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--- Gatchaman Episode 78: “Mortal Combat! 5000 Fathoms Under the Sea†(http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=3126)
Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 09:02:
Gatchaman Episode 78: “Mortal Combat! 5000 Fathoms Under the Seaâ€
[Thank you, Saturn, for the screencaps!]
Gatchaman Episode 78: “Mortal Combat! 5000 Fathoms Under the Seaâ€
BOTP Episode: N/A
The episode begins with a view of waves on a beach, with sunlight reflecting off them, but suddenly cuts to a close-up of Joe’s face. His eyes are clenched shut and he’s grimacing as if in pain. Then we’re back to the sun shining off the waves at the beach. And back to Joe again –now we see that he’s in his bed in his trailer.
He’s gripping his bed sheet tightly with one shaking hand, and his face is still exhibiting distress but it’s clear that he’s asleep and dreaming about the death of his mother and father –the beach is the same one from his memory of their death in episode 31
A wave breaks on the beach, and someone is running; we see footprints in the sand and then Joe’s parents, both dead and slumped over at a table on the beach. Young Joe, presumably about age 9, comes running up to the table.
Now we see that a Devil Star is standing some distance away, watching and holding a rose bomb. She’s laughing, and Joe pulls a revolver from his father’s hand and points it at her.
Joe prepares to shoot, but she throws the rose towards him…
In his trailer, Joe wakes abruptly and snaps upright, gasping “Mother!â€
It’s quite dark outside and there’s a full moon shining and the faint sound of nocturnal insects. The door of his trailer is open –apparently he likes fresh air at night and isn’t too concerned about intruders.
“It’s that crazy dream again,†mutters Joe, still frowning. “Why the hell am I still having that dream even now?†he adds, rubbing his temple with one hand as if his head hurts.
Joe has been having nightmares,†the narrator tells us as Joe stares bleakly out the door and then reaches for his t-shirt, “His violent fits of tossing and turning have left him completely exhausted.â€
Now we see Joe, fully dressed, stepping out of his trailer.
We cut next to a small submarine that’s being lowered down to the water’s surface on cables from a much larger ship.
On deck, Dr. Nambu is addressing the Science Ninjas who all stand before him.
“As you know,†says Dr. Nambu, “there have been a number of earthquakes along the Mariana Trench over the past few years.†He goes on to explain that the ISO has a deep sea lab in the trench, 5000 fathoms below their current location, which is staffed by teams of five technicians, each taking turns doing one month shifts. (In the subs, it’s 10000 meters, not 5000 fathoms, but 1 fathom = 1.8288 meters so the more alliterative “5000 fathoms†is a fairly similar distance.)
The Ninjas all listen attentively.
Dr. Nambu explains that it’s been a week since anyone’s heard from the current team at the deep sea lab, which isn’t good, and he says that he wants Ken and Joe to go there and investigate.
“Five thousand fathoms under the sea?†says Jinpei, looking shocked, “Can the God Phoenix do that?â€
No, it can’t. Ryu explains that 2000 meters is the maximum depth that the God Phoenix can go under water.
“Anyway,†adds Ryu, “I don’t like this. It makes sense that Ken gets to go, but why does Joe get to dive with him?†(In the subs he also says “I’m more of an expert on the ocean than he is!â€)
Jinpei points out that any of them could go to the deep sea lab, “The problem is what happens once you get to the lab.â€
Jun notes that they have no idea what might have happened down there, “So we need someone quick-thinking and fast.†Ooh, poor Ryu…
“Are you trying to tell me that I don’t think or move as fast as Joe does?†demands Ryu, but he looks like he knows what the answer is. We don’t see Joe’s reaction but Jinpei now elbows Ryu in the stomach, smirking, and says “Come on now, tubs –don’t kid yourself!â€
“Can’t you play along?†sighs Ryu, resigned to his fate.
So now Ken, with a “Let’s go, Joe,†starts climbing down the ladder to the submarine. Joe goes to follow him but sunlight is reflecting brightly off the water’s surface.
Joe gasps, winces and covers his eyes briefly with one hand.
“Hey, what’s the matter?†asks Ken a bit sharply. Joe’s resting his face against his hand, leaning on one elbow, eyes clenched shut, but he says “Nothing, the light was just too bright.â€
Dr. Nambu and Jun are now both looking at Joe, with some concern.
“Doctor,†says Jun, “Joe really doesn’t look well.†I’m wondering if she’s thinking this is her chance to replace Joe and enjoy a nice long private submarine ride with Ken…
But Dr. Nambu merely says “Yeah,†and doesn’t add anything.
Ken’s standing on top of the submarine now and Joe makes it down the ladder without incident to join him.
“Look, why don’t I just take his place?†says Jun, being much less subtle now, “It won’t matter that I weigh less, will it?â€
Unfortunately for her, Dr. Nambu thinks that “to avoid any accidents, we had better move ahead as planned.†I suppose it’s possible that what Jun might want to do with Ken in the submarine is something Dr. Nambu might consider an “accident.â€
If Ken is considering replacing Joe with Jun, he’s hiding it well. He looks keen to be off on a deep sea adventure though. Joe climbs down inside the submarine after Ken, sealing the hatch behind him, and says “Ready.†Ken is already in his seat, and now he contacts Dr. Nambu by radio.
“Okay, Dr. Nambu,†he says, “The Marine Satan is prepared to dive.†It should be noted that the submarine’s name is indeed “Satan,†as in the Devil himself, even if the ADV dub tries to evade this by having it pronounced “suhtahn.†There’s even one place in the subs where it becomes “Saturn,†just to keep things confusing. (Thank you, James, for clarifying this!)
Dr. Nambu instructs Ken that if anything should happen to the submarine, they are to abort the mission and return immediately.
As Joe takes his seat beside Ken, he also explains that he will be monitoring the submarine on its trip, using sonar.
He prays for their success.
Ken calls out “Preparing to dive!†and starts up the submarine’s engines.
Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 09:04:
The Marine Satan begins to move away from the ship and drop below the water’s surface. Inside, Joe is sitting with his eyes clenched shut again and Ken notices this.
“Joe, if you’re not feeling well,†says Ken, assuming that motion sickness is the culprit here, “opening the window might help.â€
Joe looks at Ken, says merely “Right,†and pushes a button that moves the exterior screen away from the window.
As the submarine gradually descends, beams of sunlight from the surface are still shining down around it and it casts a shadow on the sea floor beneath it as it heads for the trench.
Ken is still scrutinizing Joe, however, as he stares fixedly at the small fish swimming by outside the submarine.
“What’s up, Joe?†says Ken finally, “Something’s wrong with you today.â€
But Joe doesn’t even look at him; still staring fixedly out the window he only utters a distracted “huh, right.â€
However, the sunlight in the water now creates bright flashes of light.
And Joe does not react well to this!
Pulling his hand from his face, Joe looks now at Ken.
“Ken, has this ever happened to you? Something from the past suddenly starts haunting you and it almost drives you crazy?â€
Ken, frowning in concern, says “Yeah, sometimes.†Looking away he adds, “But then, it wasn’t very long ago that I said good bye to my Dad.â€
“No, something else,†says Joe, “It’s not a perfectly clear memory like yours.†He looks out the window again, adding “I mean something where you suddenly feel sick for no apparent reason or have a dizzy spell.â€
“You must be tired or something,†is all that Ken can suggest, “Why don’t you go get some sleep.â€
Joe says nothing, still staring out the window. Perhaps sensing that stoic Joe isn’t going to take a break unless Ken does too, Ken suggests they take turns piloting, in 6 hour shifts.
Presumably, Ken takes the first shift, and we see the Marine Satan now over the Mariana Trench and beginning its descent into its depths.
But suddenly, we see a portion of a sinister looking submarine (spiked nose and dark green in colour) pass over…
On board the ship, Jun is watching the sonar readings and she suddenly gasps.
Dr. Nambu immediately wants to know what’s going on and she explains that an unidentified submarine has just passed above the Marine Satan.
“That doesn’t make any sense,†says Dr. Nambu, “The Marine Satan is diving in a spiral, but this other ship is heading straight down, ignoring the water pressure.â€
As he’s saying this, we see the sonar screen, showing Ken and Joe’s spiral path and the bright dot that is the unidentified sub, descending fast in a straight line.
Jinpei asks Dr. Nambu what he thinks the unidentified submarine could be, and he can only reply that, according to the countries he’s contacted, “there shouldn’t be any submarines passing through this region right now.â€
Ryu then wonders if it could be “just some rich guy screwing around with his toy.â€
“It’s much too deep for someone just joy-diving,†insists Jun.
So, Jinpei decides it must be Galactor. Dr. Nambu, who really ought to know better by now, says “I doubt it,†and adds “Galactor doesn’t move unless they see a clear profit.†He explains that there aren’t any resources at the deep sea lab that would be worth this sort of effort.
Jinpei, who’s still watching the sonar screen, now points out that the mystery submarine is passing the Marine Satan.
“This is odd,†concludes Dr. Nambu, holding his chin, “No country has a sub with higher performance ratings than ours.†He rubs his head and admits “Maybe it is Galactor.â€
Jun asks him if she should contact Ken and Joe and tell them to return, but Dr. Nambu only replies that the unidentified sub is completely ignoring the Marine Satan and is heading straight for the deep sea lab. But, he then tells Jun to warn them about the “phantom submersible†but that their mission is to still continue on schedule.
Jun doesn’t talk over the radio yet, though, but rather she starts rhythmically turning a knob –perhaps to set the correct frequency?
Next we cut back to the Marine Satan, and the water around it now is dark. Either it’s still Ken’s first 6 hour shift or he and Joe have already alternated, but Ken is at the controls when a sharp beeping noise causes him to go “Huh?†and stare suddenly at the console.
Joe is asleep in his chair but it’s clear from his trembling frown that he’s having the dream again. We see, in his mind, the outlines of his parents against the shining sea and hear a gun firing as they cry “Joe!†and fall over, dead. Joe wakes suddenly, in terror, and doubles over, clutching his head with his hands.
Then, wide-eyed, he reaches for the console and rips out the cord connecting to the transmitter/receiver in Ken’s holding in his hand.
“What the hell’s wrong, Joe?†yells Ken, “That was Dr. Nambu trying to call us from the base!†Joe looks up suddenly at this, staring blankly, but then closes his eyes again and clutches his head with one hand.
“Sorry,†he mutters, “That sound was making me have nightmares.†He slumps back in the chair and turns his face away from Ken, eyes still closed. “Just go ahead and get the message already, would you?†he adds irritably.
Maybe it’s too late for that, because Ken sets down his transmitter/receiver and stares at Joe. “Listen, I don’t know what kind of nightmare you were having, but from the look of you, maybe you shouldn’t have come along this time.â€
If Joe replies to this, we don’t hear it –we get an exterior view of the Marine Satan, still spiraling downward into the trench.
Up on the ship, Jun is anxiously turning dials, telling Dr. Nambu that she’s not getting any response and that it seems they shut their radio off. I guess Joe literally ripped, rather than unplugged, the transmitter/receiver’s cord then!
“Strange…†is all that Dr. Nambu says. Ryu and Jinpei wonder if they’ve had an accident.
“Doctor…†says Jun, looking worried.
Meanwhile, the Marine Satan continues on its journey down, down…
Joe is staring pensively out the window and, for once, is actually being talkative.
“I don’t even know anything about what kind of lives my parents led,†he tells Ken, “But, you know, I do remember what happened that day at the beach. It was the end of summer and me and my mother and father were at a resort. The blue ocean glittered like diamonds in the sunlight.â€
As Joe is speaking, we’re seeing the dark water outside his window, as small particles drift past.
“It was so quiet. Yeah…â€
Now we’re seeing waves breaking against rocks on a beach, from Joe’s memory.
“I’ll never forget that day. I was away from my parents, playing alone on the beach.â€
We see young Joe now, from a distance, crouched down on the beach, his hands in the sand. We hear gunshots and his parents’ sudden cry of “Joooooe!!†and then young Joe’s startled face as he whips his head around. Another wave breaks against the rocks, and we see his dead parents at the table.
As we see the dark water outside the Marine Satan’s window again, Joe continues.
“Without even realizing what I was doing I grabbed the pistol in my father’s hand and aimed it at the masked woman.â€
“Then what did you do, Joe?†asks Ken quietly, “Did you fire the pistol at her?â€
We see Joe’s face now, staring out the window.
“I don’t know. I don’t remember, Ken.â€
Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 09:05:
“But that’s insane,†declares Ken, “How could you possibly forget such an intense memory?â€
“That’s all I know,†says Joe, still staring bleakly out the window, “She threw a red rose and bright light scattered in front of me, and then…â€
We see young Joe now, clutching the gun as light flashes around him briefly.
“Did I shoot her?†says Joe, “How did I manage to stay alive? All I remember is the light. When I try to remember anything more-â€
Here, Joe’s voice strains and he clutches his head in his hands.
“I feel so sick, I feel like I’m going to throw up!â€
“The light, huh?†asks Ken, “Sounds like that light is what’s blocking your memory.†Ken stares ahead now. “Look, why don’t you just forget about it? It can be better not to remember.â€
We see Ken’s memories now, of his last time with his father.
“That goes for me too,†says Ken as we see his father picking up, spinning and throwing Ken, then entering the rocket to go stop the V-2 plan, “There are times when I think it might have been better if I’d never found out the leader of Red Impulse was my father.
Back then, my Dad said ‘I thought it would be best for you if I left without telling you’ –he was exactly right.â€
Now we see the rocket leaving the Galactor base, gradually going under water.
“We’d barely gotten to know each other, and suddenly… If I had never known, then I’d still have hope that my Dad was alive somewhere.â€
We see Ken’s face, inside the Marine Satan, again as he concludes “Joe, if your memory’s gone, then I think you might be better off for it.â€
It seems quite unlike Joe to have revealed so much personal information about his past here, but then perhaps that’s in comparison to Ken, who spent much of the first half of the series talking about his father, and still does. It’s probably a sign of Joe’s trust in Ken and/or an indication of just how messed up he’s feeling that he’s doing all this talking. But, while this exchange of memories is going on between Joe and Ken, the sinister unidentified submarine has reached the bottom of the trench.
Now, inside this mysterious submarine, we see a figure that quickly dispels its mystery (if there was anyone who actually thought it might not be Galactor) –it’s a Galactor goon, entering the submarine’s bridge to address someone in a high-backed chair that we can’t see.
“Captain, we’ve got to a depth of 5000 fathoms,†announces the goon (using, in the dub, a very goofy voice and accent), “We’ll be reaching the ISO’s sea lab soon.â€
This goon is tall and skinny (and has a beard) but he’s now joined by another who, in classic, complementary comedy duo form, is short and fat.
“Captain, what are your orders?†asks this second goon.
As neither has achieved a response from the Captain, they stare blankly at each other for a moment and then, as one, declare “Captain, the deep sea carrier has reached its destination!â€
But now we see the Captain, even if the goons still can’t, and learn why they’re being ignored –the Captain is asleep. And snoring.
But not for long. The two goons, now standing directly behind the chair, both yell at him “Wake up!â€
The Captain suddenly leaps to his feet and stands at attention, as if acting from reflex. “I apologize for that!†he blurts, saluting. Then, he stares in bewilderment at his saluting hand, as if he isn’t quite in control of it.
The reason for the goons’ less than respectful treatment of their Captain and his momentary fear of reprimand soon becomes apparent.
“How pathetic,†says the bearded goon, “As of today you’re a Captain –you got a promotion and all.â€
Yes, this Captain, it seems, was a goon like them just the day before.
“Si, si,†says the Captain (in the dub, he and the short goon have Hispanic accents), smiling happily now and adjusting his mask back over his face, “Ten hard years since I joined Galactor, and now I’m finally a Captain,†(or as they’re all pronouncing it here, a Capitán).
The two goons now congratulate him and he laughs cheerfully, wiggling the fingers of one hand in pleasure at his good fortune. Yes, there’s an air of jovial camaraderie between these three that you don’t usually see in Galactor.
“By the way, Capitán,†says the bearded goon, getting back to business, “Our deep sea carrier has reached the ISO’s deep sea laboratory. What are we supposed to do now, Sir?â€
“Our mission is to destroy Gatchaman,†says the Capitán, and this yields a surprised “What? There’s no way you could pull off something like that†from the short goon and he asks if it’s not some sort of mistake.
“We have to do it,†the Capitán replies a bit glumly, “By order of Lord Katse.â€
“He always gives us these outrageous orders,†says the bearded goon, arms folded contemptuously, “But then as soon as he’s in danger, he just abandons us.â€
“Even this deep sea carrier’s a piece of junk,†adds the short goon, “It was already destroyed by Gatchaman once.†(Hmm, which episode was that?)
“Don’t you think it’s a poor present to congratulate you on your promotion to Capitán?†ask both goons simultaneously.
“Ah, you know, you’re right,†agrees the Capitán, lifting his mask to gaze around at his ship’s interior. He slumps now and frets “I’ve lost my confidence.â€
Before the goons can say anything to reassure him, Katse’s voice yells “Imbeciles!†and they all startle and cringe. Katse face is now on a screen.
“What are you standing there mouthing off for?†snarls Katse, “I can hear every word you’re saying!â€
The bearded goon hastily claps his hands over his mouth, and the Capitán and the short goon do the same thing a second later.
“Don’t worry about clamming up now, Pancho,†barks Katse, “You’ve already been busted. Listen up now! Go on and continue the plan exactly as I told you.â€
“Are you sure Gatchaman will come to this depth?†the Capitán wants to know.
“My information is never wrong,†insists Katse, “Who knows? You might even be the first men in Galactor to see who Gatchaman really is.â€
We cut to Katse’s location, as he watches the three now-humble Galactor men on screen, now standing at attention in a neat line. “Hell, even the ISO doesn’t have a deep sea carrier that can dive straight to the bottom, so get your act together and just do it!â€
Katse, chuckling evilly in anticipation, leaves his chair and walks over to a relief map of the sea floor that covers an entire wall.
He’s certain that Gatchaman will “never see the surface again.†With a triumphant “Ha!†he bangs one hand against the map.
Hmm, if Katse’s received intel that Gatchaman is inside the Marine Satan heading for the deep sea lab, then the ISO has some information leaks!
Now, we see the Galactor deep sea carrier breaking the surface inside a docking bay at the ISO deep sea laboratory.
Commercial Break!
Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 09:07:
Now, at the deep sea lab, armed goons are bursting into various rooms, expecting to find startled scientists or technicians, but there's no one around at all.
The bearded goon reports this to the Capitán, who is puzzled, saying that Katse had told him there would be five ISO technicians.
“As if anything he ever says is dependable,†complains the bearded goon.
“Don’t say anything stupid!†admonishes the Capitán hastily as the bearded goon, yet again, claps his hands over his mouth, “Or Lord Katse will overhear us again!â€
The Capitán informs all the goons from the deep sea carrier’s crew that only five will stay behind at the deep sea lab (the Capitán being one of them) and that the rest of the troops are to go back to the deep sea carrier and remain undetected.
“Use caution. Our opponents are very tricky –we’ll have to catch them with their pantalones down.†(In the subs, he says “Our opponents are Gatchaman and Joe,†indicating that Katse must have learned that Gatchaman would have Condor Joe along with him.)
And now, the Marine Satan is approaching the deep sea lab at last.
We see a hand push a switch, and an anchor drops from beneath the Marine Satan (to slow it down, I guess, and hold it in position) as it glides underneath the deep sea lab and then surfaces inside the same docking bay where the Galactor deep sea carrier was earlier.
Inside, Ken glances out the windows, noting that “nothing about the lab looks out of place.â€
Ken climbs out of the roof hatch first. He asks Joe if he needs a hand, but Joe refuses assistance.
They are greeted by five “technicians,†wearing shirts and ties beneath white lab coats. Some of them certainly are familiar…
Ken informs them that Dr. Nambu asked them to come to the lab because no one had heard anything from them and he was worried.
The technician- Capitán tells him that their communicator isn’t working.
“I see,†says Ken, sounding like he believes him. He’s walking towards the “technicians†as a beam of light from one of the walls catches Joe’s eye. He cries out in pain, covers his eyes and drops to a crouch as Ken wheels around to ask anxiously “Are you all right, Joe?â€
Hearing this, the technician- Capitán mutters that the crouching one is Condor Joe then, and the other one must be Gatchaman. I’d think the numbers on their t-shirts might be a clue too!
Joe stands up again, acting as if nothing’s wrong, and he walks towards Ken. Ken is asking the “technicians†about the earthquakes the region’s been experiencing, saying that he was told to bring the technicians back to the surface for security reasons.
The technician- Capitán agrees that the earthquakes have been “mucho bad lately†and that they aren’t able to continue their research. The skinny technician with a beard, standing behind him, emits a sneaky laugh as the technician- Capitán continues “We’ll pack up right away.†He now shares a sneaky laugh, and an evil grin, with the skinny technician.
Next we see, the Marine Satan is departing the deep sea lab, and moving back into the dark water.
Inside, a device starts flashing and emitting an alarm-like noise.
“Ken,†says Joe, looking concerned, “The scanner’s detecting something metallic.â€
Upon Ken asking, “Where?†Joe informs him “35 degrees.â€
Ken instructs Joe to close his eyes, as he’s going to set off a flare.
He does this, and when the flare illuminates, the Galactor deep sea carrier is lit up and revealed.
“It’s a carrier!†cries Ken. “It’s what?†demands Joe, but immediately there’s a gun beside his head.
The “technicians†have revealed themselves too now.
“I’m afraid you realized too late, Gatchaman and Condor Joe,†says the Capitán (as Ken mutters “damn…â€), “There’s going to be a change in course, so just dock this submersible in the deep sea carrier.â€
Well, next we sea a large hatch open on the side of the deep sea carrier and the Marine Satan sails inside. It surfaces inside a docking bay with the deep sea carrier and then we cut to Ken and Joe being taken to a room with a very thick, metal door.
“Where are we, scumbag?†asks Ken coldly.
“A gas chamber,†gloats the skinny, bearded goon as he twirls a key on a ring around on one finger, “You guys are both going to be mummies before this carrier surfaces again.â€
The goon laughs, and we see the heavy door slam shut, but as Ken leans back against it, inside the chamber, he’s looking smug.
And he’s twirling the key on the ring on his own finger.
“Gas chamber, huh?†says Ken as, outside, the bearded goon realizes in horror that he no longer has the key he needs to lock the Science Ninjas inside the chamber.
“You sure have sticky fingers!†he cries, and Ken shoves the door open slightly, sticks out his hand and dangles the key enticingly.
The bearded goon takes the bait and turns and tries to shove his way back into the chamber to snatch the key back. Almost immediately, there’s the sound of a blow connecting and the goon comes flying back, and hits the floor. Without delay, Ken shoves the door open, hard, slamming it into the other goon and ramming him against the wall. He slumps to the floor.
Ken orders Joe to stay put and rest, and Joe actually doesn’t argue. “I know my way around,†he adds, “It’s no big deal.â€
The short goon did say that Galactor had used this deep sea carrier before, and that it had been destroyed. I’m wondering if it’s the underwater “aircraft carrier†from episode 2. Ken and Jinpei did infiltrate and sabotage it, so it’s plausible that he’d remember its layout.
Meanwhile, the Capitán is laughing merrily and holding a wine glass, anticipating praise from Lord Katse for capturing Gatchaman.
The short goon tries to pour the Capitán some wine, but he misses the wine glass and pours it on his superior’s arm instead.
“What do you think you’re doing?†demands the Capitán, “It goes in the glass!†He also points inside the glass with one finger, in case the short goon needs clarification on this point.
So, the short goon tries his wine-pouring duties once more, and this time it goes all over the Capitán’s head. But now it’s clear why the short goon is being such an inept server –the floor is atilt and all the furniture, the goon and the Capitán are now sliding…
It seems that Ken does indeed remember how to sabotage this particular model of Galactor ship!
Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 09:08:
“What are you doing, clumsy?†demands the Capitán, “That’s good wine!â€
The Capitán’s table hits the far wall and he falls out of his chair too. Two goons now appear in the doorway, and anxiously inform their sprawling commander that the port ballast has been destroyed.
Now we get an exterior view of the deep sea carrier, and it is indeed venting air on one side and tilting askew.
The Capitán tries to stand, and loses his balance and falls back against the wall. He orders them to fix it “or the deep sea carrier will never be able to surface again!â€
Now, he looks out into the large, high docking bay room and he hears an eerie whistle…
Dare da, dare da, dare da…
Frightened, the Capitán and the short goon keep their backs to the wall and stare in alarm at the birdlike shadow now visible on the wall.
As they cry out, the shadow leaps into full view, and it is indeed Gatchaman.
“Gatchaman escaped?†cries the Capitán, horrified.
“I destroyed the ballast, you bozo,†declares Ken, as he stands, balanced, on the railing of the room’s upper level, “Now we both only have a 50/50 chance of survival.â€
Now we get another look at the deep sea carrier’s exterior, still venting air from the ballast and still listing badly.
Inside, Ken begins his attack, launching himself at two goons who are trying to shoot him. He kicks them both down, one with each leg. Kicking, flipping, grabbing and punching, he takes down many more.
“Who’s next?†growls Ken, now standing still. There’s no one left except the Capitán, his two companion goons and one other goon.
“Don’t just stand there huddled together!†the Capitán orders, brandishing his fists, “Fight back already!â€
“How can you say that?†cry the goons, “He’s coming after us!â€
However, at that moment, the deep sea carrier turns completely upside down, quickly, and they all fall an unhealthily long distance to land on what was the ceiling but is now the floor.
Somewhere else in the deep sea carrier, a pipe breaks and flames ensue. There’s an explosion near the deep sea carrier’s nose.
Ken, running through an upside down door and down a corridor, heads for the chamber where he left Joe. Joe seems to have handled the ceiling-to-floor transition, though he does stand from a crouch when Ken appears.
“Joe, let’s get out of here!†cries Ken, “This deep sea carrier’s going to blow!â€
Just then, a panel on one side of the chamber explodes, unleashing a rush of bright flames. Joe gasps in anguish and spins around suddenly, dropping to his knees and clutching his head in his hands. Ken rushes over to him.
“Ken, get out of here! I can’t do it!†Joe is gasping raggedly, “It’s too much –just take off!â€
“You’re talking crazy -how can I just leave you here?†says Ken, staring in wide-eyed alarm.
“I can’t do it,†Joe continues to gasp, trembling and still clutching his head, “The fire! The light! It’s all just- I-â€
We get an exterior view of the deep sea carrier again, and more explosions are erupting all over it now.
Inside the flame-lit chamber, Ken grabs the nearly incapacitated Joe and forces him to face the fire.
“Wha-what are you doing?†cries Joe, sounding terrified. “Joe, look at the fire! Take a good look at it!†orders Ken.
Joe stares, wide-eyed in panic and gasping. Another explosion releases more flames and Joe tries to wrench his face away from the sight but Ken is adamant.
“In that fire lies the answers to your nightmares,†says Ken, in a less harsh and more persuasive voice.
His face still gripped by Ken, Joe opens his eyes and looks into the flames.
“Listen to me,†adds Ken, “I’m not leaving here with you unless you come back to your senses, Joe.†(In the subs, he includes “If we die, we’re doing it together.â€)
Still more explosions are breaking out all over the deep sea carrier, and in the chamber where Ken and Joe are, the flames are even worse.
“The fire is blocking part of your memories,†continues Ken, “So take a good look –you should be able to recall something.â€
Joe stares, and we see a brief close-up of his horrified eyes. Suddenly we cut to a view of a distorted sky and a shower of rose petals. An explosion sends beach sand, and flames, in all directions and young Joe, with a cry, is flung backwards through the air by the explosion too. He hits the ground, his chin striking the sand and he grimaces in pain but then goes limp and still.
A Devil Star is watching. She laughs softly.
“This happens to anyone who betrays Galactor,†she says.
“The sins of the father are the sins of the son,†she continues, “So then, if you want to bear a grudge, then go to hell and bear it against your parents who betrayed Galactor and all it stands for…â€
Then, all we see are flames. “How could this be?†cries Joe, absolute anguish in his voice.
Ken’s gripping him by his shoulders now, and Joe is still staring into the flames.
“I… I’m the son of… my parents were Galactor agents?†cries Joe, more softly but no less devastatingly.
“What?†gasps Ken.
Joe closes his eyes now, trembling and either sobbing or laughing so bitterly.
He throws his head back and cries “Why did you have to make me remember this, Ken? Why couldn’t you have just let it alone? You were the one who said I’d be happier not knowing the truth!â€
“Joe,†says Ken, looking appalled at this most unexpected result from his attempt at psychotherapy, “I had no idea that your parents were part of Galactor! How could I have known?â€
Joe doesn’t answer, and another explosion blows away part of the wall of the chamber they’re in.
“Come on, Joe!†Ken grabs him suddenly and drags him away.
More and more explosions rip through the deep sea carrier, but the Marine Satan nevertheless manages to leave it behind and escape, though it’s pitching and tossing in the turbulent water. Ken is steering.
The Marine Satan isn’t sailing at all steadily. “Joe, take a look at the battery,†instructs Ken, “If we don’t hurry, the Marine Satan is going to sink!â€
“Roger,†says Joe, who’s looking less traumatized now as he opens a compartment and starts fiddling with wires, “Man, these wires are shot to pieces.â€
The wires are torn, and in his attempts to reconnect them, electricity is flashing brightly in Joe’s face. But, he’s handling it…
The Marine Satan is still listing unstably though.
Joe’s still trying to reconnect the still-flashing wires.
But at last he gets them reconnected, and the Marine Satan is able to move smoothly through the water again. Ken lets out his breath in relief, saying “That’s much better.â€
Joe rubs the side of his head, eyes closed, but merely agrees, “yeah,†and doesn’t seem ill or distressed.
“So then, those bright flashes didn’t faze you, huh?†remarks Ken.
Joe looks at him, surprised realization on his face. “Did you make me fix that short just to see if I was feeling better about it?â€
Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 09:09:
“Basically,†admits Dr. Ken, “It seemed to me that the traumatic memories you were suppressing were surfacing and making you freak out when you saw flashes of light.†With these words, Ken adjusts the submarine’s controls. Joe, however, is looking out the window and he grabs Ken’s arm.
Five little submarines are hovering in the water, dark and still.
“It looks like the research submarines from the plate tectonics laboratory,†says Ken, frowning in consternation, “got sucked in by the ghost water.â€
“If a ship runs into the boundary layer between warm and cold water,†expounds the narrator, “No matter how much it spins its propellers, it cannot navigate. This phenomenon is known as ghost water. It is said to occur only above the flat parts of the deep sea floor.â€
And being stranded, the technicians didn’t fare well at all.
“Man,†says Joe softly, “I guess they must have gone to investigate the earthquakes and then couldn’t make it back to the lab.â€
Which means they probably all, eventually, ran out of air and suffocated.
“As long as there isn’t a natural change in the currents,†agrees Ken, “They could sleep like that forever.â€
Joe doesn’t seem to like the idea of just leaving them there, and asks Ken if there’s some way then can maneuver close to them.
“We’d just risking turning the Marine Satan into another coffin alongside them,†says Ken.
Now we’re seeing the ship on the ocean’s surface again, and the sun is setting in the sky now.
“Doctor, I have a message from the Marine Satan!†cries Jun, inside the ship.
Hmm, Ken must have ordered Joe to fix the radio’s transmitter/receiver too.
Dr. Nambu comes rushing over and demands “Ken, what happened? Give us a report! Why haven’t you contacted us?â€
“I’m sorry, Doctor,†is Ken’s reply, “But we have bad news about the lab technicians.â€
Sun is streaming through the water around the Marine Satan now, as it nears the surface.
“Yes, I see,†Dr. Nambu is saying, having apparently been apprised of the details, “Good work, you two.â€
Dr. Nambu informs three very relieved Ninjas that “Ken and Joe are fine and will be surfacing soon.â€
Inside the Marine Satan, Joe is staring intently at Ken, arms crossed, and he points out “Ken, there’s one thing you forgot to report to the Doctor.â€
“Huh?†says Ken knowingly, with a glance at Joe, “And what would that be?â€
“That apparently I’m the son of Galactor parents,†replies Joe, still staring… perhaps apprehensively.
“No you’re not,†says Ken firmly, “You’re Condor Joe of the Science Ninja Team.â€
Joe looks away, and down, closing his eyes.
“Listen, Joe,†continues Ken, “It’s only when all five of us come together that we become a mighty fighting force. The Science Ninja Team can’t afford to lose any one of its members and I know that you can understand that fact, can’t you, Joe?â€
Joe still has his eyes closed, absorbing Ken’s words.
One tear trickles from the corner of one of his eyes, and he softly says “Thanks…â€
(In the subtitles, he softly says “Ken…†Was someone at ADV getting a little worried that all the emotional closeness between Ken and Joe in this episode was looking a little too… close?)
The Marine Satan sails on, nearly at the surface. Jinpei is yelling welcomes from the deck of the ship and the submarine finally appears.
The hatch opens, and Ken climbs out first. As he’d done at the deep sea lab, Ken turns and offers Joe a hand.
This time, Joe accepts it.
Ken smiles. It’s a very warm smile. But then, these are two comrades-in-arms –brothers, really- who have known each other nearly a decade and stood by each other through all manner of danger, difficulty and tragedy.
Joe smiles back.
Ken helps Joe climb out of the hatch, and even though the sun is bright around them, Joe is okay.
They linger for a moment and watch the sunset.
“Bright out here, isn’t it?†notes Ken.
Joe doesn’t answer; he just gazes at the sun.
“Ken kept Joe’s unexpected past to himself,†the narrator says, “The day is sure to come when Joe will reveal to the others everything, on his own, but Ken believed that day could wait until Galactor’s dreams of conquest were sunk.â€
The End.
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 24-05-2010 at 11:16:
If you look back at the carrier fight in The Particle Iron Beast Micro-Saturn, you'll see that one of the fighter planes has 'Satan' written on its side.
This episode may not necessarily mark the start of Joe's physical deterioration. Thirty weeks is a bit long for a head injury to operate. It could be a psychological reaction. The war with Galactor has taken a lot out of all of them. Could finally be taking its toll on Joe.
(Any experts out there on what could cause Joe's death in the time-frame of the series?)
But -- how did Joe forget his parents were Galactor? He was 8 or 9 when they died, more than old enough to know about the organization.
And Nambu had to have known, or he would not have taken Joe away and lied about his death.
Although I suppose we could say that Joe had amnesia (not impossible), and that Nambu just kept quiet about his origins.
(Wonder how the BotP producers would have adapted this episode had they gotten it?)
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Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Posted by tatsunokofan on 24-05-2010 at 12:11:
Hi all!
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It should be noted that the Japanese language episode title also uses 10,000 meters, not 5,000 fathoms.
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There's no reason that he had to know that they were part of Gallactor. All Nambu had to know was that Joe's parents were killed by Gallactor, and that the boy would have been killed if they had known he'd survived the attack.
James
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 24-05-2010 at 14:23:
I supposed I was thinking that Joe might have mentioned that little detail about his parents' membership.
Or was their membership another of the later additions the producers made to the canon as the series progressed? After all, they could have been outsiders killed for other reasons.
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Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Posted by Transmute Jun on 24-05-2010 at 14:26:
Great writeup, LB, and Saturn, you caught some wonderful Ken and Joe screencaps! Yummmy.... 
This certainly is an important episode for Joe, revealing more of his background and the fact that his parents were working for Galactor. Of course, that leaves a lot open: were they double agents, actually working for the ISO? Were they defectors who just decided to leave for some random reason? Or had they 'messed up' and were slated for execution, and they decided their only recourse was to run? It's even possible that they were simply regular citizens of BC Island who decided that they had had enough of living under Galactor's rule, but being citizens of Galactor's territory, Galactor decided that the Asakuras 'belonged' to them. (Like the way the Soviets chased after people who wanted to leave Soviet-controlled countries, during the Cold War.)
I agree, LB, there are definitely some yaoi implications here, if you want to make that out of these scenes of emotional closeness, and I know people who are into that viewpoint make a lot out of this episode. But (like Ken's 'relationahip' with Jun) everything is so vague that you could easily take their interaction either way. The only certainty here is that Ken and Joe are close, which makes sense: they're like brothers, having grown up together and fought together.
What's even more interesting here is that if you take out Joe's flashback, very little of consequence actually happened in this episode. Ken and Joe were sent to investigate what happened to the scientists, who were all dead because of their own error. A Galactor plot to capture Ken and Joe was foiled, but they wouldn't have even been there if Ken and Joe hadn't been investigating. So there's no actual victory of any kind, unless you count Ken taking out a few incompetent Galactors, and destroying a sub he had apparently already destroyed before.
But I agree with your supposition about there being a spy/leak at the ISO, LB... and to me, that's the most interesting part of the episode (other than Joe's backstory/revelation, of course).
It's also a nice setup for Joe's problems later on... because then, the viewers remember this episode, and how they thought Joe's problems were all over... but perhaps they're not...
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Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 24-05-2010 at 15:10:
In a 'real life' version of this, there would likely be many times when team missions would not accomplish much that's earth-shaking. Accidents do happen. Other people (such as separatists or NWO paranoids) could attack ISO facilities or personnel. More times when Galactor takes advantage of a situation, rather than causing it.
And who is the leak? A spy, or are people not careful when they talk on the phone? (You'd be surprised how much information people give out without realizing it.) Are there Galactor agents in a van or room somewhere, recording phone calls and sending on the information to be collated?
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Posted by tatsunokofan on 24-05-2010 at 16:11:
Hi all!
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Joe's parents being part of Gallactor was something that Hisayuki Toriumi came up with while the show was in production, not something that was pre-planned.
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No, the Japanese dialogue in this episode makes it very clear that they were Gallactor Members (As they are referred to as such by the Devil Star) who were killed for betraying Gallactor. Also, in episode #81, the Gravekeeper comments that Joe's father was a "Big Boss" in Gallactor (Which I would take to mean that he was either a Commander or a Captain, but his exact rank is never specified).
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This is likely an unintended loose end that was created when this episode was being rewritten. The original draft for this story had Gallactor attack and destroy a I.S.O. Undersea Engineering Laboratory for the express purpose of luring the Science Ninja Team into a trap. When the story was changed and rewritten, the reason for Ken and Joe going down to investigate was changed, but Gallactor still showed up like they did in the original draft, creating the plot hole.
James
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 24-05-2010 at 16:27:
Given the changes made during the show, one could initially imagine the Asakuras being killed for any number of reasons. Then Giuseppe turned out to be a Captain. Makes you wonder just what he did. What was his betrayal of Galactor? A planned defection? Was he the source of information about the V2 years before, and had he finally been found out? Or was it some internal matter?
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Posted by Transmute Jun on 24-05-2010 at 16:27:
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Ah, but it is plot holes like these that create ideas in the mind of the fanfic writer...
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Posted by amethyst on 24-05-2010 at 17:53:
Nice recap LB! Saturn thank you for the wonderful images.
This is one of those episodes that I wished I owned. Alas, disks thirteen and fourteen are still out of my reach. I love the imagery in this episode!
UW, I agree with you. The psychological explanation is so much more plausible than the brain injury one that comes later. I've known people who suffer from TBI's and it is nothing like this. They live or the die, they recover to some extent or they don't. What they never do is have full recovery with relapse later. That just doesn't happen.
My husband's cousin died from one a few years after a bicycle accident. He spent the last few years of his life in a hospital. A friend from high school had a similar injury and is functional. He'll never be "completely the same again" but he's still him and even wrote a book about his experience. Some days his symptoms are more pronounced than others.
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Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by gatchamarie on 24-05-2010 at 17:53:
Thanks again, LB and Saturn ... you did an awesome job in providing us another great recap.
I so agree in thinking that there might have been a spy/leak at the ISO. So many coincidences do sometimes point towards that direction, and not only in this episode.
Joe's parents could have been seen as traitors for a myriad of reasons ... it's up to our imagination having a great time in thinking them up! Maybe a simple explanation could be that Joe's mother, like many soft-hearted wives of important men in history, just didn't like what being a member of Galactor implicated and couldn't take it any longer, encouraging her powerful husband to try and lead a good and better life! Well ... that's just one supposition apart from all those that all of you have so well come up with!
Joe might have really had a "blockage" due to the trauma he had undergone. His mind could have just opted to discard that undesired memory, which hurt a lot, in defense ... perhaps the Joe as a child, who still dwelled in the grown-up Joe, subconsciously, wanted to stay, and remain, in the "safe" area. After harsh traumas like these there are cases where people lose their speech, or any other ability, as a reaction to what could have happened ... this could have been Joe's case, that of totally erasing that particular memory or having a partial amnesia. Dr. Nambu could have well known, or even not, about Joe's parents' past, but he could have kept silent just in order to protect little Joe who surely must have been left visibly traumatised, not wanting to add insult to injury ... moreover, seeing that Joe didn't remember everything.
Apart from having a good time trying to capture the moments between Ken and Joe which could potentially be so eye-catching to yaoi lovers (one example is shown in the screenshot where Ken is holding Joe from behind!), I so liked how the brotherly love and closeness between the two has been depicted. In previous episodes there have been instances in which this closeness was highlighted, but I think this episode aided a lot in emphasizing the bond between Ken and Joe which kept going strong all through the three series, especially in Gatch F.
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Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 18:38:
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I wonder if maybe it was Galactor policy that children of members not be told about the organization until they were older -children aren't always very reliable secret-keepers. When I was 8 or 9, I only knew my Dad was a marine geologist because that's what my parents said he did. When he was supposedly on a research ship in the high Arctic for weeks at a time, he could actually have been somewhere else, doing something completely different, or even helping to construct a secret base way up there -Galactor loves to put bases in the Arctic...
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I don't think Dr. Nambu ever says more than that he was stopping over at BC Island on his way back from a conference, and that he found Joe, faked his death and took him back to Utoland, and he knew that Galactor had killed Joe's parents. I think he also says that this is how he first learned about the existence of Galactor. I personally like to think that the Asakuras' "betrayal" was more than just merely trying to escape Galactor, but that they were also trying to "defect" in some manner, but there's nothing in canon to prove Dr. Nambu knew Joe's parents had belonged to Galactor or that his being on BC Island when they were killed was anything more than a coincidence.
Maybe it's always seemed a little odd to me that the Asakuras and Joe were at a beach resort but were dressed in such formal clothes (and Giuseppe had a gun on him) and acting as if they were possibly waiting to meet someone and planning to leave in a hurry. But then, people in decades past did dress more formally even in "resort" settings.
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 24-05-2010 at 18:42:
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If we go with an injury, I think we can look to one from shortly before the 'Grape Bomber' or 'Wounded G2' episodes. The way Joe throws himself into things, he could have become injured and not realized its severity until it was too late. Then, being Joe, he tries to tough it out so that he won't be taken off the team. The 'Heavy Cobra' episode is the last one in which he's anywhere near functional, then both injury and stress take their toll.
In Gatchfanfic, Ayako has an interesting take on Joe's problem: all medical. A congenital condition, exacerbated by migraines. Something to do with blood vessels in the brain.
Now, about Joe playing with live electrical wires: electrical current hurts! And it doesn't take much current (mere milliamps) to stop the heart, either. Electricians prefer to turn off the power before doing anything with wiring, although there are rare times when that's impractical or impossible. To connect wires to each other (or to equipment), the worker needs a tool to remove insulation from the ends of the wires, insulating tape, and the appropriate devices and tools (such as wire nuts, screws, terminal blocks, and screwdrivers, Allen wrenches or crimpers). The connections Joe makes could easily touch metal and short out the equipment, trapping him and Ken deep under water.
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Posted by amethyst on 24-05-2010 at 18:56:
I suppose the injuries from episode 81 would be closer, but I still don't buy the injury bit. Even non-tbi, closed head injuries that slowly develop, happen over hours not days or weeks, as in what happened with Natasha Richardson.
I've read Ayako's theory, but don't have a working knowldedge of those problems to form an oppinion.
My best guess is that they just wanted to play on Joe's popularity and turn him into a tragic hero not realizing or caring that some thirty or forty years later, his fans would be picking his injury and the plausibility of it apart. -- Are we obsessed or what?
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Posted by lborgia88 on 24-05-2010 at 19:08:
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Katsesama, a psychologist, has an interesting one too.
http://www.gatchfanfic.com/viewstory.php?sid=700
I know, through the BF, some people in the neuro medical field. I've long wanted to make a timeline/list of Joe's injuries or possible injuries (Devil Star's bomb when he was 9, shrapnel in the puppy episode, being shot up on BC Island in ep.81 etc.) and his symptoms, psychological and physical, and ask if they have a plausible neurological/neurosurgical explanation for all of it. But then I would have to explain why I'm so oddly obsessed with a character from a 30+ year old anime...
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