Gatchaman Crowds – First Impressions

Streaming Allegiance – Crunchyroll
Reconnaissance Report by – Hitmage
Progress – Episode 1


As a fan of the original Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, I was particularly excited about this one, so it’s interesting to see such a different take on the series.

Brief Synopsis: Our story begins in a slightly futuristic Tokyo, where mysterious creatures known as MESS are wreaking havoc on the populace. It’s up to the Gatchaman team, using their robotic power suits summoned from a futuristic notebook known as NOTE, to stop them. Enter Hajime Inose, a quirky sixteen-year-old schoolgirl with a weird attachment to daily planners, who is chosen as the latest member of the team. She is found by Sugane Tachibana, a veteran of the Gatchaman team, who introduces her to the other members. Although he has his doubts, the others see some potential in Hajime, and soon enough she proves her mettle as a fighter.

Characters: Hajime Inose embodies a somewhat typical character trope: a quirky space-cadet who seems pretty out there to some, possibly even annoying to others. She contrasts with the other characters, like the serious Sugane, who seems to see himself as a modern-day samurai. I haven’t seen much of the other characters yet, so it’s a little early for further comparison. I won’t say Hajime is my favorite, but I’ve seen worse.

Art: The art is definitely one of the high points of this series. The characters are colorful, the designs are slick, and I get a definite Tiger and Bunny feel from the Gatchaman power suits. The CG is sharp, and I really like the overall character designs. Everything seems kind of unique, but familiar at the same time.

Overall: 7/10 This one will take a bit of getting used to. I kind of anticipate a “baddie of the week” formula, but I’m looking forward to seeing all the other characters in their power suits, and I hope Hajime develops in an interesting way. We’ll see how it goes.