| The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef | |
| , Episode | |
| Episode Guide | |
| previous Galactor's Giant Airshow |
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The Secret of the Crescent Coral Reef is the eighth episode of Gatchaman.
Plot Summary[]
Dr. Nambu has been investigating the possibility of a secret underwater base for The Science Ninja Team so they can increase efforts to combat Galactor's wrath. Surveyors admire the natural beauty of the ocean until they are attacked by a giant sea anemone.
Ken and Jinpei are in their civilian clothing and are at the park. The scene immediately cuts to Ken saving an entangled balloon for a young child. They thank Ken and say that he resembles Gatchaman. Jinpei becomes envious and asks his fellow children how admirable G-4 is. The children say that the feeble G-4 is certainly their least favorite. Jinpei is heartbroken at that point.
Ken and Jinpei are walking along a densely populated street when Dr. Nambu orders them to launch the God Phoenix. Dr. Nambu discusses his plans to construct a secret base but is aware of the possibility that Galactor already knows of his plans. His only orders for The Science Ninja Team is for them to embark on their unusual mission which is just patrolling an island. Even more unusual is that Dr. Nambu repeats the importance of defeating Galactor to Jinpei. After Dr. Nambu signs off, Jun notes that Dr. Nambu wasn't very clear with this unusual mission.
The Science Ninja Team circles the perimeter of the island while in the air and then they circle it again while underwater. They are unaware that they are being spotted by Galactor the moment they dive in. Berg Katse informs Leader X that the God Phoenix is on its way to protect the secret base. Leader X tells Katse to find the base and destroy the construction or Galactor will be in jeopardy.
Jinpei is eating lunch in the bubble dome on top of the God Phoenix, but retreats back when a shark swims towards him. Jun explains that this is an example of Jinpei's lack of popularity while Ken and Jun laugh. They suddenly spot the giant sea anemone, complete with eyes. Dismissing it as a mutant, Ken orders Ryu to avoid it, but the anemone follows them anyways.
The Science Ninja team stays at the island during the night. While they are camping under the stars, Jinpei is awake and is still very upset about his infamy. He decides to complete the mission all by himself. He takes the G-4 mecha underwater and will not return until Dr. Nambu says they have completed the mission.
Jinpei discovers an underwater base and is unaware that Katse is following him. Jinpei is captured by Galactor and lands inside the mecha. The curtains inside the mecha are indestructible. Jinpei is unable to attack. Katse laughs at Jinpei. Jinpei had led Galactor directly to the base. Jinpei signals Ken and tells him he found the secret base and that Galactor is closing in fast. The God Phoenix rushes to save the base but they are too late; the mecha destroyed it.
Filled with rage, Ken smashes the Bird Missile button towards the sea anemone while Jinpei is still inside it. Ryu docks the God Phoenix and everybody leaves to fight Galactor and rescue Jinpei. Katse is almost in the hands of Ken before he escapes. Galactor abandons the sea anemone.
The Science Ninja Team are back on the God Phoenix and are horrified they failed the mission. To their surprise, Dr. Nambu is delighted that they completed the mission. He also said their base is ready for them. They tell him that Galactor had destroyed the secret underwater base. Dr. Nambu laughs and finally tells them that that was not the secret base. He says it was just an empty decoy. He congratulates Jinpei for a job well done, hinting that he knew all about Jinpei's lack of popularity the entire time. It was necessary for Dr. Nambu to deceive the Science Ninja Team because he could not risk Galactor destroying the secret base.
They ask Dr. Nambu where the new base is, and he says it is directly below them. The top of the base is a crescent-shaped coral reef with a fish hatchery below it, making it indistinguishable. Dr. Nambu invites them to see their new and movable fortress. He waits for them while the God Phoenix docks inside their secret base.
Staff[]
- Screenplay: Jinzo Toriumi
- Director: Hisayuki Toriumi
- Mecha Design: Kunio Okawara
- Animation: Masami Suda, Akio Kikuchi, Shigeru Kato
- Art Setting: Kimie Izushima
- Backgrounds: Kazusuke Yoshihara
- Finishing: Hiroshi Kato
- Special Effects: Kiyoshi Asanuma
- Photography: Akio Hirayama
- Editing: Hajime Taniguchi
- Production Progress: Ryozo Arai
- Production Manager: Mitsuo Sato, Minoru Uchima (Yomiko)
Voice Cast[]
- Ken: Katsuji Mori
- Joe: Isao Sasaki
- Jun, Girl: Kazuko Sugiyama
- Jinpei: Yoku Shioya
- Ryu: Shingo Kanemoto
- Dr. Nambu: Toru Ohira
- Berg Katse, ISO Commander in Chief: Mikio Terashima
- Leader X: Nobuo Tanaka
- Attendant: Tessho Genda (as Mitsuo Yokoi)
- Narrator: Hideo Kinoshita
- Boy A: Noriko Tsukase
- Boy B: Keiko Tomochika
Trivia[]
- This episode shows (in the same scene) that the G-4 mecha is capable of travel in air, land, and underwater. This is the only Science Ninja Team mecha (besides the Godphoenix) that is capable of this much travel.
- Ken gets to fire the bird missile in this episode.
- The launch button for the bird missile is protected by motorized glass. This is one of the episodes where the button is pressed before the glass moves out of the way, smashing the glass.
- Ryu joins the Science Ninja Team in this episode instead of staying behind in The God Phoenix.
- This episode marks the debut of the Crescent Coral Base.
- The order of popularity of the Science Ninja Team given by the kids would correspond to their original intended numbering, which put Jinpei last as the 5th.
Development Period[]
- The scenario script for this episode, while produced as "Gatchaman", shows evidence of it having been rewritten from earlier title periods like Science Ninja Team Birdman; the Phoenix is still referred to in some lines as "The God Bird". [1]