Battle of the Planets, Vol. 1 [Import]Author: Alan Young Format: Animated Release Date: 23 10 2001 Details: Amazon. ca One of the early shows that helped to build an audience for anime in America, Battle of the Planets began in Japan as Science Ninja Team Gatchaman in 1972 74. For its 1978 U. S. release, the 105 episodes were cut to 85. Much of the violence was excised and new animation, featuring the R2 D2 esque robot 7 Zark 7 and his robo pooch 1 Rover 1, was created to bridge the gaps.