1st GALAXY EXPRESS 999 TV special based on the series

GALAXY EXPRESS 999: CAN YOU LIVE LIKE A WARRIOR? (1979) was the first TV special spun off from the popular Japanese animated TV series, `Galaxy Express 999,' which had begun in 1978. At 90 minutes, the special took a two-parter from the TV series (episodes 12-13) and expanded it to feature length.

The intergalactic passenger train, GE 999, makes a routine stop at a planet allowing passengers Maetel, a worldly woman in black, and Tetsuro, her young orphan charge, to investigate a recent disaster that had befallen the planet, the petrification (turning to stone) of its entire population caused by a traveling `fossil cloud' from space. The two encounter the planet's sole survivor, Urius, a military pilot who'd flown into space to investigate the cloud and became the only one to escape its effects. Urius fights Tetsuro and steals his GE999 pass, which he wants to use to find a new body for his petrified wife, Deijya. While he fends off Tetsuro's attempt to get back the pass he must also take on the gang of `fossil bandits' who have come to steal the stone bodies including that of Deijya. Tetsuro sides with Urius but eventually the two must have a showdown over the pass. Since both have good causes, the audience is sympathetic to both.

 The film is full of the stark beauty and dramatic imagery that characterized late 1970s Japanese animation. There is a massive abandoned spaceship in which Maetel and Tetsuro go searching for Urius. The action is largely set against a gray, desolate, ruined planetary landscape, with mountains of stone bodies representing the planet's population. There is also a heavy streak of romanticism as seen in the flashbacks to Urius and Deijya's romance and marriage. This is a common theme of the anime based on Leiji Matsumoto's work--a love story underscored by tragedy and loss.

 An opening montage details basic facts about the series and background of the two lead characters and how they came to be companions on GE999. Not everything is explained, however. We never learn exactly how Urius is going to revive his wife or what makes the stone bodies so profitable to the fossil bandits. Still, the film is a worthy entry in the large body of work by Matsumoto, one of the prime artistic forces in Japanese animation, and creator also of `Captain Harlock,' `Queen Millennia,' and (co-creator) `Space Battleship Yamato.'

Japanese cinema is celebrated for its refined minimalist dramas and avant-garde experimentation; it also introduced popular genres like jidaigeki (samurai epics), kaiju, and anime. Across both high art and mass entertainment, it often explores morality, impermanence, and the pressures of modern life.

Hidetoshi Nishijima and Tôko Miura in Drive My Car (2021)

The adult animation subgenre is aimed at mature audiences, typically consisting of content that explores complex themes, mature storytelling, and may include explicit language, violence, sexual content, or other adult-oriented elements. Unlike traditional animation that is often associated with family-friendly or children's content, adult animation caters to grown-up viewers who appreciate more sophisticated and often darker narratives.

Seth Green, Mila Kunis, Alex Borstein, and Seth MacFarlane in Family Guy (1999)

Anime is a style of Japanese animation that has gained significant popularity outside of Japan. It is often characterized by its use of flat design and limited animation, with characters characterized by large expressive eyes, exaggerated facial expressions, and defined lines. These stories are produced for audiences of all ages, with specific subgenres catering to different age groups.

Steve Blum and Koichi Yamadera in Cowboy Bebop (1998)

Hand-drawn animation, also known as traditional animation, is a technique in which each frame is created by hand. It involves the process of drawing individual images, known as frames or cels, by skilled animators and then photographing or filming them in sequence to create the illusion of motion.

Jodi Benson, Jason Marin, and Samuel E. Wright in The Little Mermaid (1989)

Shōnen is a subgenre of Japanese animation that is intended for young male audiences. These anime typically feature heroic, action-packed stories with themes of friendship, perseverance, and self-improvement.

The space sci-fi subgenre features stories set primarily in outer space or involving space travel, exploration, and interstellar adventures. Space sci-fi often emphasizes the wonders and challenges of space travel, as well as the exploration of unknown frontiers, advanced technology, and encounters with extraterrestrial life.

Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek (1966)

Animation is a form of visual storytelling that involves creating visual art and motion through the use of various techniques and technologies. In animation, images are manipulated to create the illusion of movement, bringing characters, objects, and environments to life. Animation can encompass a wide range of styles, themes, and intended audiences, making it a diverse and versatile form of storytelling.

Daveigh Chase, Rumi Hiiragi, and Mari Natsuki in Spirited Away (2001)

The sci-fi genre, short for science fiction, features imaginative and futuristic concepts that are often rooted in scientific principles, technology, and possibilities. These stories delve into "what if" questions and can serve as a platform to address contemporary social, political, and ethical issues by projecting them onto future or alternate settings.

James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Ginga tetsudô Three-Nine: Kimi wa senshi no yô ni ikirareru ka!?

Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!? (1980)

Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!?

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

See which big screen releases you can watch from the comfort of your couch.

Theatrical Releases Coming to Streaming

Get a closer look at these actors from their many TV and streaming series roles.

Streaming Stars, Then and Now

Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior?

Ginga tetsudô Three-Nine: Kimi wa haha no yô ni aiseru ka!!

Galaxy Express 999: Can You Love Like a Mother!? (1980)

Galaxy Express 999: Can You Love Like a Mother!?

Ginga tetsudô Three-Nine: Eien no tabibito Emeraldas

Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Traveler Emeraldas (1980)

Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Traveler Emeraldas

Masako Ikeda in Galaxy Express 999 (1979)

Sayônara, ginga tetsudô Surî-Nain: Andromeda shûchakueki

Ginga tetsudô Three-Nine: Eternal Fantasy

Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy (1998)

Galaxy Express 999: Can You Live Like a Warrior!?

Photos

Top Cast11

User reviews1

More like this

Related interests

Storyline

Did you know

Top picks

Details

Tech specs

Contribute to this page

More to explore

Recently viewed