The dog also hits anime when it walks. No.35]"Infini-T Force" is hot! Cool! The four major Tatsunoko heroes perform together in full 3DCG!

We want to meet more and more anime that excite our hearts, anime that will cheer us up tomorrow, and anime that we will always love!　Our anime writers will introduce you to anime that are hot at the moment, regardless of whether they are new releases or long-term favorites.

This time, we will focus on "Infini-T Force," which has been airing since October.

The four major heroes of Tatsunoko, who are nostalgic for old anime fans, are all working together in a full 3DCG animation. The TV series is being broadcast to commemorate the 55th anniversary of Tatsunoko Productions, and a movie version is scheduled to be released in February next year.

We will introduce the charm of this new work, which will thrill even old fans familiar with the original work.

Heroes revived after 40 years

Fans of the original work will be enthralled by familiar phrases.

Fans who know the original story will be captivated by the techniques, weapons, actions, and voices that appear in the film. Nostalgic screen images of yesteryear are recreated with CG and voice acting.

Bird Run!
Pegasus, the Tech Setter!
Polymer Hawk!
Super destructive ray ......!

In the first episode, the silhouette of Gatchaman flying down from the sky at an angle is the same as the stop-motion title cut of the opening theme song of the original work. And when he transforms, the pose in which he holds the bracelet on his left hand in front of his face is also exactly as it was in the past, as is the way he says "Bird ...... go! is exactly the same as it used to be. The nostalgia makes my heart warm.

Some may feel uncomfortable with the 3DCG animated visuals, but fans of the old films will find it worth seeing. There are many innovations throughout the film that will make fans of the past happy.

CG characters whose sense of discomfort is counterintuitive and intriguing

On the other hand, what fans of the original anime may find strange is the appearance and personalities of the four characters when they take off their hero suits.

The CG depictions of the real-life heroes bear no resemblance to the old-fashioned 2D original, but instead are handsome men with modern-looking heads that have grown taller. Their personalities are also different. Moreover, they are older in general.

In the original, they were 16 to 18 years old, high teenagers. Even though he looks muscular and mature because of his drawing style, he is still a high teenager. This is the promise of Tatsunoko heroes.

In this play, however, he is a young man of 20 to 24 years old. His hair is different. He has a beard!

The image we get is that he is 4 to 5 years after the "them" we once knew. They will grow older. It will even be an adult. They may even settle down or change, as they have gone through a major battle.

They are suddenly brought into the contemporary setting of Shibuya, and in many ways, they are all over the place. They pretend to be righteous people who hate evil, but to a modern girl like the heroine, it is like, "What is that? They don't even know what a smart phone or an induction heater is.

However, as a fan of the original, I feel a sense of security in being able to enjoy the "same but different" because of their different appearances and age settings.

Each of the four popular heroes has had various derivative works created, including anime sequels, new remakes, and live-action films. Those who like the original may be tempted to say, "This part is different," or "That part is different.

In such a situation, we can accept the "differences" of the CG human characters because the heroes in this film are nostalgic in their coolness, heat, and charm of their appearance and actions.

An image that connects with the original work when read in depth.

It is not that "they" who have taken off their hero suits are simply good-looking men of today's style. It is interesting to see the stories and backgrounds of the characters as you read deeper into the story.

The flirtatious and cheerful Armor Warrior (Polymer) is a detective, and his helmet, a transformation item, is a must-have; since he has been in this world for a year, he is strong with computers and smartphones and is good at gathering information. He is a free-spirited and flexible individual with a unique personality.

Ken Washio (Gatchaman), who is treated as an "old man," has always fought as the leader of a unified five-man team. Perhaps because of this, he never doubts team play, is an active communicator, has a strong sense of responsibility, and has a penchant for lecturing.

The calm and intelligent Nanjoji (Tekkaman), nicknamed "Professor," has spent his entire life alone, searching for a second Earth while his fellow immigrants on the spaceship are in a cold sleep. The transformation scene looks so painful that first-time viewers will be surprised.

Naive Tetsuya Higashi (Casshern) is burdened with sadness that he can no longer return to his flesh-and-blood body. Even when he eats, he does not taste the food, and even when he takes off his suit, he is only projecting an image of himself. He is the only one who looks younger than his age, probably because his body never grows.

Those who don't know the original story will be curious, "Why such a setting?" and those who are not familiar with the original story will be interested in it. Those who know the original story will be tickled with memories of it. and their memories will be tickled. There are many such tricks.

One character who seems to carry the Showa era on his shoulders is Ken Washio of Gatchaman fame. It is both funny and sad that Ken is treated as an anachronistic "old man" in some ways. The beard around his mouth seems to be an echo of Ken's father who appeared in the original story.

Thinking about it this way opens up a lot of room for imagination.

And if you look closely, you will find that there are plenty of things to be puzzled about.

Gatchaman's exploding shuriken bird run is inexhaustible, and Polymer's ability to transform into fighter planes and drills is too absurd to be seen in CG. Tekkaman's support robot Pegas is very useful!　I'd also like to see the transformation of Flender, the robot dog that Casshern has with him: ...... and so on.
Whether you know the original or not, the more you watch the film, the more interesting it becomes.

Shibuya is too small for them!　Expectations for future development

For those who have been fighting "to protect mankind" in their own worlds, Shibuya today is a small stage for them. What kind of activities can we expect to see in the future?

The villain to appear is Z, a mysterious man with ambitions that transcend dimensions. There are three villains: Raja Khan, a deformed man who follows Z; Damien Gray, a young man of color; and Belle Lynn, a beautiful woman.

Z is said to have developed a dimensional transfer device that allows him to travel through all worlds and continue to destroy them. And as a detective, Armor Warrior was asked to investigate, "Why is Z trying to destroy the world?" .

As the story progresses, we learn that the enemy is not monolithic and that each has a different wish.

The key is the "case," the most powerful weapon that grants its owner's wishes. Somehow this case came into the hands of KAIDO Laughter, and the heroes are protecting Laughter and guarding the case. Their goal is to restore the world where they used to be, which was destroyed by Z.

However, the relationship between Z and Laughter has already been revealed, and we see that it is not a story of defeating Z and everything will be back to normal.

Can the heroes change Laughter, the cold modern boy?
And what will they ultimately be fighting against?

All four legendary heroes have very strong family stories in their original works. The father's presence was especially significant for the heroes, playing a major role in the drama as they were given their destiny, rebelled against it, and overcame it. Is this only possible with a work that is 40 years old?

Since this work will apparently become a story about laughter and "fathers" in the future, I think it would be fun to have such a story involved.

And, without getting into the nitty-gritty details, I would like to see the heroes looking cool in their own way. After all, joint operations and joint battles between the four heroes are exciting!

I look forward to seeing what kind of heroic spirit they will show us when they are separated from their original era, friends, and mechanics.