#demons and the dead module

[miku-module-showdown]

Summer Memories (left) VS Demons and the Dead (right)

[qiekzart]

look at my vocaloid perler beads

i did thhese all by myself but ur free to make ur own using these patterns :3

[birddrawstuff]

Day 7 - Favorite project diva module

You know I love me some creepy gal so the demons and the dead module was an obvious pic for me, plus made for such a banger song as well!

[luckykittens198]

LCF Part 1 Chp 512 "Delicious (4)"

“I’ve heard a lot about it, but I didn’t believe that your aura’s attribute would be despair. I’ve never seen a human with such an attribute.” A cold smile appeared on her face. “Other than me.” Choi Han’s eyes opened wide. ‘…Does that black knight have an aura with the despair attribute too?’ She added on while looking at the shocked Choi Han. “No. Should I say the me who was human?” ‘Was human?’

What? What do you mean you were once a human? Miss Dark Elf Knight, hello? Explanation please?

Even hundreds of chapters later this part still haven't been explained. The creation of vampires too, haven't been explained well.

What do you mean they were human with dead mana injected to their heart by demonkin? Hello? YRH-nim, this plot hole is still quite big....

Gwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa- The gathered power started to shake differently. ‘…Grey?’ The orb turned grey and started to become more violent. – Cale. Be careful. He heard the Super Rock’s voice. – I’ve never seen anything like this either. It was a power that even the Super Rock who had lived during Ancient Times had never seen. That meant that this was a new power that had not been by the ancient White Star’s side but was next to the current White Star. ‘What could it be?’ Cale could feel his heart beating as he questioned what it could be. He felt an unknown source of fear coming from that power. It was a power that made him feel repulsion and fear. Those things made him think of something, but Cale didn’t have time to determine what that something could be.

Unknown source fear.....

Spoiler for part 2 below

WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE PRIMAL FEAR OF GOD OF CHAOS WAS SHOWN HERE??? WHAT KIND OF UWAAAAA

YRH-NIM! WHEN I GOT YOU YRH-NIM!

PRAISE THE AUTHOR! PRAISE CALE-NIM! WORSHIP CALE-ISM!

Ps: it's probably not 'forewarning', but my language module is kind of a mess

Edit: I've read chp 513 and Jack said it was a power from Demonic world, but I don't think so? From the chp in part 2 where they showed demonic realm, Cale didn't feel any fear. But then again, by that point Dominating Aura is already crazy strong and Cale himself already felt the God of Chaos' fear

[projectmeiko]

𝐍𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠. . .

☆彡彡 DAY 51 ミミ☆

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩

¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸¸♬·¯·♩¸¸♪·¯·♫¸¸¸♬·¯·♩

Module: Rei-no-Sakura Camellia

Hairstyle: Default

Accessories: None

Song: Close and Open, Demons and the Dead

[pjdivarvo]

new module available now :]

★Close and Open, Demons and the Dead 【Hachi】

★Chimera Style 【重音テト】

☆F2nd Module Pack 【https://gamebanana.com/mods/383480】

get her here! ↓

☆Chimera Style 【https://gamebanana.com/mods/540201】

[corduroyserpent]

Yay tag game! Thanks @westiec 💕

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your latest fanfics (or up to if you have less!) & tag 10 people.

1. honey (SVSSS)

Tianlang-Jun does not like to be reminded of the fragility of humans.

2. whatever frozen or molten state (SVSSS)

Shen Qingqiu gazed down at the fresh crack in the boundary between the Human and Demon Realms—a gaping wound of fire and rock—and the sharp memory of Luo Binghe’s predestined fall slid jagged through his mind like a sword through bone. 

3. better in the morning (Devil May Cry)

Sometimes Vergil doesn’t remember who—where, when, what—he is. He wakes up, heart pounding, cold sweat beading at his temples and sliding down his lower back. And the darkness of night, once comforting in its simplicity, has become a suffocating thing. An embrace he doesn’t want and cannot escape from.

4. worth keeping (SVSSS)

On the night before her son’s name is pulled, impossibly—vengefully—from the glass bowl that sends children to their death, Su Xiyan does not sleep.

5. i shine only with the light you gave me (SVSSS)

“In my defense,” Tianlang-jun says as he elegantly lowers himself to sit cross-legged on the floor of the Holy Mausoleum, “I’ve never brought anyone back from the dead before. As far as complications go, this is relatively manageable. Wouldn’t you agree?”

6. relationship status: pending (SVSSS)

The first thing Su Xiyan did after hacking its governor module was a cliché. 

7. make me your wife (SVSSS)

“How do I look?” Tianlang-Jun steps out from behind a floral screen, already posing with his chin placed delicately against the back of his hand. His dark claws are hidden for the moment and the vibrant red of his nail dye nearly matches the gentle dashes of rouge across his cheeks and lips.

8. held within the sharp and curving (SVSSS)

When Gongyi Xiao was a child, he had nearly been bitten by a snake. It had slithered up from the riverbed near his home. Its wet scales, muddy green with spots of black, had glimmered with unseen brilliance beneath the sun. 

9. unwarranted tenderness (TGCF)

It was dark when Jun Wu awoke. Not the natural deep shadows of night, but a warm brown that gained texture as his eyes continued to adjust. With an aching slowness, he began the arduous task of lifting a single hand to touch the damp edge of a familiar bamboo hat. 

10. just a little boy (SVSSS)

Shen Qingqiu looked down at the serpent creature he’d blasted from the Dew Lake and was unable to hide his horrified curiosity.

Tagging: @luukeskywalker @peerlessbellbird @naamah-beherit @breadandblankets @d20owlbear @ilthit @kukuandkookie @tchaikovbee @curiosity-killed and YOU, yes the person reading this (if you want to!)

[cherllyio]

When The Sky went Quiet - Lego Monkie Kid Fanfic

This is a short fanfic idea i got from @then-be-a-warrior post (here)

TW: Death, Blood and Angst

Wukong didn’t know how he got to the small noodle shop.

All he knew was that he was about to tell a father something a parent should never hear.

And worse, something Wukong was at fault for.

The golden monkey walked inside, and the smell of food and fresh vegetables hit him, yet he didnt seem notice it.

“Wukong, what’cha doing here?”

Wukong wanted to get swallowed up by the ground. How was he supposed to tell him this?

The pig asked again, a little annoyed now.

“Are you just gonna stand there? You’re blocking the costumers- “

Pigsy stopped speaking when he noticed it.

“Where’s…. Where’s MK?”

Wukong tightened his hand around the red bandana, very aware of the warm blood that it was drenched in. He wanted to throw up.

“Wukong, Where. Is. MK”, it wasn’t a question anymore.

The tears that were quickly forming in his eyes were trying to get out, but Wukong couldn’t allow that.

Yet, Pigsy immediately became aware of what Wukong was so desperately trying to hold back. Call It a parental instinct or the love from a parent to their child, but somehow, Pigsy right then and there knew.

The god watched as a despairing realization slowly took over the father, till everything came crashing down.

Everything after that was blur.

Distant yells at Wukong from the heartbroken father, The Scholar overhearing the conversation, who was now sitting quietly, while his glasses were getting foggy with tears. The Dragon Girl, who had come over to the restaurant, to ask why her friend hadn’t come to meet with her like he had promised, and her distant scream shortly after.

Their words seemed to muffle into each other. To create conversations that Wukong only heard from a distance.

“How could you let this HAPPEN?!”, The dragon girl roared.

“My boy… My son…. “The Father said through a croaking voice.

“No… no… no…” The blue sand demon whispered under a quiet breath.

The King’s world was once again destroyed… Destroyed by himself… and for the once left to suffer too.

why … Why…. WHY?!

“We can get him back though… right?”

Wukong finally snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. It was The Scholar, still clearly shaking, but his glasses were cleaner:

“Yo-You broke out of The Underworld and you… You…. You managed to rewrite destiny and not di-die…”

“S-So….” Tang took a deep breath before talking again: “MK can do that too… righ- right?”

The whole room was quiet now. A million pairs of eyes were now on The King. A million pairs of eyes who were so desperate after an answer. A simple confirmation that there was hope… Just a single grand of hope….

But Wukong couldn’t even give them that… Because truly… He didn’t even know if that sort of hope was possible anymore…

__________

Why is everything so cold? It’s the middle of June.

MK was really confused. He had just been outside, fighting some random demon with The Monkey King when…

Ugh… Why is my memory so foggy?

A cold wind blew around him, sending a chill down his spine.

MK slowly, but surely, opened his eyes to a world that looked very different from what, for MK, was just a few seconds ago.

The world around him was dark and empty. Like he had closed his eyes and could never open them again.

Like he was… dead?

…

Ha! Don’t be silly, MK, you’re not dead!

In an instant the room was lit up by an almost familiar blue light, with the help of a million small cold flames, revealing the true size of the room, if it even could be called that. It felt like its own little pocket dimension if anything.

The ceiling seemed to be non-existent, and he could barely make out the door. A door?

An Exit?

The thought hit him swiftly, before a husky and modulated voice echoed between the walls.

“Welcome”

MK screamed in surprise, while he desperately tried to locate the voice(voices?)

And far, far above him, on gigantic pillars, that MK somehow hadn’t noticed, 10 hooded figures were observing him.

A pure, cold fear ran through the monkey.

“Welcome, Harbinger of Chaos”

________

I may or may not conitue this. Depends on if people want it

[paragonrobits]

ok here's a hot take for you; the whole thing with woobie-ifying villains and focusing on sympathetic backgrounds/long term ends as the be-all of the morality of a given story is where we keep ending up with people taking extremely cruel and Cartoon Supervillain levels of blatant tyrants plotting to commit genocide for funsies or whatever, but if they make a vague comment about their mom being vaguely dismissive of them once, or if they claim their goal is Revolution, fans ignore everything they do to claim they have the moral high ground

the likes of Magneto and a long history of geniune moral ambiguity (and not even considering depictions of being a legitimate mutant supremacist, I'm talking about in terms of him being conflicted and seeing no alternative because he can't believe in hope), this is not. This is about villains who are blatantly evil, but are constantly considered in fandom to be the true villains or that the story is on their side the whole time, even though any pretense this way is LITERALLY a pretense, and they're very obvious turbo evil villains who are written this way for a brief attempt at complexity or to give them moments of sympathy

in the same way, this is NOT the same thing as writers deliberately trying to make a given political view or goal to be inherently evil; if you see such-and-such villain ostensibly motivated by moral concerns you agree with, them being villainous is probably NOT the writers plotting to demonize the concept of revolution

that's conspiracy theory thinking. Don't do that. I promise you, every single writer in media for the last 30+ years has not been working in part of a plot to make everyone not want to do Revolutions.

A revenge story that ends with the hero giving up on the revenge, or winding up unhappy or broken by it, is not writers trying to make people not do violent revolutions. It's not about YOUR revolution and sometimes revenge is an ugly miserable thing that ends with your loved ones dead and nothing will bring them back, so that big emptiness inside you will just be there, forever; expecting to just kill the right person and feel better is just as childish as thinking that everyone can be a friend, and arguably more so, since it forces all stories into a narrow black/white morality

Additionally, if you feel slighted because your favorites tend to be villains who wind up being treated AS villains, and you keep goin to lengths to ignore how they act in canon, its probably NOT a good idea to keep projecting onto villains; the characterizations you describe in fanworks are more appropriate for heroes, so it doesn't sound like this kind of person actually likes villains that much, and instead want mildly edgy heroes, in very violent revenge fantasies where everyone not on your side is pure evil that can be treated like fantasy orcs in the DND modules that come under a lot of criticism nowadays

[strawberry-metal]

The majority of these songs contain dark themes and subjects, they are not appropriate for children, or anyone sensitive to these themes. Viewer discretion is advised! I have also looked into every song to make sure every single one allows reprinting. Unless I did a major goof, everything on the list was allowed! Quick disclaimer: I have made no money off this video, and I don't make money off of any of my videos for that matter, so if youtube decides to show you an ad, that's not going to me.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! Here's the Vocaloid playlist I promised! Content warnings in the description, along with timestamps, font credit, credits to the producers(which is also in the vid itself), and credit to every single Project Diva mod used! I'll also list everything here under a read more! I hope you all enjoy, you have an hour worth of 15 spoopy Vocaloid songs, with guest appearances from Zatsune Miku, Juon Kiku, Kasane Ted and Kasane Teto~

I have also changed the screenshot each time a new song starts, to show which vocal synth is currently singing!

Youtube description with content warnings and everything else copy and pasted below the read more!

Font I used is Friday 13th by Norfok.

Content warning:

Majority of these songs will have some form of violence or death in them. So assume murder in most.

Jealous Princess I turned the volume down on, because it'd blow out your ears otherwise due to needing the track to be implemented twice to have Kiku's "cursed" voice.

Trick and Treat - Drug references and kidnapping

Mrs. Pumpkin's Comical Dream - kidnapping

Musunde Hiraite Rasetsu to Mukuro - Hachi has stated the song is about childhood bullying, not prostitution, which is the common misconception of the song. The lyrics and theme is obviously still dark though!

Jealous Princess - Yandere, also loud volume warning.

Twilight Homicide Song - Yandere

Disease Princess - Sexual themes, self mutilation, suicide

Pandemic - Murder(like most the songs on here) and suicide

Wonder Girl and the Labyrinth Gate - Murder-Suicide and Cannibalism

Rotten Rotten ~Zombie~ - I suppose this is yandere?

Half Blood Maneater - I really don't think this needs a warning but I'll put one just in case. Possible cannibalism if you consider half human like a vampire or something to still be cannibalism.

Song credits and timestamps:

Black Cats of Halloween by Mayuko ft Kagamine Rin & Len 00:10 - 03:24

Trick and Treat by OSTER project, cover by Azuralunar ft Kasane Teto & Ted 03:25 - 07:03

Ashes to Ashes by Tennen and niboshi ft Kaito 07:04 - 11:01

Mrs. Pumpkin's Comical Dream by Hachi, Zatsune ""cover"" by me, ft Zatsune Miku 11:02 - 15:13

Close and Open, Demons and the Dead by Hachi ft Hatsune Miku 15:14 - 19:28

Jealous Princess by u-z, Kiku ""cover"" by me, ft Juon Kiku 19:29 - 23:40

Twilight Homicide Song by Kiraboshi Hikaru and Michirugahaku ft Meiko 23:41 - 27:29

Disease Princess by Masa ft Sachiko 27:30 - 31:44

In the Depth of Darkness by Shado ft Hatsune Miku & Meiko 31:45 - 35:30

Pandemic by YuugouP ft Megpoid Gumi 35:31 - 39:36

Wondergirl and the Labyrinth Gate by Joruzin ft Kagamine Rin & Len, & Hatsune Miku 39:37 - 43:06

Rotten Rotten ~Zombie~ by Nem and Otonagai-P ft Megpoid Gumi and CUL 43:07 - 46:23

I = Nightmare by Ho-ong-i ft SeeU 46:24 - 48:37

Half Blood Maneater by Kiesca/Yandere-p ft Megurine Luka 48:38 - 52:57

Happy Halloween by Junky ft Kagamine Rin 52:58 - 57:05

Project Diva mods credits:

Face tex edits, and self module: me

Eyelashes: emsterchu

Watermark Remover: M&M

Arv's lip sync, Juon Kiku, Acme Iku(outfit was used on Gumi), Teto, CUL: Arvo

Eye tex and Luka and Miku characters lashes: Disneyloid

Project Diva X song pack: CoolChar, Skyth, samyuu, korenkonder, Keikei14, Yukikami, jaykthx, Fresk/empa_nadas, jorj, jhonny

F2nd Song Pack: korenkonder, LimitedLime7, Keikei14, Jay, Fran, skyth, samyuu and Coolchar

Eden Module pack: Widuchan, MizMiz!, Silpher, JohnJan, Disneyloid, Stewie1.0, Sangabc, testsnake, lavverso, Palmtree_Freak, Anonymous Eden Fan

Eden Edit PV Pack: Hisokeee, Palmtree_Freak, Stewie1.0, sachbo, testsnake, Sangabc, The Zacc, Jay6_9, Cube, Fireyy, Deathblood, Bevellon, spaghetti2222, Bryntae, Blue Star, KageAruki, EgguTastesGood, Seb, Kyle, Fran, N1tr0t0m, Boku Boku, Razero6, Starbeat, Blizzin, JadefenMidori, Inky, Kominsach, TenTen, Utamote, Hatsune Elise, Volk, 晴希, ZoetjeTippie, Miyuto, Fable, himesaka, Tanjiro Taidana, FREDsooM, suzie, Ryusouta, Ciol, Adam Edmond, Meta X, ToriTeru, Lovrboy, Lucifer, Sykth, Samyuu, Flatz, Thatrandomlurker, nastys

XHD module pack: Azuki3, R.L., DavidMax, Nono_Minnyel, Stewie1.0, Silpher, Enomoto

Synchronize Skin Color: Azuki3 and R.L.

Zatsune Miku: V--R, Icy Wings, Platonic_Diva

Megpoid Gumi module pack: lavverso, Matymatiasmaty, ThisIsHH, FlyingSpirits, MusicRevU, Harryshibainu, Nanase7247, YoshiwaraMekaio, Kaykay, royer27, yendeena, doatz, nemmie, Wiggletums, Holiday, AWaffleBird, SourGummyes, kola*, GenoX, ElChicoEevee, Mimi-YA (Supurreme), NadaPD, ch6rlezAylen.h.m, CoolChar, korenkoder, samyuu, Skyth

Extra Sakine Meiko mods(outfit used on Gumi) : SourGummyes, Zero_V4x, Epic Games

SeeU and Sachiko: sho_thatsit

Mayu (outfit used on Zatsune) : earthwyrm

Kinzokunaga Neru(Used outfit on Cul) and Hagane Luka: Xamemey

Rin and Len cat MikuPa: Platonic_Diva

Kasane Ted: emsterchu, wolfloid, Eucalyptus, ch6rlez

sunz's Old Song Lighting Edits: sol_pregnantguy

Disable hand scaling: DeathChaos

Miku symphony module pack: Alamichu

Remove large hair spike: mxi9302

Anything else was edits done in gimp or game's stickers.

[invidioso-dogma]

I am so unbelievably fucking tired of people on reddit being like...

Why square bases? They aren't allowed in the wargame.

You can't play competitive with square bases!

Square bases are against the rules, you can't have them! You need to remove them and put them on round ones!

Square bases are for display only!

And 20 more variations to that.

Firstly

no

Secondly

There are more ways to play games in the 40k setting besides competitive and the latest ruleset of the wargame.

A small and not complete list is.

1) Narrative play, where the rules are loose and the victory is not as important as the "just having a beer with the buds while having fun"

2) Space Hulk, where its more important where the mini is pointed than the shape of the base.

3) Rogue Trader, the tabletop rpg. Where the shape of the base is the least of our worries.

4) Dark Heresy, the tabletop rpg again. Where the shape of the base is not very important. Again what are the odds.

5) Deathwatch, another tabletop rpg. I won't repeat myself you get it.

6) Black Crusade, see above. Again.

And the list could go on but I am not that petty...

Well actually I am so let's continue.

7) A Dnd module, because 40k is not only a wargame it's also a setting and what if I want to play a dnd game and my character to be a dazzling space monk in chrome. Who will stop me? The fun police?

8) A wargame with friends, because everyone can indeed be fine with me having square bases and we count distances from the middle of the mini. Why not? Who is going to stop us? The thot police?

9) Wrath and Glory, another tabletop rpg set in the 40k universe.

10) A custom module of Shadow of the Demon Lord, it's weirdly and oddly fitting for grey knights. I don't know, maybe I am just insane but I liked it.

And I could go on.

Because again, 40k is a setting not a ruleset.

You can take the minis you bought and do with them as you please. Paint them, keep them in a cave, even eat them if you have the stomach for it.

I am just exhausted of having to explain my choices time after time.

Not everyone in the community plays the wargame. And that is ok.

We exist. We might be few and far between but we exist dammit.

I don't know what kind of fumes they are huffing in there and are so comfortable popping out of the bushes being like

You can't do that. You will not he allowed in a tournament with those bases.

Maybe I don't give a single flying and swimming duck about competitive, Kyle.

Maybe I play the rpgs, Kyle.

Maybe I am not going on a tournament, Kyle. I didn't ask for advice for tournament rules, Kyle.

I swear if this stick continues for the rest of the year Imma start designing a tabletop game where you can only use square bases for your minis.

Old world style.

Space hulk on speed.

Pen and paper Ultrakill.

Roided out dnd.

The sky is the limit.

God is dead.

🌈And the wargame is not the only option if you want to play a tabletop game in the 40k setting.🌈

[communist-hatsunemiku]

Another fun question: what are your top 5 miku modules/designs? Fan made or otherwise

ok tbh im kinda going crazy trying to answer this, because there are sooooo many Mikus out there. I'm not sure I have a top 5, I know this is kind of a lame answer but it really feels like whatever Miku I'm looking at is my current favorite Miku eheh

To make it easy on myself im going to pick some of my favorite Project Diva modules!

So in order we have : fonewear style Miku, Butterfly Miku, Demons and the Dead Miku, Ribbon Girl Miku, and GHOST Miku(I have a fig of Her actually)

[reno-matagot]

Favorite bands

:Wumpscut: • The 69 Eyes • And Also the Trees • And One �� Arcana • Ataraxia • Aurelio Voltaire • Blutengel • The Breathe Of Life • Christian Death • Cinema Strange • Clan Of Xymox •Code 64 • Collection d'Arnell Andrea • Collide • Colony 5 • Converter • Coph Nia • Covenant • Corvus Corax • Cradle of Filth • Daemonia Nymphe • Dark Sanctuary • Das Ich • Dead Can Dance • Decadent Circus • Deine Lakaien • The Devil & The Universe • Diamanda Galas • Die Form • Dimmu Borgir •DJ HELL • Dvar • Einsturzende Neubauten • The Eden House • Erasure • Fad Gadget • Faith & the Muse • The Frozen Autumn • Funker Vogt • Gary Numan • Gitane Demone • God Module • HIV+ • HOCICO • The Horrorist • IAMX • In The Nursery • In Slaughter Natives • In Strict Confidence • Killing Joke • Lycia • Lycosia • Mlada Fronta • Malice Mizer • Moi Dix Mois • Nick Cave &the Bad Seeds • Ohgr • Phallus Dei •Project Pitchfork • Rosa + Crvx • Rubella Ballet • Sanguis & Cinis • Sex Gang Children • The Sisters Of Mercy • Siouxsie & The Banshees • Skeletal Family • Skinny Puppy • Somatic Responses • Sopor Aeternus & the Ensemble of Shadows • Suicide Commando • Tenhi Twin Tribes • To/Die/For • Tragic Black • Tristesse de la Lune • Velvet Acid Christ • Violet Stigmata • Vnv Nation • Wolfsheim • X-Mal Deutschland • Xotox • and more...

Bjork • Tori Amos • Pantelis Thalassinos 🇬🇷 A lot of psytrance and Dark ambiant (Desiderii Marginis • Dahlias Tear • Atrium Carceri...) electro-clash, pop, rock, électro...

[lovewithoutparole]

Vocaloid ramble of the day!-What's your favorite Project Diva MV/PV (restraining myself to Project Diva, cause otherwise, we'd be here forever, and I don't count PJSK as a Vocaloid game)

So, Project Diva Megamix (the one I have on Switch) has A LOT of different MVs, and some are better than others. While I do love MVs where you're wondering what the hell is happening there, I wasn't really there for the time of F2nd PV maker mode (and honestly I think that's a good thing). It's hard to pick just one without bias for the song itself, but I say if the chance time of F2nd would have been into Switch, Close and Open Demons and the Dead would be my fav, however, there is no chance time for this one in Megamix, so I think Akatsuki Arrival is my fav (note that this answer is actually prone to change a lot, lol). I love the way it mixes a more fantasy story to a concert and the way chance time gives you either the Stage perspective or the fantasy one! Also really love the modules there.

{ …I can’t actually pick.. I just love so many of them… miku owns my soul, I’m afraid… }

[blukutz]

What are some of your favorite Project Diva Modules?

ahhh now i have to try and remember

i really like the senbonzakura modules, demons and the dead as well as ∞ are rlly pretty. astray (rin), high fever and bandaged heart (miku)…there are absolutely more but for the life of me i can’t think of them…

[marshmyers]

I got my first taste of Science Ninja Team Gatchaman in the late 1970s when Sandy Frank Entertainment imported the Japanese anime to the U.S. in a version known as Battle of the Planets (BOTP). The show, along with Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica, was a staple of my childhood science fiction diet.

While Sandy Frank sapped the original 1972 anime of its edge, BOTP worked well for American audiences and was a huge overnight success. As an eleven-year old, I was fascinated by the show even though the storylines seemed choppy, confusing or contradictory. What I didn't know at the time was that the eighty-five BOTP episodes were cobbled together from 105 Gatchaman episodes... and nothing ran in the order in which it was created.

Since Gatchaman was a serial, with interlocking storylines and recurring characters, there were tremendous gaps in continuity when it became BOTP. To gloss over these plot holes, Sandy Frank inserted some crudely animated segments with a robotic character called 7-Zark-7, who looked a little like R2-D2's inbred cousin. 7-Zark-7 provided both connecting exposition and comedic relief as the original anime was very serious and sometimes downright grim. To be fair, I don't know that the original show would've been shown in the U.S. in the late 70s without these alterations.

For example, the second episode of Gatchaman, entitled "Demonic Aircraft Carrier," was retooled into a BOTP episode called "Rescue the Astronauts." The story starts with an Apollo-era space module splashing down in the ocean. It is quickly captured by Galactor (in BOTP, these are the evil minions of the truly evil Zoltar from the planet Spectra) and taken to an underwater base. The Galactor commander is after the "Earth Compact System," which contains the locations of valuable natural resources including uranium. 

Uranium and nuclear power are a recurring theme in Gatchaman as they are in lots of Japanese science fiction. No one suffered more than the Japanese at the dawn of the nuclear age, and the atom is dually-represented as a source of unlimited energy and horrible destruction. This also underscores Gatchaman's emphasis on serious world issues such as dwindling natural resources, protecting the environment, loss, war, violence, and tyranny. In BOTP, almost all of these themes are either gone or heavily diluted.

For this particular episode, Sandy Frank's people altered the plot into a simple rescue mission where the astronauts have been abducted because they have telemetry about Zoltar's hidden bases. But there's a problem with the Gatchaman source material... The astronauts don't survive. In fact, their bodies are displayed before Ken (renamed Mark in BOTP), who thinks they are still alive and surrenders in order to secure their release. Once Ken is in custody, the Galactor thugs let the bodies fall to the floor.

"Even corpses are useful sometimes," the Galactor Commander chuckles.

Ken recoils and mutters, "How awful..."

You said it, Ken. But then again, later in this same episode, you savagely beat the Commander until his tells you the location of Earth Compact System... So, you know, don't be a total hypocrite. 

Can you imagine any of that running on a children's show in America in 1978?

Because BOTP had to be kid-friendly, the astronauts also had to survive. The dialogue is reworked. We never see any dead bodies. We never see an actual rescue but Mark later informs the team that the astronauts are recovering in sick bay.

Now the Science Ninja Team is back in comic book form from Mad Cave Studios. Gatchaman was reintroduced to American audiences during Free Comic Book Day this past May with an ongoing core series, a series of one-shots focusing on solo missions, and a miniseries focusing on villains.

Learn more about this series here.

OTHER GATCHAMAN GOODS: Funko Pops: Ken Washio  |  Joe Asakura  |  Jun