The Evolution of Battle of the Planets: From Gatchaman to G-Force and all the Weirdness In Between

[@SecretGalaxyTV]

Note: We didn't forget to talk about Eagle Riders. It is a different show based on Gatchaman II and Gatchaman Fighter that were combined. It is a different thing that will probably get its own episode at some point. We also didn't forget to talk about Gatchaman Crowds or any of the other Gatchaman series. This episode is about Battle of the Planets.

[@rayhashman1579]

Be sure to check into Infini-T Force as well for future Gatchaman research. It's practically the Tatsunoko version of the Avengers.

[@CarlosHernandez-rl2wg]

Nice topic for an episode!

[@Koexistence13]

Thanks. This was appointment viewing for me as a 6 to 7 year old. The best animation of its time.

[@painkillermiller]

There was also a fighting game with some of the characters.

[@baroncalamityplus]

Glad you mentioned this. I was mentally gearing up to post a long comment about all the stuff you "missed." :)

[@tombobbitt7830]

When Disney announced that they were making a "G-Force" movie in 2009, I was ecstatic! Then when I found out it was about Secret Agent Gerbils, I was mad for a month....

[@mandalorejangofett]

LMAO 😂

[@aaron10146]

Wasn't it guinea pigs not gerbils? 😁😁

[@markhenrykern]

Oh that got me so excited for a minute when I heard, then so mad when I saw the image.

[@aaron10146]

Not gonna lie I did enjoy it though! 😏

[@LoveLearnShareGrow]

@@aaron10146 Yup, it was a decent movie despite the horrible, horrible name.

[@Icipher353]

Probably my favourite animated series of the my childhood in the days before any of us had a clue what "anime" was.

[@DocMicrowave]

Same here. Loved it as a kid. Didn't know what anime was. But thought it was the most amazing cartoon on tv.

[@mrbuggz5213]

100%

[@tyanttaylor60]

🎯

[@dennislogan6781]

G Force was one of my favorite cartoons growing up. Also Star Blazers, Robotech, Voltron, and Speed Racer. The Japanese knew how to make great cartoons in the 70's.

[@dinomonzon8853]

Dennis Logan Correct! Its a shame G. I. Joe never got the aspects of character development / story development right. Robotech & Thunderbirds 2086 were also excellent.

[@kevinwaycaster]

Agreed!

[@danjodoin4060]

Dennis Logan u said it

[@osonhouston]

Ditto

[@BigEpinstriping]

Technically, Speed Racer (Mach Go, Go, Go!) was a product of the 60's (1967-1968). The look of the show was inspired by Elvis Presley's movie, Spinout. Give it a watch, and you will be able to pick out where the look of the Mach 5, other cars and racers, and Speed Racer himself came from (Yes, Speed's look was inspired by Elvis' appearance in this film)

[@paulskelding7235]

This and Robotech were my morning rituals before school in the early 80s.

[@adreanmarantz2103]

and Star Blazers

[@McHaro0079]

Hey, Gatchaman and Macross they are. And Space Battleship Yamato... Edit: I watched both when I was a kid.

[@tontoace7]

Robotech and vehicle Voltron were mine!

[@Zen_walker]

Captain Harlock also!

[@McHaro0079]

@@Zen_walker Oh definitely.

[@JelaniWood]

I was born in 1976 this is one of my earliest memories of watching any cartoon ever. To say that this series stuck with me would be an understatement.

[@joshmcginnis4036]

Born in 1977 and I would say the same. I’ve searched for the name of this show for years and never could find it because I didn’t remember enough. Pull out the popcorn bcs I’m showing this to my kids!

[@IronLordsPodcastRoundtable]

76er here was well! AND now the Russos will be bringing it BACK!

[@wolviespartan]

'74

[@Schweigardt]

really liked G-Force early on but Metro Detroit UHF TV seemed to show the reruns constantly at least through the mid 80s, so got burned out on it before Voltron blew up.

[@marccarmichael6541]

Yes Jelani, I was born in 75 and G force is so important to me, the soundtrack too, btw there’s a great ‘mf doom (R.I.P) / king ghidorah’ track that samples the theme. And the Phoenix has got to be one of the best sci fi space craft designs ever.

[@Thedesertguy75]

This was one of my absolute favorite cartoons in the early 80s...

[@philmartinez1872]

I’m 52 now and it was one of my favorite shows and Speed Racer. Thank you for putting this up.

[@johnniewilliams3444]

I Love this show also!!!! They need to make a MOVIE!!!!!

[@elliotness11]

I think we might be the same person

[@SpaceWizardCosplay]

Same here. It was the best back then.

[@SpaceWizardCosplay]

@@johnniewilliams3444 There was a live-action movie in 2013.

[@SilverGorilla1776]

I’m 50 and loved this show!

[@SK-le1gm]

I just realized that Marc is voiced by Casey Kasem. Did this dude just leap into number one for my childhood influences? Was a fanatic for this show AND american top 40. Thanks Casey !!

[@langlsd1604]

He also voiced Shaggy on Scooby Doo.

[@MrZer093]

All the way until the 00’s too. When his health declined, he voiced Shaggy’s dad in Mystery Incorporated until his death.

[@joelbrooks3198]

Ponderous!

[@fsc7113]

@@langlsd1604 And Robin on the Super Friends!

[@joannapolowy4647]

This was the series that started it all for me. I was born in 72, and I was it’s proven target audience. Throw in Star Blazers, and I was hooked. Robotech rounded it out. Try explaining this too your 12 yo son. Yes, mom was a nerd, way back.....

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

Hi Joanna. It is so awesome to hear of a woman who was a fan of the same shows as myself. None of the girls I went to school with cared about this. Shame on them and kudos to you .....

[@ContessaChalice]

Same here! I couldn't quite get behind Robotech -- I fell in with Voltron instead. Nerd girls, unite!

[@sherinidositko5261]

Alexander Patrick she’s not alone. There are quite a few of us. 🙂 this was my after school must see tv. My friend Daniel and I built a lego Phoenix and mecha ( though didn’t know that word back then!) and had battles. Good times.

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

@@sherinidositko5261 🤘👍

[@JAMarlow]

@@alexanderpatrick4866 Actually, the Battle of the Planets fandom today is mostly made up of women (me included). There are a lot of us!

[@jeffvanmeter1330]

Among the “Cultural References” that Americans wouldn’t have gotten, was that of the 5 young characters being orphans. The original writers and animators grew up in a post-WWII world where a large percentage of children were orphaned by the horrors of the war. This was so common, that it became unique to Japanese cultural, unlike any other nation or culture. Early anime is inundated with this affect, with many series from the 70s and 80s sharing this unique element. These series include Space Battleship Yamato (Star Blazers), Robotech (Macross) and Gundam Wing.

[@MrZer093]

Yeah, I can see that. There is this element of “The Hero’s Journey” by making them orphans but anime really uses that trope often, and it’s clear it still influences anime nowadays.

[@MceDMD]

I think the owl was not an orphan , at least in the American very

[@MceDMD]

Version

[@jeffvanmeter1330]

@@MceDMD Ryu, the owl was a fisherman’s son.

[@spugintrntl]

I always wondered why anime protagonists were seemingly always orphans. That makes so much sense...

[@MechaFenris]

Battle of the Planets was a must-watch after I got home from school. :) I yearned for a Phoenix ship of my own, and tried to build one using LEGO, but failed miserably. :) Ahhh the 70's.... I can still hear the theme song and intro when someone says "Battle of the Planets." :)

[@NielsNL68]

I coplayed it with my friends and I was/wanted to be the leader.

[@taelorwatson9822]

It is crazy I remember watching this and not realizing that Casey Kasem did the voice probably cuz I didn't know who you was at the time

[@Ensign_Cthulhu]

@@taelorwatson9822 It's fucking weird when you realise that he also voiced Shaggy from Scooby Doo.

[@mitchfletcher2386]

@@Ensign_Cthulhu "Like, zoinks, Scoob! I can't believe I hafta fight aliens in a bird suit!"

[@robbijohnson6983]

The opening credits were awesome.

[@Will-ze6rq]

I watched Battle of the Planets back in the early 80s. Great show.

[@pozzibleMovies]

I grew up with Battle of the Planets back in the 70s and I loved it

[@skylab14]

Me too. ,,, I never missed an episode.

[@793ism]

It was the mid 80s for me.

[@leaiplussize]

me to

[@vincentfranklin17]

Same for me! I watched every day at 4 PM!

[@pyramidblaster9239]

My father introduced me to this along with, Speed Racer, Astro Boy, Vampire Hunter D, Dirty Pair, Battle Angel, Akira, Ghost in the Shell and Tekka Man.

[@racheladkins6060]

I watched this when I was a child in England, it was BRILLIANT!

[@Checobeep]

Me too. OH MY GOD I'M SO OLD

[@BixbySnyder209]

Same but the original stuff is so much cooler. And the. Look into what we didn’t get. And some of that stuff is even cooler.

[@bigsonny45]

my mother bought me the metal lunchbox back in the late 70s. I loved it! wish I still had it.... wish I still had my mom!

[@Xenomrph]

Well this took a turn

[@nigelcraft6002]

I bet it was a great lunchbox! Sorry about your mom

[@mrf19741]

Same here on both, Bro!

[@sil3ntkn1ght27]

STOP GIVING US FEELS!!!!!

[@mauricehooks320]

Respect mine put me on to the show this was something she use to watch and here there we still talk about it even got her to the movies to see the one night only cartoon Transformers the movie. Blew my mind when she said I can't believe I never sat down and watched this. Damn I wish yor moms was still here guy.😢

[@RooftopKY]

Oh man. I loved this show as a kid. You never see or hear of it anymore. Nice trip down memory lane. Thanks!

[@andrepierre9169]

If you’re a Voltron fan, or Power Rangers fan you should know all about this show. Great series, “FIERY PHOENIX!!!”

[@robdcollector2808]

Andre Pierre 10yrs ago they has a comic miniseries that was really good...i was really into it. Diamond selecy toys even made a figure line!

[@andrepierre9169]

Yeah didn’t realize how much I missed this show until this video posted

[@Spthomas47]

Agreed. Such a great series.

[@pattgsm]

I see your FIERY PHOENIX but it pales in comparison to my WHIRLWIND PYRAMID!!!👍

[@mauricehooks320]

This show is the blueprints for all those other shows

[@Pixiel711]

My first taste of anime way back in 1978. I had to wait til high school in the 80s and Robotech to get more. G-Force will forever hold a special place in my heart, and I need to find those toys! And win the Powerball to afford them...😭

[@Track_Tension]

I was able to put my kids through college with the military contract replacing the cover to the missile firing button. Thanks Jason.

[@paulleach3612]

They used to run episodes on early morning TV, during summer breaks in the early 80's, here in the UK. This style of animation blew my mind. Until then I'd been watching Roobarb and Custard...

[@natmanprime4295]

That's right! It was my earliest memory, born in 77, later cartoons of the 80s were a down hill slide animation wise after that, until thundercats

[@Woodkin007]

@@natmanprime4295 thanks to crap scheduling times, I kept missing episodes, think i only saw about 10. Favourite part was the Phoenix flames and the heat effect on the screen.

[@stuartleckie]

Nowt wrong with some Roobarb and Custard 😆 Although that theme tune does rather stick in your head

[@nadersoli815]

4:30 karate chopping 7 zark 7. This guy is a frickin genius. I LOVE the video AND your delivery. And thank God for G force. What a beautiful childhood it gave us.

[@akildukes7499]

G force! You don’t how pissed I was when that guinea pig movie came out with the same name.

[@ericmphillippe]

I felt your pain... and anger! lol

[@3xfaster]

Ditto

[@neil_nice5252]

Yup... I just feel for the few unaware that probably went in not knowing they were going to see a gerbil movie... I avoided spoiler like the plague back then and only found out it was about gerbils a month before release..

[@markadams5823]

They still do. Mostly original stuff

[@Begining2013]

O. M. G. I am sooooo thrilled to have found this video. BOTP was my absolute favourite cartoon as a kid in the 70's. I used to play on my backyard trampoline and do flips like Princess. I had a crush on Mark. Thank you for remembering this great cartoon.

[@vincentfranklin17]

I loved the hell outta Battle Of The Planets! Still do!!!

[@mauricehooks320]

It the F'n best and this guy said no impact this show is the holy text on how to do a cartoon

[@andrewtaylor940]

I loved it growing up. But sadly the Battle of the Planets version doesn't age well. But the original Japanese Gatchaman is amazing. Far more violence and drama than the Americanized adaption. Almost, but not quite as bad as going from Voltron to the original Beast King GoLion. I mean at least Gatchaman doesn't so deeply involve cannibalism, slavery and incest. Well okay not as much incest! (Yeah Beast King GoLion has some distinctly Game of Thrones vibes in places.)

[@traceylamplugh7727]

@@andrewtaylor940 There are many people who like BOTP!!! Would you want to have watched Gatchaman in it's entirety, as a child?

[@leaiplussize]

right there with you

[@robotic2000k]

I used to wear my mother's tights, high heel boots and the coffee table's cloth, to watch this. I am now a happily married man, father of two.

[@AceGoodheart]

Aren't you glad your parents decided not to give you a sex change. Lol.

[@robotic2000k]

@@AceGoodheart They did! HOW DID YOU KNOW???

[@d.b.cooper4648]

Plot twist!

[@micksplace]

and on every Thursday night when the kids are asleep.......

[@robotic2000k]

@@micksplace dont know about you but I bang the missus. And that's Tuesday night btw.

[@kenzokan]

I remember seeing this when I was very young (here in the U.S.), and I was fascinated by the show. Then when SilverHawks came out, I thought it was a sort of remake of G-Force.

[@Yankee_Redneck6698]

Maaaan... I used to get so many whacks from the nuns in 1977-78 for constantly doodling the Phoenix. Back then there was really nothing for a still picture to copy, everything was straight from memory of the show I had just watched. Every smack and paddling was worth the time spent in imagination. Great trip down memory lane, thank you!

[@Serialberto82]

I know this as "Fuerza G" from growing up in Mexico in the 80s. I own most the Diamond toys as well as the 12". Love this series. Thank you.

[@YZEtc]

I watched Battle of the Planets when it first aired on American TV in September of 1978. I was starting the 8th grade and was at a good age to be interested in it. I realized back then it was on TV due to the immense popularity of the 1977 movie Star Wars, and I also realized back then the 7-Zark-7 character was added in for some reason because it seemed so obvious. I enjoyed watching BotP every weekday morning before school and would discuss it at school with one of my classmates who also watched. Two memorable scenes stood out to me up to today: 1) The episode where the mecha was a giant mummy attacking an airport. Aircraft firing upon the mummy set the bandage wrapped around it's head on fire where it then burned away. The mummy mecha then turned and faced the viewing audience giving you a view of the evil-looking design of this mecha. I felt that was very well done. 2) The unmasking of Zoltar by Mark when the G-Force team had him cornered. When the mask in pulled away, Oh Luminous One appears and all we get to see is Zoltar's extremely long blonde hair reaching down to a** level. I was as surprised to see that as the G-Force team was. Decades later, in 2001, I bought the original Gatchaman series on disc and got to learn the truth about the Zoltar character, called Berg Katse in Gatchaman. I won't tell it here in case I spoil it for somebody who hasn't yet watched it.

[@DaimosZ]

Fun fact: In South Korea during the period the Korean government completely censored Japanese media, there existed 3 or 4 Gatchaman knockoffs, the most famous of which was a pirate animated movie called "Eagle 5 Brothers" that stole character models and story elements from Gatchaman. In fact, for a long time, Gatchaman was known in South Korea as "Eagle 5 Brothers" and when the show was pirated by Korean VHS distributors and dubbed in Korean it was a huge hit under that title and had various bootlegged kits and toys to go alongside these VHS'. These were either custom made toys (often kitbashed from other stolen IP's) and South Korean companies like Academy and Popeye Plastics even sometimes reverse engineering parts from existing Gatchaman toys and built these duplicate parts back together and redistributed these identical bootlegs. Many South Koreans from that generation still are unaware that Gatchaman was a Japanese tv show. Even more hilarious is that Academy Plastics (who made bootleg Gatchaman toys in the 80's) is now making officially licensed Gatchaman toys for the adult collector market in South Korea.

[@DaimosZ]

@@Vichedges no need to be rude...

[@CI2uSaDeR]

@@Vichedges No fuckface, I infact enjoyed the read. I have to thank the author of this comment. You on the other hand Mr.Allen, can kindly fuckoff.

[@enriquepinero707]

Interesting read!

[@PsychoWerekitsune]

It's always great getting insight into how exposure to things is completely different in other parts of the world. Thanks a ton for providing this fun fact! :D

[@DaimosZ]

@@enriquepinero707 thanks! It's such a bizarre story that I always wanted to share and this video gave me a golden opportunity to do so

[@bookemdano7567]

I loved Battle of the Planets when I was a kid! It was one of my favorite cartoons! I’m so glad I purchased the entire series box set on blu ray of Gatchaman, years ago, to finally see the episodes the way they were originally made.

[@citiesofthedead8653]

G-Force was actually my first exposure to this franchise. I loved it then...would watch them all again right now if I could.

[@Progearspec]

You can gatchaman is still available on bluray&dvd.Beside it's followup gatchaman II and gatchaman F on dvd.Id watched it when it first aired as battle of the planets. To see the difference between the u.s and japanese version of the show,was quite some thing.

[@p.j.w7564]

I remember watching this in the UK on Saturday mornings in the 80's ! Totally loved it ! 😎👍🏻

[@Gappasaurus]

BOTP & Star Blazers after school on our 13” black & white TV... just about the best thing ever growing up 😌 Thx Dan & Greg! You guys always know how to make me wish i was a kid again 😋

[@stuartbagley2586]

Brings back memories. Star Blazers came in in the morning where I was. I would rush back from delivering papers so I could make sure i could watch Star Blazers while eating cereal before school. After school it was Battle of the Planets and Atari 2600 on a black and white tv.

[@albertocabezas282]

One of the saddest episodes was when Zoltar released some kind of dandelion seeds into the atmosphere and the seeds grew into giant flowers devouring Princess. I can't remember if Princess was OK after that because I missed that episode (and a friend from school badly told me the script of that episode). Oh, and the music!!! I absolutely loved the intro!!!

[@audreyseddon9749]

She is rescued two episodes later.

[@richardsimpson2213]

This episode sticks with me as well, even now as a 47 year old!

[@Blueman2018]

@@audreyseddon9749 what was the name of that ep were she was devoured by that plant ?

[@onekill31]

@@Blueman2018 Episodes 32 and 33 "Fierce Flowers Part 1 and 2"

[@mjmullady]

this episode is burned into my brain! I never found out if she lived or not so i presumed she died and I was devestated

[@sparroni]

I have never clicked on a KZbin video so fast after getting the notification alert.

[@vincentfranklin17]

Same here!!!

[@MistaJonz]

Same here! I literally said the same thing on his Instagram post lol!

[@BlindNeil]

Loved BOTP as a kid ..... Great to see it has not been fully forgotten..Great Video .. Thank you

[@asurlybarber3620]

Casey Kasem was Mark? Awesome! Now, on with the countdown...

[@HereComesPopoBawa]

He was a little dog named Snuggles...

[@figrindantatooine]

Shaggy was Mark? OK now I gotta go back and watch this show again.

[@curbydinobot8633]

Cliffjumper

[@ZenFox0]

Now I know why Casey Kasem’s catchphrase was “Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars” - he was Mark!

[@robzilla730]

@@figrindantatooine not a huge difference between Shaggy and Mark's voices. I could always spot Kasem's voice in cartoons

[@G.D.Traveller]

I remember this... We used to make our own bracelets so we could "transform", playing in the schoolyard. Brought back some nice memories. Thank you!

[@hankmessaros1835]

It had the best cartoon opening theme ever the music the narration. It just grabbed you, when it came on I didn't move till it was over

[@grrlpurpleable]

The theme tune and intro was absolutely epic!

[@Larry]

There was also a Battle of the Planets video game released in the UK in the early '80s, and a friend of mine was also working on a PS2 Battle of the Planets game in the mid '00s, (It might have been Climax Studios developing it) but was sadly cancelled. The artwork was leaked years ago.

[@baroncalamityplus]

Artwork??? Where?

[@Larry]

@@baroncalamityplus DeviantArt

[@FightCollective]

Great tea time tv... just after Batfink.

[@DMSProduktions]

CLIMAX Studios? WASN'T that a PORN production house?

[@Kypduron1]

There is a PSX Japanese game out there, I just found it on ebay... it's called Gatchaman the Shooting, damn expensive though, over £250!!

[@haroldransom8043]

Battle of the planets was one of my favorite cartoons growing up.

[@gusbaker4u]

1:44 proves this guy can read my mind ahead of time, that MST3K song is the first thing that popped into my head when he mentioned Sandy Frank

[@DaimosZ]

Same here. I was just bracing for the reference to happen

[@mr.danfam]

gusbaker4u God love him Sandy Frank repackaged some real turds for the boys to riff!

[@notyouraveragenflgoated7362]

Now I can't get the Sandy Frank song out of my head...

[@edminchau811]

One thing he missed, among the voice actors was Keye Luke. He was the voice of Zoltar. Quite a guy; his IMDB page goes from 1934 to 1990.

[@MmeDesgranges]

And he was Master Po of "Grashopper" fame .. cool dude

[@kennethoats2322]

He was also the Luminous One and Colonel Kronos

[@dcb99filmz]

dude was Kato before Bruce Lee played him.

[@edminchau811]

@@dcb99filmz One of the original United Artists

[@iwasanangryyoungman]

He also is the first Asian actor to portray legendary sleuth Charlie Chan in any medium - see Hanna-Barbera's "The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan" which had Charlie's clan voiced by actual Asian-Americans until test audiences objected to the accents so the brood was sacked and replaced with a whole batch of gweilos (including future Academy Award winner Jodie Foster - I kid you not)

[@gottheone]

Yep grew up with G force and was totally confused when I first heard about Gatchaman and Battle of the Planets. Cant wait for next week to hear more.

[@carlb5558]

Thank you so much for recognizing Hoyt Curtin. He's an underappreciated national treasure.

[@greenlanternhg5141]

I remember wanting action figures but never finding any, I even made “suits” for other action figures that were my Battle of the Planets 😂 I got that Witchblade crossover and it’s good 🤔 Great video Mr Larson, Producer Greg 👍🏽✌🏽

[@CouchCit]

YOOooo I did the same exact thing! I specifically remember taking white paper and cutting it to look like Jason's cape, and then I punched a whole in it to fit an action figure's head through (and my memory really wants to say it was an old Kenner Stormtrooper figure used so that the white would match). I have clear memories of having fun with that custom figure, for at least a couple days!

[@papps44]

Blew my mind when I was a kid. It's all we talked about in school. Utterly brilliant and way better then the stuff that came after.

[@castirongeek3828]

Please do Force Five, Grandizer, Danguard Ace and Starblazers. Love this channel :)

[@nikolai9520]

Don't forget Gaiking, Combratta V, and Great Mazinga.

[@andrewhoye6355]

and Underdog!

[@mongoosecollector]

Hi Dan, love the channel - recent subscriber and I've been going through your back catalogue of videos - all awesome. But ! I nearly spat my beer out when you said no action figures for Battle of The Planets back in the day ! Here in Europe (I'm in the UK) there were a series of "bend-ems" style flexible figures with vinyl capes and hard plastic clear visors that were made by a French company "Orli Jouet" - I had Marc and Jason when I was a kid and now how a full set of mint originals in my collection. Anyways, they're very cool figures and I just wanted to give them a shout out in case you weren't aware of their existance ! Great channel, great vids, take care !

[@centermass4552]

Loved this show! I remember running home in 1st and 2nd grade to watch this after school

[@kenwheeler3637]

I remember this show. Along with Star Blazers, it was so and fascinating different than any other animated shows that I had grown up with to that point.

[@TheDoomspeaker]

This was my jam! I can remember playing this with friends when I was tiny! The girls would fight over who got to be princess.

[@andrewknaff9220]

OMG I LOVED this show! Thank you for the video!

[@DominusTecum316]

Every Thursday of the week I look forward to Toy Galaxy posting a video. This is consistent to send me into the weekend with a smile and good old memories.

[@bigsonny45]

Me too!

[@biffmercury]

Wow! I used to love BATTLE OF THE PLANETS as a kid and thought, “That robot with wings sure looks a lot like R2-D2,” but never thought it was more than a coincidence. I remember having a model kit of their spaceship. Thanks so much for doing this video. I had no idea the show had such an extensive history.

[@raksh9]

Funny, even though I was Star Wars crazy at the time, the Zark connection never occurred to me.

[@lehvak182]

I only knew this show as G-Force during its run on Cartoon Network

[@scribblebeck]

Halloween of 1979, my aunt made me a Jason costume and my friend had a Mark costume made by his aunt's (Celia Cruz) tailor. For obvious reasons, my friends costume was more polished, but I LOVED mine! Plus, his father was able to get G-Force styled plastic boomerangs made for us! Thanks for explaining why no merchandise was ever made! Great video!!

[@ComicFiction]

Grew up loving Battle of the Planets and thought “G-Force” and “Eagle Riders,” we’re evil bastardizations that weren’t worth my time. It wasn’t till the late 90s that I discovered Gatchaman and the whole history behind the title. I can’t watch any other version but the Japanese original now, but can appreciate Sandy Frank for introducing it to an American audience. Thanks for going into the history of this show.

[@traceylamplugh7727]

I still like BOTP because I grew up with it!

[@dirkdar1]

7zark7 is the devil. G Force for life.

[@leaiplussize]

I was born in 71 and this was one of my favorite shows growing up. I loved all the characters, and glad you made this video to talk about it. I still remember some of the plots of the show. love it !

[@eduardor8437]

Its funny my favorite from my time was robotech, my older brother loved battle of the planets. Sending this vid to him, he's gonna flip

[@jackiemoorman7483]

I love that cartoon it is one of my favorites I remember every afternoon after school running home just to catch it on TV.

[@diggingattycho7908]

It was the first anime I ever saw, that was back in 1978. When I finally saw Gatchaman(many decades later) I found it lacking.

[@dylanrhymerthecomedian8023]

Thank you for posting this! I’d completely forgotten about this series from my very early childhood. Now it’s all coming back to me decades later. I lived this show!

[@LowellLucasJr.]

I never saw the Starwars influence in BOTP but always loved the Batman-esque detective/ninja aspect! I'll always remember it as Gforce even though it underwent numerous name changes like Eagle Riders, Gatchaman, Battle of the Planets, etc.

[@KhawChing]

I always think of it as G-Force as well.

[@RonF.]

Hi Remember this show as a kid, it was one of my favorites. Thank you for the nostalgia feel. great video!

[@kuroimini]

This was my first exposure to anime. And I never looked back.

[@scottehm86]

This channel is in my personal top 10 on youtube. The work and personality you put into it is amazing. Thank you!

[@alphawlff]

I loved this show as a child. But I just can't watch it after seeing the original unedited Gatchaman.

[@fad23]

I have three sets of Gatchaman, but starting with the 3rd. I need to get the first 2 before I can watch the whole thing.

[@apow3rs]

I remember going in toy shops looking for these in the 80’s, And sadly not finding any. I also remember the confusion between the names when trying to find a copy of the show in the late 90’s early 2000’s. Thanks for the video :)

[@DragonTail49]

I love hearing about the differences in "show impact" between countries. Here in Australia, BOTP was an absolute phenomenon, significantly more well-known and more popular than GI Joe (which never really got a solid foothold here) and, for a time, Transformers and MOTU as well. Part of that, I believe, is due to the fact it aired on the nation's public broadcaster (the only channel every household was guaranteed to receive in the late 70s and early 80s) and was, basically, left on repeat for what felt like a decade. Aussies of that vintage may not remember the name "Battle of the Planets" but they will 100 per cent know either G-Force or "those bird guys with the fire spaceship".

[@kumachan9311]

It was pretty big here in England as it was on a Saturday morning show on BBC, ITV had all the "Toy advert type cartoons [Transformers, He man etc] as BBC wouldn't show them, deeming them "Basically toy commercials" until they threw up there hands and gave up and started showing TMNT [GI Joe never airred over here I'm thinking maybe because of the Guns and Military theme]

[@earthb67]

Thank you! This, Prince Planet, Astroboy, Marine Boy, Space Ghost, etc were my Saturday morning faves in the 70's in OZ. Would love to see a video on Prince Planet!

[@lestat1uk]

Loved the god phoenix advert, just picked one up recently, they are a thing of beauty.

[@nightvampire1]

Enjoyed the Battle of The Planets on Global Television as a child from Ontario, Canada.

[@MrFinalMax]

Interesting to see also footage from Speed Racer, without mentioning that Tatsunoko Productions also created it as well as Gatchaman. Honestly, a series about the marketing dream that is Tatsunoko Pro would probably be fascinating. Just how many marketable franchises can one company not named Disney create?

[@bullrun2772]

lol jeez you Disney hate rs just love to hate

[@AntoineJenkins80sChild]

Outstanding! One of those underrated gems like Tranzor Z... awesome history lesson once again.

[@philipportelli7700]

BATTLE OF THE PLANETS was one of the greatest cartoons ever and inspired VOLTRON, POWER RANGERS and many more and created the Five Member Template of the Leader, the Loner, the Girl, the Big Guy and the Little Guy!

[@alexanderpatrick4866]

Wow! I was so happy to see this as well as read the comments. I was not the only one who used to come home from school and do my homework immediately so I had the time before dinner to watch both Battle of the Planets and Star Blazers! I was born in 1968 and these two cartoons had a huge impact on me. I always thought they were far superior to Star Wars. Thanks again!

[@LoneTiger]

I grew with Battle of the planets, and back then they even sold some short comic books of the episodes. I believe they were imports from Spain. Good times.

[@raksh9]

I have a few issues of the BOTP comics, they were Gold Key comics in Australia.

[@kevinwilkins3248]

This was great, but my favorite when I was a kid was Starblazers. 7am every morning before school. I wish they hadn't edited the American versions the way they did.

[@jamievaughn1485]

The original episodes of Gotchaman are on iTunes and dubbed!! They are awesome!!

[@afrikasmith1049]

I remember watching this for the first time when I was a kid in the 90's. It was late, I couldn't sleep, and I wanted to have more fun because I was at my cousin's house. I also remember a Megas XLR episode where there was a parody of the G Force characters. It was one of the best episodes.

[@doublep1980]

Talks about the impact of Star Wars in the entertainment industry,shows footage from ''The Man who saved the World'' AKA ''Turkish Star Wars''. Well played Sir,well played.

[@jubeikibagami1601]

I was 9 when I discovered Battle of the Planets in 1980. I was completely blown away by it AND Star Blazers. When I discovered G-Force in my teens I felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Your video on "the confusing history of G-Force" is aptly titled. By the 90's I had learned the history of Gatchaman and Yamato -not to mention Macross and all of the other meta japanimation of the '70's- I was literally mad for years that I fell in love with a bastardized version of a classic. I had been duped! Casey Casem? Seriously?! But I grew to appreciate the sheer genius of the source material and when the Gatchaman OVA came to the USA I was able to turn a whole new group of friends on this very unique and satisfying gem. Love your videos, Man!

[@EricFell]

Extra points for the Sandy Frank song from MST3K! Huzzah!

[@jacyg.3073]

LOOOOOOOVED this show as a kid! There wasn't anything like it! The characters, beyond their powers, had personalities! Thank you for sharing! Kinda feeling giddy...

[@Kermoedi77]

I never watched this show, but I always thought the character designs looked good. I like the bird themed look.

[@gtf234]

This is the show that started the look and many others would imitate it. One of the best seasons of Super Sentai was pretty shamelessly copying Gatchaman, Chojin Sentai Jetman. They were bird themed with almost the exact same birds and body shapes as Gatchaman, example, the big fat one being an owl with Jetman's Raita, Yellow Owl and Gatchaman's Ryu the Owl or and the youngest and smallest being a swallow. Black Condor compare to Joe the Condor; White Swan vs Jun the Swan, Blue Swallow vs Jinpei the Swallow; the leaders were different with Red Hawk compared to Ken the Eagle. Jetman was actually the season right before Zyuranger, which is what North America would get edited into Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. Ironically, Gatchaman was conceived as a Japanese attempt to emulate the more colorful costumes of Marvel and DC styled superheroes, which wasn't quite a thing over there yet- not the first attempt mind you, but overwhelmingly the most successful. Kamen Rider existed and was starting the boom in the genre, but the early Showa riders were not particularly bright and eye catching, lots of dark and muted greens and grays to their suits.

[@mrskamran]

This was great! Thanks! Battle of the Planets was this 80s kid’s childhood and one of the best! Glad to know about it’s journey!

[@jaggin7561]

I love this channel! Did you do BlackStar and Thundarr yet. If you didnt do Thundarr just know the cartoon was the only American cartoon made that year (1980) not based on a brand. Well if you dont count Dingbat and the Creeps as a whole show. It was an original IP from what I researched but the toy was based on the cartoon.

[@taokodr]

Loved this show as a kid. I remember jumping out of bed on Saturdays and turning on the tv just so I could hear that fantastic theme song! Thanks for the nostalgic trip. :)

[@morningstarghuleh1087]

The last episode I remember watching when I was a kid, Princess was being swallowed by a giant flower and I have no idea what happened because it wasn't shown again. It disturbed me for years.

[@SpukiTheLoveKitten75]

There was a part 2. She's fine.

[@totallymetalactiondaddy5115]

I absolutely remember this as a small kid. I only remembered it as G-Force. Action figures were everything to me, and had often wondered why many of my favorite animation properties didn't get their own figure lines. This is a very interesting and informative channel. Thank you very much.

[@jeromehoyle4945]

Don't forget the video game, 'Capcom Vs. Tatsunoko' which featured Mark, Jason, and Princess... Or for the purists, Ken, Joe, and Jun... #GOHEELS.

[@battroidattack]

Jerome Hoyle or the lesser known import Tatsunoko Fight on the original PlayStation.

[@budgiecat9039]

@@battroidattack or the even lesser known import Science Ninja Team Gatchaman: the Shooting on the original Playstation or the even lesser lesser known import Pachi-Slot King! Science Ninja Team Gachaman for Playstation 2 or the even lesser lesser lesser known import Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, an isometric rpg for NEC PC98

[@williamkopko5775]

What system was that on ?

[@battroidattack]

@@williamkopko5775 Cap vs. Tats is on the original Wii.

[@williamkopko5775]

Joe Costales thank you

[@patrickconnelly1084]

I've been looking for this for 8 years but couldn't remember the name! I'm 47 and LOVED this cartoon! Thank you!

[@ulkeshn4724]

You've missed the ADV dvd release from 2006, which I would assume the Sentai version uses material from.

[@rogerwhite5061]

The weird sounds Keyop makes when he's talking are when he's cursing ! Children cursing isnt looked upon the same way in Japan as it is in america . When they dubbed the show into englsh they had to come up with something as Keyop seems to curse almost every other word so the weird sounds were invented for him to say . This is what they mean by the adult language problems they had to deal with to make the show TV friendly for a US audience. Great episode , I used to love watching this as a kid , TY for creating this .

[@JoelCarroll]

I always consider Gatchaman kinda the "first" Sentai team....the color-coded Leader-Loner-Caregiver-Goofball-Heart. As a fellow "big guy" it always annoyed me that the team always told Tiny to stay with the ship, implying he was a klutz, and was surprised to find out that in the Japanese version, they made him stay behind because he was the only team member with family, and they didn't want him killed in action...

[@CurtisRogers68]

thanks for the overview. I watched Battle of the Planets/G-Force when I was a kid and now, about 40+ years later, am just now coming across this interesting history of Gatchaman. Now I'm in the process of rewatching season 1 of Battle of the Planets and it's bringing back great memories. I went on to become a Star Trek universe fan and I think the Jetsons and BOTP started my love of sci-fi.