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In "Gatchaman Crowds", the main protagonist is a 16-year old girl named Hajime Ichinose.

When Hajime fights in Gatchaman mode, she has several attacks:

  • Blanc et Noir ("Black and White")
  • Petits Ciseaux ("Little scissors")
  • Balles Patsels
  • Wings de l'Avenir ("Wings of the future" - a mix of English and French since the French word for "Wings" is "Ailes")
  • Grand Ciseaux ("Big scissors")

(The attacks where listed on the Gatchaman Wiki. "Balles Patsels" may be a misspelling - maybe it was "balles pastels", "Pastel-colored balls").

The "scissors" theme is logical, since one of Hajime's favorite spare-time activities is Kirigami.
What's remarkable is the names of the attacks: the other Gatchaman team members have attacks with Japanese or English names, but Hajime's attacks have French names.

So, why do Hajime's attacks have French names? Is this ever explained in the series?

Hakase
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Vixen Populi
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1 Answers1

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Almost certainly based on the Rule of Cool. Manga and anime frequently contain specialized jargon, names of attacks and locations in foreign languages simply because it sounds 'cool' and different to the Japanese ear: e.g. Spanish (Bleach), German (Neon Genesis Evangelion), English (most of them) or multiple (Full Metal Panic).

In Gatchaman, there may be an additional reason for using French for Ichinose's attacks specifically: to emphasize her femininity and artistic side. French is often associated with delicacy, grace, and the arts (e.g. ballet, couture, visual design, performance art, etc), and so may be a hint towards her "gentler nature" (chauvanism does still appear in anime). Her artistic side is also referenced by attacks related to her crafts hobbies, as you've mentioned.

Meir Illumination
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  • That's probably the reason. I guess we won't know for sure without the makers of the show telling us more. Voting up. – Vixen Populi Aug 16 '15 at 15:19