While Star Blazers is more famous and Galaxy Express 999 lasted much longer, SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK is the one show most fans associate with Leiji Matsumoto, its creator. It's a true labour of love, the realisation of an old dream of the master. His junior high school creation, who had appeared in countless cameos throughout Matsumoto's career in manga and anime, was finally given his shot at stardom.
The series premiered in the spring of 1978, and ran through 79, lasting 42 episodes. It was produced and animated by TOEI DOGA, and masterfully directed by Rin Taro, of GALAXY EXPRESS 999. SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK followed the manga faithfully enough, but with the addition of little girl Myu, the blue haired child of Tochiro and Emeralda. By the late 70's Harlock was so popular that his likeness (and that of the Arcadia) graced notebooks, lunch boxes, t-shirts, bendables, action figures, model kits and other merchandise throughout the world! He became Albator in the french speaking world and Capitan Raymar in central and south america. In Japan, however, his name was written as "Herlock" and pronounced "Harroku".
But back to this show: The story pitted Harlock against the vegetable humanoids known as the Mazones. These shape-shifting invaders appeared as beautiful women and were bent on destroying all human life to colonize the Earth. Suckers for secrecy, in spite of sending a huge mysterious black sphere into the Earth, they tried very hard to be inconspicuous. Not that anyone would have cared. The Earth people of the time had become lazy, slothful, decadent. They played chess or bet on horses as the giant sphere stood outside, just waiting.... The few Earthmen who were concerned about the planet's safety saw a threat coming from a totally opposite angle: they saw Harlock as a threat to mankind. The Harlock in this show is presented as an outcast of Earth's society itself. A dangerous dreamer who wouldn't succumb to society's decaying rule.
The setting is established right in the first scene of the first episode.
"When the oceans of the Earth died, people said: 'the time has come for the end of mankind'...And, of the infinite ocean overhead, whyfore, they closed their eyes, and fervently mourned the future of mankind. Of the few men who, gritting their teeth, trusting in the bright new futures of mankind, embarked on this new infinite ocean, the universe, those people pointed their fingers and laughed, jeering, 'Outlaws, chasing a hopeless dream'...This is the story of such a time in the year 2977 A.D."
The Roger Wagner style marine-chant-theme-song introduced Harlock's motto of living in freedom under his flag. This song is available in original japanese in the RealAudio format and MP3. A low quality WAV is also available.
"To the end of the stars I roam, People call me, Hoisting the Skull Flag of Captain Harlock On the ocean of no tomorrow, I shall live in freedom, As long as i live. Under my flag, under my flag I shall live in freedom!"
TADASHI: Captain Harlock, tell me what you fight for. Please! What do you fight for at all?
Harlock is drinking his trademark glass of wine as he responds..
HARLOCK: Listen, Tadashi...It's not for anybody other than myself. I fight only for what is in my heart.
One must not forget the disco version, provided here by Stephen Bierce:
"And there was a disco version of the theme song. Thanks to another ZIV/FHE video I have, I have a "virgin" (graphics-free) title sequence of Captain Harlock--with the disco. (Warning--polyester attack ahead!)
Song Lyrics: I'll be your Captain; come follow my dream, I'll lead the way, with a bright cosmic beam. Show you wonders in space, that you've never seen, Take to the Sky! Take to the Sky! Take to the Sky with me!
I'll be your Captain, we'll fly till we're free, Find your space and time--just follow me. Take to the Sky! Take to the Sky! Take to the Sky with me!
Hope this helps! Damn near embarrasses me. When I was a kid I loved disco. Only shows I had absolutely no taste in music then." -Stephen Bierce
Listen to this disco theme in Real Audio!
Captain Harlock.....needs no introduction.
Tadashi Daiba: His father was murdered by the vicious Mazones.
Kei Yuki: Her story is told in the second series, ENDLESS ORBIT SSX. She joined Harlock and plays big sister to both Tadashis in both series.
Yattaran: This young man has a serious thing for model kits! His name in english is Rocky Younglood,and he was inspired by a co-worker of Matsumoto's, Kaoru Shintani (yep, the creator of Area 88) who was always building model kits! Yattaran's model toys turn out to perform deadly functions, like real exploding model tanks and such. At one point he can be seen putting together a model kit of the SPACE BATTLESHIP YAMATO!
Meeme: last survivour of a planet that was destroyed by the Mazones (so they could grow flowers for Queen Lafressia), Meeme introduces herself as follows: "I am Meeme. I am ready to sacrifice myself for Harlock." Plays the harp, and drinks quite a bit in spite of having no visible mouth (her race lives on liquids).
Maji: he has an interesting story. Unknowingly, he had married a Mazone. From this marriage, a child named Midori was born, thus creating a great subplot! This story was explored in what is one of SPACE PIRATE's finest half-hours, the one where Maji places himself between Harlock and the running Midori. To Harlock, she is a Mazone and must be dealt with as such. To Maji, she is his daughter. Harlock orders him out of the way. He remains planted there, determined. Harlock points his laser at Maji, who doesn't budge. Tired of arguing, Harlock fires. The laser purposedly missses Maji's face, but not by much, scratching his left cheeck. He still doesn't move. Rin Taro is incredible! This secondary character, physically flawed as he is, becomes for a moment the hero, outdoing even Harlock himself!
Robot: He calls himself a genius, and is obviously an IQ9/Analyzer clone.
On the antagonists' side we have a heavy lineup. Not only Harlock has to endure the Mazones, the Earth has its forces set on capturing Harlock as well. This is generally represented by Commander Kirita, an Ahab sort who has made Harlock his Moby Dick, and Captain Yamanaka, of the Brave. Yamanaka is himself quite the stubborn mule, and killed Maji's Mazone wife years ago.
The Mazones' Leader, Queen Lafressia, is not as heartless as her followers. She finds time to fall in love with Harlock, making him think twice about killing her. After all, if she can feel, she has a degree of humanity.
Mayu was created just for the TV show, she is nowhere in the Manga. She was created with the purpose of linking Harlock to Earth. In this storyline, Tochiro had asked Harlock to promise she'd be raised on Earth. He promises, and the kid undergoes severe catholic school abuse! In the tradition of Cinderella's wicked stepmother, both the female principal and the dorm mother are constantly on her heels, making her scrub the vast chapel floor. She drives one crazy with the constant playing of the ocarina that Harlock made for her birthday.
About the Arcadia:
The Arcadia here is blue, and looks just like the one on the manga, except that in the manga it is green. Many people ask why there are two Arcadias, but the truth is that there is only one. During the phenomenal success of the show, merchandising rights for Harlock products had gone a certain toy company. Well, not wanting to renew their contract, the producers asked Matsumoto to design a new Arcadia, the green one seen in SSX and My Youth In Arcadia. And that is the truth about the two ships. For continuity sake, we tend to think that there are two, but there is only one...nevertheless, it's up to the viewer to decide his own truth, since it is not addressed with the storyline.
I have to thank Steve Harrison for that piece of information :)
The following episodes constitute the original SPACE PIRATE CAPTAIN HARLOCK series and were given to me by David Merrill. The titles were translated by Matt Murray.
Space Pirate CAPTAIN HARLOCK 1. The Jolly Roger Of Space 2. The Mysterious Message From Space 3. The Woman Who Burns Like Paper 4. Under The Flag Of Freedom 5. To Reach The Shores of Distant Stars 6. The Phantom Mazone 7. The Pyramid On The Ocean Floor 8. The Queen's Space Fleet 9. The Fearsome Plant Lifeform 10. Approaching The Mystery Planet 11. When Lola Shines Golden 12. Mother, Be Eternal 13. Witch Castle In The Sea Of Death 14. The Sphinx's Gravestone 15. Unrequited Love! The North Pole Aurora 16. Kei's Farewell Song 17. The Skeletal Hero 18. The Witch's Shadow Soldiers 19. Queen Lafresia's Trap 20. The Dead Planet Jura 21. Gorum! Soldier Of Tragedy 22. Space Graveyard Deathshadow 23. Yattaran- Song Of A Plastic Model Madman 24. The Planet Where Innocent Love Flows 25. Doctor Zero And Mii 26. On The Long, Distant Journey 27. The Mind Of The Arcadia 28. The Ulysses Nebula 29. Desperate Struggle On The Rainbow World 30. My Friend, My Youth 31. The Secret History Of The Arcadia's Creation 32. Call Of The Star Flute 33. The Lone Man's Charge 34. The Galactic Child's Lullaby 35. The Beautiful Mystery Woman 36. Decision The Night Before The War 37. Fight Arcadia! The Ship Of Life 38. Farewell, Mayu 39. The General's Heroic Death 40. Fierce Combat In The Sea Of Stars 41. Final Conflict! The Queen Vs. Harlock 42. Farewell, Outlaw of Space!
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