- longwinded w/ minor spoilers – (also posted on Amazon.com)
I am not really an anime person. Of the very small handful of animes I have watched to completion only three warranted purchase/re-watches: Wolf’s Rain Anime Legends Perfect Collection, ‘Ginga Densetsu Weed’ and Last Exile: The Complete Series. After those I pretty much stopped watching anime (I’ve had no luck with manga) and never considered myself a fan of the genre, although I enjoyed most of the Studio Gibli films, my favorite being Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.
But now I must truly say that this ‘old-school’ 1970’s anime is now my favorite show ever, not just my favorite anime show, my favorite show period. I stumbled across the first episode while looking for movies on Cracked.com and with no pre-expectations and knowledge I started watching it. Of course with a title like ‘Space Pirate Captain Harlock’ one can’t help but make certain assumptions, but what really threw me off was the unexpected relationship Captain Harlock has with an orphaned 7-year old girl named Mayu, whom he risks his life to visit after a years’ absence to give her her birthday present. I had been expecting things like space-battles, gun-fights and other pirate-y shanagins, but not this. The scene where he and Mayu reunite was so sweet and moving (think Pixar-film sweet and moving) that I knew then that here was something special, something I had not encountered in a long time: a powerful and commanding hero with the heart and humility to spend time with a little girl who thinks the world of him (we actually see her praying to God to delay her birthday a year or two so Harlock won’t come visit her and be arrested). This is what really hooked me, and after finding the whole series available on HuluPlus, I dove in.
Vitchy-Earth – no longer home to true Men
The world of Captain Harlock is set in the far future, around 2977 AD. The whole Earth has been united under a one-world government (the United Federation of Earth). Mankind has finally achieved the peaceful and idealistic life Liberals are always seeking after, and now they live in both a Utopian and distopian world. It is Utopian because technological advances have enabled food and luxury items to be produced in vast quantities on other planets and moons by robots, enabling humans to cease working and to enjoy an unbridled lifestyle of sloth and wasteful indulgence. With the threat of hunger removed, both the ruling class and the citizenry alike pursue a life of unending entertainment and because of this they have become a lazy, spiritless and cowardly race of men perpetually pacified by soap operas, fashion shows, horse and dog racing, baseball, golfing and alcohol. The decay of the natural world and the blue oceans are taken as a thing for granted and the Seas of Space offer no hope or allure to those who can’t see past the golf-club in their hand or the winning grayhound at the race-track. It is indeed a ‘perfect’ world – for those who have forfeited a life of sacrifice and integrity for one of hedonistic-based comfort. However, the Government controls all these manufactured pleasures, and because it still fears a possible revolt, it bombards the civilian population with subliminal images on TV screens to keep them from questioning their way of life or how pathetic they have become as a people. The Prime Minister of the Earth (who is never named) is a perfect example of this: instead of being presented as an all-powerful evil dictator, he is instead a short, mild-mannered, laid-back man who cares only about golfing and dog-racing and the winning of elections. He is ‘evil’ not because of the things he does, but what he doesn’t/refuses to do. Even when the military is called out to do something, the solders all seem board and sleepy – evidently the desire to be entertained trumps the desire to wield power; incompetence and apathy are the rule of the day and there is virtually no crime or dissident at all. However, there are Space-Pirates. Apparently, this ‘perfect’ world is not quite perfect for everybody…
Captain Harlock at the helm of the Arcadia
Enter Captain Harlock. The most feared and hated of all the space-pirates, Harlock is disgusted by the state of mankind and has rebelled against the government, and when we encounter him for the first time he is robbing a transport ship filled with food, alcohol and diamonds. He takes to food and dumps the booze and diamonds into space to show his contempt of the world’s hedonistic lifestyle. Harlock is a man who is clearly out of place in history (and still would be if he were around today). The picture of him on the front case of this DVD collection does him full justice: he is a tall, stoic Germanic Caucasian with a distinct European aristocratic air of nobility and refinement about him, coupled with a sense of rugged American defiance and individuality, as well as possessing a code of ethics and a sense of chivalry. Wrapped in a great black-and-red cape and sporting an eyepatch and a long facial scar that in no way diminishes his good looks, Harlock stands or sits gazing out silently upon the Earth or into the depths of the stellar seas from the bridge of the Arcadia, his great space battleship, his innermost thoughts a mystery, his plans and desires unknown. He and his sidekick crew of misfits live independent and free, cruising the galaxy at liberty under their Jolly Roger ‘flag of freedom’ and are terror and a thorn in the side the faint-hearted rulers of an otherwise perfectly established government world order. Because of this, the government blames Harlock for everything that goes wrong, including the recent and inexplicable bombings of astronomy facilities and the killing of astronomers all over Earth, for which Harlock is placed under the death penalty without even the consideration of a fair trail. Harlock, however, has little fear of the government and often flies the Arcadia over the cities, landing wherever he wants, much to the annoyance of the top military commander Kiruta, who sees it as his life’s mission to kill Harlock in whatever devious way possible.
Commander Kiruta traps Harlock
It is during this spiritless age of decadence and sloth that an ancient alien race called the Mazone makes ready to conquer and occupy the Earth. The Mazone have long ago staked out the Earth from the times of the most ancient human civilizations, if not before, and they view it as their secondary homeworld and they claim to have every right to take it as their own. They appear in the form of beautiful women, sometimes more alien-like, sometimes indistinguishable from human woman, and many are secretly on Earth, setting up bases, collecting intel, mingling with the general human population, and getting things ready for the great invasion fleet that is slowly making its way through vast distances of space to ‘their’ other homeworld, Earth. Only Captain Harlock and a few brave astronomers and scientists who are keeping a close watch on the skies suspect something is wrong, but the Prime Minister and the other government leaders ignore and make fun of them, and soon the Mazone infiltrators begin killing off all who suspect that the Earth is secretly under attack. In spite of being woman, the Mazone are quite ruthless beings, possessing technology greater then man’s and by holograms, illusions and other devious devices they wage intense emotional/psychological warfare on their enemies. Soon Harlock and the 41 crew members of the Arcadia are the only force that stands in their way, trying to protect an Earth that hates them from an enemy who wants to destroy them – a very depressing state of affairs when one really thinks about it. Indeed, there is a subtle undercurrent of loneliness and sadness that runs throughout the show. Captain Harlock doesn’t really have a true home apart from the Arcadia; a ‘normal’ life on Earth is not an option for him, although his crew members are free to leave the ship whenever they decide that a pirate’s life is not for them. Oddly enough, it is little Mayu and her fellow orphans who seem to have the best and most normal of lives, as they get to play outside in nature, are read classic stories and attend church. Mayu is Harlock’s one true tie to Earth, and when they visit each other in between adventures and battles he seems to be the most happy and at peace, though that peace never lasts long, and as the stakes rise both he and Mayu suffer greatly for their friendship.
Harlock and Mayu
But in spite of the grim odds, it is the colorful characters and the greatness of the Arcadia that gives this show depth and personality and hope. Harlock and his crew are strong archetypes – Harlock is a powerful Romantic (in the old meaning of the word) hero; a man who is commanding but not cruel; stoic but not cold; a fierce fighter, but not vengeful or sadistic; gentle, but not weak. His First Mate, Yatteran, is a short pudgy braniac who, when not engaged in battle or giving random info, spends all his free time building endless intricate plastic models – from perfect mini replicas of the Arcadia to those of ships and planes of yore. He has a very child-like personality, and often dashes about the bridge zooming his planes around in imaginary warfare. He is very resolute and positive, and I quickly fell in love with his character. There is the newcomer, Tadashi Daiba, the young hot-headed son of a murdered astronomer who is out for revenge and has much to learn about being an outlawed pirate and a man. Then there Kei Yuki, a sweet blonde who serves as the navigator, and Dr Zero, a soft-spoken drunken doctor with a dubious medical history who has trained his pet kitten, Mii, to steal booze from Masu, the hyper knife-wielding cook who rules the kitchen with an iron fist and is often chasing Mii and Harlock’s pet bird, Tori, up and down the corridors, waving her knives and threatening to to carve them up into dinner entrees if they steal any more food. The most interesting character, however, is Miime, an alien woman (not a Mazone) who has no visible mouth but has a very beautiful voice and a very feminine nature. She plays a harp and is often seen drinking straight from the bottle, but for her, booze is a natural part of her diet.
Drink up, me hearties – yo-ho!
Actually, owing to the nature of their lives and the endless stress of fighting the Mazone and escaping Commander Kiruta’s traps, Harlock and the bulk of his crew are shameless alcoholics. In the future, almost all the booze is bubble-gum pink and cheap, and Harlock slams it back continuously from a crystal glass, although his tolerance must be very high, as he is never shown to be actually wasted. But one must not be fooled: one minute the crew is passed out in the corridors of the ship in a state of seeming intoxication, then suddenly the enemy is spotted, the alarm blares, Harlock starts bellowing orders, and 20 seconds later we’re in the middle of an epic space-battle. In this show things are never quite what they seem.
the space battleship Arcadia
But it is perhaps the Arcadia itself that really takes the cake. This epic pirate ship is a cool blend of a spaceship, WWII battleship, the Black Pearl and fighter jet. Designed by Harlock’s genius best friend in defiance of the government and as a symbol of hope and freedom for those who seek it, the mysterious and powerful Arcadia is the glue that holds Harlock and his crew together. Captain Harlock often steers it by hand using an old-fashioned ships’ wheel and it is full of surprising gadgets and devices that come well in handy in tight spots, much to the surprise of the prideful Mazone. The cowardly men on Earth flee as its dark shadow passes over their dull tranquil cities, and at their peril do the Mazone confront it. There is no ship like it, and it is the pride and joy and dominion of the space pirate Captain Harlock: the two are inseparable – there is no Arcadia without Captain Harlock, and no Captain Harlock without the Arcadia. The ship became as familiar to me as the Enterprise of the original Star Treak series and watching it kick Mazone ass while violating all the laws of space-physics put me into a state of child-like joy – fist pumping included. This show, while serious and dark at times, is also just plain FUN; it is vintage Escapist Entertainment, and I would come home from a hectic day at work with the sole intention of crashing in front of an episode or two. I found myself giggling, really giggling, at the antics of some of the heroes; each character stands out unique and lovable and I was always cheering them on throughout all their trails and crazy adventures.
Captain Harlock and crew
Another neat thing about this show is that because it was made in the Seventies, you have a world that blends futuristic technology with modern technology that now – in the year 2013 – is almost obsolete. Hence, you have spaceships but no email; super computers but no cell phones. Harlock and Mayu have to sit down and write actual letters to each other, and personal info and data is stored on cassette tapes. Telephones are still attached to the walls and the Arcadia requires a lot of hands-on attention in order to function. After a failed attempt on his life, Harlock sends a short teasing fax message to a foe from space, and good old-fashioned WWII-esq tanks and fighter jets are just the thing to send out against alien starships. I got quite a kick out of the technology mish-mash (I still remember when phones were still attached to walls and having to record music onto cassette taps) and it added another clean layer of enjoyment to the show. Plus, space was still a more mysterious place back then, a ‘sea’ of opportunity, and the imagination had more leeway to have fun in it.
Space was a lot cooler in the 70’s
And last but not least, this series contains a delightful amount of Political Incorrectness: The social structure of the Arcadia is quite patriarchal. The women Masu, Kei and Miimi are not in the top positions of power – although Kei is the navigator and often on the bridge. They are quite content with their positions and duties – they never bitch at/behind Harlock or talk back to him or detonate any drama bombs in regards to their lot aboard the ship. They may voice objections or concerns upon occasion, but they always respect Harlock’s authority and decisions – even if they don’t always agree with or understand them. Captain Harlock clearly is ‘The Man’ – the captain-king of the Arcadia and everyone knows it. His genuine masculinity is manifested in every facial expression, every gesture, every command. His character showcases his superior gender, code of honor, race, intelligence, physical form, values and moral judgment. He is no moony sappy sissy. He is not shown to be in a constant state of weakness or indecision (which actually make his few moments of weakness and indecision more powerful). There are many things going through his head that we never know about. He is allowed his privacy. There are no Negro overlords back on Earth pulling his strings and telling him what to do; no shallow, cutsie, bug-eyed, bloated-booby woman waiting in his bed to provide that now-mandated ‘romantic’ touch to the story. Miime, who has pledged her life to him after he saved her, is not his simpering worry-ridden bedmate (i.e whore). She is a woman who, while having no official position aboard the Arcadia, is very devoted to Harlock, and the traditional and very feminine ways in which she ministers to him (playing the harp, bringing him wine, offering quite words of advice, concern or consolation in her beautiful voice) was so surprising and delightful that she quickly became one of my favorite characters. Subsequently, she understands the Captain better then anyone, and because he confides in her she knows things the other crew members don’t.
Harlock and Miime
Their relationship is never expressed in a romantic or physical way (though it is a tender and moving one just the same) and while Harlock sometimes acts aloof or distant with her, Miime never takes offense at him or demands that he alter his way of behaving around her. It is not Miime’s goal to ‘change’ Harlock (in the way human woman often want to change their menfolk) but to merely stay by his side and quietly support him in all his endeavors, whatever they might be. Her most moving statement: ”I am the woman who has offered up her life to Harlock; I’d follow him into the depths of hell if he said he was going.” Let the feminists yowl all they want – we need more human Miimes in this world. Her attention is not just limited to Harlock, she also aids the rest of the crew, often helping Dr. Zero when others are hurt or sick.
Indeed, there is very little in the way of romance (which I found refreshing) in this tale and the story doesn’t suffer for it at all. Captain Harlock has a mental list of top priorities and screwing around is apparently nowhere on it. Although strong and handsome, he is no womanizer and never tries to take advantage of anyone; he appears to have withdrawn himself emotionally and often physically from the rest of his comrades and remains wrapped in a cloak of quiet continuous melancholy (hence, I identify with him very well – as I am much the same way, by nature and choice). While he does care about the rest of his crew, he doesn’t seem to really need them – at least not for personal or social reasons – and he makes very few demands on them in return for allowing them to live on-board his ship, and when not engaged in robbery, repairs or battle everyone pretty much spends their time goofing around at leisure.
Go away guys, I’m trying to think…
Despite the fact that they are both young and attractive, there is no chemistry between the Captain and Kei, and Harlock prefers to spend most of his time alone is his large, elegant cabin in the back of the ship, drinking, dozing, brooding and playing his ocarina. Only Miime is allowed to be with him for long periods of time and they often will duet together with harp and ocarina while beautiful stars, planets and space-scenery go past the grand old-style viewing windows. These scenes are indeed quite romantic without actually being romantic. Harlock is a man of mystery, and he retains that mystery (and hence his charisma), for although we are treated to two excellent backstory episodes, they are only small windows into his past; we never find out how he got his scar or lost his eye.
the Sea of Stars is my sea…
Harlock seems to have doomed himself to a life of self-imposed exile, and while he could easily assassinate Earth’s pathetic rulers and raze entire cities to the ground (yes, the Arcadia has that much firepower), he makes no demands and takes no human lives. For such a stoic privet man he is a very complex and interesting person. Also nice about this show is that there are no lame potty/sex jokes, no excessive amounts of blood spurting all over the place, no vulgarity, and, best of all, no nasty internal drama wars between the heroes (Tedashi does often have issues following orders though…).
Thus, with the hierarchy of crew members firmly established and Harlock at the helm, the Arcadia is run with the efficiency and elegance of a Swiss watch, in spite of the drinking binges (and occasional brawling), and thus these space-pirates wreck havoc upon legions of Mazone battleships and incur the wrath of the Mazone Queen, Lafresia. In contrast with the Arcadia, the Mazone are a matriarchal society – all the commanders, spies, assassins, soldiers and scientists are female. There is no male Mazone in a position of power to be seen. Queen Lafresia is a fitting and ruthless opponent for Harlock, with her deep, cold, authoritative voice and her determination to take the Earth matches his determination to defend it, something that puzzles her greatly. The funny thing is, is that while Harlock retains complete control over the Arcadia and has the devotion and loyalty of his crew to back him up, Queen Lafresia is often plagued with mutiny, rebellion and strife among the ranks of her warriors and scientists; she is often forced to execute, blow up, and kill many of her own people, who are expected to execute and blow themselves up upon failing a mission or capture. Harlock and the Queen develop a vague grudging respect for one another as leaders, but that doesn’t get in the way of their desire to kill each other, and as the series progresses towards its somewhat predictable conclusion, the more fierce and desperate they become.
Captain Harlock duels Queen Lafresia
I’m quite sure that this anime was intended for children (there is a narrator to help explain things) but I enjoyed it thoroughly as an adult. My complaints are few: there are some storyline and animation glitches, some head-scratching ‘huh?’ moments that never quite get resolved or explained, and my personal pet peeve was that there were too many interesting characters that got introduced that only lasted for the duration of one episode. The music score, I would quickly like to add, is very classical, with triumphant drum rolls and horn blasts, somber piano, violin and harp themes, as well as poetic songs and cool pirate chants. The best of the OST though is Mayu’s/Harlock’s ocarina song, which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard on any show or anime. You can also find a better translation of the opening theme-song in full on YouTube as well as the ocarina theme. As for the animation itself, I can only describe it in this way: simplistic yet rich. There are a lot of still shots and posturing, but seeing as Harlock looks just as epic standing still as he does when moving about, I really didn’t care. I actually enjoyed the animation style more then I have other, more modern styles.
About the case and DVDs themselves: The case is sturdy enough, and the cover images on front and back are great. But the DVDs are stored overlapping one another, so you must be careful when taking them out, especially disks five and six, which are hard to remove. There are no bonus features and no previews, and the visual quality is better then on HuluPlus, but the overall images don’t change. Each episode is roughly 25 minutes long. Note well, however, this is NOT an English-dubbed series. It is in full Japanese but the English subtitles are very good and the voice-acting is excellent.
I give this whole series five stars but here is a better break-down of the show star-wise:
Animation quality – 4 stars
Soundtrack/songs – 5 stars
Story/plot – 4 stars
Character-development – 5 stars
English Sub – 5 stars
Captain Harlock – 5 stars
Thank you Captain for aiding me by sharing your trials…I feel more at home with you on the Arcadia then I do on actual Earth