar -> 90. Matangar, the Armored Iron Beast
34. (Unknown/missing number)
35. (34) Showdown! The Kickboxer Galack X -> 29. Galack X the Demon Man
36. (35) Fight! Ryu the Owl -> 26. The God Phoenix Reborn
37. (36) Galactor's Ninja Spider -> 32. The Great Gezora Operation (Part 1). Paired together with scenario#50 and rewritten into a two-parter plot.
38. (37) Gatchaman in the White World -> 37. Renzilla the Electric Monster
39. (38) The Formless Horror -> 28. The Invisible Devil
40. (39) Kamisoral -> 30. Kamisoral, the Guillotine Iron Beast
41. (40) Thundersaurus -> 34. The Evil Aurora Operation
42. (41) The Mysterious Mechanical Jungle -> 38
43. (42)The Boasting Gatchaman -> 36. Little Gatchaman
44. (Unknown/missing number)
45. (44) The Pacific Region -> 42. The Great Breakout Trick Operation
46. (45) The Murder Music -> 41
47. (46) Legend of the Phoenix -> 35. Burn, Desert Fires
48. (Unknown/missing number)
49. (48) Jigokillers, the People-Eating Flowers (Part 1) -> 39
50. (49) Jigokillers, the People-Eating Flowers (Part 2) -> 40
51. (50) The Great Gezora Operation -> The Great Gezora Operation (Part 2). Made the second half of a two-parter.
52. (51) Don't Cry, Gatchaman -> 43. A Romance Destroyed by Evil
53. (52) Galactor's Challenge -> 44
54. (Unknown/missing number)
55. (54) The Fortress on Sea Lion Island -> 45. The Sea Lion Ninja Team in the Night Fog
56. (55) Storm Galactor's Headquarters! -> 96
57. (56) Leona 3 Won't Respond -> 97. Leona 3, the Spaceship With No Tomorrow
58. (57) Shoot the Killer Shutter -> 48. The Camera Iron Beast, Shutterkiller
59. (58) Chase the Invisible Poisonous Spider -> 47. The Devil's Airline
60. (Unknown/missing number)
61. (60) The Devil's Sniper Group -> 101. The Sniper Group Heavy Cobra
62. (Unknown/missing number)
63. (62) Cata-Roller's Challenge -> 51. Cata-Roller, the Revolving Beast
64. (63) Red Impulse's Secret -> 52
65. (64) Gatchaman's Anger and Tears -> 53. Farewell, Red Impulse
66. (65) The Secret of the Dinosaur Skeleton, Trachodon -> 50. Trachadon, The Dinosaur Skeleton
67. (66) The Ruthless Galactor -> 54. Gatchaman Burns with Rage
68. (67) Gatchaman in the Valley of Death -> 46
69. (68) The Secret of the Monster Mecha Factory -> 59
70. (69) The Terror of the Iron Beast Mechadokuga -> 49. The Fearsome Mechadokuga
71. (70) Galactor's Ocean Pollution Operation -> 55. The Daring Mini-Submarine
72. (71) The Bird Missile of Bitterness -> 56
73. (72) The Death Girl Maya -> 70. Death Girls Unite! The scenario is shown to have originally had the number 71, which was crossed out and marked with 72 (possibly due to accidentally duplicating the number). An auction listing shows it was originally going to air as the 56th episode, but the number was crossed off likely due to pending rewrites.
74. (73) The Desert's Cemetery in the Moonlight -> 69. The Cemetery in the Moonlight
75. (74) The Mecha Buddha Operation 58. Hell's Mecha-Buttha
76. (75) Smog Fiber, The Spiderweb Iron Beast! -> 84
77. (76) The Robot Science Ninja Team Decoy Operation -> 62. The Snow Demon King Blizzarder
78. (77) The Phantom Red Impulse -> 61
79. (78) The Ninja Team's G-6 Dies Here -> 60. Science Ninja Team, Number G-6
80. (79) The God Phoenix is Not Responding -> 68. The Particle Iron Beast Mecha-Saturn
81. (80) The Devil's Fashion Show -> 66
82. (81) The Combined Iron Beast Jellyfish Mecha -> 67. Mortal Blow! Gatchaman Fire. Originally slated to air as episode 64, as noted on the script.
83. (82) The Mecha Magic Ball -> 63. Massacre of the Mecha Curve Ball
84. (83) The Ninja Country of Terror -> 77. The Successful Berg Katse
85. (84) The Deadly General Somure -> 64. A Christmas Present of Death
86. (85) Don't Shut Out the Lights -> 94. Angler, the Electric Devil Beast
87. (86) The Invincible Leader X -> 71
88. (87) The Little Devil Amazonian -> 72. Swarm! A Plague of Mini Iron Beasts
89. (88) A Deadly Ring of Fire! -> 83
90. (89) Pursue Katse! -> 73
91. (90) Find Cinderella -> 74. Secret of the Birdstyles
95. (91) Jumbo Shakora -> 75. Jumbo Shakora, the Ocean Devil King
97. (92) The Targeted Crescent Base -> 82. Aim at the Crescent Coral Reef
98. (93) The Deep Sea Boat Marine Satan -> 78. Mortal Combat! 5,000 Fathoms Under the Sea
99. (94) Patogiller, the Triple Combined Iron Beast -> 87
100. (95) Duel on BC Island -> 81. Duel on Galactor Island
102. (96) The Dark Showroom -> 79. The Stolen Gatchaman Information
104. (97) That's the Science Ninja Team -> 85. That's G-4
105. (98) The Shinobi Murder Group -> 88. The Iron Beast Snake 828
106. (99) Come Back Boomerang! -> 80
107. (100) Capture the Galactor Scientist -> 98. Grape Bomber, the Spherical Iron Beast
108. (101) Galactor's Monopoly Operation -> 86
109. (102) The Crescent Base is in Crisis -> 91. Completion of the Plan to Destroy the Crescent Base
110. (103) The Evil Grand Black Hole Operation -> 104. Appears to have been re-tooled to be part of the final arc, compared to its original placement.
111. (104) Set a Trap in the Fake Crescent Base -> 89. Lay a Trap in the Crescent Base!
112. (105) Destruction of the Crescent Coral Reef -> 92. The End of the Crescent Base
113. (106) The Terrifying Underground Torpedo Operation -> 93. Counterattack! The Underground Torpedo Operation
114. (107) The Captive Gatchaman -> 100. Gatchaman, 20 Years Later
115. (108) The Combined Ninjas, Giant Demon Man -> 95. The Combined Ninjas, Giant Demon Man
116. (109) The True Identity of Berg Katse ->102. A Reversal! Checkmate X!
117. (110) Reveal the True Identity of Leader X! -> 99. The Wounded G-2. Script re-tooled to remove the reveal of X's identity and original plot, and placed earlier.
118. (111) G-2's Desperate Infiltration -> 103. G-2 Risks Death
119. (112) Earth's Destruction! 0002 -> 105

External Links

• Original title list @ GatchaKan (Japanese)