Gatchaman Episode 72: A Plague of Mini Iron Beasts by lborgia88, saturn
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This is a Gatchamania Episode review. Opinions expressed are those of the author.This episode review is image intensive. Thank you, Saturn, for the screen caps!

Gatchaman Episode 72: “A Plague of Mini Iron Beasts”

BOTP Episode: “Invasion of the Locusts”



 



The episode begins with a view of eerie, bluish flames, as we hear Berg Katse addressing Leader X.

“Sire, according to legend, a bird called the phoenix consumes itself in fire every five hundred years, after which a new phoenix springs from its ashes. The God Phoenix is just the same.”

Now the flames begin to swirl and take on the shape of a phoenix.

“It was once demolished by our jellyfish mecha,” continues Katse, “and burned to ashes by our most powerful weapons of death.”

Now we see the God Phoenix coming out of firebird mode and flying through a blue sky.



 



“Now it appears invincible,” concludes Katse, with a tinge of despair in his voice. (It’s “reborn equipped with even more powerful weapons” in the subs –a more specific explanation.)

At last we’re seeing Katse himself.

“Sire,” he says plaintively, “we need a powerful new strategy to destroy the despicable God Phoenix and Gatchaman once and for all!”

“Not to worry, Katse,” intones Leader X, “I’ve a brilliant plan to not only kill Gatchaman, but all of human kind as well.”


 



“I’d expect nothing less from you,” says Katse, with a bow, “and what is this great plan?”

Okay, Katse seems awfully complacent about a plan that aims to kill every human! Does he think, as a mutant or as Leader X’s leading flunky, that he’ll be exempted (along with a sufficient number of goons to function as his servants) or is he just assuming that Leader X is exaggerating for effect?

“Even the king of beasts can be felled by an ant,” replies Leader X, who must read something akin to Aesop’s Fables in his spare time. Actually, the only fable I can think of that involves an ant is the one where the grasshopper goofs off all summer while the ant toils, storing food, and then when winter comes the ant lives and the grasshopper dies. Besides, Leader X, the ants were in episode 10; this episode’s supposed to be about grasshoppers!

Now Katse is standing at a podium on a stage, with a small box resting on the podium in front of him, while rows of neatly lined-up goons listen to him.


 



He’s informing them all that Leader X himself has created “a terrifying mecha” and that the plan is “to wipe all humans from the face of the Earth!”

“In such a tiny box, Sire?” asks a goon, who also seems strangely unperturbed by a plan to wipe out all humans. Does he figure he’ll be exempted because Katse will need some goons left alive to boss around? Does he think Katse’s exaggerating for effect? Actually, if this goon’s been around a while, he might have figured out that Katse’s and Leader X’s plans rarely ever succeed and therefore he’s not too worried.

Katse insists the new mecha is large enough to destroy the God Phoenix, and he opens the box.



 


Out flies a lone grasshopper, and it heads straight for the skeptical goon and lands on his nose –this causes the goon to sneeze (and release a rather disgusting amount of nasal mucus.) The grasshopper, apparently having made its point, flies back to the box.



 


Another goon now speaks up, admitting that the sneezing goon was caught by surprise, but wondering how a “measly little grasshopper” can help them conquer the world (Hey goon, weren’t you listening? The plan is to kill everyone –“conquering” implies alive-but-subjugated.)

“You fool,” says Katse, “Haven’t you ever heard the story of the ant that defeated a lion?”

I’ve never heard this story.

Katse then attempts to build on this argument by pointing out that the grasshopper is even bigger than an ant (though I believe whatever fable he just cited is supposed to show that size is irrelevant).

“You dimwits could never understand the magnitude of its power,” continues Katse.

(Way to motivate your troops there, Katse!)

“Immediately launch Mission: Human Extermination!” cries Katse grandly, to a room full of humans, “With grasshoppers!”

But, as Katse orders them all to “move out,” there are no more questions.

So we cut to an old man drinking a glass of water. He sets his empty glass down at his table with a sigh, and now we see that he’s in the Snack J.



 



“Gramps over there’s been drinking nothing but water,” complains Jinpei to Jun, over by the bar.

But now the man politely requests another glass of water.

“What, another?” asks Jinpei, looking unhappy at this customer’s frugal drinking habits. With no heed to subtlety, he proceeds to whip out a menu and point out that other drinks besides water are available.


 



“Jinpei!” scolds Jun, and she walks over to the man’s table and refills his glass from a pitcher.


 



He apologizes for troubling her and she insists it’s no trouble. “He’s just a goofy kid,” she adds, as Jinpei leans on his elbows in disgust, scowling.

“It’s his 11th glass of water,” he notes, “One more and it’ll be a dozen.”

Jun, perhaps realizing now that the old man has been sitting there a long time, asks him if something is wrong.

He thanks her for her concern, adding that she’s the only person who’s said kind words to him that day, and that no one has been caring what he says all week “Even though mankind is facing a crisis!”

This gets Jun’s full attention. “A crisis?” she says.

“Today a terrible insect is trying to wipe out the whole human race,” declares the old man. Jinpei, the rude brat, blatantly yawns with boredom at this news and tells Jun that she can listen to his story.

“Jinpei!” scolds Jun again, even louder, but as she turns she accidentally knocks a small case off the man’s table onto the floor.

“The grasshopper!” cries the old man in horror, lunging to retrieve the case from the floor.


 



“Grasshopper?” says Jinpei, suddenly interested now at the mention of an insect.

Now the narrator informs us that “moments later, contacted by Jun and Jinpei, Ken, Joe and Ryu rush to Jun’s joint.”

So, the old man has an audience of five now gathered about him attentively.



 



“Entomologist Toda tells Ken and the others something rather unexpected,” the narrator explains, “Deep in the wilds of Amazonia, known as one of the most untamed, terrifying places in the world, an unusual number of grasshoppers have appeared.



 


An infestation of this size is unprecedented and are usually limited to dryer climates near the desert or on grassy plains which see little rainfall.” And as we’re told all this, we’re shown scenes of both deserts and grassy plains. “But Mr. Toda insists that a swarm is building, deep in the jungle.”

Ken, studying a piece of paper (presumably an outline of the Mr. Toda’s findings) thinks they should just report this to the International Entomology Research Institute.


 



Mr. Toda counters that he’s already done that, and that he’s also gone to the ISO, the Animal Research Center and every other place he could think of, “But no one will listen to a country entomologist like myself.” Jun and Ryu look glum at this news, but Jinpei is now all enthusiasm for the man now that he knows he specializes in bugs.



 



He eagerly volunteers to accompany Mr. Toda back the jungle to collect evidence.

“One grasshopper costs ten yen at a department store,” he says to himself craftily, revealing that he has a mercenary stake in volunteering for this venture, “If there are tons, I’ll be rolling in dough!” He finishes with a devious chuckle.


  

Now a small plane with pontoon floats in lieu of wheels is flying along, and the ground below is jungle and a sinuous river.



 



“Check it out, nothing but miles and miles of green,” enthuses Jinpei from inside the plane. He and Mr. Toda are in the back seats, while a younger man –the pilot- is doing the flying.

Mr. Toda tells Jinpei that what he’s seeing is only the beginning of the jungle, but he begins consulting a map and says that they should now be in the area where the infestation is occurring.

“What’s that?” says Jinpei now, and Mr. Toda looks up.

“A swarm!” he cries.

“A swarm?” says Jinpei.


 



“Grasshoppers move together in huge swarms that migrate –get us away from that cloud!” he instructs the pilot.

The pilot changes course, but a swarm of grasshoppers is indeed heading towards them.

“We have to get away from these grasshoppers now!” yells Mr. Toda as the pilot gapes in stupefied alarm.

But it’s too late. They’re in the midst of the swarm now and the plane is being splattered all over with grasshopper goo (I really pity whoever has to clean the plane later, as it requires special enzyme sprays and a lot of scrubbing with cloths to safely get congealed bug guts off of a plane’s surfaces –I have done it.)

Jinpei is staring out a window and, seeing that it’s receiving a barrage in grasshopper strikes, he announces anxiously that one of the floats is about to break off.



 



“Ach du lieber!” cries Mr. Toda (confirming for me that his dub accent is indeed German, or more likely Austrian).

As he and Jinpei brace themselves for the worst, the craven pilot shamelessly abandons them, leaping out of the plane with a parachute and an “I’m outta here!”



 


 



Bad move on his part, actually –colliding grasshoppers rip holes right through the pilot’s deployed parachute, causing him to plummet towards the ground and certain doom.



 



“So much for the pilot,” gripes Jinpei scornfully (and rather callously) as he takes the helm of plane, “I can’t believe he bailed on us, man. This blows!”

As cracks appear on the windows from grasshopper impacts, Mr. Toda asks Jinpei if he can manage a safe water landing.

“I don’t know –only if the gear’s still there when we try it!” says Jinpei, bravely handling the situation like the Science Ninja that he is.



 



The river below is getting closer now.

Jinpei’s landing on the river is a bit rough, but he does the job –the plane’s in one piece and he and Mr. Toda are unscathed.



 



“I’m not quite as good a pilot as my Big Bro,” admits a very relieved looking Jinpei, “But I still pulled it off.” Mr. Toda is limp with relief too.

Meanwhile, the grasshopper swarm appears to be in retreat now, streaming back towards something on the ground and we get a quick look at the head of a much, much larger grasshopper mecha.

Inside it, Katse is exclaiming to himself that Leader X comes up with brilliant ideas, wondering “Who would have thought that mere grasshoppers could be so powerful?”

Now Katse turns to the goons all standing behind him in rows.

“Much can be learned from grasshoppers, troops!” he declares, “They are persistant, strive towards their goal with no regard for themselves –a symbol of Galactor’s cause!” He concludes with a grand sweep of his arm for emphasis.

Yes, I’m sure that in Katse’s mind, the idea that goons should sacrifice themselves just like the grasshoppers that splatted against the plane is a fine and noble one! Heck, they’re even the same colour –green! We don’t get to hear any goons’ opinions of this, though, as we cut to the exterior of the Snack J.

Yes, high time we saw what the rest of the Team is doing.

Ken and Ryu are seated at the bar and Joe’s standing and leaning against it as Jun gives Ken a cup of coffee. Ken asks if Jun’s heard from Jinpei, and she says she has not. Ryu thinks Jinpei is too preoccupied with catching grasshoppers to think of calling.



 



“He’s hopeless,” says Ken, a tad disparagingly.

“Let’s give him a little scare when he comes back,” says Joe.

“Right on,” agrees Jun, “Let’s show him some discipline for once.”

I would love to know what plan they might have come up with…

Meanwhile, back in Amazonia, Jinpei is standing on an observation platform above a thatched-roof building in a small clearing carved from the surrounding jungle. He’s surveying the area in all directions with binoculars, but sees nothing but jungle.


 



Now, he remembers that it might be a good idea to keep the other Ninjas apprised of his whereabouts and wellbeing, and he tries to contact them with his bracelet but all that comes through is the up-and-down wavering of radio interference.


 



He slumps in defeat.

Next, he’s sitting near the edge of the river as the sun is beginning to set. Behind him, a grasshopper lands on a thick stalk of grass and Jinpei turns his head and sees it.


 



It’s rustling its wings and flicking its antennae. Jinpei, frowning, stands and pulls out a pocket knife. He immediately throws the knife at the grasshopper, but it’s able to fly away very quickly and avoid being run through.

“That thing had to have been a mecha,” concludes Jinpei aloud as he retrieves his knife.

Now we’re seeing the very large, main grasshopper mecha again. Inside it, we get a look at rows and rows of little glass boxes with opening in their fronts –each contains one of Leader X’s special grasshoppers, and all are protruding their heads through the openings and feeding from some sort of pulpy substance that’s moving past all the boxes on little conveyor belts.

Elsewhere inside the large grasshopper mecha, heat lamps are warming little glass-covered chambers where other grasshoppers are producing and tending to white larvae.

Katse is surveying all of this from an upper balcony.



 



“Yes, grow! Grow!” he says, “It won’t be very long now until we reach our goal, little friends.” As he says this, we see three growing grasshoppers molt and shed their now-too-small exoskeletons.


 



A goon comes up behind Katse now and informs him that a report has been received from “spy mecha #26.”

“What? A suspicious individual?” says Katse, studying the print out the goon handed him. “Knife-wielding” would be more accurate, but I suppose that qualifies as suspicious.

“Is the 108 airborne grasshopper corps ready?” asks Katse. (Clearly these chaotic-looking grasshopper swarms are more organized and regimented than they appear.)

It is, and Katse orders it to be deployed to “point F” immediately.

An opening appears in the mouth region of the large grasshopper mecha, and a swarm of the smaller grasshopper mechas stream forth into the air.



 



They all appear to be following one small grasshopper in particular.

Back at the building where Jinpei and Mr. Toda are, Mr. Toda is performing some sort of test or experiment on a grasshopper. He’s got some kind of electric current streaming between two opposing plates, emitting a high pitched humming noise as a grasshopper that is hanging from a string is drawn to and moving ever closer to it.


 



“Hmmm,” he says, as if coming to some kind of interesting conclusion or breakthrough.

He goes outside and calls “Jinpei, I’ve found out something strange, come here!”

Jinpei is up on the observation platform with binoculars again, but he tells Mr. Toda that he sees something strange too.

It’s an approaching swarm of grasshoppers –presumably the 108 airborne corps.

He informs Mr. Toda of this, and he goes over to a large barrel with an attached spraying apparatus and begins spraying the sides of the building.


 

Jinpei, descending the ladder from the observation platform, wants to know what he’s doing and insists “We’ve got to get out of here!”

Mr. Toda insists he’s staying, causing Jinpei to ask if he’s lost his mind. Mr. Toda explains that he’s discovered “strange behaviour in the grasshoppers” and is unwilling to leave and abandon his equipment and data.

Jinpei still wants to know what’s with the spraying. Mr. Toda explains that it’s insect repellant and that it will keep the grasshoppers away for a while.

Jinpei is excited to hear this and insists he wants to spray some of it in the jungle. Mr. Toda declares there isn’t sufficient quantity of it to cover the jungle, but Jinpei claims he has an idea that will save their lives.

Now we cut to the Crescent Coral Base.

Dr. Nambu has now received a report of a massive infestation in Amazonia.

“It’s just as that Toda guy predicted,” says Ken, “He said he’d actually gone to the ISO and talked to them about this before.”


 



“Obviously, it was our mistake,” concedes Dr. Nambu graciously, “I heard about it later and I admit I found it hard to believe myself but hindsight won’t help anything now. We need action.”

Ryu wants to know why they need to be concerned about “a bunch of little, green hopping bugs.”


 



“Haven’t you ever heard the story about two neighbouring countries who were at war when a massive infestation of grasshoppers occurred?”

I have to say that, just like Leader X’s animal fable, I haven’t heard this story.

Judging from the Ninjas’ silence, they haven’t either.

“They immediately stopped fighting each other,” he continues, “and exterminated the grasshoppers together. We can’t begin to imagine how much grasshoppers can eat and how fast. Amazonia produces more than half of the oxygen on Earth. If the grasshoppers eat its jungle away, our air would become contaminated and mankind would most likely go the way of the dinosaur.”

Now Ken sees the gravity of the situation and quickly stands up, insisting that they just can’t stand by and let this happen.

Immediately he adds “You know, it’s strange we haven’t heard from Jinpei so far,” but then gives that no more thought as he turns to the others and says “Let’s get going to Amazonia!”

It’s disturbing, but I’ve just realized that when I see the word “amazon” my first thought isn’t “jungle” or “river” -it’s “online bookstore.” Ah, the power of capitalism.

And the God Phoenix is now flying through the sky…

Meanwhile, back at their repellent-doused building, Jinpei and Mr. Toda are waiting nervously for the grasshopper onslaught.


 



But, when the swarm arrives their dreaded attack consists of … eating leaves.



 


Okay, okay, I know that that’s a bad thing (depriving the planet of oxygen and all) but it just seems rather anticlimactic.

So, the grasshoppers eat and eat the leaves on trees in the vicinity, and Jinpei and Mr. Toda wait and wait inside the building.


Commercial break!

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