This is a guest review on Space Pirate Captain Harlock – 宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック (2013) – the latest movie of the manga/anime created by Leiji Matsumoto in the 70s. Some background of the original series can be found here, but previous knowledge is not necessarily required or even advisable. See below why.
Die-hard Captain Harlock’s fans can’t possibly avoid watching this movie. And yet, they have to be prepared for the worse. This new, shiny 2013 Harlock version, while aesthetically more beautiful and certainly fascinating, has little in common with the original. Let’s say it once for all…. What is Harlock without the “women who burn like paper?” The most difficult thing to accept is the complete elimination of the enemy, Mazone, let alone the need – mysterious to me– to modify the story tout-court. And this comes together with a less idealistic Harlock and an ending that, honestly, is not believable.
It doesn’t mean that the movie itself is a failure though. It’s worth watching, if anything for the CG animation and the exceptional graphics. And, after all, it is always touching, for us longtime fans, to look at the great Captain with his eyepatch and his fluttering cloak…
The reviewer is definitively not alone. Read Kotaku view on Harlock 2013. Out of nostalgia, I have added some old images from the original manga/anime, here in English version:
(The original Captain Harlock)
And for the ones who have never watched the Majumoto’s series, voila the enemy:
In case you still want to give it a try – that’s my advice anyway – you might enjoy the trailer.
TOEI ANIMATION – OFFICIAL TRAILER:
Guest reviewer: Chango. The original version was in Italian. I have translated it in English – mistakes are all mine as usual. For questions and comments about this post: please get in touch here.
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