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--- Gatchaman episode 12: "The Gluttonous Monster Ibukron" (http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2527)


Posted by lborgia88 on 14-05-2009 at 16:21:

Gatchaman episode 12: "The Gluttonous Monster Ibukron"

Gatchaman Episode 12: “The Gluttonous Monster Ibukron”

BOTP Episode: “Beast with a Sweet Tooth”

The episode begins with a scenic view of a field of sugar cane, with some mountains in the distance. A man driving a large threshing machine comes into view. Chop, chop, chop goes the sugar cane, then tossed into the machine's hold as its driver sweats from the hard labour of sitting there and driving (okay, it could be really hot and humid). He pauses to wipe his face with a handkerchief, but then goes "aughh!" as he sees an insect-shaped mecha looming just over the next hill.

This poor guy is so doomed...


 


"It's a monster!" he gasps, as the mecha begins heading rapidly towards him. One giant foot comes down nearly on top of his threshing machine, as he sees what's happening and cries "It's sucking up all the sugar cane!"


 


He leaps from the threshing machine -probably a wise move but somehow I don't think it's going to do him much good.

Having sucked the cane from the threshing machine, the mecha completely crushes it with one of its feet and then proceeds to "vacuum" up sugar cane straight from the field into its mouth. Next, it descends upon a collection of farm buildings, smashes a barn and a silo with its foot, and sucks up the sugar cane inside (and also an entire truck too -I love these bizarre little touches!)


 


Having seemingly glutted itself, or run out of sugar cane to inhale, the mecha stalks off. We are left with an image of one of its large and deep footprints left in the field.

Hey, the guy driving the threshing machine might have actually survived! -unless he was inside the barn or the silo (or that truck)...

Now we're shown still images of the same mecha (a cockroach, I believe) wreaking more damage to buildings in other locations.


 

 


Numerous men, Director Anderson and Dr. Nambu among them, are sitting around a circular table, looking at images on a screen in the center of the table, as the narrator informs us that "a giant mechanical monster shaped like a cockroach attacked all the world's sugar cane and sugar beet sources, one after the other.


 


The sugar stock harvested with the toil of the farmers disappeared before ever reaching the people." To illustrate the gravity and dire nature of this crisis, we are shown the proprietor of a candy shop sadly shrugging as he faces a horde of children who, presumably, have just been informed that they won't be getting any candy today.

The image, we now see, is part of a television news show detailing the crisis.


 


Ryu, relaxing in a hammock as he watches TV, sits up in dismay.


 


"No more pixie sticks?" he cries plaintively, before his hammock flips and pitches him headfirst onto the floor (I hope he gets extra pay for all the abuse he takes as "comic relief").


 


"I won't be able to eat any of the things I love? This is horrible!" he says as he runs out his door.

We now cut to Jinpei and Jun, and I can only identify them by their respective blue and red striped pants because each is carrying so many boxes, the rest of them cannot be seen.


 


Ryu solves this problem by running down the sidewalk and crashing into both of them, such that all the boxes tumble to the ground.

So, they all recognize each other now. Jun frowns, hands on her hips, as Jinpei waves a fist over his head and yells "Clumsy! We stood in line for eight hours to buy this! How are you going to make it up?"


 


Now we (and Ryu) see that Jun and Jinpei had been carrying pastries and other sweets, as the boxes have broken open on the ground.


 


I can't believe they'd stand in line for eight hours just to buy sweets, but upon reflection, if Galactor ever caused a global coffee shortage, I'd stand in line for that long to secure a stash for myself.

"I'm surprised at you!" huffs Jun, and Jinpei groans "Sis, he's eating everything!" Sure enough, Ryu is holding up a large, gooey piece of cake to his mouth with a look of near maniacal glee in his eyes.


 


Unfortunately, Dr. Nambu has chosen that very moment to contact Ryu -"Come in, G5!" Poor Ryu is obligated to respond, as Jinpei snatches away the piece of cake.

Dr. Nambu informs Ryu that the giant cockroach mecha has made another appearance, and orders him to launch the God Phoenix. "Right now?" asks Ryu; "Of course, right now! Hurry up!" barks Nambu exasperatedly. Hee!

So, Ryu, Jun and Jinpei all immediately dash down the street (though Jinpei does take a second to reach down and grab an armful of sweets first).


 


In their wake, a horde of excited children descend upon the rest. It's good that nothing will be wasted, but I hope that sidewalk is clean!


 


We're shown Ken's G1 jet docking with the God Phoenix (why is he so often the last to arrive?) and we cut to the bridge.

"Cockroach monster, huh?" says Ken, as if hearing of it for the first time -he must not watch much TV or have a big sweet tooth. Dr. Nambu comes on screen to explain the global theft of sugar sources. Ken is outraged, sure that Galactor must be behind it, but fuzzy on why they'd want sugar. "It appears they're changing their strategy," says Dr. Nambu, "They're trying to make the children suffer by nabbing the world's sugar."

"That's incorrigible!" says Ken, literally trembling in outrage now. "What does Galactor hope to gain by such cruelty?"


 


Some perspective here, please! Two episodes ago, ants were tearing Utoland into flaming rubble -this is just sugar!


Posted by lborgia88 on 14-05-2009 at 16:56:

However, Dr. Nambu himself believes this crisis is going to throw people into despair and "the human race into confusion," so what do I know?

Each member of the team (except Joe -oddly low key here) echoes the outrage.


 


Ryu is especially great, snarling "I can't stand for someone to snatch food! Rrrrrr!" -with fists swinging.


 


At any rate, their instructions from Dr. Nambu are to find the cockroach mecha.


 


About two seconds later (okay, I'll assume more time has actually passed), Ryu sees the cockroach mecha on a viewscreen.


 


However, it sees the God Phoenix too, and soon they're being sucked towards the mecha by, to quote Ryu, "a powerful magnetic force!"

Ryu is most concerned that they're about to end up as "one big lump of roach chow" but Ken's got a plan.


 

 


He wants Ryu to make it seem like they're going to be sucked into the mecha, but then Ryu, Joe and he will jump inside the mecha, and Jun will take the helm of the God Phoenix. My, my -Ryu gets to go on the infiltration, and Jun's going to pilot the God Phoenix. This is a switch, for sure. Ready for their "men's adventure," Ken, Joe and Ryu leap from the dome of the God Phoenix towards the mecha's mouth as Jun fires the thrusters and pulls the God Phoenix clear of the mecha's magnetic force.


 


The fun begins as the three guys see that the mecha's mouth is filled with a rotating metal grinder. Ken goes "aughh!" but he is able to throw his birdrang and jam the grinder just before he, Joe and Ryu collide with it.


 


Ken and Joe manage to land on their feet -Ryu proves less agile.


 


"That was close!" says Ken. "Real impressive, Ken," says Joe (with only a bit of sarcasm) and he even puts his hand on Ken's shoulder. Ken glances briefly at Joe and says "yeah," rather flatly -these two understand each other so well.


 


Meanwhile, Ryu's found a lever that opens up the grinder, so they're able to go inside. Ken is surprised to see that the mecha is actually a self-contained sugar refinery. He and Joe leap easily over a large pipe, but then have to turn and help Ryu over it -except they're both startled as the mecha begins to shake and they drop Ryu on his head.


 


Hasn't Ryu been subjected to enough slapstick already? The joke's wearing a bit thin and we're only eight minutes into the episode. We cut to a exterior view of the mecha, and we see it firing thrusters from its belly and taking off from the ground into the sky, then unfolding its wings and switching to rear thrusters.

However, on the God Phoenix, Jinpei sees that the mecha's "getting away!"


 


But, no worries, Jun is in charge and all is well. She orders Jinpei to "jam their radar," and says "This roach is mine!" Go Jun!

On board the mecha, a goon informs his commander that their radar isn't working. This commander is sporting a relatively subdued and tasteful ensemble -for this show that is. Following in the wake of "Plungerhead" and Katse-the-Renaissance-ant, it's really kind of boring. It's not even cockroach themed! He does have a bit of a gladiator skirt thing going, though -that's something.

Katse now appears on screen, and somehow he knows that "Gatchaman is on board" even if the commander doesn't.


 


However, the commander brings up a map of the mecha's interior on screen, and he's able to locate the intruders, as a glowing red dot.


 


Sure enough, Ken, Joe and Ryu are crouched on a conveyor belt that's taking them up, up and up...


 


But only at the last second does Ken see that the ride's about to end, and it's too late for the three of them to do anything except go "aughh!" and fall a long way down to the bottom of what seems to be a large cylinder. Ken and Joe land on their feet, but Ryu... -well, you can guess.


 


The cylinder shakes, and Ken goes "aughh!" again, as a large, circular crushing disk, the same diameter as the the cylinder they're in, descends upon them. Ryu does his best to hold it back from crushing them, as Ken and Joe try to find a way out. Joe finds a removable panel in the wall, near the floor -and the three of them escape just in the nick of time, though Ken has to shove Ryu to get him through the small opening (and I think Ken actually says "zoinks!" here. Isn't that what Scooby Doo's Shaggy always said? A Casey Kasem insider joke, courtesy of ADV!)


 


Meanwhile, on board the God Phoenix, Jun is clearly relishing her authority. It would be fun to see Ken and Joe taking orders from her, but currently she has only Jinpei so she tells him to continue to jam the mecha's radar. Jinpei is worried, though, that they haven't heard anything from the three guys. At least Jun doesn't have to wonder if they're at a bar, ignoring their cellphones, but she concludes that they might well be in trouble, and that Ken wanted her to remain on the God Phoenix so that she'd be able to rescue them in such an event. Jinpei teases her that it's natural that Jun would fall for such a wise leader.


 


But Jun shushes him and puts her mind to thinking how they're going to help the guys out.


 


The guys have now found their way down a narrow, circular tunnel, and when they reach its end, they see that it opens into a large circular room that contains nothing but hot, steaming red liquid, many feet below.


 


"Fall in there, and you're chicken soup, pal," notes Joe, but just then they see that a great rush of red liquid is now sweeping down the tunnel behind them, from whence they came. There's nowhere they can go except out of the tunnel. Ken and Joe somehow are able to find handholds on the wall near the tunnel exit, as the rush of liquid pours in to join the great steaming lake below.


 


But Ryu has not been so lucky, so Ken and Joe are each hanging on to the wall with one hand and gripping Ryu's hands with another to keep him from falling. That can't be easy!


 


Ken and Joe are visibly straining, as the commander watches them on a screen elsewhere in the mecha, and tells Katse (also on a screen) that their demise is imminent.


 


Yet now we see Leader X warning Katse not to underestimate Gatchaman, and to stay on guard...


 


On the God Phoenix, a brisk and efficient Jun sees the mecha descending into a deep, narrow chasm in the ground.


 


She surmises that there's a base down there -possibly even Galactor's headquarters- and that they need to help Ken, Joe and Ryu.


 


So she guides the God Phoenix near the mecha, using one of the mecha's wings for concealment, and they descend with the mecha.


 


Commercial break!


Posted by lborgia88 on 14-05-2009 at 17:51:

(Thank you, Saturn, for the screencaps and comments!)


The mecha is now inside the base at the bottom of the chasm, and the commander leaves the mecha, but we can see Jun and Jinpei hiding up in the ceiling beams of the base, watching him. Jun concludes that the guys are still inside the cockroach mecha and that she and Jinpei need to get inside it, as Jinpei prays they're still alive because "It'll be crummy if they've been whacked." Hee.


[Saturn: "Jun & Jinpei sneak into the base to help Ken and the others. Finally, an episode where the guys are now the 'Lads (with codpieces) in distress.' Jinpei again prays for the safety of the other men in a Christian way (perhaps Jun and Jinpei have been brought up in a Christian orphanage?) "]
 


Back to the guys, they're still hanging and both Ken and Joe know they won't be able to hang onto the wall, while holding up Ryu, for much longer...


[Saturn: "Cut to the 'Lads (with codpieces) in distress' who are hanging for their lives."]
 


Joe says he has an idea and he tells Ken he's going to have to hold Ryu up all by himself. Somehow, Ken is able to do this -damn, he's strong!- though Ryu is thoroughly alarmed and Ken is in near-agony.


[Saturn: "Joe wants to use his cable gun to find a way out, which means that Ken has to hold Ryu (who probably weighs more than 100 kg) with only one hand. I am sure that Ken will eventually find his extremely strong hands useful for other purposes, like practicing all the body-twisting positions in the Kama Sutra (yup, my smutty mind is at work again Smile )"]
 
 


Joe pulls out his cable gun and shoots the cable up, where it loops around a pipe high above and catches there.


[Saturn: "Joe uses his cable gun and the hook wraps around a beam."]
 
 


Just then, Ryu slips from Ken's grasp! But Joe comes to the rescue by swinging towards Ryu on the cable and gripping Ryu between his thighs just before Ryu plunges into the boiling liquid. I pause for a moment to dwell on lust-filled thoughts of Joe's lean but strong thighs...


[Saturn: "Just in time as Ryu slips from Ken's grip, but Joe saves Ryu by wrapping him between his legs (another great shot for an inspiration for all yaoi fans)."]
 


[Saturn: "Ken seems unhappy that he is not in Joe's position, Big Grin Yaoi fans, start writing now!"]
 


The Galactor commander, watching all this on a screen, is far less impressed than me, and also has to endure a scolding from Katse, who points out that Leader X had anticipated just such a thing. But the commander assures Katse that he will see them get pulled apart in the "centrifugal separator." Katse is barely appeased, and warns the commander that if he fails again... "You do understand, don't you?" asks Katse. Yes, I think the commander knows what he means.

Now the three guys are riding in a little car along a track


[Saturn: "Ken, Joe and Ryu check the base and arrive at something that looks like centrifuges."]
 


Apparently they didn't learn their lesson from the conveyor belt that dumped them into the crushing cylinder, or the one-way tunnel to the boiling lake -they're caught completely by surprise when the car stops, and then pitches them all into a deep glass cylinder. Before they can think of trying to get out of it, it begins to spin at extremely high speed. Yes, it's the centrifugal separator!


[Saturn: "They fall down into a centrifuge and it starts spinning."]
 
 


Neither weapons nor thighs can help them now, and Joe yells that if it keeps up, "We're all going to die!" We see the commander now, assuring an on-screen Katse that this time, they really will die.

But, fear not, men -a woman and a kid are going to rescue you! Jun and Jinpei have infiltrated the mecha's atomic power room. With a blow from Jun's hand and a kick of Jinpei's foot, the goons in the power room are dispatched. Jun instructs Jinpei to disable the power supply, and Jinpei eagerly tears a cable from the wall, only to unleash a small explosion that leaves him with a black eye (and a bandaid on his cheek!).


[Saturn: "Cut to Jun and Jinpei who are on their way to save the lads in distress. Jinpei pulls one of the wires, which leaves a burn mark and makes him look like a raccoon, but still, you rock, Jinpei!"]
 
 


The Galactor commander realizes that the mecha has lost power, and he sends a squad of goons to investigate.


[Saturn: "The Ibukron/Stomach captain is surprised that the generator stops working and orders the goons to quickly go to the belly, I mean, Ibukron."]
 


However, the centrifugal separator stops spinning, as Joe and Ken (looking pretty crappy) both slump to the cylinder's floor (where Ryu already is) and concur that it stopped just in the nick of time. But these guys can't get a break today -the bottom of the cylinder suddenly drops out and they all plummet to the ground below. Ken and Joe land on their feet but Ryu... Okay, enough with this gag!


[Saturn: "The centrifuge stops. Ken, Joe and Ryu later fall down into a mountain of sugar, much to the delight of the Owl."]
 
 
 


Ryu, however, is thrilled when he realizes that they've actually landed on a giant pile of sugar. "Look at all this sugar," says Ken, "Galactor scum! They took it all for themselves!" as ominous evil laughter sounds.

They're surrounded by the squad of armed goons, and the commander is there too, telling them that the "mountain of sugar is your gravesite." Now, in a sequence rather similar to one in episode one, the goons considerately hold their fire as the three Ninjas take the time to introduce themselves and form a three-perso tornado fighter, and begin spinning.


[Saturn: "The stomach captain arrives at the scene, and declares that Ken, Joe and Ryu are going to be buried in this mountain of sugar (I think that Ryu secretly like this idea, hehe). The stomach captain orders the goons to kill them all, but instead of following orders, the goons just watch as Ken, Joe and Ryu go into 'James Bond' mode and give a lengthy introduction about them and the tornado fighter. Perhaps the goons want to give some dignity back to these previous 'lads (with codpieces) in distress.'"]
 


Now the goons start shooting, but the intense wind sends many of them, and their guns, flying. The three Ninjas now disperse and take down the remaining goons with martial arts. Ryu pauses to peer in a door, says "Oh, it's the nuclear reactor!" and heads into that room just as the commander orders Ken to stop, "Or would you exchange their lives for your victory?" The commander steps to the side, and now we see that Jun and Jinpei are prisoners, tied together behind him, flanked by armed goons.


[Saturn: "The tornado fighter works. Ryu later finds the door to the nuclear factory, while the stomach captain threatens Ken and Joe by using an old but effective technique -hostages! Just how Jun and Jinpei got caught exactly? Cant the people in Tatsunoko just let Jun be the heroine of the day and save the 'lads in distress'?"]
 


Damn, Jun was really on a roll. Why'd she have to get captured? Still, it's good that the commander announces that she and Jinpei had snuck into the mecha and disabled its power source -she and Jinpei smirk as Ken and Joe realize that that's how they were saved from death by centrifugal separator. Ordered to drop their weapons, Ken and Joe exchange a look before Ken drops his birdrang on the floor. But, a light on his birdrang is blinking, and it immediately flies up through the air on its own and cuts the rope around Jun and Jinpei.


[Saturn: "Ken's birdrang easily slices the ropes around Jun and Jinpei. However, SMUTTY MIND ALERT, after looking at this shot, I am wondering if Ken has ever 'creatively' used his birdrang on Jun. Key words: slicing and undressing, Big Grin "]
 


(more soon)


Posted by lborgia88 on 14-05-2009 at 18:21:

Jun and Jinpei waste no time clobbering the goons that were guarding them, and Ken and Joe finish off the others. But, the commander is still alive and well, and running for an elevator with one other goon. "Damn you! You just wait, you'll see!" he yells before he's gone.

Meanwhile, Ryu (that everyone seems to have overlooked) is inside the nuclear reactor room, hitting the reactor chamber with a large mallet.


[Saturn: "Ryu is trying to destroy this huge reactor by using a single mallet. I guess being sugar-deprived really makes his brain stop working."]
 


Fortunately for him, he pauses and then Ken and Jun come in, and Ken points out what a bad idea it is to try to smash open a reactor filled with radioactivity!

"Leave it to me!" says Jun imperiously, "I use my head!"


[Saturn: "Jun chastises Ryu and tells both Ryu and Ken and all the male audience that contrary to men's belief, a woman actually relies on her brain to solve problems and not actually relying on another "more popular" body part (clue: the name of the body part starts with a 'b' too)"]
 
 


As Ken and Ryu watch, she opens an electronics panel on the reactor's side and does some quick fiddling. Done, she, Ken and Ryu head for the God Phoenix as we see a timer on the side of the reactor counting down...

Joe and Jinpei are already on the bridge of the God Phoenix, and Joe is getting nervous and impatient.


[Saturn: "Joe and Jinpei are waiting for the rest of the team in the God Phoenix, while Ken and Jun are waiting for Ryu to collect some sugar. I guess Ryu is taking revenge because now the others are the ones that have to wait for him, Smile"]
 
 


The cause of the delay becomes clear as we see Ryu loading sugar into a sack as Ken says "Aren't you done yet?" and Jun cries "Hurry!" Elsewhere in the base, the commander is begging an on-screen Katse for forgiveness and asking for one more chance. Finally Ken, Jun and Ryu get back to the God Phoenix as, on the bridge, Joe and Jinpei fly the God Phoenix out of the base (this episode must set a record for the most team members piloting the God Phoenix!)


[Saturn: "The God Phoenix finally leaves the base, but the bomb that Jun has left as a present for the stomach captain explodes, and creates an avalanche that rattles the plane."]
 


Just as the commander, on board the cockroach mecha, sees the departing God Phoenix and orders a goon to follow it, the timer on the mecha's reactor finishes counting down and the entire mecha explodes in a massive ball of flames and debris, and destroys the base too.


 


However, the God Phoenix is still rising from the deep chasm where the base had been, and now -bizarrely- an avalanche of sugar is now pummeling the God Phoenix.


 


Ken concludes that they have to use the firebird technique, and everyone gasps but they obey his instructions to get in their seats and fasten their seatbelts.


[Saturn: "Ken says that the Firebird technique is the only way to get out from this problem and asks the others to buckle their seat belts (AT LAST!!! I guess Tatsunoko finally took the warning from JapanTransport Safety Board seriously, hehe)"]
 


Sugar continues to batter the God Phoenix (where is it all coming from?) but the firebird technique enables them to fly through it to safety.


[Saturn: "The Firebird technique melts the snow, and Ryu celebrates by taking a lick of the sugar."]
 
 


As they all wake up, after, they're all happy and Ryu announces that he's going to share his stash of sugar (which he's holding in his lap) with "all the little children." Jinpei expresses skepticism, but Ryu insists he's sincere (though of course he's going to have a little bit himself...)

Sure enough, the episode ends with Jinpei dispensing sugar from his helico buggy to children in a park as Ryu and the others look on, smiling (and Ken even has his hand on Jun's shoulder!)


[Saturn: "The episode ends with Jinpei giving sweets to the children, and Ryu proudly shows off his protruding belly from eating too much sugar. At least, like what the narrator says in his sickenly sweet epilogue, it is indeed a very nice ending for Jun, who has her commander unexpectedly putting his hand on her shoulder, awww!"]
 

 


Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-05-2009 at 18:46:

Great review LB, and I love the screenshots, Saturn!

I have always thought that this episode should be subtitled: Why Ryu is usually left on the God Phoenix. He only provides comic relief here, and in his one big chance to go on a mission he totally bungles it, to the point of hitting the nuclear reactor with a mallet and nearly getting Ken and Jun killed because he stops to scoop up sugar. If I were an Owl fan, this episode would make me cringe.(Not to say I haven't had my moments of cringing when watching the Swan, either, but not in this episode.)

So... if Jun and Jinpei can fly the God Phoenix so well, this episode begs the question: why do they need Ryu? I'm glad that in later episodes, the Owl's strengths (literally and figuratively) were highlighted more.

I have a couple of questions though.

First of all, when the God Phoenix did the Firebird through the avalanche of sugar, shouldn't it have caramelized? Then it would have been a sticky, goopy mess all over the God Phoenix! Ewwwww!!!!!

And another thing... Now don't get me wrong, I love my sugar. I have a massive sweet tooth, and can't survive without sweets (or at least fruit, when I'm dieting) every day. But NEVER have I sat and eaten plain WHITE sugar from the package. I guess when I was a kid I occasionally ate sugar packets (paper and all) on a dare, and occasionally a spoonful of brown sugar. And I'll admit that I still enjoy small cakes of maple sugar. But the plain white sugar used in baking just isn't that great all by itself. So I'm just not getting why Ryu and those children are so ecstatic over handfuls of plain white sugar! Just a personal observation...

Lastly, it always bugged me that they don't show how Jun and Jinpei got captured. And it seems that a mere rope shouldn't be enough to hold them. The fact that Jun is standing there so casually implies this to me as well. Anyone else think there could be more than meets the eye here?

__________________
 


Posted by tatsunokofan on 14-05-2009 at 19:17:

Hi all!

quote:
First of all, when the God Phoenix did the Firebird through the avalanche of sugar, shouldn't it have caramelized?


Had it been sugar, it likely would have. But it wasn't sugar, it was the snow and ice that formed the walls of the chasm that Ibukuron and the God Phoenix used to get into the Gallactor base, as you can see in this photo.

 

James


Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-05-2009 at 19:37:

quote:
Originally posted by tatsunokofan
Had it been sugar, it likely would have. But it wasn't sugar, it was the snow and ice that formed the walls of the chasm that Ibukuron and the God Phoenix used to get into the Gallactor base, as you can see in this photo.


Thanks for the clarification, James! Thanks

__________________
 


Posted by clouddancer on 14-05-2009 at 20:53:

Thank you LB and saturn for all your hard work and comments.

Saturn you said "Ken seems unhappy that he is not in Joe's position Wink Okay here is my Smut mind at work (and Yaoi one as well) are you sure Ken is not wishing he was in RYU's position? With Joe's legs wrapped around him. *shudder* sorry girls....

__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.


Posted by lborgia88 on 14-05-2009 at 20:56:

quote:
Originally posted by tatsunokofan
Hi all!

quote:
First of all, when the God Phoenix did the Firebird through the avalanche of sugar, shouldn't it have caramelized?


Had it been sugar, it likely would have. But it wasn't sugar, it was the snow and ice that formed the walls of the chasm that Ibukuron and the God Phoenix used to get into the Gallactor base,


Oh, now that makes so much more sense! I guess because there was so much sugar around in this episode, I thought it had all been blown up into the air during the explosion and was falling again -but there was just so much of it! I should have realized that it was snow.


Posted by clouddancer on 14-05-2009 at 21:05:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun
But NEVER have I sat and eaten plain WHITE sugar from the package. I guess when I was a kid I occasionally ate sugar packets (paper and all) on a dare, and occasionally a spoonful of brown sugar. And I'll admit that I still enjoy small cakes of maple sugar. But the plain white sugar used in baking just isn't that great all by itself. So I'm just not getting why Ryu and those children are so ecstatic over handfuls of plain white sugar! Just a personal observation...


TJ did you never eat sugar cubes either? I know THAT is the only way I used to eat white sugar.

quote:
Lastly, it always bugged me that they don't show how Jun and Jinpei got captured. And it seems that a mere rope shouldn't be enough to hold them. The fact that Jun is standing there so casually implies this to me as well. Anyone else think there could be more than meets the eye here?


Hmmm, i never considered this, but you are correct neither the Swan or the Swallow appear to be distressed about their situation, I am sure it is one of those plot holes used for Jun to play the damsel in distress. But if you want to take it further, maybe Jun and Jinpei allowed themselves to be captured as a way for the five to join back together again.

Or since it is still early in the series, maybe the two were using it as a way to pretend they were weaker than they appeared, so that Galactor would underestimate their true strength later when there was real need of it.

__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.


Posted by lborgia88 on 14-05-2009 at 21:10:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun

I have always thought that this episode should be subtitled: Why Ryu is usually left on the God Phoenix. He only provides comic relief here, and in his one big chance to go on a mission he totally bungles it, to the point of hitting the nuclear reactor with a mallet and nearly getting Ken and Jun killed because he stops to scoop up sugar. If I were an Owl fan, this episode would make me cringe.(Not to say I haven't had my moments of cringing when watching the Swan, either, but not in this episode.)



I agree. I can see how the writers were going for some comedy, but it would have been nice if they could have let Ryu show a little more competence in this episode. The weird thing, to me, is that Joe never says an unkind thing to Ryu in this episode -and he had plenty of opportunities!

quote:
Lastly, it always bugged me that they don't show how Jun and Jinpei got captured. And it seems that a mere rope shouldn't be enough to hold them. The fact that Jun is standing there so casually implies this to me as well. Anyone else think there could be more than meets the eye here?


I could well believe that she knew that she and Jinpei could escape if they really had to, but she also suspected that Galactor would want to trot her and Jinpei out in front of Ken and the others, and she chose to bide her time until then, when the team could all fight together.


Posted by clouddancer on 14-05-2009 at 21:17:

quote:
Originally posted by lborgia88
quote:
Lastly, it always bugged me that they don't show how Jun and Jinpei got captured. And it seems that a mere rope shouldn't be enough to hold them. The fact that Jun is standing there so casually implies this to me as well. Anyone else think there could be more than meets the eye here?


I could well believe that she knew that she and Jinpei could escape if they really had to, but she also suspected that Galactor would want to trot her and Jinpei out in front of Ken and the others, and she chose to bide her time until then, when the team could all fight together.


Much clearer said than I just posted ... thank you LB.

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Posted by Springie on 15-05-2009 at 00:26:

oh, this episode is such a trip! FWIW, I always thought the GP was being buried in sugar, too...and I also wondered why it wasn't caramelizing! Snow and ice makes much more sense.

LB, were you watching the subbed version of the episode? I was wondering because in the dubbed version, I thought Jinpei said that Ken left them (Jinpei and Jun) aboard the GP because it might be too dangerous?

Anyhoo, fabulous work on the recap girls!

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Posted by Springie on 15-05-2009 at 00:27:

Here comes the Fan Page...

Fan Page #12

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Posted by Condorfan on 15-05-2009 at 00:37:

Thanks for the recap LB!

I was glad to see Ryu used in a mission instead of being stuck on the Godphoenix but he just seems to be comic relief. Though you have to wonder why Ken chose Ryu to come--he must know how Ryu loves sweets.

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Posted by SJ_SwanJun on 15-05-2009 at 01:20:

Awesome job as always.

BotP will have to come tomorrow from me. I've been dealing with an emergency over here and haven't been able to get on to the puter... Don't worry, everything is okay ... not that kind of emergency ... just something that needed my utmost attention..

Bear with. I'll have it for you tomorrow...

SJ

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Posted by lborgia88 on 15-05-2009 at 15:52:

quote:
Originally posted by Springie
oh, this episode is such a trip! FWIW, I always thought the GP was being buried in sugar, too...and I also wondered why it wasn't caramelizing! Snow and ice makes much more sense.

LB, were you watching the subbed version of the episode? I was wondering because in the dubbed version, I thought Jinpei said that Ken left them (Jinpei and Jun) aboard the GP because it might be too dangerous?

Anyhoo, fabulous work on the recap girls!



Maybe that was Keyop in the BOTP version? (which I haven't watched yet, but will soon). Here, I was referring to the exchange between Jun and Jinpei in the dubbed version, at 0.40

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3BCeIuEylQ&feature=related


Posted by JohngPR on 15-02-2010 at 23:06:

quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun
Great review LB, and I love the screenshots, Saturn!

I have always thought that this episode should be subtitled: Why Ryu is usually left on the God Phoenix.

Lastly, it always bugged me that they don't show how Jun and Jinpei got captured. And it seems that a mere rope shouldn't be enough to hold them. The fact that Jun is standing there so casually implies this to me as well. Anyone else think there could be more than meets the eye here?


Yea, he pretty much botched his first mission where he got to leave the God Phoenix for a change. LOL He didn't help the situation by hitting a nuclear reactor with a mallet. What a dope. :p

Perhaps they let themselves get caught because they knew that they'd use them as hostages and lead them to Ken, Ryu, and Joe. It seemed like Jun and Jinpei were struggling to find the guys so it would make sense.

This is actually one of my favorite episodes of the first 18 that I've seen. I enjoyed not only the elaborate booby traps that Joe, Ken, and Ryu kept coming across, but the different ways they found their way out of them.

Also it seems like this is the episode where I noticed that the animation started taking a turn for the better. There were a few fight scenes with Ken and Joe that had some isometric animation that was different from previous stuff (when Ken jumped back after kicking and punching some of the guards and when Joe chopped and kneed a guy in the face for example).

The whole sugar subplot was kind of silly, but at least it made for some interesting situations. LOL

As far as it being snow instead of sugar, that makes a lot of sense. I could have sworn Joe said that it was a "sugar avalanche" though.

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Posted by lborgia88 on 16-02-2010 at 01:23:

quote:
Originally posted by JohngPR
quote:
Originally posted by Transmute Jun

Lastly, it always bugged me that they don't show how Jun and Jinpei got captured. And it seems that a mere rope shouldn't be enough to hold them. The fact that Jun is standing there so casually implies this to me as well. Anyone else think there could be more than meets the eye here?


Perhaps they let themselves get caught because they knew that they'd use them as hostages and lead them to Ken, Ryu, and Joe. It seemed like Jun and Jinpei were struggling to find the guys so it would make sense.


That's a good theory!


Posted by clouddancer on 16-02-2010 at 02:48:

I like that theory as well.

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