Getting into Gatchaman
One thing that I find really difficult about this kind of hobby, is getting started. Being born in the 70's, even in theh UKm Battle of the Planets was key. Although I was never much into it, my brother had a Phoenix toy and we watched episodes whenever they were on, and it is still one of the strongest 'nostalgia buttons' for me, along with Transformers, Gobots/Robo Machines and Starcom.
So I wondered about picking it up again, as some of the designs are awesome. There are two things that I want to look into...
1. Animation. I know that there was a (?) Japanese series over two (?) seasons, which were merged together for a Western release under three mostly seperate release titles. The problem is knowing where to start. Obviously, I would eventually love to own everything every made on DVD, but I have no idea what is available, on what formats, for how much money, in what languages. Can anyone untangle this for me?
2. Toys! This is fairly easy. I dont have a specific collecting goal. I just want to start getting a couple of cool pieces and take it from there. Vehicles beats characters/figures for me, but I will happily consider anything. The initial season with the Phoenix is what I remember, and as the Phoenix is iconic, that would be the first place to start, along with any cool representations of the smaller individual craft from it. But, it seems that Gatchaman toy releases are rare and variable in quality, and I am not wild about dropping huge chunks of cash. I would like this to be a fairly low-key collection if possible, and I am OK with not owning the 'must have 18" full diecast with lights and sounds' bits. Just some cool desk toys are fine.
Thanks in advance.
I think that it is really easy to forget just how confusing this kind of thing can be to get into for the outside.... Maybe a future CDX Show discussion?
Gatchaman DVD reissues
Hey. In case you are still looking for the original Gatchaman series, Sentai Filmworks is reissuing it in October.
Yeah, all microman toys are
Yeah, all microman toys are 1:1 scale, so it's likely a microman DRESSED as ken, rather than Ken himself.
Thanks
Thanks guys. I will keep an eye on eBay. The problem is that I dont like starting a collection if I am not sure that I can complete it easily. Maybe I will pick up Vol1 and just take the collecting really slowly, but then prices might go up even more.
The Gatchaspartan is what really pushed me over the edge with this, which is ironic as it means nothing to me in terms of BotP, it just looks very cool. That Ken figure looks pretty cool (but is it really 1:1 scale?). Maybe I will stalk eBay and just see what comes up in terms of both DVDs and toys, and let karma guide my collecting.
Thanks.
I have the 90s OVA one Josh
I have the 90s OVA one Josh mentioned on DVD. I really like it and the updated animation is really nice and it is cheap. I want to get the original show but the dvd sets for that are large and expensive for the ones I have seen. So I am going to pass on those for now. The toys are expensive, whether new or vintage, not really any way around it.
I and many others are planning on getting the new Fewture Gatchaspartan that is coming out (see here: http://www.collectiondx.com/news_item/3113/updated_fewture_models_ex_alloy_gatchaspartan
I also have the Microman Tatsunoko FIght Ken the Great Eagle figure. It is inexpensive and easier to find than the others in the series and it is not bad. Josh did a review a while back: http://www.collectiondx.com/toy_review/2003/gatchaman
Ah....
And, I have just seen the price of these on Amazon (the only place I can see them right now). They start out OK. Box 1 (vol 1 and 2) is $25, and Boxes 2 and 3 are about the same. But, Box 5 for $75 and then on up to Box 9 for $135? For two seasons?
I guess that I can only hang on and hope that the film eventually sees a release, prompting a re-release of the original series on DVD at reasonably prices.
Such a shame, but thanks any way.
Try Ebay for the more
Try Ebay for the more expensive DVDs. While sellers on Amazon charge a lot more for out print DVDs, you may be able to find somebody getting rid of their old DVD's on Ebay for much cheaper. The Saint Seiya DVD collection 1 is going for 100 bucks used/300 new on Amazon. I picked up collection 1 and 2 used on Ebay for about 30 shipped.
Thats fantastic, thanks for
Thats fantastic, thanks for the advice. It gives me an in-road into this series as its always been one of those things that I know that I would love if I just gave it the attention (Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is the same for me right now). It also has that cool 'oh, I remember that.... its from where?' vibe to it from non-collectors and is pretty iconic.
Time to look up the original series on DVD to start then.
Thanks.
Gatchaman was such a great
Gatchaman was such a great show, but it's a shame there's so little GOOD merchandise out there.
With the Animation - you have to start with the original Gatchaman. It's available on DVD in the states. Also interesting is it's Americanized counterpart - Battle of the Planets. From there work your way through Gatchaman II and Gatchaman F. The 90's Gatchaman OVA is alright, but not the same...
For toys... If you are looking for a cheap godphoenix, you are out of luck. This is a real hole in the market that someone should fill. All of the vintage versions and the modern versions are all over $200 approximately. If you are going to find the least expensive, perhaps the Unifive second version (the more teal colored one) or the recent Fewture EX Gokin release. Your other options are vintage popy, grip or banso - and some assorted model kits.
Good luck!