IGPX Episode 6: Cat vs Dog
Original Japanese title: Cat vs Dog
After a much-needed break from racing, Team Satomi finds out that their next competitor is Team Edgeraid, who also uses a cybernetic pet for racing. The team has been in the IG-1 League for five years, and is not about to let up on Team Satomi. Will the cat prevail over the dog? Or will her bite get the most of Team Satomi? This episode features the first race against Team Edgeraid, and a commercial for Team Edgeraid's dog, Sola. This episode also features the first look at the Revolution Tunnel on the race track.
Spoilers Below
Don't scroll down any further if you want to avoid spoilers! The action reports, music credits and screenshots contain some spoilers from the episode!
Report #1
IGPX's First Animal Battle!
A whimsical cat swoops down from the sky to defeat a dauntless dog.
It's been 25 years since the founding of the IGPX. Finally, the day has come for the first-ever Animal Navigation battle in the IGPX.
Luca the cat is riding with Team Satomi's Amy (Midfield). Luca often acts independently, so he is considered unpredictable, sometimes called "whimsical". If one were to focus on Team Satomi's playbook for the past several years, there are a number of winning moves and a number of failures, so even their overall attack style appears to be unpredictable. It seems pretty clear that a big contributing factor to that is Luca.
On the other side of things, we have Sola, the dog riding with Team Edgeraid's Bjorn (Forward). As a rule, Sola performs more group-oriented actions that have been respected in the league and one might say that Team Edgeraid boasts the best coordinated plays in the IGPX, with the special trick up their sleeve being Sola. When this dauntless dog bares her fangs, she shows no mercy. Since Team Edgeraid has no victories so far this season, this is a dog who will do anything to taste victory.
This is the first nighttime match for both Team Satomi and Team Edgeraid, who are both on their 4th race of this season. Team Satomi took the lead immediately after the race began. But, Team Edgeraid moved in on Team Satomi with their "dauntless dog" when they entered the 2nd lap. Bjorn went in between Bella (Midfield) and Frank (Defense) and shot some of their 'patented' wires forward. Bjorn jumped on Liz's back, and used the legs of the machine to jump right in front of her rather spontaneously. Liz is essentially kicked backwards and falls behind. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Bella and Frank also moved past Liz's flanks and leaped into line with Bjorn. The three pilots' next move was to surround Amy, and throw her down from her front. Their last target was Takeshi and they simply continued with their so-far-successful attack pattern. Everyone was halfway through the 2nd lap, and it was looking like Team Edgeraid could pull ahead for a complete victory over Team Satomi.
But, from there on out, the highlights of this cat's "whims" begin. Although Amy was previously hit by Bjorn's spinning attack as she broke out of the spiral, she jumped upwards, as if to get a better vantage point, and started her own spinning attack similar to Bjorn's. There was no way a dog was going to win against a cat who was rotating in the air above it. Bjorn was considering an attack on Amy, but Takeshi and Liz overtook Bjorn in the Revolution Tunnel (they just stopped Bella and Frank in their tracks moments before) and crashed Bjorn's mech, dealing some serious damage to parts of the machinery in the process.
This is Team Satomi's 2nd complete victory of this season. In IGPX's first animal battle, the cat was the winner.
Music Credits
Toonami Version
"Toys Are Us"
By Hexstatic
Album: Master-View
Heard: In the dojo as Liz gets freaked out by Luca
"Shadows"
By Wagon Christ
Album: Sorry I Make You Lush
Heard: At the beginning of the Sola commercial
"Sweetsmoke"
By Mr. Scruff
Album: Trouser Jazz
Heard: At the end of the Sola dog food commercial
Unknown Track (ID #IG4)
By ???
Album: ???
Heard: When Takeshi and River have a quick fight
"Riverview"
Licensed Track (not commercially available)
Album: Emotions & Eccentricity
Heard: When Amy and Liz are at a cafe
"L-Virata"
By Hexstatic
Album: Master-View
Heard: When Liz and Amy bump into Bjorn
"Kula World"
By The Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination
Album: I Was Young & I Needed the Money!
Heard: As the race is beginning
"Mr. Chombee has the Flaw"
By The Herbaliser
Album: Blow Your Headphones
Heard: The first song after the commercial break
"Psychomanix"
By Shawn Kelly Clement
Album: Action 2 (not commercially available)
Heard: When Team Edge Raid use their Edge Monsoon attack on Team Satomi
"15 Levels of Magnification"
By Neotropic
Album: 15 Levels of Magnification
Heard: When Team Satomi initiate an attack on Team Edgeraid
"Chicken Spit"
By Pest
Album: Necessary Measures
Heard: Towards the end of the race when the outcome appears decided
"The Look Up"
By Hint
Album: Portakabin Fever
Heard: When Team Satomi is relaxing after the race
"Verbal"
By Amon Tobin
Album: Out from Out Where
Heard: When Sola eats Liz's hot dog
"The Darg Frog"
By Journeyman
Album: National Hijinx
Heard: The last song of the episode, when River appears
Production I.G Version
"Toys Are Us"
By Hexstatic
Album: Master-View
Heard: In the dojo as Liz gets freaked out by Luca
"Shadows"
By Wagon Christ
Album: Sorry I Make You Lush
Heard: At the beginning of the Sola commercial
"Sweetsmoke"
By Mr. Scruff
Album: Trouser Jazz
Heard: At the end of the Sola dog food commercial
Unknown Track (ID #IG4)
By ???
Album: ???
Heard: When Takeshi and River have a quick fight
"Riverview"
Licensed Track (not commercially available)
Album: Emotions & Eccentricity
Heard: When Amy and Liz are at a cafe
"L-Virata"
By Hexstatic
Album: Master-View
Heard: When Liz and Amy bump into Bjorn
"Vacetious Blooms"
By Neotropic
Album: Mr. Brubaker's Strawberry Alarm Clock
Heard: When Takeshi plays Watch World
"Invert and Click"
By Animals on Wheels
Album: Cooked (EP)
Heard: When Takeshi fights some enemies in Watch World
"Kula World"
By The Clifford Gilberto Rhythm Combination
Album: I Was Young & I Needed the Money!
Heard: As the race is beginning
"Mr. Chombee has the Flaw"
By The Herbaliser
Album: Blow Your Headphones
Heard: The first song after the commercial break.
"Psychomanix"
By Shawn Kelly Clement
Album: Action 2 (not commercially available)
Heard: When Team Edgeraid use their Edge Monsoon attack on Team Satomi
"Power Struggle"
By Klaus Badelt
Album: Action (not commercially available)
Heard: When Team Satomi initiate an attack on Team Edgeraid
"Chicken Spit"
By Pest
Album: Necessary Measures
Heard: Towards the end of the race when the outcome appears decided
Unknown Track (ID #IG1)
By ???
Album: ???
Heard: When Team Satomi is relaxing after the race
"Verbal"
By Amon Tobin
Album: Out from Out Where
Heard: When Sola eats Liz's hot dog
"The Darg Frog"
By Journeyman
Album: National Hijinx
Heard: The last song of the episode, when River appears
Additional Information
US original broadcast date: December 3, 2005
Japan original broadcast date: November 9, 2005
Toonami Version Differences
*There are no cuts for time in this episode, but there are a couple of changes in animation used.
- The opening of the dog food commercial features additional animation. The original animation from the Production I.G version of this episode is seen placed on the big TV screen. That TV screen is seen in IG City. The animation of the city with this TV screen was likely recycled from a different episode.
- Also noted in the audio commentary, the animation used as Liz and Takeshi are talking toward the end is also changed. Instead of a shot with the mechs in the garage, we see a shot of IG City at night. Again, this was likely recycled animation from a different episode.
Screenshot Gallery
