Gatchaman Crowds - Season 1

Hajime Ichinose is a rather eccentric schoolgirl who is obsessed with notebooks. One day, she is approached by a mysterious man named JJ who pulls out a journal called a NOTE from her body, declaring her to be the new member of the elusive Gatchaman team.

Hajime annoys Sugane after she ends up interfering and allowing the MESS to escape. The next day, Hajime moves into a new apartment block where the other Gatchaman live. Later that day, Hajime teaches Sugane about a popular social app called GALAX, which allows users in the vicinity to help each other, and decides to take him to an offline meet-up.

Ninomiya Rui is a genius who built GALAX, the social networking service powerhouse, and General X, an AI. Rui seeks to update the world by intervening in a broad range of issues. He empowers the people to resolve them by using General X's ability to gather intelligence and match human resources.

Although GALAX's utility is gaining widespread recognition among the people, Rui is beset by his desire to accelerate the world through more direct means. Meanwhile, the G team members find themselves divided over how to deal with the new threat. Even as they struggle to find common ground, the mysterious phantom instigates a vicious crime in front of Rui, forcing him to see people getting hurt.

A difficult decision by Rui gives rise to dissenters among his followers. Hajime, Sugane, Jou, and Utsutsu happen to be present when a major accident occurs with numerous casualties. As people rush to resolve the crisis using the power of GALAX, Hajime has her fateful encounter with a mysterious being involved in the rescue operation, as well as the beautiful individual directing its efforts.

Despite knowing the risk it puts her life in, Utsutsu uses her power to heal the wounded, with Jou lending her his life force as well. Meanwhile, Sugane is at a loss for words when Hajime reveals her identity to Rui, which is captured on camera and broadcast across the city.

Rui decides to face against Katze using the might of Crowds, but becomes overwhelmed when Katze uses his Gatchaman power. As Jou arrives on the scene to fight Katze, Sugane hears from Rui about the power he had received from him. With Jou becoming easily defeated by Katze, Hajime and Utsutsu arrive on the scene with help from Paiman's Gatchaman form, with Hajime questioning Katze before he retreats whilst Utsutsu heals the injured.

Katze copies Rui's form in order to take control of his X program, locking him out of the GALAX network. Meanwhile, Hajime suggests the Gatchamen reveal themselves to the public by holding an event at a kindergarten, where they warn everyone about Katze. As Katze uses Rui's form to set up a new Neo Hundred for the Crowds, Rui learns from one of the kindergartners how some of the Crowds users had become hospitalized.

Hajime takes Rui to her apartment, where she cheers him up and Utsutsu heals his wounds. Meanwhile, Katze gives the Crowds program to all the people Rui declined to give it to because they were too dangerous, and have them attack several government buildings along with Umeda.

Hajime encounters Katze on GALAX, who leaves her with a cryptic poem before instructing the Neo Hundred to go after the prime minister, offering a rare Crowds to whoever can take him down. As the Crowds attack Tachikawa, the Gatchaman arrive and make the Crowds visible to normal humans, before working to capture them so that their users won't slip into comas.

The Gatchaman look back on how Hajime has influenced their lives since joining them. Meanwhile, Rui manages to get reunite with X once more, allowing the Gatchaman and the citizens to receive assistance from the GALAX network. Hajime gets the Prime Minister Sugiyama to broadcast on the Gatchannel, where he shows more of his honest side and requests everyone sign up to GALAX, before he helps with the evacuation efforts.

Chaos ensues with more citizens using Crowds and fighting against each other as OD calls Katze out to the Gatchaman's hideout for a showdown. As Katze makes his way to meet OD, Hajime talks with him and promises him she will not kill him, inviting him on a "date" after everything is settled.

Director's cut of episode 12. The first half of this episode is the second half of the original episode 12, with the addition of some new short scenes. The second half is totally new material, including a segment showing Hajime's face-off with Katze, with her fusing herself with them by absorbing their NOTE into her body.