In 1972, an anime first aired in Japan that would become an international phenomenon that would revolutionize animation in ways that could never have been anticipated or imagined. It was called Gatchaman. It wouldn’t be until 1978 that North Americans would get a chance to enjoy it and it found it’s way into the hearts of viewers by its American name: Battle of the Planets (BotP to fans) and then later in a newly edited version in 1986 as G-Force.

So why the fuss? You might be thinking that an anime from the 70s and 80s couldn’t possibly have relevance after thirty years. That couldn’t be more wrong. Gatchaman, with its unique artistry, dynamic animation never before seen on TV until then, and dramatic storylines proved to be a groundbreaking animation in numerous ways. Even today you will still see new anime following that same formula of having not only strong male characters but an intelligent and capable heroine (not really seen in anime before Gatchaman) working as a team, facing many obstacles to conquer evil on a weekly basis. Gatchaman proved that more dramatic and mature storylines could be widely popular. It proved that audiences could not only handle more mature sci-fi action, but that they craved it. And although the show has inspired many series, its magic has never been fully captured in any other show and therefore remains unique as well as a pioneer in animation.

When it aired over in North America, it did so under heavy editing. Even the later version, G-Force, which tried to be more faithful to the original Japanese anime, was truncated by editing. It wouldn’t be until 2005 that fans old and new would have a chance to see Gatchaman as it was intended; uncut, uncensored and offered not only in its original Japanese, but with an all new English dialogue more faithful to the show. This past year has seen the completion of the full uncut release of the series here in North America, fully restored and with episodes that never aired in North America until now, along with the tried and true favorites some of you will remember seeing as children. Thanks to the efforts of ADR director Charles Campbell, his dedicated staff and talented array of voice actors, Gatchaman found its way back to us, the fans, the way it was meant to be seen. Therefore Active Anime is pleased to give you this tribute to one of the most loved and revolutionary anime of all time. This isn’t only a tribute to the anime but also to Charles Campbell and his crew, who worked so tirelessly on bringing audiences back the magic that is Gatchaman, this is also a tribute to the fans both old and new who have kept Battle of the Planets alive in their hearts all this time, and finally this is a tribute to an anime that will live on in the inner child of audiences world wide: Gatchaman.