Gatchaman Episode 87 - Patogiller, the Triple Combined Iron Beast by TransmuteJun
[Reviews - 0] - Table of Contents - [Report This]

Printer Chapter or Story
- Text Size +
Story Notes:

This is a Gatchamania Episode review. Opinions expressed are those of the author.

This episode review is image intensive.

Gatchaman Episode 87 – Patogiller, the Triple Combined Iron Beast

 

We see the G-4 flying through the sky, to the strains of triumphant trumpet music.

 

But despite the lively tune, Jinpei is yawning.

 

“Patrolling sure can tire a guy out!” he moans.

As he flies over the mountains, Jinpei notices a building. It looks like a castle (turrets and everything).

“Huh? A villa this deep in the mountains?” he wonders. “I wonder if anybody’s there?” He zooms closer on his monitors. And what does he see?

 

Keyop’s instant reaction is to be expected.

 

“Far out! She’s just my type!” he claps happily.

 

I’m sure, with those teeth, he’s just her type too. Wink

“Dear Lord, I’m a very bad little boy.” he suddenly turns serious. “Please forgive me.” Then ne begins banging on his own helmet.

“Stupid, stupid!” he berates himself.

 

“That’s better…” he thinks.

Now that the civil war in Jinpei’s brain is done, he decides to ‘have a look’.

Meanwhile, a mean-looking man comes out where the girl is sunbathing.

 

The man looks up to see the G-4 flying above.

“Uh?” he is startled. “Who’s that?”

“Come on, Toots!” he starts physically dragging the girl inside.

 

“Aah! What are you doing?” the girl screams. “I want to stay here! Let go!”

Needless to say, when Jinpei witnesses this turn of events, he’s concerned.

 

“Huh? Hey wait a minute! What gives?” he asks.

Inside the building, the mean-looking man has his hand over the girl’s mouth, but she pushes him away.

“If you don’t treat me better than this, I’ll tell Daddy!” she threatens, in a ‘spoiled little rich girl’ kind of way. “Then you’ll be in a whole world of trouble!”

 

“I understand, Miss.” the man apologizes and bows. He even takes off his hat!

“Dang it! I wanted to get another look at her!” Jinpei is annoyed, but then starts mooning dreamily. “She was hot! A sight for sore eyes after having to look at Sis all day!”

 

And we cut to… the apparently unattractive ‘Sis’.

 

“What did you say?” she asks angrily.

“Ah, nothing! Just mind your own business!” Jinpei retorts.

 

“Maybe I should get a haircut once in awhile.” Jinpei says to himself. “It’s getting long.” Naturally, he has to start styling it.

 

Like his ‘Beatles’ do?

 

“You’re freaking me out! What’s the matter with you?” Jun wants to know.

“Hey, Shaggy! I mean, Jinpei!” Ryu says, coming in. Incidentally, in the subs, Ryu calls Jinpei, ‘Tetsuya’. I gather he is someone the Japanese audience would have known?

 

“What the heck are you doing to your hair, Kid?” he asks. Of course, Ryu immediately has to start messing it up again.

 

“Yeah, that’s a lot better!” Ryu admires his handiwork.

 

Jun giggles behind her hand.

 

A news report comes on the TV.

“We interrupt the current program for an important breaking news bulletin.” the announcer says. “Police finally have a lead on missing heiress Maria Roberts, the only daughter of world-famous millionaire Atticus Roberts, who was kidnapped ten days ago, and has been missing ever since.”

 

Even Ken and Joe appear to be interested in this piece of news.

 

“A ransom note, authenticated by the authorities, has been received from the kidnapper, or kidnappers, demanding a king’s ransom for the heiress’ safe return.” The ‘king’s ransom’ is a ‘billion yen’ in the subs.

And in case you were wondering what the heiress looks like:

 

“It’s her!” Jinpei thinks.

“Maria Roberts is fourteen years old, with blonde hair….” the announcer goes on.

“Hey, she’s kinda pretty, isn’t she?” Ryu comments. “But this sure makes me glad I wasn’t born into a rich family like that!”

 

“Your family would throw a party if you got kidnapped, wouldn’t they?” Jun jokes.

 

Ryu giggles, until Jun’s words finally sink in.

 

“Hey!” he shouts. “Just what did you mean by that?”

 

“Where are you going?” Jun asks, as Jinpei gets up.

“I’ve got something to do.” Jinpei replies.

“Well, don’t be gone for too long, all right?” Jun says.

 

And now we’re back at the villa, listening to Dangerous Liaisons-style harpsichord music. Jinpei is sitting outside a window in one turret. The wall is covered with vines, and the whole thing has a fairy-tale atmosphere, as if the Swallow is about to ask Rapunzel to let down her golden hair.

 

Jinpei looks up at the window…

 

And sure enough, we get the ‘twinkly’ music (remember that from the Rumi episode?) as we see the girl approach and draw the curtains. It’s Maria all right! She’s even wearing the same outfit from the television broadcast, just so we can be certain.

“Hey, there’s Maria!” Jinpei says. He sneaks across to the wall.

 

Testing a vine, our little ninja Romeo climbs up to Maria’s balcony and peers inside.

 

And he gets an eyeful!

 

Remember, she’s only fourteen years old.

Jinpei is so shocked, he stumbles backward and knocks over a flowerpot. Maria gasps.

 

“Hey, what was that sound?” cries a thug, running around on the ground underneath the window. He arrives just in time for the flowerpot to crash on his head.

Maria walks over and opens her balcony doors. And yes, she stopped to wrap a towel around herself.

“All right, who’s out there?” she asks. And the person out there is stunned.

 

“Lech!” Maria cries, tossing a bottle of shampoo at Jinpei. She gets him in the head.

 

“How rude! Hoe dare you peep into a lady’s shower room!”

Hey, her towel looks like Jun’s pants!

 

“No, you’ve got it all wrong! I came to save you!” Jinpei protests, squeezing his eyes shut. “You’re Maria, the girl who was kidnapped, right?” he asks.

 

“Mmmm hmmmm….” Maria sounds less annoyed.

“I thought so….” Jinpei says. But he peeks, and Maria’s visual charms temporarily render him speechless.

“Run away with me!” he blurts out.

“No thanks.” Maria turns him down. “Daddy’s about to give them the one billion they’re asking for. And I’ll be able to make a grand return!”

“How can you be sure?” Jinpei asks.

 

“How long are you going to stay in there?” comes a thuggish voice. It sounds muffled, as if it’s coming through the door. “Come on out!”

Jinpei tries to pull Maria away, but the towel comes loose…

 

And Jinpei can’t look!

 

~ Table of Contents ~
[Report This]
You must login (register) to review.