Gatchaman Crowds

Set in Tachikawa, a bustling pocket city that sits just outside Tokyo, Gatchaman Crowds follows a group of masked fighters who wear high tech suits and wield power tied to something called NOTE. The bright and impulsive Hajime Ichinose becomes the team's newest recruit, instantly shaking up their routines with her unconventional approach. Rather than relying on traditional tactics, the Gatchaman must adapt as fearsome threats loom and the city begins to see itself in a new light. A mysterious alien known as Berg Katze watches Earth and its defenders with unsettling calm, testing the balance between protection and exploitation. The series combines action with social satire, asking who should steer a city when everyone has a voice.

Released in 2013 as an original entry in the Gatchaman lineage, the series was directed by Kenji Nakamura with the concept created by Toshiya Ohno, blending fresh animation with a bold modern sensibility. It marked a new approach to the franchise that pairs kinetic battles with social satire.

Raising the bar for audience involvement, Gatchaman Crowds emphasizes crowd powered decisions and the social media dialogue around heroism. Its striking color palette and kinetic action became a talking point among fans and influenced later anime that mix tech culture with spectacle, memes, and cosplay culture.

Critics praised its audacious premise and visual energy while noting a sometimes dense narrative. The show explores themes of civic participation and personal responsibility, asking what happens when a city lets its citizens shape policy and peril. The debate around empowerment and technology remains thought provoking.

Awards: It collected nominations at several major anime awards, highlighting recognition for its bold reinvention of the Gatchaman concept, its distinctive art direction, and its willingness to mix action with social commentary, earning praise from critics and fans alike.