How could you not be moved?! The familiar "Fly, fly, Gatchaman!" is back! This time, Carrefour has teamed up with the unbelievably rare "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" to launch five character pens featuring Ken, Joe, Jun, Jinpei, and Ryu, a retro-style collection box, and a model of the original God Phoenix filled with memories. Die-hard fans are about to go wild! The forces of Galactor are honorable and will definitely not attack the Science Ninja Team while they're collecting points at Carrefour, but you veteran Gatchaman fans can! Toy fans unfamiliar with the series can also come and experience the charm of this classic masterpiece from 40 years ago! You'll be instantly hooked and eager to grab these collectibles for yourself!
Many of the younger generation born in the '80s and '90s know "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" from viral internet memes, but they may not know that this childhood memory, which grew up with those born in the '60s and '70s, was brought to life by legendary talents. The character and mecha beast designs were handled by Yoshitaka Amano and Kunio Okawara, the powerhouses behind major titles like "Final Fantasy" and "Mobile Suit Gundam," respectively. The concepts and artwork they created were truly groundbreaking for their time! Let's unbox this wave of "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" point-redemption merchandise while revisiting some fun trivia. It's time for die-hard fans to test if they can answer everything correctly or if they need a serious rewatch! For toy fans new to the series, read on and see if you suddenly feel an inner cry of "Coach, I want to get into this!"
In the legendary theme song known by everyone, what are the missing words in the most famous lyric, "___, ___, Gatchaman"? This is a giveaway, of course, it's "Fly, fly, Gatchaman!" Besides the official hit opening theme, a catchy rhyme even became popular among fans: "Number one Ken is super willful, number two Joe is a true man, number three Jun loves Ken, number four Jinpei has the cutest height difference, number five Ryu is lazy and never shows up." Old-school fans should be able to see through these lies concocted by the masters of disguise, Galactor, without a second thought, right?! The correct rhyme is "Number one Ken, please be alert; number two Joe, chocolate; number three Jun loves to be pretty; number four Jinpei has a runny nose; number five Ryu has stinky farts (another version says number five Ryu loves to sleep)"!
In the early days of Gatchaman, the original God Phoenix, which carried the five members on every mission, had a very interesting rule: the "Firebird Technique" could only be activated after "a certain condition" was met. What was that condition? It was that the vehicles of all five members had to be "fully assembled"! Many netizens joked that this rule was basically a bug. Later on, perhaps to set the stage for the heroic sacrifice and glorious return of the true man, Joe, or because a team member would inevitably be missing when disaster struck, this rule was no longer strictly enforced in the middle and later parts of the series! (laughs)
While it's the five members of the Science Ninja Team who are always out there looking cool (X) saving the world (O), there are actually two other key figures on the side of justice working behind the scenes. Who are they? The answer is Dr. Nambu, who is constantly calling the team to assemble, and (major spoiler alert, new fans who want to avoid spoilers, please skip this sentence) Ken's father, "Red Impulse" Kentaro Washio, who, despite abandoning his family, heroically sacrifices himself to save the world and defend his son, making me cry my eyes out at how cool he was! Speaking of the plot, I have to say that this promotional merchandise is incredibly well-made. Not only does it faithfully restore many settings from the anime, but it also adds clever details in many places. Let's officially unbox the incredibly detailed "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" point-redemption merchandise!
▼ "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" [Five Character Pens & Collection Box (includes God Phoenix)] Set Outer Box
The quality of the outer box alone is enough to make you weak. The retro color scheme and exquisite printing are executed flawlessly. On the character pen box, you can see that even the four Science Ninja Team members standing in the back row are printed with a clarity that isn't overshadowed by the spotlight-stealing center, Ken. Furthermore, the printing on the collection box's outer packaging isn't just a single color with blank space; the side panel is reserved for Dr. Nambu! After all, how could the biggest sponsor of the Science Ninja Team not be featured on the box, right? (laughs) A box with this much sincerity is truly worth collecting!
▼ "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman" [Collection Box], symbolizing the Science Ninja Team's base
The front of the box not only features detailed engravings of the God Phoenix and its cockpit patterns, along with the original Japanese anime title, but it also has five holes for the five Science Ninja Team members to stand on, above the Earth they protect. Hehe, but that's not the only clever design element. Flip the collection box over to the back... and there's an Easter egg!
▼ [Collection Box] Back
Besides the Science Ninja Team logo in the center, the back of the collection box is engraved with "Kentaro Washio" (left of the logo), the codename of Ken's father "Red Impulse," and "Dr. Nambu" (right of the logo), symbolizing the two major forces of justice and masterminds supporting the Science Ninja Team from behind the scenes! I was absolutely surprised and moved by this box design when I turned it over!
▼ [Collection Box] Side
In addition to the hatch patterns on the front and back, the four sides and the interior of the collection box are covered with various cockpit elements and futuristic lines.
▼ [Collection Box] Interior, the left and right drawers can be pulled out separately, while the middle three compartments are connected
▼ [Collection Box] A surprise inside, includes one "God Phoenix" model
The three connected middle drawers are carved with a top-down view of the "God Phoenix" and can perfectly display the "God Phoenix" model included with the collection box, making it look as if the God Phoenix is docked in its base hangar!
▼ [Collection Box] also thoughtfully includes two pieces of black foam to secure and protect the "God Phoenix" from bumps or scratches
▼ The "God Phoenix" inside the collection box is a flawlessly detailed model from every angle
This "G-5" God Phoenix is the first-generation God Phoenix from "Science Ninja Team Gatchaman," which also serves as the vehicle piloted by the fifth member, Ryu, who always had to stay behind and never got a chance to show off.
▼ Science Ninja Team Gatchaman [Character Pens] Full of retro atmosphere, one for each of the five members: "Ken," "Joe," "Jun," "Jinpei," and "Ryu," for a total of five designs
▼ Science Ninja Team Gatchaman [Character Pen] G-1 "Ken" version
▼ Science Ninja Team Gatchaman [Character Pen] G-2 "Joe" version
▼ Science Ninja Team Gatchaman [Character Pen] G-3 "Jun" version
▼ Science Ninja Team Gatchaman [Character Pen] G-4 "Jinpei" version
▼ Science Ninja Team Gatchaman [Character Pen] G-5 "Ryu" version
The facial sculpts on all five character pens are incredibly detailed and perfectly capture the appearance and spirit of the anime characters, without any distortion. Even Jun's signature pout from the anime is perfectly recreated! The helmet visors on all five characters are even made with a double-layer construction, which just goes to show how exquisite the facial workmanship is! Anyone familiar with the memes will understand the importance of the visor, right? (Doctor, why is your face blue? Officer, the traffic lights are all blue!)
▼ The five [Character Pens] inserted into the [Collection Box], the "God Phoenix" can also be placed on the corresponding line patterns on the box top
As mentioned earlier, the front of the collection box has five slots for the Science Ninja Team to stand in. If you collect all five character pens, you can not only display them all on top of the box for an awesome look, but you can also store the five pens in the drawers inside the collection box. The drawers themselves have grooved designs to prevent these exquisite character pens from being scratched or damaged during storage! This is a truly thoughtful and multi-layered collectible!
▼ The five [Character Pens] can be stored inside the [Collection Box]
It's not just the wonderful memories of the Science Ninja Team that have grown with us, but also Carrefour, which brings us a wonderful life! To continue this dual goodness, head to Carrefour to assemble and collect points to redeem these Science Ninja Team products! You don't have to be like Ken's dad and abandon your family to save the world; you can bring the whole family along. Hurry to Carrefour and relive the wonderful memories of the Science Ninja Team!
【Carrefour Point Collection】Science Ninja Team, Assemble!! Report to Carrefour HQ
◎ Activity Period:
★Sticker Distribution: 9/27 – 11/7
★Redemption: 9/27 – 11/14
◎ How to Participate:
★Receive one paper sticker for every NT$250 spent.
★Maximum of 20 stickers per person per single transaction.
◎ Promotional Items:
★【Science Ninja Team Character Pen】Five designs, distributed randomly.
Redeem with 5 stickers + NT$79 add-on, or for free with 20 stickers per pen (Limited to 90,000 units island-wide).
★【Science Ninja Team Collection Box】Includes one God Phoenix model.
Redeem with 10 stickers + NT$799 add-on, or for free with 40 stickers per box (Limited to 16,000 units island-wide).
★【Science Ninja Team Five Character Pens & Collection Box (includes God Phoenix) Set】
Redeem with 10 stickers + NT$1,499 add-on per set (Limited to 2,000 sets island-wide).
▼ "Science Ninja Team" all five character pens, collection box (with God Phoenix model) available for limited redemption. Science Ninja Team, assemble at Carrefour!
>> Go Now: 【Carrefour Point Collection】Science Ninja Team, Assemble!! Report to Carrefour HQ