Since the release of the Speed Racer feature film, I've discovered a love for the work of Tatsuo Yoshida.
I could say, "rediscovered a love," although as a kid I had no clue that my beloved Speed Racer and Battle of the Planets (originally Gatchaman) were created by the same person.
Looking at both series with adult eyes, the similarities are clear and wonderful. Both series feature simple yet flashy designs with great colors. Both series feature family units of a kind and hefty helpings of melodrama.
Also, as a person who lost a parent at an early age, I greatly appreciate the mysterious masked figures present in either series, Racer X in Speed Racer and Red Impulse in Gatchaman. Whew, it's powerful stuff.
I'm wary of the CG Gatchman film in the works but I hope, if nothing else, we'll see a fresh release of the original TV series on DVD to coincide with the film's release.
nice! I'm not really familiar with speed racer, but I love the bright primary colours in this.
ReplyDeleteI'm pleased you like the colors in this, Ben.
ReplyDeleteTo clarify, Jun here is a character on Gatchman, although given the first sentence of this post it was reasonable to infer she's a character from Speed Racer.
Very nice! Gatchaman music is outstanding and the drawings are neat too. Did you watch both the English 7Zark7 version and the Japanese verion? The DVDs have them both and you can see how much they watered down the violence to make it acceptable in North America.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm sorry to hear you lost a parent when you were young. It's a crummy thing to happen at any age, but especially when you're a kid.
Skullossus, as a kid I watched Gatchaman in its Battle of the Planets incarnation, featuring 7-Zark-7. As an adult I've only watched pure strain Gatchaman (via Netflix).
ReplyDeleteThanks also for the sympathetic comment, friend. :)
oooohhhh... i likeee!
ReplyDeleteGreat reading your bllog post
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