Harlock Saga
Encyclopedia
is a six-part anime
miniseries
(three hours in total length) by Leiji Matsumoto
. An adaptation of Das Rheingold
, it tells the story of space pirate
Captain Harlock
and his crew as they try to stop a man who has stolen gold from the center of the galaxy and forged it into a powerful ring.
Harlock Saga: The Valkyrie (3 volumes) is the first of a two-part story dealing largely with the events surrounding the epic voyage and subsequent death of Great Harlock, Captain Harlock's father, in 2964 AD. The story begins immediately after the events depicted in Harlock Saga: The Rheingold. Wotan, lord of the gods of Valhalla, is furious over Captain Harlock's earlier appearance in Valhalla and his insolence toward himself as lord of the gods. Wotan does not care that Harlock has just gotten through saving Valhalla (and Wotan's hide); he wishes the whole affair had never happened. To that end he orders his daughter Brunhilde and her cohorts, the legendary Valkyries, on a journey back through time with orders to kill Harlock while he is still a youth. In order to accomplish her mission Brunhilde must cross swords with Great Harlock, the father of the boy she has been sent back in time to kill. The both of them must also deal with the Metanoids (who make their first appearance here in a Matsumoto story), who have designs of their own for the universe that do not take into account the gods of Valhalla. Caught up in this storm of events are four singular young people. First is young Harlock (or "Little Harlock" as his father calls him), a teenager who has a great destiny ahead of him but must first live long enough to achieve it. Second is young Tochiro Oyama, young Harlock's best friend and the spitting image of his famous father Dr. Oyama in looks, personality, and intelligence. Third is young Emeraldas, who along with her younger sister Maetel have chanced upon an ancient starship of great power on the planet Metabloody that awaits "... its rightful master." Fourth is young Maetel herself, mysterious even as a child, who seems strangely attracted to young Harlock and correctly senses that the destines of all four of them are bound together by the strands of time upon the eternal Sea of Stars.
Harlock Saga: Siegfried (3 volumes) is the second of a two-part story dealing with the adventures of Great Harlock. It is also set in the year 2964 AD and covers the events leading up to the death of Great Harlock. The Metanoids are planning to conquer the known universe and have built a fleet of sophisticated warships, the likes of which have never been seen before. All that stands between them and their goal is an unlikely alliance of mortal and immortal: Great Harlock, the legendary space pirate, who sails the Sea of Stars in the second incarnation of his space battleship Death Shadow; and Brunhilde the Valkyrie, shieldmaiden of Valhalla, who has defied her father's orders to kill Great Harlock's son and joined forces with him under the flag of freedom, the skull-and-crossbones of old. Witnessing this great (and tragic) event unfold are Meeme the Nibelung sorceress and four youths who as adults are destined to shape the future of the universe. The manner in which Great Harlock and Brunhilde face the impending threat of the Metanoids, one that will certainly result in both of their deaths, will make a lasting impression on the young lives who must deal with their willing sacrifice.
Harlock Saga: Great Harlock Götterdämmerung (3 volumes, only 2 completed) picks up the story almost a decade after the death of Great Harlock. Meeme, now serving Captain Harlock aboard the mighty space battleship Arcadia, has just finished telling him the full story behind the death of his father. Now that he understands the extent of Wotan's involvement in the affair Captain Harlock is aroused to wrath. Together with his ally Emeraldas he dares to defy Wotan once again and challenge Valhalla's rule over the universe. His actions have been foreseen by Erda the soothsayer, who had earlier predicted that Wotan's attempt to change Harlock's past would result in the Twilight of the Gods and the end of Valhalla. Now that prophecy is coming true, and even as Captain Harlock finishes resolving the legacy of his late father, cosmic forces array themselves for a final showdown at the center of the universe. For some, it will almost certainly mean the end of all things; for others, perhaps, a beginning.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
(three hours in total length) by Leiji Matsumoto
Leiji Matsumoto
is a well-known creator of several anime and manga series. His wife is also known as a manga artist.-Space opera:Matsumoto is famous for his space operas such as Space Battleship Yamato...
. An adaptation of Das Rheingold
Das Rheingold
is the first of the four operas that constitute Richard Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen . It was originally written as an introduction to the tripartite Ring, but the cycle is now generally regarded as consisting of four individual operas.Das Rheingold received its premiere at the National Theatre...
, it tells the story of space pirate
Space pirate
Space pirates are a type of stock characters from science fiction. They operate as pirates in outer space and travel by spacecraft; as opposed to the more traditional pirates on the high seas of Earth, who travel by boat...
Captain Harlock
Captain Harlock
is a fictional character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto.Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien...
and his crew as they try to stop a man who has stolen gold from the center of the galaxy and forged it into a powerful ring.
Overview of the anime
Legend tells of the Rheingold, an all-powerful metal used by the gods of Valhalla during the forging of the universe. Legend says that he who wields the Rheingold wields ultimate power over all things; yea, even over the gods themselves. The Nibelheim, former servants of Valhalla who were cast down aeons ago for daring to defy the gods, are once again fomenting a rebellion. Their leader Alberich is on a ruthless quest for the Rheingold and will let nothing stand in the way of his desire to utterly crush Wotan and the gods of Valhalla. Fearing the implications of his actions, his sister Meeme, currently in the service of the space pirate Captain Harlock, warns her friend about Alberich's plans. Together with fellow space pirate Emeraldas, his best friend Tochiro Oyama, and Maetel the eternal traveler, Captain Harlock sets out to thwart Alberich's designs and save the universe ... not for the gods, but for all the living beings it contains.Overview of the additional manga volumes
The Harlock Saga manga, like many of Leiji Matsumoto's works, remains unfinished. Eight volumes were published (both in Japanese by Shinchosha and in French by Kana Press), with the last two of a planned three available online in English. The first two, Harlock Saga: The Rheingold, were the basis for the Harlock Saga anime OVA.Harlock Saga: The Valkyrie (3 volumes) is the first of a two-part story dealing largely with the events surrounding the epic voyage and subsequent death of Great Harlock, Captain Harlock's father, in 2964 AD. The story begins immediately after the events depicted in Harlock Saga: The Rheingold. Wotan, lord of the gods of Valhalla, is furious over Captain Harlock's earlier appearance in Valhalla and his insolence toward himself as lord of the gods. Wotan does not care that Harlock has just gotten through saving Valhalla (and Wotan's hide); he wishes the whole affair had never happened. To that end he orders his daughter Brunhilde and her cohorts, the legendary Valkyries, on a journey back through time with orders to kill Harlock while he is still a youth. In order to accomplish her mission Brunhilde must cross swords with Great Harlock, the father of the boy she has been sent back in time to kill. The both of them must also deal with the Metanoids (who make their first appearance here in a Matsumoto story), who have designs of their own for the universe that do not take into account the gods of Valhalla. Caught up in this storm of events are four singular young people. First is young Harlock (or "Little Harlock" as his father calls him), a teenager who has a great destiny ahead of him but must first live long enough to achieve it. Second is young Tochiro Oyama, young Harlock's best friend and the spitting image of his famous father Dr. Oyama in looks, personality, and intelligence. Third is young Emeraldas, who along with her younger sister Maetel have chanced upon an ancient starship of great power on the planet Metabloody that awaits "... its rightful master." Fourth is young Maetel herself, mysterious even as a child, who seems strangely attracted to young Harlock and correctly senses that the destines of all four of them are bound together by the strands of time upon the eternal Sea of Stars.
Harlock Saga: Siegfried (3 volumes) is the second of a two-part story dealing with the adventures of Great Harlock. It is also set in the year 2964 AD and covers the events leading up to the death of Great Harlock. The Metanoids are planning to conquer the known universe and have built a fleet of sophisticated warships, the likes of which have never been seen before. All that stands between them and their goal is an unlikely alliance of mortal and immortal: Great Harlock, the legendary space pirate, who sails the Sea of Stars in the second incarnation of his space battleship Death Shadow; and Brunhilde the Valkyrie, shieldmaiden of Valhalla, who has defied her father's orders to kill Great Harlock's son and joined forces with him under the flag of freedom, the skull-and-crossbones of old. Witnessing this great (and tragic) event unfold are Meeme the Nibelung sorceress and four youths who as adults are destined to shape the future of the universe. The manner in which Great Harlock and Brunhilde face the impending threat of the Metanoids, one that will certainly result in both of their deaths, will make a lasting impression on the young lives who must deal with their willing sacrifice.
Harlock Saga: Great Harlock Götterdämmerung (3 volumes, only 2 completed) picks up the story almost a decade after the death of Great Harlock. Meeme, now serving Captain Harlock aboard the mighty space battleship Arcadia, has just finished telling him the full story behind the death of his father. Now that he understands the extent of Wotan's involvement in the affair Captain Harlock is aroused to wrath. Together with his ally Emeraldas he dares to defy Wotan once again and challenge Valhalla's rule over the universe. His actions have been foreseen by Erda the soothsayer, who had earlier predicted that Wotan's attempt to change Harlock's past would result in the Twilight of the Gods and the end of Valhalla. Now that prophecy is coming true, and even as Captain Harlock finishes resolving the legacy of his late father, cosmic forces array themselves for a final showdown at the center of the universe. For some, it will almost certainly mean the end of all things; for others, perhaps, a beginning.
Cast
- Harlock: Kōichi YamaderaKoichi Yamaderais a Japanese voice actor, actor, tarento, narrator, master of ceremonies and impressionist from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school, and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with the Tokyo Actor's...
- Tochiro: Kōichi Yamadera
- Yattaran: Shigeru ChibaShigeru Chibais an actor and voice actor. He has also worked as a sound effects director and music director. He is employed by the talent management firm 81 Produce....
- Maetel: Masako IkedaMasako Ikedais a Japanese voice actress most known for the roles of Reika "Ochoufujin" Ryuuzaki in Ace wo Nerae, Nodoka Saotome in Ranma 1/2, Maetel in Galaxy Express 999 and Michiko in Harmagedon...
- Emeraldas: Masako KatsukiMasako Katsukiis a Japanese voice actress who was born in Hachinohe, Aomori. Formerly from Theater Echo, she is currently employed by 81 Produce and has voiced in several notable films and tv series...
, Veronica TaylorVeronica TaylorVeronica Taylor is an American voice actress. Taylor is best known for her dubbing work in English-language anime adaptations, in particular for voicing Ash Ketchum in the English dub of the Japanese anime, Pokémon.... - Tadashi Daiba: Toshihiko SekiToshihiko Sekiis a Japanese voice actor and member of 81 Produce. Apart from voice actor work, Seki sometimes does live action drama stage work. He is sometimes mistaken for another voice actor, Tomokazu Seki, sharing the same last name but are unrelated.-Person/Career:...
- Mime: Kazuko YanagaKazuko Yanagais a Japanese voice actress who works for 81 Produce. She is the wife of voice actor Hōchū Ōtsuka.-Anime voice roles:*Ace wo Nerae!/Shin Ace wo Nerae! *Armored Trooper Votoms *Ashita e Attack...
- Alberich: Yoshito YasuharaYoshito Yasuharais an actor and seiyū born on November 17, 1949 in Aioi, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. He is a member of Theatre Echo, a theatre troupe and talent management firm known for its comedy sketches...
- Vortan: Tarō IshidaTaro Ishida' is a Japanese actor and seiyū from the city of Kyoto.-Career:Ishida is a chief priest at a Buddhist temple in Kanazawa, Ishikawa.Ishida is affiliated with Granpapa Production and his former stage name is '....
- Flika: Miyuki UedaMiyuki Ueda, is a Japanese actress and voice actress. She is married to singer Isao Sasaki and is a childhood friend of fellow voice actor Katsuji Mori.-TV anime:*Weiß Kreuz *Space Battleship Yamato **Space Battleship Yamato: The New Journey...