Gatchaman Crowds Insight: Episodes 00 & 01 (First Impression)

I decided not to make a separate post for episode 00, as there wasn’t much for me to talk about since most of it was fighting. And what a wonderful fight it was. Here’s things to take note from episode 00:

• There’s an anti-CROWDS group called VAPE
• There are red CROWDS causing mayhem in the city
• RUI’S GATCHA FORM IS SUPER COOL

When Gatchaman’s finale came to be, it actually came to be unfinished. Problems I’m not aware of took place with the studio, and the team had to combine scenes from the second to last episode and the final episode, which resulted in an incredibly confusing and unfinished ending which angered the fanbase (and myself). The ending made no sense, and so people just had to guess what had happened with the characters, mainly Hajime and Berg Katze. Soon, the Director’s Cut episode of the final episode came to be, and I really hope everyone watched it because it wrapped up the series wonderfully and it answered questions. And now, we’re on to the second season.

Ever since VAPE came to be, the approval of CROWDS has gradually declined by the populace. With Joe now working as the prime minister’s secretary, he’s able to research this stuff. He found out that VAPE really stands for Violent Ape. Their group is contradictory, as they think CROWDS are harmful, but they use CROWDS anyway. We don’t know the man’s name, but we see glimpses of an orange-haired man, who seems to look like a scientist. He, and a few other hidden people, were the ones that sent the red CROWDS to attack the prime minister. This man doesn’t agree with what everyone else thinks about CROWDS. The populace thinks that CROWDS is good for them, and that it can help their world. But this man thinks the exact opposite. He thinks that CROWDS will destroy the world instead, and that the rest of the world doesn’t even know it. He only appeared a little in the end of episode 1, but he was behind the attack in episode 00, so I wonder if he was the one that founded VAPE. Judging by the opening, he’ll be very important later on.

Some time has passed since the events of the season finale. Sugane’s in college, OD has a show, and Joe works closely with the prime minister. Not too much has changed for Hajime, Utsusu, and Paiman. And Rui seems to be doing better. At least I hope so, because he suffered enough last season. Please give my son a break. 🙁

We have a new addition to the Gatcha team in the form of Tsubasa. Tsubasa is a girl that lives in a simple country town, who wants to grow up to be a fireworks craftsman like her famous great-grandfather. She’s an upbeat girl and she kinda reminds me of Hajime. A giant UFO sort of craft crashes into the fields of her town, which attracts a crowd. That’s when Hajime, Utsusu, and Paiman arrive saying they will need to put an alien under their protection. From the aircraft comes a long and intimidating figure who looks as though they’ll attack, but to soon turn into a small and adorable little girl named Gelsadra. Gel has some sort of power where she can make people’s thoughts visible. Really, they just look like little speech bubbles with mouths that take on the color of the person’s mood. We don’t know what she’s there for and why the Gatcha team have to protect her, but from what Paiman said to the news crew, she could possibly save the entire world.

Most of the episode consists of the team hanging out with Tsubasa. They’re also there because they know that there’s supposed to be a new Gatchaman in Nagaoka, but they don’t know who. So the team hangs out and get to know the people and it’s all really chill for awhile. Tsubasa gets her Gatcha powers when she helps a child up when he falls from one of the cameramen’s wire. That was when JJ appeared and gave her her power. And I can’t say this enough, her Gatcha form is so cool. All of their forms are cool. So now we have a new newbie on our hands.

Hajime is still her usual self, even with Berg absorbed into her. She’s just so fascinating to me. Instead of being on alert when Gelsadra came out of the UFO, she ran to her and hugged her saying she was cute. She’s not bothered by Berg when he insults her or anything. She’s just so…open. Hajime was always so fascinating to me. She always looks at things differently from other people, and she tries to understand others, like Berg, which is why I think she was the only one to handle someone like him. She cares about people and she really gets to know them. To people she might seem a little out there, and at first I thought the same thing about her too. But she’s a lot deeper than that, and she’s really the type of person that the Gatcha team needs. But I digress, and I could write a 10-page essay on Hajime if I really wanted to.

So this episode was just a set up for what’s about to come. We have an anti-CROWDS group which I’m really interested in, and we have a new Gatchaman! The team has gotten bigger with Rui as well, but they’re probably going to still have trouble dealing with VAPE. What will happen from here on out? I don’t know, but I’m excited for more fights with the full team. Did you see them all grouped up in the opening? IT WAS SO COOL!!!

I’ll definitely be watching and blogging this (as no one else wants it).