FIF#129-Space Pirate Captain Harlock

2977 AD.  Mankind has reached the stars, leaving their beloved Earth behind.  Those who remain find themselves falling into complacency and depression as machines become the new workforce who services them.  Most are unaware that forces from beyond the stars have their sights set on Earth itself.  One isn’t so naieve, the man who left Earth long ago to stand against its oppressive government.  He is a man who flies the stars in a ship modeled after the Pirates of old, even bearing a skull and crossbones flag.  He is a man who’s name reverberates throughout the galaxy, who is both savior and terror.  And this man, Space Pirate Captain Harlock, is the only one capable of stopping an ominous threat looming near Planet Earth.

After putting up with the sheer amount of boredom produced by Harlock Saga (incase you already forgot, it’s joined the 0/10 club here at the Gundam Anime Corner), you’d think I’d be ready to put the MatsumotoVerse in my rear view.  Well while Harlock Saga is a pretty big blotch on the good captain’s record, it’s not enough to make me dislike the character or the other features hes been in.  So I stumbled across his very first Anime introduction, 1974’s Space Pirate Captain Harlock, and decided to just check out the first episode.

Much like Galaxy Express 999, the premiere of Captain Harlock takes us back to a time when Space Operas were pretty big in Anime, alongside super giant robots.  There’s a mystical, almost calming quality to the look and sound of this series…when you’re not listening to the psychedelic disco esque tunes during one action sequence (just further sign of the times).  Despite the clearly dated animation, this show is beautiful to look at.  It’s also worth pointing out that this TV Anime was directed by Rintaro, who would later direct the Galaxy Express 999 duology in the late 70’s/early 80’s, so no wonder the show looks pretty good already.  That’s not to say it isn’t exciting as we get to see the legendary Arcadia go toe to toe with some poor saps who thought they could get the drop on it and witness Harlock not blink at a firing squad because he knows the Arcadia is going to bail him out.  Harlock is a man of action but man is he content to just stand around, arms folded, giving zero Fs cause he knows things are going to go in his favor pretty much always.  We also get to see a softer side to Harlock in the premiere as he returns to Earth to pass on a handmade Ocarina to a little girl who is…well we don’t know who she is (friend of a friend I guess?  I think we’d know by now if Harlock had a daughter).  “The man keeps his promises, no matter how small”, ethereal, booze chugging Meeme says.  Speaking of Meeme, she looks very different from the way we’ve seen her in other Matsumo works.  There’s also a noticeable lack of Harlock regulars Tochiro and Emeraldas, though it is the first episode, Id assume they show up later.  There is the appearance of Harlock fan fav Kei Yuki in her cute pink space suit, I can see why she was a crush for many.

This might be a good one to revisit from time to time.  I’m finding a lot of 70s space opera Anime to be the type I go to when I want to relax instead of get riled up for adventures, even though there are plenty in that genre.  Space Pirate Captain Harlock presented me with the same bad ass man of legend with a bit more added depth to his character.  And, it must be said again, it is way, way, wayyyy better of a story in 22mins than all three hours of Harlock Saga.  They call these classics “legend” for a reason people.