The excitement and reviews of Galaxy Express 999 - A look back at the journey to the Andromeda Terminus

Appeal and evaluation of "Galaxy Express 999: Andromeda Terminus"

■ Public Media

theater

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

August 1, 1981 - January 1, 0000

■Distribution company

Toei

■ Eirin Number

110322

■Frequencies

130 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Reiji Matsumoto

■ Director

Rintaro

■ Production

Toei Animation

■ Story

Even though Planet Maetel was destroyed by Tetsuro's efforts, the power of the Mechanized People on Earth did not stop. In the midst of the battle between the Mechanized People and humans, Tetsuro receives a letter from Maetel. It asks him to get into the 999 again. Tetsuro and his friends get into the 999 again. The story unfolds as Tetsuro and Maetel get into the 999 again and go on a journey to pursue the "preciousness of limited life" through the battle against the Mechanized People. Following Maetel's letter, Tetsuro gets into the 999 with his friends and visits various planets, throwing himself into the battle against the Mechanized People. At the end of the story, Tetsuro and Maetel arrive at Andromeda Terminus Station and face the final battle. Through this battle, Tetsuro reaffirms the meaning of his own existence and his value as a living human being. Then, after saying goodbye to Maetel, Tetsuro sets off on a new journey.

■Explanation

This is the second movie in the Galaxy Express 999 series. Most of the remaining mysteries, such as the reality of the Machine Empire, Maetel's past, and the identity of the conductor, are solved in this film. In addition, by bringing to a close the battle between flesh-and-blood humans and robots, it appeals to the viewers to understand the "preciousness of finite life," which is the theme of the series. This film is known for being directed by Rintaro, based on the original work by Leiji Matsumoto. Director Rintaro has succeeded in deeply moving the viewers by faithfully recreating the worldview of the original work while developing the story from his own perspective. In addition, the beautiful visuals by animation director Kazuo Komatsubara also enhance the appeal of this work. The music, including the theme song "SAYONARA," is also by Osamu Tojibayashi, and it adds to the atmosphere of the entire work. Furthermore, the acting of the cast is excellent, and in particular the voices of Tetsuro, played by Masako Nozawa, and Maetel, played by Masako Ikeda, resonate deeply with the viewers.

■Cast

・Tetsuro Hoshino/Masako Nozawa ・Maetel/Masako Ikeda ・Conductor/Kaneta Kimotsuki ・Narrator/Tatsuya Shiro

■ Main staff

・Executive producer: Tomonori Imada・Planning, original story, composition: Reiji Matsumoto・Planning: Ken Ariga, Yoshio Takami・Screenplay: Hiroyasu Yamaura・Chief animation director: Kazuo Komatsubara・Art director: Takamura Mukuo・Art: Tadao Kubota・Music: Osamu Tojibayashi・Director: Rintaro

・Theme song "SAYONARA"
Lyrics, music and vocals by Mary MacGregor, Brian Whitcomb and David J. Holman

■ Main Characters

- Tetsuro A boy who goes on a journey with Maetel to obtain a mechanical body. Later, he gets on the 999 again after receiving a letter from Maetel. Tetsuro's mother was killed by a mechanized human, and he sets out on a journey driven by a desire for revenge. However, he meets many different people on his journey, which makes him question the meaning of his own existence. In the end, through his battle with the mechanized humans, he reaffirms his value as a flesh-and-blood human and sets off on a new journey.

・Maetel A beautiful woman who guides Tetsuro. Her mother is the queen of the Machine Empire, and her father is the head of an organization that seeks independence from the mechanized humans. This causes her to be troubled by a complicated situation. While guiding Tetsuro, Maetel also faces her own past and throws herself into the fight against the mechanized humans. She is a great support for Tetsuro, and plays a central role in the story.

·conductor
The conductor of the 999. He is characterized by a black shadow peeking out from the gap between his hat and uniform, and yellow glowing eyes. He has a very serious personality, and is actually an invisible man with no physical form. The conductor is an important presence supporting the 999's journey, and supports Tetsuro and Maetel on their journey. At the end of the story, the conductor's true identity is revealed, giving viewers a big surprise.

■ Related works

・TV anime "Galaxy Express 999"
・The Galaxy Express 999
・Movie "Galaxy Express 999 Eternal Fantasy"

■ Theme songs and music

・TM
・Song by Alfie (Toshiba EMI)

■ Evaluation and recommendation

"Galaxy Express 999: Andromeda Terminus" is a grand science fiction fantasy based on the original work by Matsumoto Leiji, and is a work that deeply moves viewers. Director Rintaro's skillful direction, Komatsubara Kazuo's beautiful drawings, and Tokairin Osamu's music all work together to enhance the appeal of the work as a whole. The acting by the cast is also superb, and the voices of Nozawa Masako and Ikeda Masako in particular resonate deeply with viewers. This work is a story that pursues the "preciousness of finite life" through the battle against the mechanized people, and conveys many messages to the viewers. In particular, Tetsuro's growth and his farewell to Maetel are scenes that deeply move the viewers.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

1. **Deep Themes**: This work is a story that explores the "value of limited life" through the battle against the robots, and conveys many messages to the viewers. In particular, the scenes of Tetsuro's growth and his farewell to Maetel are deeply moving to the viewers.

2. **Beautiful Visuals**: The beautiful visuals by Kazuo Komatsubara, the animation director, enhance the appeal of the entire work. In particular, the depiction of 999's journey and Andromeda Terminus leaves a strong impression on the viewer.

3. **Great Music**: The music by Osamu Toji and the theme song "SAYONARA" by Mary McGregor create a great atmosphere throughout the film. The lyrics of the theme song are especially meaningful as they represent the journey of Tetsuro and Maetel, and leave a deep impression on the viewers.

4. **A moving story**: Tetsuro and Maetel's journey leaves a lot of emotions on the viewers' minds. In particular, the battle with the robots and the farewell scene with Maetel leave a strong impression on the viewers.

5. **Cast Performances**: The voices of Masako Nozawa and Masako Ikeda touch the hearts of viewers deeply. In particular, Tetsuro's growth and his farewell to Maetel are made even more moving by the performances of the cast.

For these reasons, I recommend "Galaxy Express 999: Andromeda Terminus" to all people who love science fiction and fantasy. This is a work that will deeply move the viewer, so please watch it at least once.