Harlock: Space Pirate

In the wake of a bloody war, the Earth has been declared “forbidden” by the Gaia Coalition, who seek to protect it from billions of Humans desperate to return home.  One man stands against Gaia and its authoritarian rule: Captain Harlock, the most notorious Space Pirate in the Cosmos.  Aboard his invincible vessel, the Arcadia, Harlock strikes back at Gaia with a plan to liberate the planet back to Humanity’s hands.  In response, Gaia secretly dispatches a young operative, Logan, to the Arcadia with orders to take Harlock down.  The more time he spends with the enigmatic Harlock, Logan’s loyalties become blurred.  Already disillusioned with Gaia for his own reasons, will Logan join Harlock’s crusade…or is the legendary Captain hiding an even deadlier scheme that could put more than Humanity and the Earth in danger?

 
Ah, Captain Harlock, we meet again.  Once a major staple of 70’s and 80’s scifi Anime, the good Captain might be a recognizable name with an even more recognizable face.  However, compared to the enduring legacies of Gundam and Macross, Harlock hasn’t seen much screentime since the new millennium began, at least compared to Leiji Matsumoto’s other popular scifi franchise, Space Battleship Yamato.  Still, every once in a while we get a welcome return from Harlock and hope it’ll be an adventure worthy of following up his incredible origin tale in Arcadia of my Youth.  Granted, the last time I looked at anything Harlock related here at the Gundam Anime Corner, it was back in 2020 when I looked at the abysmal Harlock Saga, earning a rare 0/10 score.  Well, this CGI Anime spectacle from Shinji Aramaki (Appleseed, Blade Runner: Black Lotus) is definitely not a 0/10…but how much better is it compared to other Harlock outings I’ve looked at?
 
Harlock: Space Pirate is, in my opinion, the very best looking Anime Shinji Aramaki has ever put out.  The man really is a pioneer of CG Anime and this movie feels like he’s giving more than just his all to making it look so damn good.  Harlock and company get the modern day makeover they deserve while staying true to their 70’s Anime roots.  The good Captain looks more fierce and mysterious than ever with his swaying cloak and intimidating eyepatch.  Mimay looks so ethereal and beautiful and Kei Yuki is an absolute Goddess of a Pirate.  Even generic Leiji Matsumoto protagonist Logan looks as standard as his fellow Matsumotoverse brethren Testuro (from Galaxy Express 999) and Tadashi (from Harlock Saga).  Harlock’s prized ship, the Arcadia, gets the most radical redesign and it is a beast of a ship now.  It’s front placed skull is more than just a symbol, it’s a freaking warning if you see it coming your way…cause 9 times out of 10, Harlock gives zero cares about ramming his ship right through another.  It’s both bad ass and terrifying.  Whether or not this makes the Arcadia an upgrade from its classic design is up to the viewer.  And the Arcadia gets to show plenty of teeth in some pretty amazing action sequences.  With hundreds of ships gunning for her, the classic Space Opera ship to ship combat is reborn better than ever with this animation and with Harlock at the helm.  This is a damn good looking movie and should be checked out on that merit alone.
 
On plus Space Pirate has going in its favor is an interesting arc for the titular Captain, who has long towed the line between Hero of the People and Anti Hero.  There’s a greater sense of weight to Harlock’s character this time around.  He isn’t just brooding for brooding sake, he’s got a pretty big chip on his shoulder and a past that he desperately wants to atone for, no matter the cost.  One could say that Harlock borders on the point of being a downright villain sometimes and is the darkest the characters been taken in a long time.  Also, considering the last time I handled anything Harlock related was Harlock Saga, at least Harlock gets a much more active role beyond giving growling speeches on the deck of the Arcadia.  The Captain flies his ship like a pro and is given plenty of chances to show how effective he is with a sword and gun (plus the sword is also a gun, that’s cool).
 
What’s more hit and miss is Logan.  He doesn’t just look like a generic Matsumoto protagonist, he IS a generic Matsumoto protagonist.  What does this mean?  It means he’s a young man with plenty to prove and probably a bit of an axe to grind with Harlock that puts the two at odds.  Often it feels like Space Pirate is meant to be more Logan’s story than Harlocks.  One has the more fascinating story and history while the other gets more screentime as if the writers really want you to like him.  And Logan…is ok.  He’s not as memorable as 999’s Tetsuro but he’s not as pointless as Harlock Saga’s Tadashi.  But as with any fresh face newbie in a sea of recognizable faces, I’d rather spend more time looking into Harlock’s tortured history and persona or chilling with the sexy Kei and the loveable Yullian.  Doesn’t help that the villains of the movie are as basic as they come either.  The vendetta Logan’s brother, Ezra, seems to have with his baby brother is hardly fresh, as is the council of old geezers who are generic shadowy government ruling body who will stop at nothing to hold on to their power.  Harlocks taken on greater threats in the past and even if they have a massive fleet at their disposal, you know these baddies straight out of a less impressive Final Fantasy game aren’t going to be very threatening. 
 
When it comes to good looking CG Anime, I usually brace myself for the possibility that the visuals take priority over a good story.  Harlock has a good story that feels like it couldve been adapted during the Matsumoto era’s heyday in the late 70’s/early 80’s.  Granted, that story doesn’t really get interesting or pick up speed until the halfway mark of the film.  The first half seems both slow and rushed at the same time.  Maybe the beginning couldve been tweaked a little by moving some of Harlock’s history to the films prologue before revealing the rest later on, could even still mask a big reveal when it does come up.  When Harlock works, it works and it is great.  But you can always tell something is holding it back from being completely great.  Indeed, more care looks like it was given to making this film look as good as it possibly could be and in that regard: Aramaki succeeds as always.  The space battles echo their 70s Space Opera roots with hundreds of ships in combat at once…mostly trying to shoot down the nearly invincible Arcadia but awesome is still awesome.  I’ll admit, after the halfway mark, it didn’t bother me that I was just watching a beautiful film even if the story was lacking a bit…doesn’t excuse anything, I was just entertained as I wanted to be. 
 
Harlock: Space Captain is a cinematic thrill ride with gorgeous animation that’s true to its 70s inspired Anime and great action.  It suffers from what you’d expect from a movie that looks so good though: bumpy story, lack of good character depth, and times when you feel like Harlock has taken a back seat in his own movie.  Still, I cant say I was let down.  I was entertained and I did enjoy the story and what they were trying to go for with it.  This did feel like it belonged in the heyday of Leiji Matsumoto’s Space Opera Anime epics and Harlock himself looks more fierce and bad ass than ever before.  I’m not sure how remembered this particular movie will be but it sure isn’t a black spot on the resume of one of the most iconic characters in Anime history, it’s just not a super shiny gem…just sort of shiny.
 
7/10