G-Force: Animated

Rating:
Summary: A fan must-have!
Review: G-Force: Animated is a short, sweet book that gives everything a fan wants. From some background information on Tatsunoko Studio to showcasing worldwide merchandise, this book is necessary for your 'Battle of the Planets' collection!

An official suggested episode running order is included with an extensive art gallery. Pieces of trivia are found throughout the book adding to the understanding of this show which influenced a great many people during their childhoods.

Rating:
Summary: It took about two hours to read....
Review: This official guidebook is a wealth of information, not only for the 1978 series BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, but the original 1972 Japanese anime series GATCHAMAN from which it was created. I grew up on BOTP, but years later discovered its very different and much more adult oriented series that it was put together from. Did you ever wonder why the show was altered so much when brought to American audiences? Did you ever wonder why a sci-fi space theme was added where it previously did not exist? Did you ever wonder why a very familiar looking robot was needed to host the American version? Whichever version of the show that you are a fan of, this book will satisfy your quest for knowledge.

The first chapter is dedicated to giving a overall history of the original series created by Tatsunoko Productions, providing a rare glimpse into the creation process of the popular Japanese animation studio. Lots of many interesting facts about the series are revealed, from the inspiration for the series to the reasons for its success, as well as the key factor leading to why the following sequel series GATCHAMAN II and GATCHAMAN FIGHTER failed to live up to overall expectations. There are even details of attempts that have been made to re-visualize a brand new series for the future, whether or not it ever actually happens! Many things are revealed here that I never knew previously, which makes this book a must have for any casual GATCHAMAN fan!

The book then shifts gears and details businessman Sandy Frank, who was a pioneer in creating first-run syndicated programming for television, revealing the whole story of how he came into contact with the GATCHAMAN series and what inspired him to bring it to America in a different incarnation. The book sheds light on many of the obstacles that stood in his way, as well as the huge amount of time and effort that were spent putting the new production together. Find out all the details on what was required to bring the new characters to life. If you ever wondered who was responsible for 7-Zark-7 or how Casey Kasem became involved with the project, your answers will be found here! I now understand the thinking that went on behind the scenes and will no longer scratch my head in disbelief when comparing the two versions of the series!

The book is also loaded with plenty of great artwork and clips from the series, as well as previously unreleased materials and early production concepts and designs. Did you ever wonder what the never shown female robot Susan looked like, a picture of her from the French version of BOTP is included as a bonus! There are profiles for all of the main characters and villains of the Sandy Frank series, as well as biographies (and interviews with) the amazing voice cast. There is a section on the music of the show, as well as merchandising. Also included is an interview with Alex Ross as he discusses his ideas for the new comic series currently in release.

All in all, this book is very entertaining and informative if you are a fan of GATCHAMAN or BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, but I wish that it would have devoted a bit more time to the original Tatsunoko incarnation too! It is a fascinating look at how the show was Americanized, but I would like to have seen more information on GATCHAMAN's original Japanese form in conjunction with BOTP!

Rating:
Summary: How THE SCIENCE NINJA TEAM Became G-FORCE!
Review: This official guidebook is a wealth of information, not only for the 1978 series BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, but the original 1972 Japanese anime series GATCHAMAN from which it was created. I grew up on BOTP, but years later discovered its very different and much more adult oriented series that it was put together from. Did you ever wonder why the show was altered so much when brought to American audiences? Did you ever wonder why a sci-fi space theme was added where it previously did not exist? Did you ever wonder why a very familiar looking robot was needed to host the American version? Whichever version of the show that you are a fan of, this book will satisfy your quest for knowledge.

The first chapter is dedicated to giving a overall history of the original series created by Tatsunoko Productions, providing a rare glimpse into the creation process of the popular Japanese animation studio. Lots of many interesting facts about the series are revealed, from the inspiration for the series to the reasons for its success, as well as the key factor leading to why the following sequel series GATCHAMAN II and GATCHAMAN FIGHTER failed to live up to overall expectations. There are even details of attempts that have been made to re-visualize a brand new series for the future, whether or not it ever actually happens! Many things are revealed here that I never knew previously, which makes this book a must have for any casual GATCHAMAN fan!

The book then shifts gears and details businessman Sandy Frank, who was a pioneer in creating first-run syndicated programming for television, revealing the whole story of how he came into contact with the GATCHAMAN series and what inspired him to bring it to America in a different incarnation. The book sheds light on many of the obstacles that stood in his way, as well as the huge amount of time and effort that were spent putting the new production together. Find out all the details on what was required to bring the new characters to life. If you ever wondered who was responsible for 7-Zark-7 or how Casey Kasem became involved with the project, your answers will be found here! I now understand the thinking that went on behind the scenes and will no longer scratch my head in disbelief when comparing the two versions of the series!

The book is also loaded with plenty of great artwork and clips from the series, as well as previously unreleased materials and early production concepts and designs. Did you ever wonder what the never shown female robot Susan looked like, a picture of her from the French version of BOTP is included as a bonus! There are profiles for all of the main characters and villains of the Sandy Frank series, as well as biographies (and interviews with) the amazing voice cast. There is a section on the music of the show, as well as merchandising. Also included is an interview with Alex Ross as he discusses his ideas for the new comic series currently in release.

All in all, this book is very entertaining and informative if you are a fan of GATCHAMAN or BATTLE OF THE PLANETS, but I wish that it would have devoted a bit more time to the original Tatsunoko incarnation too! It is a fascinating look at how the show was Americanized, but I would like to have seen more information on GATCHAMAN's original Japanese form in conjunction with BOTP!

Rating:
Summary: It took about two hours to read....
Review: Unless you are a big Battle of the Planets fan DO NOT waste your time buying this book. I wanted to read the history of GATCHAMAN and the related shows and all I got was this retro 70's nonsense. Reading the book made me realize how lame BOTP really was compared to the original show.