Cosmo Warrior Zero Review: The epic story of space warriors and its appeal

Cosmo Warrior Zero - A story of the future and friendship

Cosmo Warrior Zero, which aired on TV Tokyo in 2001, is a TV anime series based on the worldview created by Leiji Matsumoto. Set in the future at the end of the 30th century, the series depicts the confrontation between Warrior Zero, the commander of the Earth Army's independent fleet, and his former friend Harlock, as the Earth is being taken over by mechanized humans. Although it is a short series of 13 episodes, it is packed with deep themes and fascinating characters.

■ Story

In the future, at the end of the 30th century, the Earth is being taken over by mechanized humans. Meanwhile, Warrior Zero, commander of the Earth Forces Independent Fleet, receives an order to defeat his former friend, Harlock. Though distressed, Zero sets off on a journey to defeat the mechanized humans, and Harlock also decides to face off against Zero.

The story takes place at the end of the 30th century, in the era of the great space frontier. Due to the invasion of the Governor of the Extrasolar Galaxy, who plans to mechanize and rule all Earthlings, humanity has been forced to accept coexistence with mechanized humans. The Governor of the Extrasolar Galaxy finds existence like Harlock, who leaves Earth in search of a new tomorrow for humanity, extremely troublesome, and urges the Earth Federation to defeat Harlock. The person chosen is Warrior Zero, commander of the Earth Army's independent fleet. At the Governor's discretion, fearing a rebellion, the crew is a mix of humans and mechanized humans. With anxiety in his heart, Zero sets off into space.

■Explanation

"Cosmo Warrior Zero" is an anime based on the PlayStation game of the same name, featuring characters created by Leiji Matsumoto. Young Harlock, Emeraldas, Tochiro, and others appear, and a spinoff OVA "Obey Young Harlock! Cosmo Warrior Zero Gaiden" was also released. This work is a condensed version of the epic universe and human drama depicted by Leiji Matsumoto, making it a must-see for fans.

■Cast

・Warrior Zero / Toshiyuki Morikawa ・Marina Oki / Aya Hisakawa ・Young Harlock / Hidefumi Takemoto ・Battlerizer / Yoshiro Matsumoto ・Grenadier / Hidenari Ugaki ・Lady Emeraldas / Kikuko Inoue ・Les Silviana / KAORI
・Tochiro/Akihiro Nishimura ・Ishikura/Soichiro Hoshi

■ Main staff

・Original story, general setting, supervision: Reiji Matsumoto・Planning: Tsuburaya Productions・Planning cooperation: Taito・Director: Kazuyoshi Yokota・Series composition, supervisor: Dr. Serial・Nishioka・Character design: Keisuke Masunaga・Mecha design: Katsumi Itabashi, Katsuyuki Tamura・Chief animation director: Koichi Maruyama・Color design: Harue Yoshida・Art director: Makoto Dobashi, Taizaburo Abe・Director of photography: Ken Baba・Music: Geminiart High Quality
・Sound Director: Hiroyuki Hayase ・Sound Effects: Mitsuru Kageyama ・Music Producer: Tadashi Yatabe ・Music Production: DESK
Producer: Toshiharu Namiki Executive Producers: Takayuki Yanagisawa, Akira Tsuburaya Animation Producer: Ryuji Matsudo Animation Production: Vega Entertainment Production Cooperation: AT-X
Produced by MEDIA NET and Tsuburaya Productions

■ Main Characters

・Warrior Zero: The protagonist. He once fought alongside Harlock against the mechanized humans, but now he fights alongside Harlock as the commander of the Earth Federation. He is a true soldier who stubbornly upholds the samurai spirit.
Marina: A talented girl who graduated from Okinawa Space Defense University with excellent grades and is on the elite course. She begins to have a slight crush on Zero because of his upright way of life. However, she has some strange behavior and seems to have a secret...
Young Harlock: A cool and calm person, he is also passionate and loyal. He distinguishes himself as a space pirate and becomes a formidable opponent to Zero.
Lady Emeraldus: Tochiro's lover. A female pirate who can be ruthless at times, she is also called the Ice Lady or the Witch. However, she also shows a gentle side as she watches over Tochiro's dreams.
Le Silviana: A female bounty hunter and gunfighter. A rough woman who drinks a lot and doesn't care about small things. She chases Harlock, aiming for the bounty money on him.
Grenadier mercenary. He protected the surviving desert people on the battlefield planet El Alamein and fought against the mechanized people.
A crew member of the space battleship "Karyuu" on which Battlizer Zero rides. An attack robot equipped with weapons on various parts of its body.
Tochiro: Harlock's best friend, who shares his way of life. He's terrible with guns, but is said to be the best engineer in the universe.

■ Main robot items

A space battleship captained by the Fire Dragon Warrior Zero. It is equipped with a powerful weapon called the St. Elmo Cannon.
-An old-fashioned space battleship that Kagerou Warrior Zero served on before the Karyu.
Death Shadow No. 2 The space pirate battleship on which the space pirate Harlock rides.

■Subtitle

Episode 1: The Great Journey BeginsEpisode 2: Marina's RipplesEpisode 3: Fire Dragon's FlameEpisode 4: The Soul of the Warrior GrenadierEpisode 5: Tochiro, the Immortal SamuraiEpisode 6: My Friend HarlockEpisode 7: The Path to BelieveEpisode 8: Marina's Eternal FeelingsEpisode 9: The Star of SorrowEpisode 10: The Edge of the GalaxyEpisode 11: Great TechnologyEpisode 12: The Never-ending BattleEpisode 13: Oath

■ Related works

・Cosmo Warrior Zero (OVA)
・Chase Young Harlock! Cosmo Warrior Zero Gaiden

■Detailed reviews and recommendations

■ Story and Theme

"Cosmo Warrior Zero" is set in the future at the end of the 30th century, and depicts the confrontation between Warrior Zero, the commander of the independent fleet of the Earth Army, and his former friend Harlock, as the Earth is being dominated by mechanized humans. This work is filled with deep themes, depicting the fight to protect friendship, beliefs, and human dignity.

The story centers on the relationship between Warrior Zero and Harlock. The story depicts the conflict between the two men who once fought together but are now enemies. Zero is a soldier who stubbornly upholds the samurai spirit, while Harlock is a space pirate who seeks freedom; they are contrasting characters, but the anguish and beliefs that they both carry add depth to the story.

Another important theme is the situation of humanity, who are forced to coexist with the robotic humans. Due to the invasion of the Governor of the Extrasolar Galaxy, humanity has been forced to coexist with the robotic humans. How Zero and Harlock act in this situation and what conclusions they reach are major highlights of the story.

■ Characters

The characters in "Cosmo Warrior Zero" are all attractive and reflect the worldview that Reiji Matsumoto depicts. In particular, the characters of Warrior Zero and Harlock play a central role in the story, and the contrast between the two enhances the story.

Warrior Zero is a true soldier who stubbornly adheres to the samurai spirit. His beliefs and actions deeply move the audience. Meanwhile, Harlock is a space pirate who seeks freedom, and while he has a cool and calm personality, he also shows a passionate and loyal side. His character evokes sympathy from the audience and adds excitement to the story.

Other unique characters include Marina Oki, Lady Emeraldas, and Tochiro. Marina has a crush on Zero, but is also a mysterious character who behaves strangely. Emeraldas is Tochiro's lover, and although she can be ruthless at times, she also shows a gentle side. Tochiro is Harlock's best friend, and is said to be the best engineer in the universe. These characters add color to the story and draw the viewer in.

■Visuals and Music

The visuals of "Cosmo Warrior Zero" reflect the unique worldview of Leiji Matsumoto. The space battleships and mecha designs are characterized by the futuristic designs drawn by Leiji Matsumoto. In particular, the "Karyuu" captained by Warrior Zero and the "Death Shadow No. 2" piloted by Harlock are visually very impressive designs.

The character designs also follow Matsumoto Reiji's style, resulting in unique and attractive visuals. Thanks to the skills of Masunaga Keisuke, who was in charge of character design, the characters' expressions and movements are drawn in detail, adding excitement to the story.

Music is also an important element that enhances the appeal of the work. The music by Geminiart High Quality creates a magnificent space atmosphere and stirs the viewer's emotions as the story unfolds. The music, especially in the battle scenes, heightens tension and excitement, drawing the viewer into the story.

■Recommendation

"Cosmo Warrior Zero" is recommended for those who want to enjoy the magnificent universe and deep human drama depicted by Leiji Matsumoto. Although it is a short series of 13 episodes, it is packed with a dense story and attractive characters, and will deeply move the viewer. In addition, for fans of Leiji Matsumoto, it is a valuable work that cannot be missed, as it features characters such as Harlock, Emeraldas, and Tochiro in their younger days.

In addition, by watching the OVA "Oue Young Harlock! Cosmo Warrior Zero Gaiden" as well, you can gain a deeper understanding of the world of the story. This work is recommended for all those who love the universe and human drama depicted by Reiji Matsumoto.