| Invitation from an Old Castle | |
|---|---|
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| Air date | October 26, 2006 |
| Written by | Tomoko Konparu |
| Directed by | Yasuji Ejino |
| Episode guide | |
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Invitation from an Old Castle (古城よりの招待状 Kojō Yori no Shōtaijō) is the fourth episode of the 009-1 anime series. It adapts chapter 7 of the manga, though it was substantially rewritten and modernized.
Summary[]
A mysterious figure known only as Phantom has kidnapped Western Bloc scientist Dr. Satonaka and invites three agents from each Bloc to his castle for a treasure hunt with Dr. Satonaka's research data as the prize. However, the castle turns out to be a very dangerous place and soon things get bloody.
Notes[]
Alterations from the Manga[]
- The Western and Eastern Bloc agents guest-starring in the story were renamed and had some plot points surrounding them rewritten in Konno's adaptation: Jet/020 was given the codename "Mars", dropping the name reference to Jet Link/Cyborg 002 of the Cyborg 009 manga. Bem was renamed "Apollo", while Clarice became "Freya", and Moorhead became "Odin". The rookie Eastern Bloc agent Charles Abner was given the codename of "Loki" and made a much more mysterious character (with his true identity being revealed by the end of the anime).
- The deaths of the other agents were altered somewhat in adapting the story to animated format:
- In the manga, Clarice dies from being bitten by a poisonous snake. Her anime counterpart Freya is graphically crushed between gears.
- Bem is killed in his sleep and the death is disguised to look like a hanging, while in the anime, Apollo's dead and dismembered body was stuffed into a knight suit.
- Only Moorhead and Jet's deaths remained relatively the same, with Odin and Mars being subjected to the guillotine.
- In the manga, Dr. Satonaka/Phantom's counterpart was a German man who had been involved in a shoot-out in Berlin five years ago, which had gravely injured him and killed his lover Maria. After being remodeled into a cyborg and with having his head left over as the only remaining organic part, the man took on the identity of "Mr. Revenge" and sought to kill the agents responsible. The cyborg angle was entirely excised, along with the fact that Mr. Revenge's body was a visual shout-out to Albert Heinrich/Cyborg 004. While a Maria and her tragic death remained in Satonaka's backstory, the shoot-out that had killed her had also killed his research staff.
- In the manga chapter, Charles Abner dies at the end when slain by one of Mr. Revenge's knight robots. In contrast, his anime counterpart Loki survives the collapse of the castle. Abner also had feelings for Clarice and had transferred his affection to Mylene.