Captain Herlock-Volume 1: 
The Legend Returns
(aka; Space Pirate Captain Herlock)
(2004)
review by Big McLargehuge

When an ancient evil rises to challenge Humanity the responsibility for Earth’s defense falls, ironically, into the lap of Intergalactic wanted man Captain Herlock. This is the stuff of which great space opera is made.

Fans of classic Anime will recognize Captain Herlock immediately. A veteran of one feature film and two long running series, not to mention a fantastically cool cameo in Galaxy Express 1999, this new adventure reunites the good captain with his long standing crew of brigands, drunks, and leggy women aboard the good ship Arcadia, the most powerful vessel in space.

When the demons of Noo return in the lost ship Fata Morgana and blink the Earth out of existence, and self-serving politicians use this even to rest control of democracy away from the people, it’s up to Herlock and his crew to face down the threat of the Noo and restore freedom to all of Earth’s space-bound children.

And, like any good space opera, “The Legend Returns” starts slowly to establish place, time, and arc. With the introduction of Tadashi, a no-good lay-about and son of discraced then murdered scientist Daibah (who is also a friend of the good captain) is forced to confront his burning desire for revenge and his blooming adulthood under the tutelage of Herlock and his merry crew.

All the well known characters are here too, Dr. Zero, Meimie, and Herlock’s former prodigy Kay, not to mention the ship Arcadia. However, the tone of this adventure is darker, more desperate. At one point a computer storing the professor’s work on the Noo mutters the single most telling phrase in the series:

Did my existence have any meaning at all?

Leiji Matsumoto, creator of the legendary anime titles Space Battleship Yamato (known in the US as Star Blazers) and Galaxy Express 999, has not lost his knack for effective storytelling with age, and this script for Herlock is as good as anything he’s written in the past. With long swathes of melancholy dialogue, explorations of destiny, and deep understanding of life on the fringes of society Herlock takes every space opera gem and polishes it to magnificent brightness. And let’s not forget incredible space battles featuring massive vessels seemingly pulled from the seas of the 18th century and thrust into the vast emptiness of deep space.

Matsumoto understands lonliness, and never fails to remind the audience that even though several dozen characters live aboard the Arcadia, for the majority of the time they are the only life within any number of millions of miles. That feeling of isolation comes through beautifully. Compounded too, by the fact that only a mere handful of people even know Herlock as anything more than a ruthless pirate and brigand. Matsumoto keeps the depth black and murky as the crew grows ever more desperate in their rush to avenge Tadashi’s loss and save Earth from the increasingly powerful demons.

Taro Rin is no slough either. He’d collaborated with Matsumoto on the original Kerlock series some 25 years ago, and in that time he’s mastered the pace and visuals of today’s modern anime. You may recognize Rin’s name as the director of Metropolis, another groundbreaking recent anime title.

The characters of Herlock’s universe should be instantly recognizable, and that’s one of Matsumoto’s strong points, from Herlock with his herringbone scar and eye patch to flowing 18th century type clothes and distinctive long-sword gun to the massive skull and crossbones emblazoned across the Arcadia’s bow, follows many of the conventions of Space Battleship Yamato and Galaxy Express 999. The other characters flow between Herlock (as the ideal) and super deformed, but the design never seems visually jarring.

Madhouse’s animation is, as expected, fluid and beautiful, enhanced even by the character design. This title is almost a work of art. Raising the bar too is the fantastic (and distinctive) score by Tkayuki Hattori.

The Geneon DVD contains the first four episodes of the series. They are:

Blues of the Rubbish Heap
For Whom the Friend Sleeps
The Voices Calling for Noo from Afar
Yattarans 30 Second Bet

And at nearly 30 minutes a piece, it’s almost 2 full hours of the best space opera in years.

The Geneon DVD offers Captain Herlock in full screen with both Japanese and English language tracks in 5.1 surround, English subs for the whole track or just translations of signs (which is great for the dubbed offering), and the original Japanese opening for episode 1.