Galactor seizes a factory to build the transformable mech Mechanika.
Berg Katse hovers by Mechanika
Episode Summary
A robot-controlled factory created by the International Science Organization is taken over by Galactor, which uses the factory’s resources to create Mechanika, a giant lizard robot.
Dr. Nambu relays the situation to the Science Ninja Team, who all converge to the factory in their individual vehicles. Berg Katse, on a flying platform, trades insults with the Science Ninja Team before getting inside Mechanika and using it to smash the factory to bits.
Mechanika transforms into a centipede
The Science Ninjas get all their vehicles together and convene in the God Phoenix, but Katse puts a tape in Mechanika’s cassette player (causing the mech to transform from giant lizard to giant centipede) and escapes through a train tunnel.
Jinpei finds Galactor’s base
Lone Jinpei
That night, Jinpei checks out the tunnel on his own and finds a secret underground Galactor base with Mechanika coiled inside. He goes in, fights some guards, sabotages their systems, steals a piece of microfilm (because it looked important), and escapes.
Jinpei takes the microfilm to Dr. Nambu, who analyzes it and makes a tape of his own…
The Galactor base commander shares a laugh with his men
Mechanika Returns
Mechanika goes on the rampage again and the God Phoenix goes out to fight it. Katse puts in another tape, causing Mechanika to transform once again – this time into a manta ray. Ken leaps out of the Phoenix, sneaks into Mechanika, and puts in Nambu’s tape to induce yet another transformation.
Berg Katse escapes Mechanika as it takes its final form as an amusement park.
Dr. Nambu with his handiwork
Thoughts
After an entertaining last episode, Gatchaman returns to its old ways with a typical “sneak into a base” episode. Why the random shift in focus on Jinpei? Especially since he’s also heavily featured in the next episode.
Mechanika’s transformation gimmick was kind of neat, but at the same time I felt like the studio just wanted to burn through three monster designs (lizard, centipede, manta ray) in one episode. The amusement park transformation was a cute ending, though. I bet Dr. Nambu was really proud of that one.
Rating
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