DEATH VALLEY DRIVER ANIME REVIEW #7
First for those of you in the Northwest Ohio, Southeastern Michigan area check out Animania, the University of Michigan's great free anime club. Once a month they offer a free screening in the Modern Language Building in Ann arbor. 6 hours of fre anime viewing... you owe it to yourself to go!!
This week we delve into the vault to dust off the 1978 classic "Space Pirate Captain Harlock". Harlock has one of the more unique histories in anime. Created by Manga legend Leiji Matsumoto, Harlock first appeared as a mysterious loner in the manga version of "Uchu Senken Yamato". Scarred across his face and bearing an eyepatch, Harlock was revealed to be main character's Susumu Kodai's presumed dead brother. The character was removed from the Yamato TV series and movie. Matsumoto went onto do other great sci-fi epics after Yamato, most notably "Ginga Tetsudo 999" (Galaxy Express 999) where Harlock and other characters in Matsumoto "Eternal TRaveller" Universe appeared (These characters include GE 999's Maetel, Space Queen Emeraldas and Millennia, Queen of 1000 Years). The Eternal Travellers are destined to spend their lives living in space for all eternity, never aging and living freely under the flag of the Jolly Rogers. After Harlock first appeared in GE 999 interest in the character was HUGE!! So in 1978, after having completed the story and character design for the Uchu Senken Yamato 3 TV series, Matsumoto began his manga tale of Captain Harlock. Now there are tricky things to the Harlock timeline. First, the 1978 TV show is a sequel to the 1983 TV series "Endless Road SSX" which in itself was the sequekl to the movie "Arcadia of My Youth". Confused? If not then you are 1 one of several people who I've explained this to that understands it. Let's Diagram this...

Aracdia of My Youth ------> Endless Road SSX ----> Space Pirate Harlock/Galaxy Express 999/Queen Emeraldas

Now to add to this a NEW 12 part Harlock OVA Series was released last year (4 episodes released thus far).

Characters
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Captain Harlock - A Free Space Pirate and Captain of the Space Battleship Arcadia. Harlock willingly left earth after it had been conquered by an alien race. The scar on his cheek is infact a genetic birthmark identifying him as a Harlcok, a noble family from the small European country Arcadia.

Tochiro - Harlock's best friend and engineer who built the Arcadia. Tochiro followed Harlock into space and is also the father of Mayu, his daughter by Emeraldas. Tochiro died in the first Galaxy Express movie (available on home video!! BUY IT NOW!!) from radiation poisoning (a result of his spending ten years building the Arcadia's engines). It is said his spirit is now that which powers the Arcadia

Emeraldas - A free Space Trader and owner of the pirate ship "The Queen Emeraldas". Though shwe also shares a scar on her cheek she is of no relation to Harlock. She was Tochiro's lover and mother of his child. She is sister to "Galaxy Express 999" Maetel.

La Mime - A female android and one of Harlock's confidants. She was the secretary to Zol, a rebel soldier who helpred Harlock escape earth.

Tori-san - The Bizarre vulture/crow that sits upon Harlock's shoulder.
 

Where to get Harlock on Vidoe and what is available?
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Galaxy Express 999 - The first movie, a detailed retelling of the GE TV series. Harlock, Tochiro and Emeraldas all appear in this. This was recently released to US Home Video a fwe years back and even is shown on the Sci-fi netweotk every so often

Adieu, Galaxy Express - The sequel. Not as good as the first but still damn good. Harlock and Emeraldas again appear.

Arcadia of My Youth - The 2 hour Harlock movie is available from Animeigo (at a new reduced price, it used to be $40!!). It give origing for Harlock, Tochiro and Emeraldas.

Space Pirate Captain Harlock TV Show - Back in 1991 Kidmark video released the first 4 episodes of Harlock on US home video. This is a dub that was done by Carl Macek (he who wrote Robotech) for international TV ditribution.

Also from 189-92 Malibu comics did a US Harlock comic featuring artwork by Benn Dunn (of Ninja High School fame). A well done comic that stays faithful ot the original source as best it can.

Neither Endless Road SSX nor the NEW OVA have been released domestically yet. There are some fansubbers out there who might be doing it but for that I sugges the almighty anipike.

Harlock remains a popular culture icon to this day in Japan. A limited run of 10,000 Captain Harlock 12' dolls was released last year and the whole run sold out in 3 days. As for me I remember the first time I saw Harlock, forced on a terrible family vacation to France at the age of 10... he appeared on my TV and I was enamored. Stoic, brooding, alcoholic... he is just so damn cool. Go... find your Arcadia!! Find Harlock!!-
 

Harlock and Other Anime fun info can be found here!!
 
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