Why do you guys like BOTP?

Hey, well I havent seen it yet so I just wanna hear about as much anime series I can so I know what to get in Toronto this weekend. Tell me pleaz!

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Always your undying servant, Musashi

 

I like BOTP because I saw it as a kid. I was eleven years old, and the cartoon really appealed to me. I loved the whole idea of them transforming into those cool costumes, and having super fighting ability. The concept of them all all having their unique vehicles was cool too, and I had not seen any of this before.

I first saw this cartoon in 1978, and I have been hooked ever since. I was very big into space, and the whole thing back at that age - still am. What was neat about BOTP, is that they were influenced by STAR WARS. The opening scene goes just like the movie, with the backwards title.

I don't know? This show just sort of struck a cord with me, and I fell in love with it. I used to play G-Force all fo the time with my friends, and we would try to build the G-Force weapons, and fight Spectra villians. I guess that is the best way I can explain it.

 

I think what made BOTP such a a memorable experience was that it was the first time, at least for myself and I'm sure many people too, that we were introduced to the kind of story and character driven qualities that we see in abundance in anime today. BOTP was certainly not the first Japanese animated program seen outside it's native land (Speed Racer, anyone?), but those programs did not have as much of a dramatic or action-packed quality that Gatchaman/BOTP had. Even with the heavy editing (which I believe had little to do with Sandy Frank and more to do with the all too conservative standards and practices dictations of the time), many audiences saw that there was something special about this show. Maybe the biggest detriment to a show like BOTP is that it was a little ahead of it's time, but I myself would not have it any other way. Thank you, Sandy Frank, for giving us not only a great, professionally accomplished kids' series, but also a refreshing change of pace over the usual standard cartton fare and quite possibly, changing the face of animated storytelling to boot.

 

I think one of the reasons I liked -no, loved
- the show was the fact that it had the most realistic characters of any cartoons I'd ever seen at that time. I had never even heard of anime back then. The characters were more complex and interesting, plus it was more of a drama than anything else on at the time. I was hooked from the moment I first saw it! I even remember the first time; it made that much of an impression on me. Plus, I developed a huge crush on Mark! He was my first "love"!
I didn't care for the civie uniforms but really liked the birdstyles. I still think the original Phoenix is really cool.
Anyway, those are a few of the reasons I liked it!
sparrow

 

Mattimus & Sparrow you both make good points. Now that you mention it, the drama and character depth intrigued me as well. The entire idea of them them having cybernetic implants, helping them achieve super powers, and ninja like fighting abilities was awesome.

Speed Racer was a great show, but now in retrospect I don't like it as much anymore. BOTP was part of a time in TV when Science fiction was really taking off, and it made a huge impact with kids. This can all be contibuted to STAR WARS here in the United States, but there is no denying that Gatchaman was very much ahead of it's time.

I am eagerly awaiting the release of the videos/DVD's in the USA, and I am hoping they are still as great as I remember them!

 

Thanx guys, You all have given me a new perspective of old-fashioned anime.

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Always your undying servant, Musashi