TV-Series
Description
Gatchan, also known by the full name Gajira Norimaki, is a central character who joins the Norimaki family after hatching from a mysterious egg. The egg was discovered during a time-travel trip to the prehistoric Stone Age, undertaken by the inventor Senbei Norimaki and his robot creation, Arale. Arale, hoping a monster would emerge, named the creature Gajira, a combination of the names Gamera and Gojira (Godzilla).
Physically, Gatchan appears as a small, cherub-like creature with a baby-like body, green hair, a pair of wings that allow for flight, and two antennae on its head. The character is noted to have no defined gender and is referred to using both he and she throughout the series. While Gatchan begins as a single being, a significant development occurs after a large eating spree: it spins a cocoon around itself and, after about two weeks, emerges having split into two identical creatures, often referred to as Gatchan #1 and Gatchan #2.
In terms of personality, Gatchan is innocent, playful, and shares many traits with its adoptive sibling, Arale. It does not speak a human language, communicating instead with its own unique vocabulary of sounds like koo pee pee, a mode of speech sometimes called Gatchanism, which Arale seems to understand intuitively. Gatchan possesses an extreme appetite and is an omnivore of nearly limitless capacity, able to eat almost any substance it encounters. The most notable exception to this is rubber, which it cannot consume. Metal appears to be a particular favorite food.
The character's role in the story is primarily as a constant companion to Arale, joining her in her various adventures, games, and mischievous activities throughout Penguin Village. It is deeply integrated into the Norimaki family as an adopted sibling to Arale and, later, to Turbo. Its key relationship is with Arale, who is not only the one who named it but also the person who understands it best and its primary playmate. Gatchan is also frequently seen with Senbei, its creator-father figure, often perching on his head.
The narrative eventually provides a deeper background for Gatchan, revealing that it is actually an angel sent to Earth by a divine figure, the Lord of the Galaxy known as Kami. The original purpose of this angel was to consume the planet's metal resources, thereby halting the advancement of human civilization and ensuring it remained primitive and innocent. However, because Senbei brought the egg forward in time from the prehistoric era, Gatchan’s mission was fundamentally altered. Later, when Kami observes Gatchan living happily with its family in Penguin Village and witnesses the peaceful nature of its residents, he decides against destroying humanity, allowing Gatchan to continue its life as it is.
Gatchan possesses several notable abilities beyond flight and its powerful jaws. It can fire destructive rays or electric blasts from its antennae, often used as a form of retaliation. The creature is also capable of surviving in the vacuum of space and has demonstrated various reality-warping or gag-based abilities consistent with the series' comedic tone, such as stretching its mouth to enormous sizes and retrieving objects from hammerspace. Its most significant power is its ability to duplicate itself asexually, a process that was central to its development into two separate characters.
Physically, Gatchan appears as a small, cherub-like creature with a baby-like body, green hair, a pair of wings that allow for flight, and two antennae on its head. The character is noted to have no defined gender and is referred to using both he and she throughout the series. While Gatchan begins as a single being, a significant development occurs after a large eating spree: it spins a cocoon around itself and, after about two weeks, emerges having split into two identical creatures, often referred to as Gatchan #1 and Gatchan #2.
In terms of personality, Gatchan is innocent, playful, and shares many traits with its adoptive sibling, Arale. It does not speak a human language, communicating instead with its own unique vocabulary of sounds like koo pee pee, a mode of speech sometimes called Gatchanism, which Arale seems to understand intuitively. Gatchan possesses an extreme appetite and is an omnivore of nearly limitless capacity, able to eat almost any substance it encounters. The most notable exception to this is rubber, which it cannot consume. Metal appears to be a particular favorite food.
The character's role in the story is primarily as a constant companion to Arale, joining her in her various adventures, games, and mischievous activities throughout Penguin Village. It is deeply integrated into the Norimaki family as an adopted sibling to Arale and, later, to Turbo. Its key relationship is with Arale, who is not only the one who named it but also the person who understands it best and its primary playmate. Gatchan is also frequently seen with Senbei, its creator-father figure, often perching on his head.
The narrative eventually provides a deeper background for Gatchan, revealing that it is actually an angel sent to Earth by a divine figure, the Lord of the Galaxy known as Kami. The original purpose of this angel was to consume the planet's metal resources, thereby halting the advancement of human civilization and ensuring it remained primitive and innocent. However, because Senbei brought the egg forward in time from the prehistoric era, Gatchan’s mission was fundamentally altered. Later, when Kami observes Gatchan living happily with its family in Penguin Village and witnesses the peaceful nature of its residents, he decides against destroying humanity, allowing Gatchan to continue its life as it is.
Gatchan possesses several notable abilities beyond flight and its powerful jaws. It can fire destructive rays or electric blasts from its antennae, often used as a form of retaliation. The creature is also capable of surviving in the vacuum of space and has demonstrated various reality-warping or gag-based abilities consistent with the series' comedic tone, such as stretching its mouth to enormous sizes and retrieving objects from hammerspace. Its most significant power is its ability to duplicate itself asexually, a process that was central to its development into two separate characters.